Blossoming out of the prodigious Gracie clan, the art, sometimes even referred to as Grace jujitsu, has since spread from South America to as far as Slovenia and Alaska, which is notorious for its polar bears well versed in karate. Eventually, he crafted an enduring martial art and proved that strength and speed could be overcome with proper knowledge and technique. Undeterred, Hélio studied his brothers closely and began modifying the Japanese techniques to his advantage. Worried for Hélio’s health, the family decided that the art should only be passed to the stronger sons. Around 1917, Hélio’s oldest brother, Carlos, began studying traditional jujitsu and judo techniques from Japanese fighter Mitsuyo Maeda. Hélio Gracie, the youngest child of the Gracie family, was forbidden from learning to fight due to his often poor health and physical frailness. A modified version of traditional Japanese jujitsu and judo, Brazilian jujitsu demands that fighters stay close to the ground, incorporating timing and leverage to take advantage of faster, stronger opponents.Īppropriately enough, the martial art of underdogs emerged largely because of a fighter who was forced to overcome physical disadvantages. That’s because Brazilian jujitsu’s grappling techniques, such as mounts and joint locks, are designed to help fighters overtake opponents of virtually any size. If David and Goliath were to fight a rematch in Brazilian jujitsu, the odds might be even more in David’s favor. Read on to learn more about this South American art. Increased confidence is something that martial artists of all ages enjoy. $71.50 for two months of unlimited martial-arts classes ($180 value)īrazilian Jujitsu: Size Doesn’t Matter Brazilian jujitsu classes don’t just increase physical strength and stamina-they also teach practical self-defense techniques.$40.50 for one month of unlimited martial-arts classes ($90 value).My wife and I just really enjoy being around people, so I think that just helps business grow,” he said.About This Deal Choose Between Two Options “We’ve had classes that have just doubled in the past year largely through just word of mouth. This welcoming environment is part of the reason why his gym is so successful. “And then, you come to our gym and realize that everyone is just really friendly and helpful and it becomes more of a family to be honest.” Some people come here and they don’t have a lot of social connections,” said Raio. “For some people, life can just be stressful depending on whether you’re a police officer or a teacher. Yet for Raio and many of his patrons, the gym isn’t only a place to train. Career Focused - The job placement rate for MMA. Coastal College - Maine Maritime Academy is a co-ed, public college on the Maine coast offering career-oriented degree programs in Engineering, Business, Science and Transportation. He knows how hard it can be to maintain work-life balance, and is especially proud that his gym provides normal people with the opportunity to participate in MMA or pursue a healthier lifestyle. Highly Valued - Maine Maritime Academy has received recognition for Education Quality, Value, and Outcomes. In addition to running the gym weekday evenings, both Raio, a employee at Bath Ironworks, and his wife, a teacher, work full-time jobs. His patrons also come from different walks of life-some are policemen, carpenters, teachers, Bowdoin students, and even children. Today, First Class Fitness & MMA is a bustling gym that boasts over a hundred members from all over New England. And then I started my own gym five years ago,” said Raio. Then I jumped around to different gyms in Maine, so I could get well-rounded. “I started training when I found it was legal, and then I found a gym in Brunswick and started training there. But when the Maine state legislature legalized and created regulations for MMA in 2010, opportunity struck and Raio decided to take action. Mixed martial arts was not always prevalent, or even legal, in Maine. I mean MMA is composed of different sports like wrestling, jiu-jitsu, and karate.” “It looks barbaric watching it from the outside, but when you get into it, it’s actually pretty interesting,” said Raio. He wrestled in high school and college and was interested in competing in mixed martial arts. “I mean, unless you happen to walk by our door and see all the bags hanging, you won’t know that there’s an MMA gym in the building.”įor Raio, mixed martial arts (MMA) always carried a certain appeal. “Fort Andross is such a giant building that a lot of people don’t really know we’re there,” said owner John Raio. Hidden in the basement of Fort Andross, First Class Fitness & MMA is easily overlooked by many of the Fort’s visitors. Jenny Ibsen First Class Fitness & MMA occupies a home on the ground floor of Fort Andross.
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