Olaf Growald
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Close Combat: Zombie Krew Jiu Jitsu - Reader Pick: Fitness Program | Mitsuyo Maeda brought jiujitsu to Brazil in 1914 and shared his knowledge with the country’s martial artists, including the prominent political family, the Gracies. While the standard art of jiujitsu calls for throws and stand-up grappling, the version popularized by the Gracies — and can now be seen most weeks if you tune-in to UFC or mixed martial arts — emphasizes ground fighting and holds. In contrast to the typical karate you see in Bruce Lee flicks, there’s no knifehand striking wooden boards or delivering roundhouse kicks to the face. Instead, opponents contort their bodies and their limbs to achieve holds that result in submissions.
Olaf Growald
This is the version taught at Zombie Krew Jiu Jitsu, a facility that offers self-defense training in North Fort Worth. The space is unassuming, tucked away in a stone and stucco clad strip mall. But, inside, patrons are learning ancient self-defense strategies that promote health and safety and build confidence.
“Our whole point is to teach kids and adults self-defense,” Jorge Perez, owner of Zombie Krew, says. “A lot of police officers and firefighters come to our gym to use it for their line of work. It basically teaches you how to subdue an opponent or a violent person without having to throw strikes or any kind of lethal blows. It teaches you how to use leverage and technique over strength.”
Perez, a local Fort Worthian, first got turned on to Brazilian jiujitsu after attending a class with a friend who was a military vet.
Olaf Growald
“I went with him, got put to sleep by a little tiny woman — she was probably 125 pounds, and I was probably 270 — and after that I was hooked,” Perez says.
She literally made him pass out, and after he came to, he was fascinated as to how someone so small could have so much power; he’s now been practicing Brazilian jiujitsu for 15 years.
Perez eventually opened Zombie Krew four years ago and sees the positive effects it has on his clients every day.
“It’s amazing what [jiujitsu] does,” Perez says. “It builds confidence, the ability to lose weight, gain strength, mobility, and flexibility. Just to see someone come in the first day who’s shy and has little confidence and to later hear about them standing up for themselves — I think that’s pretty much why I do what I do.”
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Olaf Growald
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