In order to be the best, you have to train with the best, which is why this past Saturday Crossroads BJJ brought 3x No-Gi world champion and 2019 ADCC North America Trials Champion Josh Hinger to Connecticut to teach a 3 hour seminar at Crossroads Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Waterford, CT. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial […]
this week at Crossroads BJJ we’ve been studying the scissor sweep, learning how to apply the technique, how to shut down the Jiu-Jitsu technique and then what techniques can be applied based on those defenses. It is this process of action and reaction that makes Jiu-Jitsu so effective. In a fight or a competition there […]
One of the most common sayings in Jiu-Jitsu is “Technique over Strength”, this essentially means that you want to correctly position your body so that you are using the majority of your body both muscularity and structurally to attack or “weaken” your bjj training partners body. Over the last several weeks we have been working […]
Another great kid-jitsu Martial arts class happened last night at Crossroads BJJ. As these young martial artists continue to show up to class and learn Jiu-Jitsu we continue to see them get stronger, more confidant and more coordinated. Through performing several drills designed help develop balance, and coordination all of our students are really beginning […]
Every Monday and Wednesday night the dedicated students at Crossroads BJJ step on the Mat and look to hone their skills. As a martial artist and a grappler we should all seek to have well rounded skills, in the beginning this means understanding the five major positions both on top and on the bottom, knowing […]
Our 6am Jiu-Jitsu class is growing! After just a few months of offering this new bjj class in CT students are already setting thier alarm clocks early to wake up and get some martial arts training in before they head off to work! Our 6am crew is a group of people truely dedicated to achieving […]
Last night during our Team Training Class at Crossroads BJJ we worked several entries into the Crucifix position from the turtle. The turtle position is when the bottom Jiu-Jitsu player turns to his knees in an attempt to escape the bottom position. Over the past several weeks in bjj class we focused on attacks from […]
Last night at Crossroads BJJ in New London County Connecticut we continued developing our Kimora from the Guard series. While during Monday’s bjj class we used our knee to break the top Jiu-Jitsu players posture to attack the submission, in last nights bjj class we started with the more traditional variation of the Kimora and […]
Last night at Crossroads BJJ during our Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Team Training class we continued developing attacks and transitions from the Kimora grip. Over the past few weeks we have gone over a number of transitions that provide us with a plan of attack for when our Jiu-Jitsu sparring partner turns into us in an attempt […]
This past Saturday at Crossroads Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu we drilled a sequence of techniques to create a flow drill. A flow drill is what we call a series of techniques that create an endless loop and allows each person to practice each of the techniques. Saturday our flow drill consisted of 4 techniques which looped through […]
Last night during the Fundamentals class at Crossroads Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu we started off drilling how to break your opponents posture from the closed guard. By breaking their posture you put them in a position where they can’t hit you, or begin to try and pass your guard, which they will need to do in order […]
Last night during the Crossroads Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Team Training class we worked on using our legs to great a heavy guard. Typically when you think of being heavy in BJJ you think of the person on top, however the bottom player can also be heavy by using their arms and legs to hang their weight […]
Last night during the Team Training class at Crossroads BJJ we covered two possible submissions from the guard off of one movement. What separates BJJ from other Martial Arts is the philosophy that you never know what is going to happen in a fight, there are any number of potential reasons to why you could […]
Another great weekend of jiu-jitsu at Crossroads Brazilian Jiu-jitsu! With classes every of the week there is never any excuse not to get on the mat and get some great training in. Starting with our Saturday afternoon fundamentals of BJJ class and our Sunday morning open mat everybody was able to get on the mat […]
Last night at Crossroads BJJ in New London CT County we spent some time in our Team Training class understanding how to break the posture. In Jiu-Jitsu the top player having strong posture makes attacking sweeps and submissions very difficult and leaves the top player ins position where they are able to attempt to pass […]
In our Fundamentals of BJJ class at Crossroads BJJ in New London CT we spend a lot of time working on how to escape bad positions because as a new student that is often where you will find yourself against the other more knowledgeable students in the class. So before you can start submitting people […]
Last night at Crossroads Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu we promoted our first Female blue belt! After over a year of consistent hard work and dedication Julia earned her Blue Belt and begins the next phase of jiu-jitsu her journey! The blue belt is the most important belt to obtain in bjj, it shows mental toughness, persistence, knowledge […]
