How do you make friends and defend yourself from school bullies? Simple: with Jiu-Jitsu. (Publicity photo)

A lot of mothers and people who are uninformed about Jiu-Jitsu still feel the gentle art isn’t for everybody. After all, it would be a lot of pressure, a lot of contact and a lot of brutishness for their beloved and fragile little ones.

Things aren’t quite like that, we guarantee. There’s a myriad of schools with a variety of philosophies, but one of the few similarities common between all Jiu-Jitsu academies the world over is this: all instructors want their students to happily return the next day.

And it is thus, day after day, that Jiu-Jitsu strengthens, entertains, improves self-esteem, provides will power and a new life. You can take our word for it, mothers!

To reinforce this message, GRACIEMAG.com unearthed a video showing how Jiu-Jitsu for kids is based on creative exercises, with classes that combine self-defense with play and gymnastics.

Give your kids a chance to try Jiu-Jitsu. If they don’t like it, they’ll be the first to say it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnXFqxbu-w0

Marcelo Garcia at ADCC 2011 / photo by John Lamonica/GRACIEMAG.com

ADCC superstar and four-time Jiu-Jitsu world champion Marcelo Garcia has been living in New York City for just under a decade. There, the Fabio Gurgel black belt has been teaching his techniques at a temporary location in Chelsea Piers.

Get a glimpse of the submission wizard’s routine there in the following video shot by our partner John Ricard.

Check out the five different ways of warming up your muscles and ligaments. Whether practicing positions, simulating rugby on the mat or doing a bridging exercise, the name of the game is to stretch and warm up. Check the warmup videos out, and comment on whether you like them below.

Odd warmup at 2012 Pan / Photo: Ivan Trindade / GRACIEMAG

1. Patrick and positional warmups

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qz_OKpQYGZg

2. Warm up with Marcio Meloni

3. Warmup at Sumaré Jiu-Jitsu

4. Warmup Refúgio Jiu-Jitsu team

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNYnThQWnpE

5. Garcia Combat Club and natural movements

The warmup may in itself be the difference between a glorious performance and frustration, as GRACIEMAG never ceases to reiterate. Photo: Roger Gracie by Ray Santana/GRACIEMAG.

Although it’s often forgotten or neglected, the warmup is an important part of Jiu-Jitsu class. Warmed up and stretched out, athletes avoid injuries, pick up the pace and see improved performances—in training and in competition. So on that note, we dug up five ways for you to improve your warmup.

These tips come from many-time world champion Saulo Ribeiro to former UFC star Ricardo Cachorrão, and on to brown belt Trevor Newton, a student of our GMA in Texas João Crus.

WARM UP REINFORCING BASIC JIU-JITSU

In the lessons, you learn some moves, like shrimping get-up techniques and, in closing, stretches using a Jiu-Jitsu belt. The important part is that all the exercises apply one of the main Jiu-Jitsu commandments: minimum force, maximum efficiency.

Study the subject in the following videos and comment below: What’s your warmup trick? If you’d rather, record your innovative warmup at the academy and send it in to us.

1. Warm up with Ricardo Cachorrão Almeida

2. Saulo Ribeiro

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqmxrBdtcr0

3. Trevor Newton

4. Russo

5. Academia Serrinha/Nova União

6. Patrick and Jiu-Jitsu exercises to do on your own

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C6nXD0oyAI&sns=fb

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zjcw2q6mhAY