News

Every martial art has their own belt ranking system. Brazilian jiu-jitsu is no exception. If you're here, you're looking to answer a few questions about what exactly that belt system entails. You've come to the right place. 

Whether you're thinking about joining your local jiu-jitsu academy, or you've recently started, you'll have noticed that 1) you've been given a white belt, and 2) there are others on the mat wearing different colors. Maybe you have some idea of what they mean, and maybe all you know is that the "colored belts" can outmaneuver you at every turn. 

The good news is that you've already discovered that the belt represents someone's progress. The bad news is that every academy and affiliation have slightly different ways that they measure that progress, and hence, rank you up. However, there does still tend to be some patterns... 

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Launching your own Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy is a dream shared by many throughout the BJJ community, from experienced competitors to enthusiastic hobbyists—and even eager white belts. But it can be a daunting dream... Where do you start? What do you need to know? How do you make sure the entire venture is a success?  

Whether you’re thinking about starting your academy as a part-time project alongside your current job or planning a full-scale career transition, creating a BJJ academy demands meticulous planning and foresight. But it's doable, and you don't have to have a degree in business to make it work. 

Here are some important considerations to make sure that your academy is a success from the very start... 

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Summer is here. As it's getting hot and sweaty outside, it's getting hot and sweatier on the mat... that is, of course, if you're wearing the same gi you winter train in. 

Not all gis are made the same, and for good reason. In addition to the range of different fits, cuts and styles, there are also a range of different kinds of fabrics from which jiu-jitsu gis are made. When it comes to staying cool - or coolish - on the mat, these materials make a difference. That's why at Kingz, we have a number of different lightweight gi options. 

Here is our roster of lightweight BJJ gi option to keep you cool and training hard this summer...

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If you've been training long enough, the thought may have crossed your mind that you wish you were training at a bigger academy. One of those whose teams fill the rosters of the major tournaments and whose logos you see at the big televised events. You might entertain ideas of changing your entire life to move to one of those academies to train.

But before you do, take a moment to think... You might be overlooking what a small academy can offer - what your current, local academy already offers you. There are many benefits to training jiu-jitsu at a small academy, which, depending on your individual goals, could be harder - or even impossible - to obtain at the bigger, flashier academies. Here are a few of them.. 

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Another year, another whirlwind of an IBJJF World Championships! As the culmination of the Grand Slam competition season, this Worlds was a much anticipated event for competitors around the globe. 

And it didn't disappoint! The Walter Pyramid was filled with the best of the best, each division stacked with elite athletes, both long-time veterans of the sport and fresh-faced newcomers. This year, there were a lot of close matches and surprising upsets, which made for an even more exciting year for spectators. 

Win or lose, Kingz is always proud of everyone who shows enough courage and determination to step out there and show the world their jiu-jitsu. Congratulations to you all!

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