Rockford IL Jiu-Jitsu

Today was a large and eventful class here at Core Combat Sports with our Ground Hog, Kid’s Brazilian JIu-Jitsu program. At first, class started off “business as usual” with our kid’s brazilian jiu-jitsu based warm-ups. Then, we presented the Ground Hogs with a “Planking” challenge which turned into a battle of will which I will get into later on.
Ground Hogs Lesson Plan For The Day

First, we will go over our lesson plans for the Core kid’s brazilian jiu-jitsu class. For the younger Ground Hogs, we played a game where you sneak up on, me, the sleeping alligator. When you finally pounce on the alligator, you hold side mount as it thrashes. Then, after you tire out the alligator, you stealthily take mount on that alligator. For the older Ground Hogs, we did the “Punch/Block Series 2″. This is the drill where the person in their opponents guard draws back to punch their opponent and the bottom person covers their face, brings their knees into their opponents’ chest, lift their hips to create space between them and their attacker, and then release their legs so that the attacker falls into their guard. After the opponent falls into their guard, they throw on the over hook and head control.
What Kid’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Is All About

Today, the planking challenge that we presented the Ground Hogs turned into something much more significant than we ever thought it would. Everybody toughed it out pretty well for awhile but we whittled it down to just 2 of our students standing. These particular students have always had the strong wills of that make them so capable at what they learn with Kid’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. They represent exactly what Kid’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is all about, which is, the power to never give up. And after having been in the plank position about 56 minutes, I repeat, 56 MINUTES, we finally had a winner. Max and Dylan both stuck it out like true Kid’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu artists but Max ended up taking the Warrior Belt for the week.
First Stripe Earned In Kid’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Also, Jordan earned his very first stripe today. And as is tradition with the Core Combat Sports Ground Hogs, he got a “Hog Pile”.

With thousands of martial arts taught by hundreds of thousands of
teachers around the world, who and where you train and in what art may
not seem very important but it truly is. There is no specific
certification for martial arts. Any instructor can say they teach any
art at any time and claim to have whatever rank they wish. There are
no government bodies that regulate the industry like education. So
what can you do?

One of the best ways to help you choose an instructor is by
researching their lineage. Some traditional arts allow students to
progress to a “black belt” level very easily and in a short amount of
time. Other arts, like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu can take a decade or more
to reach that level. A black belt means a lot of different things to a
lot of different people, but the important thing to know is that a
black belt doesn’t mean you are a master in fighting.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu progresses students slowly for a reason, as it is
an art that encompasses so many techniques and options from many
different positions. It takes years to have even a basic understanding
of every position, and it’s seemingly impossible to ever be able to
master every technique from everywhere. Belts in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
recognize a particular instructors thoughts on where that student
stands in their understanding. As mentioned above, there is no
governing body for this, so how do you know if a brown belt under one
instructor is better than a blue belt under another?

One of the great things about Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is it is a very
tight knit community. People who haven’t earned their rank in
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu are found pretty easily and do not last long
trying to teach the art. A great way for you to understand who an
instructor you are thinking about training under is by researching
their lineage, or who gave them their rank. Information is readily
available on the internet and people in the community are more than
happy to help you find out who an instructor is and who they trained
under or if they are legitimate. Remember, not every instructor has to
be a world champion or even a black or brown belt, as there are many
purple and blue belts in the world who can be great instructors for
someone not at their level yet. Knowing that your instructor has
learned from people who got their knowledge through the founders and
their students of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu will be your best starting point
in choosing an instructor though.

If you’re thinking about training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Rockford,
Illinois, look no further than Core Combat Sports. Coach Tommy
Woodruff has been training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for 10 years. He is
a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu jitsu under black belt and MMA fighter
Jeff Curran. Jeff received his black belt from now 8th degree black
belt Pedro Sauer, who in turn received his black belt from Rickson
Gracie, who many consider to be one of the best Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
practitioners of all time. The lineage Tommy falls under ensures that
he has been trained effectively under some of the world’s best, and he
carries on that tradition of solid instruction and technique to his
students to this day.

