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Age: 37

Belt: Purple

Profession: Managing Director of a personal safety company called RESOLVEit.

How many years in BJJ: Almost 5 years.

Other martial arts: Oh where do I start!

I won’t list the black belts, I cringe at things like that, but let’s just say the few look quite nice framed on my wall now lol! Initially, I started in Kung Fu with my dad because I was bullied. Then I joined a Taekwondo club and by the age of 10, I was already part of the Welsh Squad and competing heavily. In my early teens, I ended up moving cities and by sheer chance, started Karate after a friend asked me to go with him. Subsequently, he quit and I stayed.

Fast forward 28 years, I met someone at a Mixed Martial Arts seminar, who changed my whole perception on martial arts (and life). It was one of those defining moments that led me to hanging up my Kyokushin gi in exchange for the BJJ and Shin Atemi gi and the rest is history…

*Shin Atemi is a form of Mixed Martial Arts that combines the striking art of full contact karate with locks and throws and then ground work and grappling.

Where do you live: Wales, UK

Where are you originally from: I was born in Zimbabwe and moved to the UK when I was around 2 years old.

Other fun or curious information you would like to share: I’m a huge fan of Wonder Woman and every belt I have in BJJ has a small Wonder Woman logo on it haaaa!

Eira Culverwell – BJJ World Masters

Tell us what inspired you to travel and train?
Travelling and training has been built in me from the age of 7, so being in the UK for long periods irks my soul.

I’m inherently quite a detached person from the mainstream crowds, and find socialising quite overwhelming and usually disappear or make my excuses. I like the mix that travelling and training offers me. It allows me time to balance my soul again – as deep as that sounds. I have undisturbed time to reflect and process my thoughts; to set my intentions and to keep my training and development moving forward.

I also find there’s way more women abroad who train; it’s refreshing to roll with women as opposed to just men. Women’s physiology is so different, it’s so much fun to roll with women and you know what… it’s damn right amazing not to constantly be one of two women, the smallest and oldest haaaa! We all know those very excitable and explosive 18 year olds…

Tell us about your most recent travel and your upcoming travel – where have you been and where are you going?
Ah, the great escape…

My most recent travel (escape) was to the BJJ Globetrotters Zen Camp in Poland. And by now, you’ll see why it grabbed my attention. Set in a Japanese-style village in the middle of nowhere, with like-minded people, all united together, to escape the madness of the world for a few days, just to train…

It was a much needed reprieve.

My next plans are Japan. My other half lives and trains there. He’s a 5th dan in Judo, purple belt in BJJ, is a sambo and catch wrestler, and heads up Shin Atemi. So going back there has dual meaning. I hope to extend my time there by spending time in Tokyo, at Carpe Diem BJJ. One of the places I really felt at home and mirrored the same style of coaching I get at CRA.

I’d like to go back to Orlando. I made some wonderful memories at Bruno Malfacine’s club, and miss Steve and Bruno and their classes. There are just some places you feel as though you fit, eh?

There’s also one person I’d love to be taught by, and that’s Margot (Mars) Ciccarelli. I rolled with her in Carpe Diem, before the Tokyo and Asian Masters. Since then, I’ve followed her teachings online as she’s travelled round the world. She’s a huge inspiration on and off the mats.

Eira Culverwell – BJJ training

What are the things you enjoy about traveling?
I love exploring. It’s the freedom of not having a routine. I can just get up, pack a rucksack for the day, google a few places, and head out the door. I’m not the type to just sit around and sunbathe. I have to see and experience what the place has to offer; be it on foot, bike, car, plane etc…

Can you give us some examples of experiences you had that makes it worth traveling and training?
I was prepping for Worlds Masters in 2018 and flew to Orlando to train at Bruno Malfacine’s (oh, and obviously to go to the adventure parks – huge Harry Potter geek). The experience was 1st-class. The comp classes were tough and the standard was extremely high. The USA has an incredible standard of BJJ and is kinda a mecca, especially around Worlds.

My other favourite places to train are Thailand, at Phuket Top Team with Professor Olavo, and at Keenan’s new club in San Diego. Again, both were super welcoming, no rules on colour gis or affiliation patches, just good old-fashioned warm welcomes, hard training, and brilliant teaching.

