This past Sunday, November 13^th, there was a Brazilan Jiu Jitsu Black Belt seminar held here at Neutral Ground North Academy and I have to say I disappointed with the number of people that attended but I was blown away with the instruction and attention to detail the instructors gave. Just in case you have never heard of the instructors. Luiz Claudio and Thiago Veiga are the ones who ran the seminar. Thiago taught at Neutral Ground for a year and Luiz is another amazing instructor as well. Luiz

So this begs the question. Why should you attend a seminar and what are the benefits to doing so?

For starters like I mentioned beforehand, the specific instruction given by our three black belt instruction team was top-notch. With a small group of people we had just about one BJJ black belt per group keeping us working reps and perfecting techniques. Without giving out too much detail as to what we were taught (since you pay to attend it would defeat the purpose of the seminar) we were drilled on the ever important Takedown Defense and what to do in certain different areas of the takedown. I learned six different techniques that already have greatly benefited me while training.

Not only did we get strict instruction but perhaps the best part of the seminars is training with a new set of people. Out of the people at the seminar I only knew one who also trained at Neutral Ground North. The others were all people I had never met. Anyone who trains knows that different training partners are key. I have been training with the same group of people for a few months now and I’m starting to learn their tendencies and preferences while training. So I can anticipate and counter what they are doing based on knowledge and tendency. However, rolling with new people, people I have never rolled with before is a whole new kind of challenge. New techniques taught at different schools, different philosophies that new partners bring to the mat, a whole new amazing challenge. I rolled with someone I have never met before and it was one of the best matches I have ever had. No one can argue that sometimes you need to freshen up your training routine, seminars can do just that, and they do that quite nicely.

Lastly, I urge anyone to take advantage of seminars in your area. Do not be nervous that it’s not your school or that you may not know anyone. Not only will you meet awesome new people but you will learn techniques, get awesome instruction, and learn all about the little things that sometimes escape class instruction. Check out the internet for updates on seminars, check our site for information on seminars at Neutral Ground, and make sure that you be proactive about getting to these seminars.

Train. Belong. Evolve.
- Andy R.

After 6-weeks of intensive training for his first Mixed Martial Arts Fight, Joe B. walked away victorious!

Stepping into the cage for a MMA fight is not as easy as it looks. many people think because they are tough or because the wrestled in high school they can simply take a fight, train a few weeks and win. Although this might get you some where in the short term, if you truly want a successful MMA career, it takes years of training before even stepping foot into a cage.

Joe has been training hard at Neutral Ground Martial Arts & Fitness in Grafton, WI for the past 2+ years, is a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and has been working hard on striking and conditioning. Additionally Joe has done many BJJ and Pankration to help build competitive experience.

Everyone at Neutral Ground & LCCT family gives you a BIG congrats on the win!
Keep up the hard work and continue improving Joe!

Grafton:

•  Wednesday = No Kids Class, Open Gym (BJJ, Condish, Kickboxing) 6:30PM-7:30PM
•  Thursday & Friday = Closed
•  Saturday & Sunday = Normal Classes ... yes there is kids on Saturday

Milwaukee:

• Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: Open Mat during normal classtimes

The title is kind of vague, I know. But isn't that all we want? To succeed at our various endeavors, to perform at a higher level and perhaps master a skill, or many skills? Even our Fitness pursuits involve mastery - we want to become stronger, faster and better. We want to master our body, improve its form and composition.

   There is a disconnect in Fitness between skill and strength/Fitness/health, though: we have no real, strong definition of what these things are, beyond an array of adjectives and technical terms, but that is a blog for another time. Today we discuss how to succeed - how to achieve our goals, short and long term, aesthetic or performance related, whatever they may be.

   But we can't go any further without knowing clearly what our goals are. If you endeavor to set out on a path towards "Fitness" (which is the general heading that will loom over all of this, as it's the purpose of this blog), you must have a clear and thorough understanding of what your goal is. Aesthetic goals are easy, they're all around us. Reduced bodyfat, increased muscle mass, getting "toned" (not a real thing, by the way), ripped abs and bigger arms - everywhere we look, there's someone or something promising us those things. Once we look beyond those superficial goals we enter an even more vague realm: I want to get "stronger" or "more fit." But often we still hold on to the ideas from the superficial: fears of "bulkiness" or injury, insidious ideas put in our minds by marketing campaigns or sales techniques used to direct us towards certain products and away from the hard work that, well, works!

