A Note From Professor Brian Phillips:
Around our one-year anniversary of opening Phillips Jiu Jitsu in Rancho Palos Verdes I carefully observed my student’s training, our competition team, as well as my son and myself. In doing so I asked myself what style and team would best represent Phillips Jiu Jitsu, and vice versa.
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As a coach it be can difficult because you want to share Jiu Jitsu with everyone, but within Jiu Jitsu there are many different facet’s and division’s . As a naturally more youth centered program but also serving the entire family; we have student’s just looking to gain more confidence, improve their fitness, and learn self-defense, and we have other student’s actively competing in competitions.
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As I was narrowing it down to a few team’s, one name kept coming up; Clark Gracie's Gracie Allegiance Team. Clark embodies all of our core principles of dynamic movement, balance, and pressure. Clark is a master of speed, flow, and style and has taken his Jiu Jitsu to the highest levels. He is also a finisher; meaning he seeks to finish fights by submission, not often by points. If you watch our competition team, this is our style as well, and we want to continue this philosophy of submission based Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. In addition to a dynamic and cinematic Jiu Jitsu style and flow, Clark Gracie is also class act human being. He is an exemplary father, husband, champion competitor, entrepreneur, and the founder of Gracie Allegiance.
I took my first Brazilian Jiu Jitsu classes at the Gracie Academy in Torrance, CA at the age of 16 but didn't stay long as I grew impatient with the number of classes needed before I could begin (sparring) rolling, and I had resistance towards the Gi at that time. I quickly transitioned to practicing fast paced MMA (NHB then) for the reminder of high school. I officially started my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu journey with the Gi on after I moved down to San Diego to attend college at Point Loma Nazarene University . I stayed in San Diego for five years, training BJJ for all five of years! During that time from 1997-2002 all the best Brazilians were going back and fourth from Brazil to San Diego. I had one the best formative Brazilian Jiu Jitsu educations you could ask for! I trained regularly with the likes of world champion Fernando "Margarida' Pontes, Nei Seida, Helder Menez, Odie Neto, Arthur Ruff, Samuel Puccio, and several Carlson Gracie black belts who came back and fourth from Brazil. I spent all five years training out of one location that changed several hands and ultimately became Rodrigo Medeiros' Pacific Beach Fight Center. I trained for several years at PB Fight Center primarily in Professor Arthur Ruff's day class. A few years after I left San Diego, Clark Gracie came on strong in the BJJ Competition scene training out of Rodrigo Medeiros Academy. I proudly followed Clark's career having trained at the same academy.
In the summer of 2006, while attending a Graduate School preparatory program in San Francisco a unique opportunity to train in San Fransisco came about. I was curious about Clark's father Carley Gracie having brought up such a strong Jiu Jitsu pedigree, that I took the opportunity to train with Clark's father who is the second son of Gracie Jiu Jitsu founder Carlos Gracie. It was an amazing opportunity to train with Carley Gracie and Clark's talented younger brother Ralston Gracie. Years later after studying Clark’s game, having both rained at Rodrigo Medeiros Academy, and having had the unique opportunity to train with Clark's father Carley Gracie it has all come full circle to have my son, and my team now competing and growing under the guidance of Clark Gracie's team; Clark Gracie Jiu Jitsu- Gracie Allegiance.
Throughout my own personal journey in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, while I was training at different schools and teams in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, New Orleans, and New York, my major critique was all the school’s were divided into one of two ways of training and teaching. They were either Sport Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or Fundamental Self-Defense Gracie Jiu Jitsu that didn't participate in competition's and the growth and evolution of sport. It always seemed to be a one-or-the-other mentality.
Starting my own school I always viewed myself as a hybrid of the two; Fundamental Self-Defense Gracie Jiu Jitsu & Sport Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Clark Gracie’s; Gracie Allegaince is one of the few teams/associations that’s stays true to his family’s original aspects of the Core Fundamental Self-Defense Gracie Jiu Jitsu, but also focuses heavily on the modern day Sport Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, encouraging students to test and refine their game through competition.
We are very grateful to Clark & Fernanda Gracie, and all of the Gracie Allegaince Team for welcoming Philips Jiu Jitsu. As a part of Gracie Allegiance we will do our best to bring our community the highest quality of curriculum, a positive and encouraging atmosphere in-line with Gracie Allegiance, as well as regular access to seminars and workshops with Gracie Allegiance Team Member's and Competitor's. We also have the opportunity to train and compete alongside Clark Gracie's Competition Team. We are very honored to represent as Gracie Allegiance Rancho Palos Verdes.
Sincerely,
Brian Phillips, 1st Degree Professor
Gracie Allegiance RPV- Phillips Jiu Jitsu