OEL Club Badge - Worn on uniform
OEL Ju Jitsu is part of Jikishin Ju Jitsu Association and the British Ju Jitsu Association Governing Body It is also ClubSX Accredited [Gold Award].
BJJA is the national ju jitsu governing body, therefore any British ju jitsu club should be part of BJJA - more than anything as an assurance of quality and for insurance purposes.
ClubSX is an award scheme run by Essex County Council as a means of giving accreditation to smaller sports clubs in the Essex region. OEL is one such receiver of a ClubSX Gold award.
If you would like to come along to any of our clubs and start to learn some of the self defence basics then you are more than welcome to give it a try.
Classes usually consist of a good hard warm-up, mainly aimed at building strength, speed and endurance, as well as preparing for the rest of the class. Warm-ups are usually followed by some basic training, teaching techniques and principles. For the rest of the class, students may get on with their own training, be it syllabus work, competition work; you may even be asked to help teach others.
Junior classes are much the same in content, but much less physically rigourous. The very dangerous techniques have been removed from the junior syllabus to ensure safety. A core element of junior classes are the games at the beginning and end of classes. For example, lessons may begin with a game of football on the mat, and end with a game of bulldog. OEL is priveliged to have such a variety of imaginative games [which may include: mat football, dodgeball, bulldog, shark-attack, 1-2-3, splat, and more], and any new ideas are welcome. The aim of these games is to teach various principles in an exciting manner, such as personal co-ordination, teamwork and strategic thinking.
As well as regular classes on Fridays, Mondays and Sundays, there are many other events such as gradings, courses, competitions, parties and fun days-out. These are open to anyone who trains at OEL, though many events require a Budo Pass - a Ju Jitsu Licence, which is essential for all ju jitsu training; however you are welcome to train for a few weeks before deciding to take out a licence and continue training.
Some of the ju jitsu basics that you will learn in your first lessons may include:
- Breakfalling: Methods of safely hitting the ground whilst minimising injury.
- Striking: Learning the most effective methods of attacking and counter-attacking an opponent.
- Basic Technique: You will start to learn some of the basic techniques of ju jitsu fairly early on, including basic locks, holds and throws. Before long, you will be starting on your first belt.
- Familiarity: One of the biggest advantages you can gain from Martial Arts training is familiarity with combat situations. Most people panic when confronted, and then adrenaline takes over, often hindering your abilities. If you can keep your composure during a fight and concentrate on what you are doing, then you immediately have a big advantage.
