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The Omoplata System: Available Now For Pre-Order

Hi folks! A lot of y’all know that Jeff and Dave have started their own school, Bellingham BJJ.

During this time of school closures due to coronavirus, we took the time and completed a longtime goal: Jeff’s first instructional, the Omoplata System for BJJ. (We’re calling it #Omoplatapalooza)

This is a 2 hour, 40 minute digital instructional featuring more than 40 techniques and bonus content from black belt instructors (and podcast guests) Jake Whitfield and Josh Murdock.

For now, it’s available only to Bellingham BJJ students … but it’ll be open to the general public next week, and it’s just $40 via pre-order. Check it out! And then go shoulderlock somebody. Let’s get back to training soon, and until then, enjoy the videos.

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PODCAST: Oliver Taza

Oliver Taza is already one of the best no-gi grapplers in the world just 7 years after starting jiujitsu. He talks with us about how great instruction contributes to his success, about the mental and physical challenge of recovering from ACL surgery, about the similarities and differences between Firas Zahabi and John Danaher, and much more. We also talk about the new podcast he’s launched with Pierre-Olivier LeClerc, the Off Balance podcast, which you can check out wherever you get your podcasts.

Thanks as always to our sponsors! US Grappling comes to Raleigh, North Carolina, on Jan. 4. Support the tournament that’s by grapplers, for grapplers, and has the best competitor experience around. Remember, black belts compete for free — and register early for the Richmond, Virginia event in April! Tell them we sent you. We’re also sponsored by Intellitonic. Rooted right here in Bellingham, Washington, Intellitonic is a Bellingham SEO and digital marketing agency with national reach. If you’re interested in Search Engine Optimization or Pay Per Click marketing, Intellitonic is a great choice.

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Interested in adaptive grappling? Here’s what you need to know.

By Pete McGregor (@deadweightjj)

All right, you’ve decided to start jiujitsu but you’re mobility restricted in some way (or disabled for those not scarred by the PC social construct we live in today).

Congratulations, you’re a certified psycho. WELCOME TO THE CLUB, FRIEND.

Dirty White Belt has been kind enough to ask me to write a piece on what to expect on your first day in the world of no-gi adaptive grappling. I know what you’re thinking. “Hey, I thought you said we’d be talking about jiujitsu?” Well, jiujitsu just happens to be a martial art that focuses much of the technique on grappling as opposed to striking.

Continue reading “Interested in adaptive grappling? Here’s what you need to know.”

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DWB is Moving — and Growing

For the past 10 years, we’ve been proudly rooted in Durham, North Carolina — the mighty Bull City, a place that punches above its weight in terms of history, art, culture, food and jiu-jitsu. A part of me and my family will always be here in the place where esse quam videri (to be, rather than to seem) is the motto.

The only constant is change, in life and in jiu-jitsu. Dirty White Belt is moving about as far one can move and still stay in the lower 48 states, to Bellingham, Washington, home of Western Washington University. In driving from one ‘Ham to another, we’ll finish up in the upper left edge of the country, about 30 minutes from the Canadian border. We’ll be road-tripping across the USA along this route, possibly stopping at a gym near you.


Does this mean we’re going to stop writing about and podcasting about jiu-jitsu in the American Southeast? Far from it. Quite the opposite, in fact: we’re taking the show along its natural trajectory, expanding to topics national and international. Lourdes will still be here in the great state of North Carolina, doing interviews and the occasional post, and we’ll stay plugged in to the scene down here even as we acclimate to the new home place.

So if the move doesn’t mean the end — what does it mean? Growth, mostly. Expansion. And a few changes to the format of the podcast that we think you’ll like. It’s probably best to imagine some of the common questions that will come up, and respond to them. Continue reading “DWB is Moving — and Growing”

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We Believe: A School Mission Statement

The more time I spend in jiujitsu, the more I think about how best to create a school culture. I’ve been lucky to learn from a lot of amazing people, and while each gym is different, the best ones have a set of core values — often implicit. I wanted to make those values explicit, so I came up with this. 

What do you think? What’s missing?

 

We Believe

We believe that jiujitsu is for everyone. Not everyone has the same goals or the same ceiling, but everyone can improve their life by training.

We believe in constant improvement. Everyone in your life knows something that you don’t. Every person on the mat can help you get better at something.

We believe in being good training partners. Your training partner is the most important person in the gym. Train so both people get something out of the class.

We believe in training hard and training smart. If we never spar hard, we don’t get all the benefits jiujitsu offers as an “alive” martial art. If we treat every sparring round like the finals at the world championships, we sacrifice technical understanding and risk injury. Train hard. Train smart.

We believe in jiujitsu for self defense, jiujitsu for sport, and jiujitsu for life. This art will help you reach your goals — and if you pay attention to the fundamentals, you can succeed in all the areas of jiujitsu.

We believe that jiujitsu is for everyone. This is important, so we’re saying it again. Everyone is welcome here.