<p>Children practice moves at the Seaside Jiu Jitsu Academy.</p>

Brothers Zach and Nate Adamson parlayed what began as a casual interest in the sport of Brazilian jiu jitsu into the Seaside Jiu Jitsu Academy, located at 1601 S. Roosevelt Drive and now in its sixth year of business.

Brazilian jiu jitsu better known as BJJ is a martial art, combat sport and self-defense system that uses grappling and ground fighting (or wrestling). The idea behind it is to enable practitioners to defend themselves against bigger, stronger opponents or attackers, using leverage and proper technique. They invariably take the fight to the ground often by applying techniques such as joint-locks and chokeholds.

Students train for tournaments, mixed martial arts competitions, self-defense and a host of other reasons (but more about that later). Theres a series of different-colored belts, earned to signify increasing levels of technical knowledge and practical skill. White, blue, purple, brown and, of course, black belts to name a few grace buff physiques clad in ge, which is the short kimono-like top and trousers often worn by practitioners.

The Seaside academy currently boasts more than 150 students with classes in BJJ, boxing, wrestling and mixed martial arts. The ratio of females to males is a bit surprising. In our fundamentals class, 70 to 80 percent are women, Zach says. In our advanced class, its about 20 percent. Kids classes are about half and half.

Yeah, were seeing a new trend, Nate adds. Women are almost more passionate about it more willing to do events together and network. He attributes this to the jiu jitsu culture. Theres a certain bond that it creates, which other martial arts dont share. And students come away feeling empowered. This carries over into other aspects of their life.

The academy has four coaches: One is a manager, and the other three run the Little Warriors program for four to six year olds, an after-school program for teens and an adult mixed-arts program. The age range for Seaside academy students is interesting age 4 to 71 with everything between. Kids are grouped by age, and the rest of the students are grouped by skill level. The brothers also run classes at Astoria Full Fitness throughout the week.

People sign up for BJJ for different reasons, including losing weight or just getting fit and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Women may come to feel less like victims. Still others are looking to relieve stress (endorphins are released through the exercise) or simply to meet other people and have fun. Whatever a students reason, The Adamson brothers have fine-tuned their programs to a variety of skill levels and personal goals.

Despite the demands of their business, the brothers are themselves competitors and formidable ones at that. They travel the world. In 2012, Zach placed first and Nate won a bronze medal at the American National Tournament in Los Angeles, and the brothers repeated the same award wins at the International Lisbon Open. Zach also came out on top at the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Finals Asian Champions Open in Tokyo. This year, they both got their black belts, something Zach views as a life achievement.

But competition both winning and losing is always put in perspective at this school. I tell students that when I go to compete, I have fun and learn from it, Nate says.

To understand BJJ, its important to know that its not only a martial art and a sport. Brazilian jiu jitsu is also a method for promoting physical fitness and building character in young people, and, ultimately, its a way of life. This sets the tone for most of what goes on at the academy, and it affords the Adamsons enormous satisfaction in their work. Its always so rewarding to see our students improve and grow as a person, Nate says.

Learning BJJ has provided excellent results when working with at-risk youth and for people who struggle with some aspect in their lives. The academy has had much success with kids with learning disorders, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Were able to be very hands on with the kids, which creates a bond and allows us to influence the way they develop, Zach says.

But it doesnt end there. We dont preach a mantra but work from traditional martial arts values, passed along through office and mat chats. For younger kids, theres a life skills program with a different theme every month, e.g. self-respect, teamwork, building friendships and more, Zach asserts. Before they learn techniques in a session, they have to do their life skills element.

Nate chimes in, My brother and I were raised by our dad who worked, so wed get out of school and go do stuff. We played every sport there was. Still, it was three to four hours before he came home and made dinner. That works out to a lot of hours. So why spend it on the couch watching TV when you could complete something amazing? The kids who come here are spending time around very responsible, healthy adults. They will carry that with them later in life.