   Back to the point: once we've established what our goal is - usually something sport or competition-related is sufficient motivation for most people. There are so many options: martial arts, endurance events (marathons, triathlons, etc), powerlifting, olympic lifting, strongman/woman, soccer, softball, tennis, winter sports (skiing, snowshoeing, etc) - the list goes on endlessly. Too often people say, "Oh, I can't do that! I'm too (insert limitation here)!" The truth is, there are leagues and associations for every sport, strength or otherwise. I've given priority to strength sports because they directly build a lacking component of modern Fitness programs: you guessed it, STRENGTH!

   Next blog we will discuss how we can use our goals to motivate ourselves towards Fitness, and how we should structure our training to get there.

About The Author:

Tyler Welch is a strength and conditioning coach at Bodytribe Fitness. He is an NASM CPT, Monkey Bar Gym CNT, CrossFit Olympic Weightlifting coach, Yogafit Level 1 and more. You can find his fellow MBG CNTs at Grafton Functional Fitness and BJJ just outside Cedarburg, WI, and in Milwaukee at Neutral Ground BJJ.

Muay Thai Kickboxing, often called Thai Kickboxing is a martial art that is growing in popularity due to the rise of MMA (mixed martial arts) events. It is often seen as the first martial art that all fighters should know because it teaches how to strike using eight points of contact, rather than the traditional two or four that we see in a lot of martial arts and Muay Thai Kickboxing teaches how to properly strike with shins, knees hands and elbows.

Thai Kickboxing classes aren’t just for those looking for a gateway martial art to allow them to eventually make the leap into MMA events. Muay Thai is perfect for those looking for a Fitness class as well as those who are looking for a martial art that can teach them real world self defence.

As anyone who has ever taken part in a Muay Thai Kickboxing class will admit, due to “The Art of Eight Limbs” style of training where you strike with a number of different areas of your body and focus on conditioning your limbs; after a Kickboxing class you will be feeling the effects of the workout for days and will be left wondering how you can ache in places you didn’t know existed. While the constant cardiovascular demands that a Kickboxing class places on your body will see you shedding the pounds, the striking and defensive drills will see your muscles tone and shape creating lean, natural looking muscle.

Muay Thai Kickboxing offers real world self-defence techniques too. The defence techniques that Kickboxing teaches such as the pre-empting and anticipation of attack often allow you to avoid contact by moving  a body part or your whole body out of the way or out of the range from a strike giving you chance to either flee or counter attack. Should the worst happen, Muay Thai teaches how to block or redirect strikes using the “wall of defence” concept.

In a surprising twist, it seems that more and more ice hockey players are starting to take Muay Thai Kickboxing classes as it not only does it teach them how to strike when the gloves come off, but it also teaches how to defend until a situation arises where they can counter attack.

Kickboxing is perfect for those looking to get fit, learn self defence and compete and with many good Kickboxing gyms in the Grafton, Cedarburg and Mequon areas, there has never been a better time to start to learn.

• Learn More About Kickboxing in Grafton, Cedarburg & Mequon Area
• Get a FREE 7-DAY Pass to a Kickboxing Class in Grafton Now

There is a new Fitness revolution sweeping the nation and it’s called Functional Fitness. Functional Fitness is a style of working out that involved very unique, full body exercises designed to engage multiple muscles in multiple planes of directions. Most movements replicate movements done in every day life in order to build a fit, powerful and well-put together individual.

CrossFit is a company who has helped grow the functional Fitness industry and develop some extremely powerful workouts with successful results. CrossFit Fitness workouts are for people of all ages, abilities and both males & females. CrossFit workouts consist of body weight exercises, suspension training, kettlebells, Olympic lifting and more to give your body a total transformation.

Whether you’re trying to lose fat, build muscle, increase stamina, increase athletic performance or just have fun, CrossFit’s workouts are perfect for turning you into the person your trying to strive to be.

Two trainers at Neutral Ground, Perry & Luke, who are already Monkey bar CNT Certified, are now becoming CrossFit Certified and teaching CrossFit style workout classes in the Cedarburg, Grafton, Mequon area in early 2012!

It’s will truly be an exciting time to be working out and Fitness athletic training in the Grafton, Cedarburg and Mequon area. Get into the Grafton gym and try a CrossFit workout free for 1 week and experience the difference!

We take ourselves too seriously in Fitness. Words like extreme, hardcore, elite are scrawled across gym websites, accompanied by images of skulls, blood, bending bars, and other hyper-aggressive imagery. Now there's nothing wrong with that, if it's your bag. But not everybody fits that personality type. Your average gym-goer doesn't necessarily want to get screamed at, unleash their inner beast or be the most HARDCORE. Here's a couple tips to help you be more playful in the gym:

Change your mindset

We all want to have a good time and feel better, though. Why can't our workouts be fun? We'd be more likely to do them on a regular basis, feel better about it and get better results. Instead of viewing our workouts as obligations, let's look at them as an opportunity to play, de-stress and relax. If we think of our workouts as another burden on top of the whole pile of our everyday stresses, we'll dread them, avoid them and eventually hate them.

