Affiliated academy: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Sri Lanka

BJJ Sri Lanka

Where is the gym located?
Colombo, Sri Lanka.

How many people train there?
Around 40 students.

Is the gym growing – if so by how many new members each month or year?
Yes, 2-5 new students monthly.

What are the highest and lowest belt grades training?
Purple belts are the highest and white belts are the lowest.

When did the gym open?
We started in November 2016.

Some facts about you:

Name: Tithira Hiranjith Perera
Age: 38
Belt: Blue
Profession: Martial arts instructor
Years in BJJ: 7 years
Other martial arts: Jeet Kune Do, Wushu, Wing Chun
Currently living in: Colombo, Sri Lanka
Originally from: Colombo

Please tell us the story of how your gym came into existence
I and my business partner, Prageeth were both software engineers by profession. We were martial arts enthusiasts since we were kids. Prageeth was practicing MMA and I was doing JKD. When we invited one of our instructors, Kirk Weicht of the Jeet Kune Do Athletic Association from the USA, for JKD training, we ended up doing seminars for the general public and the military. So we decided to continue the effort of spreading the knowledge, and started to build the gym from scratch.

While we were building the gym I got the opportunity to fly to Singapore to train with Rodrigo Teixeira, a 3rd-degree black belt . I was introduced to Rodrigo by Arun Sharma, now the first Indian-bred black belt, who was also a fellow JKD instructor. After I returned from Singapore, we started our BJJ program for gi and no-gi. That marked our gym as the first gym that had dedicated BJJ programs in Sri Lanka.

Alongside the gym, we are running an active small-scale BJJ competition called “Invictus”.

Tell us about the people that train in the gym– who are they?
Most of our members are from all walks of life. Ranging from the oldest student of 72 years old to the youngest of 4 years old.

Why do they train?
Most of them train for recreational purposes. Some of them for health benefits, such as reducing obesity and improving cardio etc. There are a few who train for competitions in both MMA and BJJ.

What are some of the challenges of running a BJJ gym in general, and in your area specifically?
In Sri Lanka, BJJ is a very new sport. Competitions like UFC or One FC make BJJ popular among Sri Lankan fans. There are many members who cross-train with other martial arts like MMA and Muay Thai etc.

Getting new members is hectic work. We have to be very active in social media and have a referral scheme. Due to cultural barriers it is very hard to get female members to train too.

Due to the political and economic crisis at the moment, in general all gyms are suffering with low clientele.

Also, being on an island, it is very hard to bring down knowledge. There are three possible ways. Bring down a black belt and do some camps, fly out and get training, or online instructionals. Occasionally we get visited by BJJ practitioners who visit Sri Lanka for holidays.

How do you see the future for BJJ in your area?
Due to all the hard work of gyms that are related to BJJ, word is spreading faster about the sport. Generally the future is looking good!

What’s the best thing about your gym?
The culture! We are like family. Anyone who has a like-minded clique together. We as the gym hangout once every three months or so, or in annual outbound training, paintball comps or kartracing challenges etc. So people bond together easily.

What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from the inside of your gym?
Sri Lanka is a beautiful island. We have surfing points in Weligama (2 hours from Colombo) or Arugam Bay (8 hours from Colombo). And World Heritage sites like Lion Rock and the Sinharaja rain forest (the most bio diverse forest in southeast Asia). Also misty mountains and tea plantations (4 hours from Colombo).

There are lots of things to see and discover on this island. Visit and see for yourself.

Warning*** if you’re a spicy food lover you will never leave Sri Lanka!

—-

Thanks for sharing! If you’d like to visit BJJ Sri Lanka, you can contact them here.

Featured Traveller: William Dorman – BJJ Globetrotters

William Dorman BJJ

William Dorman – BJJ Globetrotters

Age: 43

Belt: Black belt 3rd degree

Profession: Retired piano player in a brothel

How many years in BJJ: 16 years and 6 months

Other martial arts: Muay Thai, Boxing, Wrestling, MMA, Judo, all types of fighting, I guess. Train everything with everyone, there is no one art that is better than the other (I prefer BJJ though, it is the very best). Fighting is fighting and if we want to understand all areas of combat, we should dabble in all of it.

Where do you live: Sarasota, Florida, USA, but I travel half of the year.

Where are you from: Frankfort, Michigan

Other fun or curious information you would like to share:

  • I am sailing across the Atlantic Ocean as soon as the Maine Camp is done.
  • I used to be a beekeeper.
  • Traveled to more than 40 countries so far.
  • Teaching Jiu Jitsu seminars along the east coast on the way to Maine, and I am willing to travel anywhere on the planet to teach at any academy regardless of affiliation.
  • I sometimes throw people out of airplanes for money (they are attached to me).
  • I do odd jobs when I want now that I am retired. Teach Jiu Jitsu, SCUBA Diving, Tandem Skydiving, Handyman, Landlord, Expert Witness, Consulting, Chef etc.
  • I climbed the highest mountain in the Americas (Aconcagua).
  • Golden Croissant Surf Champ at St. Barts.
  • Pretty good at drinking beer and I will still hit every class I can get to.
  • Don’t be mad at me when I forget things. My brain is a bit broken. It is nothing personal.

Tell us what inspired you to travel and train?

William Dorman – BJJ Globetrotters

 

   “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ‘Wow! What a Ride!'”

Life is good! This pretty much sums me up..

I grew up in a small town in northern Michigan where it is easy to never leave. People get stuck easily if you let it happen. I had multiple friends with kids prior to graduating from High School, and I decided that life was not for me. I took the more difficult path and joined the Navy. I have always been drawn to excitement and adventure. While on active duty with the military, we traveled all over the world, and I was able to train everywhere we went. For my last 14 years in Special Operations, we brought a whole fight gym set up with us no matter where we went. I was gone roughly 300 days per year, and I was rarely in the same place for more than 3 weeks at a time other than 4 month deployments. I guess that kind of ruined me and now all I want to do is travel full time. I am now free to travel on my own with no time limit or restriction, so I am fully embracing this. A good friend of mine, Soonja Tyrrell, told me about BJJ Globetrotters many years ago, but I was never able to make it to a camp due to my unknown schedule. After I retired in July of 2022, I made it a priority on my list of things to do. St. Barts was my first camp and I fell in love with every aspect that the BJJ Globetrotters embrace.

Tell us about your most recent travel and your upcoming travel – where have you been and where are you going?
The last couple of months have been full of adventure for me. In January I helped sail a boat from Sarasota to Key West and had some fun weather along the way. The boat was about 50 years old and it had no autopilot – or motor for that matter. The last day we had 30 kt winds and 10’ seas, so that’s what I mean by fun weather haha. I had a great time.

Once I arrived in Key West, I rented a car and drove back to Sarasota to catch a flight to Puerto Rico to visit some friends who live there. I met a couple in the Azores last year and we were able to reconnect on a hike to a waterfall as well. During my visit, we were able to get some really good training at several academies and also spent some time exploring the island and snorkelling.

After I left Puerto Rico, I flew to St. Barthelemy and attended the Globetrotters Camp. I was very impressed with every aspect of the camp and am now hooked. The instructors were all amazing and I took something away from each class that I attended (I attended them all). People think that being a black belt means that you know everything, but I promise you we do not. I like to enjoy life off the mat as well, and the social activities and aspects of these camps are something that I think is even more important than the amazing Jiu Jitsu. Everyone is welcoming and helpful and tries to include you in everything. Of course there will be small groups that form naturally with the party people or the introverted people, but everyone gets along so well. The logistics of the camp was also amazing as well. I am pretty picky on everything and the only thing that I could suggest is to have a blanket for the camp and some really good ear plugs for the noisy frogs and snoring people. I met so many great people during the camp and will have lifelong friends from it.

After the camp, I flew back to Puerto Rico for a few days and I was supposed to get on a boat to sail around South America through Magellan’s Passage and Patagonia up to Chile. The boat got caught in a big storm is is now broken in Argentina. With my sailing trip cancelled for now, I headed back to Sarasota for a few days to get rid of boating gear and decided to visit some friends in Germany.

After some great training and sight seeing in Germany, I flew back to Miami for a Roger Gracie Seminar and prepared for the PAN. I will likely be in Florida until May 6th (Mike Love Concert in St. Petersburg on May 5th) and then I will start my journey to Maine, teaching a few seminars along the way. I’m going early to prepare the sailboat that we’re sailing across the Atlantic after the camp. I will spend some time in the Azores and then I will start to hit all of the camps starting with Pärnu.

 

William Dorman – BJJ Globetrotters

What are the things you enjoy about travelling?
There are so many to list. I enjoy meeting new people from different cultures and learning about their lives. It seems that you learn quite a bit about yourself when you start to see things from a different perspective. I normally travel for specific things such as mountain climbing, Jiu Jitsu, sunshine, ice fishing, parties, or concerts, and I normally chase the nice weather. I also enjoy the challenge of travelling to and from a remote location and figuring out how to do everything. I am not going to lie, I normally use UBER in most of the places that I have travelled to, but figuring out connecting flights, boat schedules, and train schedules is challenging and fun sometimes. It can also be quite frustrating, causing me to exercise patience – which I am often lacking.

Can you give us some examples of experiences you had that makes it worth traveling and training?
Even before I became involved with the BJJ Globetrotters, I was traveling solo and training all over the world on my own. I have visited more than 100 gyms all over the world, and have instant friends who are just like me anywhere I go. It is amazing to see how many people welcome you with open arms at their gym or into their homes. It seems most people in Jiu Jitsu enjoy life, are accepting of your views, and are always up for a challenge or an adventure.

I have been able to train and teach Jiu Jitsu seminars in some amazing places so far. A couple of the notable ones were at Bunker Cusco Training Center in Cusco Peru at nearly 10,000 ft while preparing to hike the Inca trail, and another at Jiu Jitsu Roots Villa Mercedes Filial Cicero Costha in Argentina after summiting Aconcagua. After the Argentina Seminar, they hosted a barbeque that would make a medieval feast look like a snack! It was amazing! #MacKsandHerSnacKs would have loved it!

What has so far been the most surprising experience for you when traveling?
This is a hard question to answer because nothing really surprises me anymore. I guess it surprises me to see how many people are stuck doing something that they do not enjoy and are not actively trying to change. Jiu Jitsu seems to be a unique outlet for some of these people, but most will just continue to dislike where they are and what they do until they die. Kind of a bummer, I know…

William Dorman – BJJ Globetrotters

 

Are you a budget traveller – and if so how do you plan for a cheap trip?
I am not a budget traveler but I do understand how to do it. I chose convenience and ease over budgeting for the most part. I live within my means, but don’t mind spending money. I have the same mentality as Mack who was featured in the last newsletter. There is always time to make more money, and our time is probably not unlimited like our cell phone plans. You probably only live once! This is a new expression that we made during St. Barts camp due to reincarnation and what not…

Spend it all, put it on a credit card, pay it back later, have fun right now, and do the things that you want to do in life because tomorrow is not guaranteed. I have lost too many friends and family over the years who were saving up money or waiting for the right time to do something. The right time is now, just do it!

