Posts by: jspeight

Student of the Week Brandon Gorman

Student of the Week Brandon Gorman

This weeks Student of the week is Brandon Gorman. He is a dedicated father and husband. Both Brandon and his wife are college professors, Brandon at UNC chapel Hill and his wife at East Carolina University. Here is what he had to say about training with us.

“My favorite thing about training at GAMMA has to be the people. The coaching is excellent, and all of the instructors are patient and thorough. They are the perfect blend of tough and flexible. The other students are also great – I think it’s rare to find serious fighters helping novices work on their game, but this happens every day at GAMMA. I’ve moved around a lot recently and taken trial classes at gyms in Raleigh and Chapel Hill and it wasn’t until I got to Greenville and started training at GAMMA that I fell in love with Jiu-Jitsu. I’m not exaggerating when I say the first time I stepped on the mat was a life-changing experience. I’m a full-time student, parent, and teacher, so it can be hard to find the time and energy to train sometimes, so I am definitely lucky to have such a fantastic community keeping me rolling.”

 

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ECU Pirate Mascot ARRGGHH!!

ECU Pirate Mascot ARRGGHH!!

When East Carolina University was originally formed it was a “Teacher College” and was known as “The Teachers” so originally the pirate mascot was imaged after Edward Teach the infamous Black Beard Pirate from North Carolina. The tie in to Edward Teach and “The Teachers” didn’t catch on, so they changed it later to the “The Pirates”. Over the years the Pirate mascot was changed, from his image and his name, to be more children friendly.

Kind of interesting that the Pirate Nation started out from a unsavory outlaw with a dark image as the one I shared.

How ever the Pirates Mascot was Started, I know when I a traveling around the nation and sometimes around the world, if someone asks me where I am from, I will tell them Greenville North Carolina, if they look puzzled I say Eastern North Carolina, and then maybe I will say ECU Pirates. Then they know.

ARRGGHH!!

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Why Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Is Great For Children

Why Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Is Great For Children

The Jiu-Jitsu Times | Why Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Is A Great Sport for Unathletic Children.

Today I ran across a good article about why Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a good activity for children. Especially the ones who don’t do well at Team Sports and or are not athletic. If you are looking for an activity for your child, this really explains why what we teach is best for your child.

It is really tough for our kids to find a place for them. A good read if you want to learn more about our style.

And if you are an adult and not athletic, you too can get the same benefits from training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

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Sometimes as a Coach you have a chance to make a difference in this sport of MMA.

Recently my team went to a smaller MMA event held in Hickory Va. And I had three fighters on this card. I was asked to corner a fighter who was in between teams at this time. Later in the evening we realized that two of the opponents, of our fighter, where not showing. So I asked to move my only fighter to the first fight so we could leave early.

But where did that leave the other fighter who didn’t have a team, that ended up to be the main event, at the end of the card?

Well he came to me and let me know that he really wanted me to stay and corner him. And yes I did give my word to corner him so I and my team stayed for the whole event to help him do as well as he did. I spent about 30 minutes asking about his back ground and what tools he had to go into the cage.

Well he did so well I wanted to give him the props for this fight. Later on other coaches came to me and let me know he was a good fighter on my team. I let them know he wasn’t on my team but he listened so well to my coaching I knew I had made a difference in this match. Wished I had a few more people like him who really wanted to fight.

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What a Day at the Academy.

  • What a Day at the Academy.
  • What a Day at the Academy.
  • What a Day at the Academy.
  • What a Day at the Academy.
  • What a Day at the Academy.
  • What a Day at the Academy.
  • What a Day at the Academy.

We had so many students and instructors on the mat today. But most of all I would like to congratulate Amber and Daniel for their promotion to blue belt. They have worked hard and it shows in their rolling.
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Belt Testing

Belt Testing

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This Bullying Has to STOP!!

This Bullying Has to STOP!!

Over the last 14 years teaching martial arts in Eastern North Carolina I have had a lot of people, Adults and Children, come through my doors. And there has been many success stories I have had the privilege of witnessing. But today I don’t want to talk about success stories. Today I want to talk about the failures that we as our society has made with Bullying.

Yesterday we lost another child, in Pitt County who was bullied in school and probably online too. This is the 2nd time this year where someone was bullied who took their life. And quite frankly I am tired of this. The first young man was from North Pitt High School and was a friend of one of my students. From what I have been told my student was going to bring this young man to a class at my academy. Just didn’t make it.

I have been all over the world and I just don’t understand why here in the USA our culture is different. Why is it that here in USA you feel good by victimizing another? By Putting Someone Down? Attacking THEM? The experts will tell you to make friends with them. That the bullies are also scared. And maybe that is true.

But in the end, you have to understand something. When you have to make a decision between yourself or someone else. You have to chose YOURSELF!

Until we get the “It is either them or us” mentality you can’t help yourself, Or your child.

Now I am not advocating violence. I think that Violence should be avoided at Almost any cost. You notice I said Almost, But if violence comes to your door? You better be ready to hunt bear.

Several other things you need to know. The school systems and school boards policies are not in place to protect your child. For the most part they are in place to keep them from being sued. So what kind of message are we sending our children when these school boards have policies that, even when you are protecting yourself and you defend yourself, you will get suspended. It is their “No Tolerance” rule.

These school boards and policies will not decide or judge on an altercation. These school policies will just evenly give out same punishments to the attacker and the victim. If the victim decides to defend themselves.

This is something you need to know as a parent. As a parent you need, sometimes, to allow your child to take the punishment just so they can stop this.

As a parent you have to know, they don’t have to only terrorize your child at school. Bullies can sneak right in the house through the internet. Online bullying is a problem that can be worst than personal verbal attacks. Yes both are really terrible but the online attacks are 24/7. They Never Let UP.

The first step to stop and control things with online bullying is sad to say, because it penalizes the victim, is turning off the computer. Get off these websites of Hate. I know I will hear “But James why does my child have to leave” and like I said yes it is sad. But sometimes you have to stop the noise. Go spend time offline.

Then you get help to prepare your child to deal with all this. They are not going away. Bullying Kid’s become Bullying Adults. Yes I know a few of those too.

Just one child or person can change the world. We just have to get involved and build these Hero Children.

That is what I plan to do.

If you think your child is being bullied please call me 252-341-6872 Day or Night on my Cell Phone and I WILL come on the scene!!

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