News

Jiu-jitsu has become so ubiquitous in today’s world, that’s hard to go anywhere without seeing a jiu-jitsu academy, or running into someone who either does it, or knows someone who trains. It’s really quite amazing. Unfortunately, with such rapid global expansion, the community tends to lose sight of the roots of the art.

Sure, nearly every Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner will have a cursory knowledge of its origins, and anyone worth their stripes will know of the Gracie family and the fact that they played a big part in its expansion, but few will know much more beyond that.

If you don’t have the time to do your own in-depth research – you have families, jobs, school, etc. – you should know just a few more details about the history of the "gentle art." So here’s a short cheat sheet of things to know, starting with its origins in the ancient martial traditions of Japan, to its transformation in Brazil, and finally to its global prominence today.

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Academy promotions can happen at any time of the year. There’s nothing that dictates when they should occur. Indeed, promotions of single individuals within a jiu-jitsu academy can happen any time. Not everybody will be ready to rank up at the same time.

That being said, there has been a trend toward academies holding organized promotions twice a year, once in the summer and once in the winter. As we come into one of the major promotion seasons, you’ll see many of your friends – and, hey, your foes too – ranking up.  

So we thought now would be a good time to give some advice on how to stay on track as far as ranking up goes.

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Another IBJJF Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championships in the books... and the Kingz athletes did not disappoint!

Pans has always been a peek into what we can expect at the upcoming World Championships. And if this Pans is any gauge, it will be epic. This year, we saw returning champions add another title to their resume, as well as dark horses putting their names on everyone's lips with epic battles and emotional upsets. 

We are always very proud of every one of our sponsored athletes who go out there and represent us at the world's biggest events. And when they bring home that gold, it's even better. Here's the shortlist of Kingz athletes who brought it home...

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If you’ve been training jiu-jitsu long enough, you’ve been there: burnout. It’s a scary feeling. For some, it’s a heavy lethargy that weighs you down as you try to convince yourself to go train after a long day. For others, it’s a realization that you’ve come to dread stepping on the mat. For all, it’s the loss of that initial joy for the gentle art that motivated you go, rain or shine.

It's real, and it happens to everyone. Multiple times, even. I’ve experienced it at least once or twice every belt level, to some degree or another. You can’t avoid it. The good news, however, is that there are ways to manage it. And here’s how...

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While some may have already given themselves a head start on planning their 2024 year, let’s be honest… most of us have procrastinated. Now in February, you might just now be getting around to figuring out how you want your year to look.

That includes your 2024 jiu-jitsu competition season. But where do you start?

Unless you’re a brand new white belt, you’ve been here before. And you’ve probably already experienced that sinking feeling when, suddenly you realize – in, say November – that you haven’t nearly accomplished all that you’ve set out to do.

You’re not alone. We’ve all been there. The great part about a new year is that you can brush off last year and start afresh, this time with greater determination to do better. And you will. Because we’re here to help.

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