If you were to pass on travel advice to your fellow Globetrotters, what would it be?
Learn from everyone and create your own style of Jiu Jitsu. Jiu Jitsu is “a personalized art form, as elegant and imaginative as Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’ or as brash and unconventional as Banksy’s street art. Whichever style or combination you choose, it is your quest in a never-ending game of human chess”, so make it your own!

Break out of your shell and try to see things from a different point of view. There are many ways to do something in Jiu Jitsu and in life. Try them all and see what works for you. Make new friends with different outlooks on life and respect them for it. We don’t all have to agree to get along. Each person is unique and we can all learn and grow together. We are all connected!

As far as traveling goes, just do it as much as you can while you are able to. A little bit of research goes a long way. Ask people that have done something like you want to do in the past and learn from them.

Stop doing that job you hate, find something that you enjoy doing in life, and do that. It will be hard at first, but hey – that’s life! Life is too short to do shit you don’t like to do. Travel as often as you can and enjoy this life because you probably only live once.

 

Thank you to William Dorman – BJJ Globetrotters for making this interview!

Featured Camp Instructor: Christian Graugart – BJJ Globetrotters

Christian Graugart – BJJ Globetrotters

Belt: Black belt
Age: 40

Profession: Manager of a boutique travelling circus
Started training (year): 2000
City/country: Saint Barthélemy, French West Indies (originally from Copenhagen, Denmark)

 

Main achievements in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu:

I guess I would say that BJJ Globetrotters is my biggest achievement. I have competed a bit—won some and lost some—but my focus or interest was never really Jiu Jitsu. It was always the other things that came along with it, such as making friends, seeing the world and having a good time. BJJ is a fantastic vehicle for that and BJJ Globetrotters is basically just a bunch of tools designed to make that vehicle even more efficient. In the same category, the academy I started in Copenhagen and ran for 15 years was another wonderful vehicle for making great things happen. I met so many wonderful people and made countless good memories from that place.

 

 

Which Globetrotters camps have you attended:

All of them, except Maine 2016.

Which camp has been your favorite so far?

I do not have a favorite camp, I love them all. And no, you can not get me drunk enough to where I’ll admit one of them is my favorite. It’s not happening.

 

Favorite stories/moments from the camps?

It’s really hard to pinpoint anything. I’ve done more than 85 camps at this point and looking back at them, they all seem like one big blur. A mashup of memories, laughs, experiences, exploring, people, training and good times. I would say that my favorite story is the camps. I’ve lived a lifetime through them.

Your favorite class/classes to teach at camp?

Like most camp instructors ultimately conclude, I find that conceptual classes about fundamental mechanics are the best for camps. Often, we are teaching groups of 100-150 people at every skill level, so it’s important to do something that applies to as many people in the room as possible. I try to teach as little technique as I can and stick with principles, ideas and mechanics. Simple things that people can hopefully remember and apply, regardless of their level. I am at a point in my career where I don’t really “study” Jiu Jitsu anymore. I’ve been working to catch up with the technique “arms race” for many years in the past but at this point, I just really enjoy playing the game for fun and fitness; akin to kicking a ball around or doing a few tricks at the skatepark. While I still very much enjoy teaching and seeing the joy and value it brings—especially at the camps—I no longer feel that being an instructor is my main contribution to Jiu Jitsu. I am much more efficient in other areas and the young guns have long surpassed me in athletic and technical abilities anyway, so I’ve bowed out of the role as a coach and am leaving that to other people.

 

Anything else you want to add to your profile:

A big thanks to all the people who crash my holidays on a monthly basis, year-round!

 

***

Christian Graugart – BJJ Globetrotters instructor

 

End of an Era: Trying To Pick a Home as a Globetrotter and Failing

Dust Mop Jiu Jitsu: The Expat Files: Chapter Eight: Vermont  Brazilian Jiu Jitsu-Williston, Vermont

-On looking for a home as a globetrotter and not finding one

This is the Eighth and final chapter of what I’m calling the Expat Files. If you want to know more about what this project is, you can read more about it in the first article here.

I’m a bit of a youtube junkie. I love me a good explained video or a short doc about somebody doing something incredible with their lives. If you’re looking for a good one, there’s one called Two Years on a Bike. This Dutch guy, Martijn Doolaard, goes on an amazing bicycle journey from Alaska to Patagonia. The cinematography is amazing, the storytelling beautiful and you really feel like you are right there with him. But what struck me was the last part where he is so burned out. In North America he was so excited to meet people, go camping alone and soak up the adventure. But as soon as he finishes, he abruptly packs up his things and rushes back to the Netherlands. 

I identify with that. At the beginning of 2019, I had just arrived in Burlington, Vermont after a year and a half of being abroad. Even after arriving in the states, my wife and I were still living out of suitcases at my parents houses. The adventure was amazing spanning three continents and 7 Jiu Jitsu gyms between them. At this point I had lost my steam. I just wanted a home to live in and a place to train regularly. 

There were certain things I wanted to keep from our lifestyle in Korea. Of course BJJ was one of them. I needed to find my newest place to call home after Ulsan Fight Gym. The other major lifestyle improvement I knew I wanted to continue was riding a bike. As soon as I arrived in Ulsan, I rented one for the year and rode it almost every day. It honestly feels like the perfect way to travel. I knew I would be disappointed in myself if I went back to driving as my default.

Rachel and I could really only afford one car. Burlington was already covered in snow when we arrived on January 1, 2019. Sometimes the streets got so snowy that we had to park our car in the main garage downtown. But in Korea, I rode my bike every day to work and jiu jitsu. It added a sense of adventure to even the shortest trips. So while Rachel had the car, I got a mountain bike with metal studs for the ice.

With the car and the apartment, I needed to find my place to train. So I set my sights on Vermont BJJ. Unfortunately, I don’t remember much from the experience there except the realization that it couldn’t be the place for me. 

If you go there and you’re reading this, I hope you understand that this article isn’t here for me to needlessly pick on your gym. It’s to explain to my readers how I ruled out a gym from being the one. It’s not a lens I had to use when visiting other gyms in my travels, but I wasn’t looking for an interesting experience, I was looking for a home. 

If you haven’t seen his channel before, Icy Mike, a combat sports vlogger, once made a brilliant video about how to pick a martial art gym. He puts people into two main categories. The first are people that are there to compete at the highest level. The second is…everyone else. 

For the first folks, you find the place that competes, and wins, at the highest level. That tackles everything else. But for everyone else, there’s only three criteria.

  • It’s close to your house.

I packed my gi, and rode my heavy mountain bike to Vermont BJJ. From our place it’s about a 30 minute ride. Doing this in the snow is always tricky. The shoulders on the road get pretty narrow and drivers aren’t always the friendliest folks in the Northeast. It’s pretty easy to get overheated and dehydrated. As it turned out, the gym was closed by the time I got there so I went home. A few days later, I managed to get the car and make it back. All I could think about was how hard it would be to bike for an hour with a BJJ lesson in between. 

With the car, it only took fifteen minutes to get there. Still I knew that I wouldn’t always have access to it and needed a place closer by. 

  • You can afford it

I honestly don’t remember much about the lesson. That’s actually a good thing. I do remember thinking that it felt familiar enough for me to be interested in becoming a member. The instructor was nice, the training partners pretty chill. A lot of them reminded me of the folks at Boston BJJ. An older crowd for sure but not as rowdy as the folks at Grind, which I had tried the week before. 

At the end of the lesson, I had a good conversation with the instructor. He handed me a price sheet. It was the first time I experienced sticker shock in BJJ. 180 dollars a month would guarantee me two lessons a week. Any more and I was looking at spending 200 bucks. This place was way out of my price range.

In my article on Grind I talked about the tough rolls and how I wasn’t ready for them. I’ve spent enough time in the BJJ world to know that their tuition is not outside the norm. Outsiders tend to balk at the price, but it’s important to remember that every BJJ lesson is taught by someone who is providing a service. That’s a little different than just paying a rock climbing membership where nobody is instructing you. But again, I wasn’t in a position to pay that kind of tuition back in 2019. Nowadays, in Northampton, I pay something close to it. Physically and financially, I’m now in a different place. 

  • You like the guys there

The guys there were solid. But getting to know folks usually comes with time. I do have patience with the fact that BJJ practitioners aren’t always the most forthcoming with new people. The folks at Fairborn were uncommonly friendly but they only had a few people there. In most gyms there’s often an attitude akin to “I’ll learn your name once you stick around for more than two months.” Once you learn how much work is involved in being in this sport, you realize not everybody makes it past that point . 

1 out of 3 wasn’t enough for me to sign the contract. I left that day feeling like Martijn Doolaard almost getting to the destination. I just wanted the search to be over so I could get on with my life. 

It’s hard to predict what gyms will meet all three criteria. If you read my next article, you’ll find out. 

The Dust Mop Takeaway:

 

This is a strange article compared to the rest of the ones I’ve written. Again, if you are a member of Vermont BJJ, please know I’m not just trying to crap on your gym. I recommend you go to my home page to understand what this project is and why I’m doing it. 

But the main memory I have from this gym experience is how to understand when a gym is not the right fit for you. 

 

End of an Era:

Most globetrotters who write stories and make videos have a home gym that they leave for a period of time to go explore the world. I had the opposite experience, I spent three months traveling and training at different academies without any place to claim as mine. Towards the end, I wasn’t looking for adventure anymore. I was looking for a home.  

I didn’t stop traveling and training once I found it. But I was no longer a ronin with nobody checking on my progress. All the fun and freedom of floating around to different schools reminded me of what I lacked and needed: mentors and coaches that are invested in me. Vermont Brazilian Jiu Jitsu the last gym I visited as an expat. 

The next chapter will begin a new series about what it meant for me to approach training more seriously in a focused way. I would continue to travel to other schools. My wanderings were over, but my true journey was about to begin. 

Affiliated academy: Open Grounds Jiu-Jitsu Foundation, BJJ Philippines

BJJ Philippines

 

Where is the gym located?
Angeles City, Pampanga, Philippines

How many people train there?
15-25

Is the gym growing – if so by how many new members each month or year?
Yes, an average of 1 to 2 new members every month.

What are the highest and lowest belt grades training?
White belt to purple belt.

When did the gym open?
January 2023

Some facts about you:

Name: Randy B. Gubguban
Age: 43
Belt: 4-stripe white
Profession: Sales Engineer
Years in BJJ: 3 years
Other martial arts: Filipino Martial Arts, Boxing
Currently living in: Angeles City, Philippines
Originally from: Ilagan, Isabela, Philippines

Please tell us the story of how your gym came into existence
It’s a foundation formed with many friends in the BJJ community, having the goal of spreading and sharing the art for free. Especially for kids and women who are not financially able, but are committed and willing to learn.

Tell us about the people that train in the gym – who are they?
The coaches are from different teams or affiliations, so we’ve known each other for quite a long time. The students are mainly local young people.