Eira Culverwell – BJJ training

What has so far been the most surprising experience for you when traveling?
Besides not killing myself on the American freeways haaa. It’s how comfortable and adaptable I’ve become when travelling, even down to being a pro packer; I’m the travelling martial arts Marie Kondo ha!

Are you a budget traveller – and if so how do you plan for a cheap trip?
I always budget, but I will always stay in one nice hotel during my trip, especially if I’m competing. I don’t do hostels anymore, and I’m a pillow snob.

I don’t drink or party, so my home life really only revolves around work, training, studying and travelling to training… man I sound boring! I tend not to spend money on anything else, plus I’m sponsored by Aesthetic, so all of my BJJ kit is paid for (which saves a ton).

If you were to pass on travel advice to your fellow Globetrotters, what would it be?
Whatever camp or holiday you’re pondering over, don’t. After a fairly shitty year, we all, I hope, can agree that life is way too short.

Maybe don’t buy that coffee or takeout two, three, or four times a week….

I have two actual piggy banks sat on my kitchen window, where every week I put £1 coins in one and loose change in the other. That’s how I paid for the Zen camp!

Thank you Eira Culverwell – BJJ Globetrotters for making this interview!

Age: 35

Belt: Blue belt under Frank “Dukes” Livorsi

Profession: Traveling Critical Care Nurse

How many years in BJJ: 3 years this Christmas!

Other martial arts: None. I grew up playing ice hockey as a kid and always thought I could handle myself in a fight. Jiu Jitsu proved me totally wrong.

Where do you live: Currently Las Vegas, NV

Where are you originally from: I was born in New York City but call Cocoa Beach, Florida home. I moved to Florida for college and realized how special it is.

Other fun or curious information you would like to share: I love to surf as well. Jiu Jitsu and surfing really compliment each other in unique ways.

Mike Abbate – BJJ Globetrotters

Tell us what inspired you to travel and train?
As a traveling nurse, I am constantly on the move. I realized that Jiu Jitsu and traveling go great together, especially when you have organizations and resources like BJJ Globetrotters. I got my blue belt after training a year and a half at Off the Grid in Cocoa Beach. Since that time, I’ve just been lucky to find great gyms to train at while I travel the country.

Tell us about your most recent travel and your upcoming travel – where have you been and where are you going?
I typically stay in one location for 3 months or so. I’m currently in Las Vegas training with an awesome group at Vills Bros. I’ve traveled to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, all the way to Reno, Nevada, and even spent a few months in Southern California surfing and training. Before coming out to Vegas, I spent a couple months in Washington DC working a Covid response assignment, and was lucky enough to train at a small gym there.

Mike Abbate – BJJ gym

What are the things you enjoy about traveling?
Gaining perspectives on life I wouldn’t have otherwise had. I’ve realized there are great people anywhere you go, especially within the Jiu Jitsu community. The U.S. is an incredibly beautiful and diverse country which I didn’t really appreciate until I started traveling.

Can you give us some examples of experiences you had that makes it worth traveling and training?
I’ve trained under some world-class coaches, and even for a short amount of time was able to pick up tips and techniques along the way. It’s fascinating seeing the different styles of Jiu Jitsu and how so many styles and approaches to the game can work.

I once walked into a random gym in Las Vegas for an open mat, and a multiple-time world Jiu Jitsu champion walked up to me (I’ll keep her name a secret) and invited me to roll. She is about 85lbs and absolutely worked me, but it was such a fun roll. I was lucky enough to train at that gym for a few months and was surrounded by incredible talent. It’s one of the reasons I travelled back to Las Vegas to train again.

Mike Abbate – BJJ Globetrotters

What has so far been the most surprising experience for you when traveling?
How easy it is! This country is built to travel. We have safe roads and accessible airports. Traveling in the U.S. is affordable as well. There really isn’t a good excuse not to travel.

Are you a budget traveller – and if so how do you plan for a cheap trip?
Budget traveler. Although as I’ve gotten older, I’ve traded in couch surfing at friends’ houses for staying at Airbnbs.

If you were to pass on travel advice to your fellow Globetrotters, what would it be?
Just go for it. The experience you will get traveling and training can’t be had any other way.

Thank you to Mike Abbate BJJ Globetrotters for making this interview!

Where is the gym located?
The gym is located on Via Ricardo J. Alfaro, Plaza Belair (second floor), La Alameda in Panama City. We’re located right in the middle of the capital city on one of the main avenues, easily accessible by local bus or taxi.

