Jim Thrift (3rd Degree Black Belt Professor) Professor Jim Thrift (3rd Degree Black Belt) is the founder and owner of Calvert MMA Academy in Sunderland Maryland (Calvert County) and Lineage BJJ in California Maryland (St. Mary’s County). A favorite among students of all ages and levels, Professor Jim blends a deep respect for self-defense and […]
The popularity of martial arts training, particularly Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, is continually increasing in the U.S. No one is more thrilled than we are; at Lineage BJJ, we dedicate our lives to sharing our practice and helping our members. As a new school in St. Mary’s County, we frequently interact with new students and have a […]
BJJ For your Body When new students have reservations about their physical conditioning, age, or imagine every one of our classes looks like a MMA tournament for men in their 20s, they naturally hesitate to give BJJ a try. We understand those barriers exist. While some of our students do train hard (and […]
Ready for your two week trial? Occasionally, new students have reservations about attending their first class at Lineage BJJ or deciding to give Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu a try. Many of these skeptics, regardless of their athletic background or history in martial arts, end up becoming long-term members. While they all come to us from […]
Three Reasons Women Should Train BJJ As we continue putting down roots in St. Mary’s County, we are thrilled to see the women of Lineage BJJ grow in numbers and strength. While women still make up a smaller percentage of BJJ athletes around the world, that number is growing exponentially every year – for good […]
From the Blue Collar Gold Podcast: “My 100th episode! I get to interview a fascinating guy with a background that you hear about in the movies plus he’s a Gracie trained Brazilian Jujitsu black belt. He has started 2 gyms in the Maryland area and talks about some of the challenges in the COVID world. […]
We’re so glad you’re planning your first class at Lineage BJJ! First things first: you might be experiencing some level of anxiety or trepidation, especially if you’ve never practiced BJJ before. Most beginning practitioners experience this; it’s temporary. Once you’ve mentally committed to dropping by, there are a few things you can do to […]
Gi vs. No-Gi training has evolved into a popular debate in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu circles. What’s the best and most efficient way to learn BJJ? Should a student focus on training in gi or no-gi? Is one better than the other for self-defense? If you’re new to BJJ, you might hear these questions come up as […]