Why do they train? 
To learn together and share the art for many.

What are some of the challenges of running a BJJ gym in general, and for BJJ Philippines specifically?
BJJ is not well known in our community – that’s why we formed the foundation to reach as many people as we can.

 

How do you see the future for BJJ in your area?
As long as people have the opportunity to try it, BJJ will surely grow here.

What’s the best thing about your gym?
It’s free!

What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from the inside of your gym?
The place, the food, and the people.

—-

Thanks for sharing! If you’d like to visit Open Grounds Jiu Jitsu Foundation, BJJ Philippines, you can contact them here.

Featured Traveller: MacKenzie King – BJJ Globetrotters

MacKenzie King - BJJ Globetrotters

Age: 27

Belt: Blue

Profession: It’s complicated

How many years in BJJ: 2 years

Other martial arts: Kickboxing

Where do you live: Queen Creek, Arizona, United States

Where are you from: Mesa, Arizona

Other fun or curious information you would like to share:

  • I coach the little kiddos at my gym!
  • I am starting a women’s athletic clothing line.
  • I have crowd surfed at every camp that was not in my home state (3/3) and would like to keep that streak going *cough cough.*

MacKenzie King – BJJ Globetrotters

Tell us what inspired you to travel and train?
I initially did the November 2021 Arizona Camp. I loved everything about the experience. At the March 2022 Arizona Camp I met this super cool guy named TJ who pushed me to go to Heidelberg Camp (thanks, TJ). Before that, I really didn’t think it was that feasible for me to travel overseas. But I did it – and now here I am 6 camps in, ready to hit 10 by year’s end! It’s amazing to be able to get to train with so many new people that have so many unique styles.

Tell us about your most recent travel and your upcoming travel – where have you been and where are you going?
I just got back from the Caribbean February 2022 Camp. I can’t begin to explain how beautiful St Barths is. This camp is different from the training-packed camps I have attended. There was surfing, beach time, and a LOT of eating (okay, that last one was on me but if you follow my instagram you know I have an entire highlight reel devoted to #MacKsandHerSnacKs).

Upcoming I have Maine 2023, Beach Camp Estonia 2023, Summer Camp Heidelberg 2023, and, of course, Arizona Camp 2023. While in Europe for Estonia and Germany, I plan on staying there for 3+ weeks to attend both camps and visit people and places.

MacKenzie King – BJJ Globetrotters

What are the things you enjoy about travelling?
The people, seeing new places, and even the challenges of getting around somewhere you may not be familiar with. The memories that can’t be bottled up are worth the headaches of planes, trains and automobiles (but also I have met really cool people on the plane rides, so bonus talk time).

Can you give us some examples of experiences you had that makes it worth traveling and training?
If you know me, you know I love making friends. Everywhere I go, I collect new stories and new experiences through my interactions. I love meeting fellow Globetrotters (you guys are like really, really cool) and it’s amazing to see my friendships in the community grow and change. I also love meeting the locals and random strangers while I’m out and about. This last camp, I met a man named Paulo, who spoke almost no English. His native tongue was Portuguese. I speak a decent amount of Spanish, but it wasn’t entirely helpful (he understood my Spanish more than I his Portuguese). But between a glass of wine, wild hand gestures and lots of laughs, an entire hour had passed before I knew it. I honestly can’t remember what we even talked about other than him visiting his family the next day, but it puts a smile on my face. This recent trip also landed me on a beach around two in the morning at a techno concert surrounded by locals. My legs were scratched up and almost everything hurt the next morning, but the crowd surfing (apparently I give off a “carry me over the crowd” vibe that I am perfectly happy with) made it all worth it.

Seeing new places is kind of a “well, duh”/given when travelling, but I can’t begin to explain the tranquillity you feel while looking at the clear blue waters of the Caribbean with the ocean mist splashing in your face and the sounds of laughter in your ears when your surrounded by like-minded people as you attempt to surf for the first time; or the smell of hops in a German bar with your shoes sticking to the ground from the (sadly) spilled beer as the music plays too loud for you to hear those around you but the slurring smiles let you know everyone is having the best time; or the moments when you’re alone staring at parts of a once-whole castle wondering what it looked like in its prime while the sun beats down a little warm but not uncomfortably so and you find the perfect tree to sit in contentedly while others move about and you write in your journal. It’s something you can’t replicate. But these images and feelings and sounds are burned into my brain.

What has so far been the most surprising experience for you when traveling?
How willing people are to help. I cannot tell you how many times I have looked like a silly tourist having to ask directions because I am too stubborn to turn on my data and pay the $10 (?!) a day. I have only been met with smiles or, if there is a language barrier, confusion but still a willingness to help as I type out the name of where I am trying to go in my notes app or point to my desired destination on an insane map of 40 different colored bus lines that were faded by the sun and nearly impossible to distinguish. People want to help. I do not enjoy feeling like a silly tourist. But in order to get past it, I have to be willing to ask and learn, or really push through the discomfort. Why not both?

MacKenzie King – BJJ Globetrotters Camp in St. Barts

Are you a budget traveller – and if so how do you plan for a cheap trip?
I am not but I need to be. Oh well. Always time to make more money. Never time to make more time.

If you were to pass on travel advice to your fellow Globetrotters, what would it be?
Talk. Talk to people while you’re visiting places. I have never run into a time that I was wanting to make conversation and someone outright turned me down. The laughs and occasional confusion are worth it.

Stop. Stop and take the time to soak in everything around you. Even if it is just ten seconds of standing off to the side and watching people smiling and laughing or dancing to the music off beat. These ten second bits are what my brain holds on to.

Be silly. Be silly and do what you want. Life is too short to worry about what everyone else is thinking. I know it’s cliché, but it also holds true. We are often far too serious because we assume people will think we are weird. Let them. Be weird. Do fun stuff. Live a silly life.

I love you guys. Thank you for accepting me and all my weirdness and loudness and everything else-ness that has made me feel like I am “too much.” I love my silly life and I love that you’re in it.

Thank you to MacKenzie King – BJJ Globetrotters for making this interview!

Featured Camp Instructor: Kyle Sleeman – BJJ Globetrotters

Kyle Sleeman bjj

Kyle Sleeman – BJJ Globetrotters

Belt: Black belt
Age: 40

Profession: City worker and BJJ Instructor/Competitor
Started training (year): Started training martial artist in 1988.  Started grappling in 1999.         Started BJJ in 2005.
City/country: Live in Whitby Ontario, 25 min east of Toronto, Canada

 

Main achievements in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu:

Achievements in 2022
-1st Place at London BJJ Open middle weight
-1st Place at London BJJ OPEN Absolute/open weight
-2nd Place IBJJF Toronto Open
-2nd Place IBJJF Chicago Open
KALSAMRIT SUPERFIGHT Main event winner.
Ace jiujitsu pro cup 2022 winner

 

Which Globetrotters camps have you attended:

I have attended the past 4 Maine and Arizona camps.

 

Which camp has been your favorite so far?

Both camps are great and Each camp has their own qualities

Favorite stories/moments from the camps?

I have met so many amazing people from around the world that I get to travel and train with. So many great memories, each camp is a continuation from the last.

 

Your favorite class/classes to teach at camp?

 

I love teaching all jiujitsu but Takedowns and Guard passing classes are definitely my favorite.

But most importantly spreading kindness, love and passion for martial arts is my ultimate goal.

 

Anything else you want to add to your profile:

Come train with me at Kalsamirt Martial arts in bowmanville Ontario,  everyone always welcome.

 

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Kyle Sleeman – BJJ Globetrotters instructor

 

When You’re Not Tough Enough

Dust Mop Jiu Jitsu: The Expat Files: Chapter Seven: Grind BJJ-Burlington, Vermont

-On bullshit jobs, belt politics and not feeling tough enough to belong

This is Chapter 7 of what I’m calling the Expat Files. If you want to know more about what this project is, you can read more about it in the first article here.

 

Broadly speaking, I like to think about my Jiu Jitsu journey being in three main phases. 

  • The Expat Files: My experiences in Korea and the gyms I went to before settling in a stateside gym
  • The Combat Base: Here I stayed mostly with my gym Combat Fitness MMA in Winooski, Vermont. I still continued to travel but always had Combat as a reference.
  • The Pandemic: I would eventually leave Vermont and float around until eventually joining my current gym in Northampton, MA.

If you haven’t been reading my articles, this blog is a project to remember at least one thing from gyms that I’ve visited in my BJJ journey. The next two articles will be unusual because the following three articles will be about local gyms that I would choose between. They could have become my main gym, but these articles are going to be about why they didn’t. 

On January 1st of 2019, Rachel and I finally stopped our transient journey home from South Korea and made it to Vermont. It took a long time for us to settle on a U.S. City. We wanted a place that would feel like it was both of ours. We met in rural Vermont so we ended up choosing Burlington. We would eventually come to like it but moving somewhere in the dead of winter is a horrible time to make friends and get situated.

It’s close to Canada

Our apartment, although nicer, was even smaller than the one we had in Korea. No joke, we could reach the oven from the bed. But we had a bathtub and a laundry machine so we were relatively happy.

Rachel already had a job set up through a youth agency. Being in graduate school I needed to find a job that would allow me flexibility. I became a substitute teacher.

David Graeber in a brilliant article defines a bullshit job as employment so pointless that the person doing it can’t think of a reason for it existing. The people doing these jobs often suffer from an existential angst that they aren’t contributing enough to society. 

He was once asked if there were any jobs where people didn’t mind the fact that they were bullshit. “Yes! Substitute teachers.” The kids know it’s not teaching, the subs know it’s not teaching, it’s flexible hours and they often have other things going on in their lives aside from their work. Perfect for me at the time

The orientation was incredible. I’ll never forget our instructor asking us a real head scratcher.

 

Instructor: Who can tell me why you shouldn’t fall asleep in class as a teacher?

Us: (Silent. Either confused by the question or not wanting to dignify it with a response).

Instructor: Because the kids will take a video of you and put it up on youtube.

 

She proceeded to show us a compilation of 20 different substitute teachers falling asleep in class. The bar was set exceptionally low. 

You also have to understand what being a substitute teacher did for my ego as well. Here’s how it used to go when I told people my job.

 

2017 Me: I’m a wilderness therapy guide. I hike with people struggling with their emotions.

You: Whoah! Tell me all about that! How did you get certified? What’s your craziest story?

 

2018 Me: I teach English to kindergartners in South Korea

You: That’s wild! What are they like? How was Korea? Did you see Kim Jong Un?

 

2019 Me: I’m a substitute teacher

You: …Oh…

 

Picking a school to sub at is a lot like finding a Jiu Jitsu gym. You gotta find the right distance from your house, the time it takes to get there has to be worth it and you need to like both the students and the administration. For teaching, I ended up at Lyman C. Hunt Middle School. For BJJ, there were four schools, but I could only consider three of them.