Working towards strong angles was the theme of Tuesday Nights No Gi BJJ class last night at Crossroads Brazilian Jiujitsu. Students came down to waterford CT to gain a better understanding what angles give you the advantage in attacking off your back or looking for the pass. By understanding angles in BJJ we can begin […]
Hey everybody, Due to some scheduling issues we have to move up the time of our Friday Night open mat from 6pm to 4pm tonight. Come in and train a little early and start your weekend off right. Next weeks open mat will be back to its normal time at 6pm. -Dustin
Today during our No-Gi Team Training class at Crossroads Brazilian Jiu-jitsu we continued with this weeks theme of submissions chains off of Omoplata escape attempts. By understand with directions the person in the submission can move in an attempt to escape and by understanding when they have successfully escaped or are about to escape we […]
This past Saturday Carlos Machado traveled New England and put on a tour of Seminars at several Tim Burrill Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu locations. The attendees of the seminar ranged in rank from white belt to back and Carlos was able to provide everybody with some knew technical knowledge they could take home. At Crossroads […]
Hey everybody, Unfortunetly due to the poor road conditions and the upcoming forecast we will be canceling both our 6pm and 7:30pm classes tonight. Stay Safe and Stay Warm
Unfortunately due to the weather and poor road condition there will be no 6:00pm or 7:30pm Jiu-Jitsu classes. Stay warm, stay safe and see you all in class tomorow. -Dustin
Today’s lesson started with learning what to do when somebody grabs you around the waist. There are a few different ways that this will happen, a person will either be in front of you or behind you, and they will either grab over your arms, or underneath them. By drilling all four different scenarios we […]
Hey everybody since the roads are terrible and it doesn’t look it’s going to stop anytime soon we’re going to cancel tonight’s classes at Crossroads. Sorry to all the crazy’ who were going to make the drive. Stay safe and stay warm!
Today during team training we continued working from the half guard, discussing how to get the undertook and then understanding the technical options it provides. Today we worked on moving from our back to a seated position which works very well when our training partner is keeping very good posture, or you can create a […]
Today during our Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class we covered what to do when somebody grabs you from behind. This can be one of the most starling attacks because you can not see it. We discussed making sure you don’t et knocked over. In brazilian jiu-jitsu we refer to this as dropping in base and is the […]
Tonight during team training we had an open training session where student were able to work and refine the techniques of their choice. Continuous refinement of the techniques that work for you is essential to progressing in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. Refinement allows you to discover new details about the techniques you already know, perfect your timing […]
Tonight during our Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ( BJJ ) class we worked on what to do if your training partner tries to stand up to pass your guard. Since all guard passes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu can be broken down into two categories, passing from the knees and passing from standing, understanding how to defend both is […]
Today in our kids class we continued working with the kids on foot sweeps. A foot sweep is a very effective way to move a self defense or bullying situation from standing to the ground where a smaller child can control and protect him or herself. The kids then did some live rolling drills with […]
In the bottom position if we can control our opponents posture by holding the closely to us, we can prevent them from punching or hitting us. The best bottom position in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is called The Guard. The amazing thing about the guard is it is a position where you an use your entire body […]
Today in our Brazilian Jiu-jitsu class we continued covering how to maintain back control. Back control is the most dominate position to have in a self defense situation, an mama fight, or a jiu-jitsu tournament. Because your training partner can’t see you and has a very limited number of escapes we can easily control their […]
Today in our Brazilian Jiu-jitsu class we went over basic stand up strategies with a focus on head position and grip fighting. In grappling angles make a huge difference in who has the advantage and while our main focus in BJJ is to close the distance and get the fight to the ground any way […]
As always we started out drilling the self defense techniques of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. When BJJ was first modified from its Japanese Jiu-jitsu and Judo Roots it was to make the art more effective in the Street Fights in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. This was before the IBJJF was founded by Carlos Gracie Jr. son of […]
Today we warmed up with stretching to increase our flexibility and get ourselves warmed up for the technical portion of our Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Class. While being flexible isn’t a requirement for learning jiu-jitsu improving our flexibility is an essential portion of any exercise routine. So many people spend their days sitting in offices or repeating […]
