“Why didn’t I do better?” “I should have done this instead of that.” “…not good enough.” “Why am I even doing this?” Chances are, if you compete, you have said something along these lines to yourself. The more invested you are in competition the higher the stakes feel, so the […]
The BJJ competition scene is particularly tough for jiujiteira who fall into the Heavy and Super Heavy divisions. Competition is scarce and the matchmaking is rarely balanced due to limited weight divisions. The Heavy division for Grappling Industries is anyone over 165 pounds. IBJJF has a Heavy division for ladies […]
Brazilian jiu jitsu (hereafter bjj) has become a wildly popular and fun, competitive sport. While the origins of Jiu Jitsu date back to Japan centuries ago, its integration and evolution have drastically changed to what it is today. While it may be a male-dominated sport, there’s several reasons to suggest […]
When I started BJJ, my dojo’s philosophy was that martial arts is a lifelong pursuit that we undertake for the sake of acquiring knowledge and constantly honing our skills. This philosophy attracted a wide range of students. Our youngest martial artists were five and our eldest was in his 80s. […]
Those of us who love jiu jitsu know it can be a life-changing activity, one that teaches a variety of life lessons. We learn how to survive, how to put in the hard work to get better, and how to embrace the grind. We have all had a unique jiu […]
I don’t do it for the patch on my back, I don’t do it for my professor, and I don’t do it for my teammates. I don’t do it for the podium, I don’t do it for the medals, and I don’t do it for the fans. I don’t do […]
If you are part of the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu community, it is most likely that you have heard the name Yvone Duarte. Yvone made history in 1990 as the first female to earn a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt. In 2021, after training for 43 years and being a black belt […]
Jiu jitsu has been a huge part of Amanda Leve’s since she was just 11 years old. When her father and brother decided to start BJJ classes, Leve decided to tag along and watch their first class. As soon as she saw the flurry of activity on the mat, she […]
Well, you did it! You put your hand to the plow and didn’t look back. You got your ribs popped and your knuckles swollen, and you survived. You passed the tests, calmed your nerves, and although you’re exhausted, you earned your new belt!. If you are like me, the first […]
If you have been training in this sport for a while, grinding away at improvement, chances are you’ve felt burnt out from time to time. As much fun as this sport is, sometimes working so hard with such intensity can leave us feeling frustrated, tired, and thinking of quitting. If […]
