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 […]
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 […]
When I first started BJJ, I was fairly thin, mostly because I was always on a diet, always trying to lose weight, and always adding workouts to my week or minutes to my workouts. When my first coach suggested that I try to cut some weight for a competition, […]
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. […]
ESSENTIAL [ uh–sen-shuhl ]adj of the utmost importance; necessary; basic; indispensable, necessary. This word is undeniably a key buzzword associated with the current pandemic. What exactly is essential? Supermarkets? Gyms? Liquor stores? In New York State, several gyms,such as fitness centers and martial arts studios, have recently joined forces to […]
To train or not to train….that seems to be the question these days. Just when it seemed like things might be getting back to normal, another wave of COVID19 numbers spike – and while many of us may have differing views on whether to return to training or continue avoiding […]
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 […]
To say that lockdown hasn’t been easy would be a severe understatement. Even as some communities have begun to reopen, one of the hardest parts continues to be the isolation, particularly from the practice and community of BJJ. For me, not having BJJ as an outlet and as an […]
Remember a few months ago when you were complaining about that dude at the gym who kept smashing you? How many of us are now thinking, wow, I wish I had appreciated super smashy dudes while I still had the ability to go to class. I wish I had relished […]
In general, athletes, especially jiu jitsu players, are familiar with drilling technique. In the current pandemic situation, we are required to find a different form of drilling. That means, scaling back or changing the format of physical training while staying home. For some, it’s a difficult transition; for others, […]