Vien Jiu Jitsu — Local services in Town of Manlius

1 / 1 I am going to take the time to write this lengthy review of Vien BJJ because I feel that the transformation I’ve seen in my daughter, whom has been a student since they opened about a year and a half ago, has been nothing short of astronomical. I want to get the word out about this small school in the hopes of helping them grow their business and our Vien BJJ Family. I started my daughter in Jiu Jitsu six years ago at age 6 with a local BJJ school with a fairly accomplished instructor whom was wonderful with the kids. When that school ended up going out of business about a year later, we were forced to look elsewhere for instruction. We settled on a well-established local school in a different part of town where she trained until the pandemic hit and her training was suspended. Once the pandemic had passed, it was time to begin training again. I had planned to return my daughter to the school that she attended before the pandemic but heard that Gee and April were going to open their own school more on our side of town and thought I should give it some consideration. My daughter had always enjoyed going to Jiu Jitsu in the past but was never passionate about it. She was somewhat reserved about starting up again but I felt that it was a positive activity for her and wanted her to return to it, and eventually she agreed. Gee and April’s competitive accomplishments were well respected in local martial arts circles, and when I saw their modern and very CLEAN facility, I signed her up right away. Immediately after beginning classes, the impact of having such a strong and accomplished woman in the sport (Coach April) as her teacher had a noticeable effect on her interest. My daughter was soon asking to go to Jiu Jitsu every night, and a few months later, asked if I would let her compete at a NAGA tournament. In February 2023 my daughter competed at her first tournament and by the end of the year won 13 metals across NAGA, Grappling Industries, and AGF all gold and silver. Clearly these results speak for themselves with regard to the quality of the instruction at Vien! She is now absolutely hooked on grappling and has even sighed up for modified wrestling at her high school, something I NEVER would have guessed she would be wanting to do a year and a half ago. For Christmas she asked if we could let her go on a Barbie themed Grappling Getaways trip with Coach April to Arizona. This was a big ask from her and the cost was considerable, but she was so passionate about it that my wife and I could not say no. The bottom line is that making the move to Vien for our daughter’s Jiu Jitsu instruction has been one of the best decisions I have made as a parent. The strong work ethic of Gee and April and the fact they lead by example has been lifechanging for our daughter. There are so many good things I can say about these two and their school, but if I could call out one thing that truly makes this place stand out above any other, it would be that Gee and April have demonstrated a legitimate and genuine personal investment in my childs growth in Jiu Jitsu, grappling, and in her overall growth as a person. Many say that “it takes a village” to raise a child and I am so grateful that Vien has become part of our family’s village. If you seek the highest quality instruction from proven and decorated world champion instructors in an impeccably clean, safe and welcoming environment, this is the place to go....

A Rare Jiu-Jitsu School That Takes Takedowns

Seriously - As It Should

One of the biggest issues in modern jiu-jitsu is how many schools neglect takedowns. (Although it’s not always because they don’t want to sometimes the classes are simply too overcrowded to safely start everyone from their feet.) Which is understandable. But it does mean that some students progress through the ranks with limited exposure to takedowns.

The sport-focused culture of guard pulling is so dominant that even some blue belts can’t reliably secure a takedown against an untrained, strong athletic person which is a major problem if you care about self-defense as pulling guard could be extremely risky in a real situation

At many modern jiu jitsu schools, sometimes you don’t start seeing solid takedown ability until purple belt and above. While those upper belts can usually get the job done, it really shouldn’t take that long to develop such a basic and essential skill.

This school is different. Starting from the feet is a regular part of training, and takedowns are taken seriously from day one. By the time you reach blue belt here if not sooner you will likely already have the ability and confidence to takedown overwhelming majority of untrained people. That’s rare, but it’s exactly how jiu-jitsu should be....

When my fiance suggested I should learn jiu jitsu for self defense, I was skeptical whether it was something that I could do or should even attempt. When he searched gyms near me and said I could train with a champion female coach in right in Manlius, I decided I should at least give it a try. I had no idea what I was getting in to! I didn't know I was going to fall in love with the people, the sport, and the challenge. I'm not sure I would have if I didn't start at Vien Jiu Jitsu. The atmosphere is so respectful and safe, without being rigid and intimidating. Everyone is welcome to come learn and train and there are all kinds of people on the mats every day. Gee Vien and April Parks are genuinely amazing people teaching their passion for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and growing something really authentic and awesome. I'm seriously always in awe that I have the honor to learn from them and train at their gym, and thankful for the influence that their training has my life and my children!! Also they're just really down to earth and kind, genuine people. Highest standards for integrity, sportsmanship, hygiene...