Tonight during BJJ Team Training we continued working from the top of side control. We went over over how to catch your training partner in a loop and then use pressure to force them into making a technical mistake. By allowing our training partner to start an escape and then trapping them in a bad […]
Today in Our Brazilian Jiu-jitsu class we went over how to prevent a sucker punch. We define sucker punch as anytime somebody is close enough to us to through a punch that we are not expecting. The first thing we always discuss when going over dealing with a potentially hostile person is the ranges of […]
Today two of our most senior students purple belts Denis and James taught the team training class working how to control from the turtle position and also how to escape to reclaim the top position. Great Class with a lot of great knowledge passed down to the newer students. One of the best things about […]
Today during our Brazilian Jiu-jitsu class we went over how to break the posture of somebody on top of you in-order to prevent them from hitting you by controlling the distance. Once we have control over our training partners we no longer have to worry about being hit and can then move on to either […]
With another New England snow storm making the roads nice and slippery tonights BJJ Class turned into a semi private lesson for those brave(crazy) enough to get on the roads and make it to class! Coach Mike held a Q&A session on the half guard, going over what to do when you are stuck flat […]
Everyone knows the belt system in Jiu-Jitsu. White, blue, purple, brown, black. If you want to get technical, black is followed by coral, and then red. When your Jiu-Jitsu journey begins, the higher belts can seem like super heroes, and you’re instructor can seem like Zeus atop Mount Olympus. But what is the one thing […]
Today during our Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class two ways to escape the mount position. The Mount position is one of the most powerful ways to control an attacker in a self defense situation because of the number of BJJ style submissions that are available as well as the number of ways to completely neutralize your attacker […]
We Finished the Butterfly Guard chapter in our Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Team Training program tonight reviewing several sweeps we have practiced over the last. We have spent the last chapter working to perfect working the angles of your body Butterfly Guard Sweeps against more and more knowledgable opponents. As we drilled the several techniques covered during […]
Today during BJJ Team Training we worked take downs. Every self defense situation and every competition starts standing up. At Crossroads Brazilian Jiu-jitsu we work our Judo and Wrestling style takedowns several times a week to ensure our stand up skills are always improving. When the match or fight goes to the ground the person […]
Constantine stopped by Crossroads BJJ for one of our Sunday open Mats while in town away from his gym. Here is what he had to say about Crossroads Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and our Coaches! “I just came back from Crossroads BJJ while vacationing in Mystic (they’re in Waterford). Dennis, the two Mikes, and John treated me […]
Today during our Brazilian Jiu-jItsu class we continued working the idea of timing and flow. Timing is a crucial aspect of BJJ, if you don’t understand when to transition after your training partner is defending your techniques you will always be reacting to their movement instead of the other way around. We started working the […]
BJJ is a contact sport! You are in close proximity to the people you train with, so being clean is supremely important. Dirty gis and dirtier people spread bacteria and other nasty infections, so it really is a health issue. We don’t really have this problem at Crossroads bjj but it’s still important to go […]
Today in our Team Training class we continued working working Butterfly Guard, today working an overhook variation similar to what we covered in our No-Gi BJJ class on Tuesday night. Our main focus was moving our hips so that we can keep constant pressure on our training partner in order to break their poster and […]
Today during the Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Class at Crossroads BJJ Coach Doug covered the toronado pass. This is one of the most commonly used passes in BJJ and can be seen in pretty much every tournament you will every see. The toronado pass is a loose style pass that is accomplished by controlling your training partners […]
Today during our Crossroads BJJ Kids Class we continued working on balance and movement drills. Our Children are growing at a rapid rate, which can cause them to become uncoordinated, and this lack of coordination can lead to problems with their self confidence, which can lead to them being bullied in school and all of […]
Today during class we continued working headlock escapes from the bottom position. While this is not something that will typically happen during a sparring session at Crossroads BJJ because the headlock does not offer a great deal of control over our training partners and there aren’t many submissions from the position it is something that happens […]
Being so close to both the Coast Guard Academy in New London Connecticut and the Navy Base in Groton Connecticut, Crossroads BJJ gets to train with a large number Active members of the Military. These guys and girls have had the oppertunity to train at several gyms both in the Unitied States and around the […]
Unfortunetly because of the forcasted blizzard all classes will be canceled today. Be safe if you have to drive. See you all in class on Monday.