Today was a hot cloudy day here at Core Combat Sports with the Ground Hogs. We dove right into our routine warm ups adding in some leap frogs today. For Team Honey Badger’s class, we took the group on a “fun run” around the compound to burn off some excess energy. Then, we moved into our lesson on our situational drill of when a “Villain/Bully” attacks you. The “Bully” starts off in a mounted position while our Ground Hog breaks his posture and reverses the position and takes mount to either run away or defend themselves. At the end of class more stripes were awarded to our awesome Ground Hogs. Special congratulations to Terrick for getting his second stripe!

This was not how I planned on starting my Monday at Rockford’s best MMA gym, Core Combat Sports. Tommy Woodruff, Rockford’s only true Gracie Jiu-Jitsu instructor had an idea for a new game. Tommy, Giggles, and I went to work. We took a pool noodle, a blanket (Donated by Frank “the Tank”) and some duct tape. Duct tape really is a universal tool and with these items Haas was created. That was just the beginning and next was boxing with Rockford’s most recognized boxing coach, Coach Sockwell. Got to have a strong core, this is what I got out of the start of class. Our boxing warm up consisted of a 30 minute core work out. Coach Sockwell ran the class through multiple core exercises then it was on to the bags. Got to build endurance with your punches was next. Form and technique is what is heard in the background from Coach Sockwell during the exercise. Of course at the end Coach Sockwell takes the time to explain why. This is a key element at Rockford’s best MMA gym, Core Combat Sports. Jiu-Jitsu fundamentals are next and right away class gets started with learning a takedown into a controlling position. Tommy Woodruff, Rockford’s only Gracie Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, gets involved with hands on approach and takes the time to go over the technique as much as it is needed. This was a great technique that will be gone over again next week. The class really seemed to pick it up quickly and it helps to have the kind of coaching that is offered at Rockford’s Best MMA gym, Core Combat Sports. “Time for something a little different,” says Tommy. Enter Haas, the duct taped noodle thing. Two teams numbered 1-10 and the game begins. Number gets called and we race to Haas then bring Haas back to our home base. Here’s the catch most of the time the two people who race to get Haas back arrive at the same time! When that’s happens a battle ensues by tugging and pulling even takedowns are part of strategy, it helps create controlled aggression. It also develops more efficient adrenaline response, after doing it a few times better tactics are developed and executed. Its just plain FUN! Then on to team training, which is not a class and we get right into it. Mondays at Rockford’s best MMA gym is brutal as always. Why not though; we are training for competition. It is time to step up and just go. That’s exactly what we did while working take downs and take down defense for an hour. You really want to compete or learn how to defend yourself in a difficult situation, and then you need to come and check out Rockford’s Best MMA gym, Core Combat Sports. They call me “Endtable” and that is another story .If you are interested in learning Martial arts and live in the Rockford, Belvidere, Loves Park, IL area you can check out CORE Combat Sports & Fitness. You have the benefit of signing up for a 30 day free trial. Call Tommy @ (815) 721-7080.

Today was a beautiful day and class at the gym with the Core Ground Hogs. Class started off with our rounds of warm ups plus the “Brazilian Backpack” which has been recently added to our warm ups. The lesson for our younger Ground Hogs, also known as “Team Honey Badger”, was the Bear Hug escape from mount to a guard pass. The lesson for the eldest Ground Hogs, also known as “Team Awesome”, was a new take down. Then we finished off class with dodgeball. Congratulations to Dylan for earning yet another stripe!

