StandStrong Academy - Martial Arts and Self Defence

There’s a lot going on here 😅🥋

Ryan and James working through one of the 10th Planet warm-up sequences.

You don’t need to understand exactly what’s happening to see that Jiu Jitsu asks quite a lot from your body.

You’re constantly learning to:

✅ Coordinate different parts of your body at the same time
✅ Move through unfamiliar positions
✅ Develop mobility and flexibility
✅ Improve balance and body awareness
✅ Become more comfortable controlling your body in space

And that’s one of the things I really like about Jiu Jitsu.

You’re not just learning submissions, passes and escapes.

Over time, you’re building a much broader movement vocabulary.

Things that initially feel complicated or completely unnatural gradually start to make sense.

Then eventually you find yourself doing stuff like this without really thinking about it 😅

Why We Don’t Teach Loads of Techniques

One thing you might notice in our classes is that we don’t spend loads of time teaching hundreds of different techniques.

And there’s a reason for that.

We use something called an ecological approach to training.

In really simple terms, we don’t believe that every problem has one perfect answer.

Instead, we create situations and games that give you a problem to solve, and then coach you towards finding solutions that actually work for you.

So with striking…

I’m much more interested in whether you can hit the target with power, accuracy and good timing than whether your punch looks absolutely textbook.

If somebody grabs you, I’m more interested in whether you can prevent the grab, escape it or improve your position than whether you perform one specific release exactly how I showed you.

Because people are different.

Different heights.

Different strengths.

Different movement.

Different reactions.

So rather than trying to turn everybody into a copy of the coach, we give you opportunities to explore the problem and work out what solutions suit you.

Does your solution consistently solve the problem?

Great.

Does it look absolutely perfect while you’re doing it?

Honestly… who cares?

Because in self-defence, the goal isn’t to perform a beautiful technique.

The goal is to make something work when another person is actively trying to stop you.

We take the training seriously.

Ourselves? Not quite as much 😅

In class the other day, I decided anyone who could hit a triangle choke in sparring was getting a packet of Party Rings.

Highly sophisticated coaching methodology, obviously.

And yes… we had two successful applicants 😂

We train hard.

We spar.

We compete.

We help people to improve.

But none of that means the room has to feel deadly serious all the time.

At the end of the day, most of us are here because we genuinely enjoy Jiu Jitsu.

And if you can work hard, get better, challenge yourself and still have a laugh with your teammates along the way…

That’s a pretty good way to train.

Sometimes the motivation is progress.

Sometimes it’s Party Rings.

Both count.

One thing I really enjoy about coaching Jiu Jitsu is that no two sessions look exactly the same.

Some days are highly technical.

We slow everything down, break movements into small pieces and help the students understand why a technique works.

Other days are fast-paced.

Lots of games.

Lots of resistance.

Lots of live training where the students get to test what they’ve learned against a partner who’s trying to stop them.

Neither approach is better than the other.

The magic happens when you combine the two.

Learn the skill.

Test the skill.

Refine the skill.

Then repeat.

Every child learns differently, so it’s important that our sessions challenge them in different ways too.

This clip is a nice example of one of our more technical sessions, where the students were linking together a guard pass, establishing control and then working towards a submission.

Piece by piece, they’re building a deeper understanding of Jiu Jitsu - and having plenty of fun along the way. 🥋

One of the things we spend a lot of time teaching our youth students is wrestling.

And no, it’s not just because takedowns look cool. 😅

In self-defence, one of the first priorities is often staying on your feet.

If someone can’t take you to the ground, you generally have more options available to you.

That’s why learning to defend takedowns and control grips is such an important skill.

But there’s another side to it too.

Sometimes, if a situation can’t be avoided, a well-executed takedown can actually be a safer option than striking.

Done well, it can create an opportunity to disengage, create distance, call for help, or, if absolutely necessary, restrain someone until help arrives.

That’s why we don’t just teach techniques.

We teach decision-making.

When is wrestling the right option?

When should you disengage?

What are the risks of choosing to wrestle?

Because every choice in self-defence has consequences.

Our aim is to help young people develop not only the skills to protect themselves, but also the judgement to make good decisions under pressure.

The techniques are important.

Understanding when and why to use them is just as important.

For many children, making new friends is one of the biggest worries about starting secondary school.

The good news?

Friendship isn’t a skill you’re born with.

It’s something that grows through small moments.

Saying yes to opportunities.

Starting conversations.

Being patient while you find the people you click with.

One thing I’d also remind parents is this…

Friendships don’t have to be formed in the first week.

Some children find “their people” straight away.

For others, it might take a few weeks or even a term.

And that’s completely normal.

That’s one of the reasons we’re running our Secondary School Success Workshops this August.

Helping children build confidence, social skills and resilience before they take that next big step into Year 7.

📅 Saturday 8th & Saturday 22nd August
⏰ 11:30am–1:00pm

👉 Register now – link in bio.

We spend a lot of time talking about what children learn in martial arts.

But here’s a question that’s just as important…

What makes a good coach?

Rather than answering it ourselves, we decided to ask the children.

Their answers were brilliant.

Kind.

Fun.

Helpful.

Someone who listens.

Someone who understands them.

Someone who teaches them well.

It was a lovely reminder that whilst martial arts is about learning skills, children remember far more than just the techniques.

They remember how a coach made them feel.

When you’re choosing an activity for your child, it’s easy to focus on the timetable, the syllabus or the price.

But I’d encourage every parent to ask a different question too:

Does my child feel safe, supported and excited to come back next week?

Because when children enjoy the environment and trust the people teaching them, that’s where the real learning begins.

❤️ I think the kids summed it up far better than I ever could.