Featured affiliated academy: Arctic Combat Fitness & MMA, Canada BJJ

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Arctic Combat Fitness & MMA, Canada BJJ

Where is the gym located?

Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada

How many people train there?

Currently we have approximately 17 regular members in our BJJ and MMA classes.

Is the gym growing – if so by how many new members each month or year?

Our attendance fluctuates, with many of students moving away or into town at any point in time, but we seem to be picking up a couple of new members each year.

What are the highest and lowest belt grades training?

Right now our members rank from white to brown (I quite recently received my brown belt from my coach Jeff Wiley). We also have three awesome purple belts who help instruct. One of them has four stripes and over 12 years of experience.

When did the gym open?

Arctic Combat Fitness & MMA, Canada BJJ opened in 2014.

Some facts about you:

Name: Landen Powell
Age: 30
Belt: Brown
Profession: Geologist (Geoscientist in training)
Years in BJJ: 8 years
Other martial arts: Kickboxing, MMA
Currently living in: Yellowknife, NWT, Canada
Originally from: Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

Name: Celia Harding-Russell
Age: 31
Belt: Purple
Profession: Middle school teacher
Years in BJJ: 7 years
Other martial arts: Kickboxing, wrestling
Currently living in: Yellowknife, NWT, Canada
Originally from: Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

Please tell us the story of how your gym came into existence:
Yellowknife is a community of independent weirdos who find companionship in the odd conglomerate that has formed on the shores of Great Slave Lake. The city came into existence as the result of a small gold rush in the 1930s. The first residents were prospectors, bootleggers, pilots, and local First Nations. The city didn’t have year-round road access until 2012. This history may seem irrelevant but it will help you make sense of the oddities that characterize Arctic Combat Fitness & MMA, Canada BJJ.

Like almost all Yellowknife organizations, the gym was founded by resourceful locals who ramshackled something workable together, and eventually developed into a beautiful non-profit gym. Arctic Combat Fitness’ founders include a construction mogul, a corrections training officer, and an IT expert. The gym is located on the edge of town inside a converted cold-storage shack within the lot of a construction firm, and was something of a hidden gem until last month when we finally got around to putting up a sign.

Arctic Combat Fitness & MMA, Canada BJJ

Tell us about the people that train in the gym – who are they?

Typical Yellowknifers – scientists, government workers, students, teachers, construction workers, aviation workers, medical professionals, nannies, travelling musicians and law enforcement officers. Our students are an eclectic bunch and are all a little too quirky to be found anywhere south of the 62nd parallel.

Why do they train?

Fitness, fun, and a love of aggressive cuddling.

What are some of the challenges of running a BJJ gym in general and in your location specifically?

Yellowknife is a transient town, and so while every year we welcome many new students, we also have to say goodbye to old students who are moving on to new jobs and/or further education.

Yellowknife is also a place of extremes. In the winter months there is little sun and even less warmth, so when the heat has given out during winter power outages we’ve resorted to rolling in our gis, long johns, sweaters, and toques. The summer days, in contrast, are long and glorious, and sometimes attendance drops as fishing season opens.

How do you see the future for BJJ in your area?

Jiu-jitsu is a great sport and its popularity is growing worldwide. Interest in BJJ in Yellowknife has followed suit.

What’s the best thing about your gym?

The atmosphere, the hard-working members, the potlucks, and the two-man somersault introduction. We all work hard but we have fun!

What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from the inside of your gym?

  • Summer: Camping without a flashlight, constant sunlight, the Folk on the Rocks Festival, the Solstice Party, canoeing on Great Slave Lake, and fishing trips to the East Arm of the lake.
  • Winter: The best aurora borealis in the world, the eclectic remnants of the Old Town, the water squatters (houseboaters), the Ice Castle and Long John Jamboree Festival, the ice caves, ice fishing, dog sledding, snowshoeing, skiing, and -50°C (it is a real temperature).
  • Fall: Beautiful camping, hiking trails, fishing, and cranberry-picking trips.
  • Spring: Much like the winter but without the extremity-risking cold.
    And at any time of year it’s worth looking at the Dene Cultural Insitute’s events and arts & crafts. The Northwest Territories also have an active fur trade based on traditional harvesting.

Thanks for sharing with us! If you would like to pay a visit to Arctic Combat Fitness & MMA, Canada BJJ, you can find them here.

Featured Traveller: Rama Reddy – BJJ Globetrotters

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Rama Reddy BJJ

Let’s start out with some quick facts about you…

Rama Reddy – BJJ Globetrotters

Age: 33

Belt: Brown under Brian J. Johnson (Northwest Jiu Jitsu Academy)

Profession: Martial arts instructor

How many years in BJJ: Started in 2003, but took a couple of years off. Let’s say 13.

Other martial arts: Wrestling, boxing, kickboxing, and MMA

Where do you live: Currently Berlin, Germany

Where are you originally from: Seattle, USA

Other fun or curious information you’d like to share: I’m allergic to horses, donkeys, and mules. Probably also zebras.

Rama Reddy BJJ

Tell us what inspired you to travel and train?

Training and traveling both have solid places in my well-being pantheon.

I remember seeing Christian’s blog ages ago and having so much admiration, but feeling like it was more or less an exceptional experience. The BJJ community however, are some of the most open, welcoming people I have ever met. I can’t really think of another community that has risen to the occasion like this except, like, cults or something.

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

Just spent a week in Ithaca, which was beautiful, and took a weekend trip to Hamburg to visit David Mendelsohn.

In July, I’ll be back in India with my friend Eliot Kelly for an 18-day seminar-tour. Eliot’s a BJJ black belt that I met traveling through Northern California in 2015 at El Dorado Hills BJJ, and he is a consummate grappler. We’re hoping to turn it into a web series with the MMA India Show. Somewhere between Anthony Bourdain and a grappling showcase. Should be fun! You can keep track of it here and here.

Rama Reddy BJJ

What are the things you enjoy about traveling?

Meeting locals and fellow travellers.

Though they’re often tourist traps, festivals are always such a jarring experience. Chinese New Year in Taipei, Oktoberfest in Munich, Carnival in Rio, and even music festivals all offer a view of humanity at its most extroverted.

Family barbeques are perhaps my favorite though. They have a nice balance of undistracted sociability, an intimate look inside a culture or family, and deliciousness. And clean bathrooms.

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

Man, where to begin? If the goal, as mine, is to meet a bunch of cool people, I’m not sure if there’s anything that will catapult you into a social situation faster than a bunch of people attempting to strangle each other. I’ve been so lucky to meet great friends through the travel-BJJ combo.

Eliot Corley, who I met in Taiwan, comes to mind. I literally just put a hand-written note on a bulletin board that said “Hey, I want to train BJJ but I need partners.” and the dude emailed me. He went on to spend a year with me in India, and now runs Shuraba MMA in Taipei. If you’re keeping count, I have now mentioned two cool Eliots spelt with a single ‘t’.

When I visited Berlin for the first time, Robert Nestor was kind enough to let me stay at his gym, BJJ Akadamie. For the couple of days I was there, it was wake up, train, sight-see, train, sleep. I have since been plugging him as a “Host of the Year” candidate. He also introduced me to Kraftmalz, which is one of the best soft drinks in the universe. Just had a very similar experience with David in Hamburg. Truly grateful to be part of community of such big-hearted humans.

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

Singular surprising experience probably happened in a favela called Pavaozinho. It sits on a hill between Ipanema and Copacabana in Rio. I was volunteering as an English teacher there in 2007. Most favelas are on hillsides, and most favelas are also run by local gangs. Many of the gangs fund themselves by selling drugs. That’ll come up later.

I climbed up the morro and I arrived at the school at my normal time, and noticed it was oddly quiet. The narrow lanes are normally teeming with kids. The school yard looked abandoned. At first, I was wondering if there was some holiday that I didn’t know about. After all, Catholics don’t need much of an excuse to party.

“RAMA!” I turned to see one of the project coordinators, another American, and she was in the doorway of a basement across from the school. Her eyes were wide as she waved for me to come down. I entered, and all of the kids and staff were there in this basement. The adults had stern or worried looks on their faces; a couple were pacing. The kids didn’t seem to give much of a shit. They were having fun with each other at their normal levels of volume. Almost felt like a Snow Day back in the US.

“What’s going on?” I asked the coordinator. “BOPEs”, she replied.

I had been introduced to “BOPE” almost immediately upon coming to Rio. They’re basically Brazilian SWAT, but they have a more ruthless reputation. Their gear is all black and their logo is a skull being impaled by a knife. Heart-warming stuff.

“We’re in the middle of a raid. They’re surrounding the Boca.”

The Boca (“Mouth”) is the top of the hill, where the leader of the gang and much of his presumed stash stays. I looked around, a few of the kids had said “hi” to me already, laughing as they tried to finish their homework in the chaos that dense groups of children can create. There didn’t seem to be much out of place in the manner of these kids. Smiles abounded. I was perplexed. But it didn’t take long for me to hear an ominous, rapid, deep wub-wub-wub sound steadily growing louder. As it did, we could tell it was above us, so a few of us gathered at the window, and peered up over the edge of the stairwell into the sky.

Have you ever seen a Huey helicopter? That was what we saw, perhaps 150 feet (50 meters) above. All black, with both cargo doors open. Facing toward the Boca was a BOPE firing a mounted machine gun. It was straight out of Halo or something. The words “What the fuck?!” came to mind. The strangest thing to me was the juxtaposition of bullets flying around outside, and kids inside trying to brush up on their adverbs. We stayed inside for a couple more hours, had a meal of feijao, occasionally heard distant pops and snaps and eventually left in the early evening after things had calmed down.

The next day, I learned arrests were made, but no one died, apparently. Just amazing.

TL;DR: Brazilian Government wages War on Drugs. School children unfazed.

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

I don’t like spending unnecessarily, but don’t rob yourself of experiences that you’ll cherish.

