At Aces Jiu Jitsu Club we are BIG on giving back to our community and doing our part to EMPOWER our community. When you train with us, you not only have the opportunity to grow and make a positive impact in your own life – you have the power to impact all of those around you! Take a look at these 5 ways you can GIVE BACK while having fun with us below!
#1 Sweat Angels Facebook Check In
Have you ever CHANGED someones life by checking into Facebook? If your train at Aces Jiu Jitsu Club you do! It is one of the easiest ways to give back in a BIG way just by checking-in on Facebook while you have fun at Aces. We are currently partnered with an amazing organization called Sweat Angels. For every Facebook check-in, Sweat Angels makes a donation to a life-changing charity-EVERY MONTH! These charities provide food, clean water, and clothing to people who need it. Wouldn’t you love to be apart of this? The donations even provide healthcare and educational resources to those in need. So don’t forget to take one small moment at each and every class to check-in on Sweat Angels. If you have never done this, ask an Athlete Liaison to help you at your next class! Together Aces Jiu Jitsu Club can make a difference, one click at a time.
#2 Feeding the Homeless
By simply purchasing an Aces Jiu Jitsu Club wristband, 
YOU can help feed someone in the local community that is in need of a warm meal. For just $5 you can get a band to match your belt color, or FUTURE belt color. A portion of the proceeds for every wristband sold will go directly to food creation for those in need, and Aces staff members personally deliver the meals across town every month. Be sure to get your wrist band before you leave your next class and let your friends at home know where they can get theirs too! Let’s become a community of givers. When we give back, everyone wins!
#3 Become a Coach
One of the best ways to commit a technique to memory is by teaching the move to someone else. There is something magical that happens when you explain and demonstrate a move to a training partner. You retain the information better AND you get to share your knowledge with those around you, helping our team become the best it can be. Even just providing positive feedback and constructive criticism to your partners helps the team’s bond grow stronger. If you’ve been training for a while and have some “color” on your belt, you might remember how lost you felt starting off as a newbie. It can mean the world to someone if you make the extra effort to mentor and coach them through the learning process. So when pairing up with a lower belt for drills or open mat, don’t forget how much you can impact their experience by offering advice and encouragement! This will help them feel more confident and comfortable and you’ll find that it’s a pretty great feeling when you give back in this way. Remember, when you share your knowledge with others, you make an impact that will last forever. Often, when you help others you discover things about yourself that you never knew. Throughout the years, you may even consider pursuing a meaningful career out of it!
#4 Referral Program
At Aces Jiu Jitsu Club our goal is to cultivate the most AMAZING team of EMPOWERED individuals. We are a family and we are steadily growing in numbers – thanks largely to our AWESOME member referral program. When you refer friends to come train with us you enrich the world by spreading the art of jiu jitsu AND you have the chance to win some cash in return! Each month we start a new contest, keeping track of all the new members that signed up and were referred by a current member. Whoever has the most referrals at the end of this month gets $1,000! Second and third place will receive $100 each as well. That’s a pretty sweet deal! It’s our way of giving back to YOU – a thank you for helping this family grow.
#5 Showing Up
Did you know that just by coming to class consistently you are helping EMPOWER other Aces? Getting to class each week can be difficult sometimes. Life is busy and filled with what can be an overwhelming amount of commitments and often times it is too easy to find an excuse not to train. But when you’re surrounded with dedicated training partners and friends, you realize that coming in for class is a treat – not a chore! Challenges are less intimidating and goals are more achievable with a good support system at your back. By attending class regularly you set an example of discipline and you become a role model to those around you. You will notice that as you make it a priority, others will too. You can INSPIRE others to come train week after week. Your presence makes a difference so don’t forget to SHOW UP for yourself AND for your fellow Aces! Remember, here at Aces Jiu Jitsu Club, we are FAMILY and families stay together.
Training can be tough. It can be exhausting. But it is also FUN and REWARDING. There is no better reward than helping others as we help ourselves, and we hope you will join us in that quest at Aces Jiu Jitsu Club.
Happy training and see you on the mats!
Professor Mikal Abdullah is a 2nd Degree BJJ Black Belt, veteran, father, philanthropist, and founder of Aces Jiu Jitsu Club. You can find her personal Instagram account with the handle @cerebralbjj or just stop by one of our locations and get a session in!