Dr. Gary Vilke, a forensic expert in use of force deaths for over 30 years, discusses SafeWrap. Lakewood Jiu Jitsu Academy is a Gracie University Certified Training Center. Professor Jim Medley holds black belt rank is both Japanese jūjutsu as well as in Brazilian/ Gracie jiu jitsu. Medley is further certified as an instructor in the SafeWrap system. Local public safety professionals / medical care professionals / or education professionals can become certified in SafeWrap through Gracie University. After becoming certified, these professionals can attend supervised practice sessions and refresher training at Lakewood Jiu Jitsu Academy. Professor Jim Medley has work experience using passive restraint in a hospital behavioral health unit. Medley is a former police officer and former police academy instructor. He has studied the principles of jiu jitsu for over 40 years. Medley holds a Masters degree in Education with a specialization in Job Skills Training. Finally, Professor...Read more

“All the way in!” One of the quintessential strategies in Gracie jiu jitsu is distance management. If a person defending an attack cannot stay out of the reach of the attacker (all the way out), we know that we should get so close that they cannot strike with enough power to inflict serious damage. This close positioning is commonly called “the clinch.” In order to move from all the way out to all the way in requires a defender to cover a typical distance of four to six feet. This path requires passing though the most dangerous range in a fight- arms length, where a strike with a fist can impose the most damage. This danger of a fight ending knock-out blow requires this “red zone” to be crossed as quickly and unpredictably as possible. Closing the distance commonly involves surprise timing, the use of feints or distractions to improve...Read more

In 2021, Rickson Gracie released an essential book detailing the history and evolution of Gracie jiu jitsu from the 1920s to the present. The book chronicles Rickson Gracie’s personal life and development in jiu jitsu. Rickson Gracie is the third eldest son of Hélio Gracie. He is often regarded as the most skilled fighter among Hélio Gracie’s sons, which include Rorion, Relson, Royce, Rolker, and Royler Gracie. Rickson narrates a seamless story, starting with the Gracie family’s immigration from Scotland to Brazil in the 1800s. He establishes a firm foundation for the enduring warrior spirit that the Gracie men have displayed across many generations. Gracie shares captivating details about his uncle, Carlos Gracie, who initially learned Japanese jūjitsu from Mitsuyo Maeda in the early 1900s, and how Carlos’ younger brother, Hélio, further developed Carlos’ knowledge into what we now know as Gracie jiu jitsu. The book guides us through the...Read more

It’s the signature wrist-lock of Japanese budo style martial arts. It’s seen in traditional aikijujutsu, jujitsu, judo, and aikido.     The kotegaeshi involves supination of the wrist joint, which in turn, laterally rotates the forearm, creating a twisting of the radius and the ulna. “Kote” is literally “forearm” in Japanese. Since the elbow is only a hinge joint, this torque is delivered directly to the shoulder, which compromises the attacker’s balance- this is the kuzushi principle in action, and is why this wrist lock is an effective takedown.    With an acrobatic training partner, the kotegaeshi can be a made for action movie fight move – fit for Steven Segal, John Wick, Jason Bourne, and even an Avenger. It is very common to hear practitioners of Brazilian jiu jitsu talk as if Carlos and Hélio Gracie wholly rejected the wrist locks of traditional Japanese jujitsu. This misconception is understandable, considering that...Read more

Brazilian jiu jitsu (BJJ) gyms are sprinkled throughout Lakewood and Denver. In some neighborhoods there is are barely five blocks between these gyms. Although there are scores of these schools between Denver and the Front Range, 90% of them have one thing in common: they do NOT teach self-defense. Gracie jiu jitsu came to the U.S. on one plane ticket- Rorion Gracie’s. Rorion is Grandmaster Hēlio’s oldest biological son. He came to the U.S. in 1978 with a life dedicated mission to spread Gracie jiu jitsu. Rorion, like his father, taught jiu jitsu for self-defense. Rorion promoted Gracie jiu jitsu self-defense through many initiatives. One of the simplest was the challenge match. Gracie would invite martial artists from other styles or just street fighters to come and fight him in his garage. Although he defended himself from and subdued hundreds of challengers, this method of trying to convert martial artists...Read more