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Michigan Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championships!

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2012-02-10T10:50:13-05:00

Team Magic BJJ had an excellent showing at the recent Michigan Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu championships on January 28th, scoring 5x gold, 3x silver, and 1x bronze medals. Additionally, we ended up taking home the third place team trophy. Its great to see everyone’s hard work that they have been putting in the dojo pay off in competition.

New Year, New Dojo Improvements!

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2012-01-08T11:36:17-05:00

First off I would like to wish everyone a happy new year. As we move closer to Magic BJJ’s second anniversary of business, I wanted to take a moment to list a few changes coming in 2012.

First and foremost, we have invested in brand new Zebra grappling mats for the entire dojo. Those who don’t know, these are the same mats that are used any many professional tournaments such as the Pans and Worlds. They are a major upgrade from our existing puzzle mats that have served us well for over two years.

Mats arrive:

After!

The older GetRung mats are still in good shape and are being sold in 10’ x 10’ packages (9 squares plus edging). If you are interested please contact us via Facebook or e-mail mlinsemier@magicbjj.com.

Secondly, changes have been made to several of the kids and adult Karate and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu packages. The payment schedule will move to either the 1st or the 15th of the month as we move to more of an automated withdrawal system. This should make it easier for both the student as well as the dojo.

The new 2012 packages and pricing are now available so make sure you see the staff on your next visit. As a reminder there are always discounts for both students and part time / full time instructors. We have some great new student packages so for those that are considering the Magic BJJ as your place to train, please inquire!

Lastly, starting the week of January 23rd, all classes will be Gi in preparation for the IBJJF Winter Open in Chicago on March 3rd, 2012. Monday night No-Gi classes will become competition classes that will include warmups and an minimum of an hour of tournament speed sparing.

See you in class!

Holiday Dojo Closure - Enjoy your week off!

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2011-12-27T13:51:59-05:00

Holiday Hours
Reminder that the dojo is closed December 24th, 2011 through January 1st, 2012. We will resume our normal class schedules on Monday, January 2nd, 2012. In the meantime, current students should check Facebook for open mat times as they may pop up during the week.

EFG December 4th Results

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2011-12-08T15:07:52-05:00

This past Sunday we had a few students compete at the Elite Federation of Grapplers tournament in Clinton township.

Javier scored silver medal in gi blue belt division and bronze medal in no-gi intermediate division. Ben, competing for the first time after only a little over 3 months of training, took silver in gi white belt division, and gold in no-gi beginner division.

Both Javier and Ben performed great and have areas in mind of what to work on next. Great job guys.

P.S. Results and photos from the No-Gi Michigan Jiu-Jitsu Championships will be posted soon!

5th Annual No-Gi Michigan Jiu-Jitsu Championships

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2011-12-01T09:37:04-05:00

The weekend of December 3rd several students and instructors of Magic BJJ will be competing No-Gi at the Michigan Jiu-Jitsu Championship in Dearborn, Michigan. Professor Tyrone Gooden, my instructor at Vision BJJ, and Corey Ottgen, No-Gi instructor at Magic BJJ, will both have super fights at this event. Show your support and come out and cheer on your fellow students, instructors, and Machado affiliates.

Due to this tournament there will be no Saturday class.

October Newsletter - More Improvements To Come!

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2011-10-18T09:23:58-04:00

October 2011

The fall semesters at MSU and LCC have brought a bunch of new students to Magic BJJ, in both Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Kid’s Karate (including the children of a LCC student whose mom also signed up for BJJ). It’s nice to see some new faces mixed in, and the fundamentals class on Wednesday has grown back up to a good size.

We are still awaiting Matt’s decisions on establishing a formal code of conduct for Magic BJJ. Matt and Amy have been collecting information, talking to the coaches, and trying to arrive at a best fit for the style of Magic BJJ. We have implemented our new procedures for bowing in and out, as well as for warming up and conducting classes (see below).

In case anyone is wondering why we are making changes, there are two main reasons. First, many martial arts schools have formalized routines at the beginning and end of class that reflect the “martial” aspect of what we do. Second, such routines lend an air of professionalism that new/prospective students find comfortable (i.e., it is something they expect to see). There is no intention of sacrificing the friendly and supportive teaching environment that has been part of Magic BJJ from the beginning.

New Bow-In/Bow-Out Procedure

We have implemented our new bow-in and bow-out procedures. At the beginning of class we will line up by rank (higher ranks to the right), facing the instructor for the class, and taking the position of seiza (formal kneeling). Seiza (say-zah) is accomplished by slowly dropping to the left knee, then to the right knee, and then sitting back on the heels and placing the hands on the thighs. A woman’s knees should be together, a man’s knees should be two fists apart. We will then bow when the instructor announces that we are ready to begin.

Bowing is a sign of respect, and a sign that we are ready to begin. Thus, we bow prior to entering the dojo (this can be a standing bow), we bow when we are ready to begin class, and we bow when we begin working with our partner (especially before rolling or sparring). When we are done with each of these activities we bow again to signal both respect and that we are done.

Matt has emphasized the respectful/alerting aspect of bowing several times. It is not a religious act or an act of worship. This has actually been tested in a U.S. federal court, by Judo competitors who did not wish to bow as is mandatory in Judo competitions. In addition to being a sign of respect, it is a way of saying hello, and acknowledging our willingness to interact with another person. It is important to note that the instructor bows to the class when we begin, just as we are bowing to him or her.

When we bow out at the end of class we will rise (ideally in the reverse manner of entering seiza) and the highest rank will walk up to the instructor and shake his/her hand and then take a position to their right. Likewise, each person will follow that senior student and shake the hand of each person joining the instructor’s line. This way, whatever may have happened during the class, good or bad, we end class with a sign of courtesy to one another. This allows us to leave any bad feelings behind, so we return for the next class ready to go again.