Enjoy yourself

Use movements and exercises that are fun, challenging and rewarding - not just exercises we think are going to give us the body we want. Try working out in a group, or with friends. It doesn't have to be cutthroat competition - try a buddy workout where one person does a movement for a certain number of reps, then the second person does the same number while the first rests. Alternate back and forth, pushing each other and taking away the monotony of resting.

Consider different goals

Once you break out of the grind of typical movements, you'll find a whole new world of fun exercises and challenging workouts. You'll be driven to improve your performance, getting stronger, faster and more able. Let these become your goals - all of your aesthetic-based goals will quickly follow.

After all the Halloween candy, the November turkey and the holiday treats have settled you probably have noticed that the scale is a little heavier, your moving a little slower and your pants don’t quite fit the same as they use to. Do Not Freak Out. We can help.

Neutral Ground Martial Arts & Fitness, located in downtown Grafton, will help you lose weight, build muscle and get back into amazing shape. We are hosting a 4-week New Years Fitness Boot Camp started on January 10th 2012. This camp will be gear toward shedding those unwanted weight that was gained over the holidays and will be sure to please!

The 4-week Boot Camp will focus on high energy, powerful full body workouts while having a great time and building your functional Fitness techniques. This boot camp is designed for both athletes and people who have never worked out before. No matter your Fitness skill level or experience, this camp will be great for you. Additionally, this boot camp is great for people of all ages and sizes.

Sign up early for the new years boot camp and save big! 
We are offering a 40% new years resolution special for those who sign up early and we would recommend taking advantage of this ASAP because we are also only offering 20 spots total and they are sure to go quick!

For more information or to save your spot at Neutral Ground’s New Years Fitness Boot Camp – Click Here.

Somewhere along the line being muscular became synonymous with being stiff, inflexible and unable. This is due primarily to the pec-obsessed bodybuilders of the 1970s and 1980s, who spent hours and hours bench-pressing and doing endless flys, tightening down their chests and shoulders until they couldn't raise their arms above their heads. In fact, the bench press was rarely, if ever used before the 1960s. There is actually a direct correlation between the rise of the usage of the bench press and an increase in rotator cuff injuries.

   It is not the muscle mass itself that causes inflexibility, contrary to popular belief. It is, as mentioned before, the usage of too many anterior (front of the body)-focused movements and a lack of posterior (back of the body) movements. Additionally, as the chest and shoulders tighten down, overhead movements such as shoulder presses and overhead squats become increasingly difficult (if not impossible), and are thereby ignored and eventually avoided for fear of injury. These overhead movements become incorrectly villainized as damaging movements, when in reality it is the use of these chest-focused movements that tighten down the upper body and greatly increase risk of injury. That is not to say that these movements should be forever avoided, but instead used in moderation with muscles that improve the strength of antagonist muscles. In the case of chest/shoulder movements, pulling movements such as pull-ups (done correctly), bent-over rows and snatches are extremely beneficial.

   There is no such thing as becoming musclebound. There is, however, a real risk of limiting flexibility in pursuit of a singular goal such as large muscles or a higher bench press. Balancing a strength training program with equal parts pressing, pulling, and squatting combined with sufficient mobility work will maintain flexibility while increasing strength, ensuring longevity and balance in your training.

So you've made a New Year's resolution...

   What's next? Sure, we all start off with the best of intentions: salads, hours upon hours in the gym, self-denial and a whole lot of stick-to-it-ness. But after a couple weeks, maybe a month or two, we start to fade - fall back into old patterns, missing gym sessions, sneaking treats and burning out. How do we avoid this seemingly inevitable downward spiral?

Goals

   The first step is well-thought-out and thoroughly planned goals. The more defined and structured our plans, the more likely we are to stick to them. It's human nature to blur the lines, to take advantage of ambiguities. Write out a list of goals, decide which are the most motivating for you, and create a plan.

Know yourself

   When you're choosing goals and writing up a plan of attack, pay attention to factors such as how much time you'll spend in the gym, what kind of equipment you'll need. Basically, you need to make it easy for yourself. Anything that may seem like a minor bump in the road at the outset will likely become an insurmountable obstacle if you don't plan for it. Choose a gym that's nearby and that you feel comfortable using. Schedule times that work with your schedule - around work, family and social commitments.

