Fall Camp 2021: The Farmboy Grip and its endless points accumulation loophole w/ Christian Graugart
UPCOMING CAMPS
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Archive for month: November, 2021
Featured affiliated academy: Paderborn Wombats, BJJ Germany
Where is the gym located?
In Paderborn, North Rhine Westphalia, Germany.
How many people train there?
At the moment we have around 200 members training at our gym. In a normal class there are about 10-25 people. MMA classes tend to get a little bit more crowded.
Is the gym growing – if so by how many new members each month or year?
The gym is steadily growing, but we try to welcome new members in specific assigned months each year so we can focus our attention on them. So sometimes we get zero new members a month, sometimes it’s 30.
What are the highest and lowest belt grades training?
We have grapplers of all levels at our gym. In luta livre, our practised nogi grappling style, we got a couple of blackbelts and alot more whitebelts (and everything in between). Bjj is slowly catching up with a good group of grapplers from white to brown with one blackbelt.
When did Paderborn Wombats, BJJ Germany?
The team was started in 2007 by our Luta Livre coach Mark Davis.
Some facts about you:
Name: Paul Urbanik
Age: 33
Belt: Black belt in Luta Livre and BJJ
Profession: Schoolteacher for mathematics and physics
Years in BJJ: 9 in BJJ, 12 in Luta Livre
Other martial arts: Luta Livre, MMA, and some Taekwondo back in the day
Currently living in: Paderborn
Originally from: Born in Poland, raised in Germany
Paderborn Wombats, BJJ Germany
Please tell us the story of how your gym came into existence
In 2007 we started as a nogi and MMA competition team. Later down the road we started to loosen up a little bit and tried to focus on building the sport in our area. At that point, we listed our gym as a non-profit club and rented a bigger place.
Tell us about the people that train in the gym – who are they?
We got people from all walks of life at our gym, with almost every age present. So it’s not unusual to see our 8-year-old kids greet our adult class attendees that work as a policeman, chemist, welder, or teacher.
Why do they train in Paderborn Wombats, BJJ Germany?
Most of the members just enjoy training, sweating, improving, and getting a clear head for a couple of hours. But we also have some strong competitors in grappling, as well as a great group of pro MMA fighters.
What are some of the challenges of running a BJJ gym in general, and in your area specifically?
Paderborn is a city with a lot of “big” sports clubs like soccer, American football, and baseball. So the focus for many people are those “ball-sports”, while martial arts is often looked down on. At the beginning there was no one teaching BJJ, Luta Livre, or MMA in the area, so our founder Mark Davis had to build it up from zero. Now we have a strong team of volunteer trainers with great knowledge in their respective styles working together, which we are really happy about and proud of.
Paderborn Wombats, BJJ Germany
How do you see the future for BJJ in your area?
BJJ and Luta Livre (no-gi grappling) doesn’t get the same attention as, for example, MMA, but we’ve noticed a steady increase in people who come to us for BJJ only. So kudos to all the celebs who use their reach to promote the sport.
What’s the best thing about your gym?
The team and atmosphere for sure. We’ve got a great mix of people on the mat in Paderborn Wombats, BJJ Germany who always keep the energy light and fun. Also a lot of people worked together to push the team to where it is now. All those times traveling to competitions, rebuilding our gym, and grinding on the mats formed a really tight bond between a lot of members.
What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from the inside of your gym?
Paderborn itself has some nice spots with some sights and good places to eat, but the surrounding area has some really cool sights too. The Teutoburg forest is right around the corner, with some great hikes and old historical sights. You can even attend an old German feast like the Germans who fought the Romans back in the day (no need for forks and knives).
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Thanks for sharing! If you’d like to visit Paderborn Wombats, BJJ Germany, you can find them here.
Fall Camp 2021: Hot singles in your area (wrestling attacks from guard) with Jorgen Matsi
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Summer Camp 2021: YOLO BOLO – Fuck it, try a backtake! (Nogi Bolos) with Thomas Stoll
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Featured affiliated academy: Maverick MMA and Performance, BJJ Ireland
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.