  • Travel: If you’re traveling between cities within a few hours of each other, I really liked using carpooling sites like Blablacar. Cheaper, faster, and can be more direct to your door than taking a bus or train. Plus you get to meet a few people on the way.
  • Stay: Crash with friends, or if you’re staying at a hostel, see if you can cut a package deal.
  • Food: Cook for yourself when you can, or ask around for cheap healthy food options. Get off the main street. The Supply-Demand Curve is not your friend in Tourist Traps. I was often surprised how well I could eat if I went to a grocery store and milled around.
  • Misc: Learn how to hand-wash stuff. If you’re connected, ask around to see if you can do any odd-jobs and scrape together some cash.

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

Reach out on the group! You will be bombarded with people that want to help. Bring some trinkets or little gifts to share.

I know I already mentioned this, but get used to handwashing. Your socks, underwear, and gi are precious commodities that you will use everyday and laundromats are a rip-off. Not to mention, few laundromats know how to handle a gi.

Know how traveling affects your body. Your lumbar might throw a tantrum after 8 hours of lugging a bag around and then rolling.

Thank you to Rama Reddy BJJ for doing this interview!

Featured Camp Instructor: Melissa Haueter – BJJ Globetrotters

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Melissa Haueter - BJJ Globetrotters

Melissa Haueter – BJJ Globetrotters

Age: 42 yrs old
Belt: Blackbelt
Academy: Combat Base Club
Profession: Entrepreneur (manage Chris Haueter Art, Combat Base Club, MAGIKimono)
Started training (year): 2003
City/country: Redondo Beach, California USA

 

Main achievements in BJJ:

Going from an overweight smoker to a black belt adult competitor. Completely transformed my life. And helping others to do the same.

Melissa Haueter BJJ

Which BJJ Globetrotters camps have you attended?

2018,2017, 2016 Belgium summer camp, 2018 Iceland Summer camp.

Which BJJ Globetrotters camps have you attended and which camp has been your favorite so far??

I love the camps in Belgium.

Favorite stories/moments from the camps?

I love the open mat rolling and being able to meet so many people from around the globe who love Jiu Jitsu. Also the water slides at the Sportoase are pretty amazing.

Your favorite class/classes to teach at camp?

Probably the impassible guard class. That was fun. I also like to teach women’s classes

Anything else you want to add to your profile? 

Going through this pandemic and not training with many people this last 9 months has really made me appreciate all the Jiu Jitsu travel I have done in the last 18 years. I miss it so much and I really hope that I can participate in more Globetrotter camps in the near future.

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Melissa Haueter – BJJ Globetrotters instructor

Featured Traveller: Craig Freiwald – BJJ Globetrotters

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Craig Freiwald BJJ

Let’s start out with some quick facts about you…

Craig Freiwald – BJJ Globetrotters

Age: 28
Belt: Purple
Profession: USAF Munitions Quality Assurance (I watch people work with explosives and make sure they don’t go boom)
How many years in BJJ: 6 years so far, plenty more to go
Other martial arts: A bit of muay thai and judo
Where do you live: Kaiserslautern, Germany
Where are you originally from: Weston, Florida
Other fun or curious information you’d like to share: I’ve lived in 6 different places in four different countries/continents over the past 8 years.

Craig Freiwald BJJ

Tell us what inspired you to travel and train?

I originally started training BJJ in in Utah, USA. It was just something I always wanted to try after watching MMA as a teenager. I had never left the country before and got sent (via the military) to live in South Korea for a year. After seeing the international BJJ community first hand, I decided to start traveling more often and explore places I wouldn’t have thought about otherwise.

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

Most recently I was at the BJJ Globetrotters Castle Camp in Perugia, Italy. Immediately prior to that I was living in Djibouti, Africa for 7 months working with the US military.

The next trip on my schedule is the famous BJJ Globetrotters Summer Camp in Leuven, Belgium. It’ll be my first repeat camp and I look forward to seeing a lot of old friends.

Craig Freiwald BJJ

What are the things you enjoy about traveling?

What I enjoy most about travelling is to experience cultures other than my own. I think it is very valuable as a person to understand that not everyone lives the same way and that your way isn’t necessarily the best or only way of doing things.

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

While living in South Korea, I was basically adopted by my local gym. Although there were some language barriers at times, they really felt like my family. They always took me with them to local events, taught me about their culture, and genuinely cared for my well-being.

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

The most surprising experience would have to be getting surprise-interviewed by the local news channel in Nuuk, Greenland as a BJJ traveler. Also pretty much everything about the camp in Greenland. From eating whale blubber to jumping in the -1°C Greenlandic sea. The whole thing was surreal.

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

I am far from a budget traveler. I like to save money at home so I can spend it on the road! My main focus during travels is to kick back and have a good time. Worrying about a budget just doesn’t do that for me.

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

Get out of your comfort zone. Take a risk or do something that makes you nervous every now and then. Most of my favorite experiences have come when I had no idea what to expect.

Thank you Craig Freiwald BJJ for doing this interview!

Featured Camp Instructor: Trenton Cooke – BJJ Globetrotters

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trenton cooke bjj globetrotters

Trenton Cooke BJJ

Age: 35 yrs old
Belt: 1st degree blackbelt
Academy: Alliance Jiu Jitsu Westchester
Profession: Academy Owner/Instructor
Started training (year): 2009
City/country: Westchester, NY USA

Main achievements in BJJ:

I’m a blackbelt under Romero “Jacaré” Cavalcanti. I taught alongside Jacaré and Lucas Lepri for many years at Alliance HQ Atlanta before moving back to NY to open my own academy in Westchester. My main achievements have been developing and coaching my students to numerous championships. My biggest personal competitive achievement was winning IBJJF Pan Ams at Brown Belt. 

Trenton Cooke BJJ

Which BJJ Globetrotters camps have you attended and which camp has been your favorite so far??

I love the energy and vibe of the Globetrotters Camps. I’ve only attending the USA Camps on 3 occasions. Now that my academy is settling in and I have students that I can rely on to cover classes I will definitely be attending more in the future.

Favorite stories/moments from the camps?

My favorite take away from all the camps were the friendships I’ve made. This is something that is special with Jiu Jitsu. I’ve traveled all over the world teaching seminars and Globetrotters gives me that same opportunity to make lifelong connections with people from all over.

Anything else you want to add to your profile? 

My academy is always an open door policy for anyone in the BJJ Globetrotters community. Come visit us at Alliance Jiu Jitsu Westchester 

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Trenton Cooke BJJ Globetrotters instructor

Featured affiliated academy: One Tribe BJJ Kenya

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Where is the gym located?

One Tribe BJJ Kenya is located in Nairobi, Kenya.

How many people train there?

At a regular session we’d have at least four people on the mats.

Is the gym growing – if so by how many new members each month or year?

Growing by roughly one to two new members per month.

What are the highest and lowest belt grades training?

The highest is Coach Séraphin (brown belt). The majority of others are white belts.

When did the gym open?

We’ve been around since 2013, but only since very recently in our new location.

One Tribe BJJ Kenya

Some facts about you:

Name: Tete
Age: 43
Academy: One Tribe BJJ Kenya
Belt: Purple
Profession: Real estate development
Years in BJJ: 11 years
Other martial arts: Muay thai, boxing
Currently living in: Nairobi, Kenya
Originally from: Kenya

Please tell us the story of how your gym came into existence:
In the beginning (well, the beginning of 2012), I returned to the Motherland after a decade in the USA, where I had become well and truly addicted to the Arte Suave. At the time, Jiu Jitsu was but an infant art in Nairobi, with sporadic classes being taught by then-purple belt Julio Cezar DaSouza.

Then in 2013, Dave Thompson, a BTT Canada brown belt, arrived in Nairobi and went about setting up the first “official” BJJ school – Westlands BJJ. They trained out of a yoga studio in the Nairobi suburb of Westlands. Dave taught for one year, laying a firm foundation before returning to Canada, leaving Julio and myself to continue the growth of BJJ.

At that point the club was still called Westlands BJJ, but I wasn’t at all comfortable with that name. Nairobi has an unofficial border between the Eastlands (the lower economic area where the majority of people live) and the Westlands (the affluent side of town where the expats/economic immigrants live), and it was while discussing this with Stevie Kent, one of my training partners, that the name One Tribe was chosen for the club. Julio and I continued teaching at that location, with as many as 15 students on the mats at one time! It was during this time that I met Séraphin, then a visiting purple belt from Madagascar.

Unfortunately, in late 2016, due to various factors, Julio and I decided to go our separate ways, with me retaining the One Tribe BJJ name (but no location). But I had a dream, and after two years of steady grinding One Tribe BJJ finally found a permanent location. Serendipitously, Séraphin (now a brown belt), moved to Nairobi at roughly the same time, and we joined forces for the rebirth of OTBJJ. The club is now open daily at a price affordable to the locals (which was previously not the case), and now it’s time to grow!

Tell us about the people that train in the gym – who are they?

One Tribe BJJ Kenya has a mix of locals and foreigners, and students and professionals training with us, with a rough age range of twenties to forties. Not surprisingly, with the more affordable subscriptions we have more locals training than ever before!

Why do they train?
Mainly for the sport, although we have a competition team germinating bit by bit. Both Séraphin and I are keen competitors, and I was the first Kenyan to compete at the Abu Dhabi World Pro Jiu Jitsu Competition in 2015 (at blue belt – made it to quarterfinals).

What are some of the challenges of running a BJJ gym in general and in your location specifically?
The way Nairobi is spread out, and the TRAFFIC!!! The traffic in Nairobi, especially during rush hour, is NASTY! Because it’s so difficult to get from one location to another, for BJJ to really flourish in Nairobi we need at least one gym in each quadrant of the city.

How do you see the future for BJJ in your area?
Bright! We’ve barely tapped even a fraction of the possible practitioners, and so things will only get better!!!

What’s the best thing about your gym?
The atmosphere and the instruction. Although still a brown belt, Séraphin is a really technical instructor and we’re blessed to have him here!