How many people train there?
We are around 50 people between Jiu Jitsu, kickboxing, and kids classes.

Is the gym growing – if so by how many new members each month or year?
We have a few people coming in every month to try our classes. I would say it is never enough, but the numbers are always steady, so that’s important for us.

What are the highest and lowest belt grades training?
We currently have 6 black belts in the gym, all active, and lower belts would be from our kids class. In between we have colored belts of all ranks between the women and men currently training with us.

When did the gym open?
The gym officially opened back in 2015.

Some facts about you:

Name: Stephen Martinez
Academy: Shogun Panamá BJJ
Age: 46
Belt: Black belt first degree
Profession: Hotelier
Years in BJJ: I have been training since 2000
Other martial arts: Nothing serious, but at one point or another I’ve trained
wrestling, kickboxing, and judo to complement my Jiu Jitsu.
Currently living in: Panama City, Panama
Originally from: Born and raised in Panama

Please tell us the story of how your gym came into existence
The gym owner – Ivan Quintanar, currently a black belt first degree – started training back in 2003 under the first official school in the country, Gracie Barra Panama. Later in 2009, together with some members from Gracie Barra Panama, they decided to open a new independent school named Spartan Jiu-Jitsu.

From 2009 to 2015, Spartan Jiu-Jitsu was one of the biggest and stronger academies in the country, but sadly the same year 2015 the academy closed and later on he opened Shogun Panama.

Tell us about the people that train in the gym – who are they?
I’m very proud to say we have an amazing crew of people training with us. Also I’m proud of the fact that we try to keep an open space for everyone who likes to train Jiu Jitsu or kickboxing, regardless of what exactly are your goals. Most members are local people who just like to come in and train, as well as competitors that train intensively for local and international competitions. We are very well balanced between adult females and males, both in kickboxing and Jiu Jitsu, as well as in the Jiu Jitsu classes for kids.

More importantly to us, we are not a commercial gym. We are open to everyone regardless of profession or economic status. We try to aim for people to come in, have fun, learn martial arts, and get value out of martial arts and training.

Shogun Panamá BJJ

Why do they train?
Everyone has different goals when they walk into a gym. We try to keep an open mind regarding your goals and what exactly you are looking to get from training.

We have people who train just for hobby or fitness. We have people who want to compete locally and internationally. We have a little bit of both, and we have a place and time for everyone.

What are some of the challenges of running a BJJ gym in general and in your location specifically?
We are first and foremost a passion project. Nobody is getting rich here from teaching Jiu Jitsu or running a gym, but then we need to take into consideration bills to pay to keep the place running, so it’s like a catch-22 kind of situation. However, we try to keep going and look for solutions to such problems along the way. Due to the country’s economy, we try to keep prices accessible to everyone. Still with all that, we face the same problems just like every other gym around the world. We have people coming in and training for a while, we have permanent people who no matter what will come to train, and we have people who eventually quit and leave because something else shows up in life.

As an instructor this can be a little frustrating, because you invest time in teaching someone and sometimes people don’t appreciate that the same way you do, but eventually with time to learn to accept not everyone is meant to stay with you forever. Also, you learn to understand there are other important things to do in life – so just go ahead and take it as it is.

We try to make sure that no matter what, you know the mat will be there always waiting for you, whether you decide to come back or not.

Shogun Panamá BJJ

How do you see the future for BJJ in your area?
It’s been roughly 20 years since the first group of people started training grappling and BJJ in Panama.

I think is growing up, slowly but steadily. We have been fortunate to host IBJJF and UAEJJF events in the country, something that I believe is big for us for being such a small country. Locally, we have tournaments and different gyms besides us, so we have a big community here of people training Jiu Jitsu.

At least for us, sometimes it picks up in popularity or sometimes it gets more steady, but never slow.

What’s the best thing about your gym?
I believe, more than anything, that we have built a good foundation where we try to make everyone feel welcome and we don’t force you to do anything you don’t want. Whether you just want to train for a hobby or competition, we don’t care. We will support you the same way.

Also, I believe we have created an infrastructure where we don’t follow any specific team flags or creeds. We have been associated at some point or another with great people or teams, but at the end of the day we are the ones running the place, teaching classes, and making sure we take care of everyone. While the ugly side of the business always shows its head (bills), we always want everyone to feel like coming to train is like going to a get-together with your friends, rather than a chore.

