Archive for month: November, 2021

Where is the gym located?
Balllybofey, Donegal, Ireland.

How many people train there?
40 to 45 on average come through our doors a weekly basis.

Is the gym growing – if so by how many new members each month or year?
We only opened our new full-time HQ a month ago because of Covid delays, but we are growing steadily with new sign-ups daily.

What are the highest and lowest belt grades training?
We have had purple belts and blue belts in rolling on a daily basis and it’s great for our club to get the rolls in with higher level competitors. We run our gym on a open door policy, so it doesn’t matter what team or affiliation you belong to – you are more than welcome to drop in for a session.

When did the gym open?
Maverick MMA and Performance was established in 2018, working out of gyms and community centres. In July 2021 we opened our full-time academy.

Some facts about you:

Name: AJ McDaid
Age: 28
Belt: Blue belt
Profession: Gym owner
Years in BJJ: 14 years on and off
Other martial arts: I’ve fought in MMA and competed in K1 kickboxing
Currently living in: Stranorlar, Donegal, Ireland
Originally from: Strabane, Tyrone, Ireland

BJJ Ireland: Maverick MMA and Performance

Please tell us the story of how your gym came into existence
I have been involved in martial arts since I was 14 years old, and I’ve been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to train alongside some amazing fighters and coaches along the way. I had always been travelling at night for my training, up to several hours. It was always my dream to open a martial arts academy in my hometown to offer the kind of training I had been travelling to get to. My previous jobs took me to the UK and Dublin, where I got to see loads of successful full-time academies and people living the Jiu-Jitsu lifestyle.

I had never really been passionate about anything other than martial arts, and always believed you should follow your passion whatever it is.

We started by working out of community centres and halls, but I realised that in order to have great success and to become the type of academy we wanted to be, we needed a full-time academy. We had problems at first finding a unit, which ended up moving us 20 mins away from the town we started in, but I think the unit we found and location is perfect. Now post-Covid it’s back to business.

Tell us about the people that train in Maverick MMA and Performance, BJJ Ireland – who are they?
We have people literally from every walk of life, from social workers to tree surgeons and students etc. We have a great mix of personalities.

Why do they train?
Some members train with the hope of competing on a high level. Others just want a different way of getting fit. I think a major aspect is the community feeling. We push this hard and really try to strike a great balance between training hard and having a laugh. As soon as you walk through our door on your first day, we try and make you feel part of the team. Always keeping a positive vibe.

What are some of the challenges of running a BJJ gym in general, and in your area specifically?
The biggest challenge I’ve seen is getting people to take the final step and come through the door. A lot of people are intimidated to come through the door – they’ll message and get everything in order, but fail to show. I think in time this will diminish when they see the great characters we have on the mats and how friendly an atmosphere we have.

BJJ Ireland: Maverick MMA and Performance

How do you see the future for BJJ in your area?
I think this is only the beginning. I hope it progresses to be a club known for high-level grappling. I will do everything I can to make it happen. I already have two BJJ Globetrotters instructors, Chris Paines and Michael Currier, coming to our gym for seminars, and as a team we will try to attend as many camps as possible. Just a little note to any other Globetrotters instructors ever wanting to come to Donegal – just PM us on our FB page and we will do our best to make it happen!

What’s the best thing about your Maverick MMA and Performance, BJJ Ireland?
100% the community vibe and the more relaxed attitude towards the, in our opinion, outdated rules of the grappling community. We don’t do belt hierarchy or any of this so-called club loyalty where you are only allowed to train here. We show each and every member respect, as they do to each other, and we encourage our members to always learn more and experience travelling to other gyms.

What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from the inside of your gym?
If you’re coming to Donegal you can visit over 100 beaches, with a few cold paradises for surfers. The international surf spots Bundoran and Rossnowlough are not far from our gym. You also can explore the breathtaking scenery which is endless in Donegal. Donegal offers all the outdoor sports you could imagine, and if that doesn’t take your fancy we offer endless amounts of Irish pubs and good ‘Crk’. Everyone is more than welcome to come visit our gym anytime.

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Thanks for sharing! If you’d like to visit Maverick MMA and Performance, BJJ Ireland, you can find them here.