Standardized Warm-Up

In addition to our new bowing procedures, we have for a month or so been following a somewhat standardized procedure for warming up and stretching. The warm-up and stretch is followed by drills that are designed to either follow a standard pattern or to provide a specific warm-up for the techniques being taught that day. We then study and drill those techniques.

While you are drilling it is important to be a good partner. Stay on task, and if you are a higher rank you should help your partner if you can (do not, however, usurp the authority of the instructor). Drilling is NOT the time to demonstrate your ability to block or overcome a technique. That does not help your partner learn the technique, especially if they are learning it for the first time.

Special Visit

On Saturday, September 17th we had a surprise visit from black belt Clint Crabtree of Grand Rapids BJJ, along with Jeff Wenstrom, one of GRBJJ’s purple belts. Clint taught his preferred methods of defending against armlocks, tying it in nicely with what we had been working on here at Magic BJJ. It turned out to be an awesome and free (doubly-awesome) mini black belt seminar for those of us fortunate enough to be there. Clint also shared some funny stories from his high level competition matches.

Recent Tournament

6th Annual Michigan Open 2011 – We had a small group competing at the MI Open this year, but some exciting outcomes nonetheless. Mervin was awesome! He was in a fairly large and very tough division, yet he won all four of his matches en route to the gold medal. His matches were highlighted by a bunch of exciting throws that displayed by his technique, control, and quickness.

Mike and Mark were in much smaller groups, and both did well. Mike won one of his matches by submission (collar choke), but had to settle for the bronze medal. Mark had only one other old guy opponent for a best two out of three falls match. He controlled his opponent throughout both matches, attempting numerous submissions and never falling into danger. However, the referee seemed to prefer the style of his opponent, and Mark had to settle for silver (thanks to such a small group).

Daris stole the show, despite his 4th place finish. In a very large and highly competitive division, he had to compete five times. He won three of those matches, with both the good and the bad highlights of the day. On the good side: he won his first match with a flying triangle choke. If you haven’t seen the video, find it (check out Facebook or ask Matt). On the down side: in his final match he took a nap, compliments of a tough opponent.

Afterward, we all stopped at the Irish pub in Hartland, including teammates Amy L., Nick, Aaron (and Allie), Craig, Liam, and of course Matt. A good time was had by all.

Injuries

Corey recovered quickly from the heel hook he endured at his last tournament, and he was back teaching the submission wrestling class even before he fully recovered. Amy L. is still waiting for the knee brace her doctor’s office never bothered to order!

Promotions

Mike M. received the 4th stripe on his blue belt. Javier received the 3rd stripe on his blue belt, and joins Mike in beginning to eye that coveted purple belt.

Mike G. received the 1st stripe on his white belt.

Things Our Students and Instructors are Doing

Jeff Lopes, who trains no-gi on Mondays, is now a certified kettle bell instructor.

Mark Kelland will be teaching cane and wheelchair self-defense for the Capital Area Center for Independent Living again (from October through March).

Mike Pastori has been out for a while, apparently doing something major for his studies in veterinary medicine. I’m not sure about the details here.

Bill Dillon has enlisted in the Army/National Guard Reserve.

Upcoming Tournaments

5th Annual MI No-Gi Championship – Saturday, December 3rd, 2011 in Dearborn, MI **Black Belt Super Fight: Tyrone Gooden vs. Mark Vives

MI Jiu Jitsu Championship – January 28th, 2012 (Dearborn?)

Pukang Tang Soo Do – Kid’s Karate

For those of you who don’t know, Mike Mahaffey is 5th degree black belt in Pukang Tang Soo Do, and his students in the Kid’s Karate classes are members of the Pukang Tang Soo Do Association. There were quite a few promotions in September, covering several different ranks. A bunch of new kids have joined, and they are doing a really good job.

October Thoughts – What’s the Worst Thing That Can Happen at a Tournament? (by Mark Kelland)

Suppose you’re worried about competing in the next tournament. Ask yourself, “What’s the worst thing that can happen?” At the 2011 MI Open I was not happy about the outcome of my matches. It’s not that I didn’t do some things well, but I didn’t win. So was this a bad experience, or a good learning experience, or something in between? It all depends on your perspective.

On the one hand, I was very disappointed. I thought the outcome was perhaps the worst possible. That led me to consider what might really be a bad outcome, and what could possibly be worse? I came up with four answers for a bad tournament outcome, with each one worse than the last. The fourth possible outcome is really bad. Now that I am aware of it, I am trying to put my feelings and my performance into perspective. Here’s what I came up with.

First, you might lose the tournament. So what? When you get beaten by a superior opponent there is no shame, and it can be a valuable learning experience. Don’t forget, every world championship fight has a loser. One of the two best competitors in the world is labeled a loser for that day. It happens to everyone eventually, and it has happened to them in past as well. If you gave it your best effort, you have every reason to be proud. The winner might not even be better; maybe they just had the best day of their life. Be happy for them!

Second, there is always the possibility of the dreaded injury. Sure it sucks to get hurt in training, but with everyone watching you at the tournament, and with the excitement of maybe winning a tournament, getting hurt there is a double-whammy. Not only are you psychologically wounded by losing, now you are suffering serious physical pain as well. Yeah, that’s pretty bad, but we all know it’s part of the game. Sooner or later we all get hurt, and the fury of competition makes it all the more likely to happen there (especially if you are careful in the gym). So it’s no fun, but it’s part of the game. Take it in stride, because there is something worse.

