Capital Jiu Jitsu In Dulles Virginia

If I ever miss a martial arts class, I know that the next one is going to be that much harder. So I dont like to miss a class, unless it cant be helped, like when I am going out of town.  I will even try to find a way to train while I’m on the road. In October I had a conference to attend in Alexandria, VA., and would be staying in Centerville, Loudon County, basically. That’s way out there from D.C. and Alexandria, I know, but that is not really part of the story.

I did a bit of looking around on the web to find a gym to train at. My criteria would be to find a place that would allow me to train the way I like and be located in the general vicinity. I finally settled on Capital Jiu Jitsu and I sent an email introducing myself. I was given a very welcome reply to come and train while in the region.

They turned out to be a good fit for me because I am accustomed to a very contemporary approach to training. My idea of a good gym is one that offers a range of programs, with kickboxing and BJJ as the core curriculum, some form or another of cross fit training harsh enough to make you puke, and some gentler things like Pilates and Yoga. It turned out that the kind of gym I picked out was not unlike the one I go to regularly in many ways. That meant that when I got to Capital Jiu Jitsu, I saw lots of things I know and love (or dread) and that made me right at home. Its a combination of an up to date curriculum combined with the brutality of things like kettlebell weights and monster truck tires. It happened also that I had come to the ‘Mothership’ location of this three location franchise, with over 10,000 square feet for martial arts and 2000 square feet for cross fit training. They even have a half-octagon cage for MMA training for the pro fighters.

Blogging about martial arts is one of my own reasons to try another school, but there are other reasons as well. By dropping in on another school, you get a different perspective on your regular training program. You get to see what you know in a new light, you find out what other people know or are training in, and its a chance to see how much different martial arts schools actually share in common. Another reason you might want to try another gym is because you may be moving, or you aren’t happy training where you are currently. I hope the last case wouldn’t be the case. Or maybe you want to expand your training by going to more than one gym.

I came to the advanced Muay Thai/Kickboxing class, led by sensei Japheth Brubaker, who is also the BJJ instructor at the school. But as it turned out, there were only two other guys at the class that night, Eugene Catedral and Leo Perrucci, who are also training assistants for the beginner/intermediate classes which they told me are much larger. I regret that I ran out of time and was not able to train on one of those days with them.

The one hour class began with typical grinder of a warmup with light jogging, some burpees, push-ups and sit-ups and crawling around on all fours. Then we got into roundhouse kick defences, as you see in the photos, with variations on trapping a kick and dropping the opponent to the ground. We then moved on to Thai clinch escapes and variations. Towards the end of the hour, we did some very light sparring, with lots of fast moves but hits were kept as light as possible, power to a minimum. In a second round between Leo and Eugene, they were able to incorporate the clinches and leg holds into the free sparring, which was really nice to see. They learned something and then applied it. That is the whole point of this exercise of learning martial arts, isnt it?

There is a fairly common practice among martial arts schools is to offer a first class for free. That might just spark your interest in trying out another school for fun. But such allowance, whether there is one or not, does not exclude from rules, expectations, or the traditions of martial arts. Its to see if there is a good fit for both you and the school, with no risk for either party. With that in mind, here are some pointers for you if you want to try a new gym. I’m assuming you have done your research and are ready to try them out:

• phone or email ahead of time, ask permission politely to try out their facilities. Tell them about the school you go to now, how you train, your age, your weight, your personal experience training. Be honest about what you can do and expect that a good school might allow you to come in at a level lower than what you can do.

• Bring what gear you can. There are probably some loaner gloves you can use.

• Show humility and respect to the sensei, or sifu, the students and staff alike. Pay attention to the lessons.

• Don’t be a dick. Being arrogant in anyway could be a total turn off. Not everybody knows what you know. In an informal sort of way you are representing the gym you come from, so remember that it is about more than just you when you go in there.

• Respect is the most important thing in martial arts. So bow when you step on the mat, even if the way you have been taught to bow isn’t the same bow the gym uses. You bow to the sensei when you see him the first time, and then introduce yourself politely to him or her and the other students. Go on those assumptions and they will tell you otherwise if needed.

• Don’t go with something to prove. Just try to fit in and go through the exercises. You are just there to work up a sweat and keep some kind of regular schedule in the gym.

• A gym is more than some big equipment or space or great this or that. Keep an open mind and you might find that things that detract from your experience are more than made up by other qualities.

• Consider writing a thank you email or note, or even better, write a review for them for Google reviews or one of the other web sites for reviews, like Epinions,  about businesses and services. Even recommend it to a friend. People who operate martial arts gyms in general are there because they love what they do and they give fully of themselves. So pay them back at least by sharing your positive experience with others.

• If for some reason your experience was negative, try to communicate politely through more discrete ways to the Sensei or other representative what you did not like about the school. At least try it that way first, because hopefully it was just an off day for someone there. This does not need to present itself as a point of conflict. Letting the school know about what your concerns were may help them improve their services and the programs they offer. Remember, no matter what, its supposed to be a learning experience for everybody concerned.

• If they don’t offer a freebie class, respect that. Perhaps they offer a free week or other new member program that you might go for. A good school costs money to run and you shouldn’t be adverse to spending something that helps them in some small way to keep the lights on.

So there you have it. One way or another, just keep on training.

Osu!

Thanks to: Eugene Catedral, Leo Perruci, Japheth Brubaker. Photos by Audrey Foo.