Featured traveller: Vara Poorisrisak – BJJ Globetrotters
Belt: Brown
Profession: I work for BJJ Globetrotters as Ask Vara!
How many years in BJJ: 8
Other martial arts: Karate for many years, MMA for a couple of years before I did my first BJJ class in a gi.
Where do you live: Right now I am in Thailand
Where are you from: Denmark
Other fun or curious information you would like to share: I have been on two different national teams in two different sports.
Vara Poorisrisak – BJJ gym in Bangkok (Bangkok Fight Lab)
Tell us what inspired you to travel and train?
Originally it was my old BJJ coach, Christian, who encouraged us to go train with other people, as you will not only gain experience by training with other people whose game you are not used to, but your training partners back home would also benefit from it if you come back better than before.
Now I am more interested in finding unusual travel destinations that not many people go to. Right now I have two really cool places I want to go to on my travel list!
Tell us about your most recent travel and your upcoming travel – where have you been and where are you going?
I went to an island called Koh Yao Yai for a 3-day New Years trip to get away from Bangkok, and I wanted to spend New Year’s Eve all alone in my hotel room ordering their lobster soup and watching a movie. After the three days, I decided to just stay in Phuket because I know that the air pollution is really bad in Bangkok from January until around April. Then Bangkok had a really long lockdown with everything shutting down, including the gyms, so I had no rush going back really.
I originally came here for New Years for three days with a small backpack and three sets of clothes, but I am still here haha. I did have to order a gi and belt online so I can train. So I just see it as I am still on a long holiday / travelling.
Vara Poorisrisak – BJJ friends
What are the things you enjoy about traveling?
Seeing my friends! Whenever I’ve been travelling for BJJ camps or I go to competitions alone, I always run into people I’ve met through the BJJ community. Some of the friends I always enjoy seeing are my BeHousing family (a reference to the place we always booked for the BJJ Globetrotters Summer Camps in Belgium). I’ve known these guys since the first camps we did in Copenhagen, so I’ve known them for many years now. I haven’t seen them for a while but hopefully we can have a reunion next year! Let’s make it happen guys!
Can you give us some examples of experiences you had that makes it worth traveling and training?
I had a very rewarding experience the last time I travelled to Sangkhlaburi to visit a project that the Danish ladies in Bangkok support. The project helps out kids along the border with Myanmar. I asked my teammate and One Championship fighter Detchadin Sornsirisuphathin from Bangkok Fight Lab to come and teach the kids some Muay Thai.
The kids tried Muay Thai for the first time and they all amazed us with their athleticism and power. They all had so much fun and also picked up the techniques impressively fast. We had three training sessions in three days, and on the last day Detch made a small competition for the kids. The competition for the bigger kids was to kick as many times as possible in 30 sec and the winner kicked 50 times in 30 sec – pretty good for a first-timer! Detch also donated some pads, shin guards, and gloves to the children so they can continue training.
What has so far been the most surprising experience for you when traveling?
I went to this beautiful country called Bhutan. Not many people know about Bhutan, but it’s a Buddhist kingdom on the Himalayas’ eastern edge, known for its monasteries, fortresses (or dzongs) and dramatic landscapes that range from subtropical plains to steep mountains and valleys.
The people there and the country is the most awesome place – along with Japan – that I’ve been to so far. I loved everything about Bhutan and I even got to do my first judo class and had the pleasure to teach some BJJ techniques there. They don’t have any BJJ gyms in Bhutan, but they do have judo :)
Vara Poorisrisak – BJJ Globetrotting
Are you a budget traveller – and if so how do you plan for a cheap trip?
I think I’m in between. I’m not a super budget traveller and I am not a high-end traveller either. I try to find cheaper but still nice accommodation, as I prefer to spend money on experiences while I am travelling but I still like a nice place where I can relax after a long day going sightseeing, trying food etc.