I first tried Grind BJJ. It was fairly close to my house so I could easily walk there. Like CSA in Copenhagen, it was also part of a community center. There were yoga and art studios nearby. I remember getting in there and seeing some guys already rolling no-gi like they were training for ADCC. The owner got up to greet me with two bleeding cauliflower ears. “Yeah, I get weird stares at work but they never really go away so I’ve stopped caring.” Imagining the contrast between him and the nice ladies spinning pottery across the hall would continue to entertain me in my darkest moments for years to come. 

If you haven’t already seen it, Cauliflower ear is what happens when your ear gets irritated over and over again. It starts to look like a sponge. Or it can swell up in spots looking like there’s a marble growing out of it. This guy had both kinds. I kept picturing him making small talk around the water cooler with his coworker doing his best not to stare.

If you go to Grind’s website, it’s a bit like walking into their space: no frills. Their set-up is just mats and some thai pads in a community center right next to middle aged dancers and a pottery studio. Because we were next to a salsa class, there were some pretty cool beats coming from next door. I remember thinking it would be cool to spar listening to that. That’s until someone said, “fuck that noise.” They started blasting metal. I felt bad for the Salsa class. 

The man with the ears said, “Happy new year everyone, here’s your resolution. It’s that these (his hands) become hooks. Don’t think of these as being fucking hands, from now on they are fucking hooks.” From there we rolled live rounds for 20 minutes and I was getting mangled every which way. 

These guys were killers. I’m sure if I stuck with them, I’d be one too. But I didn’t feel strong enough to be a part of their gym. It’s also a vibe thing. These guys seemed like  men. With a capital M. I’m a goofy therapist who used to teach kindergarten. I couldn’t see myself meshing that well. 

The Dust Mop Takeaway at Grind happened on the way out the door. One of the guys was walking out the door and stopped to look at me. “Hey man, I noticed that you looked a little out of breath. Just to let you know, if you go fast, they’ll go faster.” 

He was totally right. In Jiu Jitsu, you can set the pace however you want. It’s an interesting irony that stronger people will go slower and people who have no strength max themselves out in thirty seconds. At that point, I was not putting any effort into my strength or conditioning. So I was slower, weaker and had less cardio than I do now. But that caused me to panic. One year later, I was rolling with a brand new white belt who was spazzing hard. I remember my coach at the time saying to him, “I guarantee you that if you go slower, Adam will too.” 

These days I feel better about my ability to keep up. I’d like to go and visit Grind if I ever get the chance. I don’t live in Burlington anymore. I’ve done a lot more for my strength and conditioning. It’s a great gym with fantastic rolls. But at that time, I knew it wasn’t a good fit for where I was on my Jiu Jitsu journey. 

These days, I’m a lot stronger than I used to be and wouldn’t mind going back to visit to see how it feels to roll there now. It’s possible if I stayed at Grind, that improvement would have happened quicker. But it’s also possible I would have quit faster as well. 

Years later I heard that Grind was founded out of desperation. Some of the guys were brown belts at a bigger place nearby. They were on the cusp of black chafing under the leadership of the one person likely to promote them. Eventually they were expelled but they weren’t willing to bend the knee to someone new. It’s not just their gym, it’s the entire system that holds people in academies they don’t want to be at until they get blessed with that black belt. 

Here I was, one year in scared shitless that I would never get my blue belt. Here they were ditching the whole belt hierarchy behind. They struck their own way.  That explained their website and their style. No kings, no gods, no bullshit. Just jiu jitsu. In some ways, this project is aligned with theirs. But I wasn’t ready to jump ship just yet. So I kept looking.

My goal is to visit 100 gyms! If you ever want me to visit yours and write about what it’s like to learn from you, feel free to reach out at [email protected] or follow me @DustMop_JiuJitsu

If you want to read my articles as soon as they’re published, you can follow me here.

Featured affiliated academy: Team Gringo Piteå, BJJ Sweden

Team Gringo Piteå, BJJ Sweden

Where is the gym located?
In the very north of Sweden, close to the Arctic circle, in a town called Piteå.

How many people train there?
During the pandemic, the commune closed our training facility and many members went on with other things in life. We are currently working to get the numbers back up. Currently we are closing in on around 20.

Is the gym growing – if so by how many new members each month or year?
Well, Piteå is a small town and I must be realistic, but if we could get around 25 participants every sesson I would be thrilled.

What are the highest and lowest belt grades training?
I am the highest – I received my black belt in 2014 from Eduardo “Duda” Soares (DLR). We have two purples and a few blues, and the rest are white.

When did Team Gringo Piteå, BJJ Sweden open?
Shortly after I moved here from Stockholm, in January 2016.

Some facts about you:

Name: Joakim Ögren
Age: 50
Belt: Black
Profession: Construction worker
Years in BJJ: Since the late 90s
Other martial arts: Yes, since I was 4 years old. Striking arts after the mandatory judo/wrestling as a kid.
Currently living in: Piteå
Originally from: Umeå

Please tell us the story of how your gym came into existence
I played a role when Magnus Hansson started Team Gringo in Stockholm, that has since grown into a great place to train both gi and nogi. But, being an outdoors man as I am, I missed the north and had grown sick of big city life. So we sold the flat and bought a house outside of Piteå. I didn’t want to stop Jiu Jitsu just because there was none here. So I started this gym, not only so I could keep on training but also to spread Jiu Jitsu in this corner of the world.

Tell us about the people that train in the gym – who are they?
Most are just “guys” that like to train Jiu Jitsu. They do it for the great exercise and the bonding that only a Juijiteiro can understand.

Why do they train in Team Gringo Piteå, BJJ Sweden?
Beside what I just mentioned, I think the answers are as individual as every single student.

What are some of the challenges of running a BJJ gym in general, and in your area specifically?
This is a low populated area and martial arts are not very deeply rooted in the culture. The commune happily spends money and builds arenas for ball sports, but when it comes to martial arts it’s a very different story. I think it would be awesome if they could let the different martial arts around here have a facility for the purpose of doing what we like.

How do you see the future for BJJ in your area?
I think we will grow slowly. As of a year ago I’m on the board of the Swedish Submisson Wrestling federation. It’s a win-win senario since now we can arrange competitions around here – something that was previously very rare. This will have an added effect of making people more eager to train, and more locals will discover the art.

What’s the best thing about Team Gringo Piteå, BJJ Sweden?
As with most BJJ gyms, the atmosphere and camaraderie. We have always welcomed visitors, and over the years we’ve had many from all over the world. I think it’s a great way to pick up new stuff and to learn. I also encourage my students to visit other gyms when travelling, just like I’ve done over the years.

What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from the inside of your gym?
Dude… there’s so much to see once you realise that travelling isn’t just about cities! The surrounding areas offer so much. If, like me, you love to fish, hunt, go snowmobiling or boondocking or anything in the outdoors, this is the place.

  • Rent a car and go sightseeing in the mountains. See the great rivers. Or take a boat trip around the archipelago.
  • We have quite a unique law in Sweden that gives you the right to wander and hike all over the place. So if you’re into hiking there is no place like it.
  • During the winter you can go skiing or snowmobiling. I’m also big-time into ice fishing and hunting during that time of the year.

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Thanks for sharing! If you’d like to visit Team Gringo Piteå, BJJ Sweden you can contact them here.

Featured Traveller: Seb Egan – BJJ Globetrotters

Seb Egan - BJJ Globetrotters

Age: 30 (yes, I know, surprising!)

Belt: White belt – 4 stripes

Profession: IT Lead Officer, but used to work in theatre as a lampy!

How many years in BJJ: 5 years. However, it feels longer with the amount of injuries that I have.

I started to train after I worked on a teaser trailer for a film based around MMA called ‘Law of One’. This is where I met one of the lead actors, Steve ‘Spartan’ Obe (a brown belt under Andy Roberts). Steve became my personal trainer and helped me a lot with core movements. At the gym Christmas party I met Tim Radcliffe, my coach, and long story short I made a dodgy deal: sold my soul (which is why I’m a wristlocker nowadays) and started training BJJ.

Other martial arts: I did judo once as a kid. I had no balance and that’s where my shoulder issues started. Well, either that or falling off a horse too many times!

Where do you live: Woking, in the UK. It’s a really leafy part of Surrey (countryside in England) and it’s where the Martians landed in the H.G Wells classic The War of the Worlds (which we’re all made to read!)

Where are you from: Woking, UK. Never moved

Other fun or curious information you would like to share: I coach and manage U13 & U14 girls in cricket, and score for a local men’s team. I’m also sponsored by Woking & Horsell Cricket Club, which is why you’ll see me walking around in a cricket top. I’m ambidextrous due to the tremor in my right arm. I’m an avid competitor and love going to competitions and, having competed several times in the South of England, I’m now looking for the right opportunity to compete internationally.

Seb Egan – BJJ Globetrotters

Tell us what inspired you to travel and train?
When I started travelling and training, FOMO (fear of missing out) was real and a big problem for me. I just wanted to be in the gym training when I was on holiday. I was in Myrtle Beach, SC on a family holiday and I just needed to train. I found a local gym where I was welcomed with open arms, and ever since I’ve looked at gyms within a short distance of where I’ll be staying. Even whilst doing a group travel tour holiday, I still managed to find the time to train.

BJJ Globetrotters was a lucky find for me. After spending a weekend in hospital during the pandemic and staying in a COVID-19 geriatrics ward, I started looking for somewhere to lie in the sun and do some Jiu Jitsu, that’s when I found BJJ Globetrotters. Which really takes FOMO out of holidays since I can now train and travel at the same time.

Tell us about your most recent travel and your upcoming travel – where have you been and where are you going?
My most recent trip was to Austria for Winter Camp via Kauai, Hawaii for a beach trip and to let some of my injuries recover. This was the first time in five years that I’ve had a holiday without some Jiu Jitsu! And Christmas in Hawaii was too good to refuse. A big mistake not doing anything but lying on a beach and training the muscles in my left arm picking up a glass of beer over and over again! I really suffered in the first few rounds in Austria!

My next trip is going to be a short trip over to Wexford, Ireland for Micheal Currier’s seminar. Also one of the guys that used to train with me now trains there (and I owe him a wristlock or two!).

Currently on the books already are camps in Tallinn, Maine (where I’m spending a week either side of the camp in Boston/NYC for work), Poland for Zen Camp, Arizona, and a trip to Kansas City for work before travelling to St Barths – yacht owners lock up your yachts!!!

I do want to get over to Ukraine and train there, but this may not happen for a while. Other places that I want to go to are South Africa and South America, in particular Peru.

Seb Egan – BJJ Globetrotters

What are the things you enjoy about travelling?
I enjoy seeing different places, meeting new people, drinking with them, and sharing stories. I also enjoy the culture in new places. I love going on adventures – especially those with adrenaline, like throwing myself off bridges or jumping out of planes!

Can you give us some examples of experiences you had that makes it worth traveling and training?
I was travelling to Florida after Christmas 2021, which is where two fellow Globetrotters, Matt and Cynthia, live. I got in touch with Matt for a post-Christmas meet up. This ended with us doing a private session with Charles Harriott in a park just outside of Clearwater, one of the best travel and training experiences I’ve done – where else are you going to go to roll and have a private session?