What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from the inside of your gym?
Please don’t come to the country only to see the Panama canal! Jokes aside, Panama is a nice place to visit. We are small in size, but we’re fortunate to have easy access to both the Pacific and Caribbean oceans in case you like the beach. Also we are a multicultural country with great food, both local and international. We have great natural spots to visit and discover. Nightlife is vibrant. Our shopping area is one of the best in the region, and people in general are very friendly

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

Where is the gym located?
Heidelberg, Germany
(SRH Campus Sports e.V.
Bonhoefferstr. 4/1
69123 Heidelberg)

How many people train there?
We have about 50 people training with us in total, with typically 8 to 16 on the mat for most sessions.

Is the gym growing – if so by how many new members each month or year?
Yes, it’s growing slowly but steadily, so far only through word of mouth, since we didn’t get into marketing/social media action until recently. There are surges with 5 or more people joining in a month, and there can be several months with only 1 or none joining. On average, I’d say our net growth is around 1 person per month.

What are the highest and lowest belt grades training?
White to black and everything in between.

When did the gym open?
At our current location, in October of 2016. Many of us were at a different gym before, where we left in unison due to a problematic gym owner.

Some facts about you:

Name: Thomas Stoll
Age: 34
Belt: Black
Profession: Student and research assistant in sports science and psychology;
tutor in math and physics for high school students
Years in BJJ: 8.5
Other martial arts: Karate (Shotokan), WSL Wing Chun, FMA, Boxing, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, MMA
Currently living in: Heidelberg, Germany
Originally from: Filderstadt, Germany

Please tell us the story of how your gym came into existence
Many of us started at another gym, which was run poorly and where we basically didn’t have a proper instructor for the most part. Therefore we taught ourselves and each other. I basically dove into Marcelo Garcia and Ryan Hall instructionals and copied their games.

Due to some lucky circumstances, we eventually got a great black belt – our head coach Vinnie Carlucci – to step in and take us on. He drove 2+ hours to teach us, twice a week, every week. After several severe troubles with the gym owner, we decided as a group to leave that gym and look for our own place. After some searching and trying out different places, we were lucky enough to have a friend (who trained with us at the time) to recommend SRH Campus Sports e.V., where we found our new home. From there it just kept growing from word of mouth and friends bringing friends.

Tell us about the people that train in the gym – who are they?
We have mostly students and personnel of Heidelberg university training with us. Also a few from all sorts of other occupations: social workers, policemen, medical doctors…

Our youngest member just turned 16, the oldest is in his forties. We have more men than women training with us, but fortunately this is slowly changing, and we now have a couple of women on the mats for most sessions. Most of our members prefer nogi, which is probably not least influenced by my own preference, the fact that several of us “founders” came from MMA and/or wrestling backgrounds, and our training schedule being nogi-heavy.

Team Choco Heidelberg BJJ

Why do they train?
I think most train for fun, plus the intellectual and physical challenge. Some are certainly coming mostly for socializing and meeting their friends on the mats. We have few competitors, with myself being the main one, which I’d love to see pick up a bit. Unfortunately, many are busy with uni, work and family, so it’s just not on the cards for them. Our training schedule tries to cater to everybody, so that the competitors have their needs met just as much as the ones who come once or twice per week to learn the fundamentals.

While self-defense and MMA aren’t the focus at our school, I believe many students have this in the back of their mind. I try my best to teach “universal grappling” and point out cases where we’re playing to the rules of the sport and how this would relate to a more open/chaotic environment with striking etc. Periodically we hold a “street fighting day”, where everyone wears regular (or fancy) street wear and we include light striking into the grappling. Last time we did it in the dark and with disco lights. So everyone is prepared for their next disco scrap. Next time might be Oktoberfest themed ^^

What are some of the challenges of running a BJJ gym in general and in your location specifically?
Since Heidelberg is a student town, one challenge is members frequently moving away, since many just come here for university studies and move away right after finishing their degrees. This does mean we constantly have new students coming to us as well, and while this is positive it’s also unfortunate for us – since we’re built on caring about and developing each member and building strong relationships.

