DavePreciado.com
Jan 09
by Dave in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu 0 comments tags: 18-35, Bellator, BJJ, black belt, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, demographics, education, fans, fight, fighters, martial arts, Meryl Streep, mma, pop culture, technique, UFC

Mixed Martial Arts – it’s not the fighter, it’s the fans

Last week I had a conversation with my coach about the Rousey vs Nunes fight. He was very honest in his response and said he doesn’t really like to follow the sport of MMA, so he didn’t watch the fight.  I respect that, coming from a 3rd degree Brazilian Jiu Jitsu blackbelt.  I knew he had a meaningful reason as to why he felt this way, so I had to ask what was it? *side note* Ironically, earlier that day I had commented on an article going around on Facebook as to “3 Reasons BJJ still isn’t mainstream in the US”  My response was: It’s hard. It takes time. There are no shortcuts or cheats to get good at it. It requires critical thinking and and a lot of time to acquire a deeper understanding. Most people don’t have the tenacity or patience for it. Most people are uncomfortable with their personal space being invaded. Many people don’t like the idea of other people’s sweat on them either. Plus it’s still associated with the “Just Bleed” UFC guy, so many people think we’re lunatics. There’s a variety of reasons but it’s still growing. It takes 100 years for a sport to […]
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Dec 06
by Dave in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu 0 comments tags: BJJ, black belt, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, dogma, jiu jitsu, mma, practice, purple belt, technique, Training, UFC

Why do YOU train?

I train because Jiu Jitsu is part of my life. I train because Jiu Jitsu is more than Jiu Jitsu. I train because of the comradery Jiu Jitsu provides. I train because it helps me relax. I train because I’m forced to be present. I train because I’ve learned humility through Jiu Jitsu. I train because it isn’t easy. I train because the complexity of Jiu Jitsu is so vast I will never get bored. I train because Jiu Jitsu is my catharsis for a rough day. I train Jiu Jitsu because I’ve learned to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations. I train because the confidence and calmness I learn on the mats, I take with me into everyday life. I train because Jiu Jitsu is free of dogma. I’ll stop at dogma-free for now. Next May 2017 will mark my 10 year anniversary in training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.  Prior to that, I dabbled very briefly in Kickboxing but I would have never considered myself a martial artist.  Up until May 2007. What attracted me to Jiu Jitsu was it’s complexity, it’s grace, the control, the dynamic, the amount of technique, and it’s fun! But what the Gentle Art is also […]
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Jul 13
by Dave in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu 0 comments tags: BJJ, BlackLivesMatter, BrazilianJiuJitsu, JiuJitsu, Police, ProperTraining, Training

BJJ saves lives

Given the current social events in America (and the world), I feel our small Jiu Jitsu community has a responsibility to help make a difference under the guidance of our respected coaches. I know it may be perceived as a “band-aid” to an open, scathing, much deeper societal wound, but hear me out:  All law enforcement should be REQUIRED to train Jiu Jitsu minimum 3 days a week. Why BJJ? Jujutsu (/dʒuːˈdʒuːtsuː/ joo-joot-soo; Japanese: 柔術, jūjutsu  listen) is a Japanese martial art and a method of close combat for defeating an armed and armored opponent in which one uses no weapon or only a short weapon. “…for defeating an ARMED and ARMORED opponent…”  meaning THEY have a sword(s)/armor and you don’t. Think about that for a minute.  A furious, trained soldier is coming for you armed with a Samurai sword with the intention of cutting you in half…and you MUST fight him. What do you do? If this were today and you were a cop, your heart rate would sky rocket, you’d panic, you’d pull out your gun and shoot this lunatic with no hesitation. Rightfully so. But if you DIDN’T have a weapon – gun, sword, bat, mace, taser,  bad breath – you’d have […]
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Grappling for Gary seminar
Dec 04
by Dave in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu 0 comments tags: BJJ, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Carlson Gracie, fight, fight club, Gracie, jiu jitsu, martial arts, mma, new zealand, purple belt, Rey Diogo, submission, Vanderson

8 1/2 years later…

I received my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu purple belt from Professor Vanderson Pires at Combat Room, New Zealand on November 28th, 2015.  Why is that a big deal? Let’s start with a general statistic – most people quit training after blue belt.  Only 25% of people who begin BJJ make it to purple belt.   I think it’s something like 8-10% make it to black belt.  I’ve been a blue belt for 7 years. When I still lived in Los Angeles, there was a period of about a year that my training was inconsistent – almost non existent.  Life demanded other priorities, so I had to give up training to save some money.  Other than that dark time, I’ve been training a lot. Never in my life had I intended to be a martial artist until one day at the gym, I ran into a very large and scary looking individual who invited me to come down to his gym.  To begin my BJJ days, I had the privilege to train 5 1/2 years in Los Angeles with a legendary Carlson Gracie black belt, my friend Rey Diogo. In 2009 I got to go to Brazil with Rey and train at the […]
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