On the training front, you can’t train at your gym the way you do when at camps. Your training partners grow accustomed to your style, and your game stops evolving. Somebody at your gym has to be learning from someone somewhere else, otherwise you’re still drilling the same techniques as each other with no exposure to how others are training.

What has so far been the most surprising experience for you when traveling?
The general kindness of people. How they can act with so much care for you if you tell them that you’re alone, turning up to a restaurant and saying table for one and then strangers going out of their way to come and talk to you (maybe that’s just me though!)

Also when getting blackout drunk in a foreign country and finding local people to take you back to whatever accommodation I’m staying in, usually helped by having my address scrawled across my arm with a sharpie.

Seb Egan – BJJ Globetrotters

Are you a budget traveller – and if so how do you plan for a cheap trip?
No to the budget travelling, but I do look for cheap deals and I do this by planning early and rebooking hotels last minute. I would normally class myself as a middle-luxury class traveller. I don’t stay in hostels very often. I prefer hotels and Airbnbs even if it means that I have to be on my own.

If you were to pass on travel advice to your fellow Globetrotters, what would it be?
Keep doing you, keep travelling, and generally say yes to most things – it might be an experience that you would never have otherwise. The most important piece of advice is, whatever you do, don’t listen to Michael or to Francesco, as that’s usually where chaos begins. And if they’re both together, just enjoy the ride – it’s going to be a crazy one (Michael gets slapped and pubs get set on fire)!

Thank you to Seb Egan – BJJ Globetrotters for making this interview!

Featured affiliated academy: Tropical Squad BJJ, Spain

BJJ Spain

Where is the gym located?
The gym is located in the city center of Motril, a small town (60,000 people) on the tropical coast of Spain.

How many people train there?
Normally we are between 15 to 20 people. It depends a lot on which period of the year we’re in. For instance, during summertime, because of holidays, there are normally less people coming to train.

Is the gym growing – if so by how many new members each month or year?
Yes! We started in November 2021, so we’re still a really young team. Every month someone new comes to try, and normally they stay and join the team.

What are the highest and lowest belt grades training?
We have many white belts with the same level (1-2 stripes), two recently promoted blue belts, and a brown belt (me). We often have guests from other academies because we’re in the south of Spain, which is a really touristic area, so many people come to train during their holidays.

On Saturdays we have an open mat where everybody is welcome, so many times members from other academies join us for some rolls.

When did the gym open?
The gym itself opened in 2011, originally as an Aikido dojo. When I moved to Spain in Dec 2020, I was looking for a place to train but couldn’t find any in this area, and had to drive a long distance every time. So I decided to open my own, starting in November 2021.

Some facts about you:

Name: Alessandro Roncali
Age: 38
Belt: Brown
Profession: Right now I’m just teaching BJJ, but I used to work as a mechanical maintainer.
Years in BJJ: I started in 2006, and since 2014 I was really addicted. I trained a lot and competed a lot. Then I changed jobs and started working on shifts, so it became very difficult to train regularly. Also, at that time I had some serious issues with my back, and that made me quit for quite a long period. Once I moved here in 2020 I decided to start training again, and here I am.
Other martial arts: I did some Karate (Shotokan style) when I was a kid for a couple of years. I also did a martial art called Yosekanbudo, which is like a mix of different martial arts. There I had my first approach to ground fighting, but of course still really soft compared to BJJ. I did MMA in my old gym, but never with the aim of competing, just training to improve skills.
Currently living in: I live in the countryside near Motril, on the coast of Granada province in the south of Spain.
Originally from: I come from Cividale del Friuli, a small town in the deep northeast of Italy, near the Slovenian border.

 

Please tell us the story of how Tropical Squad BJJ, Spain came into existence
Hope you’re not in a hurry! Ahahah!

When I moved here from Italy, I was a few years out of training seriously and I was really bored and out of shape. One day my wife (she is from this area) told me: why don’t you search for a BJJ gym around here? I started searching on the internet and asking people, but no one was doing it in my area. When every hope was gone, I casually found on the street a flyer of a gym in a town far from here… so I decided to go there and give it a try.

The gym was also really new (they were basically training in a garage) but I had the chance to train and that was the important thing. After a while, they moved to a better place and opened a real gym. I trained there whenever I could, but it was so far away, so I talked to the coach and owner, who is a really good friend, and told him that I would try to open something in my area. He agreed and supported me.

Then I started looking for a place, but the main big commercial gyms weren’t interested. Everytime i said Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, they used to answer me, “Oh yes, I know it! It’s something like a dance (capoeira)…” LOL

After many attempts, I found the dojo where we currently train thanks to a friend of mine that was teaching yoga there. I spoke to the owner and we got along so quickly. From that point everything evolved really fast… flyers, social media… some people called telling me that they had been waiting for BJJ for a long time…

And here we are.

Tell us about the people that train in the gym – who are they?
Some of them are people that have no previous experience in martial arts. Some are police officers, but mainly normal people that try BJJ and get addicted. We also have people coming from other martial arts like Karate Kyokushin, Thai Boxing, and Judo.

Why do they train in Tropical Squad BJJ, Spain?
Different reasons, like learning self defense and getting in shape, but I think most of them train because they like the atmosphere. We’re more like a group of friends. Rolling is a better way to get to know people than talking, I think many people don’t expect the feeling you get when you’re doing BJJ, so they simply get addicted.

What are some of the challenges of running a BJJ gym in general, and in your area specifically?
Since there’s still no culture for it around here, many people just see the violent part of the sport and are reluctant to give it a chance. The town is quite big, but if you search for martial arts there is only Karate,Taekwondo, Aikido… nothing related to BJJ.
However, I think that things are changing… slowly, but they are changing.

How do you see the future for BJJ in your area?
We hope to grow more. In a few years, I would like to be able to open a bigger academy with BJJ and other activities/disciplines that can grow together.

What’s the best thing about Tropical Squad BJJ, Spain?
The fridge is always full of beer. Ahahah! It’s not simple to say just one thing, but if I have to say one, the best thing is the people who train here. There is a good atmosphere.

What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from the inside of your gym?
This area is absolutely incredible for the weather. We have less than 30 rainy days a year, and we enjoy a subtropical climate, so the average temperature during the winter is 19ºC. Here you’ll find avocado, mango, papaya, and every kind of vegetable and fruit you can imagine, plus being right by the sea means a very rich gastronomy.

The cost of living is really low compared to other areas, so there are many things to do and try also on a budget! Every type of outdoor sport is possible all year! There are many sea sports you can also practice in winter. We have a 3500-metre mountain just an hour’s drive from the coast, so you can ski in the morning and surf in the sea in the afternoon.

If you like history, we have the beautiful city of Granada 40 minutes away by car, where you can visit many many amazing things.
I’m sure that organising a camp here would be absolutely great! The chances to embrace many sports and the guarantee of sunny weather makes it the perfect place for it.

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Thanks for sharing! If you’d like to visit Tropical Squad BJJ, Spain you can contact them here.

Trekking across the world to become a talk therapist

Dust Mop Jiu Jitsu: The Expat Files: Chapter Six: Fairborn Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy-Fairborn, Ohio

-On basics, learning to conduct therapy around the world and realizing I’m standing next to Dave Chappelle

This is Chapter Six of what I’m calling the Expat Files. If you want to know more about what this project is, you can read more about it in the first article here. I’ve referenced a few times that I started BJJ around the same time that I began grad school for Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Right away I felt like there had to be a connection between Jiu Jitsu and therapy. I usually left practice feeling a sense of bliss and clarity that would make any therapist jealous of my coach. But just like at Boston BJJ, in the therapeutic world, I had to learn the fundamentals.  In Jiu Jitsu, fundamentals usually refers to the basic moves that everybody needs to survive in our sport. Since everyone knows them, they usually don’t work on anybody but the newest folks. But if you don’t know them, nothing else you do will work. In grad school, fundamentals was the name of a class that had a residency. That’s what brought me to Yellowsprings, Ohio for a week in December, 2018. My degree was mostly non-residential. That’s a fancy, “chip-on-the-shoulder” way of saying online. I realized I wanted to apply to a program when I was in Korea. But they let me know that I could start working toward it there. In Ulsan, I would wake up early and do practice therapy sessions at Starbucks with a partner who lived in Pittsburgh. For an addictions class, I had to find a substance abuse support group. I found an all-expat Alcoholics Anonymous group in Daegu which is about 45  minutes away via high speed rail. Between teaching full time, jiu jitsu at Ulsan Fight Gym and my Masters, I felt pretty swamped.  As I left Korea, I decided I was going to do one class while on the road. Fundamentals is a course where you focus on all of the skills you need while conducting a therapy session. A part of this is having a lab partner where you take turns being their therapist or their client.. Being on zoom, it made it easier to watch recordings of yourself and nitpick everything you say as the counselor. A classic assignment is to pick something you said and answer the following questions.
  • What did you say?
  • What skill were you demonstrating? (Options could be: open-ended question, reflection of feeling, summary, paraphrasing, non–verbal affirmation etc.)
  • What could you have said instead?
  • What skill would that have been?
It’s incredibly tedious but helpful. The goal is to always feel like you know why you are saying what you are saying to clients. I did work for this class in a number of countries throughout that semester. It must have been fun for my partner who did zoom sessions with me in Korea, Denmark and Portugal. Below you’ll see the places that I did at least some work for Fundamentals. Similar to Jiu-Jitsu, the fundamentals are what you need to communicate effectively as a therapist. But if you only use those tools in session, you can sound robotic and formulaic. Kids in therapeutic settings can see these rhetorical tools coming a mile away. That’s when the emotional walls come up. The trick is to build an awareness of why you say what you say without sounding like a freaking therapist. It’s like what my friend and teammate Jovan says about techniques, “Nothing works. Unless it’s a surprise.”  The class culminates in a residency in Yellow Springs. For that week, you gather with a few other students who took the same class. For five days my classmates and I watched each other do therapy. We got and gave feedback. They need to do this so that they can vouch for us before we do internships. I actually had an amazing time. It all felt very natural to me. During the day we would all practice therapy and at night hit up the few spots you could go to for drinks and pub food.  Before that week, I had finally been living my dream of doing BJJ every day. I wanted to get to at least one class before the week was up. Unsurprisingly, there was no studio for it in Yellow Springs. It’s a very small town that has its charm. It’s actually where Dave Chappelle and John Lithgow are from. (I actually realized I was standing next to Dave Chappelle at a crosswalk one of the nights I was there). So the closest place was Fairborn Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy which was about a 30 minute drive away. This was almost four years ago but one thing struck me that I haven’t seen anywhere else. The instructor introduced himself, and asked why I was in town. At first it was just him and me there, but for everyone who walked in the door, he greeted them and said, “This is Adam, he’s just in town for the week and so he’ll be joining us tonight.”  That might seem like a small thing but you have no idea how much going to a new BJJ academy can feel like the first day of kindergarten. All the other children are playing in the sandbox or on the swings and you just know they’re all thinking, “who’s the new kid?” But that introduction really helped get rid of that awkward feeling. If you’re a Jiu-jitsu instructor and you’re reading this, take note. A study I read once tried to find the single highest predicting variable of who at a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu studio will continue their membership. The result: how many other students know your name.  The lesson was helpful as well. Like most gyms I’ve been to, I was one of the smallest guys there. They all had that midwest powerlifter look. But the lesson really helped with something I had struggled with. I would often get mount on folks and get launched off right away. But the technique was to make my body parallel to theirs and snake my legs under theirs. Then, without looking, you can feel what direction they are trying to push you and you can resist. It helped me survive a lot longer on top. A week later, I found myself rolling with Tom,  one of the guys from Boston BJJ. Like normal, he was kicking my ass. But I managed to get on top and use the leg-snaking technique from Fairborn. I stayed on for a full minute before getting swept-up. But as soon as the timer marked the end of the round he looked at me and said, “You are a LOT better than you were a month ago!”  I’d like to say that it was Fairborn that helped me get that compliment. In reality, there’s no magic technique that helps fix your game. But it’s the slow tweaking of fundamental movements overtime that makes you more efficient and better at the sport. Even the fanciest of moves needs to be built on the awareness of the basics. Similar to therapy, it can be tempting to think that you need some fancy tool to break through to your clients so you can feel like Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting. But more often than not, it’s just making a minor switch and then practicing it over and over again.  As far as I know, the academy doesn’t live where it used to anymore. If you want to meet those guys and train with them, they merged with Dayton Mixed Martial Arts Academy. I remember them talking about the move when I was there. If any of you are reading this, I hope the transition went well.   Dust Mop Takeaway: That leg snaking technique served me for a really long time. So did the idea of being more friendly to new folks at the gym. I always want to be more like that instructor who introduced me to everyone. But more often than not, I was at a new gym where I was waiting for folks to welcome me in. Fairborn is the only place where I didn’t feel that.  As I look back, Fairborn is emblematic of the importance of fundamentals. It’s the building blocks of everything in BJJ, therapy and almost everything else I can think of. Building that awareness of what you are doing, and why you are doing it. Using them doesn’t mean that you will win, but not knowing them means almost certain failure.–My goal is to visit 100 gyms! If you ever want me to visit yours and write about what it’s like to learn from you, feel free to reach out at [email protected]. You can also follow me @DustMop_JiuJitsuIf you want to read my articles as soon as they’re published be sure to subscribe below!

