HJJ Woolloomooloo
PCYC City of Sydney
Cnr Cathedral & Riley St
Woolloomooloo NSW 2011
Mon – Fri: 6:30am – 9pm
Saturday: 9am – 2pm
Sunday: 10am – 12pm
HJJ Woolloomooloo
PCYC City of Sydney
Cnr Cathedral & Riley St
Woolloomooloo NSW 2011
Mon – Fri: 6:30am – 9pm
Saturday: 9am – 2pm
Sunday: 10am – 12pm
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Off the Scroll Holes and Onto the Mats
/by John SmalliosYou open your eyes from sleep in the morning. No one watches and your phone is there, so you jump on and have a look. Your thumb moves to Instagram, and then to Facebook, and then your emails. You mindlessly scroll for a few minutes, and you’re ready to jump out of bed. Not much […]
So Is It Concepts or Technique?
/by John SmalliosLots of debate abounds about the most effective way to learn – is it concepts or techniques? Our priority is learning, and we say it’s both!
A No Brainer. Welcome to the Inner West!
/by John SmalliosI was born in Earlwood, Sydney. I went to Earlwood Public for my primary school years. Then after a couple years at a high school in unlucky St George Dragons territory :) I relocated and spent my best schooling years at Casimir Catholic College Marrickville. The first time I moved out of my parents’ house, […]
Higher Jiu Jitsu Sydenham – Coming Soon!!
/by John SmalliosThere is something serious brewing on the Higher front, and I can’t help but get it out to you, so please read on! How it all Started It was February of 2014 when I walked into PCYC City of Sydney for the first time ever. A catch up was in order with my new mate […]
Why Aren’t Australia’s Police Training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?
/by John SmalliosThis week, HBO aired a story on the Gracie Academy’s GST program for law enforcement in the US. The 17 minute video highlights one main problem of policing- not enough training to do their job effectively. Officers with limited training and resources are more likely to feel threatened or angry and use excessive force. Brazilian […]
Jiu Jitsu is Self Defence
/by John SmalliosJiu jitsu is many things to many people. Considering the exploding popularity of competition BJJ, the strategy and techniques of jiu jitsu for self defence are becoming more elusive and almost forgotten. But not here at Higher! The fact that our lineage includes the likes of Master Pedro Sauer, GM Rickson Gracie, and GM Helio […]
HJJ Stories – Brad Hampson
/by John SmalliosBrad came to Sydney from Perth in 2018 looking for a place to learn jiu jitsu, and a community to grow with. He intended to look around and try a few different gyms across the Sydney CBD. He did one class with Higher Jiu Jitsu at the legendary PCYC City of Sydney, and immediately signed […]
Self Defence Basics for Women
/by John SmalliosJiu jitsu is self defence, even when it isn’t. In a standard jiu jitsu class room you see people of all shapes and sizes learning the art of jiu jitsu. Lots of the time this means learning moves to grapple against another practitioner who also knows how to grapple. When the art is practiced like […]
Armbar Drill to Tight Armbars from Guard
/by John SmalliosHere is a drill we do at Higher Jiu Jitsu during guard and armbar practice. It involves a partner acting like a table top. It is best to have your wrists a little further apart than shoulder width, and ideally your fingers are inward facing so that your elbows are outward facing. From the bottom […]
The Superknot Belt Tie Courtesy of the Panza
/by John SmalliosYou gi up and tie your belt. Then a few hip escapes into the warm up and your basic belt tie is unravelling. Time after time after time after time you need to stop what you’re doing and tie up your belt, yet again. So annoying! Well time for that is up :) Mr Panza […]
#039 To the Telos – When There’s No Jiu Jitsu
/by John SmalliosSo there’s a nasty virus lingering around the world having come from bats or from labs and it’s yuck and the government gets worried and now we’re in a lock down and it’s all weird and we can’t train jiu jitsu. Covid or not, life is full of curve balls and this is another one […]
#037 What We Wish We Knew Before Starting Jiu Jitsu
/by John SmalliosWe did a survey asking our students what they wish they knew before starting jiu jitsu. Matty and I come together to record a discussion based around these responses. Novan Pradhika “As a beginner I wish I knew that not all schools approach jiu jitsu the same way. And that not all schools teach […]
#029 To Compete or Not to Compete?
/by John SmalliosThey say pressure makes diamonds. So are the joys of jiu jitsu locked in competition, now and forever? Or can we enjoy jiu jitsu and learn and flourish on the mats and off, without the rigours of competition? This article discusses the pros and cons of competition and how you can think about it to do it better.
Help Me I Got Choked Out.
/by John SmalliosNot everything will go your way. Sometimes there’s nothing to do but accept this, move on, and try again, no matter what. So never mind getting choked. Enjoy jiu jitsu, stay on the mats, and learn for life.
Trim The Branches off your Upa, with Science – By Nick Avery
/by John SmalliosThe Upa, or Bridge & Roll The Upa is an incredibly powerful and useful technique. Sometimes it feels like we need all our strength to escape a mounted opponent. If we break down the mechanics, we will see that one little movement will make a big difference. The major movement of the Upa is the […]
How Knee on Belly Control Works – Nick Avery
/by John Smallios~Discomfort is not caused by weight, it is caused by Pressure.~ If I want my opponent to be so focused on the discomfort I’m causing that they forget they own a neck and arms, I need pressure. Pressure (P) is defined as Force (F) divided by Area (A). A bed of nails doesn’t kill people due to […]
Gracie Jiu Jitsu is a Science – By Nick Avery
/by John SmalliosGracie Jiu Jitsu is a Martial Science Jiu- Jitsu a bit of both art (mistranslated from technique) and science. Gracie jiu jitsu applies one thing that separates it from most martial arts: The Scientific Method. Source Wikipedia Via: Thebiologyprimer.com The scientific method is the single most important methodology for improving, well just about anything. Start with a […]
Get Young People Active – On the Spark Program
/by John SmalliosThe Spark Program is Higher Jiu Jitsu’s way of providing the life skills of jiu jitsu to the underprivileged kids of our community.
How to Visit Another School and Feel Good About It
/by John SmalliosWith a few pointers your visit to another school doesn’t need to ruffle any feathers. Here is how you can travel to different schools and have fun, and learn and be nice to everyone around you.
You Can’t Manage What You Can’t Measure. So How Do you Measure Jiu Jitsu?
/by John SmalliosCounting how many submissions happen per class is one way to measure progress. But it’s definitely not the only way, or the best way. Here are some other more relevant ways to measure your progress on the mats.
The Good Life of Jiu Jitsu? Here’s the Secret.
/by John SmalliosIm amongst all the resources to learn jiu jitsu, there is one elusive trait that’s needed throughout the journey to getting better at jiu jitsu. Practice this, and you’re on course to being at your best.