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STRONGHOLD-CASCÃO JIU JITSU 柔術

Safe, fun exercise, an effective martial art, and expert coaching all in a friendly, respectful environment.

INTRO to jiu jitsu and self-defense for beginners every Friday night at 6:30 PM.
Click here to reserve a spot. $17.00 for one person (plus an optional guest).
Or call 971-261-0662 with questions.

Stronghold-Cascão Jiu Jitsu provides safe, effective, personalized training especially suited for those who are learning jiu jitsu for fun, fitness, and practical self defense. Our skilled, experienced coaches adapt the techniques to your unique abilities and personality.

How to get started

Give us a call, send a message, or "just show up." We'll be happy to answer any questions and help you get started learning and enjoying jiu jitsu.

Jiu jitsu is a highly effective, realistic martial art that emphasizes timing, leverage, and technique to defend oneself and to escape from, control, or defeat an opponent. It teaches holds designed to immobilize the attacker, break joints or bones, or that cause the attacker to pass out. When practicing together we apply these techniques carefully and slowly so that our training partners are not injured. Jiu jitsu is among the few martial arts that can control and subdue someone without hitting, kicking, or otherwise seriously injuring him. It takes six-to-twelve months to develop basic proficiency, but jiu jitsu is subtle and complex enough that it can be practiced for one's entire life without exhausting its many variations. When complemented by good diet, some weight lifting and stretching, and avoidance of harmful habits, jiu jitsu can be part of a healthy lifestyle.

Unlike some other martial arts gyms and programs, here you will not have to worry about anyone attempting to injure, control, or humiliate you, cults of personality/ego, or management that really only sees you as a money source. We respect and care for you as a human being and desire to train with and share information with you that might help you in your life.

We are affiliated with Cascão Jiu Jitsu out of Las Vegas.

Current Schedule

For the latest information on our schedule, please see our Facebook page.

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday sessions follow a curriculum. Friday is open rolling. All classes are primarily no-gi (though one can wear the full jiu jitsu gi at any time). Beginners are always welcome, but Tuesdays and Fridays are specifically for beginners. For the safety of all participants, at least one month of training and a coach's approval are necessary prior to live, free rolling.

We hold class even on holidays except for Christmas and Christmas Eve.

Location and Directions

805 NW Alder St.
McMinnville, OR

From Highway 99 in McMinnville, turn west onto 8th Street. The gym is located in the basement of the large white house on the corner of 8th and Alder. Enter through the side, chapel door.

Google Map Directions

We presently have 200 square feet of mats--enough for about six participants--in a space that is shared with a small neighborhood chapel. A bathroom is available for changing.

Emphasis and Context

"Jiu jitsu" is a phonetic spelling of a Japanese kanji symbol: 柔術. Roughly translated, it means soft or gentle art, and the phrase historically covered many different techniques and systems designed primarily for combat involving holds, throws, limb breaking, strangulation, and similar. Though contemporary jiu jitsu emphasizes empty-hand, unarmed techniques, classical jiu jitsu included weapons.

Most cultures have some form of wrestling combat-sport as part of their heritage. In recent decades, Japanese Jiu Jitsu became blended with influences from families in Brazil, as well as American Wrestling, English Catch-as-Catch-Can Wrestling, and others. This blending of influences transformed jiu jitsu such that today it has a lively competitive/sport dimension, and is also practiced by millions of people for its health and self defense benefits.

We emphasize understanding the fundamental principles and techniques, and then executing them effectively and safely. Though we focus on the enjoyment of training together, we attempt to remain realistic and aware of self defense application. The general stages are:

  1. General safety.
  2. Defending and surviving bad positions.
  3. Learning to play.
  4. Escaping from bad positions. Recovering guards, going to turtle, standing up.
  5. Avoiding and reversing bad positions. Sweeps.
  6. Maintaining dominant positions. Developing an effective guard.
  7. Executing effective, controlled submissions.