Featured Camp Instructor: Francesco Fonte – BJJ Globetrotters

Francesco Fonte - BJJ Globetrotters

Francesco Fonte – BJJ Globetrotters

Belt: Black belt first degree
Age: 46

Profession: MMA & jiu-jitsu coach, gym owner
Started training (year): My first approach to jiu-jitsu was in 2003 but I think I didn’t start to regularly training with friends until a couple of years later.
City/country: Currently living in Germany nearby Hanau, where my gym is.

 

Main achievements in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu:

I didn’t compete too often but I manage to collect some medal here and there. My favourite memories are probably winning the Rome Challenge in 2007, and the Swedish Open in 2011 and 2014. I tried my luck in MMA too, winning my debut with a first round arm bar, and getting badly injured in my second match. After that I did a few more jiu-jitsu tournaments and pretty much stopped competing.

 

Which Globetrotters camps have you attended:

So far, Heidelberg 2018, Zen camp 2020, Heidelberg and Wagrain Summer camp 2021, Winter camp Wagrain / Spring camp Tallinn / Summer camp Heidelberg / Faroe Islands camp 2022, Winter camp 2023. At the moment I booked my instructor spot for the coming Spring, Summer and Zen camps 2023.

Francesco Fonte & Priit Mihkelson – BJJ Globetrotters instructors

Which camp has been your favorite so far?

Every camp has its own “flavour” but my favourite camps are those less crowded like Zen and Winter camp. Especially Winter camp since the combo snowboard and jiu-jitsu is perfect.

 

Favorite stories/moments from the camps?

Francesco Fonte – BJJ Globetrotters camp in Heidelberg

 

Too many to list. The incredible amount of people I connected to, thanks to camps, it’s a story by itself.

That time I was uke for Wim and he strangled me almost unconscious in front of 80+ people and nobody noticed.

Learning to snowboard at my first Winter camp with Priit and Nina.

Introducing people to creative ways of drinking tequila in Tallinn.

Being blamed for an incredible party in Heidelberg.

Cooking for a bunch of ‘trotters in Torshavn.

The slapping game in Wagrain, followed by the burning pub accident.

If you want details, you have to ask me at camp.

 

Your favorite class/classes to teach at camp?

Francesco Fonte – BJJ Globetrotters Camp in Heidelberg

I approach jiu-jitsu from concepts and mechanics so I like to teach classes where I can offer my point of view on a general topic. I think so far the classes I enjoyed teaching the most, have been a class on closed guard at Zen camp, one on guard passing in Tallinn, one on sweeps in Heidelberg and one on guard retention at Winter camp.

 

Anything else you want to add to your profile:

 I am incredibly grateful for what the Globetrotters camps brought into my life and I always suggest anyone who trains, to join one and experience it. If you’re reading these lines, know that you are always welcome in my gym and you can contact me for any question on jiu-jitsu and MMA.

 

 

***

Francesco Fonte – BJJ Globetrotters instructor

 

Featured Traveller: Stephanie Barthelemy – BJJ Globetrotters

Stephanie Barthelemy - BJJ Globetrotters

Age: I am 32 years old.

Belt: A 2-stripe blue belt (I often get demoted by my washing machine, but that’s a story for another day).

Profession: I am a small business owner working in marketing, advertising, and investment.

How many years in BJJ: Only been on the BJJ train for 3 years, yet it feels like forever.

Other martial arts: Boxing and Muay Thai have both been a consistent part of my life since I was 16 years old.

Where do you live: 4 years ago, after experiencing the worst snowstorm and almost losing both my ears and fingers to the harsh Canadian winter, I decided enough was enough and packed my bags for a forever sunny location. From the crazy sub-zero Quebec Arctic to the buzzing desert. Happily living in the sunny Abu Dhabi, UAE desert ever since.

I am forever grateful that this was possible due to the flexible nature of my work. This was also very strategic, since it would allow me to travel to my favorite countries more efficiently.

Where are you from: From Montreal, Canada, an absolutely beautiful and culturally rich city, with so much to offer, whenever it’s not freezing 8 months of the year. All righty, I’m just kidding, slightly…

Montreal will always have a special place in my heart as it’s also where I first started BJJ.

Other fun or curious information you would like to share: I obsess and meticulously plan so that I can travel as light as possible and all my stuff fit into one glorious bag. It’s like a religion to me at this point, or a fun psychotic game.

Stephanie Barthelemy – BJJ gear for travelling

 

Tell us what inspired you to travel and train?
I travel for both fun and work. I would always visit local gyms for weight training. But when I started BJJ, I noticed that I was feeling anxious at the thought of missing training due to work travel. Then I remembered how popular the sport was globally and how awesome it would be to add BJJ to my travel routine, trying new clubs all around the world.

The rest is truly history. Now the first thing I do when I’m planning to travel to a new place is look for a BJJ gym. You know how some people love to check out UNESCO heritage sites? Well it’s a bit of a similar situation for me. I even go as far as choosing the apartment that’s closest to a BJJ gym.

Tell us about your most recent travel and your upcoming travel – where have you been and where are you going?
I was in Belgrade, Serbia last October for a friend’s birthday and we both fell head over heels with the place. Then I spent 3 weeks in Riga, Latvia for medical tourism.

The next few months should be just as hectic as I like it. I’m planning to go back to train with my new BJJ friends in Belgrade and Malaga. On the calendar there’s also Bulgaria, an Egyptian wedding, and Globetrotters camps in Estonia and Poland.

There are still so many places I want to go to. It’s been a lifelong dream to make it to Antarctica. Also would love to go back to Iceland to hike the Landmannalauger and a glacier again. Then there’s Argentina for a wine and Asado course with some tango.

There’s so much to do and such limited time.

Anyways, I digress. One thing is certain is that I get quite excited when I think about the possibility of still being able to drop by BJJ gyms even in the most remote places. Meteora (Greece) is the only place where I couldn’t find any BJJ gym so far.

Stephanie Barthelemy – BJJ Globetrotters

What are the things you enjoy about travelling?
As a history and architecture aficionado, it goes without saying that I enjoy checking out the historical landmarks and museums. I also like outdoor adventuring. That said, my travel pattern is still different nowadays. For example, my friends tease me and call me a turtle because, apparently, I travel way too slow. I tried my best to pick up the pace but with time, I finally got to understand and accept my personal travel style instead of fighting it.

If I only have one week, you best believe it will be spent in the same city. This reminds me of a guy I met in Istanbul a few years ago. He was telling me about how fast he was and how he was able to travel the entirety of Turkey in only a week. I still shiver at that thought up until today. I had no idea how he did it.

Anyways, on my side, I’m slow and I like diving into the local food as a self-proclaimed foodie. Getting to know the locals and sharing meals and drinks with new friends is my main focus and the absolute cherry on top for me.

Then when I started dropping by local BJJ gyms, my overall travel experience increased tenfold.

Nowadays my perfect travel itinerary looks something like: work in the morning, then a quick museum, cultural, or food walking tour in the afternoon. In the evening, I head to Gi and NoGi training… brownie points if there’s a 10th Planet around (yes I know). Afterwards I’d be hitting some of the best places to eat. Ending the day with some crafted cocktails in a hole in the wall bar lounge that only the locals know about.

Can you give us some examples of experiences you had that makes it worth traveling and training?
I’ve been traveling for quite some time now, but only recently started to merge it with training. And let me tell you that I never fathomed this type of life-changing experience.

Back in November, I traveled to Latvia entirely alone to have a major surgery. Before the surgery, I managed to drop by Strela Riga BJJ in order to train. I still remember the pure joy I felt attending the class being fully taught in Russian. BJJ truly knows no limits. I just never expected to receive such a warm welcome and acceptance from the head coach along with the team members. After the training we all exchanged our @ on IG (how things have changed since the email days). I had only recently met these people and only rolled with them once, yet they all kept checking on me post-surgery, during my recovery and offering me their help. Up until today, I’m still flabbergasted by their kindness.

What has so far been the most surprising experience for you when traveling?
Yes, there are most certainly serial killers out there. That said, after continuously traveling all around the world, I’m determined that most people are good. And I don’t say this lightly but as a minority who sticks out like a sore thumb wherever I go.

My experience has never been short of amazing 99% of the time. It’s insane how people go out of their way to help you.

Another surprising thing is related to traveling in the modern landscape. I still can’t get used to how so many people use Instagram. I know that the platform gets a lot of hate, but I’m so thankful that I started using it this year. It has had a great impact in my life and has been a positive tool to stay in contact and nurture the friendship with all these amazing jiujiteiros/-as all around the world.

