About Us

 

Kishketon (KISH-ke-TAWN) Jiu-Jitsu Academy is a Gracie Certified Training Center dedicated to teaching the self-defense system developed by Helio Gracie. Our mission is to give all men, women, and children the tools that will allow them to defend themselves in real street-fight, assault, and bullying scenarios. 

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Our Philosophy

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In describing Gracie jiu-jitsu, Rickson Gracie (one of the greatest jiu-jitsu practioners of all time and son of Helio Gracie) once said that you pretty much flow with the go. The name of our academy, Kishketon (a word derived from a Kickapoo word meaning 'waterfall') embodies this philosophy. As waterfalls conform to their surroundings, they eventually carve out canyons. This is the power of Gracie jiu-jitsu. It gives a weaker person the ability to flow with bigger and stronger opponents until their opponent's aggression is neutralized.

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What is Gracie Jiu-Jitsu?

 

The development of Gracie jiu-jitsu ("the Gentle Art") began with Helio Gracie back in Brazil in the early 1900's. Helio was a weak kid and learned Japanese jiu-jitsu from his older brother, Carlos Gracie. Because Japanese jiu-jitsu required a lot of strength and athleticism (which he did not have), Helio modified the techniques to be based upon leverage, timing, and natural body movements, spawning his own system. Helio Gracie perfected the techniques which caused bigger and stronger opponents to exhaust their energy while preserving his own. This approach allowed him to defeat many bigger, stronger opponents to the point that he became a national hero in Brazil. This system was the system that Royce Gracie used to defeat all his opponents in the early UFC's, showing the WORLD the amazing effectiveness of their art over all other martial arts.

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Gracie Jiu-Jitsu vs. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

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While jiu-jitsu is the fastest growing martial art in the world, it has evolved into a sport, a variety of jiu-jitsu sometimes termed as Brazilian jiu-jitsu. For most jiu-jitsu academies, points, tournaments, time limits, and rules are the focus of their training. The system developed by Helio Gracie, however, was never meant to be a sport, but rather a complete self-defense system designed to allow people to defend themselves against bigger, stronger, and more athletic aggressors.

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How We Are Different

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Because most jiu-jitsu academies today tend to focus only on techniques which would win tournaments (where punches or "illegal moves" are excluded), self-defense strategies which address real-world violence such as punching opponents, predatory assault behavior, chokes, involuntary restraints, and weapons attacks are non-existent in their curricula. Experience has shown though that if you don't learn to deal with real-world violence in your jiu-jitsu training, chances are you won't know what to do when you find yourself in a real street-fight situation, especially if your opponent is bigger, stronger, and more athletic.

 

Although training "sportively" without punches is also an integral part of our training in our advanced program, our primary focus is always self-defense first, sport second. Therefore, at our academy, you will learn the self-defense mindset which will serve as a foundation for all of your jiu-jitsu training on and off the mats.

 

Our Goal

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Brazilian jiu-jitsu training these days has trended towards a sport focus so much so that it is now possible to earn a jiu-jitsu black belt without ever once training for the real-world possibility of punching opponents. The sportive aspect of jiu-jitsu is, of course, not a bad thing. We have seen an amazing array of new techniques and systems over the years precisely because of the sport. This is why jiu-jitsu is so fun, addictive, and never boring. There is always something new to learn on the mats.

 

Off the mats, though, the harsh reality is that aggressors, predators, and bullies throw punches, may use weapons, or try to restrain or choke their victims. In the street, there are no rules, no time limits, no referees, and no weight categories. In order to prepare for these situations, you must train for them. Of course, the chances of such violent encounters will vary from individual to individual, but the threat is never zero. It is better to know jiu-jitsu and not use it than to need it and not know it.

 

Therefore, at our academy, not only will you learn to defend yourself against the realities of violence, you will also have fun training sportively in a safe environment, making life-long friendships, building confidence, losing weight, increasing fitness, and doing an activity which contributes to a healthy lifestyle. ​

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Come for the self-defense, stay for the lifestyle!

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