What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from the inside of your gym?
Well, not many cities have a game park in them, so I’d start with the wildlife. Then, on the flipside, Nairobi has a really bubbling live entertainment scene. And a whole lot between those two… Come to Nairobi and find out!!!

Thanks for sharing with us! If you would like to pay a visit to One Tribe BJJ Kenya, you can find them here.

Why I Chose To Start Traveling Full Time In 2020

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It feels somewhat awkward to open my personal, unique blog with a quote ripped directly from the Original BJJ Globetrotter book. But I just can’t put it any better than this:

“The very basic core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endless, changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.” -Christopher McCandless

When I read that, it spoke profoundly to me.

I always knew that I wanted to travel. 

 

People are (rightly) bagging on 2020 as being a terrible year. I get it, it’s a very strange time to be alive. But so is any, I mean statistically speaking the probability of you existing at all comes out to 1 in 102,685,000 (10 with 2,685,000 zeroes)

 

For me, 2019 was way worse. I went through a divorce, the gym I was working at flooded and eventually closed and I was left basically alone to question everything. At the time I didn’t have the answers – I thought getting a swanky apartment with really nice “features” would help. 

It didn’t. 

It just added extra holes into the bottom of the bucket that was my finances.

 

For all of it’s downsides, 2019 introduced me to the thing that would change my life. If you’re reading this blog, you probably know what that was, you’ve probably experienced the same thing.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

I could go on and on about why this sport/community is so amazing, but that’s for another post.

It may have taken the whole year, but slowly, surely, I started to (re)discover my answers. Answers that somehow had been forgotten with time. 

 

I always knew that I wanted to travel. And the very day that I saw the BJJ Globetrotters community, it was like I had finally been given the keys. Not only was this actually very possible, but it had been done, and was being done.

 

2019 may have been a crap year at the face of it, but it was the wake up call I needed.

2020 everything would change – I just didn’t know how much.

 

My online work had grown enough that I could support myself from anywhere in the world, so that was the goal. I assessed the things that were really holding me back – my leases (apartment and car), my stuff and my dog, Xena – and started to problem solve.

 

By the time the Pandemic started, I knew it wasn’t going to stop me. I hunkered down for a few months and stayed safe, but I began to realise there would always be something.

So I continued to prepare over the months, I started selling/giving away most of my stuff, none of that stuff was going to make me as happy as this adventure would be. Don’t worry, I’m not going to start preaching minimalism, but getting rid of the stuff that I didn’t need was pretty essential, and yes it was liberating.

Finally I arranged to trade my car in, and found a magnificent couple who I knew would be the perfect dog parents for Xena (judging by her instagram @xenawunderbite I was right). I was about to write how heartbreaking it was to give her away, but that would be a lie. Yes, my pooch was my best friend, but I just felt so much happiness, both for her and for me. We were both about to start completely new adventures.

 

Initially I had planned for a US West-Coast Mat-Surfing-Road-Trip-Extravaganza as soon as my lease was up. Clearly with Covid not going away, I couldn’t do that.

 

I lost no faith at all. My plans were being changed, but not cancelled. A new search found that The Dominican Republic was the place that ticked my boxes:

  • Allowed visitors from the US
  • Had Covid under relative control
  • Looked beautiful

 

A simple post on the BJJ Globetrotters Facebook Group asking for help did the rest. A guy by the name of Joe Canada, who I’d never met before, who had no obligation to do anything for me, gave me the complete breakdown. 

And thanks to that breakdown, I’m sitting here in Las Terrenas, having just finished my third and final BJJ session of the week. Living what I believe to be the BJJ Globetrotters life. Or at least, my version of it.

With this blog, I hope to give you my insights to my travels, as well as provide some sort of helpful guide. I can tell you already that Las Terrenas is the most beautiful place you’ve never heard of.

And I’ll give more details later.

 

For now….Welcome. If you have any questions or just want to follow me along on my trip @tj_traveling is where you’ll find me

p.s. There’s no way words will be able to do Las Terrenas justice. Check out my first (hopefully of many) travel video of the place.

Featured Traveller: J.W. Seo – BJJ Globetrotters

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J.W. Seo - BJJ Globetrotters

Let’s start out with some quick facts about you…

J.W. Seo – BJJ Globetrotters

Age: 26
Belt: White
Profession: Analyst
How many years in BJJ: 1.5 years
Other martial arts: Taekwondo, MMA, muay thai
Where do you live: I’ve been a full-time BJJ Globetrotter for the past 1.5 years!

Where are you originally from: Seoul, Korea, but I lived in the United States for more than 10 years.
Other fun or curious information you’d like to share: Being new to BJJ, I did not (still do not) know many famous instructors or competitors. During my travels I had opportunities to meet a few legends (I’m too embarrassed to name them because they are big names in BJJ), and I had no idea who they were.

J.W. Seo – BJJ Globetrotters

Tell us what inspired you to travel and train?

When I initially left New York to travel, I was a fresh beginner in BJJ. I wanted to keep myself in shape while traveling, so I packed a gi and some rashguards in my backpack. Then I realized that training BJJ around the world gave me a purpose for my travel. To be honest, it was one of those “one thing led to another” stories.

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

In the past 1.5 years I’ve been to over 35 academies in 20+ countries, including Japan, Thailand, Germany, and Switzerland. I spent most of my time in Asia in 2017, and I’m planning to explore Europe this year. To be honest, it’s difficult to choose my favorite destination because every city or country I visited has its own character and charm, but, if I have to pick my favorite destination it would be Koh Tao in Thailand or Appenzell in Switzerland.

J.W. Seo – BJJ Globetrotters

What are the things you enjoy about traveling?

Yes, you will witness beautiful mountains and scenic beaches. And yes, you get to experience delicious local food. However, the best part about traveling is getting to meet new people and getting to know their experiences – whether they are fellow travellers or locals. It is one of the most invaluable experience you can get from traveling.

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

The welcoming community in the BJJ world never ceases to amaze me. People I met while training around the world always want to know more about my travel experiences and would like to share their own. The mutual interest in BJJ instantly brings people together (especially when you are sweating on their faces after you have known them for 10 minutes). There were a few opportunities to reconnect with a few Globetrotters in different countries. For instance, Evan in Osaka, Japan took me to an izakaya for beer and delicious Japanese bar food after training, and I had a chance to return the favor in Seoul, Korea.

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

When I was in Chiang Mai, Thailand, I was traveling with 15 people whom I met in a hostel. I was originally planning on going to Vietnam, and then I spontaneously decided to go to Laos with the group. I didn’t know anything about Laos, but I ended up loving the country for its beautiful mountains and lagoons (plus one of the best parties). When you’re traveling don’t be afraid to make spontaneous decisions, because you never know what adventure it’ll bring.

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

If you’re looking for a cheap trip, don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone. One night at hostels in Asia costs between $1 to $10 a night depending on the region. Although you may not have much privacy, it is a great way to meet other travelers. Also, street food in Southeast Asia is safe and cheap, which is a good alternative to going to touristy and expensive restaurants.

Also, take advantage of Matsurfing! It is a phenomenal way to connect with other Globetrotters. I stayed with four amazing BJJ hosts in different cities, and I cannot recommend it enough. If you’re thinking about traveling long-term, research working holiday visas that your home country offers. I was a cocktail bartender in Melbourne, Australia for 4 months with a working holiday visa, and it allows you not only to fund your travel but also to live like a local in a different country.

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

The hardest part about traveling is to get up and start it. Don’t be afraid to start your own!

A big thanks to J.W. Seo – BJJ Globetrotters for doing this interview!

Featured affiliated academy: The Forge Pakistan BJJ

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The Forge Pakistan BJJ

Where is the gym located?

Our dojo is located in Defence, a neighbourhood in the heart of Karachi, the largest city in Pakistan. Just a 10-minute walk from the seaside.

How many people train there?

We have about 60 registered students in different classes, all training in different styles.

Is the gym growing – if so by how many new members each month or year?

Over the past year we’ve seen an increase of roughly 3 members per month, with some months having higher attendance than others.

What are the highest and lowest belt grades training?

For BJJ we only have white belts. For other martial arts being taught in the gym, the highest rank is black belt and lowest is white belt.

When did the gym open?

Our first class officially started on November 5th 2017.

Some facts about you:

Name: Momin
Age: 30
Academy: The Forge Pakistan BJJ
Belt: White
Profession: Engineer
Years in BJJ: 3
Other martial arts: Judo, wrestling, grappling, Shorinjikan and Shura Ryu jujutsu
Currently living in: Karachi, Pakistan
Originally from: Pakistani born in Luxembourg

Please tell us the story of how your gym came into existence:
I had been training grappling and Shura (a traditional form of jujutsu) for a few years, and realised that there was no suitable training facility in Defence, the most affluent part of the city with a vast population of young adults who had no access to proper martial arts training. To meet this shortfall, I opened the dojo with 3 other like-minded individuals who had been training in different traditional and modern martial arts in Karachi.

The Forge Pakistan

The Forge Pakistan BJJ

Tell us about the people that train in the gym – who are they?
There’s a wide range of people who train at the gym: students, business owners, employers, engineers, doctors, journalists, artists, designers, and teachers. Most train for sport and fitness, but some train for self-defence

What are some of the challenges of running a BJJ gym in general and in your location specifically?
Some of the challenges are: interest but lack of commitment from some, student retention, high turnover, people walking off the street and thinking they are better fighters and challenging those leading the class, and the constant cultish bullying from high-ranking belts not residing in the same city.

The Forge Pakistan BJJ

How do you see the future for BJJ in your area?
Awareness is increasing, so interest and commitment to BJJ will increase over time. I think more competitions are required to help that along the way.

What’s the best thing about your gym?
We welcome everyone regardless of affiliation or rank. Unlike other gyms in the city. Most importantly, we have the best facilities in the city!

What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from the inside of your gym?
There are a lot of places to visit around Karachi, including the seaside, the shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi, and the mausoleum and museum of Quaid-e-Azam – the founder of Pakistan.

