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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Last night during our Team Training Class at Crossroads BJJ we added more Submissions to our Kimora series. The more ways we have to funnel our bjj training partners into a submission, the more successful we can be. In this class we added three submission entries, a new entry into the Kimora, an entry into […]
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 […]
In every Jiu-Jitsu technique we try to use leverage and proper body mechanics instead of strength to make it work. The idea behind this is that we want to train to defend ourselves against somebody who bigger and stronger than us. If we only train to over power somebody, if we ever have to fight […]
Last night at Crossroads Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu during our Team Training class we held a marathon training session completing over an hour of 10 minute rounds! As you progress in the Martial Art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu you will need to spend more time rolling in order to refine your techniques. At a certain point your Jiu-Jitsu […]
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 […]
The last several lessons have discussed what to do when we are put in a headlock from the standing position, and making sure when we bring the fight to the ground we land in the top position. In lesson 7 of the Crossroads Martial Arts Curriculum we discuss how to escape the position where we […]
One of reasons Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is so effective as a self defense art is you learn how to protect yourself in the most common street fight / self defense situations. Carlos Gracie Sr. and his Brothers spent over 60 years refining and developing techniques that actually work effectively in real street fights before Brazilian Jiu-jitsu […]
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 […]
Untimed Rolls in our Team Training Class today! Great training with a lot of rolls and Q&A sessions on the Tossi Pass and how to feel heavier on Top of Side Control! Great work by everybody in Class. Dustin Rhodes Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt Head Instructor at Crossroads Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu 316 Boston Post Road Waterford, […]
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 […]
Today during our Brazilian Jiu-jitsu class we started by warming up with a simple action-reaction drill moving between 3 BJJ style submissions, The arm-bar, triangle and omoaplata. As our opponent defends one submission we work to effortlessly to switch to the next submission without using strength. Drilling without using strength allows us to learn these […]
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 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Team Training we worked some very high level back back takes from the De La Riva Guard. The De La Riva guard is one of the most popular guards today in sport BJJ and can be seen in every International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation tournament you attend. So even if you don’t […]
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 […]
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 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 Team Training We continued working the butterfly guard sweep! This time using an undertook to control our opponents basing hand,and adding a grip readjustment to deal with the situation where our opponent is still able to get a hand on the mat in an attempt to base. Paying special attention to which way […]
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 […]
Today during the Brazilian Jiu-jitsu class at Crossroads BJJ we continued with our theme of escaping the headlock. While Brazilian Jiu-jitsu practitioners will not try to headlock you wether they are in class training or in a tournament because you can’t finish a fight from the position and once you know how to escape it […]
Today during Team Training we continued working Butterfly Guard sweeps, starting with a review of the butterfly Guard Sweep we have been working on for the last week. This gave everybody and opportunity to increase their understanding of the mechanics of the sweep and sharpening up some the skills we already knew from previous classes. […]
Today during team training we went right into 5 minute sparring rounds! With a black belt, a purple belt and several purple belts on the mat everybody had to be on point with both offense and defense. Hard work is the key to success in BJJ and everybody tonight was working hard and having a […]
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 during our Brazilian Jiu-JItsu we continued working escaping the headlock position from the ground. Last week we started defending the headlock from the standing position and today we continued working how to escape the headlock once your training partner is on the ground. The first details we covered were how to stabilize the position […]
Today during Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Team Training we continued working from the butterfly guard adding a fourth way to control the arm in order to prevent our training partners from basing out and blocking our sweep attempt. After everybody understood how to control the arm, we continued by adding specific resistance. The people on top were […]
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 Bryan for earning his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Blue Belt! Bryan is a long time Crossroads student and one of the Jiu-Jitsu schools most dedicated members. We are all excited to welcome him into the next phase of his BJJ journey!
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 […]