Today during Team Training we continued our study of the Butterfly guard Hook Sweep introducing the pant grip to slow down your opponents ability to circle pass to your weak side. We then strengthened that concept by adding a push pull to increase the amount of total force. At this point in the class once […]
Is there a better endorsement as a teacher of the martial arts, than to have Chuck Norris as a student? If there is, I can’t think of one. Now imagine the very same teacher wants to teach you (yes, I’m talking to you reader) the same things he’s taught Mr. Spinning Roundhouse! Not possible you […]
Congratulations Kevin on earning your BJJ Blue Belt! Kevin is one of the most dedicated and hardworking guys in the gym and has he has put a tremendous amount of work into earning his BJJ Blue Belt! It is great to have him in the school always bringing a great attitude and a desire to […]
Today during Team Training we continued working the butterfly guard, working into a counter to our training partners using their leg to replace the arm when we have successfully controlled it from the bottom position. One of the most common counters to the butterfly guard in BJJ is to use your leg as a kickstand […]
Today in our Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class we continued to work the headlock defense where a Stronger opponent has already Broken our posture. The main points of today were understanding the right time to go for the move. By knowing when to apply the technique we can make our movements much more efficient with allows us […]
Today we warmed up for team training with Bear crawls and “Crocodiles” , Jacare Souza style, we finished off the warm up with arm drag drills and practicing our double legs takedowns. The fight starts from the feet, so just like in our BJJ class we start drills from the standing position. Once we started […]
Wednesday nights class Began with Coach Doug walking everybody through how to perform the hip bump sweep from the Guard Position. One of the things that separates BJJ from other Martial arts is the range of techniques it has to defend yourself while you are on your back underneath your training partner. The guard is […]
Learning the art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu was never a goal of mine. It was never on a checklist of things to accomplish nor did I know much about it. Prior to being dragged to the gym by a good friend, I had studied Muay Thai for a few years and that was good enough […]
If you’re new to Brazilian jiu-jitsu, you may be wondering how you can improve your game. Well the long and short of it is that you’re only going to get better by consistently going to class and consistently sparring. However, there are certain things that you can do to make it easier for your body […]
When the voice of experience speaks, it’s usually a good idea to listen. When that voice is talking about jiu-jitsu and has an undefeated professional MMA career as backup evidence, you pay close attention to what it’s saying, because it works! On Saturday, December 5th, Crossroads BJJ was proud to host one such distinguished voice, […]
It’s promotion season at Crossroads, and James is the latest to pass his test and reach the rank of purple belt! James was a strong folkstyle wrestler when he got to Crossroads three years ago and has grown into a formidable, multi-faceted grappler in his time training here. Known for his excellent cardio, fitness, and […]
The last 2 weeks have been busy ones at Crossroads BJJ! The hours of training put in on the mats has collectively raised the caliber of jiu-jitsu being practiced by everyone, and nowhere is that more evident than with Nils and Mike, two longtime students of martial arts, who both achieved new belt ranks- blue […]
The following is an entry made by Jeremy, one of Crossroads’ dedicated students, to help other students know what to expect when it comes time to test themselves for the first time in a grappling tournament. Enjoy! Tournament Time Over the summer I competed in 3 different BJJ tournaments. I lost my first and went […]
Congratulations to all the members of the Crossroads Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition Team who traveled from Waterford CT up to Manchester, Ct to compete at the New England Submission only Challenge. The team was able to bring home several medals and we are very proud of everybody who stepped on the mat and took the opportunity […]
Congratulations to Ryan for earning his Blue Belt! Ryan has been working hard and winning competitions at white belt and we are all excited to watch him take home some hardware at the Blue belt level!!!
