Brief History of Brazilian Jiujitsu.

 

 

 Brazilian Jiujitsu was orginally brought to Brazil by way of Mitsuyo Maeda, who was a student of Judo founder, Dr. Jigaro Kano. He originally taught the art to the Gracie family, who eventually modified what was originally taught, and made the martial art popular via no-holds barred and challenge matches. The art grew and migrated from Brazil and is now commonly known globally as Brazilian Jiujitsu.

 Brazilian Jiujitsu utilizes throws, takedowns, holds, joint manipulation and choking techniques to nullify or subdue an

attacker.

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Brazilian Jiu-jitsu: 

 The benefits of Brazilian Jiujitsu are far reaching and will touch every aspect of your life. At Quest Grappling Academy the training and development nurtures your independent thinking, supports your fighting spirit, and helps you achieve your personal BJJ goals.

Throughout your Brazilian Jiujitsu journey, you will begin to understand yourself, on and off the mats, in ways you never imagined. You will test your limits and become the best you can be. Quest Grappling Academy respects that each student has their own goals and we support you in reaching those goals. The more you train, the better you will become and the more completely you will reach your true potential in life.

Brazilian Jiujitsu is for anyone who wants to learn how to defend him or herself in combat. What most people don’t know, is that BJJ will also allow you to apply those same principles to fighting the daily battles of life, like weight loss, stress and self-confidence. You will learn how to think through problems more constructively than before, on and off the mats.

At Quest Grappling you will join a team that will support you in your quest for self-improvement. Training the techniques and participating in live training sessions, with your partners and coaches, will give you an arsenal of weapons at your disposal whenever you should need them. The more you train, the more you will arm yourself with knowledge and skills to fight all your battles in life like a warrior.

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 Our Instructors:

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  Head Instructor- Joshua Matanane found his affinity for grappling in June of 1993, while attending a wrestling camp. He continued to wrestle through Jr. High and Highschool until 1997 while placing in several USA Wrestling tournaments during his wrestling career. In 2004 he started training in Japanese Jiujitsu under Shihan William Thurston, a master in Hakko Ryu and Toshu Kakuto Kempo Jiujitsu.

 While training with Shihan Thurston, in November of 2006, he also began training in Brazilian Jiujitsu, under Ty Gay, to better understand the ground techniques or "ne waza" of Jiujitsu. In January of 2014, he successfully completed the Instructor's Course at the legendary Gracie Academy in Torrance, CA under the provisioning of Rorion, Ryron and Rener Gracie. In December of 2017, he sought out the guidance and provisioning of Professor Roy Dean. Josh is curently overseeing the Jiujitsu instruction at Quest Grappling Academy of Norman. He is an OKWA & USA Wrestling approved coach. He has coached at the Norman Grappling Club as well as Putnam City North wrestling clubs for a total of 6 seasons. Other arts that he has practiced over the years are Hung Gar Kung Fu, Kenpo Karate, Certified JKD Instructor via Paul Vunak, Boxing and Taekwondo.

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Japanese Jiujitsu:

• Black Belt- February 2006- Kazoku Ryu Jiujitsu- Shihan William Thurston

• Black Belt- November 2009- Toshu Kakuto Kempo Jiujitsu- Shihan William Thurston

• Black Belt 2nd degree- November 2012- Toshu Kakuto Kempo Jiujitsu- Shihan William Thurston

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Brazilian JiuJitsu:

• Blue Belt- November 2007- Redline BJJ- Prof. Ty Gay

• Blue Belt- October 2012 -Gracie Academy- Prof. Rorion/Rener/Ryron Gracie

• Purple Belt- May 2015 -5150 BJJ- Prof. Carl Franklin

• Brown Belt- October 2015- Castillo BJJ- Prof. John Castillo

• Black Belt- January 2020- CVBJJ- Prof. Roy Dean

  • 1st degree- January 2023- Prof. Roy Dean​

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Jeet Kune Do:

• Instructor Certification- November 2019- Sifu Paul Vunak

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 Assistant Instructor- Shawn Acker is currently helping assist with Fundamentals alongside coach Josh and Sande. He has over 20 years of knowledge and training in the Martial Arts and also has a Shodan rank in Aikido . He was also awarded his Blackbelt Certificate from Guro RD Hondolera in Sagola Filipino Arnis. Quest Grappling Academy of Norman is greatly appreciative of his ability to bring years of Martial Arts knowledge and the ability to blend his Aikido with BJJ. 

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Aikido: 

• Black Belt- July 2001

• Black Belt 2nd degree- July 2003

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Sagola Filipino Arnis:

• Black Belt- June 2005

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Brazilian Jiujitsu:

• Blue Belt- August 2018

• Purple Belt- September 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Assistant Instructor- Jeremy Benavides is helping with Fundamentals, No Gi and wrestling classes. He is a veteran in the U.S. Airforce and was assigned to an elite unit, giving him a unique knowledge on modern day warfare. We appreciate his positive demeanor and ability to help push others to become a greater version of themselves.

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Brazilian Jiujitsu:

• Blue Belt- August 2016

• Purple Belt- March 2021

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 Assistant Instructor- Sande Jarrett is helping with Fundamentals alongside coach Josh and Shawn. Sande is a veteran in the U.S. Army. He has over 20 years of Martial Arts training and holds Shodan ranks in Karate, Aikido and Kodokan Goshin Jitsu. He studied with a local Sensei Bill Sharp and took over his school after Sensei Sharp retired. Quest Grappling Academy of Norman is greatly appreciative of his knowledge and teaching ability. His knowledge of the Japanese Martial Arts helps our students get a good insight of technique and concepts.

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Shotokan Karate:

• Black Belt- August 1996

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Tenshinkai Aikido:​

• Black Belt- February 2006

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Kodokan Goshin Jitsu:

• Black Belt- February 2006

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Brazilian Jiujitsu:

• Blue Belt- July 2019

• Purple Belt- February 2021

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