Unfortunately, this aspect of Heidelberg – with people frequently arriving and departing – also enables some poorly run gyms to survive a lot longer than they should. They can milk their students and still not be wiped out due to their bad business practices and consequential reputation, since they always have a fresh supply of new members to exploit. There’s one such particular gym in Heidelberg, which is well known in the martial arts scene in Germany. Of course, this is unbeknownst to the fresh arriving new students that get caught in their net each semester. They realize it after a few months, at which point they remain trapped in long-lasting contracts. Some of them land at our place at one point, but many are probably done with martial arts for good, as they may assume that’s how things are run everywhere.

Team Choco Heidelberg BJJ

How do you see the future for BJJ in your area?
Despite the problems mentioned above, it is definitely growing, and we now have some great things going on here that we didn’t have just a few years back. Not only do we have the biggest BJJ Globetrotters camp in town, we’ll also (as soon as Covid gets out of the way) finally have several bigger competitions (AGF) here every year, which will be fantastic for the local scene.
As well as that, we’re getting more and more visits from students of surrounding gyms and Globetrotters. The latter has obviously slowed down dramatically recently, but I’m confident it’ll pick back up once the Covid situation eases up.

What’s the best thing about Team Choco Heidelberg BJJ?
From what I gather, for many it’s the vibe and the opportunities on offer. We do our best to make every member feel welcome and supported in reaching their goals.

Everyone can train at least three hours every day, with at least one hour of open mat every day. While fundamental classes are more structured, advanced classes are more open and focused on positional sparring and individual exploration of techniques. This enables everyone to find and develop their own style, which I believe is highly important for advanced athletes. For most of the year, open mat is entirely unstructured, and some people have tough rolls, while others drill, do conditioning, or sit around and talk. I really love for everyone to come in and feel happy with the opportunity to use the mats the way they prefer.

One thing I’m particularly proud of (and which took a long time to cultivate) is our strong drilling culture. Some of us regularly watch instructionals and competition footage, and use open mat to integrate, explore, and drill new ideas. Others drill the moves and ideas they’ve learned in class, which makes me happy, as it means they trust my teachings. That said, I like to see them – particularly the advanced students – finding their own style that fits their body, personality and preferences. I’ll try to help to the best of my abilities if I’m asked for it, while also holding back if people are experimenting on their own, so they can make their own experiences.

To be honest, I think Heidelberg generally doesn’t offer the toughest and most athletic students/training partners (Heidelberg has one of the wealthiest demographics in Germany) but instead smart and educated folks, often with academic backgrounds. I think we harness this in a good way, focusing on knowledge and understanding first, toughness and athletics after.

I personally dedicate a lot of time to watching instructionals and matches, forming conclusions and testing them on the mats, so I can offer the best possible up-to-date training for all of my students. Combining it with everything I’ve learned from sports science and psychology, looking into what high-level athletes and coaches are doing, and constantly experimenting with training structure and methodology to find what works best (while keeping it fun).

What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from the inside of your gym?
I don’t do much besides training, working, and studying, so I’m not of much help in this area! I guess the famous castle is an obvious spot to check out. Also the Neckarwiese, Old Town, and Philosophers’ Walk (with Thingstätte on top) are tourist favorites, from what I could gather over the years ^^

So many places and buildings in Heidelberg look beautiful and interesting, it’s hard to go wrong here.

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Thanks for sharing with us! If you’d like to pay a visit to Team Choco Heidelberg BJJ, you can find them here.

Age: 34

Belt: Blue

Profession: Speech pathologist

How many years in BJJ: 3 years 6 months

Other martial arts: I did 4 years of kickboxing / Muay Thai before starting BJJ

Where do you live: I lived in Heidelberg (Germany) for 5 years until I quit my job, left my apartment, and started globetrotting. Currently I’m stranded in Hamburg because ‘Rona forced a decision.

Where are you originally from: Stuttgart, Germany

Other fun or curious information you would like to share: I have a sixth sense for Ezekiel chokes. I will start laughing before you get it.

Mina Rauter – BJJ training

Tell us what inspired you to travel and train?
When I was a child, my family moved around a lot in the region of southern Germany, so I was always used to being some kind of nomad, exploring new areas and finding new friends. Travelling feels natural to me, and somehow it’s an addiction too. I’m always on the hunt for adventures and new things to explore. Training while travelling makes it a lot easier to find like-minded people to hang around with. I found a couple of my current best friends while travelling to Globetrotters camps :) And I love BJJ. Couldn’t think of a better way to spend my time.

