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Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers Preview Party in Pleasanton Was a Blast!

September 4, 2011 By 3 Comments

Yesterday, we opened our doors at Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers in Pleasanton to invite our local community to come in and sample all of our classes to celebrate our recent expansion which almost doubled the size of our academy, more than doubled the size of our training area/mats, addition of an MMA cage and the addition of tons of new classes.   We had short preview classes in both adult and kids Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), Fight Shape, MMA G&P, Kids MMA (Muay Thai/Boxing) and Iron Core Fitness.  We had people visit us from all over the Bay Area including San Ramon, Dublin, Danville, Hayward, San Leandro, Livermore, Fremont, Oakland and Walnut Creek. When asked why these people traveled to come try our classes and chose to join our team/family, we were told it was mainly due to the high level of instruction that we offer at the academy and the quality of our programs and gym.  This is exactly what we always strive to offer.  We have phenomenal instructors who not only teach and train every day, but also actively compete in jiu jitsu tournaments and MMA fights.  These instructors are the heart and soul of our academy and are so totally committed to providing the best possible classes in the area, that people who have never trained with us before recognize it and know of our reputation!!!

The other big factor for people choosing to join our gym is because of all of you, our team!  The family environment and sense of community was absolutely noticeable yesterday (as it is everyday) as so many of our team members showed up, helped with the party and welcomed all of the new students and members into the gym.   We so often hear about people walking into a gym/academy and feeling intimidated or uncomfortable, but the Crispim BJJ Team is full of such amazing people that this has never been an issue for us.  In fact, you are all a big part of the reason why we constantly have so many people choosing to train with us at our gym in Pleasanton (east bay area).

A note for all of the people who contacted us about the preview party and who were unable to attend yesterday, here is a short list of why you may choose to train with us.

* Incredible Instruction and Family/Team Environment

* Largest mat area in the area

* 7 Days per week Training (We were the first gym locally to offer Sunday BJJ training classes and the first to offer early morning BJJ classes)- We did this to provide to all of you an extremely flexible schedule so that even the busiest person can still find time to train.

* Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes 2-3 times per day during the week. (Early morning 6:15am, lunch time and evening)

* MMA Cage and Fight Team (for those interested in training to fight)

* Clean and safe environment

* Showers and a Dressing Room

* Over 70 Classes Per Week to Choose From!!! Full Schedule including Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (adults and kids), Wrestling (adults and kids), Muay Thai, MMA (mixed martial arts)(adults and kids), Iron Core Fitness, Fight Shape, MMA G&P and sparring.

Please contact us at info@CrispimBJJ.com if you would like to set up a Free one-on-one Intro Class to sample all of our programs.

In closing, again we would like to thank our instructors and team for all of the support you give the academy every single day.  We would not be here if it wasn’t for all of you and we truly appreciate all of you choosing to train at Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers!!

 

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Marcel Reece & Alexander Crispim of Crispim BJJ Train Jiu-Jitsu & MMA

July 3, 2011 By 1 Comment

This article appeared on Page B1 of the San Francisco Chronicle on Sunday, July 3, 2011. Thank you Vittorio Tafur for writing such a great article about Oakland Raiders’ Marcel Reece and his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA training with Alexander Crispim of Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers in Pleasanton (east bay area).

Click here to read the article Raiders Fullback has ‘Better Dayz’ in Martial Arts.

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Crispim BJJ Belt Promotion in Pleasanton

June 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

This past Saturday was truly an incredible day for Alexander Crispim and the Crispim BJJ Team of Pleasanton (East bay area).  We celebrated our Belt Promotion with Master Charles Gracie and his son Riury  Gracie.  We are so pleased that Charles Gracie was able to be with us to award our team members with their new belts.  Alexander Crispim  would like to thank Master Charles Gracie for all of the support, guidance, wisdom and friendship that he has shared with him over the years.

Alexander Crispim awarded two Black Belts that day.  Most of you know that Daniel Elias is the heart and soul of the Crispim BJJ Academy in Pleasanton.  He is a phenomenal teacher, friend, jiu-jitsu practitioner, and Crispim was very proud to be able to award Daniel his Black Belt after many many years of training, commitment and dedication to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and the lifestyle.   The second Black Belt was awarded to Ernest Louie.  Ernest epitomizes what a Black Belt should be.  Ernest has also trained for many many years under Alexander Crispim and is an incredible jiu-jitsu practitioner.  He is highly skilled, always willing to help the newer students, committed and also, extremely dedicated to the lifestyle of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.  We would formally like to congratulate both of these men on their achievements.  Alexander Crispim and the Crispim BJJ Team couldn’t be more proud to have both of them on the team.