If you were to pass on travel advice to your fellow Globetrotters, what would it be?
Please be open-minded and learn from other cultures while travelling. Please don’t be judgemental or think you are entitled just because you do it differently in your own country which you think is much better. Maybe you can appreciate something they do differently or in a better way that you can reflect over and maybe incorporate in your daily life.
Sometimes a simpler way is a happier way!
Thank you Vara Poorisrisak – BJJ Globetrotters for making this interview!
Featured traveller: Vince Millett – BJJ Globetrotters
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!
Featured traveller: Taherul Khan – BJJ Globetrotters
Taherul Khan – BJJ Globetrotters
Age: 38
Belt: Brown
Profession: Software Test Automation (I basically piss off software engineers)
How many years in BJJ: 11, I guess officially, but I’ve been doing some form of shit grappling since 2005.
Other martial arts: Boxing, Muay Thai, and ages ago Kung Fu
Where do you live: Zurich, Switzerland
Where are you from: London, England… the bit that wanted to stay in the EU
Other fun or curious information you would like to share: I recently took up acting a couple of years ago. It’s fun and super challenging.
Taherul Khan – BJJ Globetrotters Camp in Heidelberg
Tell us what inspired you to travel and train?
Midlife crisis… kidding… maybe not, but a curiosity like most other people I guess.
Tell us about your most recent travel and your upcoming travel – where have you been and where are you going?
Aside from the recent Globetrotters camp in Heidelberg, I kind of consider moving to Zurich as a bit of a vacation, as I’m still in the honeymoon phase due to Covid. Am going to Sardinia in September though, which I’ve never been to, so I’m looking forward to that and Sardinian white wine: contini karmis bianco tharros. Get this bottle of white from there, it’s a good one.
Taherul Khan – BJJ Globetrotters
What are the things you enjoy about traveling?
It varies. I like to travel alone a lot, as I get to just pick and choose what I do, who I meet etc. But food is definitely one of my favourite things. I started a habit a few years back of visiting Michelin star restaurants where I can in other countries, and I love sampling this from different cultures.
Can you give us some examples of experiences you had that makes it worth traveling and training?
Ok, so Globetrotters is an obvious but very real reason to do so. I’ve made a whole bunch of friends and fun experiences.
Outside of Globetrotters, it depends on what you want to get from travelling. For me, I go with the flow and see what happens. In New York, I love the fact that I can go to a bar by myself and once ended up at a rock gig with a bunch of random student doctors. I’ve tasted some amazing food. NOA Chef Hall in Tallinn, Estonia was mind-blowing – it had some of the best wine pairing I’ve had to date.
In Cuba, I randomly found a Newaza judo club on Varadero beach and they invited me to train. It was a great way to meet locals in a more real way as, without getting into it much, generally the behaviour towards tourists can be understandably superficial, so having a sport in common to train with for a few days in a row lifts some of those barriers.
What has so far been the most surprising experience for you when traveling?
I can’t say I’ve had any surprises. Maybe I didn’t expect to fall in love with New York as much as I did and seeing how friendly people were, given what you hear about NYC people. But coming from London and having visited Paris, I guess anywhere after that seems friendly! Make what you will of that answer. P.S. I love France, don’t hate me mes amis Francais…
Taherul Khan – BJJ Globetrotters
Are you a budget traveller – and if so how do you plan for a cheap trip?
Not gonna lie, I’m too old for budget travelling and I like travelling and sleeping in comfort. The days of sleeping on people’s kitchen floors a la age 20-somethings are long gone. So I’m the worst to give that advice.
If you were to pass on travel advice to your fellow Globetrotters, what would it be?