Tell us about your most recent travel and your upcoming travel – where have you been and where are you going?
From February to April this year, I lived in Thailand, on the islands of Koh Samui and Koh Phangan. In between that, I did some short trips to Cambodia and other islands nearby. Because of Corona, I decided to come back to Europe, since I didn’t want to be stuck somewhere far away in the world if something happened to my family. Now I’m in Germany/Europe with the option of always jumping in my car and driving home if necessary. I’m in Hamburg now, and I think it’s the perfect city to live through these pandemic times. If you compare southern and northern Germany, it’s like travelling to a foreign country – the people here are just different haha ;)

Mina Rauter – BJJ friends

What are the things you enjoy about traveling?
I’m a “slow traveller”. I want to get to know places and people deeply. I don’t like to just scratch the surface, and I’m not a fan of small talk. The things I highly appreciate while travelling are: meeting friends, having good conversations, a great vibe, a lot of nature around, delicious food, and high-level training options. Just like in Hamburg :) Also, in general travelling forces me to grow in various ways and develop new skills. You have to get out of your comfort zone. Especially while solo travelling. For example, in Thailand I learned how to drive a scooter, how to sleep with snakes and lizards in my jungle bungalow, how to snap bottle caps and cut coconuts. You never know when you’ll need such skills again :)

Can you give us some examples of experiences you had that makes it worth traveling and training?
Thailand is a great destination for starting a world trip. The training options are awesome. Mostly I trained at Super Pro Samui and at Momentum on Koh Phangan. Momentum opened up my mind to different movement styles; it totally changed my perspective on how to move my body on the mats. Every now and then, it’s very healthy to step out of your Jiu Jitsu brain and do something else for the body. But the best thing is still the people you meet. I’ve met friends from the Globetrotters family on both islands, which always creates a feeling of coming home anywhere in the world. The easiest way to connect with people is just a smile and a hello; the rest will come as simple as that. For sure the jungle is also very nurturing, and once the jungle is a part of you you’ll never forget it. That’s also how training in the jungle feels like ;) I think any experience makes it worth travelling. Even bad ones like a fucking pandemic and having to decide to go back home shows you what you really appreciate, where your personal priorities lie, and how you solve problems and find solutions.

Mina Rauter – BJJ Globetrotters

What has so far been the most surprising experience for you when traveling?
I don’t like wearing shoes anymore. Hiking for hours is so much easier barefoot. If something light-green that looks like a leaf falls down in front of you, be aware – in Thailand it could be a snake (very tricky situation if you’re on a scooter and driving at the time). Also, I’m in Hamburg. I’m still surprised I ended up here for now.

Are you a budget traveller – and if so how do you plan for a cheap trip?
Budget traveller. The idea of globetrotting was born on short notice, and thus I only had a couple of months to save money. So I moved out of my apartment in Heidelberg and crashed on friends’ couches while still working and saving. I am so grateful that I’m blessed with friends like that, who made this trip possible.

If you were to pass on travel advice to your fellow Globetrotters, what would it be?
Trust the way. It will open up as you start walking. Especially when you’re lost! Just do it. Don’t plan too much, if you do so, you might miss spontaneous adventures that pop up along the way. And everytime you feel like quitting – don’t! Just like in BJJ, there is always a way ;)

Thank you to Mina Rauter – BJJ Globetrotters for making this interview!

Age: 30

Belt: Black (purple in BJJ formally, black in Luta Livre – so blackbelt)

Profession: Special Education teacher, academy owner of Game Theory Jiu-Jitsu (one of four owners), Jiu-Jitsu teacher

How many years in BJJ: Should be around 9/10

Other martial arts: I started martial arts by doing Judo as a child, did some self defense Ju-Jutsu, then moved on to grappling and MMA

Where do you live: Cologne, Germany

Where are you originally from: A small town close to the German-Dutch border

Sven Groten – BJJ Globetrotters camp

Tell us what inspired you to travel and train?
Only a couple of years ago – and to be honest, somewhat still to this day – Germany was a developing country when it came to grappling. There was grappling training, but it was still stuck in the Stone Age of development. After my first glance into modern Jiu-Jitsu, it was pretty much apparent that getting decent teaching, training partners, and influences would be hard to come by without travel.