1)An Improved Level of FitnessOne of the first thing your going to notice within the first month of training is a drastic improvement in your fitness level. There is no workout like grappling! Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is one of the few activities that gives you both an anaerobic and aerobic workout at the same time. What […]
Last week Carlos Machado taught an amazing BJJ seminar that lasted almost 4 hours at Crossroads Brazilian Jiu-jitsu in Waterford CT! BJJ Students from as far as Pennsylvania traveled to New London, Connecticut for the opportunity to train with Carlos Machado and experience RCJMachachado Jiu-Jitsu first hand. Carlos taught a range of techniques, covering guard […]
Crossroads BJJ is now running Competition and Fitness classes 3 Days a week to help students get in the best shape of their lives. With Several Crossroads BJJ students looking to Compete in Tournaments in CT and in New England being in great shape is a one of the best ways to be prepared for […]
We are excited to announce that Crossroads BJJ will be hosting our 3rd Annual Carlos Machado Seminar in less than 3 weeks. On January 24th 8th Degree Coral Belt Carlos Machado will be showing us his latest techniques, concepts and details to help you take your Jiu-Jitsu to a higher level and give you a […]
Crossroads Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Is proud to announce our 3rd Annual Carlos Machado Seminar! Carlos puts on an amazing seminar, teaching great techniques and concepts that are easily added into your game. A Carlos Machado Seminar will increase your understanding of Jiu-Jitsu and allow you to apply the concepts he shows to all areas of your Jiu-Jitsu. Carlos […]
Last week Future UFC standout and current Undefeated Mixed Martial artist Eric Spicely Traveled from Rhode Island to New London County Connecticut to teach an amazing seminar on the 50-50 guard, one of the newest innovations in Modern BJJ. Eric was able to effectively able to teach several entries into the position allowing you to score […]
The first Local tournament of 2015 is coming up fast! The North American Grappling Association will be hosting the New England Championship January 31st, 2015 in Milford Connecticut. This is a great chance for you to get in some competition experience and start the year off with a gold medal around your neck! To help […]
This past weekend several Crossroads Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu students traveled to Manchester, Connecticut to compete at the New England Submission Only Challenge. With a Total of 3 competitors Crossroads was able to bring 3 Medals home to Waterford, two Golds and one Bronze. Long Time student Tyrae was able to take home gold medals in both […]
Eric “The Dream Catcher” Spicely will be teaching a 3 hour BJJ seminar in New London County at Crossroads Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu on December 13, 2014. This will be our last BJJ seminar of the year, and all of the proceeds are going to help support Eric during his upcoming MMA fight camp! Eric is doing […]
Happy Thanksgiving from Everybody at Crossroads Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu In Waterford CT! We will be canceling class on Thursday for the Thanksgiving Holiday. I hope everybody enjoys the time with their families and eats an excessive amount of food. We will be back to our normal schedule Friday November 28th with our our Open Mat Class […]
The Advanced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Class at Crossroads BJJ in CT has begun studying a new position. While our last segment was devoted to passing the open guard, the next segment will be spent practicing details on how to control and attack from the Side Control Position. One of the most popular saying in CT Jiu-jitsu […]
Mark your Calendars! The last seminar of the year at Crossroads will be none other than Tim Burrill Brown Belt and Undefeated Pro MMA Fighter Eric Spicely! Saturday December 13th, 2014 from 4pm to 7pm. The seminar will be $40 and all proceeds will go to support Eric’s upcoming fight camp and to help Eric reach his goal […]
There are lots of Tournaments coming up in the Near Future! If your thinking about competing here is a list of events you may be interested in. Massachusetts Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation(MASSBJJF) Saturday November 9th, 2014 Click here for Details North American Grappling Association (NAGA) New York – Saturday November 15th, 2014 Click here for Details International […]
Just as expected Rodrigo Gracie Grandson of Carlos Gracie Sr. put on an amazing seminar last week at Crossroads Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Connecticut. Rodrigo has been learning Brazilian since he could crawl from his family. The Gracie’s are the most famous Martial Arts Family in the world having displayed there technical prowess both in self […]
This past September Crossroads Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Celebrated its 4 year anniversary. It doesn’t seem that long ago that we were sharing space with the local batting cage. When we first opened in Waterford, CT we would put down the mats at the beginning of every practice, train, and then wash the mats, wait for them […]