Why are we called IPD?

When picking a name for our school my original intent was to have a name that represented what we delivered.  We taught Kali, Boxing, Muay Thai and Grappling.  Pretty clear right?  Integrating different martial arts for the purpose of personal defense.  The problem was people really didn’t understand what they were getting.  Was it boxing? Was it Kali? All of it?  The program wasn’t taking off.  So as a business owner you have to analyze and change anything that isn’t working.  More people were attending the Jiu-Jitsu classes than the integrated classes so the decision was clear.  We became a full time Jiu-Jitsu academy!  Fast forward 5 years and we are now 150 members strong across all platforms.  We have many different personalities in our program.  We have analyticals, pragmatics, amiables, extraverts and introverts.   We also have a broad range of professions.  Such as HVAC, doctors, recruiters, supervisors, students, laborers, graphic designers, electricians and carpenters.

 Our name IPD has taken on a whole new meaning. 

Integrated:  Yes we are, with all of the different personality types and professions we are certainly integrated.  The old saying says “surround yourself with people on the same mission.”  It’s amazing to me that a doctor, electrician and a recruiter can all be on the same mission.  But we are! we all want to be the best we can be and Jiu-Jitsu helps brings greatness out of all of us. 

Personal:  What could be more personal than art.  Your Jiu-Jitsu is your own personal art.  No one will have the same combinations as you and no one will approach the roll as you do.  Jiu-Jitsu is super personal because the battle is you vs. you.  How many times have you gotten home from work and didn’t want to go to training?  How many times have you gotten to the gym and were nervous to walk in?  How many times have you been submitted, worked over and wanted to quit?  You need to push through and understand that it’s you vs. you out there and all you need to do is be better than you were yesterday.

Defense:  This one is pretty self explanatory. Jiu-Jitsu is first and foremost self-defense.  Jiu-Jitsu was created by the Samurai in ancient Japan as a martial art and a way of life.  But…Jiu-Jitsu is also a sport.  The sport side of Jiu-Jitsu is a lot of fun and a great way to exercise but it should never be forgotten that Jiu-Jitsu is for self-preservation.  

In closing, Jiu-Jitsu is what you want it to be.  It could be a social thing.  It could be a way to relieve stress.  It could be for sport and self-defense. It could also be therapy for some people.  People, people is what makes IPD, we are integrated in a way that promotes self improvement.  We embrace the personal side of the art and make it unique.  The defense part can take on many meanings.  Are we defending ourselves from physical harm?  Or are we defending ourselves from that insidious thing called anxiety?  It’s understood that if we are going to conquer something we have to face it head on.  Keep training, keep facing the fears and keep moving forward.

Todd