Archive for month: March, 2021

“I’ve shared great food, drinks, rolls, sweat and laughs with so many people the past near 3 months that make the long hours travelling and money spent worth it.”
Jake Walton

Age: 21

Belt: Blue

Profession: I quit my job to travel! But I was a signwriter (designing and fitting signs)

How many years in BJJ: 2 and a half

Other martial arts: Karate for 2 weeks when I was 8 but got bored and quit.

Where do you live: Gosport, England. It’s a small town on the south coast.

Where are you originally from: I was born in Salisbury, England but moved to Gosport when I was a baby so to be honest I count Gosport as my hometown.

Other fun or curious information you would like to share: I train at a small gym in Gosport called Rogers Jiu Jitsu Academy, we have a handful of blue belts, plenty of white belts and a purple belt coach who is super high level and dedicated. It’s been fun coming from a small gym with a purple belt coach and being able to hang with students from the biggest gyms in America with black belt coaches.

Jake Walton BJJ

Tell us what inspired you to travel and train?

I left school when I was 16 and went straight into full time work instead of education so I’ve been working non stop for the last 5 years and recently I decided it was now or never if I wanted to travel. All my older friends and training partners say the same thing “I wish I had travelled when I was your age!!”. So it was settled, I would travel. I train at least 4 times a week at home and my life revolves around BJJ so I knew that travelling and not training wasn’t possible, I had to figure out a way to incorporate them. A friend told me about the Globetrotter book and the moment I opened it I realised this was for me! For 7 months I saved every penny from work and spent hours planning my trip.

Tell us about your most recent travel and your upcoming travel – where have you been and where are you going?

I decided on the USA because of the language, level of jiu jitsu and variety of lifestyles available. You can literally feel in a different country from state to state! As an Englishman I can visit the states for 3 months with a VISA, which works out the perfect amount of time to travel on a budget. I started in Oakland, CA and went through California stopping at the major cities before flying from San Diego across to Dallas. Spent time in Austin before going up through the midwest to Chicago stopping off at numerous cities. I flew down from Chicago to Atlanta and then spent time in Tennessee and surrounding areas when I then moved onto North Carolina and slowly went up the East Coast ending up in New York. It’s been amazing, the level of jiu jitsu here is astounding and America is such an experience, it’s just so different to anything I’ve seen in the UK and Europe. My whole trip was also built around Matsurfing hosts with the Globetrotter group, I emailed everyone on there before coming out and planned my stay around them, hence the random cities!
Oakland – San Francisco – Long Beach – San Diego – Dallas – Austin – Oklahoma City – Wichita – Kansas City – St Louis – Chicago – Atlanta – Chattanooga – Nashville – Asheville – Raleigh – Philadelphia – New York – Boston – New York

Jake Walton – BJJ Globetrotters

What are the things you enjoy about travelling?

Every state is different to the last, the food, the lifestyle, the sports. It’s been so good for my jiu jitsu to train at different gyms where people want to test their abilities so you get no easy rolls! It’s the best way to see how your jiu jitsu is doing and what needs to be improved. As someone who deals with mental illness travelling for 3 months alone has been fantastic, it’s put me outside my comfort zone so many times that now that is my comfort zone. I have no worries about walking into a gym and chatting to people now. So many people know the benefits of Jiu Jitsu for mental health but travelling is equally as helpful, I hope more people have the courage to step up and travel alone.

Can you give us some examples of experiences you had that makes it worth travelling and training?

There have been a few, getting the chance to train at the competition class with JT Torres at Essential BJJ was the best though. The nicest guy in the world and simultaneously the most intense guy to roll with, an opportunity I’ll be eternally grateful for as a blue belt in a class of black brown and purple belts (plus an 8 minute round with JT Torres!!). Another one was in St Louis when I messaged a gym asking to train but they were closed, however the coach invited me to a block party they were hosting and I spent the afternoon and evening drinking cold beers in the sun with great people in a random city miles away from home.

What has so far been the most surprising experience for you when travelling?

Despite what the media may convince you, there are still good people in the world! I’m constantly taken aback by the generosity and kindness of the Jiu Jitsu community. I’ve been to 16 different gyms with at least 15 people in every class and maybe 2 people have been rude, out of the minimum 240 people I’ve trained with. I’ve shared great food, drinks, rolls, sweat and laughs with so many people the past near 3 months that make the long hours travelling and money spent worth it, no doubt at all.

Jake Walton BJJ

Are you a budget traveller – and if so how do you plan for a cheap trip?

