Master Kazeka Muniz

Here is some great news if you live in Lancaster or Palmdale California. Master Kazeka Muniz, member of the Black Belt Council, has opened a new academy in Palmdale, CA.  The new school is named Premium Fitness and it is set to bring some much needed Jiu Jitsu love to the surrounding area.

Master Kazeka Muniz obtained his black belt in Jiu Jitsu from Carlos Gracie Jr. of Gracie Barra academy in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He has trained alongside such world class jiu-jitsu fighters as Renzo Gracie, Ryan Gracie, Roger Gracie, Marcio Feitosa, Draculino, Soca, Pe de Pano, Gordo, and the Machado Brothers.

Master Muniz has lived in Krasnoyarsk, Russia and Tbilisi, Georgia (former Soviet Union) training with world and Olympic champions Adam and Bouvaisar Saitiev under world-renown coach Alexander Karniashvili. Master Kazeka Muniz was the strength and conditioning coach for 4 Olympic gold medalists in wrestling from Cuba. He is still welcome to train with both the Cuban and Russian Olympic wrestling teams.

In 2004, Master Muniz helped create England’s number one MMA gym, the Wolfslair, and was the wrestling coach for former UFC Light heavy weight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Ultimate Fighter Season 2 champion Michael “the Count” Bisping.

The Kids Jiu Jitsu class at Premium Fitness

Premium Fitness is a huge gym with plenty of room and equipment for training. And there are a LOT of things to train in. Premium Fitness offers Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, No-Gi Jiu Jitsu, Freestyle Wrestling, Kickboxing, and of course, a combination of them all for the MMA program.

A lot of attention is placed on the childrens classes as well. Master Muniz offers a Kids Jiu Jitsu and a Kids Wrestling class. It’s never too early to have your child involved in a healthy form of exercise, and starting at a young age will set patterns and behaviors that last a lifetime.

So if you’ve been looking for a  Jiu Jitsu academy in Palmdale or Lancaster, CA, look no further. Master Muniz can teach you what you want to know, and he does offer a free week pass. There’s a reason he is such a highly respected member of the sport and one of the governing bodies for this Jiu Jitsu organization.

Jordan Military during troop maneuvers

Here is some exciting news. “Papa” John Gorman has been honored with an invitation by King Abdullah II bin al-Hussein of Jordan to visit his country!

The official invite came on behalf of the kings military. There, Papa John is planning to discuss the Modern Army Combatives Program with the Jordanian military.

The goal of Modern Combatives is to build real combative ability by teaching realistic training methods and growing self sustaining indigenous Combatives programs within units and organizations. It is focused on hand to hand combat, and Jiu Jitsu is a fundemental part of the system. It was developed by Matt Larsen, a member of the USAJJ Black Belt Council.

Papa John is also going to invite members of the Jordanian military to come to Fort Benning in Georgia to train. Fort Benning is the home of the United States Army Combatives School, started in 2002.

The school offers four levels of instructor certification, and it would allow Jordanian soldiers to learn here in the States, then return home and pass on the instruction. Also, instructors from the USACS could travel to Jordan, allowing for a mutually beneficial cross cultural training exchange.

And possibly even more exciting, Papa John is going assist in founding Jiu Jitsu Jordan, which will be yet another national organization under the Jiu Jitsu Internationale banner. Every country that joins our Jiu Jitsu organization brings us one step closer to our dreams of participating in the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

So good luck Papa John and have a safe trip!

Philip Smith and SmithBJJ Club

Phillip Smith was introduced to Jiu Jitsu in 1996 at Warner Air Force base in Robins, GA. In 1997 Smith began to train with Romero “Jacare” Calvalcanti. After several years training in the sport, and a brief hiatus to earn his Master’s Degree in International Relations, Smith trained under and received his Black Belt from Roberto Traven. He still trains with and is affiliated with Roberto Traven and the Brasa team.

Under the Jiu Jitsu Professor LLC umbrella, Smith owns and operates his academy, Smith Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, in McDonough, GA. Here, Smith has 26 students and four other highly decorated instructors, including a law enforcement specialist and MMA trainer. His top student and fellow instructor Chris Haraszti won his division in the Pan American with no points scored against him.

