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 […]
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 […]
As soon as I got off my call with Mary Aldana, the only thing I wanted to do was put on my gi and get on the mat. If it had not been 6:00 am, I just might have! Mary’s enthusiasm about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and her resilient spirit echoed in […]
He drags me off balance. Suddenly, I’m flat on my back with him on top of me. But instead of panicking, I cross my wrists, sink my hands deep into his collar, and twist. My knuckles press the sides of his neck. For a few seconds he tries to fight, […]
We all have different motivations for trying Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Some people are looking for a workout while others are interested in learning self-defense. The social aspect alone can be very enticing. The reason someone starts training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu does not change the fact that they have to […]
When I started jiu jitsu, I saw women’s cross training as a way to get better at competition (our bodies have a different center of gravity than guys, other women are less likely to “take it easy” on another woman, someone in the same weight class, etc). I didn’t go […]