Of course, many people want to start at the last step, which is one of the reasons that other programs have a lot of injuries. We do incorporate take-downs and take-down defenses throughout, but with great care since they are also very high-injury moves.

Our goal is skill development, health improvement, and enjoyment of the experience. We do not require or pressure people to compete.

A Typical Class

Most sessions begin with a brief review and practice of techniques from previous sessions, then some standing work leading to a gentle takedown. We sometimes do light, dynamic stretching at the beginning. We then work on a flow through several positions, emphasizing some detail in one of the steps. Participants practice these with each other. At the end of the class we have live rolling, kettlebell work, or stretching.

We follow a general curriculum that steadily rotates through different positions, principles, and techniques. Participants are encouraged to ask questions, contribute their own insights, and adapt the instruction to their own abilities.

Comfortable No-Gi Attire

We do not require gi-uniforms. For most of the year, we practice "no-gi" jiu jitsu, which means basically a t-shirt and sweatpants or similar. We recommend upper and lower body compression clothing (i.e., rashguard or "spatz") covered with a t-shirt and shorts, sweat-pants, or gi-pants. A mouthguard is encouraged but optional. All jewelry should be removed, any make-up should be at a minimum, and long hair should be tied.

We practice with a gi in December and during competition prep. (Practicing with a gi long-term--over many years--leads to finger and hand injury and deformity, so we minimize its use.)

The reason we emphasize no-gi is for the health of the participants. Gi-based jiu jitsu is interesting and effective, but it emphasizes grips and techniques that, over time, contribute to hand and finger injuries.

Belts, Ranks, Advancement

We do not emphasize belts or ranks. Being primarily no-gi, we rarely wear belts anyway. We do not charge for belts or belt tests.

Barring prior experience, participants start with a white belt and no stripes. With consistent, positive participation, a stripe is received about every six months. The next adult belt is received about every three years (the international average). We do not require or pressure anyone to compete. However, participants who wish to advance more quickly may do so by placing well in competitions against opponents of similar age, size, and experience. Placing first or second in two well attended competitions will often result in early advancement to the next rank.

Participation in at least one competition, good character, etc. are required for black belt. The international average to receive a black belt in jiu jitsu is twelve years.

Experienced, Expert Coaching

Coach Seth started in the martial arts in 1981, and has practiced jiu jitsu since 2007. He has been coaching and teaching for about 30 years. He is a member of the American Athletic Union and Positive Coaching Alliance. When not coaching martial arts, he studies and teachings philosophy, ethics, logic, and computer science. Seth has received four earned black belts over his martial arts "career," two in submission grappling. His most recent one was granted by Walter "Cascao" Vital in 2025. Walter is the founder and head of Cascao Jiu Jitsu out of Las Vegas.

Coach Tyra also has many years of experience in various martial arts, including the last 7 in jiu jitsu (in which she is presently a purple belt). She also practices and teaches Tai Chi.

We have a second purple belt participant at this time, have frequent guest instructors, and several beginners.

We follow a general curriculum that has a monthly emphasis rotation through different principles and positions in jiu jitsu. Each class, however, is always adapted to the interests and abilities of those who are attending.

Minimized Risk of Injury

All physical activities involve some risk of injury, and people are often concerned that they might get injured in a martial art. This is not an unfounded concern. There are gyms where coaches deliberately injure people--both phsyically and psychologically--and teach others to do the same. We put people's health first. We teach people to train in a way that significantly reduces the chance of injury (relative to similar gyms) and that is respectful of others. We are also selective about who can participate, which results in more aggressive people--usually young men--choosing to go elsewhere. The net result of all of this is that our participants tend to be more mature men and women--mothers, fathers, professionals, retirees, and even grandparents--who are very careful and respectful while training together.

