In December students representing a half a dozen different schools gathered together at the Seamless Progression Academy, in Wisconsin, to train Jiu-Jitsu.

The event offered them an opportunity to work on their guard skills for three solid hours.

The event was exceptional because it featured three black belts, each presenting an aspect of the guard that they enjoy, yet each representing a different branch of the legendary Gracie family.

Prof. Benjamin Salas (Carlson Gracie), Prof. Brady Buckman (Rilion Gracie), and Prof. Rafael Jovet (Gracie Barra).

Next year’s event will be held at a larger facility to accommodate the increased interest.

For more info, go to seamlessprogression.com

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Kristina Barlaan teaching at Seamless Progression Academy

This past weekend Caio Terra black belt Kristina Barlaan taught her first Women’s Jiu-Jitsu as a black belt at GMA school Seamless Progression Academy, in Port Washington, Wisconsin.

Kristina is on the rise and fast becoming one of the best female Jiu-Jitsu fighters in the World.

She is a 4x Pan Jiu-Jitsu Champion, 7x American National Champion, and a ADCC Veteran (Beijing 2013) with dozens of major IBJJF event wins to date.

In attendance were nearly two-dozen female Jiu-Jitsu practitioners from across Wisconsin.

This event brought together fighters from 7 different gyms not in competition but as a community dedicated to improving individual prowess.

Participants from Four Winds Martial Arts (West Allis) – Carlson Gracie Team, Gracie Academy (Milwaukee) – Gracie Academy Team, Legacy Martial Arts (West Bend) – Carlson Gracie Team, Neutral Ground Academy (Grafton) – Neutral Ground Team, One World Martial Arts (Appleton) – Team Curran, Red Schafer MMA (Milwaukee) – Team Pedro Sauer, and Seamless Progression Academy (Port Washington) – Carlson Gracie Team supported the event.

A larger event will be hosted next year to accommodate the interest in Kristina’s return.

Team Seamless Progression Photo by Sam Arendt

On May 2, thirty one members from three Seamless Progression Academy (Carlson Gracie Team) converged on Villa Park, IL to test their skills against 800+ of the Midwest’s best grapplers at the North American Grappling Association (NAGA) Chicago Championships.

NAGA is an organization started in 1995 that holds Submission Grappling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournaments throughout North America and Europe.

Although Seamless Progression is a new academy, only in it’s second year, their members did very well.

After many hard practice sessions 29 of the 31 Seamless Progression Academy grapplers placed in the top three positions receiving at total of 42 awards (19 Gold Medals – 14 Silver Medals – 9 Bronze Medals).

Seamless Progression Academy is run by Prof. Benjamin Salas who has been a student of Master Carlson Gracie Jr. for nearly 20 years.

Benjamin, who for years specialized in Jiu-Jitsu’s law enforcement applications, enjoys coaching his students and teaching at his new academy most of all.

His student’s competition points contributed to the Carlson Gracie Team total at this years NAGA Chicago helping the Carlson Gracie Team sweep all of the team titles.

TEAM TITLES

1st Place No-Gi Team Winner – Carlson Gracie Team – 2550pts

1st Place Gi Winner – Carlson Gracie Team – 2070pts

1st Place Kids and Teen Team Winner – Carlson Gracie Team – 7660pts

Front Row: Prof. Alan Stockman (left), Prof. Justin Morris (center), GMA Schhol Host Prof. Benjamin Salas (right). Photo: Personal archive

Students studying Jiu-Jitsu from across the Midwest traveled to Port Washington, WI to participate in a very unique training experience – guard training from three different black belt school owners! This fun and informative event was presented in the spirit of our art…mutual benefit.

The technical descendant of polymath Jigoro Kano’s Jiu-Jitsu, Jiu-Jitsu promotes the concept that a smaller, weaker person can successfully defend against a bigger, stronger assailant by using proper technique, leverage, and most notably, taking the fight to the ground. It can be enjoyed as a sport or practiced for self-defense.

