Author: Katie Taylor

Katie • 27 years-old • Providence, rhode island. A Brazilian Jiu Jitsu athlete, digital marketing manager, interactive design student, and caffeine addict. This page launched in Autumn 2020, after months of putting it off. My vision was to create a page where I could tie together my interests in writing, grappling, and inner growth. I want this to serve not only as an outlet for my own creativity, but as a shared community for others grappling with life on the mats.
Mental Health, Uncategorized

How Grappling Helped Repair My Relationship (With My Body)

The week of February 22 – 28, 2021 is recognized as National Eating Disorders Awareness Week by the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA).

*Content warning: the following post discusses disordered eating & exercise habits.

Disordered eating & exercise habits are a product of mental dysfunction—not ‘healthy habits gone too far’. Grappling taught me to value the benefits of nourishing my body for performance over monitoring the scale.

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Motivation, Training

Best Foot Forward: Changing Course for Training in 2021

When I meticulously drafted my plans for 2020; including competitions I hoped to enter, seminars I would travel to, and nutrition and strength-building programs I would follow to meet those goals… I expected to hit some bumps in the road. But the challenges I anticipated coming across were far more manageable–balancing my workload, nursing injuries, maintaining focus during practice.

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Lifestyle, Reviews

REVIEW: Arm Bar Soap Company’s Alpha & Omega Mega Bar

In the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu community, you’d be hard pressed to find a grappler who hasn’t come across the Arm Bar Soap Company label with their promotional presence among the sport’s top athletes. But will a luxury soap make your jiu jitsu any better? The short answer is no; but it does promise to keep you in the game longer by preventing skin infections before outbreak–allowing you to stay on the mats and off the sidelines.

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Fitness, Gear, Reviews, Training

My MUST-HAVE Fitness Items for Home Workouts

I have dropped serious cash on my home fitness equipment–and this list only includes the items I consider the most essential in my workout routine. I consider it a worthwhile investment due to the fact I have been able to completely replace membership to a commercial gym, and I put in a ton of hours with my home workouts.

However, you don’t have to spend a fortune on getting started–most importantly, you need to consider what you’ll actually use, and the intensity & wear you’ll put your gear through before purchasing top-of-the-line equipment. That’s why I’ve also included some budget & DIY suggestions so that you can access all the workouts that I do without the upfront cost.

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Apparel, Gear, Reviews

4 Small Shops Female Fighters Will LOVE

Supporting small businesses is more important than ever–and an amazing way to preserve the grappling community by helping fellow fighters succeed. These are just a few shops I have purchased from that have high-quality gear & accessories you won’t find anywhere else.

For the female fighter who’s used to unisex styles and products geared toward male athletes, I wanted to take time to highlight the shops that cater to women in the martial arts community.

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