Starting this week, Sensei Tom will be teaching Judo - Fundamentals on Thurs 6-7:15pm and Sensei Ana will teach Monday from 6-7pm. All BJJ students ages 13+ are asked to attend. We will be focusing on basics. These classes will be very important for your game. For those who do not know Sensei Ana, check out what she has accomplished with our Judo Kids at http://kohakujudodojo.shutterfly.com/. Sensei Ana (3rd Degree-Sandan) was a Columbian Olympic Judo Team Member from 1996-2001 and a 2010 World Champion, and much more!

“KOHAKU JUDO DOJO”
For those who do not know, we came up with the name Kohaku after listening to stories told by the renowned American judoka, Jim Bregman, and our dear friend, Sensei Paul Nogaki in 2007. In Japanese, Kohaku means red and white. For training purposes each player receives a red or white sash and the winner stays in, meaning - the last man standing.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11TH AT 1:30PM WE WILL HAVE 10 OF OUR JUDO KIDS PERFORMING KATAS FOR THEIR PROMOTION TESTING. ALL JUDO STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES ARE INVITED TO COME WATCH!

Sensei Ana Hankins

We have always had an open invitation to all of our parents to join their children for Saturday’s class from 10:00-11:00am. It has come to our attention that many of you are unaware of this policy. We would like you all to know that you are welcome to try the class and borrow a gi and if you like it, just buy a gi and come in with your kids every Saturday from then on.

You are sure to have fun, get a little exercise, and we hope you will experience the magic of training as a family! Just ask some of these families.

Here are a couple of our dynamic duos and trios:

Kelly, Scotty, and Erin

Abel I and Abel II

Jenna (mom, Jamie, missing in pic), Ray, Trevor and Nikki

Click here to see a cool video that Bryan de la Puenta was so kind to make for us:

ATTENTION: As part of our BJJ Outreach program we will be hosting our
free monthly seminar “Know Means No-Self Defense for Every Woman” this
Saturday 8/28 from 2-4PM. Since my next door neighbor was robbed and
assaulted while she was home last week, you can bet we are heavily
focused on this weeks curriculum. We will h…ave a panel of instructors
sharing what they feel is most important and as always, an opportunity
to try techniques with resistance. We will have pizza and time to talk
afterward (that’s not on the Gracie diet). BRING YOUR GI IF YOU HAVE ONE.

by Holly McClung Reusing    

Chris Guerrero was with us in the beginning when we only had three classes a week. On a Saturday in April 2009, he trained with us, left the school and did not come back. After a few weeks of missing class, we began to wonder where he was and shockingly discovered that he was in a coma after sustaining an unknown illness. For 15 harrowing months, Chris’s family, fellow police officers and friends watched him fight for survival with awe and grave uncertainty. Among the early challenges were complete kidney failure, a full tracheotomy and a gall bladder which burst, infecting his whole body, and was subsequently removed. At this time, the CDC, WHO, and FDA were investigating his case.

For 8 months, Chris was on complete life support and dialysis. He lost over 100 lbs and the ability to walk and talk. We all waited for a hopeful prognosis but the doctors continued to report uncertainty. When he miraculously emerged from this state, the heart surgery he desperately needed was delayed until his health was sufficient. Chris would have to regain some strength in order to proceed with his treatment. During the wait, Chris survived congestive heart failure and was able to receive mechanical heart valves and a pacemaker in order to survive.

When Chris tells you his story, it sounds very surreal. There are many occurrences that sound unbelievable and medically impossible. At one point he was resuscitated for 1.5 hours. The usual time limit is 15-20 minutes but the rescue team kept going. Chris says the guys mentioned later that they knew he was a SWAT officer and they said “We know who this guy is. We’re gonna keep going”.  During all this Chris says he thought about jiu-jitsu all the time and just wanted to be able to come back. Sometimes he wanted to give up, but as we can happily see, he made it through those times and is here to tell us about it.

With the help of some very special friends and amazing doctors, Chris is now on the road to recovery. He has regained the ability to talk. He has learned how to walk again!!! He says his one wish while being incapacitated was to get his blue belt and come back and train. Chris still needs to take baby steps. You will find him watching our classes and doing a little yoga on Thursdays. He is swimming a alot. He says he benefits from hanging around the school and being a part of something.

This past Tuesday he shocked us by putting on a gi. He told me, “I thought about this all day long. It’s the only thing I thought about today.” In front of a big class of 40 or 50 students, Tom presented Chris with his BJJ BLUE! Many of the students watching have come along in the last year and did not know Chris before he got sick. Everyone quickly realized they were witnessing something miraculous.

Chris has a blue belt at home that Tom brought him one night at 2:00am while he was in the Los Angeles Kaiser Hospital. He was ready for the blue in April 2009, but Tom had not given it to him yet. It is amazing how deeply our goals can affect us through dark times. We did not know he was planning to put on a gi that night and step on the mats with us but we had the blue belt and a spot marked off for him since the day he stepped off the mat 15 months ago.

Chris will tell you that everything has changed. We can only try to imagine what it must have been like. Something we know for sure: We must not underestimate the power of our friendships and relationships and our personal goals and our intentions as a community.

Chris Guerrero, our beloved student and Rialto SWAT officer officially receiving his blue belt. 

BEACH & BONFIRE PARTY

1^ST ANNUAL GRACIE BARRA CORONA BEACH PARTY

SUNDAY AUGUST 22TH

10:00am - dinner

JOIN US FOR FUN AND FOOD ALL DAY LONG

BRING FOOD & DRINKS AND WHATEVER YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE

At Beautiful Capistrano Beach

Beach Rd.

Capistrano Beach, CA 92624

1 mile south of Doheny State Beach in Dana Point

There is a parking lot right at the sand after you turn on Beach road and cross the RR tracks where you can drive up and see where we are situated. If the lot is full, you can drop off then park on the PCH. There is free parking on the PCH and metered parking south of Capo beach.

BRING FOOD, TOYS, GAMES, AND BE READY FOR FUN!

Please bring a variety of options for clothing – the weather varies this time of year!

BONFIRE IN THE LATE AFTERNOON

STARTING MONDAY AUGUST 16^TH

JUDO KIDS (ALL AGES) – NEW MONDAY CLASS TIME

MONDAY CLASS WILL MEET FROM 5-6PM

WEDNESDAY JUDO KIDS SCHEDULE REMAINS THE SAME

REMAINING MONDAY (STARTING 8/16) SCHEDULE WILL BE

ADULT JUDO WILL MOVE TO 6-7PM

BJJ FUNDAMENTALS MOVES TO 7-8PM

BJJ ADVANCED 8-9PM

LIVE TRAINING 9-9:30PM

STARTING AUGUST 23RD WE WILL ADD A NEW CLASS:

BJJ JUNIORS (AGES 8-12) – 4-5PM