Thanks for sharing with us! If you would like to pay a visit to The Forge Pakistan BJJ, you can find them here.

Featured traveller: Graeme McKenna – BJJ Globetrotters

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Graeme McKenna BJJ

Let’s start out with some quick facts about you…

Graeme McKenna – BJJ Globetrotters

Age: 32
Belt: Blue
Profession: Itinerant sales and marketing manager with nothing to sell or market currently
How many years in BJJ: 2 years
Other martial arts: Got beat up a lot as a kid and Kenpo for 8 years
Where do you live: Currently in between London, UK and Melbourne, Australia for the next 3 months
Where are you originally from: Dublin, Ireland
Other fun or curious information you’d like to share: I am a Kung fu Master with a pirate’s mind. I spent the better part of a decade in a rock and roll band travelling through the deep south of the USA. And Highlander is the greatest movie ever made (there can be only one, but the sequels and the TV show aren’t THAT bad either).

Graeme McKenna BJJ

Tell us what inspired you to travel and train?

There are two possible answers here.
Option 1: I am a disavowed IMF agent completing secret missions, and it brings me all over the world.
Option 2: I was given a great opportunity with my job to travel across Canada to Australia and back towards Europe for 12 months.

Tell us about your most recent trip and your upcoming trips – where have you been and where are you going?
Just got to London from Melbourne via Bali, and will be heading to the BJJ Globetrotter Zen Camp in Poland in a few weeks, but not before a trip to Manchester, Dublin, and Birmingham. After that, I’ll be visiting the Dominican Republic in October and hitting a few European destinations before I fly back to Australia to explore for the first few months of 2019.

Graeme McKenna BJJ

What are the things you enjoy about traveling?
I love to meet new people and to see new places. Travelling with work has given me the opportunity to see parts of the world that I would not have even considered visiting otherwise. The Globetrotter community has helped me meet so many people who otherwise would not exist in my life.

Can you give us some examples of experiences you had that makes it worth traveling and training?
I’ve been travelling with my girlfriend and working long hours. Training has helped me make so many new friends along the way. When not staying in a place for a long time, it makes it hard to meet new people. Jiu Jitsu is like speed dating for new mates, so after a class or two people tend to invite you out for beers or over to watch fights etc.

What has so far been the most surprising experience for you when traveling?
Apparently in Asia you should not eat fresh vegetables out of a restaurant. That 15-hour flight to Europe with severe food poisoning was surprising for a lot of people.

Are you a budget traveller – and if so how do you plan for a cheap trip?
I am definitely not a budget traveller. I’d love to be, but I’m just too good at spending money on things. It’s almost an art at this point.

If you were to pass on travel advice to your fellow Globetrotters, what would it be?
Do not eat anything that gets washed in a sink and served without being heavily deep-fried while in a lot of Asia. You will regret it and it will make grappling a massively more extreme sport than it’s supposed to be.

Thank you Graeme McKenna BJJ for doing this interview!

Featured affiliated academy: Legion BJJ Georgia

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Where is the gym located?
Legion BJJ Georgia is located in Tbilisi, Georgia. Currently we’re located in a judo academy in the Dighomi area, but our location will most likely change soon.

How many people train there?
Currently we have around 45 people actively training in the academy. We are a growing team with many BJJ practitioners visiting from around the world, all year long.

Is the gym growing – if so by how many new members each month or year?
We’ve had over 200 members since opening last year in May. The vast majority of them really enjoy it and wish to become part of our team; however, contrary to popular belief Jiu Jitsu is not for everyone after a certain period. Therefore the core team is growing at a relatively slower pace than the total numbers would suggest. Currently we have 5-6 new people signing up every month.

What are the highest and lowest belt grades training?
The highest ranked student I have is a purple belt, and of course lowest belt training is a white belt. Currently most of our team is comprised of white belts, but I expect a lot of them to be blue belts by the end of next year.

When did the gym open?
May of 2017.

Some facts about you:

Name: Alexander Umantsev
Academy: Legion BJJ Georgia
Age: 37
Belt: Black
Profession: Information Security Specialist / Entrepreneur
Years in BJJ: 11
Other martial arts: Boxing, Kali
Currently living in: Tbilisi, Georgia
Originally from: Israel

Please tell us the story of how your gym came into existence:
Last year, me and my friend, partner, and student Temo Mamatsashvili were introduced to each other by an American purple belt, Kevin Meyers. Temo had been training BJJ In London at the Roger Gracie Academy, and had been looking to start a BJJ program in Tbilisi since returning, since there was no real Brazilian Jiu Jitsu team in Georgia at the time. For those reasons it was pretty much a no-brainer for us and we decided to open an academy and try our hand at developing the sport.

Legion BJJ Georgia

Tell us about the people that train in the gym – who are they?
Legion BJJ Georgia have team members from all walks of life, as you often see in BJJ gyms around the world. We have everyone from 14-year kids with achievements in mind to 40-year-old businessmen who want to train martial arts and get in shape.

Why do they train?
They came for a combat sport, but stayed for Jiu Jitsu and its unique trait of uniting everyone; all while being a legitimate martial art.

What are some of the challenges of running a BJJ gym in general and in your location specifically?
Besides the challenges that come with running every business, in Georgia the hardest part of running a BJJ gym is the fact that it’s a completely new and unfamiliar sport/martial art in the country. Furthermore, in Georgia martial arts are usually considered as being relatively cheap sports, because sports like judo and wrestling are usually funded by the government. Therefore, given the fact that BJJ is obviously not funded by the government, we have to run it like a business and it does require some adjustment in the public opinion.

How do you see the future for BJJ in your area?
We have done a lot of ground work so far, and I wish to proudly say that there is and there will be Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Georgia. We have a lot of talented guys training with us, and more are joining everyday. Georgia has an amazing pedigree and history in wrestling/grappling sports, and there’s absolutely no reason why BJJ will be any different. I predict that in the years to come Georgia will have very formidable competitors at various belt levels internationally.

What’s the best thing about your gym?
In our gym you can get a high level of coaching and a beautiful atmosphere to which all of our members contribute. All our experienced visitors truly enjoy the atmosphere in our academy and the level of skill present on the mat.

What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from the inside of your gym?
Georgia has amazing food, nature and history. I recommend that people see different landmarks around the city, but the Old Town is a must. Visitors can also travel from Tbilisi to the mountains for sports in the winter and to the seaside in the summer.

Thanks for sharing with us! If you would like to pay a visit to Legion BJJ Georgia, you can find them here.

Featured Traveller: Derrick Kersey – BJJ Globetrotters

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Derrick Kersey BJJ

Let’s start out with some quick facts about you…

Derrick Kersey – BJJ Globetrotters

Age: 32
Belt: Purple
Profession: Landlord / online merchandise services (designing, branding, selling)
How many years in BJJ: 7
Other martial arts: Jiu Jitsu is my passion and I’ve developed a love for wrestling as well.
Where do you live: I live in a van with my girlfriend and our two cats lol. It’s actually a small RV called a Roadtrek and has all the amenities of home – a fridge, shower, TV, stove, solar power, AC/furnace, and toilet. We’ve been travelling full-time in our RV for approximately 1.5 years, and work from the road on our computers. We continuously travel with the warm weather. We do have a “home base” in London, Ontario, where we have family and own two rental properties.
Where are you originally from: I was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. I grew up in a small town 45 minutes from there named Leamington – “The Tomato Capital of Canada”. It’s mostly farmland and greenhouses.
Other fun or curious information you’d like to share: I’m very excited to return to the desert so I can try using my new bow and arrow and chiseling tools.

Derrick Kersey BJJ

Tell us what inspired you to travel and train?
The idea that I could train with some of the best Jiu Jitsu artists in the world, some of the best there have ever been, simply by choosing to (and of course paying a small fee). I see it like being able to train with Michael Jordan as an amateur basketball player. It’s a no-brainer to me. Years ago, I traveled to NYC solo as a white belt so that I could train at Marcelo Garcia’s Academy. He was my idol at the time. The experience couldn’t have gone better, and it only strengthened my lust to continue travelling and training while meeting people within the community.

Tell us about your most recent trip and your upcoming trips – where have you been and where are you going?
I’ve been driving across Canada from east to west – Ontario to British Columbia. I started out at my hometown academy in London, Ontario (Gracie Barra) and have visited a handful of gyms since along the way: Action Reaction MMA in Markham, Ontario, Gracie Humaita Winnipeg, Complete Martial Arts and Fitness Regina, and Josh Russel Academy in Calgary to name a few. Ideally I’ll spend one or two weeks at a gym and train at least once a day, then take a few days off while travelling to the next gym and exploring everything in between. A lot of my recovery time consists of long hikes with my girlfriend. Active recovery. We’re exploring British Columbia right now and will be heading down the west coast to California, then east along the south coast through Arizona, Texas etc. to arrive in Florida. Then it’s back up the east coast towards our home in London, Ontario. This whole route took us approx. 7 months the last time around.

Derrick Kersey BJJ

What are the things you enjoy about traveling?
I enjoy meeting new people and learning about them and experiences they’ve had. Learning about the different environments I’m travelling to; their ecosystems, weather, animals, and geology. Visiting rare and impressive destinations, artificial or natural, and learning about their history. Of course, trying some authentic local food in any given area as well as some craft beer is always fun.

Can you give us some examples of experiences you had that makes it worth traveling and training?
There are days where I get to wake up just steps from a picturesque beach. I might make coffee, go for a jog, then work from my laptop in the sand before my girlfriend and I go out for dinner or explore something in the area. There are other times in the desert where we’d hike a mountain to view ancient petroglyphs carved in the side of a cliff face, or mornings where I’d throw in my headphones and strap some chiseling tools around my waist, then free climb up a mountain while looking for rare stones and gems to chisel out and keep as a memento. I can go on and on about experiences like this that I am so grateful for.

