Tomaso's Martial Arts Academy / Kids Jiu-Jitsu

    Jiu-Jitsu Team Members Ranked #1 In Alabama
Michael Tomaso II and Caleb Tate
                                        Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu For Kids

  Click Here To Learn About Our TaeKwoDo Kids Program

Our Jiu-jitsu program is an ecclectic blend of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Wrestling, and Russian Sambo. Your child will develop incredible self-defense skills and build their confidence and self-esteem.
Jiu-Jitsu literally means "The Gentle Art" The great thing about Jiu-Jitsu is that is allows a smaller less atheltic person to effectively defend themselves against much stronger, athletic attackers.
The best aspect of Jiu-Jitsu is that it allows you to defend yourself without having to injury your opponent.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

What is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a complete self defense system which utilizes leverage-based techniques to defeat larger opponents. Since most fights and sexual assaults end up on the ground, BJJ students spend the majority of their training time on the ground. The art has proven itself to be extremely effective on the street as well as in head-to-head competition against other martial arts as proven by the early UFC competitions. Too see Brazilian Jiu Jitsu performed at its very highest level, check out this self defense demonstration by Masters Rickson and Royler Gracie, see video.

Why has BJJ proven itself to be so effective?

Positional Strategy. Students are taught a hierarchy of positions, from the worst possible positions to the most advantageous. Students learn to easily escape from poor positions through the use of technique, not strength. This simple hierarchy becomes ingrained into memory so students will instinctively remember them under the extreme stress.
Efficient Techniques. BJJ techniques employ leverage and biomechanics so a small person can TRUELY defend themselves against a larger attacker. For example, the armbar is a core submission in BJJ. The BJJ practioner's hips (large muscles) are matched against the attacker's isolated elbow joint (the biceps, a small muscle). It is not much of a fight when using large muscles against an attacker's small muscles.

100% Live Training. Each martial arts style has a fundamental question to ask: Should dangerous techniques be incorporated into the curriculum or not? Examples include eye gouging, hard strikes to the face or groin, etc. These dangerous techniques cannot truly be practiced "live" because every student would get hurt. These dangerous techniques are often practiced as katas. Unfortunately, attacker's come in all shapes and sizes and they don't always move where they are supposed to. BJJ is very safe to practice at 100% resistance. If one person is in danger, they simply "tap out" to start over. Whereas, if two people are exchanging blows at 100%, someone will get hurt. If a martial art claims a technique is too dangerous to practice, how do you really know if it will work in the street? Our students learn to effectively defend and attack against opponents of all shapes and sizes at "real time" speed.

Gi (Uniform). All new students learn BJJ wearing a gi. The gi creates offensive options and requires a precise defensive game, compared to no gi. For example, the basic collar choke is a core gi submission which easily translates into "street use" on anyone wearing a shirt or jacket. Martial artists who train without the gi will not learn how to defend against these basic submissions. They will also struggle with how easily clothing can be used to control movement. On the flip side, the seasoned gi practioner will feel comfortable with, or without, the gi.

Please contact us with your questions or simply stop by and watch (or try) a class. Visitors are always welcome!

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu means- Brazilian "gentle art". The Japanese words meaning gentle art refer to the reliance on joint locks and chokes to subdue an attacker, as opposed to punches and kicksThe Gracie style was created in Brazil in the early part of the 1900's by Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu pioneer Carlos Gracie, who studied traditional Japanese Jiu-Jitsu as a teenager under the great Japanese champion, Mitsuyo Maeda (known in Brazil as Conde Koma -- the "Count of Combat"Carlos Gracie, who was interested in streetfighting and was also a boxer, quickly modified the classical techniques he learned from Count Koma to meet the demands of real, "no rules" fighting in the streets of Brazil. The young Carlos Gracie then tested and refined his system of fighting on the ground through constant matches, open to all challengers, constantly working to make it more effective. At one point, he even advertised in newspapers and on street corners for new opponents upon whom to practice and further refine his art. He fought anyone and everyone who was willing, regardless of size, weight or fighting style. Even though he was a mere 135 pounds, his style was so effective that Carlos Gracie was never defeated and became a legend in Brazil. Carlos Gracie, who was interested in streetfighting and was also a boxer, quickly modified the classical techniques he learned from Count Koma to meet the demands of real, "no rules" fighting in the streets of Brazil. The young Carlos Gracie then tested and refined his system of fighting on the ground through constant matches, open to all challengers, constantly working to make it more effective. At one point, he even advertised in newspapers and on street corners for new opponents upon whom to practice and further refine his art. He fought anyone and everyone who was willing, regardless of size, weight or fighting style. Even though he was a mere 135 pounds, his style was so effective that Carlos Gracie was never defeated and became a legend in Brazil. This style promotes strong grappling and ground fighting techniques. Practitioners develop balance and control, and can defeat much larger and stronger opponents. An attacker can be subdued with a joint lock without causing great physical damage.Kids can begin as young as 3 years.

Dojo Etiquette Guidelines
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Dojos tend to teach in a more relaxed and less rigid atmosphere than traditional martial arts. Nonetheless, in order to maintain a positive environment that is both conducive to learning and welcoming to potential students, we require our students, parents of students in the kids’ classes, and staff to adhere to the following Dojo Etiquette guidelines.

1. Always show respect to your instructors, training partners, and fellow human beings. Respect in training means: do not seek to harm fellow students physically (e.g., by cranking a submission harder than necessary to make them tap) or emotionally (i.e., by calling them names or making jokes about hurting them). Respect also means that you must train seriously and hard enough for you and your partner to improve his or her skills, conditioning, and fighting spirit. Not giving your best during training detracts from both you and your partner’s experience.
2. Maintain good hygiene (i.e., shower and brush your teeth regularly). As you can imagine, it is difficult to concentrate on technique when you find your partner’s smells distracting!
3. Keep finger and toe nails short and clean to prevent injury to yourself and others.
4. Bring a clean, dry gi to each class. Also, always keep a rash guard or T-shirt in your gym bag for no-gi classes.
5. Keep shoes off the mat, so that we can keep the mats clean and sanitary.
6. Do not walk outside with bare feet. If you have to go outside, wear sandals or shoes. Items (5) and (6) are especially important to prevent the spread of skin conditions such as ringworm.
7. Do not shout loudly or use profanity in the dojo. This should go without saying.
8. Do not talk while the instructor is talking. It distracts those who are trying to learn and is disrespectful to the teacher, as well as other students.
9. Stand, sit with your legs crossed, or kneel during class. No lounging. Studies show that people learn more effectively when seated in upright postures.
10. Please wear your gi, a T-shirt, or a tank top while in public areas of the Dojo. No bare backs!
11. Do not leave the mat during class without the instructor’s permission.
12. Keep cell phones off during class. Again, they distract those who are trying to learn.
13. If the instructor has not changed the task, then continue doing the task he or she has given (i.e., don’t sit around talking because you feel you have done a technique enough times). You can NEVER do a technique too many times.
14. It is disrespectful to ask an instructor or a higher rank to train with you, so wait until they ask you to roll.
15. Always bow or shake hands before live training or sparing.
16. Much of what we practice routinely with each other will seriously injure the uninitiated. It should not be practiced on others outside the dojo.