Girls in Gis is about bringing the community together and sharing our passion for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. This weekend 303 Training Center will host it’s first Girls in Gis event. Over the past few years 303 Training Center girls have been a huge part of the Girls in Gis Colorado chapter and we are honored to have them hosting for the first time ever.
Our hosts are JJ Aldrch and Brittney Elkin both purple belts at 303 Training Center in Westminster Colorado have much to offer and are eager to share their knowledge with us. We had a chance to catch up with these ladies before the event to discuss their experience on the mats and what drives them. Meet this dynamic duo this weekend at GIGCO-Westminster.
JJ is a 22 yr old pro MMA fighter that spends her days working and training Jiu-Jitsu. She also teaches Tae kwon-do to middle schoolers as an after school program. She has been traning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for five years. She started BJJ because as a cage fighter she wanted to be well rounded. According to JJ, “BJJ has made training fun and exciting there is always room to learn and grow.”
What keeps you motivated to keep going on this journey?
JJ: Always progressing and learning new things I never get board of Jiu-Jitsu because there is always something new to do. I plan on someday receiving my Black Belt from Professor Tony Basile
You have an impressive female team at 303. What is the most beneficial part of having so many women to train with on a regular basis?
JJ: I feel very lucky to have such a big group of ladies to train with they all give a different look and we push each other to continue to grow.
This is your first time hosting a GIG event. What do you hope to accomplish with this event?
JJ: I’m very excited about this opportunity to meet many other girls from all over Colorado that are as passionate about BJJ as me.
Brittney is a hard working single mom, professional MMA fighter and champion Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. She is a day time bartender at The Old Man Bar in Broomfield CO 5 days a week and a night time server at The Texas Roadhouse In Thornton CO. As if that wasn’t enough she also teaches fitness at 303 Training Center. She is a 2-2 Professional MMA fighter and a 2015 Gold medalist for Blue Belt Womens BJJ. She has been training Around 6 years. She says she did NOGI for the first 2 and then decided to do Gi. It was the best decision she could have made, she loves it and it has become her absolute favorite hobby.
What interested you most about BJJ when you started? Competing, fitness, self defense?
Brittney: After my divorce i just needed a direction to put my energy and being a competive person i took to the sport naturally and with ease i am glad i found it, it has given me structure in my lifestyle and made me a better formed adult for my son to look up to
How has BJJ impacted life?
Brittney: It has benefited my lifestyle in more ways than one. It has helped me find ways to always set the bar higher and feel accomplished when I achieve my goals. I get excited to get off work and rush to the gym to be withy my friends that I have found through the sport. The people who surround the sport are some of the best people I have ever met I feel that it has helped me overcome some of my worst struggles and made me a stronger person
What keeps you motivated to keep going on this journey?
Brittney: My team friends and family. The way I feel about myself when I feel strong and confident
You have an impressive female team at 303. What is the most beneficial part of having so many women to train with on a regular basis?
Brittney: We are all there for eachother and have been there when one of us is having a bad day in training the group helps lift that individual up. When you watch your close friends grown next to you, we are able to pass down knowledge making it is easier to overcome obstacles . I feel it makes us strong as a group competiting and in just daily life
This is your first time hosting a GIG event. What do you hope to accomplish with this event?
Brittney: I want to add the experience of this to my memories so that I can to learn how to better help people find passion in what I love doing and help myself feel confident in what I am doing
Hello guys! I stumbled in here and can I ask more about the arm bar and especially on on guys, albeit not so much more significantly bigger? Does it and how does it specifically work? I saw it one time by a gf (her background was judo) at uni on a guy, but does it actually and properly work on say a guy self defense and potential rape situation when you are on your back? It must do as why would a and any guy just tap like that?! If I learnt it say, it would be a good move? But when holding the arm would the guy not just power out of it, I don’t see how it would work. Worried if in that situation and I tried that, it would not work and he may smash my face in afterwards making him angry more. Any thoughts and advice appreciated. I’m from HK by the way, so not really a known and common in girls and our culture in locals here. Anyway, keep up the good work, cheers, Maisie x
Jiu-Jitsu is an amazing tool for self defense, but it take practice to be effective. Best advice we can give you is to start your training asap. Find out for yourself and you will see the results. Check out our Facebook group also. We posted your question and girls have been responding. Best of luck and let us know if we can help you on your BJJ journey. http://www.facebook.com/groups/GirlsinGis/