I’m a budget traveller yeah, I saved up all the money I could for this trip from work and didn’t have to do anything crazy like sell my car etc. Use matsurfing for the best travel experience, you train and live with people who are just as passionate about bjj and travel, what more could you want? Couchsurfing has also been great, it’s a website that lets you stay on people’s sofas or spare beds etc for free and like matsurfing the best part is that you get the real experience of living in the area because the host is a local who knows the best places to go and what to avoid. If you are travelling the USA use the Greyhound or Megabus as much as possible. It’s not great, it’s not fun but it is so cheap! It costs usually around $20 instead of a $80 train or $120 flight. Just get some films to watch and some snacks and get on with it.

If you were to pass on travel advice to your fellow Globetrotters, what would it be?

On the flight out I watched the film Yes Man by accident. It’s basically about a guy who doesn’t ever go out and see things but one day he attends a seminar about saying yes to everything and it changes his life. I adopted this mentality for my trip and it really has made a difference. So many opportunities pop up when you just say yes to things and remember what’s the worst that will happen if you don’t like it? You just tick it off and don’t do it again. The other piece of advice would be don’t be nervous about going to other gyms, yes it is harder than training at home and yes you will be pushed but it makes you tough and at the end of the session everyone is friends and will ask 100000 questions about your trip!

Thank you Jake Walton – BJJ Globetrotters for doing this interview!

“There is no ego at our gym, everyone trains with everyone and rolls with everyone with no expectations other than having fun and learning from each other.”
Travis Browne, Coach at Whaingaroa BJJ

Where is the gym located: The gym is located on the Raglan Harbour mouth at 94 Riria Kereopa Memorial Drive, Raglan, New Zealand. Raglan is a small coastal town of approximately 5,000 people and one of the premier surf spots in New Zealand. Whaingaroa is the Maori name for Raglan and means “the long pursuit” which refers to the lengthy search of the Tainui waka (canoe) for a final destination and is an apt description of the BJJ journey as well.

How many people train there: Approx 16 kids and 15 Adults.

Is the gym growing – if so by how many new members each month or year: The gym only started in Feb of this year so we have gone from 0 to current numbers. However the gym is growing with more students arriving to give it a go.

What are the highest and lowest belt grades training: At the moment 1 black belt, 1 purple belt, 2 blue belts and all the rest white belts.

When did the gym open: Feb 2017

Whaingaroa BJJ – New Zealand

Who founded it: Travis Browne, Andrew Higgins, Rakai Rewherawha, Dai Jenkins and Nate Marshall

Some facts about you:
Name: Travis Browne
Age: 39
Belt: Black
Profession: Primary School Teacher
How many years in BJJ: On and off 14 years
Other martial arts: Previously Kickboxing, MMA, Ninjitsu, Taekwondo, Balintawak
Where do you live: Waitetuna, New Zealand
Where are you originally from: Wainui, New Zealand

Please tell us the story of how your gym came into existence: Rakai Rewherewha (Blue belt) and Dr Nate Marshall (Brown Belt) had been having casual trainings as Raglan Rollers from May 2016. Rakai had purchased some mats with no place to train and by chance, met Nate at West Coast Health. I shifted to the area from Hamilton where I had been assistant coaching for Ground Control Hamilton and also met Nate. A friend from my old club Andrew Higgins (purple) also shifted out there so we all got together along with Dai Jenkins (Blue). After several months of garage training Rakai engaged with Tangata Whenua to use the space at Whaingaroa ki te whenua and so Whaingaroa BJJ was born as a space with no politics for any and all BJJ practitioners to come and have some fun and for people with no experience to come learn in a safe training environment.

Whaingaroa BJJ – New Zealand

Tell us about the people that train in the gym – who are they? We have a variety of people at our gym, from school teachers to electricians, but all good people. We are all there to have fun and learn from each other, though the mat tends to empty out when there is a swell running.

Why do they train? Some of us had trained before and wanted a venue to continue, others heard and wanted to give something different a go. There are plenty of adventure options in Raglan so we get a few people trying something new. Most just want to get on the mat and have some fun.

What are some of the challenges running a BJJ gym? Obviously keeping a roof over our heads to train under but we have the support of the local community and as we all have other jobs we do not have to rely on the academy for income. The other challenge is ensuring that the culture remains consistent and welcoming for all and is modelled by all those on the mat, not just the leadership.

Whaingaroa BJJ – New Zealand

How do you see the future for BJJ in your area? It’s growing and will continue to do so as the population base grows.