But I’m also grateful for the experiences and friendships I’ve made with others within the community. One example is when I was in Tempe, Arizona for two weeks to train at Gustavo Dantes Jiu Jitsu Academy. I had an amazing time here. The training was tough, and I learned so much. I would wake up to do morning class, go for a hike with my girlfriend in the afternoon (that would of course end with some amazing view), and then train again at night or maybe go out for dinner. Before my last day there, I thanked the manager Nigel Kurtz for allowing me to train with them and being so welcoming. As soon as he heard I was leaving, he suggested that we all go out for lunch the next day – a handful of people from the gym, my girlfriend and myself – as a type of “send off” to us. After training the next day he got a few people together and we went out for sushi. This may seem like a small gesture to some, but to me, it’s experiences of meeting new people like this that become some of the most memorable.

Another specific experience I had was while staying on a plateau in a desert canyon. We happened to meet an older man camping on his own who said he basically lives there throughout the year, for as long as the weather permits. He said he was a university Drama professor, who fell in love with the desert at a younger age and now spends all the time there that he can. He was very eccentric, intelligent, and taught us about the different desert plants and animals, gave us some tips for desert survival, as informed us about some “must see” locations that may otherwise be less known to the general public. These are memories that I know I will be able to look back on and be glad I had.

What has so far been the most surprising experience for you when traveling?
It’s tough to speak in absolutes, but I did notice the surprising amount of personality similarities that we all have within the BJJ community, as well as how welcoming the community is. In most gyms I’ve visited, I heard the same conversations, friendly ribbing, sometimes even drama, but it felt familiar. We are all so much the same. Even a new gym could feel somewhat familiar after only a few minutes of conversation with someone.

Are you a budget traveller – and if so how do you plan for a cheap trip?
Absolutely. We bought an RV specifically because we determined it was the most cost-effective way for us to travel to all the places we’d like to see. There are many online resources to take advantage of: countless Facebook groups and apps, made specifically to assist you with travelling on a budget. We have dozens of apps that we use and online communities that we are a part of that contribute some way into making this lifestyle possible. Networking is important. There are resources like Matsurfing within BJJ Globetrotters that allow you to connect with others who are offering up a place to stay in their area while you train.

If you were to pass on travel advice to your fellow Globetrotters, what would it be?
Plan to your comfort level and do it. Stop thinking about reasons not to. Understand that yes, while travelling things can happen that you can’t control, and learn to accept that. Most peoples’ concerns with travel are worrying about “what if”s. Which is normal. It was – and still is – my largest concern, but I’m much better at managing that now. Travelling and training the way we are now is the best decision I’ve ever made.

“A ship in harbor is safe – but that is not what ships are built for.” – John A. Shedd

Thank you to Derrick Kersey BJJ for doing this interview!

Featured affiliated academy: Ronin Grappling Glasgow BJJ

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Where is the gym located?
I currently rent mat space at two different strength and conditioning gyms in the southside of Glasgow, Scotland.

How many people train there?
About 15 or so folk at the moment, though some prefer the morning classes and others the evening classes – I only started running classes a month ago, so it’s very early days!

Is the gym growing – if so by how many new members each month or year?
As mentioned above, Ronin Grappling Glasgow has only been running for about a month. Week on week though, numbers have been increasing by about 1-2 new members a week.

What are the highest and lowest belt grades training?
We’ve predominantly got white belts training, with a couple of blue belts, and a couple of purple belts dropping in for classes/open mats from other gyms.

When did the gym open?
Ronin Grappling launched in October this year.

Some facts about you:

Name: Giles Garcia
Age: 32
Academy: Ronin Grappling Glasgow
Belt: Black
Profession: IT Manager
Years in BJJ: 11
Other martial arts: 12 years of Shotokan Karate (black belt), 1 and a half misguided years of Ninjutsu (green belt), seven or so years of Muay Thai, Jeet Kune Do, and Balintawak
Currently living in: Sunny Glasgow, in Scotland
Originally from: Santa Cruz, Tenerife and Glasgow, Scotland

Please tell us the story of how your gym came into existence:
My old instructor and I had a difference of principle on several important matters, and after a few very stressful weeks I decided to leave.

I have so many gripes about BJJ and BJJ clubs in general. Too many clubs didn’t try to welcome people from different gyms and affiliations. Some clubs made the mistake of focusing all of their efforts on new students, forgetting about their long-serving experienced practitioners. On top of all this, BJJ still has a major problem of being male-dominated and full of macho nonsense, which I can’t abide by; from the harassment of female students to homophobic or transphobic environments. I wanted a place where anyone would truly feel welcome

Ronin Grappling Glasgow

Tell us about the people that train in the gym – who are they?
Ronin Grappling Glasgow has a mix of students – some brand new and some who moved from other gyms or resumed training when I opened after taking some time off. I want classes to be accessible to everyone, including the infrequent hobbyist, so I offer a pay-as-you-go option to ensure no one gets priced out of training. I find this is especially important for shift workers who might make it 4 times one week and none the next depending on their shifts.

Why do they train?
The main reason seems to be because they enjoy learning. I am adamant that students need to understand techniques and why they work, but I try to do that without boring the absolute life out of them. I also throw in some flashy techniques every so often, and people seem to like that!

What are some of the challenges of running a BJJ gym in general and in your location specifically?
Generally speaking, administrative tasks such as answering queries, tracking costs and profits, and keeping relevant financial/legal/tax paperwork in order can be difficult at times. I still work full-time, so the admin side of running the team takes its toll.

One of my greatest challenges is also developing class plans that are effective at helping me teach students, regardless of their capabilities. I ultimately want my students to understand the principles of grappling, and give them the ability to solve problems – so I work hard to ensure I teach effectively. I really enjoy this aspect of teaching though, so unlike the admin side I don’t find it draining.

How do you see the future for BJJ in your area?
There are a good few clubs in Glasgow, some more established than others, with a good spread between competitive and more self-defence-focused clubs. As BJJ continues to become more recognised in popular culture I’m sure the scene will continue to grow, as it has done for the past 15+ years!

What’s the best thing about your gym?
The relaxed atmosphere. I am not a fan of the ultra-traditional style of teaching, nor of being put on a pedestal. I want all my students to know there is a flat hierarchy at the gym, and I encourage questions, comments, and suggestions. I want people to feel like they can speak up any time.

What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from the inside of your gym?
Glasgow is absolutely full of culture to see and experience – from the Gallery of Modern Art to the Burrell Collection to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery, you will not run out of things to see! The city is also home to many excellent restaurants, serving everything from high cuisine to robust and traditional Scottish cooking to fusion cuisine. You’re never far from a great meal in Glasgow!

Thanks for sharing with us! If you’d like to pay a visit to Ronin Grappling Glasgow, you can find them here.

Featured Traveller: Astrid Nörenberg – BJJ Globetrotters

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Astrid Nörenberg BJJLet’s start out with some quick facts about you…

Astrid Nörenberg – BJJ Globetrotters

Age: 33
Belt: Blue
Profession: Scientist by training, currently working in sales and management.
How many years in BJJ: Around 5 years.
Other martial arts: Several years of kickboxing and muay thai.
Where do you live: Mainly in a city close to Frankfurt, Germany, but also part-time in Hamburg as well as on the road.
Where are you originally from: From a very small and beautiful town close to Frankfurt.
Other fun or curious information you’d like to share: Ha! I think I’m fun to hang around with and probably a decent human being. I enjoy good company a lot. I love life. Summarizing me very briefly: motorcycles, BJJ, cake, photography, travel, books.

Astrid Nörenberg BJJ

Tell us what inspired you to travel and train?
I wouldn’t say that something “inspired” me per se. Due to my job I travel a lot, and I was always frustrated not being able to really train during those weeks on the road. I forced myself into a fitness gym occasionally but that’s not really fun – at least not for me. After my first BJJ Camp in the Caribbean in 2017 and an introduction to the whole Globetrotters community I just take my BJJ gear wherever I go – business trips or holidays.

Tell us about your most recent trip and your upcoming trips – where have you been and where are you going?
The most recent trip was for business. I was in the US and Canada for 3 weeks, and covered Victoria (BC), San Francisco, San Diego, Salt Lake City, Chicago, and NY.

There’s already a lot planned for next year too. On the BJJ side of things I’ll join the Winter Camp in Austria and the Spring Camp in Estonia. Other vacation ideas include Corsica and Sicily, as well as some weekend trips to different cities. On the business side it’ll mainly be the US and some major European cities such as Copenhagen and London.

Astrid Nörenberg BJJ

What are the things you enjoy about traveling?
A lot of things! First of all, I really enjoy discovering new places. This includes meeting and talking to different people, getting to know different cultures and traditions, as well as the place itself with its landscapes and architecture. Also I’m a big foodie – a very important task is always to find the best cake!

Can you give us some examples of experiences you had that makes it worth traveling and training?
I loved the atmosphere at the Flow Academy in Marbella, Spain, which I visited with a friend. The training was great, the people were so friendly and welcoming, and afterwards we just sat and talked while enjoying some breakfast together. Another gym I really enjoy is Gracie Barra in North Babylon on Long Island (NY, USA). Every time I’m in Long Island I just stop by. Others definitely worth mentioning are Fierce Studio (Victoria, Canada), Team Octopus (Atlanta, USA) and of course my former fellows at Team Choco (Heidelberg, Germany).

What has so far been the most surprising experience for you when traveling?
I know it might sound lame and that I just repeat what others have already said, but definitely how friendly, welcoming, and open the BJJ community is.

Are you a budget traveller – and if so how do you plan for a cheap trip?
I guess I fall somewhere in the middle there. I do look for cheap flights and good deals, and I use airBnB a lot, but I don’t enjoy hostels where I have to share my room with 10 people. Mostly booking ahead of time helps reduce the costs. I love planning out my trips way in advance.

