June 28, 2011 in News by Gumby

Thursday Open Mats for Summer!

Because of the parking situation on Thursdays thanks to Music in the Park, we will be opening Heroes at 4:00 PM on Thursdays for Open Mat! Come by get your roll on, ask questions, or hang out. The earlier you get here on Thursdays, the easier the parking situation is!

June 28, 2011 in News by Gumby

4th of July Hours

Monday July 4th is Independence Day in the United States!

Heroes will be open regular hours Saturday July 2nd (9:00 AM Little Heroes, 10:00 AM BJJ Review and 11:00 AM Competition Class)

Heroes will be open for Open Mat only 11 AM to 2 PM on July 4th

Have a fun and safe holiday!

June 12, 2011 in News by Gumby

Big Belt Promotions happened in June!

June has already seen tons of action and hard work paying off on the mats of Heroes Martial Arts.

Firstly, two of our mainstays, Joey and Gabe have earned their well deserved blue belts!

Joey “Digi” Ruiz was actually among the very first student to sign up at Heroes Martial Arts when we opened the doors.  A fixture on the local skate boarding scene and the cameraman editor behind some big projects (including the first skate movie shot entirely in HD), Joey has traveled the globe but has his home here on the mat.  Much like a freestyer, Joey’s transitions in Jiu Jitsu have become especially dangerous (and fun to watch).

Gabe Toci isn’t the most vocal person in the room, but he always has a presence when he is on the mat.  The Hawaiian native is a combination of both finesse and raw strength and had game has developed to high level quickly.  It might surprise you to know that Gabe is a ceramics instructor and artist.

Two BIG promotions as Chris and Viking received their purple belts!

Chris Martinet is becoming famous as the journalist behind the “Ask a Black Belt” video series, where he has interviewed many of the top Jiu Jitsu personalities in both the Bay Area, and around the world, even scoring an interview with Royce Gracie while visiting Abu Dhabi!  It’s a role and calling that Gumby himself found himself in many years ago as one of the founders of OntheMat.com (where Chris’s videos are now posted)  It’s in pursuit of knowledge that Chris acts, and in the few years that Chris has been at Heroes we’ve seen Chris eagerly learn as much as he can, apply it and be willing to share what he has.  Chris has become one of the academy leaders and it is with great pleasure to promote him to faxia roxa.

Finally, Mark “Viking” Nielsen has been a longtime student of Gumby’s, working together at three different locations!  From Gumby’s comp class at their first academy (where Viking was the most consistent student) to the infamous “warehouse” days, to laying down the mats at Heroes, Viking has been a stalwart student and friend.  He’s worked extremely hard to get where he’s at; it goes without saying you don’t want to be underneath Viking, but he’s also developed his bottom game and defenses as well.  Viking is proof that you should never judge a book by it’s cover, and you you never know what one is capable when they first walk in the door.  Gumby freely admits that he wasn’t sure if Viking was going to survive the first month of training, and when it cam to sparring “we had the phone pre dialed to 9-1 when Viking was on the mat just in case”.  Viking preserved and succeeded however, because his heart has always been his biggest attribute (although his mouth and his stomach are in a close race for second).  In all seriousness I couldn’t be more proud and happy to present Viking with his well deserved purple belt.

Congratulations to Joey, Gabe, Chris and Viking!  Keep training hard!

June 7, 2011 in News by Gumby

New Youth Programs for all ages! Little Heroes, Youth and Teens classes available.

New Youth Schedule!

Our kids classing have been growing, and our kids have developing quickly.  To accommodate the needs of our younger students  we are proud to offer three separate programs for young children (ages 4-6), kids ages 7-12, and a Teens Class (13+)

All of our youth programs are Brazilian Jiu Jitsu based and enforce the practical techniques of the world’s most successful martial art, with the core values of the martial way.  Children will learn to defend themselves and build their self esteem in a fun environment.  At the same time there will be opportunities as the student develops for exploring the competitive and sport aspects of Jiu Jitsu.

Young Heroes (Ages 4-6)

This is our introduction to Jiu Jitsu for our youngest students.  Martial Arts values and basic Jiu Jitsu fundamentals will be introduced in a fun environment, with emphasis on games and fitness.

The Young Heroes Class is taught by Sean Whitmore and is scheduled for Fridays at 3:30 and Saturdays at 9:00 AM

Youth (Ages 7-12)

The youth class introduces children into a full Jiu Jitsu curriculum.  In a fun and safe environment children will learn the Fundamentals of Jiu Jitsu and the Martial Way.  Children will learn techniques and drill with both the instructor and fellow students.  As students advance they will gradually be introduced into more competitive situations.  The core emphasis remains on the Jiu Jitsu ways and values.
The Youth Class is taught by Mike Strangis and is scheduled for Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays at 5:00 PM

Teens (Ages 13-17)
The Teens Class is for teens and incorporates the fundamentals of Jiu Jitsu and the martial way in a more competitive environment.  Classes will be structured in similar fashion to the adult classes, with exercises, drills and sparring while allowing teens to work within their peer group.
The Teens Class is taught by Mike Strangis and is scheduled for Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 4:00 PM

Contact us to schedule a trial class for your child!

