Monthly Archives: May 2017


Think Jiu-Jitsu Game 1

If Twister and Trivial Pursuit ever had a baby, it would turn out to be something like Think Jiu-Jitsu Game. I have been using this game for the last couple of weeks in the Kid’s program at our academy, for Women’s Self-Defense, and have played in place of some of […]


When the Competitor Becomes the Teacher

To say that Samantha Faulhaber, a four-time World Jiu-Jitsu Championship finalist, is an accomplished competitor is an understatement. Faulhaber, a Philadelphia-based black belt with Gracie Humaita, started off in jiu-jitsu as a competitor, but she later found her passion in teaching. Faulhaber has trained and taught around the world, including […]


One of the Most Determined Women in Jiu-Jitsu

If we were to hand out awards to one of the strongest and most determined women in jiu-jitsu, Jen Hall would be a sure-fire winner. Hall, who was first introduced to jiu-jitsu in 2004 while training taekwondo in college, has faced multiple injuries in her jiu-jitsu journey, but throughout it […]


A Jiu Jitsu Fairy Tale Ending

As the saying goes: we sometimes find exactly what we’re looking for when we least expect it. Liz Sussan can relate to that. Sussan had no idea how much her life would change when she met her boyfriend. Not only did she meet her soulmate, but the whole trajectory of […]


I Train Because I Love BJJ

Every woman’s jiu-jitsu journey is unique. Case in point: Maia Matalon, a long-time grappler who cut her teeth years ago on her high school wrestling team. The Northern California native later starting training judo in college. She soon realized her favorite part of judo was “newaza,” also known as grappling. […]


Combating Teen Angst with Jiu Jitsu 1

Our awkward teenage years can be some of the most challenging times of our lives. While battling sometimes out-of-control hormones and peer pressure, our teen years are spent trying to find our place in the world. For Taylor Danielle Segovia, now 21, jiu-jitsu became an essential tool to help her […]