If you were to pass on travel advice to your fellow Globetrotters, what would it be?
Be open-minded, be friendly, be humble, ask for help if needed, and don’t be scared to just walk into a gym and ask if you can join the class. I haven’t experienced a single bad thing when it comes to BJJ and training. Everyone has been friendly, warm, and welcoming.

Thank you to Astrid Nörenberg BJJ for doing this interview!

Featured Traveller: Baptiste Vanlitsenburgh – BJJ Globetrotters

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Baptiste Vanlitsenburgh BJJ

Let’s start out with some quick facts about you…

Baptiste Vanlitsenburgh – BJJ Globetrotters

Age: 28
Belt: I’m a proud white belt!
Profession: Working in the procurement department of a big Danish brewery.
How many years in BJJ: I started to train regularly a bit more than 2 years ago, but got interested in the art a bit before that thanks to some seminars and the awesome Mr Jiujitsu on Facebook.
Other martial arts: I started practising martial arts almost 10 years ago. Coming from a small village in France I didn’t really have much to choose from. My first experience was with American Kenpo Karate; I trained in that style for a few years but then had to stop when I moved to Poland. There I had the opportunity to train in a few different places; some Filipino martial arts, a bit of Taekwondo (ITF), and for the past two years years Muay Thai in addition to BJJ. I try to keep a training rhythm of three grappling sessions and 1 striking session per week.
Where do you live: Poznań, a lovely city in the west of Poland and a great place for BJJ. We have many clubs in town, and some world-class athletes like Adam Wardziński and Natalia Jakubowicz (still young, but she’s on the right track to become a great and famous athlete). By the way, if any Globetrotters are ever around, don’t hesitate to contact me and I’ll be happy to show you around, grab a beer, and roll with you!
Where are you originally from: Moncheaux, a huge city of 1500 inhabitants about 30 km south of Lille in northern France.
Other fun or curious information you’d like to share: I speak Polish fluently, which is something that always surprises the locals! I also love history and like to share some random facts in the middle of casual conversations.

Baptiste Vanlitsenburgh BJJ

Tell us what inspired you to travel and train?
Originally I wasn’t really into travelling. But my sweet girlfriend convinced me and then pushed me to get involved in the Globetrotter thing. I was initially just looking for a place to train while on the road, but after the Iceland camp I realised how cool the lifestyle was and really started to live it to the fullest.

Tell us about your most recent trip and your upcoming trips – where have you been and where are you going?
Not counting the current trip to France for Christmas (since I’ll mostly just stay at home and eat myself to death), the last two trips were:

  • A weekend in Mallorca. It was totally spontaneous and we got tickets for €10 for the entire round trip. Off season, it’s still a lovely place. I had the opportunity to check out an olive festival in the village of Caimairi, as well as get some great rolls in at Ground Fight Familly.
  • A quick roadtrip to Germany to enjoy mulled wine and bratwurst in hope of surviving the winter.

For our next trip, we’re planning on going to Cape Verde. We’re not interested in hanging around on beaches the entire time, so we’re currently bookmarking all the best hiking trails, hoping to spend a night or two in the wild (no snakes, so we’re safe!). I don’t really see the point of traveling during the summer, since it’s the best time to enjoy my city. On the other hand, winter in Poland is grey, dark and cold, so the more I can escape it the better!

Baptiste Vanlitsenburgh BJJ

What are the things you enjoy about traveling?
By far the thing I enjoy the most about traveling is trying the local food. The goal is to eat like the locals as much as possible.
Street food is something that really grabs my interest, and I usually talk more about what I ate than what I saw.

Can you give us some examples of experiences you had that makes it worth traveling and training?
One of the first things that came to mind was the time I was on a business trip to Germany, in a quite boring city called Mannheim. Apart from work and staying in my hotel I didn’t have much to do. Luckily I checked in the Globetrotters Facebook group and found a place in the nearby town: Heidelberg. I had the opportunity to meet and roll with cool people, and it really made my trip much better!

The camp in Iceland was of course a unique experience for me. First of all because the country is one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and I recommend that everybody should visit it. The other thing that made it unique was the six full days of amazing seminars with great professors, and all the friends I made there.

Another story I’d like to share doesn’t involve BJJ but Muay Thai. During my trip in southeast Asia last year, I really wanted to train in a real camp in Thailand. After booking a training session in Bangkok and jumping in a taxi, I realised that the drivers there are not like in Europe. We drove for an hour and half in the crazy traffic just to have our driver drop us in the middle of an unknown residential district telling us he didn’t know where the camp is. I missed the session, of course, but it gave us the chance to spend the evening in the local night market, where we were the only tourists. Great food and a great experience in the end.

One last anecdote; I’ve been hosting BJJ travelers for some time now. Every time I host people I take them to my gym and the magic just happens: most of the time they don’t speak a word of Polish, and many of my teammates don’t speak English, and yet on the mat they understand each other. This is one thing that makes Jiu Jitsu beautiful, and really pushes me to get more and more involved in the community.

What has so far been the most surprising experience for you when traveling?
This is a very hard question to answer, but I think that people’s reactions and the almost instant friendships made through Jiu Jitsu are the things that have stood out to me the most. It’s the greatest icebreaker ever, either when hosting people or when traveling myself. In a time where we tend to be more and more isolated, I realised that hosting this matsurfer or taking this hitchhiker in your car could be a great experience and you could meet awesome people.

Are you a budget traveller – and if so how do you plan for a cheap trip?
I’m definitely more on the budget side, and planning in advance really helps there. For example, for Iceland I made sure to prepare my trip far in advance and packed plenty of things like instant soup. Unlike plane tickets, the food budget is always something you can save on. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to eat instant soup and sandwiches all the time, but there’s always space for a little optimisation!

The other thing is not to be afraid to be spontaneous. I got tickets to Mallorca this way: €10 per person for the entire round trip.

And I’ve had awesome moments in Asia sleeping at people’s places (they were renting a spare bedroom in their house) or simply in a hostel.

But I also have to be honest here – my girlfriend is much better than me at organising and planning cheap travel, so she’d be able to give a much better answer!

If you were to pass on travel advice to your fellow Globetrotters, what would it be?
I think I’m not going to give the most original answer here, but I would like to use a quote from Christian Graugart in his presentation at the Iceland camp: “It’s almost like all you guys care about is having fun”.

Thank you Baptiste Vanlitsenburgh BJJ for doing this interview!

Featured affiliated academy: FM BJJ Carrigaline Ireland

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Where is the gym located?
FM BJJ Carrigaline Ireland is located at SOLAS Health & Fitness – Unit 6, Carrigaline Industrial Estate, Kilnagleary, Carrigaline, Cork, Ireland.

How many people train there?
10-15

Is the gym growing – if so by how many new members each month or year?
Numbers are slowly increasing by around 2-3 committed students each year.

What are the highest and lowest belt grades training?
The head coach of the affiliation is a 3rd degree black belt, and the head coach of the club is a 3-stripe brown belt. The newest student has 2 classes done!

When did the gym open?
2014

Some facts about you:

Name: Roy Noonan
Age: 35
Academy: FM BJJ Carrigaline Ireland
Belt: Brown
Profession: Military
Years in BJJ: 11
Other martial arts: Judo, MMA, boxing
Currently living in: Cork (2 minutes from the gym)
Originally from: Cork

 

Please tell us the story of how your gym came into existence:
I started out by borrowing mats to train nearer to home, as my gym at the time was too far away, I eventually got 3 other people to train regularly, but had to give back the mats. So I just decided to buy my own mats and later got affiliated.

Tell us about the people that train in the gym – who are they?
Mostly college students and other military personnel.

Why do they train?
I try to make the classes as fun as possible, I believe in laughing while learning where possible! So I guess that they enjoy it while learning an effective art and getting fit.

What are some of the challenges of running a BJJ gym in general and in your location specifically?
It’s an almost unheard-of sport, and rent in my area is very expensive.

FM BJJ Carrigaline Ireland

How do you see the future for BJJ in your area?
Growing every year. I will hopefully run FM BJJ Carrigaline Ireland until I’m too old to move, and expect others to start over the years as more Jiu-Jitsu blackbelts come to be.

What’s the best thing about your gym?
The students are all good friends. No egos – they all just look to practice Jiu-Jitsu and have fun.

What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from the inside of your gym?
We have several beaches nearby (although Irish weather is mostly bad) and coastal towns. Carrigaline is just a few minutes walk away, and we have a hotel and B&Bs near the club. Plus airport and ferry ports just a few minutes drive from gym!

Thanks for sharing with us! If you’d like to pay a visit to FM BJJ Carrigaline Ireland, you can find them here.

Featured Traveller: Katharina Danielski – BJJ Globetrotters

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Katharina Danielski BJJ

Katharina Danielski – BJJ Globetrotters

Age: 35

Belt: White

Profession: Field application scientist

How many years in BJJ: 1.5

Other martial arts: Two years of no-gi grappling before starting with BJJ in the gi

Where do you live: Landshut, Germany (Bavaria)

Where are you originally from: Poland

Other fun or curious information you would like to share: My special skills involve geeking out on science, Marvel, cars or fighting… at the same time. All the time.

Also, I’m particularly good at ignoring what my coaches tell me and ending up doing whatever I want in competition. I live for the moments when I see the mixture of rage and resignation on their faces after pulling side-control on top of me with Youtube
techniques I had reviewed one day before my fight.

Katharina Danielski BJJ

Tell us what inspired you to travel and train?
I never thought I’d be traveling a lot, but I kind of stumbled into this lifestyle due to the job I found. Working in support for American biotech companies allowed me to see a lot more of the world than I ever imagined possible. During the early years of
my grappling/BJJ journey, I used to focus only on work during my business trips, and trained only back home in my own gym. After a while though, I realized that I wanted to get better in BJJ a lot faster than by only training once a week. That’s when I started searching for BJJ schools at the locations of my business trips, and that’s also the reason why I found BJJ Globetrotters.

