On November 8th, 2015 Girls in Gis kicked off the Girls in Gis 6th Anniversary celebration in Edmond Oklahoma. Close to fifty females of all ages, skill levels and from affiliations all across Oklahoma came together to celebrate this memorable anniversary. The event was held at Redline Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Edmond Oklahoma and led by hosts purple belts Jennifer Gray of Redline BJJ, Janie Meadows of Oklahoma Martial Arts Academy and Kim Blake of Apollo’s Martial Arts. In coming together from different academies and learning from some of the most experienced females in Oklahoma the unity and strength of the community was felt by all.
Girls in Gis events are not just an event to train, roll, broaden your horizon and unify the community. It is a support group in a lot of ways. Everyone faces challenges in their Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu journey. Some are drawn to Brazilian Jiu-Jisu due to trauma or life challenges. No one’s journeys are exactly the same, but knowing that we are not alone in the challenges we face is sometimes just enough to get us through. At the beginning of most events each participant has the opportunity to introduce themselves and share our experiences. Many friendships have been forged by learning that despite our obvious differences we are all very much alike. Friendships that have lasted from white belts, to blue, to purple, to brown and eventually to black. This event just like many others began the same exact way. There was lots of sharing and lots of caring.
After the “sharing and caring” segment was over it was time to get our sweat on! Janie, an avid competitor and instructor led the group through a warm up that got everyone ready for the technique portion of the event. After the warm up the girls where separated into three groups to get some one on one time with the guest instructors. Jen’s group consists of beginners with experience ranging in their first day to one year. They got some great insight into the self defense aspect of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Janie’s group, which consist of more experienced practitioners, were taught some slick transitions and submissions like the bow and arrow. Kim had a blast with the kiddos and they feeling was mutual.
No party is complete without cake and prizes. None of which would be possible if no for our valued sponsors. Big thanks to our sponsors Girls Bring it BJJ, War Tribe Gear, DFKC, Kozamurai, AGF, Club Boost and Phalanx for being a part of this event and donating some awesome gear! Girls Bring it BJJ brought it. They generously donated close to 30 different prizes ranging from t-shirts to skate boards, mugs to athletic tape. Girls loved all of it! War Tribe has been on the war path coming out with one incredible gi after another. Girls where on edge to win one of their new limited edition gi. Kozamurai has one of the fiercest rash guards out there. Girls can’t wait to go to battle at the AGF Nationals on December 12th in Oklahoma. Five lucky ladies are competing free of charge via AGF. As if one gi isn’t enough Club Boost graciously donated one of their Geisha gi and Club Boost rash guards. Last but not least, our friends at Phalanx donated two amazing rash guards in support of the event. Congratulations to all our raffle winners!
There is no greater joy than the act of giving to those in need. No one should go hungry. Together we raised an amazing amount of non-perishable donations for Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. Our efforts to make a difference paid off and once again we did more than we could have alone.
Girls in Gis youngest participant was Michelle and she’s only 4 years old. This was her first experience on the mats that she got to share with her mom Janine. She had so much fun and was adorable in her gi. It was a great event, bringing out a lot of newcomers to Girls in Gis and there were several women brand new to Jiu Jitsu. The ladies enjoyed meeting new friends and learning the details to some of the basic and very effective submissions.
There where hugs and love shared by all. The girls where so excited, they can’t wait till the next event. One woman was so touched by he experience it brought tears to her eyes. She had never been a part of an even of this kind. Jen, Janie and Kim were amazing hosts and guest instructors. that went above and beyond to make sure fun was had by all. This event could not be possible if not for the support of Redline Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Jen, Janie and Kim. This was a very special event because of their contribution. Thank you to all of our sponsors for their generosity and awesome giveaways. Thank you all for joining us for this event and we will see you next time!
Check out these photos from the event: www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1050070321691456.1073741904.223743377657492&type=3