Q: What's orange and sounds like a parrot? 

A: A carrot.

• Construction Update
  First off, thanks very much for your continued patience as we finish up the bits and pieces of the build-out. We know it's a mess at times and we appreciate you hanging in there. We're getting it done as fast as we can. We're all ears for suggestions about what you'd like to see around the academy. You can email or call, and please fill out the Student Survey below.  
• Welcome to New Students
  Remember how tough it was for you to start taking classes? Please help us welcome the new students by introducing yourself and making yourself available to answer questions. The strength of the academy is in the students. New students this month: 
  Eric L. , Jack M., Rhys P., Dan S., Colin B. 
• Etiquette: The Mat
  This month's etiquette reminder is about entering and leaving the mat. Traditionally, martial arts originating in east Asia were developed and taught in temples. As a result, the training area has always been considered somewhat sacred. What we do on the mat is special and very important. The tradition is to bow whenever you enter or leave the mat, to acknowledge that tradition and to show respect for the hard work that the generations of fellow students, and you, have put into their martial arts practice. The dojo is not just another room. The bow itself is quick and easy - face the mat, bow at the waste (no had gesture required) , no need to make a big deal out of it. The second part is that if you are late to class, please wait for the instructor to invite you into the class.  It really helps them to deliver the best class they can. Thanks for taking the time to uphold this these traditions. 
• New Classes
  If you haven't looked at the schedule in a while, we have added several new classes, particularly on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The schedule is posted here and is generally always up to date. We are always open to suggestions for adding new classes. While we cannot guarantee that we'll be able to do exactly what you want, we promise to do our best. When a new class is added, it's in a kind of probation period for the first few weeks. This helps make sure we're offering the classes that people actually want. if a class struggles to have good attendance, it's logical for us to assume it's not wanted and to remove it. If you really want to see a class stick around, vote with your attendance and ask your fellow students to attend. 
• One Person Class / Private Lesson
  FYI, if you are the only person that shows up for a scheduled class, don't expect the instructor to teach. That's because it's nearly impossible to teach Brazilian jiu jitsu to one person. The instructor cannot see what you are doing if you don't have someone else to perform the technique on. The same is true for lessons, which is why most instructors will require you to bring a partner for your private lesson. If you're solo for a class, the instructor may choose to train with you, may teach something, or may cancel the class altogether. Thanks for your understanding. 
• Membership Upgrade Deadline
  If you have a classes-per-week membership and are interested in upgrading to unlimited, please consider doing so before March 1. After March 1st you can still upgrade, but the discount will disappear. You are not required to upgrade - if you're happy where you are at, we're happy to have you there. 

Student Survey - Win a Starbucks Gift Card!