There was also that time when I was traveling through Palestine and met this lovely Palestinian girl at a local coffee shop. After talking for a few minutes, she invited me to stay over at her place so she could practice her English. She was a recent medical graduate looking for a job and was bored out of her mind. Next thing you know, my one week stay turned into 3 months and we were traveling round the region and having a blast. She also refused to let me pay back a single dime for the hospitality.

So many people with hearts of gold all around the world. I try my best to contribute and pay it forward in my own way.

Stephanie Barthelemy – BJJ Globetrotters

Are you a budget traveller – and if so how do you plan for a cheap trip?
I’m afraid I’m not much of a budget traveler. I see myself more of medium to luxury traveler with a passion for scoring good deals. That said, most of my trips are planned ahead of time, which gives me plenty of time to research the best prices.

I guess I still have my ways to minimize cost and strike a balance. For example, I don’t mind a budget airline for shorter trips but then I would splurge on a nice apartment rental, restaurants, wine, and excursions. That said, I will almost always say yes to any adventure so I don’t mind roughing it occasionally. All in the name of yolo-ing and making lifetime memories with amazing friends.

For the sake of transparency, I also do want to add that my favorite parts of the world to travel are the Baltics, Balkans, overall the geographical Eastern part of Europe (not trying to get political here), the Caucasus, and Central Asia (Silk Road). Coincidentally, these are all places that also allow me to stretch my dollar much further than, let’s say, Switzerland, France or Scandinavia.

So that’s probably my #1 travel hack right there.

If you were to pass on travel advice to your fellow Globetrotters, what would it be?
A reminder that even if we look different or speak different languages, have different nationalities etc., we’re all social creatures who crave various level of human interaction, connection, and a sense of togetherness and belonging. I think fellow globetrotters already know this to some extent and tend to be naturally adventurous at heart.

Still, it’s very easy to get complacent or let fear cripple us, as the news only seem to get worse by the day. So let’s all keep gallivanting around the globe in our gis whilst simultaneously connecting and sharing awesome moments together. Although we certainly momentarily choose violence on the mats, no one else knows how to have a good time like my fellow globetrotters.

Looking forward to seeing you half way around the world, perhaps even RNC’ing a couple of you guys, only to enjoy a few too many glasses of wine when all is said and done.

Cheers & stay curious and adventurous my friends!

Thank you to Stephanie Barthelemy – BJJ Globetrotters for making this interview!

Featured Camp Instructor: Zachary Miller – BJJ Globetrotters

Zachary Miller BJJ

Zachary Miller – BJJ Globetrotters

Belt: Black
Age: 30

Profession: Serving in the United States Marine Corps since 2013
Started training (year): 2009
City/country: Arizona, USA

 

Main achievements in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu:

I’m relatively new to competing in Jiu Jitsu and have just recently found a desire for competition, so still building experience in that regard. I do however take much pride in my teaching abilities and consider my experiences of teaching in other countries with BJJ Globetrotters as the current highlight of my career. I’m honored to have met so many wonderful people and blessed to have  been afforded the opportunity to help others along in their journey on the mats. Being able to teach my style in a realistic, relatable and most importantly, humorous format will continue to be my goal. 

 

In addition, I’m very pleased to be working as a volunteer with We Defy Foundation, an organization focused on rehabilitating combat disabled veterans through jiu jitsu. I am currently their Training Facility Coordinator and responsible for making sure all affiliated gyms who partner with us meet the criteria for providing a safe space for our scholarship recipients. Given the fact that Globetrotters is so welcoming and non-political, my experience with them has given me great insight on what  to look for and avoid in the process of screening potential gyms. 

 

Which Globetrotters camps have you attended:

Iceland, St. Barthelemy, Germany and every Arizona camp there’s been.

 

Which camp has been your favorite so far?

It’s definitely a tie between Iceland and St. Barthelemy. Iceland because I was able to experience a culture and region vastly different from my home for the first time, and St. Barts because of the small interpersonal camaraderie your afforded.

 

Favorite stories/moments from the camps?

 

Zachary Miller – BJJ Globetrotters Iceland Camp

 

Another toss up between so many memories! It’s between competing in the Glima tournament and hiking with friends to watch an active volcano eruption in Iceland or the last minute mansion party in the hills of St. Barts and competing in the Caribbean Island camp surf competition, despite sucking royally!

 

Your favorite class/classes to teach at camp?

Recently in Germany my Coach and good friend, Michael Currier and I started co-teaching a Big Guys vs Little Guys class. This has been the most fun class to teach thus far as we both enjoy making everyone laugh and entertaining the group. With him being 145lbs and me being 215lbs we have to modify so many things when rolling against each other’s style. Sharing those adjustments has been really fun and helpful at camp.

Zachary Miller – BJJ Globetrotters Camp

 

Anything else you want to add to your profile:

I’m truly grateful for BJJ Globetrotters. Because of this organization I have been able to identify and avoid cult gyms, skirt around unnecessary politics, find and embrace my new and current gym/team, make wonderful friends all over the world, teach my style of Jiu jitsu, travel and experience new cultures with my wife, and live the dream. I encourage anyone reading this who’s never attended a camp to take their first step and purchase a ticket!

 

***

Zachary Miller – BJJ Globetrotters instructor

 

Featured affiliated academy: Fat Man Gym, BJJ Croatia

Fat Man Gym, BJJ Croatia

Where is Fat Man Gym, BJJ Croatia located?
Osijek, Croatia.

How many people train in your gym?
About 10-12, but not always at the same time.

Is the gym growing – if so by how many new members each month or year?
We are growing but not by much because we don’t have space (only 20 m2). So 4 people can train at a time, but when there are more than that it’s not so good. For now we are growing though – we started with 4 people and now we are 10-12.

What are the highest and lowest belt grades training?
Highest is brown, lowest is white belt.

When did the gym open?
The gym opened in 2021.

Some facts about you:

Name: Marko Torić
Age: 36
Belt: Brown
Profession: Special education teacher
Years in BJJ: 14
Other martial arts: Sambo, Boxing, Kickboxing
Currently living in: Osijek
Originally from: Zagreb, Croatia

Please tell us the story of how Fat Man Gym, BJJ Croatia came into existence
Four of us (Igor, Bojan, Želimir, and myself) started to train outside when all the gyms were closed. We bought some mats, found a place that no one was using, and after a few beers we were training.

Our BJJ gym, BJJ Prime (run by BJJ black belt Vedran Budetić) was also closed. After the first lockdown we went back to BJJ Prime, but vew few people returned since there was still the fear of COVID in the air. Then the second lockdown came and we were again hiding and training. During that time I was looking to buy a house, and one of the requirements was that it had to have space for a small gym. Nothing big, just for few people to come and train in case of a new lockdown.

A few months after the second lockdown, in May 2021, I bought a house with one more guesthouse in garden. The logical move was to renovate it and make a small gym inside. So from May 2021 we have been training there. We were planning on going back to BJJ Prime, but it didn’t feel right. We all love each other, I am a great friend with Vedran, his best man at his wedding. But the four of us started to train differently and learning different techniques (we were all doing techniques for heavy people!). We liked the relaxed training, watching tutorials etc. When you’re in a normal BJJ club you can’t usually do that. You have to have structured learning. So we parted ways and that’s how Fat Man Gym was created. We still go to Prime and hang out, but we are older and fat, so we can’t train like some 20-year-old competition BJJ player…

Tell us about the people that train in Fat Man Gym, BJJ Croatia – who are they?
Three people we have to talk about are Igor Dundović, Bojan Mikac and Želimir Gusak. They are the core founders of Fat Man Gym. All good people, they like to train and learn. They supported and helped financially me when I was doing home improvement in the gym. Other members are also Marin Šutalo and Tomica Mandić who are there every training and doing their best to improve. Our logo creator Ivan Janković, who is helping us by printing logos on t-shirts. Mauricio Lazarić is coming and training with us and in his original BJJ gym, Univerzum. And a few others who come and go, but these 7 are there on a weekly basis.

Why do they train?
We love the complexity of Jiu Jitsu and like to see how much our bodies can do when pushed. And it is a great way to get away from the wife and kids :D

What are some of the challenges of running a BJJ gym in general, and in your area specifically?
This is a small gym and we are all friends, so we talk every day about how to schedule a training session.

How do you see the future for Jiu Jitsu in your area? 
The area is good. In Osijek there are 5 Jiu Jitsu gyms and all are doing great. We are friends with all of them and are hoping that we can create massive open mats so all of our styles can come together and we can all learn from each other.

What’s the best thing about your gym? 
It is open 24/7 and we can have parties in there :D

What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from the inside of your gym? 
Try the food here – it’s great! – and see the city and the countryside.

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Thanks for sharing! If you’d like to visit Fat Man Gym, BJJ Croatia, you can contact them at [email protected]

Featured Traveller: Lea-Marie Stock – BJJ Globetrotters

Lea-Marie Stock – BJJ Globetrotters

Age: I am 26 years old

Belt: A freshly promoted purple belt (dyed my hair purple the week after!)

Profession: I am currently working on finishing my Masters degree in psychology to work as a forensic psychologist. I also work as a bouncer from time to time.

How many years in BJJ: I’ve trained BJJ for 4 ½ years now. It feels like ages and that the time just flew by at the same time.

Other martial arts: I never did anything sporty before I started Jiu Jitsu. I was a nerd in school and I used to prefer to write (mediocre to be fair) homework about muscles rather than performing step aerobics in front of the class, and so my teacher told me that I am probably “just not a sport person”. Definitely proved her wrong by now. I also tried MMA and Muay Thai a couple of times in the past years, but I didn’t like it. I sometimes do Combat Jiu Jitsu though!

Where do you live: I live in Duisburg, Germany. Duisburg is known to be the ugliest city ever, and if you ever end up at the train station (I hope you never do) then you will know why. In the first week of living in Duisburg I witnessed a robbery in front of my door, involving a wrestling belt. After having lived there for a year now, it makes sense from a retro perspective. (If you ever catch me at camp, ask me for that story, it’s a good one). In the future I would like to live somewhere nice and maybe even abroad.

Where are you from: A German city close to Duisburg. I downgraded myself to be closer to my Jiu Jitsu gym in Düsseldorf.

Other fun or curious information you would like to share: Three years ago I decided to build my own (chromatic, google it!) harp, ignoring the fact that I had never played a harp before. I am now the worst harp player known but I can tell you everything about the history of different kinds of harps and other totally useless knowledge.

Lea-Marie Stock – BJJ Globetrotters

Tell us what inspired you to travel and train?
Originally when I started doing Jiu Jitsu (I was introduced by my current boyfriend at that time) I would never have imagined how far this would go. Jiu Jitsu was appealing to me because it seemed so nerdy and playful, and I was pretty much hooked after a few classes. And then it found more and more place in my daily life. I think that signing up for camps and competing helped me to start traveling. Of course, I always had some sort of travel plans, but they were pretty much always vague and “someday…”.
But with having concrete dates it was easy to realize it. I know the competition is on the 14th of something, so I know I have to be there on the 13th and so on. And once I started traveling it was much easier to continue. I feel like once you experience how easy it is (as a European) to go somewhere else for a weekend and you get confident in not getting lost somewhere, there’s not much that stops you anymore.