Balance

   It might sound strange, but limit yourself. As we plunge headlong into new Fitness ventures, it's common to over-commit - to put ourselves too much into our workouts, to set a pace we can't possible keep up. Burnout is inevitable, and can lead to injury (either from lack of preparation or overuse) or emotional or mental fatigue. Setting a pace and schedule that you can maintain is crucial in achieving your goals.

   Take these three tips and apply them to your New Year's resolution. Create yourself a plan that's fun, motivating and directly related to thought-out, real goals. Instead of haphazard guesswork and conjecture, give yourself a well-planned schedule to keep up all your New Year's resolutions!

Neutral Ground sent their army of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu grapplers to the National Cage Grappling Association's Milwaukee Cage Grappling Tournament.

The result was multiple wins by individual Jiu Jitsu grapplers and Neutral Ground walking away with the team trophy!

Congrats to all the Jiu Jitsu grapplers who attended!

   If you've ever read anything I've written, chances are you've heard me mention the squat. It is one of the basic foundational movements that I teach every person who comes through the door (barring extreme injury/condition). As I've mentioned before, though, the squat gets a bad rap, which doesn't exactly add up in my mind, as people have been bending and squatting for the whole of human history, and still continue to do so to this day. Why in the last 30-40 years has the squat all-of-the-sudden become dangerous in the west?

   Part of this misconception could be attributed to the fact that strength athletes have begun to move extremely heavy weights in the past several decades - a practice which has trickled down to younger athletes, amateurs and "average" gym-goers, thus increasing injuries not only on the elite level (extreme stress on the body/joints due to extraordinary numbers), but also injuries based on un-preparedness to move heavy weights in the general population. It is not the weights themselves that are to blame, but the impatience of the amateur lifter: high-level athletes spend years training and preparing the joints and ligaments, which take longer to strengthen than muscles. The untrained amateur may rush to lift heavier weights before his body has fully adapted, assuming since his muscles are getting stronger his joints/ligaments are similarly prepared.

   Injuries like this become anecdotal evidence of a movement's (in this case the squat) "danger" and perpetuate myths that villainize movements outright, with no attention paid to particulars that can transform a movement from potentially damaging to crucially. The root of this "squat fear" (amongst other movement phobias) can be traced to lack of education. It is common practice in Western medicine and personal training to say, "if you can't already do it correctly, then don't ever do it." It's this avoid-at-all-costs mentality that perpetuates fear in the general population, when it is more laziness on the coaching side than danger in the movement.

   Look at any personal training manual and you'll see the supposedly ideal form that is expected: back straight, knees and feet pointed straight forward, feet hip-width apart and femurs parallel to the ground at the bottom of the squat. All other biomechanical issues (primarily lack of depth) aside, this is not a realistic squat. Sure, some people can pull it off, but have you ever seen any strength sport athlete squat like this? It's not an efficient way to move weight. For most people this position will shut down the hips, remove any and all posterior chain (back/glutes/hamstrings) recruitment, possibly cause the knees to buckle (due to adductor weakness and hip angle) and put undue stress on the knees. It is a theoretical way to squat - an academic interpretation of how someone should squat, assuming all things on all people are equal. Funny thing, though: we're all different. Special and unique snowflakes, all of us.

   To safely and effectively teach someone how to squat, individual differences must be accounted for - body proportions, lever lengths, previous injuries, tension patterns, natural flexibility (we all have it in certain ways). The squat isn't a movement that you can show someone a stock example of and say, "do this." It must be adapted to the individual to account for their particulars, and thoroughly taught to ensure safety and biomechanical effectiveness. Some can't squat, ever - but it's a much smaller portion of the population than you might imagine. There are many, many people walking/limping around out there claiming they can't squat, when in reality they can (and should), but just haven't been taught how to do it correctly.

   Stay tuned for our next post when I'll delve into the details of this wonderful movement - the squat.

This past weekend, Luke and Perry, instructors at our Grafton gym, completed the CrossFit Level 1 Certification Course. The two learned tons of great functional Fitness exercises along with diet and programing insight to add to the Neutral Ground "playbook".

Perry and Luke were already Monkey Bar Gym CNT certified and are now CrossFit L1 Certified. There is going to be some serious Functional Fitness training going on at our Grafton Wisconsin Gym!

Learn more about our Fitness program & get your free 7-day pass here

I found a pretty cool video of my friend Marcello Monteiro, a 3-Stripe BJJ Black Belt. Marcello owns a Indianapolis Jiu Jitsu Academy and has always welcomed Neutral Ground students into his home.

Marcello actually showed me this sweep when I was in Brazil training with him. Check out this great purple belt and above technique.

You can watch some more free technique on Marcello's other website for Indianapols Jiu Jitsu and Online Training