To most people the defining element of modern Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is most probably the Guard Position. Owing most of its development to the Gracie Family, this primarily defensive position is as diverse as it is effective.

Guest instructors at this exciting event included:

Prof. Benjamin Salas has been training since the early 90’s and holds a black belt under Master Carlson Gracie Jr. Benjamin is an IBJJF ranked competitor and a frequent provider of training to agencies within the law enforcement and military communities.

Prof. Justin Morris is a black belt under Master Marcelo Monteiro, who was a student under and protégé of Master Ricardo DeLa Riva. Justin runs Third Heaven Martial Arts in Beaver Dam and is one of the earlier pioneers of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) in the state of Wisconsin.

Prof. Alan Stockman runs Carlson Gracie Indianapolis and holds a 1st degree black belt under Master Carlson Gracie Jr. Alan who earned his purple and brown Belts from Master Marcelo Monteiro, is a fluent Portuguese speaker having lived, trained, and fought in Brazil.

Participants in attendance represented many different schools including:

Four Winds Martial Arts – West Allis, WI (Carlson Gracie Team)
One World Martial Arts – Appleton, WI (Jeff Curran Team)
Stockman Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu – Greenwood, IN (Carlson Gracie Team)
Third Heaven Martial Arts – Beaver Dam, WI (Marcelo Montierio Team)
South Elgin Budokan – South Elgin, IL (Carlson Gracie Team)
Seamless Progression Academy – Port Washington, WI (Carlson Gracie Team)

To learn more about GMA Seamless Progression Academy and see more photos from the event go to www.facebook.com/seamlessprogressionacademy

Benjamin Salas and team with the belt. Photo: Personal archive

On Oct. 18 & 19, the leader of GMA Seamless Progression Academy entered a competition and came out on top.

Professor Benjamin Salas competed in the FIVE Grappling 40+ age absolute division in Illinois. He faced Nick Pollaro and won in a “slow but decisive final match,” he says.

Benjamin avenged his loss when he won the absolute as Nick had outscored him int he middleweight division final when he capitalized on Benjamin’s failed takedown attempt. The final in the absolute was a cautious bout with neither of the black belts wanting to allow the other to take advantage by purchasing a solid grip – “classic ‘dinosaur Jiu-Jitsu'”.

You can watch the video below:

Learn more about Seamless Progression Academy at www.seamlessprogression.com

Students from across central Wisconsin gathered together to train under Master Carlson Gracie Jr. on Tuesday, Aug. 19.

Junior, as he is affectionately called, is the son of the legendary coach/fighter Carlson Gracie Sr. and grandson of Jiu-Jitsu’s founder Carlos Gracie. Students received training in fundamentals of the art and methods of passing the guard. A handful of students were also promoted to their new belt ranks.

Junior oversees three training programs in Wisconsin – Roufusport MMA in Milwaukee County, Dukatz’s Academy of Martial Arts in Washington County, and GMA Seamless Progression Academy in Ozaukee County.

More pictures of this event may be seen at: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.737536772951970.1073741923.538484712857178&type=1

Check out more about GMA Seamless Progression Academy and Professor Benjamin Salas at www.seamlessprogression.com

On June 8, the Carlson Gracie HQ in Chicago, IL was the gathering place for Carlson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu instructors. They traveled from all over the midwestern United States to converge for a historic event. This gathering of the team’s representatives and coaches was led by Master Carlson Gracie Jr. and harnessed 11 brown belts, 10 black belts, including GMA member Benjamin Salas.

They were taken through a detailed training session on teaching methods, drills and competition-ready techniques.

There was even a special guest: Carlson Gracie Jr.’s mother, Marli.

The black belts present included Carlson Gracie Jr., Danial Vianna, Jeff Neal, Andre Madiz, Benjamin Salas, Brian Bishop, Rudy Jimenez, Tommy Gianoupolis, Guy Fricano, and Jeff Rozovics

Learn more about Benjamin Salas and his Carlson Gracie team affiliate at Seamless Progression Academy here.