Third, you do really well but get robbed by the judges or referee. This one hurts! After all your hard training, all the bumps and bruises, maybe an injury or two along the way, struggling through weight loss if you have to, etc., you finally get to the tournament and do really well. The hard work pays off, but suddenly your opponent’s hand is raised! This happened to me at my most recent tournament, and for a couple of days I thought it was the worst possible outcome. Sure, I knew it wouldn’t have happened if I had totally dominated my opponent, but my opponent was good. I dominated him, but not totally, and his defense was very, very good. I did more than enough to win (and I am being objective here), he did nothing but stall, but he was given the win in both matches by a referee who had an agenda (‘nuff said).

So, as I thought about whether or not I should be satisfied with my performance, it still sucked. It’s easy to say that both my coach and I know I really won the tournament, but darn it, I wanted that gold medal! And then it hit me. There was something even worse than being robbed, something worse than the whole package of being beaten, injured, and robbed.

The worst possible outcome of a tournament is to lose your desire to train! If you let it get to you, there is always the chance that you will walk away from something you love. Of course, if you really love it you’ll suck it up and get back in the gym. Getting back in the gym is probably the best way to deal with this worst possible outcome. I’m not suggesting that you don’t let it sting at all; very few of us are enlightened masters. Nonetheless, don’t let it get to you so bad that you let your training suffer.

It’s easy to get motivated after losing to a superior opponent. Perhaps he/she exposed some weakness in your game, and it can be a very valuable learning experience. An injury can lead to a layoff, which allows all the routine aches and pains to heal up. You will likely come back rested, healthy, and stronger than when you got hurt, especially if you rehab carefully. Even getting the short end of a decision can motivate you to try making sure it never goes to the judges/referee again. But if you give up, you lose everything! That is the worst thing that can happen at a tournament.

Leave your ego at the door!
©2011 by Magic BJJ
Newsletter written by Mark Kelland

September Newsletter - What's New at MAGIC BJJ

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2011-09-11T15:51:24-04:00

September 2011

Magic BJJ is 1½ years old this month, and in anticipation of the new students coming to MSU (and hopefully to Magic BJJ as well) a number of changes and improvements are coming to our school. One of the most obvious changes will be the introduction of a more traditional martial arts feel to the beginning and end of classes. However, we hope to maintain the same open, supportive, and flexible atmosphere that has attracted so many of us to Magic BJJ.

One important change will be an enhanced effort to keep everyone informed on all the different activities involving both our school and our individual members. This is our first newsletter, so I am just trying out some ideas. I am open to any suggestions (within reason) on layout, content, stories … whatever. The plan is to have something that keeps people updated on what is happening at Magic BJJ, and the events and tournaments that we are looking ahead to as a school. I encourage everyone to regularly send me information and updates that can be included in the next newsletter.

Promotions

Following Mark Kelland’s strong showing at the Jackson tournament, with Tyrone Gooden as referee for all 3 matches, Tyrone suggested that Mark was ready for his blue belt. After a sneaky surprise testing, complete with running the gauntlet during a regular class, Mark received his blue belt from Matt and Corey. If you don’t know, Tyrone is the black belt we train under, and he discusses all promotions with Matt before they are approved.

Friendly Local Competition

As many of you know, we have now had several open rolls on Sunday evenings with Lansing Jiu Jitsu. They have joined us twice, and we have visited their school twice. They are a great group of BJJ competitors, and the “competition” has been fun and offered a wonderful opportunity to learn. Lansing Jiu Jitsu is a Gracie school, so their style is a little different. It’s a great way to prepare for a tournament, since you get to roll with people whose style and personal game isn’t something you’re used to seeing. It’s also a great way to simply improve all aspects of your BJJ game. Please try to join us the next time we roll with them. Keep an eye on the Magic BJJ Facebook page for updates and scheduling.

Recent Tournaments

Buckeye Border – We had six competitors in Ohio (Matt, Nick, Brad, Bill, Javier, and Mark), several competing in both BJJ and submission wrestling. One match featured two of our own students against each other. The result was a 0-0 draw, but Javier pulled out the victory on an advantage point. It was a great venue, and a well-run tournament, so definitely keep this one in mind for next year. It was Brad’s first competition with the Magic BJJ team, Mark’s first competition since getting his blue belt, and Bill won a gold medal. Congratulations to everyone who competed for a good showing at this tournament by the Magic BJJ team.

Target Martial Arts Tournament – At a friendly, training meet between Machado schools in the region we had five competitors (Matt, Amy J., Javier, Eric, Mark). The meet was round-robin, open adult, and after taking gold in the women’s group Amy Jentz also competed in the men’s group. It was an awesome day for her. Mark went the distance but lost on points to two young guns (one of them less than half his age), and then won 3rd place with his first submission win (eater choke).

Injuries

Yes, they are inevitable, but we do all we can to minimize them. The Machado credo, “Leave your ego at the door,” goes both ways. If you are in danger, don’t hesitate to tap. If you are putting your opponent in danger, approach the submission slowly and with control. We all want to feel good and be ready to go in our next class. So, when someone is hurting, or coming back carefully from an injury, go as easy as they ask you to. And always feel free to ask your opponent in the gym to go easy with you. Remember, sooner or later, you’ll be the one who is hurting, and you will want the same consideration from them. That said… Tracy has been rolling again following her knee injury, and it’s great to have her back. Amy L. has been cleared to return as soon as she gets her knee brace, and we certainly look forward to her return. Robert is back teaching Yoga following his knee surgery. If you haven’t tried his Yoga class, you don’t know what you’re missing!

Things Our Students and Instructors are Doing

Mike Mahaffey is preparing the Kid’s Karate class for testing in September. Some of the kids will be receiving their yellow belts in Pukang Tang Soo Do.

