I’m starting a series of articles featuring different Martial Arts schools around the country.  In this first installment we will be looking at Yamasaki Woodbridge, run by Instructor Joe Cunningham.

Preparing for class

Yamasaki Woodbridge is part of the Yamasaki Academy, the first Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu Academy in the Maryland/DC/Virginia area.  While the Yamasaki Academy itself offers Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu, Thai Boxing, and Capoeira classes, Yamasaki Woodbridge is dedicated to Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu.

I was fortunate enough to be allowed to stop by during a class to meet Joe and to take some pictures.  What I found when I arrived was a first-rate program.

The very first thing I noticed about the school was how friendly everyone was.  The students were not just peers, they were friends.  Not only that, but they were extremely welcoming towards newcomers.  Not only was I there, taking pictures and being obtrusive – there were also several new and visiting students.  This didnt phase anyone.  Joe greeted us all with a smile and a warm handshake, and tried his best to make us feel at home.

Instructor Joe Assisting Students

The class began, as most Martial Arts classes do, with some basic warmup exercises.  However, unlike many schools I’ve been to, these were not designed to take your body to the breaking point.  These exercises were there to give you a workout, but still leave you ready for more – ready for the remainder of the class.  They also taught you skills you would need on the mat.  Once that was finished, class began in proper.

Normally, at this point, an instructor would be forced to deal with the new students.  Do you sacrifice the training of the older students to accomodate the newer ones?  Or the other way around?  Joe, it seems, has a better solution: Teach something that is new to everyone.  While this may seem obvious, it is something very rarely done.  However, Joe does it exceptionally well.

Demonstrating for a student

The instruction piece of class begins to wind down.  Joe has one more item to attend to: sparring.  Unfortunately, time did not allow me to stay and watch.  My time visiting Yamasaki Woodbridge was an eye-opening experience.  I had never been a fan of grappling, and would never have considered attending a Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu School.  At least, until I visited Yamasaki Woodbridge and met Joe Cunningham.  With more schools like this one, and more instructors like him, I just might become a convert.