Professor Benjamin Salas at Gracie Barra Spring Lake. Photo: Personal archive

Professor Benjamin Salas of GMA Seamless Progression Academy visited Gracie Barra Spring Lake in North Carolina on Sunday, June 1. Traveling from Wisconsin, he presented a series of clinics on Jiu-Jitsu and Ginastica Natural hosted by Professor Rafael Jovet.

In attendance were students of all ages and ranks. Training focused on warm-ups and exercises designed to improve the open guard.

Both adults and the little champion kids were present to learn from Professor Benjamin and he also trained with the kids.

Here are some photos of the event:

Professor Benjamin having a tough time against the little ones. Photo: Personal archive

Check out more photos here.

Learn more about GMA Seamless Progression Academy here: www.facebook.com/SeamlessProgressionAcademy

Professors Benjamin Salas and Francisco Maya at the camp. Photo: Personal Archive

Professor Benjamin Salas successfully hosted the 2014 Wisconsin Carlson Gracie Mini-Camp at GMA Seamless Progression Academy of Martial Arts in Port Washington, WI. The five-day camp brought Professor Francisco Maya of Carlson Gracie Portugal to help teach at the event for all belt levels and ages.

At the conclusion of the event, they traveled to the Carlson Gracie HQ in Chicago, IL where Maya was promoted to second degree black belt.

Professor Francisco Maya promoted by Carlson Gracie Jr. Photo: Personal Archive

Also teaching at the camp was Professor Benjamin Salas himself as well as Professor Alan Stockman of Carlson Gracie Indianapolis. The camp covered techniques from all three Carlson Gracie Team instructors brining a varied knowledge base to those in attendance.

For more information about Seamless Progression Academy of Martial Arts visit www.facebook.com/SeamlessProgressionAcademy

GMA Seamless Progression Academy of Martial Arts will be hosting the 2014 Wisconsin Carlson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Mini-Camp from 24 to 28 March in Port Washington, Wisconsin. This five day event will be led by Prof. Francisco Maya (Carlson Gracie Portugal). Prof. Maya began studying Jiu-Jitsu in 1992 under Grand Master Paulo Maurício Strauch (9th Degree Black Belt) and then went on to train under such notables as Marcos “Parrumpinha” da Matta, Eduardo “Gavião” Ommati, Vauvenargues Marinho, and Carlson Gracie Jr. Special Guests include Prof. Alan Stockman (Carson Gracie Indiana) and Master Carlson Gracie Jr. (Carlson Gracie Team Illinois).

The event will be hosted by Prof. Benjamin Salas who owns and operates Seamless Progression Academy (Carlson Gracie Wisconsin). Benjamin has been practicing Jiu-Jitsu since 1995 and has trained, competed, or instructed in over a dozen countries – including a number of trips to Portugal where he trained under Prof. Maya. Benjamin specializes in BJJ fundamentals as well as law enforcement applications of the martial arts.

Training will be conducted at the Seamless Dojo which is located at 307 N. Franklin Street, Port Washington, Wisconsin 53074 with separate youth, adult, beginner, and advanced sessions.

The Mini-camp will be broken into different sessions by skill level with greater attention being placed on rolling in the advanced sessions. Prof. Maya will be the Mini-Camps lead instructor with Prof. Stockman and Salas acting as assistant instructors. At the conclusion of this camp everyone is invited to travel with the group down to Chicago for the 2014 IBJJF Chicago Spring Open and compete/cheer on your BJJ family members.

Youth sessions are limited to 8 attendees and adult sessions are limited to 12 attendees.

Please contact Seamless Progression to pre-pay/reserve your spot as soon as possible through www.facebook.com/SeamlessProgressionAcademy or at seamlessprogressionacademy@gmail.com.

Prof. Francisco Maya and Prof. Benjamin Salas. Photo: Personal Archive

You can check out photos of the clinic here:

For more information about Professor Benjamin Salas and the Seamless Progression Academy team go www.facebook.com/seamlesssprogressionacademy