Mark Kelland taught cane and wheelchair self-defense this summer for the Capital Area Center for Independent Living (at Peckham, where Mike happens to work).

Corey Ottgen has been guest teaching wrestling and no-gi in Brighton and Coldwater.

Upcoming Tournaments

E.F..G. – Sept. 17th – Warren, MI (www.freewebs.com/elitefederationofgrapplers)
Michigan Open – Oct. 1st – Waterford, MI (www.usabjjtournaments.com)

August Thoughts – Private Lessons (by Mark Kelland)

When might you consider taking a private lesson? The first question you need to ask yourself is, “What do I want to get out of my private lesson?” This can be a tricky question. If you are new to BJJ, you may not have enough experience to know what you need to work on. Consider factors such as these: am I getting ready for a tournament, is there a bad position I keep finding myself in, is there a good position I get to but I can’t finish my opponents from there…? As just one example of approaching the decision on when and why one might benefit from a private lesson, I would like to share my experiences.

As I approached my first tournament, I was particularly concerned about getting from the standing position down to the mat without simply getting hammered by a superior opponent. I had the added concern of my two artificial hips. I asked Matt for a private lesson, and told him about my concerns. Matt prepared for our private lesson by asking for advice from one of the black belts he was training with at the time. Matt and I then worked on several options for handling the beginning of a competition match on the feet. I survived my first tournament, and I was able to implement some of the techniques we had worked on.

Shortly before my second tournament Corey taught a very interesting class on half-guard techniques. I was often finding myself in half-guard since I’m not that quick, so I took my second private with Corey to work on my half-guard game. We also worked on some more stand-up skills, which Corey does a lot of in his wrestling/no-gi classes. Once again, to the best of my ability I was able to use some of what he taught me in the tournament.

As my third tournament approached I realized that I was often being taken down by quicker, stronger opponents. I wanted to review my previous private lesson with Corey, so I split a private lesson between reviewing what we had done previously and adding some special techniques for defense when on the bottom under small package. That lesson has proved to be one of the most valuable classes I have taken.

So, along comes the next tournament, and I wanted to keep the trend going. However, I also wanted to go back to Matt out of respect for the head of the school. But…lessons with Corey were really clicking for me. So, I asked if I could split a private between Corey and Matt, which thankfully they were willing to do for me. I reviewed material with Corey, but tried something new with Matt. I told Matt that he had known me long enough, so this time I wanted him to decide what my game was lacking and then work with me on those techniques he felt I needed to emphasize when rolling. One of the key techniques that Matt emphasized in that lesson was using the gi as a tool when rolling. I don’t do it often, but it has provided amazing results when I have used the gi against my opponent successfully.

For my most recent private lesson I asked Mike Mahaffey to review the blue belt list for my anticipated blue belt test, and I needed to work on knee and ankle submissions. I thought I would be doing Mike a small favor, since he is approaching his purple belt test in the not too distant future and it would be to his benefit to review that material as well.

So during my year and a half of BJJ I have used private lessons to prepare for tournaments, to further develop techniques which I like to use, to strengthen my defensive game where I need it most, and to provide our purple belts, both Matt and Corey, to tell me what they think I need to develop. Yes, it gets a little expensive to do it on a whim. But when you consider the effort and cost of a tournament, and the challenge of achieving major promotions, the added expense of an occasional private lesson is a good investment in your BJJ future.

Leave your ego at the door!
©2011 by Magic BJJ
Newsletter written by Mark Kelland

Buckeye Border Grappling Championship is next weekend!

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2011-07-07T08:49:41-04:00

Next Saturday, July 16th, is the Buckeye Border International Grappling Championship in Toledo, Ohio. Several of us will be competing from MAGIC BJJ!

When you sign up, please use Machado / Magic BJJ for the school name. If you have already signed up, make sure that you send an e-mail to Deon letting him know about the change. We want to make sure that all of the Machado’s are seen as a unified team for this event!

We will be arranging carpools and such this upcoming week!

Cancelation of the Professor Craig Husband Seminar

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2011-05-26T15:34:02-04:00

Due to some unforeseen circumstances, the Professor Craig Husband seminar that was to be held on Saturday June 25th has been canceled. Please stay tuned for information on when it will be rescheduled. We are sorry for any inconveniences that this may have caused. Refunds will be issued to all of those that pre-registered.

Matthew Linsemier
Owner / Head Instructor
MAGIC BJJ

Arnold's Classic 2011 this weekend

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2011-03-01T07:54:50-05:00

Several of Team MAGIC are braving the elements and heading to Columbus Ohio this week to attend the Arnold Sports Festival 2011. We have several students competing in both Gi and No-Gi. Little does everyone know that I also signed us up for the Cheerleading Competition. Won’t they be surprised!

Inspired, to say the least...

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2011-02-01T18:43:13-05:00

Team MAGIC returns home from the Michigan Jiu Jitsu Championship 2011 with some medals in tow. It was a very long day (12 hours, not including drive time), but it was a worth it. Jiu Jitsu is about learning, through both winning and losing. Tournaments help us to realize what techniques and strategies we need to work on both individually and as a team. We are fortunate to have such a supportive group of students and families. Thanks to everyone who came out to support us. Phil, sorry we missed you in the picture!

Of all the matches of the day, I want to pay a special homage to Mark Kelland. Mark is an amazing individual that has a great work ethic. You would never guess that Mark is 52 years old and has two artificial hips. Inspiring, to say the least!

MAGIC BJJ at the Master Rigan Machado Seminar

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2011-01-24T19:21:06-05:00

A few of us attended the Master Rigan Machado seminar at Trammell’s Martial Arts in Macomb, MI, over this past weekend. What an amazing experience it was to meet and train with the man himself, the man and Machado name we represent every time we’re on the mat. Thank you Master Rigan for a great day. We all took away not only techniques, but your unique teaching style. Until we meet again!

