Murphy Etiquette, consistency respect and self control. These four principals apply to more than just the martial art of Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Murphy’s own BJJ gym, Family Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Center, opened in 2024. It strives to make an impact in the community, introducing Murphy and surrounding areas to the art of BJJ.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a martial art and leading self-defense system where the main component in grappling. They also focus on various grappling transitions and movements, as well as submissions. BJJ can be intertwined with other martial arts just as wrestling and judo.
The origin of jiu-jitsu started in Brazil, when the Gracie brothers were taught Japanese judo. The Gracie family later developed what they had learned into their own self-defense system and martial art.
BJJ practitioners typically wear a gi, which was adapted from judo for jiu-jitsu. Martial arts practitioners in karate and taekwondo also wear their own variation of a gi.
‘Hooked in that moment’
The Cherokee Scout spoke with the owner and head coach, professor Vincent Werner, about the benefits of BJJ, why children should get involved with the martial art and his story.
Werner got into Brazilian jiu-jitsu 25 years ago, when he joined a class in Boca Raton, Fla.
“There was an academy down in Boca Raton, Fla., it was a Gracie academy, and I saw what they were doing, but it kind of looked fake-ish. Like, they were making it look way too easy, so I tried it out,” Werner said.
“The instructor allowed me to do the position they were training that day. I did both stage. I did from mount position and vice versa, where I had him mounted thinking I could hold him down, and the reversal that they did just blew my mind. I realized this was an actual, real martial art, so I got hooked in that moment.”
After visiting Cherokee County, he felt a BJJ academy could benefit the area.
“We had been praying that we would be led to a place where we could impact the community and one of my students in south Florida happens to have a house up here, so we visited during Thanksgiving about two years ago and we fell in love with Murphy. We realized nobody here has a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy, at least not close by and we felt like it could benefit the community,” Werner said.
‘Calmed me down’
Werner loves the art of jiu-jitsu, saying he will do it no matter where he goes. He knows the positive effects of BJJ, which changed his life.
“We’ll take that to Murphy and give it to them,” he said.
The benefits of BJJ are not just physical, but also mental. To Werner, it benefits everything, which he has seen in other people as well.
“For me, I already knew how to fight, but it actually calmed me down so it gave me more of a serenity and a more peaceful day-to-day existence. In my journey what I’ve seen with other people, anything from losing weight to health reasons where it improves their health. I’ve seen people make some of the most meaningful friendships and relationships with the people they meet on the mats,” Werner said.
“It benefits everybody in some kind of way inside that scope. Not just physically, but emotionally and I’d even say spiritually because I’ve seen people who have had suppressed feelings or maybe they felt powerless and so they’re able to release it here and it just rebuilds them from the inside out and it’s awesome.”
Werner said it’s important for children to get involved with BJJ. Kids as young as 4 years old can take classes at Murphy Family Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Center.
“One of our goals is to help character development here. You see on that sign there are four principals, which we incorporate into our belt system. Etiquette, consistency, respect and self-control. We’ve got a generation of kids that have never learned any of those things. Those principles have saved my life on more than one occasion,” Werner said.
“Outside of the physical aspect, I also believe the kids should have a way to protect themselves intelligently. Brazilian jiu-jitsu does not require violence to protect yourself, it requires self control to protect yourself. It’s the perfect art to teach kids because you don’t have to strike anybody, you don’t have to break anybody’s face. It’s perfect for kids.”
‘Everybody should try it’
For those who are unsure or are on the fence about Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Werner said everyone should try it.
“You do have to find an academy where you feel like you’re at home. You can’t go join somewhere where you don’t feel safe, or where there are monsters who are looking to bite off a piece of you. At our jiu-jitsu center, everybody is invited to do a free class. Once somebody tries it, that’s when they should make the decision,” he said.
“Everybody should try it.”
Werner also used the analogy of someone who never tries a new food; they won’t know if they like it or not.
Werner does BJJ as his main martial art over others because he said it’s the quickest, easiest and most effective way to learn a martial art. He added that the key is to be able to defend yourself without necessarily hurting the other person.
“Brazilian jiu-jitsu affords you the ability to intelligently defend yourself without doing something that could get you into trouble. I do muay Thai as well; however, if i bust somebody’s teeth out, even if I’m in the right, it’s going to have a big consequence. Brazilian jiu-jitsu, you’re able to gauge the level of defense or offense that you need to apply in a situation,” Werner said.
“Also, you don’t have to be this physical specimen, this beast of a person. You have small people who excel at a better rate than physically superior people. So, literally a woman has as much a chance of applying a choke as I do, and maybe even better because their arms are smaller, so it’s a little bit easier.”
His favorite thing about BJJ is the friendships he has made and said he has decades-old friendships because of Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Murphy Family Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Center offers classes for ages 4-17 as well as adult.
Details: Visit familybjjcenter.com.