Smith feels that the future of BJJ is with the children involved in the sport. To further this end, Smith has developed his own children’s program, Dragon Power-Jitsu.  The core of the program is based on developing coordination, self-discipline and agility, as well as setting a solid foundation for Jiu Jitsu. It also incorporates activities from other sports, so that the child is well rounded and prepared for any activity he may be involved with. Smith also likes to include the parents in the training session, and often invites them to join their child on the mat.

Smith joined our Jiu Jitsu organization because he shares our vision of Jiu Jitsu in the Olympics. He feels we are more disciplined and organized than other organizations and will succeed in our dream. Working from that perspective, Smith joined because he wants to be involved from the beginning.

So Phillip Smith, we welcome you to USA Jiu Jitsu and thank you for sharing our vision!

USAJJ officially 501(c)(3)

USA Jiu Jitsu has finally been approved for 501(c) (3) tax-exempt status! We are one of the only Jiu Jitsu organizations in the country to have this status. Here is an explanation of why this is so important to our cause.

We are now recognized by the U.S. Government

A 501(c) organization, like USA Jiu Jitsu, or simply “a 501(c)” is a tax-exempt, nonprofit corporation or association. Section 501(c) of the United States Internal Revenue Code, provides that 26 types of nonprofit organizations are exempt from some federal income taxes. USAJJ is type 3 which includes organizations that are Religious, Educational, Charitable, Scientific, Literary, Testing for Public Safety, to Foster National or International Amateur Sports Competition, or Prevention of Cruelty to Children or Animals . Obviously, we fall under the International Amateur Sports Competition heading. By law, 501(c)(3) orginizations are subject to limits or absolute prohibitions on engaging in political activities.

So what does all this mean?

It means that USAJJ is officially and legally non-profit.

It also means that as a member of USA Jiu Jitsu, you belong to an organization that has no motives other than to promote the sport of Jiu Jitsu. We have always firmly believed in an organization that is free of politics and egos.

We hold that the promotion and support of Jiu Jitsu as a whole must come before any individual concerns. We will never promote any political party, or be used as a political tool.

And most importantly of all, these facts are recognized by the United States Government.This brings us one step closer to our goal of having Jiu Jitsu in the 2016 Olympics.

Today is a wonderful day in the world of Jiu Jitsu.

Picture of Rio de Janeiro's Favela

Between December of 1987 and November of 2001, 3,937 residents of Rio de Janeiro under the age of 18 died a violent death. That is over eight times the number of minors who died in the West Bank (between Jordan and Israel) in the same time period. Being a child is hard enough without fearing for your life from gangs and drug lords. The only option for most of these children is to join with the drug lords and become a soldado, which only perpetuates the circle of violence. This is the life of several children in Rio de Janeiro’s favelas, the slums.

However, USA Jiu Jitsu is trying to help change things for these unfortunate children.

Working in tandem with the BOPE, a special task force of the Rio police force that is feared by criminals and highly respected by everyone else, USAJJ is providing assistance trying to get kids into Jiu Jitsu, not drugs.

Gilson Fernandez, 3rd Degree Black Belt

“Papa” John Gorman has partnered with Gilson Fernandez who is a member of USAJJ and Jiu Jitsu International. Mr. Fernandez is not only a Jiu Jitsu trainer and BOPE special agent, but is also a 3rd degree Black Belt and trains Jiu Jitsu referees.

The mission of the program is to encourage children to set positive goals and then reward the students when they are reached. The goals that are set include things like learning English and going to school. The children are taught Jiu Jitsu in the same training center as the BOPE, which is one of the safest places in Rio de Janeiro.

USAJJ has been helping to provide gis and equipment. Papa John feels this is a chance to give back to the nation that founded our sport. They really do need our help, and we are proud to support the BOPE cause.

If you have a gi that is too small, or you just want to help, please contact us.

Papa John with Gilson Fernandez and the Favela Kids at BOPE

Papa John has made a deal with a manufacturer of gi’s to provide them at $25 each for these kids, so any kind of donation you make can contribute to keeping a fellow Jiu Jitsu practitioner off the streets and in school.

Maybe with the help of USA JJ, today’s favelas children will be tomorrow’s Jiu Jitsu Olympians!

You can read more about the terrible conditions in the favelas here