Tapping In: Slow and Steady Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
“The only person you should ever compare yourself to is your former self.” — Nick “Turtle Power” Manela
There’s a new martial arts school in town. It’s located just off Rt. 179, directly across the street from West Amwell Township Elementary. Go down the long driveway there, and at the end you’ll see an old, single-level building. Inside you’ll find Slow and Steady Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Slow and Steady is run by black belt instructor, Nick “Turtle Power” Manela. Manela’s nickname comes from his love for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and for the fact that he started learning Karate when he was just 4 years old.
“I always wanted to be a Ninja Turtle,” Manela said, smiling.
After years of Karate, Manela wanted to try mixed martial arts (MMA). That led him to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), which is a self-defense system based on grappling and ground fighting. He found a school near his home, and joined.
He liked that Jiu-Jitsu has conventions similar to Karate—belts, bowing, tradition—and he enjoyed the community aspect. He even remembers the day he began: August 13, 2009. Now, 16 years later, he’s striking out on his own.
Change Your Life
Getting from ‘white belt’ to ‘owning a dojo’ hasn’t been easy. He started learning Jiu-Jitsu in 2009 and didn’t earn his black belt until 2019, which is par for the course. It often takes ten years or more for practitioners to reach that level.
Originally, Manela did not plan to open a business. He just trained as often as he could, and eventually he entered some competitive amateur fights.
During one of his matches, he walked into a punch and was knocked out. His body kept fighting, but he didn’t regain awareness until the middle of the bout. After that, Manela decided he didn’t want to be hit in the head anymore.
“It made me realize my brain is a precious thing,” he said matter-of-factly, “Jiu-Jitsu is more friendly. We don’t punch each other in the head in Jiu-Jitsu.”
Now he teaches people how to avoid getting punched. Manela has taught at Nick Catone’s martial arts school in Brick, NJ. He taught full-time at Gracie Barra in Lawrenceville, NJ for nearly eight years, and he also taught in Newtown, PA.
Teaching made him fall in love with sharing the art, and he thrives on watching his students evolve and grow from their participation in the practice.
“Jiu Jitsu causes people to make better choices with their life,” Manela said.
“You can’t have unhealthy habits off the mat and expect to perform well on the mat. Maybe people smoke cigarettes, or drink alcohol a lot, or they don’t eat very healthy. That has to change quickly if they want to do Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.”
It wasn’t until he met Julie Garcia-Roman, now his wife, that Manela started to think about running his own place.
“I knew there was a bigger reason for me to keep training and keep fighting,” Manela said, looking out over the light green mat, dark floors, and white walls.
Slow and Steady
Manela knew he wanted to be in or near Lambertville, but finding a suitable space was tricky. Several deals fell through. He had trouble getting his mats delivered. Then the roof leaked. Then he didn’t have working air conditioning until the end of the summer. Still, he persisted... slowly and steadily.
Now that the dojo is up and running, he’s imbued it with his character: classic dojo meets Star Wars and Ninja Turtle decor. This is the dichotomy of Manela’s school. On one hand it’s traditional, serious, and vital. On the other hand it’s playful, whimsical, and welcoming to kids of all ages.
“Anything good in life, you cannot rush,” Manela said, explaining the ethos behind Slow and Steady. ”You have to take your time. Everything worth doing is worth taking time for. It’s not about the end result, it’s about working hard to get to that end result. It's about enjoying the process and realizing that there is no need to rush, you’re right where you’re supposed to be.”
Now Enrolling
Slow and Steady currently offers Jiu-Jitsu classes, and they plan to add more disciplines in the near future. The 3-6 year old classes are growing quickly, and evening classes for kids and adults are close behind. Daytime classes are in the works, and law enforcement programs are discounted for life. They also host a recurring women’s self-defense workshop, taught by a visiting instructor.
The school has 1,500 square feet of mat space plus bathrooms, changing rooms, and a weight room / lounge area (with a couch, TV, and Nintendo switch).
“Jiu Jitsu is a lot of fun,” Manela said. “It’s a great way to make new friends. It’s a great skill to have, and it’s a growing sport right now. Come train!”
Visit the website: Slow and Steady BJJ
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