In addition, the following Crispim BJJ Team adults were also awarded their new belts:

Brown Belts:

Manuel Ruiz

Chris Sanford

AJ Ting

Marty Armendarez

Purple Belts:

Angele Kasilag

Peter Lee

Brooke Goldsworthy

Hayden O’Shea

Blue Belts:

Erica Cruz

Tim Lovato

Paul Benson

Ryan Brown

Jonathan Fung

Joe Neal

Jared Porter

Congratulations to all of the Crispim BJJ team members who were awarded their belts and we are very proud of all of you!!

Also, Alexander Crispim awarded many of the children in our Kids Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Program new belts and stripes.  The kids have worked very hard and show a remarkable commitment and dedication to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.  They are our future and every day, we see increases in their self confidence, self esteem, pride, teamwork, skill, passion and drive.  We are so proud of each and every one of them.

Finally, Alexander Crispim would like to send out a special THANK YOU to all of the team members and family that were at the Crispim BJJ academy on Saturday to support those who were promoted.  We are a team and the support you all give to each other strengthens us every day.   Your willingness to be present, even when it wasn’t your time to be promoted, is what makes our team so strong.   Continue training, working hard, learning and growing and the team will be there to support you when it IS your time.   We are very proud to be part of such a great team and to be surrounded by such amazing people.

Thank you to all of you who submitted pictures from the ceremony and we have included some shots of the promotion. Enjoy the photos!! And we know many of you couldn’t be at the academy in Pleasanton due to school graduations and vacations, but we’ll notify everyone when we try to do another GROUP picture so that we can include all of you in it. :)

 

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Crispim BJJ Kid’s Jiu Jitsu Belt Promotions

March 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Alexander Crispim and Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers in Pleasanton (East Bay) are proud to have had our Kid’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Belt Promotions on February 12th.  Many of our young jiu jitsu practicioners and their families turned out for this celebration and milestone in their journey down the path to learn Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

The children have worked hard, committed to learning this martial art, shown motivation, dedication and heart in preparing themselves to go to the next level.  Alexander Crispim and the entire Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers team are so very proud of every single one of these children as they were awarded their new belts or their stripes on the way to their next belts.

We have seen the kid’s Brazilian Jiu Jitsu program in Pleasanton grow by leaps and bounds and the skill that these young children have displayed is impressive.  We see teamwork, respect, discipline and passion in the kids both on the mats and off.  These young martial art practitioners are the future of our team and we couldn’t be more proud.

 

 

 

 

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Alexander Crispim Hosts Demo at UFC-Gym

February 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Alexander Crispim, of Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers in Pleasanton and of the UFC-Gym in Concord, hosted a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Self Defense Demonstration at the UFC-Gym.  The basis of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is that it provides a means for a smaller and weaker person to successfully defend him/herself against a bigger, stronger assailant by using leverage and proper technique.  In the videos, you can see men, women and kids defending themselves through a variety of positions and techniques.  Through learning the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, you will learn to effectively defend yourself and also build confidence in your ability to take care of yourself.  Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers provides instruction for people of all ages, gender and experience level.

In this video, Alex Crispim demonstrates Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with some of his (upper belt) students who have earned their purple and brown belts.  This level of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu takes years of practice, dedication and discipline.

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At Crispim BJJ, everyone can learn the techniques of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.  In this demonstration,  Alex Crispim explains and shows a few of the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu positions and movements that he teaches for self defense.

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Alex Crispim demonstrates the power of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu used for self defense.  It doesn’t matter what age or gender you are,  Crispim BJJ can teach you to be prepared for anything. Watch Alex Crispim, the 2nd Degree Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt, guide his students through what they learn everyday at the academy.

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Alex Crispim demonstrates the mixture of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and self defense with some of his younger students.  Crispim BJJ academy offers classes to kids starting as young as 5 years old.

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We hope you enjoyed the videos.

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Angele Muther- The True Spirit of Jiu Jitsu!

January 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Crispim BJJ is proud to have Angele “AK-47″ Muther (Kasilag) as part of the team and family and would like to take a few moments to share her story with everyone.

Angele is a blue belt and has been training for about two and a half years in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Alexander Crispim. Angele says, “I had always wanted to try a martial art, but I didn’t think I could do it. I was taking boxing classes and just came by the jiu jitsu class one day to see what is was all about. I still remember the day that I came by to watch. I was questioning whether my body can move like that or if am I going to get hurt. I remember putting all these questions aside and just jumping in right away and from that day I was hooked!”