MJJC 2011 Chamionship next weekend!

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2011-01-24T12:01:14-05:00

The Michigan Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2011 is this upcoming weekend! We have at least a half dozen competitors going this year so please wish them the best of luck! Go Team MAGIC!

FREE Seminar: Easy Takedowns for the Adult Grappler - This Saturday!

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2011-01-13T15:29:14-05:00

This Saturday, January 15, from 12:00pm-3:00pm, instructor Robert Verdell will be giving a takedown seminar which is free to all Magic BJJ students. If you are not a Magic BJJ student, but are interested in attending, please contact us.

You will learn low risk and high reward takedowns that do not rely on specialized skills, strength, speed or youth! Also, you will learn how to defend takedowns and quick kills off of the takedowns. All takedowns will be done with the gi.

Happy New Year!

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2011-01-05T09:16:24-05:00

Happy new year from MAGIC BJJ! All of our classes are back to their normal schedules starting this week other than Kid’s Karate (which will start back up on Thursday, January 13th, 2011).

I have compiled a “year in photos” album of MAGIC BJJ which can viewed here. I am still missing photos from the 2010 Michigan Open, so if you have these or any additional photos that we can add to the archive, please get with me or e-mail them to mlinsemier@magicbjj.com.

See you in class!

Dojo closed for the Thanksgiving Holiday

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2010-11-24T11:26:17-05:00

As a reminder to everyone, the dojo will be closed Thursday, November 25th through Sunday, November 28th. There will be no official classes held during the holiday break. For students that are interested in open rolling over the break, please make sure you check the Facebook page for announcements. Have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving holiday!

Rodrigo “Comprido” Medeiros Seminar

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2010-11-24T11:05:00-05:00

I had an opportunity to travel down to Toledo Ohio this past Saturday and attend a Rodrigo “Comprido” Medeiros seminar at Premier MMA. Comprido’s instruction included a mixture of both Gi and No-Gi techniques. Special thanks to Deon Thompson for extending the invite to us at MAGIC BJJ.

Blue Belt Graduation at MAGIC BJJ!

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2010-11-22T11:34:25-05:00

Congratulations to (left to right) Joe Corrion, Craig Tait, Amy Jentz, Jacob Darrnal, Travis VanKirk, and Tracey Barton for the promotions to Blue Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. After a three hour test of both technique and sparring, all promotions are well deserved! The active student blue belt count at MAGIC BJJ is now fourteen (14) !

The next Blue Belt testing will be held in February of 2011, for those that will be ready for testing. If you think you are ready and want to test, please get with either myself or Corey for an evaluation.

More pictures to come soon!

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Blue Belt Testing on Saturday, November 6th!

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2010-11-04T15:20:34-04:00

Professor Tyrone Gooden will be at the school on Saturday, November 6th at 11:30am to oversee our first Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu blue belt testing. Students of all belt levels are encouraged to come watch and participate in the test. Students should bring their Gi’s and may be called upon to be technical partners as well for sparring sessions.

Additionally, private lessons are available at both single and group rates for those that are interested. Please contact me for rates and times.

Michigan Open 2010 Team Results!

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2010-11-01T17:00:00-04:00

I’m finally getting around to updating the website and want to post the results for the Michigan Open. Out of twelve competitors, we had six place earning two golds, one silver, and three bronzes! We came back with knowledge one what we need to work on both as individuals and as a team. Great work everyone, I am a proud coach!

Video and pictures to be posted soon!

Michigan Open 2010 is this weekend!

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2010-09-28T16:59:15-04:00

Signup deadline for the 5th Annual Michigan Open is Wednesday night. If you haven’t signed up and you are planning on competing, please do so as soon as possible.

Please join me in wishing the following competitors luck this weekend:

Corey
Travis
Nick
Tracey
Randy
Lauren
Aaron
Luis
Mark
Craig
Joe
Jake

Just north of the buckeye border

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2010-07-25T09:58:43-04:00

We took a trip to a great grappling tournament down in Toldeo, Ohio, the Buckeye Border. Both Amy and I had a great showing, both scoring second place. My second matches was by far the closest and most fun matches I have ever rolled in competition. Thanks Rodney!

I want to take time to personally thank all of my instructors and every single student and coach at MAGIC BJJ for helping me grow as a grappler. Even though matches are all one on one, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a team sport, and in my opinion we have one of the best teams with more comradery than any school can offer!

Special thanks to Deon Thompson for not only convincing me to compete, but putting on such a great tournament.

Dojo expansion and more!

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2010-07-15T16:24:59-04:00

It has been a few weeks since I have had a chance to update the website, but I wanted to let everyone know that there are some fantastic things going on at MAGIC BJJ!

The first item I want to announce is the dojo expansion! In the first few weeks of August we will easily doubling our space at our current location. We will have double the mat space, a seating area, cubbies for equipment and bags, and eventually showers! Most importantly, our mat space will DOUBLE what we have right now.

Secondly, we will be moving to a new school management system which will allow for us to accept credit cards or choose automatic withdrawal of tuition for those interested.

Lastly, the website update is coming. I have the design down and am just missing content. Those that want to contribute or have some ideas on how to improve the site, please get with me. I will be consolidating pictures of classes, instructors, seminars, and tournaments over the next few weeks. If you have any that you would like to contribute, certainly do so. I will also be looking for others to write for the blog so that we can consistently keep content updated about whats going on at MAGIC BJJ and in the Jiu-Jitsu community as well!

Globo-Flow Yoga and Movement Therapy Workshop

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2010-06-21T17:12:41-04:00

Supplemental Motion Therapy: Excellent for Combative Athletes!!!!!!!!

