Gracie Jiu Jitsu is called a gentle art and if you haven’t experience that or get injured a lot you may want to look at how you train and who you train with. Seriously if you are injured, you are off the mat and not progressing and that just sucks. Trying moves in a poor position and using to much muscle causes muscle strains, ligament, tendon damage and pinched nerves. The bigger picture with injuries is that it limits your movement, strength and function. For example, one way I have seen lots of guy hurt their lower back is by attempting a sweep when they are flat on their back and muscling the guy for the sweep. Remember guys and gals it is all about leverage and using your body mechanics inline with joint motion and using the technique at the right time. Being flat on your back or slightly on your side and attemping a sweep puts way to much pressure on all the joints involved. That means your back, hip, knee, elbow, shoulder and neck can be prone to a strain injury with poor technique and body mechcanics. Gracie Jiu Jitsu was developed so the smaller weaker guy can defeat a bigger stronger opponent. That means that leverage, timing and using your oppenents strength and weight against them is a key to proper technique and staying healthy to train another day.

There are so many different options of people to train with. Does that mean we train with everyone? I have worked on Gracie and BJJ practioners for over 15 years and I have seen top black belts with busted up bodies that can hardly train anymore. I found out that most of their injuries occurred from teaching private one on ones with white or blue belts or when rolling with lower belts or people much heavier or stronger. For me when I roll with someone new and they are trying to rip my head off or using too much strength or rolls like a spaz (wild and uncontrolled) I choose not to roll with them again. It is not worth the risk of injury and having to give up training as I heal. My goal is to limit my injuries and continue to improve in the sport I love. It is up to you who you decide to roll with. So watch people train and see how they roll to help determine if they would be a good training partner

Dr. Mark Armbruster, D.C.
www.armchiro.com

As young students tangle and contort on a floor of wall-to-wall mats, jiu-jitsu instructor Steve Hordinski watches and gently corrects the young combatants.

Hordinski, owner of Relson Gracie Colorado, is in the business of molding youngsters into more confident people, one technique at a time.

“We want to make an impact on the community in a positive way,” Hordinski said. “We want to teach leaders here.”

As one child loses a dominant position on her opponent, Hordinski barks for her to “pass the guard” — a process in which a combatant who sits astride his or her opponent transitions into a more dominant position.

Hordinski was born and raised in Colorado and studied martial arts as a kid. When he turned 18, he joined the Navy, and he began training with an instructor who had gained a black belt from 22-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu national champion Relson Gracie. Relson (pronounced “Hell-sohn”) is the second oldest son of Hélio Gracie, creator of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. His brothers include Rorion, a co-founder of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Rickson, Royler, and three-time UFC champion Royce.

After Hordinski’s time in the Navy, he began training in a Relson Gracie satellite school. In 1997, he began entering — and winning — competitions. This drew the attention of Relson, who invited Hordinski to begin a training regimen in Hawaii. By the time he left Hawaii, he had earned his brown belt, and upon leaving the Navy, he began realizing his dream of opening his own jiu-jitsu academy.

In 2010, Hordinski brought Relson Gracie satellite schools to Colorado, opening the Littleton location in March of that year. The academy has two other locations in Federal Heights and Brighton. In addition to Hordinski, the Littleton location has three kids coaches, a day instructor and several advanced students who assist with teaching.

The dozens of medals lining the walls of the lobby shine a light on Hordinski’s fighting prowess in the ring. Flags from Brazil, Hawaii and Colorado adorn the walls, and a solitary photograph of Hélio keeps sentinel over the academy.

“The spirit of Hélio Gracie is here, and we try to honor his art and all that he created,” Hordinski said.

The academy offers programs for adults, as well as for women’s self-defense. The school also offers a range of classes for children, including bullying prevention and self-defense courses.

Hordinski tries to maintain the techniques exactly how he learned them. “The same standards I was brought up under, I enforce that here,” he said. “Belts come when you’ve earned it rather than how much money you’ve paid me or classes (students have attended).

“It’s a long process. It can take 10 to 15 years — sometimes more — to be awarded your black belt from Relson, because he has very high standards.”

The school mostly focuses on self-defense techniques with an emphasis on leverage, timing and natural movements. The basic curriculum shows students where to put their hands and focuses on the fundamentals. The techniques work for smaller individuals who might be attacked by a much larger, stronger person. Unlike boxing, jiu-jitsu doesn’t rely on strength or athletic ability.

“Does this technique require us to use too much strength? If so, it isn’t the right technique for our system,” Hordinski said. “Our techniques are not based off strength, they are based off leverage.”

Students also learn to deal with adversity.

“When you have a kid who is constantly bullied and doesn’t want to go to school because he knows he’s going to be bullied, that’s all he is thinking about. They’re not thinking about their education; they’re walking around terrified.

“Bullying has a huge impact on kid’s development into adulthood.”

The curriculum helps young people build skills to defuse dangerous situations.

“Gracie jiu-jitsu is one of those ways to arm someone on how to deal with that, because you’re confident and you’re not worried about this guy hurting you.”

Building a better community, one grappler at a time | ColumbineCourier.com.

RGA Staff

Nick was a huge advocate for Professor Steve Hordinski bringing Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu to Colorado and developing the Relson Gracie Colorado Association. Over the last 4 years Nick has developed a close friendship with Professor Hordinski and currently trains under him as a Relson Gracie student.  Nick is proud to head up the Executive Team of Relson Gracie Colorado as Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is the purest form of Martial Arts Instruction available in the Rocky Mountain Region.

From a fundamentally sound and applicable self-defense curriculum that includes working with law enforcement, schools, women’s groups, and children to a world class competition team, Relson Gracie Colorado is Colorado’s community partner in self-defense and Jiu-Jitsu; and Nick is dedicated to making Relson Gracie Colorado the most prominent martial arts academy in the United States.

High School Wrestling 1996-1999
1998 – 4th in State
1999 – 3rd in State

Started training Jiu-Jitsu at the end of 2002
1st in Bud Cup GI 2003
1st in Bud Cup Beginner 2003
1st in Bud Cup GI 2004
2nd in Bud Cup Intermediate 2004

Received Blue Belt 2004
1st Grapplers Quest GI 7/17/2004
1st Grapplers Quest GI 11/12/2005
2nd Grapplers Quest Intermediate 11/12/2005

Received Purple Beginning of 2007
2nd Mudial’s Gi 2007
1st CO State Championships Absolute Gi
2nd Pans GI 2008

Received Brown Belt from Relson Gracie Jan 2009
3rd in Pans GI 2009
1st Naga Advanced 7/11/2009
2nd Naga Brown/Black GI 7/11/2009
1st Tournament of Champions 6 GI 1/23/2010

Jeff trains because he loves the technical aspects of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in addition to its practical applications in the real world. Jeff spent 4 years in the Army as an Infantry Rifleman, two of which with the 101st Airborne Division, and two with the Berlin Brigade. He also spent 6 months in the former Yugoslavia as a United Nations Peacekeeper.

Jeff has a BA from Metro State in German, and attended Graduate school at the University of Colorado.

Teaching is Jeff’s passion and he has been teaching various subjects for more than 15 years, including Driving, Juggling, Jiu-jitsu, Foreign Language, and Geography.

He has also traveled extensively, having visited 49 of the 50 states, and 35 countries, in addition to having lived in Europe, Australia, Japan and Alaska. Jeff’s hobbies include experimental architecture and building design using geometric polyhera, juggling, Japanese traditional braiding, reading, travel, studying languages, and learning new stuff every day!