Vermillion home to new Ju Jitsu dojo

The small community of Vermillion has recently adopted a new martial arts studio on Main Street, in addition to the other three studios in town.

The new studio, Premier Ju Jitsu, LLC, has a strong tie to USD — its instructor, Jef Rice, doubles as assistant director for the University Police Department.

Although Premier Ju Jitsu just opened their location in the past year, Jef Rice said he was teaching in his garage before that.

One of his students, also an anatomy instructor for USD, Kelsey Stevens, said the studio has been located in other places.

“We’ve been in two garages, a back patio, and a basement,” she said.

The opening of the new dojo allows for more members to join as well as a warmer practicing area.

Though the new facility allows for more members, the classes are still fairly small, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, Rice said.

“I’m all about the quality, not the quantity,” he said after explaining that he would put a cap on the number of students he accepted to his classes.

Stevens shares a similar view on class size.

“There is a very good sense of comradery there,” she said.

The small classes haven’t affected the diversity of the group, though, Stevens said.

“We have a really interesting mix of people,” she said.

According to the dojo’s website, Ju Jitsu is a parent art that has, in a sense, given birth to other forms of martial art such as Karate, Judo and Aikito.

“We can do it all. We do Jud. We do Aikito. We do Karate,” Rice said.

Many people have heard of the increasingly popular Brazilian Ju Jitsu, but the art at Premier Ju Jitsu is much more traditional.

“Ours is a Ju Jitsu class that is a traditionally based Japanese style of Ju Jitsu,” Rice said. “Ours is a self-defense art, we do what it takes to defend ourselves and not go any further.”

Ju Jitsu offers many lessons for students that Rice said can be used in everyday life.

“I think it improves their focus, it improves their self-confidence,” he said. “We really strive for people to take this part of it into their everyday lives.”

Because it’s a disciplined art, Rice said it’s understandable that some people have reservations about trying Ju Jitsu.

“[Students] have no reason to be scared whether from a physical, emotional or psychological aspect,” he said. “We don’t want you to feel like that. We want to start slow and move your confidence up.”

Stevens said the pace is “very gradual.”

“The first thing we learn is how to fall properly, which is actually the only move I’ve had to use outside of class,” Stevens joked.

Rice’s advice to individuals who are interested in Ju Jitsu is to come watch a class to see if it interests them.

Premier Ju Jitsu LLC, offers adult classes, children’s classes and group self-defense classes.