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2 Guard Passes: Jiu-Jitsu Matrix De La Riva Guard Pass

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Comment below! Let us know what you thought of this video.

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Posted in Beginner tips, jiujitsu matrix, Techniques, Videos | Tagged | Leave a comment

Tim Carpenter beats Daniel Gracie in Bellator!

Tim Carpenter beats Danial Gracie

Tim Carpenter beats Danial Gracie

Team Balance is proud to announce the win of our own Tim Carpenter in the first round of the Bellator Fighting Championships Light Heavyweight Tournament on Saturday night! He continued his undefeated streak by defeating Daniel Gracie by split decision and now is 7-0-0 for his professional record.

Tim faced a tough opponent in legendary Daniel Gracie of Team Renzo Gracie. We were hoping that Tim didn’t have to face Gracie until a later round, but we understand that sometimes your opponents are your friends. Because of Daniel’s excellent background and family lineage, we knew that Tim was in for a challenging fight. Tim faced the fight with the utmost respect an admiration for his opponent and trained accordingly. Spending 2-3 hours daily with National champion wrestlers, Olympic caliber Thai boxers, and of course, Relson Gracie 4th and 3rd degree BJJ Black Belts and Balance owners Phil and Ricardo Migliarese, Tim was ready for stand up, ground fighting and even the amazing Jiu Jitsu from a Gracie legend.

We are all excited as we anticipate the next round of the Bellator Tournament and continue to support Tim in his efforts to become the Bellator Season 4 Light Heavyweight Champion! If you missed the fight, you can view it here:

Check out the fight: 

Round 1:
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Round 2:
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Round 3:
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Posted in Competition Results, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), MMA Fight Results, Philly, Team Balance Results, Videos | Tagged | Leave a comment

Nice testimonial for Balance Studios on Yelp!

Special thanks to Jooyoung Lee for sharing his positive experience with Balance studios on Yelp. Thanks!

Here’s the review:

“The sign at the front entrance really captures the spirit of this place: “Please leave your shoes and ego at the door.”

This is an amazing place to learn BJJ.  As a beginner, I was impressed with how much time instructors spend on learning techniques.  Each of the instructors are eager to help and encourage you to ask questions.  I have never felt like I was asking a “dumb” question here.  This is very different from the previous place I learned BJJ, in which people are thrown into rolling and drills with more experienced people on day one.  Although this is a great way to get into shape, it was frustrating and lead to a number of preventable injuries.   Balance has a very different approach to beginning instruction: They focus on technique and foundation.  I found my time in this class very useful, as it allowed to figure out a few basic things that have resurfaced in the advanced class.

The social environment is also a plus: Everyone who trains here–from the casual person to seasoned MMA fighters–are very down-to-earth and humble.  Like most gyms, Balance has a social scene off the mats.  Often, you can find people sitting around, rolling, and sharing information about BJJ and other martial arts.  This makes for a great place to learn and develop as a martial artist.

Lastly, one thing that is also great about this place: They have a very flexible schedule.  The advanced class has multiple sessions per day, which makes it easy to fit a great BJJ workout into a busy schedule.

In general, if you’re interested in a great and fun place to learn BJJ, Balance is your place.”

Posted in balance, Beginner tips, Testimonials | Leave a comment

Relson Gracie surprise class tonight! Yes, tonight! (only 25 bucks!)

Our instructor, Master Relson Gracie made a surprise visit to Philadelphia yesterday. He stopped by to test my brother and I for a new stripe promotion on our black belts. My brother Ricardo will be testing for his 3rd degree and I will be testing for my 4th degree. We are honored to have him here and to have the chance for him to improve our techniques.

This test requires us to show him all of his father’s (Grand Master Helio Gracie) self-defense techniques from the feet and on the ground. There are more than 200 techniques that we have to show him! And we are ready! I can’t tell you how excited I am!

When Rick and I got our black belts, Master Relson required us to show him ALL of the techniques in his father’s system. We both spent hours demonstrating the hundreds of techniques that we had learned over a twenty year period. Relson strictly  follows his father’s methods of practicing and teaching Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Master Relson will be presenting us with our new black belt degrees at 8:30 pm tonight. (After the clinic)

I hope that you all can make it out on such short notice!

RELSON GRACIE 1 HOUR CLINIC + Migliarese Bros Stripe Promotion ($25)

Just show up! No registration.

Where:

Balance Studios
108-114 Bonsall st
Phila Pa 19103
Phone: 215-636-9661

When: Tonight @ 7:30 !

Price: Only $25 bucks!

