I’m looking forward to visiting the Guardian Gym in Oakland, CA next weekend. I will be teaching a seminar that is entirely donation based and free for those that are under 18, with a focus on takedowns and guard passing. The Guardian Gym is a nationwide project that offers classes in kick boxing, boxing, mixed martial arts, and brazilian jiu jitsu. The facility is free for youth age 10-18 and offers tax deductible memberships for the adults.

Guardian provides students with skills that help them build self esteem, confidence and discipline, and to propel young lives and prepare them for the future by providing a world-class environment to connect with mentors, peers, and community leaders.

When I teach a seminar, I always have a lesson plan prepared. However, I also have a few back up plans to teach based on the students that show up to learn. Some techniques require a base of movements that would be very difficult to practice without mastering a set series of movements. I also structure the lesson so that the students feel comfortable asking questions and can make suggestions on how they might try to do the move. From my years of teaching, I’ve noticed that asking the students to think about a position and it’s progression, is a great way to lead them to discovering a the intended technique. As a result, we are able to learn technique and understand concepts at the same time.

Here is an interview I did with Ben and Caleb a while ago on their project in Oakland.