Alexander Crispim says that watching Angele come train at the academy in Pleasanton everyday is a prime example of a true BJJ lover. “She is an inspiration for all of us at the academy. Angele is always ready to train with anyone. She takes her time and helps any new beginner learn how to roll and shows them gratitude and respect for jiu jitsu. Angele is also always ready to train hard with upper belts to help improve her training and provide herself as a solid training partner.”

Angele says, “I like so many things about jiu jitsu. It’s a sport that anyone can train in, no matter what age, gender, or shape. I have gotten so much from training. This is the best shape I have ever been in my life. I have met a lot of good people. It may sound a little funny, but it also made me more confident and strengthened my belief that I can do anything I set my mind to. This is also one of the reasons I choose to train and stay with Alexander Crispim and the Crispim BJJ team. Crispim makes students feel like they can do it. Not only does Crispim train Champions, but he makes students feel like can become Champions.  Just like Crispim, Daniel’s classes are great. He breaks moves down step by step. He is also an incredible instructor and coach.  Getting hurt was also one my concerns about doing jiu jitsu. I know there are some injuries that are going to happen because of the nature of the sport, but here at Crispim BJJ, I know they are always  looking out for us to reduce this risk greatly. ”

Angele also adds, “When you walked into Crispim’s gym, it has nice welcoming feeling. You can feel this when Crispim yells your name when you walk through the door. Everyone is so friendly.  I see people when they come in and everyone gets up and shakes their hand or gives them a hug. Also when we leave, we all shake hands again or give a hug to everyone. When we roll people don’t try to hurt you and there are no egos on the mats.  Everyone is so helpful. It doesn’t matter what belt you are, people are always ready to help. If you have a question or just wanna drill, anyone will say yes.  It is truly a family. After a long day at work, jiu-jitsu helps me forget about the stress of the day. It’s a place where I can relax and have fun and hang out with friends. You can see how we all get along. Juan’s recent event was one of those the examples.”

Crispim sees the dedication and hard work that Angele puts in at the academy every single day. She is such a huge part of the team. Angele is always there to help in any way she can and she comes with a smile and positive energy.  She always passes her energy of never giving up and will keep doing positions over and over until it becomes second nature to her. The team loves her and holds her in such high regard.  If Angele doesn’t train one day, everyone is always asking, “Where is Angele?” The team always wants her to be there and loves training with her. Crispim states that Angele’s confidence has increased tremendously since she has been training in jiu jitsu and that he has no doubt that she can not only protect herself, but also anyone else. 

When Angele isn’t working or training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, she is hula dancing.  She has been doing hula for about six years.  Angele says, “I enjoy dancing and learning. Hula is also like another family to me. I have made a lot of good friends just like in jiu jitsu. ”

Angele finishes by adding, “I like training because it always challenges me mentally and physically. I may not catch on as quickly as others, but I am determined enough to get there. I have to laugh because I used to be so scared of falling or rolling and look at me now.  I hope I will be doing jiu jitsu for a long time.”

It is very easy for us to write about Angele because she is a “true” example of a Leader!!  And she is helping us lead the academy by showing everyone what dedication, determination, motivation, positive energy, the will to never give up and true love for our martial art is all about!

Ossssss!!!!!!!!

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Tim Lovato Takes First!!

December 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Team Crispim BJJ had a very successful weekend!

First, Alexander Crispim and Team Crispim BJJ would like to congratulate Jordan Porter for his victory at the Ultimate Reno Combat 20 Fights in Reno on Friday, December 10, 2010.  Jordan made his debut at this fight against Paul Hubble.  Jordan dominated the first two rounds and finished his fight when he tapped out his opponent with an arm triangle choke at 1 minute 22 seconds in the second round.  Jordan trains under Allan Maravilla and with Alexander Crispim.  Congratulations for this exciting victory.

Next, Team Crispim BJJ of Pleasanton had multiple team members compete in the Grappling X Gi and No-Gi Tournament in Sacramento this past Sunday.  Tim Lovato took first in his no-gi division and second in his white belt gi division.  Erico Monteiro earned third in his purple belt gi division.  And Brooke Goldsworthy was awarded 1st place in her women’s blue belt division.  Brooke also made her debut in the men’s division and put on an incredible show.  She dominated most of her matches and the crowd wouldn’t stop coming up to her congratulating her performance against the men in her division.

As you all know, we like to highlight a team member periodically and this month, we would like to put the spotlight on Tim Lovato.  Tim joined the Crispim BJJ team about four months ago and he just entered his first tournament, and took home a gold and a silver.

