NO CLASS MONDAY, FEB 18, due to early facilities closing. Next class: WED., FEB 20.

AJJ Self Defense Club
Fall/Spring/IAP Term 2007/2008 Hours
(September 5, 2007 - June 2008)

* Advanced class and grappling class require instructor permission to attend. If you are not a regular club member, please contact
self-defense@mit.edu.

We are welcoming new students all the time! Come Mondays and Wednesdays at 9pm.

Click here for the American Jiu Jitsu Tri-Fold Brochure

The intro course is intended for incoming or continuing students WITHOUT self-defense experience (Undergrad and Grad.). (For those with previous experience, please see below.)

Introduction to Jiu Jitsu Self Defense
(Begins Jan 7, 2008)
DuPont Wrestling Room

Specialized courses offered by our instructors:

Self Defense for Everyone (PE): An introduction to the fundamentals of physical and mental self defense. Approximately half of this course is dedicated to violence prevention, de-escalation, confrontation avoidance, and how criminals select victims; the other half is dedicated to the development of physical self-defense skills. This class covers the four stages of a potential altercation: Developing Pre-Altercation Awareness and Avoidance, Learning to Perform Pre-Altercation Assessment and De-escalation, Developing Physical Techniques to Quickly End an Altercation, Learning What to do Afterwards. This course is for PE credit. Participants may miss up to one class to receive PE credit.

Self Defense: Defense Against Weapons This course covers basic self-defense skills. Optional practices will be held on Saturdays from 3-6pm. We will be focusing on practical ground fighting skills; defense from knife, gun, and blunt-weapons; and multiple attacks. Classes are only open to MIT community members with valid athletics cards. IAP Classes are free for all participants. This series is designed for men and women without previous weapon-defense experience. Advanced classes are also offered. No real weapons are allowed on the mat.

Students WITH self-defense experience (Undergrad, Grad., and Post. Docs.): For those with previous experience, you are welcome to attend any AJJ class. Anyone with a background in Jujitsu, Jujutsu, Jiu Jitsu, Krav Maga, or other self-defense-centric art is welcome to attend. We have or have had many members with significant previous experience in Tae Kwon Do, Karate, Judo, Aikido, Filipino Stick, Hapkido, Kickboxing, MMA, Wrestling, Krav Maga, Gung Fu, and in Military and Police techniques. We welcome your knowledge and enthusiasm.

If you are interested in finding out more about the American Jiu Jitsu Self-Defense Club at MIT, or are wondering how training with us might benefit your previous/continuing training, please contact the head instructor at self-defense@mit.edu (MIT-affiliates only).

AJJ Self Defense Club
Fall/Spring/IAP Term 2007/2008 Hours
(September 5, 2007 - June 2008)

You can also check out the FYSM video: (wmv)

Download the fall/summer intro syllabus here (this is very similar to the Jiu-Jitsu PE Phys. Ed. Curriculum): (pdf)

Incoming Freshman and Graduate Students click here for commonly asked questions about Jiu Jitsu and the Martial Arts at MIT...

Who We Are:

American Jiu-Jitsu Club has been at MIT since 1994. We learn and practice self-defense. Jiu-Jitsu, or the Gentle Art, consists of a wide variety of techniques: joint locks, submission holds, throws, strikes, weapons, ground-defense, and weapons defense - not to mention de-escalation techniques and talking techniques. Jiu-Jitsu does not rely on brute strength, but rather on flexible response and the use of an attacker's own energy. Jiu-Jitsu prepares a person for any situation, including stand-up and ground fighting, knife attacks, and multiple attacks.

More importantly, however, Jiu-Jitsu brings mind, body and spirit together, and teaches one how to avoid fighting and how to interact better with people in everyday life. It is the development of a strong spirit which makes one a true martial artist. An individual with strong spirit will have the insight to unify mind and body, the discipline to build a powerful body, and the determination of succeed in life.

Where We Practice:

Classes are ONLY open to members of the MIT community with athletics cards. While we have many MIT staff and faculty members as well as spouses and alumni, our primary focus is always on the MIT students. We were founded by students and pride ourselves in being a student-run, student-lead organization. We meet in the Wrestling Room on the 2nd floor of DuPont Gym during the Fall and Spring terms (that's Building W32 on the map). If you have any questions, first read the FAQ, then feel free to contact Sensei Dave Dunmeyer.

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© David Dunmeyer, 2003, 2004, 2005