This mini-workshop is a three-dimensional movement therapy program that focuses on functional flexibility, an interdependent integration of balance, agility, joint stability, relaxation, mobility, and muscular control. Its goal is to expand your natural movement potential by increasing the effective activation of your “core muscles”, allowing lubrication of the joints through movement, teaching your body to move with the appropriate tension/relaxation ratio, and assisting with musculoskeletal realignment.

Whole Body Pre-hab!!!

This class will be held Tuesdays from 7:00pm - 7:45pm.

Come to the FREE class on June 22nd, 2010!

For more information contact Robert Verdell at (517) 327-8467 or feel free to e-mail verdellnowaydo2@aol.com.

Back from the Hoosier Open!

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2010-06-18T14:41:19-04:00

Everyone is safe and sound back from the Hoosier Open. We had a great showing as Team MAGIC scored 1 first place, 4 second place, and 1 third place metals out of 10 total competitors.

MAGIC BJJ featured in Capital Gains

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2010-06-11T11:22:31-04:00

MAGIC BJJ was recently featured in Capital Gains. Feel free to check out the article by clicking here!

Hoosier Open is upon us!

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2010-06-09T11:41:20-04:00

The Hoosier open is this upcoming weekend! We are taking a team of ten to Indiana and intend to do well. Give a warm sendoff to the following competitors:

Randy Barton
Mark Kelland
Nicholas Linsemier
Matthew Linsemier
Aaron Mullins
Jeff Newell
Javier Ornelas
Corey Ottgen
Luis Reynaga
Travis Vankirk

We will post results, pictures, and videos on the site following the tournament.

New School Logo

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2010-06-08T16:22:56-04:00

Over the past few months we have been in the process of working with our graphic artist on designing a new school logo. I am glad to say that it is finally complete. We will be ordering new logoware apparel very soon so if you are interested in T-Shirts, rashguards, hoodies, and other items let us know. The new logos that will be used are show below:

Note that the Team MAGIC logo still exists and will be used directly with our Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition team so there will be plenty of apparel available with this logo as well.

New Friday Class - Team MAGIC BJJ Competition Training

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2010-05-14T15:59:00-04:00

With several area BJJ tournaments just around the corner, we are pleased to announce the startup of a new BJJ competition training class for all levels Friday’s, 8:00pm - 9:30pm. This class focuses on conditioning, technique, competition points, individual strategies, and mock matches from standing. Hope to see you there!

Javier of Team MAGIC BJJ takes first!

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2010-04-27T10:31:47-04:00

Congratulations to Javier Ornelas for taking first place in the men’s heavyweight gi blue belt division. Yet another great accomplishment for those training at MAGIC BJJ!

Match #1:

Match #2:

Thursday Class Changes

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2010-04-21T13:47:00-04:00

***Edit*** Whoops, left out the Kid’s Karate program, Mike is gonna kick me in the head for that!

I wanted to make a quick post to notify all students of Thursday class changes. As of April 21st, 2010, the following schedule applies:

6:00pm to 7:00pm - Kid’s Karate Program
7:00pm to 8:00pm - Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (Gi)
8:00pm to 8:30pm - Sparring (both classes)
8:30pm to 9:30pm - Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (Advanced Gi, Blue belts and above)

If you are a lower ranking student and cannot make it to the 7:00pm class, please see one of the instructors. If you are an advanced student, feel free to come to the early class and help out!

Great Lakes Championships Tournament results!

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2010-04-17T19:43:58-04:00

We just got back from the Great Lakes Championships with some great team results!

Nicholas Linsemier (at age 16) took third place in both the adult mens blue belt Gi division and third place in the adult mens blue belt Absolute Gi division.
Amy Jentz took first place in both the women’s adult white belt Gi division and the women’s No-Gi Absolute division.
Samantha Stewart (at age 17) in her first tournament, took fourth place in the women’s adult white belt Gi division.

Videos to come soon!

Pan Jiu-Jitsu 2010 Championships!

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2010-04-12T09:09:49-04:00

Congratulations to one of my Machado black belt instructors, Tyrone Gooden, who placed third in the Pan Jiu-Jitsu 2010 Championships in the Senior 2 Black Belt division. Tyrone trained hard for this tournament and we a very happy for his success

More Arnold's Classics Video

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2010-03-23T11:13:01-04:00

Here are some additional videos from the Arnold’s Classic 2010.

Amy’s first match (mind you, she has a fractured hand...)

Nick’s Second Gi Match:

Nick’s First No-Gi Match (Nick moved up to the heavyweights because no one was in his bracket at his weight):

Website Update Coming!

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2010-03-23T11:25:11-04:00

I wanted to give everyone a heads up that we are slowly but surely working on a new design for the website. We have a ton of great ideas for the new website including instructor information, school and event pictures, and multimedia videos such as “technique of the month”. We are hoping to launch the new website sometime in the April / May timeframe. Stay tuned!

Arnold's 2010 Update

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2010-03-07T22:59:38-05:00

We are back from the Arnold’s Classic 2010 with some great team accomplishments!

Nicholas Linsemier took second place in Gi Blue Belt Teen division and third place in No-Gi Teen Advanced. Amy Robinson took Third in Women’s Blue Belt Gi.

Ton of pictures to come but here are a few videos of their matches:

Machado BJJ: Promotions of the purple kind

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2010-02-10T12:30:00-05:00

I am pleased to announce that MAGIC BJJ has two new purple belts (both instructors) under Ryan Fiorenzi and Tyrone Gooden, both Rigan Machado black belts.

Unbeknownst to me, I was tested and promoted to purple belt on Friday, February 5th, during what I thought was a private session with my instructors.

