One year ago I sat in sweatpants on the edge of a mat watching a jiu jitsu class for the first time. I had driven by the BJJ academy hundreds of times without ever noticing it was there. I was 34 years old, with five children and two […]
I decided to start training BJJ again after a four-year-long hiatus, at ten weeks postpartum. I was seven months pregnant when I started teaching yoga at the gym where I used to train, so staying after class for BJJ wasn’t really an option. However, I found myself longing for […]
Francis Garcia, a blue belt under Carlson Gracie, is a strong woman who uses jiu jitsu with a purpose. This blue belt is a 38-year-old single mother and nurse. Her 12-year-old daughter (who is a black and grey belt with 4 stripes) is the proud center of her life. […]
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 […]
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 […]
It’s a tough time to be a BJJ addict, amirite ladies? Many of us have been out of the gym since late March or early April. Some of us, like me, are still out because our life circumstances prevent us from going back safely, even if everyone is just doing […]
Its Monday. I am in the midst of a late afternoon slump. I am tired, unmotivated and not looking forward to going to the gym. My gym in almost an hour drive each way. There was not definitely NOT enough weekend to my weekend. I am constantly on the go […]
I had been training for a solid 8 months, an average of 3 times a week. I trained through going to college 1 ½ hours away, through classwork and writing, through raising a son and tending to my husband. Usually the mats were a release for me, but at this […]
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) isn’t “easy” to begin with; and now, I’m adding being pregnant to the mix. People have asked me “why didn’t you just stop doing BJJ?” As a 20-week, pregnant Blue Belt, there have been many times where I haven’t made it to class. But with a strategy, […]
Approximately 20 years ago, I went after my now husband when we were undergraduates. My first impression of him was that he was cute and sweet. He was generally clueless to my crush on him, but after persisting, he came around. We have been together since then, and have been […]