Free Jiu-Jitsu Training

I heard through the grapevine about free Jiu-Jitsu training her in the Rio Grande Valley. Free Jiu-Jitsu training sounded too good to be true. So, I reached out to one of the instructors to get more details. Mr. Eric Martinez is a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and one of the trainers

What experience does the instructors have?

Our classes are primarily taught by myself and Dr. Robert Schweller, our faculty advisor. I have been involved in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for the past 8 years and am a purple belt. I love teaching and helping others. I have been running this club successfully for the past 2 years. In the past, I have also had experience teaching Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as the instructor for the kid's program at Paragon RGV Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Dr. Robert Schweller, is a fantastic grappler. He has been involved in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for over 10 years. On top of being an excellent professor at the University, he is great at breaking down and teaching Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. We also encourage other high-ranked members to help and teach lessons.'

Do you focus on Gi or No Gi? 

Almost all of the moves we teach are applicable to Gi and No-Gi. We encourage members to bring their Gi, if they own one. I believe in the value of the Gi as a training tool. We leave it up to the members to decide whether they want to spar Gi or No-Gi.

Where can I buy one and how much should I expect to spend?

You can buy a great low-cost gi from dogoapparel.com. The owner is a local gentleman who is a great martial artist. There is a very good gi on his website for $74.99. You can also buy one from mmawarehouse.com. They have great deals on Gi's. They will start at around $99 for a single weave. Locally, you can also check out Quad Force Fitness Couture in Mcallen.

Can any age participate?

Only 18+ may participate in practice sessions. There is no upper limit to age. We have had a gentleman come in who is 69 years old (and a purple belt!) come in and it was an absolute delight

How much is it? And who can attend?

Practices are free! Anyone 18+ can attend. You do not have to be a student. I cannot stress this enough. If you are 18+, you may join us. This club is open to the general public. You do not need any experience in martial arts. We will teach you from the ground up.

What is your view point on tournaments?

For the purposes of our club: competing in tournaments is not required but encouraged. We have people who are here to learn self-defense, or to just have fun, and some to compete. We want to accommodate everyone. Practice and competition are completely different things. The preparation involved in competing brings out the best in people. However, competition can be very taxing on the body. A lot of people just want to have fun and we will fully support that. Competitors, however, are what move the needle. They bring prestige. They bring accolades. Competition is what will serve as the primary reason that this club will be funded by the University over the next school year. Competition is the benchmark that outsiders use when evaluating sports groups. We will commit to providing partial funding for entry fees, travel, and transportation to UTRGV students who wish to compete in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournaments. Although participation in practices is open to the public, the funding opportunity is only open to UTRGV students.

Does attending the class help towards any type of college credit?

No. This is a sports club and not sponsored by any of the educational departments in the University.

What happens to the club wants the lead people graduate out?

Only time will tell. We are fully committed to providing the highest level of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training that we can. On top of that, we are fully committed to providing the highest levels of leadership training that we can. We currently have a group of 30 people interested in competing over the next year. I'm confident we should be able to transition the leadership over the next year to the best from this group

For more info you can contact Eric Martinez at on Facebook