Tim has a wife and two teenage daughters and lives here in the east bay.  Tim works for the United States Army as a Military Intel Analyst at Camp Parks in Dublin (east bay).  He joined the Army in 1991, served 2.5 years and then decided to attend Cameron University where he received his BA in Criminal Justice.  He then re-entered the Army in 1997 and has been serving our country ever since then.  Tim also served in Iraq from 2008-2009.

Tim’s background in sports was with wrestling during high school and unit level softball and football in the Army.  In August of 2010, two other soldiers who work with Tim at Camp Parks in Dublin mentioned that they were training with Crispim BJJ in Pleasanton and Tim decided to give it a shot.   Tim immediately became part of the “family” and everyone loves to be around him.  He is dedicated and motivated to doing well and he has achieved very fast improvements in his game, which was clearly demonstrated this past Sunday.   Tim won 1st place in the No Gi Super Heavyweight Division and 2nd place in the Gi division.  Two of his matches were won by submission and one of his matches was won by points.   In one of his matches, he competed against an opponent who was over 120 pounds heavier than Tim, which clearly shows how Brazilian Jiu Jitsu works allowing a smaller competitor to dominate a larger opponent through skill and technique.  The entire Crispim BJJ Team is so proud of Tim’s accomplishments and to have him as part of our team.  He brings a very positive energy to the academy and encourages others to push hard and train a lot.  Alexander Crispim says that Tim is incredibly strong and learns very quickly.  In addition, even as a newer white belt, he is constantly focusing on his strategies and thinking about developing his game plan.

We asked Tim why he started training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and here is his response:

“I have always wanted to train in BJJ, since I saw Royce Gracie in UFC 1.  I love watching BJJ and MMA.  When I first got married and had kids, we could
not afford for me to train.  Then when we could afford it, there were no BJJ Academies to train where I lived.  When I was reassigned to Dublin in July of
2010,  I was talking to 2 of the Soldiers that work in my building and they both told me they had just started training at Crispim’s.  There were many training academies to choose from, but I decided to tag along with them to watch a training session, and between Crispim’s personality, the team’s friendliness, and the way everyone made me feel like part of the team from the first day, I knew this was my home.  The place I wanted to train.  Looking back over the last three months I would be disappointed if I would have choose any place other than Crispim’s.  It is definitely my home away from home.”

Team, please feel free to add any comments to this post to formally congratulate Tim and the other Crispim BJJ Team members who fought and competed this past weekend.   They all represented well!!!  Let’s keep training and working hard and 2011 is going to be even better.

Also, just a reminder that our potluck holiday party is this Sunday, the 19th, at Karma in Dublin.  The fun starts at noon.  We hope to see you and your families there.

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Brooke Wins 1st at the US Open

October 21, 2010 By 5 Comments

Alexander Crispim and Crispim BJJ  are very proud to announce that Brooke Goldsworthy won 1st place in her division and 3rd place in the open division last weekend at the US Open in Santa Cruz.  This was Brooke’s first tournament in years and her FIRST tournament as a Blue Belt which she earned on July 31st of this year.  She tapped her first opponent in a matter of seconds and won her next fight by points.  Brooke is an incredible competitor who possesses great strength, technique and a huge desire to learn and train.  She does all of this with a smile on her face and such a positive energy all the time.  The Crispim BJJ Team is very proud of her accomplishments and are very happy to have her as part of the team.

We would also like to take this opportunity to share with you a little about Brooke’s history, goals and reasons for training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

“I was definitely an active and strong little girl, but my involvement with organized sports was very limited. The first time I competed athletically was at Chabot College. I became a member of their track and field team as a hammer thrower with the hope of receiving a scholarship to further my education. I was fortunate enough to achieve my goal and was awarded an athletic scholarship to Fresno State College. Although I was never passionate about Track and Field, I loved being part of a Division 1 team and the camaraderie that came with it.

After college I became a teacher and married my best friend, Steve. We were living in Brentwood, and I was looking for a fun way to get fit again. My brother told me to check out Ralph Gracie’s in Antioch, so I did. I trained with Ricardo Barros for 10 months in 2004. During that time, I fell in love with BJJ, and it became my passion.