Uniform: Gi

 

Here is our tribute to Helio Gracie (these are some of the moves that we have to do)

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A few pics with Relson and Helio Gracie


 

 

 

 

 

 


Posted in Belt Promotions, Photos, Seminars, Videos | Leave a comment

Belt promotions list (Sat, March 26, 2011)

We will be updating this page often. We have a ton of blue and purple belts coming up. Check back often!

MORE NAMES COMING SOON…

Black Belts
Jimmy Morrison

Brown Belts

Pat Vacanti

Purple Belts
Caleb Seufert

John Marble (inside control)

Charles Wise (KJJ)

Blue Belts

Esther Gregorio-Harris

Rami Akkeh

Adrian Accay

Mike Johnson

Ryan Crawford

Jeff Marsten (inside control)

Terry Harmon (KJJ)

Brad Jackson (KJJ)

Jim Wallash (KJJ)

Nick Catanoso (KJJ)

Danny Moore (KJJ)

Stripes

Blue Belt 4 stripe-Karen Temple

Blue Belt 2 stripe Adam Coleman

Blue Belt 2 stripe Brady Noll

Blue Belt 2 stripe Sam Anderson

Blue Belt 2 stripe-Charles “Chuck” Stevens

Blue Belt 1 stripe-Kevin Outten

Blue Belt 1 stripe-Eric Lowery

Blue Belt 1 stripe-Bill Brennan

 

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Royce Gracie Seminar-get it while you can! (april 30th)

Royce Gracie PhiladelphiaRoyce Gracie Seminar

Royce Gracie will be giving a seminar at Balance Studios for the first time ever on April 30, 2011. Make sure that you get your space.! This thing is going to sell out quickly!

Limited to 50 people in each course That means that we have 100 spaces total.
(100 spaces fill up quickly)

Make sure that you go to balance in center city and get you spot.

We will not be saving spaces over the phone or on the internet. So, you need to go to Balance and pay before your spot is confirmed.

Date:
Saturday, April 30, 2011

Place:
Balance Studios
108-114 Bonsall st
Phila, PA 19103
215-636-9661

Times:
12-2pm  Gi (SOLD OUT)
2-4pm No-Gi (20 more spots)

Price: (cash only)
$65 for a 2-hour course
$130 for the full 4-hour course



Posted in Seminars | Leave a comment

Our first logo in 2002

Wow, this was our logo in 2002 when we first opened our doors. Our first sign still hangs on the back of our building on 24th street.

What are your thoughts on this logo? I think that we should do a shirt for “old times sake”.

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We just made it to a 5 STAR rating on google… Woooo!

Thank you so much for your continuing support over the last 8 years. Everyday we work to deliver the best instruction and atmosphere in Philly.

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Watch Balance Fighter Marc Stevens on Strikeforce this Saturday

Watch Balance Fighter Marc Stevens on Strikeforce this Saturday on HD Net starting at 7:30 PM. The Main card will be on Showtime at 10:00 PM/ET
THE BOUTS:
Marc Stevens (12-5; New York, New York) vs John Cholish (5-1; Hoboken, New Jersey)– 155 lbs
Also, make sure that you watch Sam Oropeza’s fight! Sam has been training a lot with Team Balance.
Sam Oropeza (4-1; Briarcliff, Pennsylvania) vs Don Carlo-Clauss (6-3; Rochester, New York) – 170 lbs
Posted in balance, Matrix MMA Fights, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), Team Balance Results | Leave a comment

Just train!

Jiujitsu is pretty amazing. To one person it can be a sport, to another a means of defending oneself. To another it is an art form and someone else might see it as a way to keep in shape. You can break it all down to the most microscopic pieces imaginable and study it like a science or you can just train and drill and be very physical about it. There is something for almost everyone in Jiujitsu training.

I tend to shift back and forth between obsessing over the technical minutae, getting super into the sport of it and just enjoying the feeling and the “art” of it. I like to think about it….a lot….way more than I should sometimes.

There’s a time and a place for the analysis, the study, the drilling and the rest of it. I get lost sometimes in studying video or obsessing over where my thumb goes or if my weight should be over the diaphragm or the chest. Sometimes this is all too much, sometimes it’s best to just shut up and train.

Sometimes I need to shut off the videos, put down the notebooks, forget about the game plans, the strategies and the technical nuances and just train without thinking. Just enjoy rolling and flowing from move to move, from defending to attacking, just moving. Having fun with Jiujitsu, just playing like a little kid, without artifice or design.

Lol, time to go train.

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