December 30, 2008 in News by Gumby

F.A.Q. About Heroes Martial Arts

Q:  Why Heroes Martial Arts?

A:  I’ve sort of made a brand for myself as “Gumby”, but calling the studio “Gumby Jiu Jitsu” would probably lead to some legal problems.  As many friends as I’ve made, more than a few wouldn’t recognize “Alan Marques BJJ” either because of the nickname I’ve made for myself (pretty much only my parents still call me Alan).  We could have gone with any number of more fierce or traditional sounding names, but that’s not really our style.  The name “Heroes” has a lot of different positive connotations, but primarily it’s because it appeals to the comic book nerd in me, and martial arts in some way is as close as most of us will come to living the super hero life.  Heroes is colorful and fun, and that’s what I want in a Martial Arts Studio.

Q:  No, I meant why should I train at Heroes Martial Arts?

A:  There are a lot of (excellent) choices to train in martial arts and even in Jiu Jitsu located in the San Jose area.  Heroes was formed because we love the martial arts, we love to teach, and we think that we have something to offer you.  We care very deeply about the progress of our students on the mat, and feel we have the ability to help you reach your highest potential. We are equally committed to fostering an atmosphere where everyone can feel welcome and be their self.   Furthermore, we strongly believe in teaching martial arts for the “real world” and whatever situation you find your self in, you’ll have a realistic sense of your skills and abilities.  Check us out, we think you’ll like us!

Q:  Is competition required to advance at Heroes Martial Arts?

A:  No, competition is purely an individual choice and most people who participate at Heroes will never compete.  It is about reaching your own maximum potential.  At the same time, those who decide to compete will do so knowing that the full support of Heroes Martial Arts is behind them and we will prepare you if that is your choice.   Classes are geared towards both types, and we feel the success of the academy is largely how everyone does their part to do better and help their fellow students get better.  It’s really a great dynamic!

Q:  Are there any rules or formalities I should be aware of at Heroes Martial Arts?

A:  In our teaching experience, we want to push and challenge the students, but we want to do in a safe, friendly environment.  The 3 “rules” we’ve set up are in order to maintain this type of atmosphere, with these guidelines in mind we hope that common sense will dictate your actions:

1:  I will enter the Academy with the mindset that I will somehow better myself every time.

2:  I realize that in order to better myself, it will take hard work and dedication.

3:  I will contribute to the academy, in that my fellow students will be able to follow the first two rules.

Above all, we hope you fun when you are training at Heroes Martial Arts!

Q:  Do you teach Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) at Heroes Martial Arts?

A:  Mixed Martial Arts is a relatively new sport on the scene, having first been introduced (to the United States) with the UFC in 1993, and has been seen an absolute explosion of popularity in the last few years.  MMA is a hybridization of a number of different disciplines in order to compete in a sport with specified (and shifting rules), including boxing, wrestling, muay thai, and arguably the most important aspect: Jiu Jitsu.  This requires the athlete to have some level of familiarization, if not proficiency in all of these styles.  The very top level competitors tend to have specialized in one area first and have developed to a very high level in it before cross training in other disciplines.

At Heroes Martial Arts, we have decided to specialize in the Jiu Jitsu and grappling arts in order to give our student a true depth of ability in these aspects.  The concepts and techniques learned can be applicable in a number of different situations, including self defense, sport Jiu Jitsu and even MMA.