Eastside Jiu Jitsu Values Part 1: Family

At Eastside, we believe in the importance of family. The families we are born into and the families we create.

When I first started training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu back in 2009, I did so with my little brother. Although being my little brother and three years younger than me he took to BJJ a lot faster than I did. The first time he stepped on the mat it was like a fish to water, a natural elegance to his movements and his understanding of BJJ. Me, I took a bit longer to adapt my movements and mindset to that necessary for BJJ. Nevertheless, training with my family added a special and unique element to both our training sessions and our home relationship.

As my brother and I continued to train and work on our familial relationship we came to understand that we had created a new family with our Carlson Gracie teammates. The connection we had with one and other quickly and seamlessly bled into our relationships with our new friends at training. When a team of people train together daily, and do so with the lens of helping one and other, they become a group of people closer than any other.’

At Eastside Jiu Jitsu, we believe in fostering both of these relationships. We hope to continue to build a family of inspired and passionate people and encourage all members to bring their family members to train with us too.