Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
What is the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu taught at Gracie Allegiance Team New Zealand?
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is essentially a grappling art. It uses joint manipulation, chokes, strangulations and positional controls to overwhelm and subdue opponents with out the need to kick or punch. It is relatively new to New Zealand. Gracie Allegiance Team New Zealand is the one of the best places to train Jiu Jitsu in Hawke's Bay. In real combat, versus any other fighting style, it is extremely effective. It involves joint manipulation, chokes, immobilisation and attack and escape timing.
Will I be able to learn this martial art?
Absolutely. The techniques of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu were developed for small to medium sized people in order to defeat opponents of much greater size and strength. The art has been continually revised and tested for decades in Brazil, which have made the techniques extremely simple, easy to learn, and efficient. Practitioners of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu need not be especially big, fast or strong.
Membership Questions
What does 'Unlimited' mean? Can I really train an unlimited number of times every week or month?
Yes. The Unlimited Monthly and Unlimited Weekly give you access to every class time in the timetable for your age group. That means, if you want to attend every class you are able to, even if just to watch and learn from some of the more experience Academy Members.
In reality, we find members select times that are most suitable to their schedules and then increase their training in the run up to going for a belt or a competition.
What is the best value membership plan?
The best value is the Unlimited Annual Plan where we commit to training you for a year. The Annual Plan gives you access to the academy at any time and by paying your membership annually, it allows us to make investments into the academy infrastructure (in 2015 we doubled the training size and replaced all the training mats) that continually improve the facilities. If you're not ready to make the annual commitment without trying Brazilian Jiu Jitsu out first, try the 2 Session Intro Course for only $40 first, then decide.
Classes
What's the timetable of adult classes each week?
We have morning classes from 9:30am Monday to Thursday and then on Friday at 10am.
We also have an early morning class at 5:30am on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
We have night classes from 6pm Monday to Friday as follows:
Monday - Fundamentals
Tuesday - Advanced (great class to watch)
Wednesday - Fundamentals
Thursday - Advanced (great class to watch)
Friday - Open Mat (come down and drill, roll, ask questions, or hang out, the choice is yours)
What's the timetable of kids classes each week?
Lion Cubs for 5 - 7 year olds is every Monday and Wednesday at 3:45pm.
Little Lions for 8 - 10 year olds is every Monday and Wednesday at 4:30pm.
Lions for 11 - 14 year olds is every Tuesday and Thursday at 4:00pm.
What equipment do I need to start to train?
For the 2 Session Intro Course, all you need is to turn up, ideally wearing some loosely fitting clothing that won't restrict your movements too much. That's it. There's no special gear or expensive equipment to get started. Oh, bring a water bottle, you'll get thirsty :)
Once you’ve done a few classes you will want to purchase a gi to train in. Gis can be purchased online or have a chat with Damian to organize an official Gracie Allegiance Academy gi as shown below (design may differ depending on what the current academy design is):
What if I find the classes too difficult?
It is our responsibility to understand your training level and adapt the class to everyone's needs. We will never take you beyond your capabilities. By watching our students during class, we know who we can pair up with to stretch your capabilities through learning, without introducing moves that are too difficult to early on.
I have a high standard of fitness already. How will Brazilian Jiu Jitsu help?
It's comparatively easy to get fit as it's a one dimensional activity. Get the heart rate up enough and your body will become more efficient. You're certainly at an advantage by joining the academy with a good base level of fitness, because you'll be able to focus solely on the movements. What new starters do find, is these movements of combinations of muscles haven't been tested for some time and provide an excellent new path of learning. Ultimately, by combining Brazilian Jiu Jitsu with others sports or exercise is going to help you perform in both arenas.
I'd like to join, but I'm worried about getting hurt? Should I be?
It's completely natural to have concerns, but there's nothing to be worried about at Gracie Allegiance Team New Zealand. We made some key decisions early on in the life of the academy to put our students health and wellbeing first and foremost. That means the following:
We always do a good 10-15 minutes warm up as part of every class. These warm ups include the all important 'hip escape' moves that form the basis of what we train next.
All our grappling training all starts on the ground so there's 0% chance of falling down and hurting yourself.
We pair you up with similarly experienced students.
We all practice the same moves together. It's never a free for all for new students.
In the unlikely event that you do hurt yourself, we are covered by ACC just as a rugby injury would be.
Can I come and watch a class first?
Absolutely. We love having spectators at a class and this is a great way to get a feel for what to expect. If you are dead keen, but your parents would like to come down and watch a Kids class first, that's absolutely fine.
Children's Classes
I'd love for my child to learn these skills, but will they be OK?
Absolutely. The Lions class is designed with an equal balance of fun and learning in mind. Many of the kids within the Lions class form healthy, strong friendship bonds that continue outside of the academy at a very important time of personal teenage growth.
The Little Lions class is super fun and includes activities that have the kids running around playing tag and jumping around in fits of excitement. For some parents, the Little Lions class is a way to get rid of extra energy at the end of the day in a safe, fun environment while practicing some skills while having fun. It's what comes naturally to kids!
Class Sizes and Location
How many Gracie Allegiance members are there?
We have up to 100 members at any one time across all the age groups training at the academy.
How big is each class?
It depends on the age level with the general rule being the smaller the class the older the group. We generally keep the adult classes to between 10 - 20 people, and the kids classes between 15 - 30 at a time.
Where are you located?
The academy is based at 105 Pakowhai Road, Hastings. There is plenty of parking out the front.
What else can I read online about Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?
There's plenty on our Facebook Page if you're looking to see what we're up to right now.
You can also look at the Gracie Allegiance HQ Website. Gracie Allegiance HQ is the main Gracie Allegiance Academy in the world located in San Diego, California, which is run by our head Coach, Professor Clark Gracie.