What’s the best thing about your gym? Definitely the location. Harbour 5 steps away from the door and one of NZ’s best surf beaches five minutes drive away. Also the culture, we are nice and relaxed and welcoming with nothing to prove. We are also steadily increasing classes from starting with a single class when first opening to classes 4 x per week including Gi, No Gi, kids and open mat.

What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from Whaingaroa BJJ – New Zealand? So much. Go for a surf at Manu Bay, climb Mount Karioi, visit Bridal Veil falls, stand up paddle down the Harbour and explore the estuary, go to Mount Pirongia and do the walks and caves at Kaniwhaniwha. Drive into Hamilton and visit the world famous Hamilton Gardens or watch the Chiefs Super Rugby team play. Raglan also has a bunch of adventure activities such as hang gliding and parasailing along with some very good cafes and organic food stores.

Any other comments, you are welcome to write them here. There is no ego at our gym, everyone trains with everyone and rolls with everyone with no expectations other than having fun and learning from each other. Check us out and like us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, we’d appreciate it and hope to see you on the mat one day.

Thanks for sharing this with us! Whaingaroa BJJ – New Zealand sounds like a great place to visit. If any Globetrotters are in the area, you can find more information here.

“I like to see how other people do things differently than the way I do them and see how other people think differently than the way I think.”
Jeremy Loflin

Name: Jeremy Loflin

Age: 44

Belt: Black under Paul Thomas Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Profession: I own and run a window covering installation company. My second business is the Fight Lab in Katy, Texas. It’s a small Jiu Jitsu school.

How many years in BJJ: I’ve been in Jiu Jitsu since 2005.

Other martial arts: I’ve done no other martial arts except wrestling when I was a freshman in high school.

Where do you live: I live in Katy Texas that is just on the outskirts of Houston.

Where are you originally from: I’m originally from Houston but I grew up in Southern California and left there in 2005.

Fun fact: I was lucky enough to live next door to a girl in high school who I started dating married and we just celebrated our 20 year anniversary.

Jeremy Loflin BJJ Globetrotters

Tell us what inspired you to travel and train?

I like to see how the other half lives, whether it be how they live in their lives or how their gyms operate. I like to see how other people do things differently than the way I do them and see how other people think differently than the way I think. Hopefully I’ll learn something and maybe I can share something that keeps it fun.

Tell us about your most recent travel and your upcoming travel – where have you been and where are you going?

I’m going to Mexico for Christmas unfortunately I will not be training. I will be going to the Globetrotters Caribbean Island Camp to learn as much as I can in February. In January I will be cornering an MMA fighter in Louisiana and hopefully I will have an opportunity to go and train while I’m down there. In May I will be going to the Maine camp.

Jeremy Loflin BJJ Globetrotters

What are the things you enjoy about traveling?

I love seeing new destinations as much as possible. I personally like to cruise – I’ve been on 30 cruises. None of them were Jiu Jitsu cruises but while on ships I’ve been fortunate enough to find gyms that do BJJ and have some fun rolls.

Can you give us some examples of experiences you had that makes it worth traveling and training?

I was in Spain sitting outside of a gym that look like it had been closed down for years and I was starting to think I was given some bad information. Slowly people started showing up one by one – the place came to life and we rolled for hours. At the end of it all we all hung out and I caught a ride on the back of a moped to the hotel to meet my wife and share some of the stories.

Jeremy Loflin BJJ Globetrotters

What has so far been the most surprising experience for you when traveling?

Another great experience I’ve had was while working down south near the border of Mexico I was wanting to train real bad but no gyms were nearby. I drove an hour one way and found a gym where nobody spoke English except one kid. We rolled and I was invited back. I came back, we rolled some more and I started coaching every time I went down that way and sharing Jiu Jitsu.

The most fun part of that was the delayed response in jokes and the wave of smiles and expression as we understood each other through delayed translation. I still talk to those guys today my Spanish has not gotten any better but thank goodness their English has!

Are you a budget traveller – and if so how do you plan for a cheap trip?

Unfortunately I am not a budget traveller. I should be but I like to be comfortable. I usually rent my own car and get my own hotel – that way I can come and go as I please.

If you were to pass on travel advice to your fellow Globetrotters, what would it be?

Always have training gear with you and always be up for the unexpected opportunity to train!

Thank you Jeremy Loflin BJJ Globetrotters for sharing your travel stories with us! I’m sure a lot of our readers will bump into you at upcoming camps!