The sisterhood. The brotherhood. Our mat family. Any way you put it, jiu jitsu is all about community. Sure, we talk about armbars and triangles and that sick takedown that our professor taught us last week. But when you ask your average jiu jitsu athlete what keeps her coming […]
When I heard the name Laurence Cousin Fouillat, the first image that popped into my mind was of her, standing at the top of a podium with a gold medal around her neck. While I wanted to know more about her life as a world-class Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitor, I also […]
There is comfort in the return to routine: the rash guard in my bag, the braids in my hair. There is joy in the dull ache in my arms and in the sweat dripping off of my face. There is joy in all of it, from fist bump to laundry […]
Female black belts are still a rarity in our sport, and it is even more extraordinary to find a woman who is the owner and head instructor of her own BJJ academy. Juliana Fontoura gave me a peek into the rewards of instructing and gym ownership, as well as […]
In my early years as a blue belt, I was content with training just twice a week. Further in, however, I started to feel a prick of jealousy seeing other folks progressing faster than me. I tried not to compare myself, but I couldn’t help but notice that one […]
If you’re a fan of self-help books, you may be familiar with popular goal-setting strategies like starting small, having accountability, and setting up rewards. However, even with these things in place, after a couple months, you may find yourself frustratingly off-track and no closer to your goals than when […]
Have you ever wished you could shut your brain off and quiet the racing thoughts? Or could experience peace in the midst of any circumstance? Or easily tap into your inner strength at any moment? When faced with obstacles, it’s easy to think the best way forward is to simply […]
With so many competitions canceled and postponed this year, there is much excitement for the 2020 IBJJF Pan American Championships beginning next week. It was no surprise registration reached capacity quickly, and while there are many amazing athletes competing this year, there are a number of stand-out stars on this […]