That being said, it would be a lie to present this as if you will never get bruised, feel sore, etc. Jiu jitsu is a tough workout, and can be quite uncomfortable at times, but part of the goal of the training is precisely to develop a toughness to deal with discomfort, bruises, force, etc. Jiu jitsu is very effective at that kind of training.

Live Rolling

For the safety of all athletes, participants must have at least one month's training, roll with, and be approved by a coach before live rolling with other participants. Athletes must always adapt their use of weight, power, techniques, speed, and aggression to their training partner's abilities. Anyone who deliberately, negligently, or repeatedly injures partners will be dismissed.

Competition is Optional (but rewarded)

Most jiu jitsu schools strongly encourage or require competition. Though we do support anyone who wants to compete, our emphases are upon playful, effective, enjoyable jiu jitsu, health benefits, and self defense application. Competition is only required for those who wish to receive a black belt or who wish to advance more quickly than the standard schedule.

Some competitions require registration with IBJJF and training under an IBJJF-registered coach. We do not associate (directly) with IBJJF. However, Cascao Jiu Jitsu does, and any of our members who wish to register with the IBJJF or compete in one of their tournaments can do so under the Cascao Jiu Jitsu organization.

We reimburse half of the comp-registration fee for some participants and competitions--all of it if the athlete places in the top three. Athletes who get top placing in a national or internation competition and who are otherwise positive participants may have their monthly tuition reduced or waived.

Promoting Healthy Masculinity

There are many great things about modern society, but a negative is how it ridicules men and authentic maleness (and femaleness, families, virtue, etc.). The result is that men are driven in one of two directions: narcissistic sociopathy, or whimpering weakness. Both are wrong and unhealthy for men, for relationships, and society overall. Though women and youth are welcome at our sessions, and jiu jitsu can be a great pursuit for them, a primary purpose of our program is the promotion of positive, healthy masculinity, to support men as they set and achieve meaningful goals, grow in strength, develop effective fighting skills, and also cultivate gentleness in power. This helps men become better people, be better contributors to and leaders in society, and it also helps husbands and fathers be confident leaders, protectors, and providers for their families.

Our (Recent) History

Stronghold Jiu Jitsu started as Via Potentia Self Defense around 2007. Via Potentia was an original program that emphasized general wellness and practical self defense within the context of traditional ethics, and included a submission grappling component. Via Potentia was always designed to collaborate in friendship with other martial arts and artists. For example, we hosted and frequently trained with All Heart MMA, and attempted to work with local Tae Kwon Do and other groups (often with mixed results).

Jointlock Jiu Jitsu Logo

Several years later, Via Potentia invited Impact Jiu Jitsu to offer gi-jiu-jitsu at our gym. Impact did so for many years. Eventually, Impact Jiu Jitsu outgrew the Via Potentia location and opened their own gym in McMinnville. Seth continued to coach both jiu jitsu and self defense with Impact for a while. However, it gradually became clear that Seth's martial arts skills and humanitarian values/ethics were increasingly incompatible with McMinnville-Impact's. The groups parted ways and Seth continued training and offering jiu jitsu and self defense sessions from his home gym.

In 2022, we visited Joint Lock Jiu Jitsu in Redmond, Oregon. It was (and is) an excellent program with great coaches and friendly participants. A sign of a "healthy" community program is a balanced mix of men, women, families, and children participants. We learned that they are affiliated with Cascao Jiu Jitsu out of Las Vegas. After some additional training in Redmond and Las Vegas, we decided to establish an "official" relationship with Cascao.

Other Info

Ages: We do not presently offer children's classes. Our session are intended for teens and older. We especially encourage mature men and women to participate for fitness and practical self defense.

Affordable: We ask for $75 per month (negotiable--pay what you can when you can). The first week is a free trial-period for beginners. Unlike most nearby gyms, we do not require a "drop-in" fee, though a donation is welcome.

All participants must sign a waiver of liability before beginning training. A parent or guardian must sign for participants under 18 years old.