Age: 60

Belt: Purple

Profession: Civil servant

How many years in BJJ: 8

Other martial arts: Judo, Aikido, Nippon Kempo, Shorinji Kempo, Taekwondo, Karate, Lau Gar kung fu

Where do you live: Croydon (London), United Kingdom

Where are you from: London

Other fun or curious information you would like to share: I was once caught trying to derail a steam train but I escaped. I have broken into a working gold mine. I once sold two battery-operated toy submarines to Roger Moore. I have met the man who invented the pollen count. I saw Hilary Clinton out shopping in Vietnam. I have been inside one of the Great Pyramids of Giza. I have almost stepped on venomous snakes twice. I am a musician and have been releasing music since 1988.

Vince Millett – BJJ Gym

Tell us what inspired you to travel and train?
I read Christian’s book not long after starting BJJ. Saw an advert for a camp in Denmark and went. That started it all! I love adventures and seeing new places, meeting new people. Combining that with BJJ is the perfect thing to do.

Tell us about your most recent travel and your upcoming travel – where have you been and where are you going?
This year I’ve been to the Iceland Camp and the Estonia camp. Both quite different from each other, although that’s probably partly down to me. In Estonia I stayed in the hostel with other campers for the first time, and because the camp days ended quite early I took part in much more social activity than on previous camps. Didn’t do so much socialising in Iceland. I’m old and I don’t drink so much of the partying isn’t of interest to me, but I love all the history and architecture and food in the places we go. Haven’t booked the next trip yet, but I’m very tempted by the Estonia beach camp.

Vince Millett – BJJ Globetrotters Camp

What are the things you enjoy about traveling?
I love history and culture, architecture, and languages. I’ve loved all the European camps I’ve been on because they have opened up a whole continent to me. I also love to cook and I always try to hunt out local food in the camp locations, for example fish stew in Iceland and blood sausage in Estonia. Heck, I even ate vegan food in Estonia – although that’s not traditional, of course!

Can you give us some examples of experiences you had that makes it worth traveling and training?
I’ve loved all the training, of course – I’m still working on things I learned nine camps back! Learning directly from a range of amazing teachers in such a friendly environment is incredible. Having a go at Glima wrestling, Backhold wrestling, Collar and Elbow wrestling, and Central Asian belt wrestling has been amazing. Doesn’t matter if I get dumped on my head – how many people my age have a crack at something like that? I love that we have the opportunity to get significant conceptual ideas that are shaping modern Jiu Jitsu straight from the source; for example, Priit’s defensive jiu jitsu. However, just seeing new places and making new friends is a big incentive for me.

What has so far been the most surprising experience for you when traveling?
I was surprised to be deported from Sweden on my way to Estonia, but I managed to get to camp by a different route in time to catch Christian’s opening speech so I didn’t miss anything!

Vince Millett – BJJ Globetrotters Camp

Are you a budget traveller – and if so how do you plan for a cheap trip?
I’m afraid I am a budget traveller. It’s always difficult for me, but my job (in public health) pays overtime money when there are pandemics to be dealt with. Ebola and COVID have paid for several of the camps I’ve been on!

If you were to pass on travel advice to your fellow Globetrotters, what would it be?
If in doubt, book it and go. Life is short. Travel light. Do some research about local public transport and cheap places to eat before you get there. Seek out the real local experience – don’t be too much of a tourist. Scan all your important travel documents and have them in Dropbox – if you lose everything you’ll still have all your info to hand. Get to know your fellow campers – you’ll make friends for life.

Thank you Vince Millett – BJJ Globetrotters for making this interview!

Age: 39

Belt: Blue

Profession: Boring software & electronics engineer

How many years in BJJ: 3

Other martial arts: I’ve been playing ice hockey since I was 6 years old, does that count?

Where do you live: Zurich, Switzerland

Where are you from: Bavaria, Germany

Other fun or curious information you would like to share: Whenever you find yourself in a beer garden somewhere in Bavaria, order a “dunkles Weissbier” It’s a dark wheat beer! This will make you look like a pro instead of a tourist.

Alexander Wolf – BJJ Globetrotters

Tell us what inspired you to travel and train?
Since my younger days I’ve been doing rock climbing, and since you need rocks for that, you have to go where the mountain is. Every free minute we went into the Alps, the Franconian Jura, Fontainebleau, Lago di Garda, Ticino, and many more areas in Europe and around the globe. So travelling and training BJJ abroad instead of climbing a rock from my perspective is pretty normal. Rock climbing brought me to remote places where no tourist would go, and BJJ brought me to hidden gyms. That style of travelling for me is the best way to connect with other people and countries.