Tonight, February 10th, Corey Ottgen (one of my training partners and close friends) was also promoted to the rank of purple belt.

We both want to give thanks to all of our friends, families, training partners, and students for accompanying us and playing a big part in our Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu journey.

That makes two (2) purple belts and eight (8) blue belts to date actively training and promoted through MAGIC BJJ and East West Martial Arts. Not to shabby... We must be doing something right! Keep up the good work all!

Grand Opening - February 20th, 10am to 4pm!

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2010-02-11T11:17:27-05:00

The official grand opening of the school is just around the corner! Make sure you come join us on February 20th, from 10am to 4pm. You can save and print the flyer by clicking on the link below!

MAGIC BJJ Grand Opening

Michigan Jiu-Jitsu Championship Results!

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2010-02-08T16:48:42-05:00

Congratulations to the MAGIC BJJ competitors who all placed at the Michigan Jiu-Jitsu Championships in their respective weight classes and age divisions. Eric Johnson took 1st place, Corey Ottgen took 2nd place, and Javier Ornelas placed 3rd. Way to represent gentlemen!

Arnold’s Classic is just around the corner!

2010 Tuition rates

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2010-02-01T15:07:00-05:00

Below are the new tuition rates for the 2010 year. We have worked very hard to keep training affordable for all current and prospective students.

Tuition prices are as follows:

Brazilian Jiu-Jistu (Unlimited) - $65 per month
Muay Thai Kickboxing (Unlimited) - $40 per month
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu & Muay Thai Kickboxing - $75.00 per month
Punch Card (10 visits) - $90.00
Drop-in fee - $10.00

All students are required to pay a one time enrollment fee of $15.00.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at mlinsemier@magicbjj.com or call 517-614-1376!

New classes start this week!

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2010-02-01T15:11:00-05:00

I am still busy working on updating the schedule but I wanted everyone know that our new classes start this week. Here is a run down of what we offer and when:

Monday:

6:00pm - 7:30pm: Muay Thai Kickboxing
8:00pm - 9:30pm: No-Gi Submission Grappling

Tuesday:

8:00pm - 9:30pm: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Wednesday:

6:00pm - 7:00pm: Open Mat / Sparring
7:00pm - 8:30pm: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (Fundamentals)

Thursday:

8:00pm - 9:30pm: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Friday:

6:00pm - 7:30pm: Muay Thai Kickboxing

Saturday:

1:00pm - 3:00pm: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (at ATA in Dewitt)

Hope to see you this week!

We've moved!

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2010-02-01T15:05:00-05:00

Over the past several months we have been seeking additional space as our school has experienced outstanding growth and we have finally settled in a new location downtown East Lansing. We are still in the process of building out the new facility (additional mats and equipment are on the way), but I thought I would share some additional information on future plans.

New and expanded classes (check the new schedule)
Additional mat space, padded walls, and high ceilings
Private instructions
General Merchandise (water, sports drinks, clothing, Gi’s)

New Address:

MAGIC BJJ, LLC
301 M.A.C. Avenue, Suite 106
East Lansing, MI 48823

Here are some quick photos of our work in progress:

Grand opening will be February 20th, 2010! More information to come soon.

Breaking news, stay tuned!

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2010-01-08T22:52:34-05:00

Make sure you check the website daily... We will be posting an update with some very exciting news! We will give you 10 guesses what it is, and 9 don’t count.

Arnold World Grappling Championship around the corner

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2009-12-12T10:49:09-05:00

The Arnold World Grappling Championships is just around the corner. We are in the process of putting a team together to make the trip. For those students (and other competitors for that matter) that are looking for more information on this tournament, hit the following link:

http://arnoldmartialarts.com/pdf/2010/info/grappling_info.pdf

More updates soon!

MAGICal Promotions

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2009-11-20T20:21:17-05:00

Congratulations to both Randy and Amy who both were promoted to Blue Belt today by Ryan Fiorenzi of East West Martial Arts. Randy and Amy are now among 7 ranked blue belts at MAGIC BJJ. Great job you two!

BJJ Seminar - Epic Win!

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2009-11-09T10:04:13-05:00

I wanted to take the time to thank each and every one of my students, as well as those from East West Martial Arts, that were able to attend the BJJ seminar with Tyrone Gooden this past Saturday. We had a wide variety of age groups as well as skill levels. Everyone had a great time.

I will be posting some tidbits of technique from the seminar over the coming months, so make sure you stay tuned. If you want more, get in contact with us.

Girls Just Want To Have Fun ... With Armbars

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2009-11-06T16:45:23-05:00

I wanted to share this very insightful post by one of my students
- Matt

Hold My Medals While I Triangle Your Boyfriend.
by Megan O.

I am a walking bruise.

My boss worries about me, what with this "jiu-jitsu thing" and all. She keeps telling me I need a "gentler" hobby.

"A more...feminine hobby," she sighs, gesturing at the blooming bruise covering my tricep. "I'm worried about you!"

I try to explain that jiu-jitsu *is* a feminine hobby, but I can't even convince myself of that. The look of disbelief and concern tells me I have some work to do on that front.

Brazilian jiu-jitsu is not a gentle art, no matter what the translations say. It is rough and tumble. It is gracefully explosive, if you can believe such a thing exists. It is the least feminine thing I have ever done in my life.

And yet, it makes me feel like a fierce dame.

I'll be the first to admit, nothing about jiu-jitsu appealed to me when it was first introduced as something I should try. My Muay Thai instructor suggested it as a second class and dropped the key phrase that is designed to send the value of the class to women through the roof: "Self-defense".

I could feel my face fall. Self-defense? No, thank you. Not today. Nice try, though.

