Freeport Martial Arts Academy

Jiu-Jitsu & Self-Defense

Jiu-Jitsu & Submission Wrestling

Try One Week Free

Jiu-Jitsu (joo-JIT-soo) and Submission Wrestling are grappling martial arts used for self-defense and sport that focus on taking a fight from the feet to the ground, using a variety of takedowns, trips, and throws, and then finishing the fight with submission techniques like joint locks and chokeholds. In competitions, matches can be won by submissions, by points, and by referees’ decisions.

The objective of Jiu-Jitsu is to gain a dominant position to control and submit your opponent, following a systematic process:

  1. Defend
  2. Escape
  3. Control
  4. Submit
High-quality instruction in gi and nogi. Excellent gym culture. A good mix of people: all body types, skill levels, walks of life. Everything you could want in a good jiu jitsu gym. Clean mats. Affordable, especially if you do a monthly membership. Free trial weeks, so no reason not to give it a shot.

Thomas

Member, Purple Belt

Jiu-Jitsu for Self-Defense

Most fights start on the feet; however, most end up on the ground. That is why Jiu-Jitsu is such an effective martial art for self-defense.

When you know how to operate on the ground, you gain a substantial advantage over an untrained person. Knowing Jiu-Jitsu gives you an unfair advantage in a street fight and keeps you safe because of your ability to defend and neutralize threats.

Jiu Jitsu is new to me. I have never practiced any martial arts. The classes at Freeport Martial Arts are fun and easy to follow. Most importantly, the atmosphere is safe, collaborative, relaxed, and inviting. John is a patient and knowledgeable instructor. I appreciate how open the instructors are to feedback from all students during classes. The Women’s Self-Defense class was fun and informative. With a wide range of skills and knowledge, each person can challenge themselves to grow at their own pace.

Holly

Member, White Belt

Jiu-Jitsu for Sport

Jiu-Jitsu has become a wildly popular combat sport that provides practitioners of all ages and abilities opportunities to compete. In a Jiu-Jitsu competition, you compete against opponents of the same age, sex, weight, and belt level, which means you are effectively competing against yourself.

New to the area, they are very welcoming and the facilities are really well done.

Lane

Member, Blue Belt

Jiu-Jitsu for Community

Most people say the best part of Jiu-Jitsu training is the Jiu-Jitsu community. Over time, training partners become friends who eventually become family. You will meet people who also train, and you will form an immediate bond with them.

The Jiu-Jitsu community is so strong because learning Jiu-Jitsu is incredibly fun yet immensely challenging. It takes hundreds of repetitions to gain proficiency in a technique, years to receive belt promotions, and decades to master. Without the endless help and support of our training partners, none of us would maintain the motivation to continue.

Jiu-jitsu is something I never knew I needed. I found this community after a year of turmoil, with lower lows than I ever imagined but with that came the highest highs I’ve ever experienced. Freeport Martial Arts gives me the community and confidence to be fully myself. It’s given me an outlet to reduce stress from running a business, a community of relationships that have turned into extraordinary friendships, and way to move my body and mind keeping me both mentally and physically strong. Being relatively new to Freeport, I am eternally grateful for this experience. On days I don’t feel like training, I end up laughing and walking out of there with my mood lifted and excited for the next training session. I urge everyone to try it, try something, somewhere – you never know what you could be missing out on. You may walk out of there with a new best friend, a really cool skill or even just a good story. Come join me on my journey and start yours. We can’t wait to meet you.

Kate

Member, White Belt

Jiu-Jitsu (Gi) vs. Submission Wrestling (No-Gi)

Jiu-Jitsu (Gi) involves a traditional martial arts uniform consisting of a jacket, pants, and a belt.

Submission Wrestling (No-Gi) is a less formal style that involves a uniform consisting of shorts and a t-shirt or rash guard.

Think of it as “Winter Grappling” and “Summer Grappling.” Both are valuable and must be developed to be a well-rounded martial artist.

At Freeport Martial Arts, we expect our students to gain proficiency in both Jiu-Jitsu (Gi) and Submission Wrestling (No-Gi). Ultimately, you must carry your belt with or without a gi.

Everybody is cool, classes are taught well, it’s easy to understand, and it’s a very beginner-friendly environment.

Blake

Member, White Belt

Jiu-Jitsu Belt System

Freeport Martial Arts follows the graduation system outlined by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF). Adults ages 16 and older follow a progression of five belt colors:

  1. White
  2. Blue
  3. Purple
  4. Brown
  5. Black

Regardless of a student’s martial arts background, all students begin their Jiu-Jitsu journey as a white belt and progress through belts as they develop their knowledge, skills, and abilities. Students can expect to spend two to four years at each belt level, earning their black belt in an average of 10 to 15 years.