Tell us about your most recent travel and your upcoming travel – where have you been and where are you going?
Before the pandemic hit in September 2019, my girlfriend and I did a road trip with our micro bus from Switzerland to Greece, crossing Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia Herzegovina and Albania.

One reason for doing this trip was that we desperately needed to get our loyal indestructible micro bus repaired. That camper bus technically is worth max the petrol inside its gas tank, but to get it repaired in Switzerland is just not affordable. So a fellow BJJ friend from Zurich, who is originally from Sarajevo, gave us his mechanic and jits contacts there. We spent almost one week in Sarajevo training at Bosnae Team United BJJ while our car got a manicure.

At the moment I’m planning a longer trip to South and Central America. Apart from wanting to acquire a new skill and learn Spanish, I heard so many good things about that part of our globe that I want to go there.

Alexander Wolf – BJJ Globetrotters

What are the things you enjoy about traveling?
After the wild “exploring new things” phase in my twenties, nowadays I honestly enjoy coming back home the most. Home is where your heart, your family, and your friends are. Coming from a first world country and traveling through less privileged parts of our planet grounds me, and makes me grateful of the life I have and the chances I got.

Can you give us some examples of experiences you had that makes it worth traveling and training?
Plenty! For example, my girl and I ended up in Split in Croatia at Black Dragon Alliance which was so cool! We ended up in an industrial area following a YouTube short movie on how to find the gym because it was hidden inside a shut down industrial complex. Once we arrived, Danko (the black belt) explained to us that they usually don’t have female BJJ students. Not because they don’t want women to train with them; it’s just that they had no separate changing rooms or toilets. We as tiny 115 and 150 lbs midgets, not understanding a single word and total white belt noobs, now found ourselves in a Croatian man-cave filling up with big buff guys going there to roll! But luckily also some fellow dwarves showed up, who folded us nicely inside our gis – as we deserved it. After we left happily this evening, we accumulated just another unforgettable experience travelling the planet.

What has so far been the most surprising experience for you when traveling?
When travelling through Iran, we once got a flat tire and got stuck on some remote dirt road in the Iranian outback when looking to find a place to camp. But then out of nowhere two Iranian men showed up on tiny motorbikes. At first glace we where a bit intimidated, but it turned out that these two where shepherds and we got stuck on their land. Their names were actually Hassan and Hussein. We communicated only by gestures while they helped us fix the tire. After that, Hussein took out his smartphone, called his wife to inform her that they will have guests over night, and invited us to his place. In that order.

So we went to his house and had a simple but rich dinner consisting of tomatoes, cucumber, self-made cheese and tea. Sitting on a Persian carpet with his family, cousins, and neighbours he invited on short notice, we tried to exchange stories in broken English. Similar invitations happened all the time! These people where so hospitable that I now constantly question my Western behaviour. Would you invite a stranger/traveller from another country you don’t know to your home and offer him dinner and a place to sleep?

Another story would be those policemen in Kyrgyzstan that fined me 70 USD for speeding. And after I paid they bought me some vodka and ice cream from my own money, haha …

Or that drunk Russian sitting in a beer refill kiosk in the middle of Siberia that thought if he only speaks slow enough I would finally understand him…

Alexander Wolf – BJJ Globetrotters

Are you a budget traveller – and if so how do you plan for a cheap trip?
I would consider myself a budget traveller, but only because I sleep better in a cottage under a mosquito net than in an air-conditioned hotel made of concrete. Usually I don’t plan much, I mostly “flow with the go” which makes travelling a tiny bit more exhausting but exciting. There is always a bus going somewhere, a scooter to rent, or someone you can ask or team up with in the hostel or BJJ gym.

If you were to pass on travel advice to your fellow Globetrotters, what would it be?
Always be extra friendly. Keep in mind that you are an ambassador of your country! If you’re friendly, everyone else will be friendly. You can’t change other people, circumstances, the past, or the future – you can only change yourself and how you behave.

Thank you to Alexander Wolf – BJJ Globetrotters for making this interview!