When Steve and I decided to expand our family, I stopped training BJJ. I got pregnant with our first baby boy, moved to Livermore to be closer to family, and became a stay at home mom. Jake was born in 2005, Cole was born in 2007, and Trent was born in 2009. I know this sounds crazy, but even after I brought my 3 angels into this world, there still wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t think about BJJ. When Trent was 6 months old, I knew our family was finally complete, and it was my time to get back on the mat. When I knew that we were going to move to Pleasanton, it didn’t even cross my mind to check out any other BJJ facilities in the area. I was beyond excited to train with Crispim. I didn’t think Crispim was going to remember me from back in the day, but he did, and he welcomed me with open arms. I was elated, and couldn’t be any happier. Every day I feel grateful for having the opportunity to train at Crispim BJJ in Pleasanton. I know it is the absolute best academy that I could ever ask for! Crispim’s passion and knowledge of BJJ is powerful. I feel confident learning from him and trust that he wouldn’t teach us anything that he didn’t believe in 100%. Daniel teaches incredible brazilian jiu jitus as well. He is always very professional and patient with all of his students. As for the rest of the people that train at Crispim BJJ in Pleasanton, they’re simply awesome. I couldn’t ask for better training partners. Everyone at the academy is inspiring, kind, supportive, and helpful! The overall vibe is just cool and I seriously love the BJJ camaraderie! I feel blessed to have a place where I can truly appreciate the art of BJJ and everything BJJ has to offer. I can’t say whether I like the physical challenges or mental challenges of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu better. It’s the combination of the two that drives me like nothing else can.

I feel like I just got my feet wet competing, and want to further explore the competitive side of BJJ. When I threw the hammer, I concentrated solely on how I moved my body. When I compete in a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu match, I have to think strategically about the moves of my opponent and myself. The dynamics of competitive BJJ are exciting and challenging on so many different levels. It has piqued my curiosity and has made me want to learn more. Thanks to Alexander Crispim, I’ve been given the opportunity to look at my training with a new set of eyes and start to reflect on in it from a competitive perspective. It is challenging and fun–So as long as I’m having fun, I’ll continue to compete!

People ask me how I find time to train. I just do. It’s a priority and my husband supports me 100%. My family reaps the benefits of my training too. I’m healthy, happy, energized, and able to care for them without feeling like I’m running on empty. BJJ is definitely a lifestyle for me. It’s become part of the balancing act and that is a beautiful thing!!”

Congratulations Brooke on this incredible accomplishment and your dedication and passion for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.  The Crispim BJJ Team is very proud to have you as such an important part of it.  We are excited to see what is next for you!!! And Team, please feel free to post your comments on this article and show your support for Brooke and her future competitions.

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New Classes at Crispim BJJ in Pleasanton

August 9, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Hello All,

We just posted our new and improved class schedule!!  You will see a lot of new additions to the schedule including Muay Thai Fitness, Muay Thai, Wrestling, Kids Muay Thai and Professional Sparring.  The Muay Thai Fitness is a great addition to our fitness program and will use a mixture of kicking and punching on bags and pads.  It is an incredible workout.  Allan Maravilla will be teaching our morning traditional Muay Thai classes and Josh McDonald will be teaching the morning wrestling classes.  All of these classes started today.  Please come, try them out and have fun.

 In addition, the Little Fighters and Jr. Muay Thai classes will begin on Tuesday, August 24th.  These are classes for kids ages 5-14 (classes are divided by age groups).  These classes will focus on stand up skills (kicking, punching, etc) and will round out our already great kids program of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.  Now, Crispim BJJ can offer kids classes (BJJ and Muay Thai) five times per week.

We invite everyone to try these classes out and provide us with feedback.   Have fun training!

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Crispim BJJ Belt Promotion & 1 Year Anniversary

August 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Alexander Crispim and Crispim BJJ would like to thank the entire team for the wonderful party on Saturday.  We celebrated our 2nd belt promotion ceremony and our 1 Year Anniversary of the academy.  It was amazing the energy that was at the academy  and without each and every one of you, our team and academy would not be as great as it is.  

Today, we saw many of our adult team members get promoted after a lot of hard work, skill, energy, committment and passion for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.  They are truly role models and important members of our team.   And, we also saw so many kids get their new belts and the excitement in their faces and pride in their walk as their names were called and their new belts were tied around their waists.  This is the next generation of Jiu-Jitsu athletes and we should be very proud of the accomplishments that they have made at such young ages.

We would also like to thank Samuel Braga, three time World Jiu-Jitsu Champion for flying in from Tennessee to be part of our celebration and also for teaching our Sunday morning class.   Also, Diogo Gomes, Black Belt, came and supported our team at the ceremony and party and we are very appreciative for both of their time and support.

We would also like to thank Aash and Carlos who provided the team with an INCREDIBLE BBQ.  I think we went through about 50 pounds of meat that day and everyone absolutely loved it!! 

Finally, thank you to each and every one of you for your committment to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, the Crispim BJJ team, and the academy.  We are truly blessed to be surrounded by so many incredible people who selflessly give their time, ideas, energy and friendship to our team and academy to make it the best possible place to be.  Here is to another year of success, happiness, good health, friendship and great training!!

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