September 7, 2026
Week 2 of our curriculum cycle brings a shift in position and a new word to build the week around. This week’s talking point across every program is “The Red Shield,” the symbol on every GB uniform, and it pairs with our word of the week: Discipline.
Discipline is what turns a single good class into a habit, and a habit into a black belt. It is showing up on the days you do not feel like it, drilling the position correctly instead of the way that is comfortable, and trusting that consistency beats intensity over a long enough timeline. Fitting, since it is also the word behind why the Red Shield means something. It was not handed out. It was earned through decades of people doing the unglamorous work, week after week.
What Everyone’s Working On
This week’s position focus is Side Mount, one of the most important control positions in the entire sport. If you can hold side mount, you control the pace of the fight. If you cannot escape it, you are stuck reacting to whatever your opponent decides to do next.
GB1 (Adults): The Details
For our adult Fundamentals and All Levels students, Week 2 is about ownership from top and bottom. From the top, that means holding the position with weight and structure rather than muscle, so control does not evaporate the moment someone bridges. From the bottom, it means learning the specific frames and hip movement that create the first inch of space needed to start an escape. Both sides of this position get equal attention this week, because in a real roll you will end up on both.
Kids Programs: Age by Age
- Tiny Champions and Little Champions: Side Mount shows up as a game this week, keeping a partner “stuck” with weight and balance rather than strength, which quietly builds the same base our adults are working on.
- Juniors and Teens: Older kids get a more technical breakdown of side mount control and the first escape option, plus a discussion tied to this week’s word: what discipline looks like away from the gym, in schoolwork, chores, and keeping promises to yourself.
GB2 and GB3: Trust the Process
For our more advanced students, this week’s material builds on the same Side Mount theme, but the specifics are left to your professor’s discretion based on what your group needs. If you are training in GB2 or GB3, come with the same mindset the word of the week is asking for: show up, do the work, and let the details come from the mat, not from a blog post.
What’s Coming Up
A few things worth putting on your calendar over the next couple of weeks:
- Friday, Sept 11 — Parents Night Out! Drop the kids off for an evening session while you get a night to yourselves.
- Friday, Sept 18 — GB Women’s Community Event, out at the Lone Tree Symphony.
- Sunday, Sept 27 — GB Community Event: Manitou Incline. Get off the mats and get outside with the team for one of Colorado’s toughest hikes.
Looking further out, October brings Pedro Marinho’s seminar (Oct 3) and our Fall Camp, running Oct 12 through 16 for kids over fall break.
See you on the mats this week. Show up on the days you do not feel like it. That is the whole point.
