Gavran BJJ raven logo

Gavran BJJ

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu · Science · Community

About the Club

Gavranraven in Serbian—embodies intelligence and ingenuity while also being a distinctly Slavic symbol. The project started as my own training journal and now hosts a small, inquisitive group who like to dismantle technique and stress-test under honest resistance.

We're making use of multiple modern training methodologies, ecological jiu-jitsu, as well as games-based jiu-jitsu. I've incorporated my 14 years as a teacher (especially gifted youngsters) and my passion for physics into our curriculum. I find that a relaxed mindset, where everyone is allowed to play and explore, leads to best learning outcomes. Of course, all of my training methodology is based on the most recent advances in sports science and the science of learning. All our games and exercises are designed around effective learning: proper feedback loops, timely corrections, exploration, and deliberate practice. Most importantly – we have fun while doing it.

Club values
  • Respect first – hygiene, safety, ego control. We're here to learn and evolve.
  • Curiosity – question everything, explore, play around, then try it live.
  • Generality then specialization – principles over rote sequences. Generalize first, then specialize to what suits you.
  • Everyone's an adult – I treat everyone as if they are an intelligent adult. You don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with. No ceremonies or prostrations before the sensei.
  • Science and pedagogy – We give you the tools to build your game. There are no ad hoc classes. Every class is carefully prepared based on research and evidence with the student in mind.

Training Ethos

My curriculum leans on Rob Biernacki’s conceptual framework – I’m a long-time student of his online academy – levers, wedges, frames, and kuzushi before memorizing chains. We base most of our curriculum on kinesiology fundamentals and what Rob calls alignment: base, posture and structure. I do my best to deconstruct all motions and techniques into their fundamental components and present them in this way so that my students can generalize to other situations.

Warm-ups are short and movement-centric: MovNat, Ido Portal drills, light parkour flow, natural locomotion. No high-rep burpee purgatory; we prime joints and nervous systems, not leaderboards.

Sparring rotates between laboratory rounds (constraint-based games) and full-pressure rolls. Expect Biernacki’s FYJJ games , situational mini-matches, mini-games and rapid feedback loops.

Lineage & Affiliation

I’m a blue belt under Professor Đorđe Vasić (Fenix Academy, Novi Sad). Đorđe places a high bar on both ranks and technical proficiency, which is something I obviously value greatly. I delayed formally affiliating for a long time to be able to work with someone from the local community who has an adult attitude towards teaching and training. We formally affiliated and established rank only in 2024, due to multiple, mostly geographic, reasons.

Cross-Training & Other Pursuits

When I’m not strangling friends in cotton pyjamas, you’ll find me running parkour lines, hiking peaks, climbing, swimming laps, ice-skating, skiing, lifting heavy things, or taking MMA rounds. Those modalities feed back into the gym as balance, grip endurance, and spatial IQ.

Schedule & Fees

Day Time Class Focus
Tuesday17:15101Fundamentals & universal concepts
Thursday17:15201Unit-based advanced study
Saturday09:30201Unit-based advanced study
Sunday09:30BJJ GamesSparring & FYJJ constraint drills

Dress code: clean gi (any color). Trim nails, bring slippers, mouthguard recommended.

30 €/ 50 BAM per month

  • 2 free trial classes for newcomers
  • Competitors and hobbyists
  • Visitors: 5 € drop-in (message first)
Stay Connected

@gavran_bjj ↗
Class clips, concept nuggets, raven memes.

Discord invite:
discord.gg/BvSha8WUhG ↗

Email:
gavran@igorsevo.com (copy-paste, humans only)

Where We Roll
Gavran BJJ Academy, Banja Luka
(Entrance at the rear – look for the raven.)

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