By the time I had been forced into the class by both my husband and my instructor, I was even more skeptical than before. The class was almost entirely men, ninety-nine percent of the class knew what they were doing and I had no idea why I was there. I was completely lost when it came to drilling technique and when it came to rolling, I was terrified. How was I going to use techniques I wasn't sure of on guys more skilled and stronger than me?

My first roll was a bust. I was dominated by a very friendly, very personable young man who was both willing to help me out and willing to show me exactly how much he knew about jiu-jitsu. Two armbars and a ridiculous amount of time on my back later, I decided to sit out for a round and just watch. A young woman in class changed my mind for me.

"Wanna roll?" It was a simple question, followed by a handshake and a grin around a mouthpiece. Her gi was disheveled, her belt twisted around and it was obvious she was enjoying herself.

We rolled for a few minutes with her guiding me along the way, but also showing me just what she knew, much like the young man I had rolled with the round prior. When the buzzer sounded after three minutes, she shook my hand and quickly headed down the mat to find a new partner.

Nothing had changed with my rolling partners aside from their gender. Both were skilled in what they were doing. Both were willing to help a newcomer in their class. Both were dominant in position. But I didn't walk away from rolling with the young guy feeling like this is something I wanted to do. When I finished rolling with the woman, I felt eager to learn more.

This was so much more than just a self-defense class. It was a challenging sport, physically and mentally. I had to think about countering what my opponent was going to do before they even did it. I had to work my way into dominant positions and work for submissions. I had to dominate and the end result was tangible, physical proof that I had skills and abilities that certified me as awesome.

I was sold.

Brazilian jiu-jitsu does not care what gender you are. It demands the same from everyone and I found that to be the driving force behind my learning. Yes, there were girls in the class, but most of the time I found myself getting more gratification out of grappling men over the women. I felt like I had to work harder against them than I did with the women. Not that the women were gentle, mind you, but I wanted to prove that I could hang with the boys.

And I find that to be common among many of the women I train with in the area. One of my fellow training partners has said on numerous occasions that she doesn't want to be thought of differently or treated differently because she is a woman. She wants the men to roll just as hard as they do with the other guys and that it can only make her better in the long run.

The guys listened.

She and I have male training partners that bring it, every time they roll with us. They don't let us glide through rolling or give us any slack. [They do, however, apologize for the accidental brush of the chest or behind, but it doesn't concern us at all. It happens. You hear us, fellas? Apologizing for accidentally copping a feel makes us lose our groove. Shut up and roll already.] They make us work and in turn, make us better.

She and I often compare injuries sustained at jiu-jitsu, ranging anywhere from broken toes to oddly placed bruises (gi burn, anyone?). We also discuss what moves worked well while rolling, how to modify moves to accommodate anatomy issues and what sweet new gis we saw online. We talk about our significant others and what they've been doing at training in Detroit. We discuss what detergent works best on getting blood and sweat out of gis. It's like gossiping over coffee, but with more discussion on armbars and sweet tricks from side-control.

That's feminine enough, right?

Okay, okay, jiu-jitsu is not a feminine hobby, but it's mine. And as for the self-defense part? Yeah, okay, I picked up some of that, too. I feel confident in my ability to defend myself if needed as well as x-guard sweep my husband to the ground.

I can still be graceful while driving my shoulder into your face before floating over into mount.

And I won't even care if I break a nail while doing it.

More Promotions...

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2009-10-29T11:29:50-04:00

The hard work keeps paying off. Both myself and Corey Ottgren were striped on our Blue belts last evening. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu journey continues onward with Purple belt being right around the corner.

Blue Belt Competition

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2009-10-19T11:02:02-04:00

Over the weekend one of the MAGIC BJJ students, Mike Mahaffey, competed in his first Blue Belt only tournament at East West Martial arts. Check out one of his matches below!

Blue Belt Promotions

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2009-09-17T18:35:16-04:00

Congratulations go out to both Aaron Mullins and Douglas Whitten who where both promoted to Blue Belt today by Machado Black Belt Ryan Fiorenzi. This brings the total “advanced” student count (Blue Belt or higher) to five with more to come in the months ahead. Great work gentlemen.

BJJ Seminar - Flyer

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2009-10-12T16:10:23-04:00

Just got approval on the final .PDF draft of the flyer that I put together for the November 7th, 2009 seminar featuring Tyrone Gooden. Feel free to pass it on to anyone that you think may be interested. Look for the eventbright online registration link coming soon. Feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions or comments.

BJJ Seminar Flyer

Michigan Open 2009 Results

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2009-09-27T23:39:45-04:00

Congratulations to all of the Team MAGIC competitors in the 2009 Michigan Open. As always, we did exceptionally well coming home with 2 golds, 3 silver, and 2 bronze.

BJJ Seminar November 7th, 2009

mlinsemier@magicbjj.com — 2009-10-11T23:49:33-04:00

BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU SEMINAR
featuring
TYRONE GOODEN
“The Oracle”

Tyrone Gooden is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt under Rigan Machado, former amateur boxer, amateur wrestler, and Tang Soo Do Black Belt. Tyrone has extensive martial arts training totaling 26 years experience, 14 in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Tyrone holds a total of 5 Black Belts in various martial arts.

Come train with us and be part of a great seminar!

When:
November 7, 2009
Where:
ATA 13171 Schavey Road Dewitt, MI 48820
Time:
1:00pm—4:00pm
Cost:
$40.00

Schedule:
1:00pm-2:25pm.......................................“Houdini”Escapes
2:25pm-2:35pm.......................................................Break
2:35pm - 4:00pm ........ Kneebars, Ankle Locks, & Toe Holds

To register or for more information visit www.magicbjj.com, e-mail mlinsemier@magicbjj.com, or call (517) 614-1376