I’ve been going to Girls in Gis for ages now, maybe seven years? I’ve mostly been a volunteer/ambassador as of late, spending less time on the mats. I greatly enjoy helping put on these events, but I wanted to remember what it was like to be simply a participant. So […]
This global pandemic has left me missing several aspects of my daily life, one of the most prominent among them being jiu-jitsu. Something that has become such a large part of my weekly routine, has left a big hole in the wake of its absence. Jiu-jitsu is not only one […]
It’s been ten years since I’ve started Jiu-Jitsu and I was just a blue belt up until a few weeks ago. It’s hard to admit that without a little bit of shame or embarrassment. But I know that everyone’s journey in this sport is different. Everyone has their reasons of […]
We like to think we’re in control. We schedule. We work. We workout. We do the things. Sudden events beyond our control show us that we are not always in the “driver’s seat” even when we are. In 2004, I was in a car accident that shattered my right ankle, […]
Look around your BJJ class. One or more of your students could be a sexual assault survivor. About twenty percent of women, five percent of men, and nearly fifty percent of trans or non-binary folks are sexually assaulted at some point. In this article, I use “she” as a shorthand […]
At age 42 I found myself addicted to alcohol and I was ready to do whatever it took to get out of a disastrous downward spiral. My first step was seeking counseling. My therapist said that I needed to do something to help me get my strength back. My […]
Tip #1: Always focus on the very next step of the technique, then build on that. I often see that jiu jitsu athletes get ahead of themselves when training. For example, when someone mounts you, instead of focusing on the fundamentals of blocking the hip, then trapping the leg to […]