Class Date:
2.21.13 & 2.23.13
Website:
http://www.kokorojudoatx.com
Facebook page (Closed group, requires membership)
Youtube
Instructor:
Complicated. (Led by about 7 black belts, it seems)
Lineage:
N/A? Various.
Credentials:
Non-profit. Good Yelp reviews. "Officially sanctioned club by USA Judo, with a certified coaching staff."
Number:
N/A.
Email:
glenn dot macias at gmail dot com
(Private email of one of the instructors)
Location:
Right on Oltorf & South 5th--The Salvation Army building.
Enter in the door on the furthest right side of the building. You'll see the Chess club. Continue into the back of the room, past the bathrooms, and into a closed door at the end. That's the gym entrance; class is held in there. (The Chess club people will help you if you ask. They're friendly. :)
1001 Cumberland Dr.
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Free:
All and None. Read below.
Price:
2 classes /week @ $20/month*
Classes are 1.5-2 hours each.
*This Dojo is non-profit. The fee represents the costs of keeping the place running. That being said, supposedly, if money is tight, you can go a month or two without paying. I wouldn't do that until you get established as a member of the group, mind you, and given how cheap it is, even I feel inclined to pay the fee--and I made less than 50% of the poverty level last year. On the other hand, if you feel like supporting what they do, you're welcome to give more.
Short review:
Great little non-profit. No major complaints. Class diversity of skill is good, plenty of upper level instruction, moderately intense vibe. Lots of calisthenics keep you on your toes, interspersed throughout the class. Definitely worth your time.
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Preamble:
So, to be clear, this is a Judo class, not a Jiu Jitsu class. That being said, BJJ comes directly from Judo, and can be considered an expansion of Judo's Newaza (groundwork) portion. The other thing to note is that many (most, it seems?) of the practitioners here cross-train in BJJ. The teacher who led my first class at Kokoro actually has a brown belt in BJJ and teaches a Judo class at Paragon, a BJJ gym on my list. At least one other student trains at Paragon, and another trains at Relson. I've also seen a "Gracie" gi there.
I've always wanted to cross train in Judo. In my first classes of BJJ, I knew a particular guy I rolled with who had some training in Judo, and I was always trying to get him to teach me something. (It never really jived, unfortunately.)
In Israel, the dojo I studied at cross trained extensively in BJJ and Judo, and sparring was basically anything goes. That was my first exposure to Judo. I remember the first time I ever pulled off a Judo throw, after a class on some throws that day--I was totally elated.
So, when I was looking for BJJ locations in Austin, and one list I was going through mentioned some Judo places, I went ahead and added them to the list.
I only have two Judo locations on my list to visit, one of which is Kokoro. But even the other place on the list, Team Haas Judo, has as their most expensive option a price equal to only the very cheapest BJJ. I think this shows pretty clearly the somewhat absurd inflation of BJJ prices... Paying 15-20 an hour for group rate training isn't very reasonable. Judo prices don't reflect the UFC hype driving up BJJ prices.
I digress. Judo is cheap(er than BJJ); but kokoro is a non-profit, and I love non-profits. And not just because they're cheap--I learned Salsa dancing at a large free group that was student run at my University. The quality of teaching was far above anything I've been able to find since (alas), the atmosphere was superior, and we had plenty of time to practice after every class as we all threw a big party together. When money isn't an issue, some great things start to happen--some things that money just can't buy.
Actual Review:
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| Some of the instructors standing in the chess room up front |
The class feels pretty old school martial arts. Everyone bows as they get on the mat, and the class bows towards the instructors at the beginning. You start out with about 30 minutes of working out. The Thursday class I went to was a killer--I was frustrated, it was so much working out. The Saturday class following wasn't quite so intense a workout, but it was still significant. Workouts included a quick-paced jog around the mats, pushups of various types, "Burpees", leg lifts, sit ups, lunges, and so forth. All at a pace that keeps your cardio up.
Normally this bothers me. And during the moment, I was definitely bothered. But Judo, moreso than BJJ, requires strength to execute, so it makes more sense for them to include it as a regimented part of their study. By the second class, I was grateful--I don't push myself as hard when I train alone, so it makes for a nice baseline workout on top of the meager 20 pullups/20 floating leg lifts/20 dips I do as my current daily baseline workout.
Next is drills. We did some rolling/landing drills, and some technique drills. The technique drill changed between the classes, which seems like a good idea.
Then Technique study. We had three techniques we practiced, and split up into pairs to practice on each other, one by one. Instruction was sufficiently clear, and the instructors went around giving helpful tips and further instruction as the practice went on. This is a special advantage of the multi-instructor format: plenty of teachers to give attention as the time went on.
Lastly, Randori. The first class I was only allowed to Randori for one round (would have been two, but the numbers were off or something as far as class size). That's fairly standard for a new guy. By the second class, though, I was fully integrated, and allowed to participate in Randori freely.
Between every 3 minute Randori round, everyone does some quick workout--20 pushups, or 20 toe touches with legs perpendicular to the ground, for example--and then you change partners.
After that, there were a few more workouts and stretches.
Class ended with the students lined up bowing to the teachers who were facing them from across the room.
The class skill distribution was, as I had read in advance, pretty well distributed. There were 3 black belts and 2 brown belts during the two classes I went to. There were yellows and greens present at both classes I went to. And there were a few whites of different abilities at both classes as well.
The tone was not overly aggressive, but it was definitely tipped just a bit towards the aggressive side of the scale while still being fairly respectful; ultimately, I feel like the instructors maintain a fairly moderate intensity that shows a lot of control and reservation, while the competitiveness of the individual students varied person to person. The class is definitely geared towards progress and has a serious tone to it, however, and could not be said to be 'laid back'.
The teachers were pretty respectful, and relatable. While on the mat, they were given their due respect (I haven't heard anyone say 'sensei' yet, mind you), but off the mat, they are just another friend there to help you, who you want to respect simply because he's giving away instruction just for the sake of building karma.
One of the teachers offered to help me carpool when he heard how far away it was for me.
While I will keep looking for a BJJ place, I plan on sticking around here. I definitely give this place the thumbs up.
(And yes, I'm still sore.)
Check out another review here from back when the group just started. This is where I heard about it.
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A video of one of the instructors kicking ass in a competition:
Pros:
Stupid cheap
Sport/Kodokan Judo
Not limited to one particular teacher's influence
Good student skill ratios
Non-profit
Good mats
Good workout
Fun Randori
Lots of fellow BJJ students around
Cons:
Sport/competition focused, not lifestyle or 'traditional' (read: no longer allowed) techniques
Unglamorous facility
Lots of working out
No free rolling after class
No particularly high-ranked teachers, as far as I can tell (no "star power")
Only two classes a week