May 10, 2011 in News by Gumby

Two New Blue Belts!

Rodante Sagisi and Tri Tran have been awarded their well earned Blue Belts in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu from Gumby

We won’t tell you exactly how old Dante is (we will tell you he does compete in the Senior 3 division however).  It’s not Dante that’s trying to keep up with the young guns, it’s usually the other way around!  BJJ, Wrestling, Judo, Competitions, and more Dante is always on the mat pushing himself and everyone around him!  Dante’s evolved into quite a beast on the mat, and he’ll happily tell you how Jiu Jitsu with the Heroes crew keeps him young.

Nor will we tell you exactly what size Tri is (other than to say he competes quite easily in the Rooster weight division).  It’s the not the size of the dog in the fight as they say and Tri is a formidable opponent no matter who is in front of him.  Tri is a tremendous example of the principle of Jiu Jitsu being technique and leverage will override size and strength.

Congratulations to Dante and Tri!

April 21, 2011 in News by Gumby

Shawn Williams Seminar May 21st!

Our good friend Shawn Williams is coming to Heroes Martial Arts to conduct a seminar on his tournament tested techniques, including his own famous development, the Williams Guard,

Saturday May 21st from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM.  Just $75 for a day of instruction and fun.

Shawn Williams was born on the 7th of April, 1975 in Bluffton, Indiana – United State of America. Shawn was always a very active person, even as a child, practicing sports since he was 6 years old – baseball, soccer, hockey and swimming. He saw Jiu Jitsu in action for the first time around 1993 or 1994 by watching Royce Gracie win UFC II. Shawn was already involved with martial arts, namely Karate, and had been a fan of most action heroes growing up (Bruce Lee, Sho Kosugi, and Jean-Claude Van Damme) though this style was something different and intriguing, he kept it in the back of his mind as he wasn’t completely sold to the Brazilian martial art. It wasn’t until he saw Renzo Gracie compete a few years later that he really saw the potential of this fighting system. Renzo’s style was much more “well rounded” and aggressive then his cousin’s and it was after witnessing this that Shawn decided to seek instruction on the subject. He thought that the best way to get around BJJ would be to drink its wisdom straight from the fountain, and so he moved from Indiana to New York City to train under Renzo Gracie, his first training session being on September 1996.

Around 1998/1999, and by mistake, Shawn Williams discovered what would become his trademark position, the “Williams Guard”, a version of the High Guard/Rubber Guard in which the fighter makes a framed grip underneath his own leg (between his knee and opponents shoulder). It is based on angles rather then flexibility and keeps the fighter out to the side, not directly under his opponent. He continued to work on this guard for many years, putting it to the test in many competitions, including the ADCC trials, Pan Ams and even the World Championships on 4 separate occasions to which Shawn travelled to Brazil only to fall short of a medal.

On April 2nd, 2002 Shawn Williams received his black belt from the hands of Renzo Gracie together with his training partner and fellow Renzo Gracie Academy Assistant Instructor, John Danaher. In 2004 Shawn moved to Los Angeles to open an academy – with his master Renzo Gracie’s blessing – He always comes back to the old gym in New York to keep in touch with the new positions created by his old master.

One on one with Shawn Williams

March 30, 2011 in News by Gumby

April Schedule Available!

Is it April already?  March brought us many more friends and triumphs to Heroes Martial Arts.  We’ll keep training hard in the following month.  Keep in mind these special events!

April 9th  Heroes vs One World Submission Only Challenge!  A friendly tournament with our friend from One World Jiu Jitsu, 15 of us against 15 of them, no time limit submission only matches!  There will be a raffle as a benefit for Japan being held as well!  http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=134073409997828

April 30th – May 1st America’s Cup Jiu Jitsu Tournament.   One of NorCal’s biggest tournaments, this is being held in nearby Independence High.  Due to the high number of Heroes competing, there will be NO CLASS at the academy on this day.  Come out and support your teammates!

http://heroesmartialarts.com/downloads/Heroes0411.pdf

March 9, 2011 in News by Gumby

“Eastside” Nick To Blue!

One of the younger members of the team, Nick Borbon is a hard worker with plenty of hours of mat time under his belt and lots of competition experience.  Fearless and creative on the mat “Eastside” (as he’s known around here) can be downright spectacular some days but is a welcome fixture on the mat every day.

Congrats Eastside!  Stay the path and you have a tremendous future!