grappling with life on the mats
Any jiu jitsu student can relate to having a favorite gi. Whether you keep a simple white gi collection, or sport funky colors & patches; they mean a lot to us–we spend a lot of time in them. If you added up the total hours… some gis may rack up a couple weeks or months of total wear time!
Sadly, the inevitable times comes when you need to retire ole faithful.
keep reading!In 2020, the year of plans that never came to fruition; I booked my bucket-list vacation: Iceland. Captivated by the unique landmasses of volcanoes, geysers,
keep reading!By the time our lunch break came, sweat beads were rolling down my back and I guzzled down two bottles worth of water while inhaling my volunteer lunch. This would be a brief period of quiet in the midst of the chaotic rumbling of announcements coming through the speaker system, coaches shouting techniques to their students, and spectators clapping and cheering to their favored competitors.
keep reading!I can say for certain that the concept of hierarchy seemed to disappear at this camp; with every single student receiving the same amount of attention & respect on the mat. Black belts leading lessons and giving lectures on coaching & competing were all down-to-earth and accessible–at the end of the day, the common denominator was that we all wanted to roll together.
keep reading!You don’t need another instructional for how to do a scissor sweep; that’s what your coach is for. But how about just navigating life as a grappler? No one teaches us about how to make friends when you’re the newbie in BJJ class. Or how to have that conversation when your partner is going WAY too hard during a roll…
keep reading!I believe that especially as women, we speak down to ourselves because we are conditioned not to be boastful or take pride in our accomplishments. Using qualifying statements like, ‘I’m not sure’ when answering a question, or ‘I might be able to do that’ when taking on a task. We want to give ourselves a cushion in case we fail–but doing so ultimately ensures that we do fail.
keep reading!While grappling has had a significant impact on my emotional well-being; it has not always been to my advantage. In fact, at several points in my jiu jitsu journey I have contemplated quitting altogether because it became a source of frustration, anxiety, and self-doubt. Over the past year I have been able to reevaluate my relationship with the sport with the deliberate intention of addressing my mindset. Looking inward, I discovered that I was relying on jiu jitsu to automatically heal me. The reality is that I learned I could use jiu jitsu as a tool in my arsenal to cope with emotional challenges.
keep reading!A skill my coach has been trying to reinforce in me is not to look at him when he is coaching me. As soon as I turn my head to see if my coach is going to reassure me, my attention is pulled away from the roll. For obvious reasons, this can’t be happening when I’m competing. But why am I so eager to look around the room when I am at practice?
keep reading!Although many of us are in jiu jitsu for recreation, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a low priority. But doesn’t it seem irresponsible to put training before… more important matters?
keep reading!I feel as a woman there is a unique kind of pressure to strive for this carefully-curated lifestyle–you know the type. The ‘influencer’ life. The mother who not only gets her kids to school on time, but packs them adorably-arranged homemade lunches each day. The artist with a studio full of projects waiting to be sold for clamoring fans. The athlete who collects gold medals while wearing those perfectly-matching sweat-wicking outfits and a ponytail that magically stays in place.
keep reading!