Tag: Evolution Grappling

Coach’s Corner * Written by Coach Mike Palladino I recently had the privilege of promoting Rich Murphy, aka “Murph,” to blue belt. Murph is 59 years of age, a multi-sport athlete, and a lifelong resident of Beacon; he’s old school cool! At age 56, and still in pursuit of stepping out of his comfort zone, […]

Coach’s Corner *Contributed by EGA Black Belt and Coach, Joe Pomarico In every major combat sport, from novice to the professional level, competitors rely on a coach or series of coaches for guidance before, during, and after competition. Competitive Jiu Jitsu is no different, and having an experienced coach is a necessity which should not […]

Coach’s Corner   My martial arts journey started in 1988, when I was 10 years old. After being ruthlessly bullied by kids in my neighborhood, my mother enrolled me in a local karate program to help me build confidence and discipline. Through the years I’ve trained in karate, Aikido, Jeet Kune Do and for the […]

Allowing Our Kids to Watch Us Grow! Contributed by Nickie Smith Five years ago, my youngest boy (we have three boys and one girl, ages 13, 11, 10, and 8) stepped into his first BJJ class at EGA. He fell right into place and it became just a natural extension of his being. After watching […]

Coach’s Corner   The new year is upon us! I’m very happy and grateful for a fantastic 2022 with our tribe and I’m looking froward to another great year in 2023. Our students make EGA the community that it has become and I couldn’t be more thankful. We have a lot of exciting things to […]

  Developing Confidence A dive into Dr. Nate Zinsser’s book The Confident Mind. Follow this series to learn from where confidence stems, how to cultivate confidence in your life, and how this translates as a student of Jiu Jitsu. Contributed by Matt Smith*     What is confidence? Merriam-Webster defines confidence as, “a feeling or consciousness of one’s […]

Coach’s Corner * Contributed by Coach Nick Spencer I’d like to take time to talk about the importance of training partners. Without our training partners we literally cannot do jiu jitsu. This is something that we know and understand but although jiu jitsu is an individual sport, it takes a team to build a champion.  […]

Coach’s Corner I am frequently told by both students and parents about their experiences regarding the benefits of Jiu Jitsu. There are few things that make me feel more fulfilled as a teacher and practitioner than these success stories. Recently a parent, whose child had been enrolled in Jiu Jitsu a couple of years ago, […]

Back & Leg Training for BJJ Contributed by Lou Torres   A few weeks ago we brought you So You Want To Lift? where Coach Lou broke down strength training exercises, and their relationship to BJJ, for the entire body. This week Lou sits down to specifically address legs and back.  While your legs and […]

Coach’s Corner   Practice and the Importance of Approach In 2015 I read a book called Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise by Dr. Anders Ericsson. Ericsson, coining the term “Deliberate Practice,” was the world’s leading expert on “experts.” In his research he identifies two major types of practice of which I’d like […]

“Off the Mats” is a series dedicated to enhancing your BJJ game…off the mats! From strength and conditioning, sports psychology, nutrition, to injury prevention and rehab, we will share ways to improve yourself and your BJJ game from many different aspects of life.   So You Want to Lift? Contributed by Lou Torres*   There’s […]

  Escapes From Turtle   Grapplers of all levels find themselves in the bottom Turtle position from time to time. As a primary position in BJJ, we need to have a solid plan of escape when our opponent starts securing a Front Headlock. Mike Palladino goes over two effective escapes from Turtle; the Arm Reversal […]

Coach’s Corner Hello Tribe, July was an action packed month for us! We had an amazing day for promotions down by the river on July 16th followed by a seminar by my Coach, Rafael Formiga. Our promotions at the water front saw the promotion to black belt for 4 incredible individuals. Al, Joe Pa, Billy, […]

Let’s Talk Competition Prep!   Have you ever competed or thought about doing so? For our very first Feature Friday, we hear from active competitor and Purple Belt, Ashley D’Aversa. Ashley shares what the weeks leading up to competition look like for her and shares some encouragement for you! Contributed by Ashley D’Aversa* Competition is […]

Coach’s Corner   Promotion = Progress.   As a coach, it is such a rewarding feeling and experience to oversee the development of an individual from the very beginning of their journey all the way through their advanced development. A promotion in rank is a marker of your progress and development. Whether you’re being promoted […]

Sunday Morning Open Mats at Evolution Grappling Academy are a training staple of the week for many local grapplers. The weekly Open Mat features some of the best training in the region. On average, roughly 60-70 grappler’s of assorted ranks, from a variety of different teams, affiliations and regions find themselves on the mats at […]