I think a lot of people feel a pressure to travel in a way that other people would like to see them travel. Don’t. Do the things you want to do and travel how you want. Even if you’re on a budget, travelling is still expensive in the form of time – don’t waste it visiting the places or doing the things you think would look good on Instagram or please other people. If you want to stay in just one place for a week without seeing much, and you enjoy that, then do exactly that. If you want to see 8 million things in a day, do that. It’s your time and your experience, nobody else’s.
Having said that, if you’re not too shy, try to get to know locals somehow. We have a superpower in BJJ in that it makes it so much easier to meet people from a local region, so if you want, it’s worth using that to connect with locals and get a glimpse of their culture.
Finally, if some dude on a street corner is staring at you and rubbing his knees, probably don’t strike up a conversation with him. Or do. YOLO.
Thank you to Taherul Khan – BJJ Globetrotters for making this interview!
Featured traveller: Alexander Wolf – BJJ Globetrotters
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!
Featured affiliated academy: Newguard Jiu Jitsu, Germany
Where is the gym located?
Our gym is located in Muttenz. This is an small village near the city of Basel in Switzerland, close to the border of France and Germany.
How many people train there?
So we didn’t even start yet, but i think between 10 and 20 people will be there on our first session.
Is the gym growing – if so by how many new members each month or year?
Hard to answer this question. In the beginning, maybe 1 to 3 new members each month. We have some advance registrations, but only time will tell!
What are the highest and lowest belt grades training?
The highest belt grading is a purple belt with four stripes. The lowest is, of course, a couple of white belts.
When did the gym open?
The gym will open on the first of August 2021.
Some facts about you:
Name: Patrick Neugart
Age: 39
Belt: Purple Belt four stripes
Profession: Workforce Planning
Years in BJJ: 9 years (with interruptions)
Other martial arts: Wing Chun, Sanda, Kickboxing
Currently living in: Allschwil, near Basel
Originally from: Switzerland
Newguard Jiu Jitsu, Germany
Please tell us the story of how your gym came into existence
I was a coach in a couple of gyms. My friend from MMA Basel, where I gave some lessons, had to move out of their current place. They were searching for a new place to open a gym, so we had some talks. At that point I already I had the idea in my mind to do my own BJJ offshoot, because there are not many options to train BJJ in our region. They asked me if I wanted to join them and open my own BJJ school in partnership with MMA Basel and Enshin Karate Switzerland. I said yes, and here we are now waiting for the date to start.
Tell us about the people that train in the gym – who are they?
We have many nice folks here from around the world – women and men, old and young. They’re all in different stages of their life (study, work, family).
Why do they train in Newguard Jiu Jitsu, Germany?
Everyone has their own reason to train, be it for fun and having a good time and meeting new people, or for the fitness, competition, self esteem and self-confidence, self defense, and many other reasons. And that’s how it should be, because everyone should have the possibility to train for whatever their reasons are.
What are some of the challenges of running a BJJ gym in general, and in your area specifically?
BJJ is slowly growing here in Switzerland, but it is still a fringe sport. The area around Basel has many martial arts gyms, but most of them are Kick-/ Thai boxing studios. BJJ is actually not a big thing in this region. As well as that, Switzerland is very expensive and the rents are high, so the biggest challenge is not to go broke!
Newguard Jiu Jitsu, Germany
How do you see the future for BJJ in your area?
If i could say that, then I would need a new job! Joking aside, like I said before, BJJ is growing slowly, but it is growing. I’m sure that more people will discover BJJ for themselves and fell in love with this art. Like i did many years ago.
What’s the best thing about your gym?
We are open for all. We are one big family. We have a 235 square-meter mat space (including a seven-meter diameter cage). And we work closely in collaboration with Aire Valley Martial Arts in Keighley (West Yorkshire, England) and BJJ Kingston (near London).
What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from the inside of your gym?
You can do short trips to France and Germany. Because we’re right on the border of the two countries. But in the city itself, I would suggest to visit the bank of the Rhine (the river runs right through the city). It’s a beautiful place to chill (especially on sunny and warm days), with many small and urban bars and street food stands.
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