Sore muscles, mat burns, bumps, bruises, and blood. Not to mention waking up the next morning feeling like you were hit by a Endtable. These are the apparent rewards that signify a good, hard work out. So why do this is asked by some people after training. The true reward is when you win. Such a workout is done at Rockford’s best MMA gym, Core Combat Sports. The night started off with the best boxing coach Rockford has to offer in Coach Sockwell. Like always Coach Sockwell started class off with warm up drills. Monday night boxing was a high endurance training session in my opinion. While working on a timer non-stop for a period of time determined by Coach Sockwell we got right to it. First Coach had us do a drill that definitely worked our coordination. Then we did our heavy bag work. Do not be fooled though because when Coach Sockwell has us do our heavy bag work it is not just simply hitting the heavy bag for a round then break. Coach has a reason for everything we do and shows what the method behind the madness is. We work the heavy bag in sprints along with finding our range and rhythm. He lesson for the night was to speed up the heart and learn how to slow it back down. Coach Sockwell proved how important the right breathing technique is for fighting. Next up is fundamentals class for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu which is just another reason why Core Combat Sports is the best in the Rockford area. Core has the only true Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor in the area in Tommy Woodruff, who is a brown belt under UFC Fighter Jeff Curran. For anyone looking to train or fight MMA, fundamentals are key. At Core Combat Sports you will learn the basics and then have them put to the test. The reason Tommy does this at Core is to prove that the basics work. Everyone, whether you are a fighter or not, if you want to train, you will need to have a strong foundation and this comes with learning the basics where at Core Combat Sports it is taught that the basics are key. One of the best parts about the fundamentals class is the instruction and attention that Tommy Woodruff give. Tommy will take the time to show the proper technique and is willing to go over the same move as many times as needed by any student. We drill the moves then like I stated we put the basics to the test by going live. This is where it is proven how important technique really is. Being taught by a true Brazilian Jiu-jitsu practitioner is a benefit that you will only find at Core Combat Sports. The night ends with team competition training which is something that I have only seen at Core Combat Sports. This is live training or trial under fire if you will; only offered to those who want to fight and compete. There were 7 that stayed Monday night for competition training and it was brutal. Everything is done at a high pace and mostly live. It is training so there is very little instruction at all. Tommy Woodruff does take the time to give tips on how to better what we are doing. Mondays for team training at Core Combat Sports is takedowns and getting to a dominant position which is pass the guard after the takedown. This is perfect training for anyone who wants to compete or fight although there is a catch. The reason why the team is small is because to be on competition team at Core Combat Sports Tommy wants a commitment. Tommy knows that not everyone is at Core to compete or fight and there is nothing wrong with that at all. Tommy will expect you to be there if you want to be a part of the competition team though. It takes a four day a week commitment and let me tell you, after the first night you may change your mind. This training that Core Combat Sports offers is brutal but there is a reason for that. We want to create winners and Tommy Woodruff knows firsthand what it takes to win and has coach Champions is jiu-jitsu, MMA, and Kickboxing. Dana White’s favorite phrase for the Ultimate fighter is,” Do You wanna be a fucking fighter.” I ask the same thing to those who are interested in MMA in the Rockford are. If the answer is yes then come to Core Combat Sports, Rockford’s best MMA gym. This is my take on Monday night class through the eyes from a CORE student, They call me Endtable and that’s another story:) We have a 30 day free trial call (815) 721-7080 ask for Tommy

Today was another brilliant day at Core Combat Sports with the Ground Hogs. Some of the students seemed a little less than ready to learn but, nevertheless, we powered on. We went through our routine of warm-ups, as per usual. Then we went into our lesson for the day, holding side mount. Today we made it a bit more interesting by having the kids “hunt the Hodag”. They had to sneak up on the Hodag and hold the head and arm side mount grip on the creature until it tired out and then proceed to take sidemount. Then we ended class with another game of dodge ball.

Today was another great day at Core Combat Sports with the Core Ground Hogs. We started off the students with our normal routine of warm-ups. Then we dove right into class. The younger Ground Hogs, the “Honey Badgers”, started off a bit rough with their behavior so we took them on a “fun run” around the complex to bring them back into focus. After that, we started them off with a take down tournament which made me very proud to see how well they were doing. A special congratulations to Terrick and Jonathan on being awarded their very first stripes! And, as is tradition, they were given their “Hog piles”.

Today with the Core Ground Hogs we worked on some new things. Our ever growing class started off with the usual round of warm ups and then we shifted into the lesson. For our younger Ground Hogs we decided to teach them the proper way to walk while in a combat stance. The older Ground Hogs, learned a new version of a takedown that we had gone over in the past. Then at the end of class, some of our Ground Hogs were awarded their second or third stripes.