I am a big girl. Not like in the song “Big Girls Don’t Cry”, but a plus size woman. I am also an athlete and a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. When I bring up in conversation that I do Jiu Jitsu, there will always be the person who […]
Recently, I received my fourth stripe for my white belt. Immediately after earning the stripe, I thought—oh my gosh, blue belt is next. Like anyone else, I would love to earn my blue belt, but I am also afraid of it. What if I’m not good enough? What if I […]
The women’s movement in Jiu Jitsu has grown tremendously. We’ve gone from having “a women’s division” to having close to the same divisions as men when it comes to belt, weight and age. There are more and more women’s organizations offering open mats, seminars and camps. More and more academies […]
Approximately 20 years ago, I went after my now husband when we were undergraduates. My first impression of him was that he was cute and sweet. He was generally clueless to my crush on him, but after persisting, he came around. We have been together since then, and have been […]
It wasn’t long into my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu journey that I realized this was gonna be a game changer for me. Going in I had no idea what to expect, but what I found was more than I could have ever imagined. Even though I come from an athletic background […]
Although we like to say that Jiu Jitsu is for everyone, is it really? Are we all really considered equals? And is Jiu Jitsu truly a place free of judgement or prejudice? Perhaps there isn’t one blanket answer for the entire Jiu Jitsu community. However, by just looking at the […]
With Europeans just around the corner, there are ton of amazing female competitors to watch. There is an exciting surge of female black belts registered, both veterans and new. In addition, this year boasts many stand out stars climbing the ranks. Here are few to keep an eye out for: […]