Tell us about your most recent trip and your upcoming trips – where have you been and where are you going?
My most recent trip was to Lisbon in Portugal, where I competed at the IBJJF European Championship on 20th of January 2020 and won the gold medal in my division. My next trip is coming up already on 24th of January; I’m heading over to Palm
Springs, California, where my company is having its annual global meeting. But I’m flying out a few days early with a couple of colleagues, and we’ll do a weekend road trip to Las Vegas first.

Katharina Danielski BJJ

What are the things you enjoy about traveling?
I guess the variety – not being stuck in the same place all the time. I did work for three years in an office before I switched to a field-based role. I can’t imagine going back to an office job. Working in the field and traveling for work gives me the (partial)
freedom I need. People in various countries can also be very different, and you learn a lot about the world and about yourself. Unfortunately, I am more of a nature girl rather than city, so after a while all cities look the same: airports, motorways, hotels. Also, since I travel a lot for work I tend to stay home when I actually have holidays, as I just want to relax in my garden and see
my own BJJ peeps for a change. Traveling to the BJJ Globetrotter camps is a big exception to this rule.

Can you give us some examples of experiences you had that makes it worth traveling and training?
Combining training with my business trips has its pros and cons. Pros: you get to train a whole lot more than if you only focus on training back home, especially if you are traveling ~70% of your working time. You can develop your game a whole lot faster this way. Cons: since you visit various gyms you are always thrown into their training structure, which you obviously don’t know. The various trainers have their agendas and training plans for their students, and you are only visiting for a day or two. That means you get to see loads of techniques taken out of context, and they all swirl together into a massive mix at the same time in your poor white belt head. However, eventually I will be able to control the chaos (where are the Witcher fans??). And it’s a very rewarding feeling when you have learned a new technique or just some small detail you had missed before on a business trip and then get to try it out back home and it actually works (sometimes).

What has so far been the most surprising experience for you when traveling?
Some countries surprise you in general due to the way how we are conditioned about them by the media. I don’t want to sound like a conspiracy theorist nut, I’m definitely not, but just to give you an example: I have once been to Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) for two weeks for work. Talking to the people – and especially the women – did open my eyes somewhat. Every story is strongly influenced by the perspective it’s being told from, and those scientific women I spoke to painted a whole different picture for me than what the media has taught me to think. I am very grateful for having been able to experience this. Unfortunately, this trip happened just before I started with Grappling/BJJ, so I didn’t have a chance to see if I would have been able to find a women-only BJJ class there. That would have been interesting to see.

Are you a budget traveller – and if so how do you plan for a cheap trip?
Not really. I would say I am somewhere in the centre: not too cheap and not too extravagant when looking at trips. But I do like to plan ahead, as I need to have structure of knowing where my next sleeping place is going to be.

If you were to pass on travel advice to your fellow Globetrotters, what would it be?
Training while traveling benefits not only yourself, but sometimes also the people you visit. Therefore, use every opportunity you can get to visit other BJJ gyms while traveling. It can be scary at first; it really was for me. But as with everything in life, you only grow outside of your comfort zone. Every gym always involves rolling as part of their training, and that means you get to roll with loads of various people. It’s kind of like a tiny tournament for you each time. Of course, you don’t treat these rolls as actual tournament rolls: check your ego! Don’t hurt your hosts and don’t be hurt. But what I meant is, every new partner brings a new set of skills and movement patterns. Rolling against the same people every time in your home gym means that you eventually get to learn their styles and can use that knowledge to anticipate their moves. Well, not as a white belt (lol), but later on this will matter for sure. I had a situation once where I was training in another country, I can’t remember where. But I was rolling against a guy and we were fairly evenly matched. At one point I managed to get him into a body triangle. I didn’t think too much of it, but after the roll he told me that none of his training buddies ever does that kind of move on him and he had no clue what to do about it. That was a very refreshing perspective I hadn’t considered before.

Thank you Katharina Danielski BJJ for doing this interview!

Featured affiliated academy: Anchor BJJ & Fit for Life China

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Where is the gym located?
Anchor BJJ & Fit for Life China is located in Haikou, Hainan (aka. the Honolulu of China).

How many people train there?
About 150.

Is the gym growing – if so by how many new members each month or year?
Yes, we went from 20 students originally to about 150 today.

What are the highest and lowest belt grades training?
We have white to black belts at our school.

When did the gym open?
We’ve been open for about three years in our own building.

Some facts about you:

Name: Tim Rodgers
Age: 43
Academy: Anchor BJJ & Fit for Life China
Belt: 1st degree black belt
Profession: Jiu Jitsu school and coffee shop/bakery owner
Years in BJJ: Since 2000
Other martial arts: Krav Maga and Wrestling
Currently living in: Haikou, China
Originally from: Costa Mesa, California

Please tell us the story of how your gym came into existence:
I grew up in southern California. After high school, I moved to Brazil, discovered Jiu Jitsu, and stayed there until I got my black belt (Buchecha’s dad and I got our blue belts together). When I left Brazil and came back to America, I was looking for a new place to go with my family and China is where we ended up. I now run an American bakery/cafe and Jiu-Jitsu school on beautiful Hainan island.

Anchor BJJ & Fit for Life China

Tell us about the people that train in the gym – who are they?
Anchor BJJ & Fit for Life China is made up of expats, Chinese nationals, and college students from the local university. We also have lots of kids. So many kids.

Why do they train?
English lessons, fitness, and self-defense are just some of the reasons people train, especially the kids. We’re in a nice part of town with lots of families. Our city is a vacation destination and summer home for many mainland Chinese, so we have many people that train seasonally as well. And we’re a haven or port of call for many expats that just want a taste of home.

What are some of the challenges of running a BJJ gym in general and in your location specifically?
We face the same challenges as any other gym, but we also have some cultural differences to take into account. China is a very different country and we’ve brought a business that is very unique. But we try to integrate the culture of the bakery and the school and create an authentic place that’s an anchor (hence the name) for people who are away from home, traveling through, or are just stressed with life. The biggest challenge is that advertising just isn’t done in China the way it is in the States. Everything is word of mouth. So we just focus on providing quality all around.

How do you see the future for BJJ in your area?
We’re growing for sure and have a bright future! We spent the first few years helping people figure out what Jiu Jitsu is (we even had a few challenge matches), slowly creating a real Jiu Jitsu culture along the way, and now it’s just blossoming.

What’s the best thing about your gym?
The team meals after training. We have a full cafe and restaurant that serves a meal every night. After the kids class it’s fun to watch all the cute kids eat with their parents and friends. After the adult classes too, everyone gathers for food. On any one evening we might have friends from China, South Africa, America, Russia and more enjoying a meal together after a good session where we’ve all pushed each other.

What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from the inside of your gym?
On the other side of the island, maybe a day trip to Sanya or down to Wanning (where the world longboarding surf championships are held). Around Haikou itself we have beautiful parks and beaches. Either way, don’t come to China without experiencing the food with a local. The experience of eating with a Chinese family is something else! Both the food and hospitality are unique.

Just think of visiting our island as visiting Hawaii in the South China Sea!!

Thanks for sharing with us! If you’d like to pay a visit to Anchor BJJ & Fit for Life China, you can find them here.

Featured Traveller: Charles Harriott – BJJ Globetrotters

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Charles Harriott BJJ

Let’s start out with some quick facts about you…

Charles Harriott BJJ

Age: 32
Belt: Black
Profession: Wandering Jiu Jitsu instructor and Airbnb Host
How many years in BJJ: 10 or 14 years, depending on when you start counting
Other martial arts: Tae Kwon Do, American Kenpo, Universal Martial System, and Judo
Where do you live: Technically Gainesville, FL, USA (really out of a backpack)
Where are you originally from: Boca Raton, FL USA
Other fun or curious information you’d like to share: I studied physics in university, was president of the UF Breakdance club and Hip Hop Collective (I actually got deep into BJJ after a breakdancing knee injury), enjoy origami but can only make two things, and love long walks on the beach, lillies, and summer sunsets.;-)

Charles Harriott BJJ

Tell us what inspired you to travel and train?
I always loved travelling, but had never really done it beyond a few weeks for vacation or studying abroad back in college. I’ve always been taking little road trips around Florida to train at different gyms since I was a white belt. Visiting open mats appealed to me more than training, because then you’d get to roll with everyone. Over the years this grew into visiting gyms further and further from home, or finding a gym while on vacation or traveling for work.

A few years back, I planned a 3-week trip that used all my vacation time to go to Los Angeles, Japan, London, and the Netherlands. Training in Japan, as well as training and competing in England, really affected me. It kind of opened my mind to the possibility of doing this for a longer time. In Japan, I saw an old friend from home, John Hommel, but the real lightbulb moment was meeting Jose and Miharu. I didn’t know them, but they put me up in their house and treated me like family while I was there. Next, in England, another friend from home who had moved there about 8 years prior, Alain Pozo, took me on a whirlwind tour of gyms. This really gave me the bug. Training, getting on a train, eating some food, then training again at the next gym. I loved it.

I went back home to my job and got my black belt shortly after. The feeling marinated for a while. Then I found myself in a situation where I had the freedom to actually do it. I sold a lot of my things, and gave away and lent even more. Then I took the plunge and hit the road on 14th Feb 2018.

Tell us about your most recent trip and your upcoming trips – where have you been and where are you going?
I just finished a road trip with Chris Veilegaard through Denmark and Germany. Traveling by car is really different and fun. Next up is Milan, Mantua, and Vigevano (Italy), followed by a week in England and a further week in Ireland.

Charles Harriott BJJ

What are the things you enjoy about traveling?
Meeting people and learning what aspects of their city and country they’re proud of. The food! Seeing how different cultures do the same thing. Natural landscapes. And museums.

