There’s a moment that happens to every child on the mat — and most adults, too.
They’re on the bottom. Someone bigger has them pinned in side mount. The weight is real. The pressure is real. And the easiest thing in the world is to freeze, give up, or wait for it to be over.
That moment is exactly what we train for at Gracie Barra Centennial.
This week across all of our programs — from our youngest Tiny Champions to our adult GB1 Fundamentals class — we’re drilling side mount: one of the most important positions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and one of the most honest teachers of courage you’ll ever find.
What We’re Training This Week
Tiny Champions (ages 3–4) are working on body manipulation with leg grips and learning the “Earthquake” — a foundational movement that teaches little ones how to create space and escape uncomfortable positions. Games this week: Laser Beam.
Little Champions 1(ages 5–6) are building on spider movement patterns with the back step, then learning how to recover their guard from side mount and work north-south transitions. Games this week: Giant Laser.
Little Champions 2 (ages 7–9) are stepping it up — drilling side mount control transitions and working technique that chains side mount to underhook, knee on belly, and mount. Games: Giant Laser.
Juniors (ages 10–13) are combining a single leg takedown with grips into side mount, then finishing with a key lock submission and the mount and key lock combination. Game: Capture the Cones.
GB1 Adults are drilling self-defense clinch and holds — blocking hook punches into headlock takedown into armbar, and jab slip into bodylock clinch into forward takedown — then transitioning into sport jiu-jitsu sidemount work: mount transitions, the papercut choke with arm trapped, and the spinning armbar.
Why Side Mount? Why Now?
Side mount is where most real physical confrontations end up. It’s not flashy. There are no flying submissions. It’s pure pressure, and learning to stay calm, breathe, and fight your way out of it is one of the most transferable skills jiu-jitsu builds.
For kids, the mat teaches what a classroom can’t: what to do when you’re uncomfortable and no one is coming to rescue you.
Recovering guard from side mount. Escaping the key lock. Surviving the weight of a larger training partner.
These aren’t just techniques. They’re repetitions of a mindset.
The Word of the Week: COURAGE
Courage in jiu-jitsu isn’t throwing the first punch or tapping last.
It’s showing up to the first class when you’re nervous. It’s drilling the same escape 20 times even when you keep getting it wrong. It’s telling your training partner “go again” after they just submitted you.
At Gracie Barra Centennial, we build courage on purpose — through structured curriculum, intentional coaching, and a community that celebrates effort before outcome.
Ready to See It in Action?
If your child has been curious about jiu-jitsu — or if you’ve been circling the idea yourself — this is a good week to come watch a class.
4181 E. County Line Road, Suite C, Centennial, CO
720-687-3851
Courage starts with the first step. We’ll handle the rest.