Tell us about your most recent travel and your upcoming travel – where have you been and where are you going?
So just two weeks ago I flew to Rome to drink Aperol Spritz (I drank plenty) and I also competed at the IBJJF No-Gi Europeans where I took gold and bronze. Three weeks before that I was in Latvia (shooting and learning something about history) and Spain (competing for the German national team).

So my next trip will probably be the BJJ Globetrotters camp in Austria (I will function as Christian’s helpful elf). Afterwards I’ll go to Paris and compete at the IBJJF Europeans and then I’ll go to Bucharest in Romania. I think I have too many places I want to see next year. I want to go to Estonia, Sweden, Norway, Iceland (again!), …

Lea-Marie Stock – BJJ Globetrotters

What are the things you enjoy about travelling?
I just like seeing different places. I mostly like city trips, wandering around in a nice-looking city (Riga for example was sooo pretty!) and getting to know a little bit about the history of the country and do some sightseeing. I also enjoy meeting new people and making friends everywhere.

Can you give us some examples of experiences you had that makes it worth traveling and training?
Before Jiu Jitsu I used to be extremely shy and not talk to people (in the first six months of going to class I couldn’t even say hello to my teammates) and if you meet me now it’s the complete opposite. Having the experience of being in a group of people who try to help each other out really helped me to grow into a confident person and that makes it worth it 100%.

And I think especially the combination of training and traveling is great. When you meet people at Globetrotters camps from all around the world it makes it easier for you to visit different places, because you already know someone who can give you a couch and good recommendations. You always get a better experience when you go with the local people. When I did the Iceland Camp in 2020, one of the women who worked at Mjölnir MMA and trained with us during the week took us for a hike the day after camp. After hiking for 1.5 hrs in the beautiful nature of Iceland (we had been told it was 30 minutes, but nevermind) we sat down in the hot springs in the mountains, and I think I will never forget how stunning that was. I would have never found that place without having someone local with me.

What has so far been the most surprising experience for you when traveling?
That it’s incredibly easy to get recognized as a German as soon as I stop at a traffic light.

Lea-Marie Stock – BJJ Competition

Are you a budget traveller – and if so how do you plan for a cheap trip?
I am a budget traveller. For my last competition in Rome, I depended on people donating money so I could afford to go. I just try to book smart and find the best airplane prices and prefer Airbnb before hotel. But I also love having kitschy rooms when I can afford it.

If you were to pass on travel advice to your fellow Globetrotters, what would it be?
Just go. Jump in and enjoy it! You will be overwhelmed by how welcoming everyone will be.

Lea-Marie Stock - BJJ Globetrotters

Thank you to Lea-Marie Stock – BJJ Globetrotters for making this interview!

Featured Camp Instructor: Wim Deputter – BJJ Globetrotters

 

Wim Deputter BJJ

Wim Deputter – BJJ Globetrotters

Belt: Black
Age: 40

Profession: Fulltime BJJ coach and competitor at Brasa Belgium
Started training (year): Started martial arts around 1990, started BJJ around 2000
City/country: Leuven, Belgium

 

Main achievements in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu:

-World Champion JJIF 2014

-MMA record 19 – 4 (all losses by decision)

-Silver medal IBJJF No Gi Europeans Masters Absolute

-Double silver medal IBJJF Silver masters, -76kg and -82kg

-Building my own gym and making a career out of Jiu Jitsu

-Triple Gold at Grappling Industries after 7 months of recovery due to surgery

-One of best selling instructors at BJJ Fanatics

 

 

Which Globetrotters camps have you attended:

-Every Leuven Camp (5x?)

Heidelberg 3x

Zen Camp 4x

-Bournemouth

Talinn 3x

 

Which camp has been your favorite so far?

Zen Camp

 

 

Favorite stories/moments from the camps?

Meeting my wife Yara two days before the 3th Leuven camp during a bar crawl in Brussels with some camp attendees who arrived sooner and wanted to go partying in Brussels. Long story :)

 

Your favorite class/classes to teach at camp?

-Breathing techniques at Zen Camp 2022

-the formula for an Impassable Guard at Zen Camp  2018

 

Anything else you want to add to your profile:

-Personal website: www.wimdeputter.com

-Gym website: www.brasateam.be

-Podcasts and interviews: https://www.wimdeputter.com/podcasts/

-Instructionals: https://bjjfanatics.com/collections/instructional-videos/fighter_wim-deputter

-Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com/wimdeputterbjj

-Instagram: www.instagram.com/wimdeputterbjj

-Main facebook profile: www.facebook.com/wimdeputter

-Facebook athlete page: www.facebook.com/wimdeputterbjj

-Biography interview: https://bjjtribes.com/bjj-athletes-wim-deputter-biography-interview/

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Wim Deputter – BJJ Globetrotters instructor

 

Featured Camp Instructor: Joshua Janis – BJJ Globetrotters

Joshua Janis - BJJ

Joshua Janis – BJJ Globetrotters

Age: 39
Belt: Black

Profession: Communication Coach with MyOdisee
Started training (year): 2000
City/country:  Milwaukee, WI, USA

 

Main achievements in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu:

The main thing I am proud of is creating lasting relationships with practitioners all around the world. In a close second, becoming a megaphone for the Jiu Jitsu hobbyist. We can become excellent at Jiu Jitsu and also train in a painless, precise and playful way.

 

Joshua Janis – BJJ Globetrotters

 

Which Globetrotters camps have you attended:

I have attended Arizona a bunch of times, Iceland, Estonia, Heidelberg, and St. Barths.

 

Which camp has been your favorite so far?

Estonia in Tallinn. It was a magical mix of people in a wonderful city.

 

 

Favorite stories/moments from the camps?

Oh gosh, so many. I’ll pick Three. First, the 12 ft ladder, Jesus take the wheel, back flop into a kiddie pool. Second, rapping karaoke in estonia while having way to many “Free” Mintu shots. Third, finding a hidden club in the basement of a bar we were just in the night before and had no idea. Dancing the night away when I thought I just wanted a night cap.

 

Your favorite class/classes to teach at camp?

I just love teaching, so any really. If you are twisting my arm (Jiu Jitsu pun intended) I would have to pick my guillotine classes as I have the largest breadth of knowledge on the subject.

 

 

Anything else you want to add to your profile:

I have 2 BJJ fanatics videos out with a third being filmed in November.

https://bjjfanatics.com/products/guillotin-glossary-volume-1-by-josh-janis

https://bjjfanatics.com/products/guillotine-glossary-volume-2-by-josh-janis

I have a dojo named White Lotus that my partner Meghan and I own in Milwaukee, WI. We love visitors. Check us out at https://www.gentleartlifestyle.com/whitelotusbjj 

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Joshua Janis – BJJ Globetrotters instructor

 

Featured affiliated academy: White Lotus Jiu-Jitsu, USA

Jiu-Jitsu USA

Where is the gym located?
The best address ever – 420 S 1st street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.

How many people train there?
14

Is the gym growing – if so by how many new members each month or year?
The gym is growing really fast. Since we’ve been open for 3 weeks as of writing this, that is 5 students a week :)

What are the highest and lowest belt grades training?
Our school is for experienced grapplers, so our lowest is 4-stripe white belts with multiple black belts.

When did the gym open?
September 6th 2022

Some facts about you:

Name: Joshua Janis
Age: 39
Belt: Black
Profession: Interpersonal Communication Coach with www.myodisee.com
Years in BJJ: 19
Other martial arts: TKD as a kid
Currently living in: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Originally from: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

White Lotus Jiu-Jitsu, USA

Please tell us the story of how your gym came into existence
Like any good story, it starts with trial and tribulation. After coming out of Covid I ran into some unexpected internal conflict with the gym I had been at for 15 years. Having done a good bit of travelling, watching other coaches, other gyms, and listening to a plethora of different perspectives made it hard for us to fit into any gym’s culture. We felt that there could be a school that focused on the hobbyist, whose culture was a bit nerdy, and where you could focus on learning in a roll instead of winning.

Once we committed to creating a home for us, the universe provided. We found a perfect spot, in the perfect location, for something we could afford. We got to work, putting in the long hours to create a brand that was congruent with who we are as people. Then building the comfortable environment that we felt was super important to our culture.

White Lotus Jiu-Jitsu, USA is different. We cater to the experienced BJJ hobbyist. Our classes are principles-based over individual methods. Our gym is open 24/7 to members and couples as a co-working space. Our lounge allows for a space to come together to watch grappling, fights, Avatar the Last Airbender, or even House of the Dragon.

While it is still very early, I consider ourselves very lucky. It has been an amazing experience to create something with my partner Meghan. Her ability to listen to her emotional voice balances my logical voice perfectly. While it has been a lot of work, I look back at what we have accomplished so far with fondness and pride

Tell us about the people that train in the gym – who are they?
One common thread with our students is their open-mindedness and intelligence both in their professional and Jiu Jitsu lives. Mix these traits with helpfulness and pour into classes that encourage discussion on what works for the individual and you have White Lotus.

Why do they train in White Lotus Jiu-Jitsu, USA?
I believe our people start training for many reasons, however they stay around because of the dojo culture. If the dojo culture matches what the student wants then they will stick it out.

What are some of the challenges of running a BJJ gym in general, and in your area specifically?
In general, it is just like any business. Staying organised, keeping the facility clean, how to handle student challenges, how to get people in the door etc.

We have a very specific challenge in that we are opening as a dojo for experienced grapplers only, which means no white belts (which is normally the blood of a dojo). It isn’t that we are against white belts, it is that we want to teach advanced BJJ principles so you need to have basic methods somewhat understood. This makes our pool of possible participants smaller. We also don’t want to be perceived as “poachers”, so we created an auxiliary membership that can easily be paired with a home gym of students.

White Lotus Jiu-Jitsu, USA

How do you see the future for BJJ in your area?
I believe that we are still at the tip of the spear in regards to the popularity of Jiu Jitsu. It is a tool that fixes so many of the challenges we face as a society. When done right, It inspires confidence and develops strong relationships. As people develop their own expressions of the art it will continue to explode both in Milwaukee and all over.

What’s the best thing about White Lotus Jiu-Jitsu, USA?
I’ll answer this from my perspective…

Spiritually: Creating something with my the love of my life.
Emotionally: Watching students interact with something you have created.
Physically: The lounge. It’s so cool to have a place to chill. It’s like a living room in a dojo!

What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from the inside of your gym ?
Depends on the time of year. Summers in Milwaukee are perhaps the best in the country. We have huge music festivals, we are the home of Harley Davidson, and if you have never seen Lake Michigan it will take your breath away. In winter, the best part is our winter BJJ camp :)

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Thanks for sharing! If you’d like to visit White Lotus Jiu-Jitsu, USA you can find them here.