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

1. Hanoi, Vietnam on Ho Chi Minh’s birthday. I’ll hand it over to my Instagram post from the day!

“I am going to miss #hanoi and #vietnam in general. Our last night in hanoi, @hugsandsalsa(Lorna) and I were just walking down the street looking for a place to eat dinner. We came upon a large group eating and drinking. They signaled us to join and gave us some Vietnamese Whiskey as well as some ginger lemongrass duck meat. We struck up a conversation via Google translate and eventually figured out they were celebrating Ho Chi Minh’s birthday and would not let us drink beer on such an occasion. They taught us how to cool and drink the whiskey in the local way with a ladle and ice in a bag so that the whiskey doesn’t get watered down. The whole scene was amazing.”

2. Danimal BJJ Kaohsiung (Taiwan)
I taught a seminar here, and at the end Dan surprised me with the news that they have a tradition that the instructor rolls with everyone in class: sub-only, no time limit. So I had 21 people to roll with, starting with Dan, who is a monster with whom I’d been having absolute wars all week. He tapped me the first day I was there and we’d been stalemating ever since, with the arms race of counters and new strategies in full effect. So Dan and I end up going about 8 or 10 minutes and are both slowing down a little as we crash into the wall and have to reset. I dive in and catch a desperation heel hook. This is still the only time to this day I have caught Dan. However, there are still 20 people left…

I go on and, about 5 people in, I get tapped by Ryan (a strong blue belt at the time; now purple). The second I tap I realize I really have to pee. So I ask for a break and run to the bathroom, then I’m back in there feeling refreshed. I work my way down the ranks and finish with Pan, a 120+ kg monster white belt I’d rolled with a few days earlier and had had a hard time dealing with fresh. I can barely stand at this point, so pulling guard was not a good idea. I get crushed and passed and then it is arm triangle city. So I finish my gauntlet at a respectable 19-2.

I love this gym and everyone there. A few days later, I ended a dance battle at the bar they own on the ground floor. It was also off of Dan’s recommendation that I even got a small sponsorship deal with Globetrotters, and an opportunity to teach at the Summer Camp in Heidelberg. So you could say that without this first visit I wouldn’t be living the life I am today. Much love to all you guys – I will be back this year.

3. All the camps. I’ve been to three types of camps, and they were all different and all amazing.

Craig Jones’ Heel Hookers Camp
It was amazing to see so many people together that all want to play heel hooks. Usually I have to ask and make sure I won’t be viewed as some sort of monster. However, here I was among my people. On a professional level, to see how Craig was able to fill an entire week with twice-a-day sessions focusing just on the heel hook was amazing. It helped my understanding of not only the technique but also interesting ways to drill and improve them.

I made a lot of friends and had a great time.

Ballaton Summer Camp
This was the most intense of all the camps. It was packed with black belts and pretty much all the killers of every belt level from ZR Team Europe. There were three sessions a day and I went to all of them. All the rolls were hard, and for some reason all the 220lb /100 kg + purple and brown belts wanted to roll with me. I never say no to a roll, so every day was war! This camp defined #everydayporrada. However, it was also fun. Intense fun, but fun. I ate so much food and yet still finished the camp weighing less than I have at any point since high school.

Globetrotters Camp (Fall ‘08)
This camp was a game changer for me. The focus was on Jiu Jitsu, but more so on fun. As a new instructor, I was terrified and didn’t want to screw up. After meeting Priit Mihkelson, Jeff Knight, and some of the other instructors, it was clear the level of instruction was very high. On top of this I met Chris Paines, who promptly asked me to darce him if I could in a roll. I was scheduled to teach a darce class the very next day.

After 30 minutes of trying, I couldn’t. I went back to my room and went over my seminar obsessively and made sure it was as bulletproof and as polished as I could get it. When it was my time to teach, I was in awe of how many people showed up. It went really well, and when I was done I received loads of positive feedback. The whole camp was amazing, with everyone just freely doing their own thing. I got to pay Dungeons & Dragons for the first time, then go on a pub crawl, and then I was gifted a stuffed sloth. I love Globetrotters camps.

What has so far been the most surprising experience for you when traveling?
How kind and helpful most people are. You hear on the news and social media about the bad ones; how we as people are so different and just can’t get along. However, in every country I visit, the strangers and people I’ve met have been so kind and helpful.

From the random elderly women who guided me through the Osaka Kansai subway system despite my incredibly basic Japanese, to all the various people who helped me when I injured my knee in Germany (Chris, Craig, Ivo, Sven), to great people in Georgia, the Carolinas, and Montana that treat me like family whenever I come to train.

Everywhere on Earth has awesome people, and we really aren’t all that different. This is what I love about Jiu Jitsu. When you’re rolling there are no politics; it doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor, black or white, liberal or conservative, we’re there in that moment trying to submit each other. To outwit each other and have fun playing human chess.

Are you a budget traveller – and if so how do you plan for a cheap trip?
Yes, go somewhere that you can matsurf. That takes care of lodging. In terms of training, take just nogi gear or a travel gi (I have an Origin Warrior that is super light and a Globetrotters travel gi).

Make sure you know the bag policies for airlines in Asia, Europe, and the USA, as they all tend to be different. Once you know the policy, you know exactly how much you can bring without having to pay any extra for it. Also, always check in as early as possible so you can avoid the sneaky fees from discount airlines.

In Europe, check the saver fares. Especially in England, book your trains early! The price really climbs dramatically the closer you get to the date. For something like Flixbus you can procrastinate a bit more, but keep in mind that the price increases a lot within the final hour before they leave – even if they’re not highly booked. For all of these, get the apps.

Don’t forget to get your train tickets validated in Italy or Germany. The fine is €50+, and they don’t care if you are a tourist/traveler.

In general, plan ahead! Sometimes I don’t and it almost always costs more. You pay a premium for flexibility.

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

  • Charging cables are worth their weight in gold. Have backups.
  • Spring for the local SIM card, if only for the GPS.
  • Always try to call the gym you’re visiting to make sure the info on the website is up to date.
  • If possible, matsurf and make friends with a local before or while you’re there. Things are more fun and people are interesting.
  • Say yes as often as possible. These adventures are more fun when you step outside your comfort zone.
  • Kinesio Tape, antibiotics, and Ricola.
  • If you’re buying soup, make sure the water is boiling!

“Treat everyone you meet like they could be your new best friend.”
From Christian, but it serves me well.

Thank you to Charles Harriott BJJ Globetrotters

Training Report: Aorta BJJ (Brussels, Belgium)

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After almost 2 years of being a BJJ Globetrotter, I finally planned a reunion with my college friends in Brussels. Sadly, this will be my last training report in Europe (only for now!) before returning to the United States. Don’t worry, I expect more training in Europe in the future! On a Friday evening, I got off a TGV in Brussels. Right after checking into an Airbnb, I stopped by Aorta BJJ for an evening training session before reuniting with my friends, Sebastian and Scotty.

Please don’t forget to follow me on Instagram for recent updates: @jwwseo

City
Brussels, the capital city of Belgium and the European Union, has much more to offer than its famous waffles, beer and chocolate. Starting with the surreal art collections in museums and scenic parks around the city, Brussels’ streets beyond the city center are lined with breathtaking architecture and high-quality restaurants and bars that will make you wonder why you have not visited Brussels before.

Overview
Established in 2018, Aorta BJJ is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy in Brussels, Belgium headed by Professor Axel Vankimmenade who received his BJJ Black Belt under Bruno Pedras. He is not only one of the co-founders of Aorta Training Center but also an an accomplished competitor whose record speaks for his qualifications as an instructor. Professor Vankimmenade is also active in the Belgian martial arts community by working as a referee for Belgian Mixed Martial Arts Federation (BMMAF) and the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF). The academy currently has 3 black belt instructors who are highly skilled and experienced in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and offers a variety of martial arts disciplines including boxing and wrestling.

Fortunately, I had a chance to train with Professor Vankimmenade during my quick visit. I initially struggled a bit to find an entrance to the gym among beautiful brick buildings, but I was soon welcomed by a spacious gray and blue mat space and the professor himself. Given it was Friday evening, the class size seemed smaller than normal, but I did enjoy the tailored instruction and attention during the class. My initial impression was that the training was somewhat unorthodox utilizing exercise balls for warm-ups and drilling in the beginning. However, after training in Brussels, I have started to incorporate these drills into my own game and training routines. With the head coach’s attention and friendly students, my training experience was nothing but pleasant before offsetting all of my training gains with delicious Belgian frites and beer on a Friday night. With the quality of training and instruction, I can easily guess the overall skill level at the academy.

With its friendly atmosphere and top-notch unconventional training, visiting Aorta BJJ might give you different perspectives on your training regimen and BJJ games, not to mention that it will add another reason to visit Brussels. Thank you, Professor Vankimmenade and the rest of the Aorta family for being amazing hosts in Brussels. I will be back!

Location & Facility
The facility is located on the east side of Brussels (Rue de la Luzerne 40, 1030 Schaerbeek, Belgium). With the city’s public transportation system, you can easily reach the academy from the city center via tram. The facility includes a clean gray mat space for training and locker rooms for men and women. (Google Map: Link)

Schedule
Aorta BJJ offers classes ranging from BJJ to MMA every day. The academy’s most recent schedule is posted below:

Visitor Pass
The academy is a BJJ Globetrotters affiliated gym. However, it is always courteous to reach out to the gym before your visit.

Website — Aorta Training Center

Tourist Attractions

  • La Grand-Place— Located in the heart of Brussels, the Grand Place is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the stunning iconic landmarks in Belgium. Surrounded by the beautiful city hall and guild offices with their striking architecture, the square will leave you awestruck as you stand in the middle of a living testimony of Brussels’ history. At certain times of the year or even of the day, you will find different events, markets, and atmosphere in the square.
  • Manneken Pis —This eccentric statue is a popular tourist attraction in Brussels although there isn’t much to it besides a small boy statue peeing into the fountain. The name simply translates to “little boy pee” and, if you are not paying attention, you are most likely to miss this statue. Due to its fame, many people expect a larger statue (at least I did), but will be often surprised to find Brussels’ tiny mascot in the city center.
  • Waffles, Frites, and Beer — I think this section is self-explanatory.

Thank you, Brussels. I hope to be back in this beautiful city soon!