Confident. Driven. Passionate. These are the words that lingered in my mind as I got off my call with Jill, a purple belt who trains out of Performance Jiu-Jitsu Academy in New Jersey under Professor Vintaloro. While we covered many topics during our hour-long chat, what intrigued me the […]
Recently, a teammate and I spoke about one of her first BJJ classes where she felt that she’d done something wrong, but didn’t know what. After hearing her story and then giving my take, her jaw dropped. “I wish I’d known that when I first started!” she exclaimed. So let’s […]
“A black belt only covers two inches of your a$$– you have to cover the rest,” said best by Royce Gracie. And it is true. A black belt is that, just a belt. It is what that belt represents that matters: the countless hours of training, the blood, sweat, […]
You’d be hard-pressed to find many like Melissa Lohsen in women’s jiu jitsu today. Being a wife, a mother, and a gym owner since 2002 are all important to Melissa’s story (not to mention, she’s a black belt under Cesar Gracie). However, her story doesn’t stop there. After her […]
I sit resting in my favorite recliner with my foot up and a knee bandaged and covered in ice packs. I had knee surgery today because of an injury I acquired while practicing take downs for my first competition. My husband diligently helps me with the rotating of ice packs […]
ESSENTIAL [ uh–sen-shuhl ]adj of the utmost importance; necessary; basic; indispensable, necessary. This word is undeniably a key buzzword associated with the current pandemic. What exactly is essential? Supermarkets? Gyms? Liquor stores? In New York State, several gyms,such as fitness centers and martial arts studios, have recently joined forces to […]
To train or not to train….that seems to be the question these days. Just when it seemed like things might be getting back to normal, another wave of COVID19 numbers spike – and while many of us may have differing views on whether to return to training or continue avoiding […]
