tar --exclude-vcs / Jxf

1. tar exclude VCS folders like svn/cvs/git etc (Note repo is NOT execluded!)

  tar zcf ~/my.tgz   --exclude-vcs   myfolder_with_cvs_svn_git

You can try directly with the tar option --exclude-vcs:

--exclude-vcs:
          Exclude version control system directories
For example:

tar cvfj nameoffile.tar.bz2 directory/ --exclude-vcs

tar cvf ~/app.tar --exclude .git --exclude "*.log" .

2. Jxf for xz file/tar 

tar Jxf gcc-linaro-7.2.1-2017.11-x86_64_aarch64-linux-gnu.tar.xz