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Eric Allain
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I absolutely love the BJJ classes here. The instruction is excellent, the staff is friendly, helpful and well organized and the facilities are great. All this comes together to create an environment where the students help each other learn and improve. It is this that really does it for me. PAMA is not just a place to train, it is a community of friends. BJJ is hard. It can be demoralizing. Having helpful, encouraging friends to train with is what keeps me coming back. It is this that will push me to finally get that black belt some day.

Julia Benson
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I love coming here. I have improved my Muay Thai technique. A lot of experienced students in the class make sparring fun. Beyond all of this PAMA is a community.

Sean Kavanagh
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Great place to train and has the largest media presence I've ever experienced in any of the BJJ gyms I've trained at. That is a good thing because it lets you know what you are signing up for and makes the gym culture available to see online. And it is a great culture which is very friendly and welcoming of new students and has a desire to see people continuously improve whether it is BJJ or Muay Thai.

Blair Cuneo
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Excellent Women’s Self Defense class! Walked away with several very good techniques.

Mitch Ludwig
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I recently moved to the area and dropped by to check out the bjj classes. I've been training bjj for the better part of a decade and can say without a doubt that this has been one of the most welcoming gyms I've ever experienced. Great instruction with a good mix of belt levels that gives everyone an opportunity to learn.

Dylan Olson
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I like to get to know a school for a while before giving a review. That said, I've been training in PAMA's BJJ program for about a year now. I came to this school as a 2 stripe blue belt and have had training from several different places over the years. I can say honestly that the Pendergrass brothers have succeeded at creating and continuously cultivating an amazing environment for learning. You feel like family as soon as you walk in the door. And regardless of whether you've never trained before or have been training for decades, there is something here to learn and grow in for everyone. The instructors are patient, love what they do and can break down concepts in ways anyone can understand. The culture here at PAMA is consistently positive and inclusive. Classes are organized well and more experienced students (upper belts) are always willing to help those looking for guidance. If you're looking for a place to train, just stop by PAMA and see for yourself.

Chris George
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The professionalism of the staff is unmatched. All of the instructors are great with kids. Both of my kids love being here.

James Willison
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This is a great to train both mind and body in the art of BJJ. The main instructors, Guy and Rob, are knowledge and care about their students. I was particularly impressed that they (and other instructors) already knew my name despite not having formally introduced myself to them. That’s a little thing, but it meant they want to know who is coming to their facility. As well, the other students, particularly the upper belts, are great training partners. In my experience, they know when to go hard and also when to help a beginner out. PAMA is an excellent place to train and to be a part of a community looking to improve themselves on and off the mats.

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Pendergrass Academy of Martial Arts Raleigh & Wake Forest Martial Arts
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Pendergrass Academy of Martial Arts

What is the overall mindset of Brazilian Jiu jitsu?

February 15, 2019

What is the overall mindset of Brazilian Jiu jitsu?
In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu the primary focus is grappling, submissions and controlling your opponent from a positional standpoint; without taking a lot of damage. In other martial arts the goal may be to punch and kick to defend yourself. In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu we like to use joint locks, chokes, throws, and positional control to defend ourselves. So, in a traditional fight, it starts on the feet. An antagonist may use various punches and kicks. In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu the goal is to navigate a safe distance between you and your antagonizer. As a practitioner of BJJ the mindset is to “take it to the ground”. Where the weight, the strength, the speed, the athleticism, and even the age of our antagonizer can be equalized by leverage. ON THE GROUND.

In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, you’ll learn many ways to close distance between you and your opponent; to mitigate any damage you might take. Again, the idea is about maintaining proper distance and there’s times in BJJ when you’re going to be super close and other times we need a little bit of space depending on the technique you’re trying to accomplish.

For the most part the “Rule of Thumb in Jiu Jitsu is to Stay Close”. Keeping in mind what the Jiu Jitsu will be used for. Is it for self-defense, is it for MMA, or just pure grappling? These elements will change how we execute our techniques. Fundamentally it’s all the same. How to execute a Scissor Sweep for example, is fundamentally the same. The proper position of your hips, the weight distribution of your partner, all of these come into play with how we execute the techniques. No matter if I’m doing MMA, or self-defense. What we need to worry about is strikes. While you’re training it is good to always keep in mind the possibility of strikes. If you’re able to translate a striking situation to a grappling one, you’ll be better for it. There are a fair amount of professions that need to be able to restrain and neutralize a combative situation.

In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu there is a hierarchy of positions. You always try to improve your positioning while you train. If you’re in theworst position, say, on the ground on your back, your focus is to get off of your back and into a more dominant position. As you improve on your Jiu Jitsu skills you will use less energy, and you’ll be able to understand how to use leverage in your techniques. So, in short a good Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner will take their opponent to the ground, staying close, tiring them out, and using leverage. And remember “A Black Belt is a White Belt that Never Quit.”

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