Tell us about your most recent travel and your upcoming travel – where have you been and where are you going?
Just before Corona hit the world, I was able to cross a week in the Jiu-Jitsu Mecca of New York off my bucket list. Also, as I’m writing this, I just returned home from the BJJ Globetrotters Camp in Iceland.

Sven Groten – BJJ Globetrotters camp in Iceland

What are the things you enjoy about traveling?
The main aspect I really like about Jiu-Jitsu travelling specifically is that, to the locals, it instantly makes you more than a random tourist. You are a fellow practitioner. That makes the interactions with people less superficial and somehow more real. You might much more easily end up having some form of connection with people, and be invited to spend time together.

Furthermore, travelling as a blackbelt and instructor often leads into teaching, and somehow the idea that someone from the other end of the world learned a tiny bit of Jiu-Jitsu from me and carries that with him is a very satisfying one.

Can you give us some examples of experiences you had that makes it worth traveling and training?
Well, I can’t really tell you about one or two amazing crazy things I’ve experienced. It’s more about the mass of tiny ones that make it worth the effort. Being invited to teach while in New York was quite the honor for me, I’ve always had my eye on people over there, so for me – a random guy from Germany – to be teaching there was kind of crazy. Similarly, I remember one day during my first Iceland camp, staring out in the ocean, wondering how this weird thing that started as a hobby somehow took me there.

One big thing I can point out for sure was the opportunity of having a private lesson with Garry Tonon. I’m not a fan of personalities, but his grappling is something I’ve been looking up to a lot.

Sven Groten – BJJ training

What has so far been the most surprising experience for you when traveling?
Each and every time I visit a new place and be myself, I’m surprised people don’t drive me out of town with pitchforks.

Are you a budget traveller – and if so how do you plan for a cheap trip?
I don’t have excess money, but I’m not really a budget traveller anyways. I somehow try to save enough to not have to be too careful about my spending when traveling.

If you were to pass on travel advice to your fellow Globetrotters, what would it be?
Tough one… In general, I guess I should recommend to not do anything the way I do it. But especially if you don’t travel regularly, I think in every “Should I do/try this?”-type scenario, I’d say go for it. It might be the one chance you get!

Thank you Sven Groten – BJJ Globetrotters for making this interview!

Mike Hartmann – BJJ Globetrotters

Age: 45 years old
Belt: Black Belt First Degree
Profession: Police Trainer for Tactics, Shooting, Self-Defense
Started training (year): 2001 with Mario Stapel in Germany
City/country: Wetzlar / Germany

Main achievements in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu:

I´m very happy to be Germanys National Coach for BJJ in JJIF (Adult Women). It´s a small but great team and going to competitions with them is awesome.

Mike Hartmann – BJJ Coach

Which BJJ Globetrotters camps have you attended?

Copenhagen (2), Heidelberg Summercamp (2), St. Barth (3), Sardinina (1), Winter Camp Austria (1), Leuven Summercamp (2)

Which camp has been your favorite so far?

My clear favorite was St. Barth 2016. I was absolutely overwhelmed by the great atmosphere and the island itself. So I came back two years in a row and can’t wait to return soon.

Mike Hartmann – BJJ Globetrotters Camp in St. Barths

Favorite stories/moments from the camps?

The catamaran trip in St. Barth as well as the camp parties over there are unforgettable!

Your favorite class/classes to teach at camp?

I have no topic I like teaching the most, but in general I prefer fundamental topics and teaching beginners who still have a big desire to learn and improve.

Anything else you want to add to your profile? 

Feel free to join our academy any time you visit the middle of Germany! Visitors always welcome!!!

***

Mike Hartmann – BJJ Globetrotters instructor

“We created a non-profit, open and inclusive gym, owned by the members and administered by a committee elected annually to steer clear of the politics and business issues experienced in the past.”
Submission Lab, Dunedin, New Zealand

Hi guys! Tell us some facts about your gym – where is it located?

114 St Andrew St, Dunedin, NZ. We have 132 sqm of mat space. The gym is centrally located in the CBD. Dunedin is a small but vibrant city of 120,000 people with a strong Scottish heritage, good beaches and good access to wildlife, remotely situated in the South of the South Island of New Zealand.

Sounds cool! How many people train there?

We have around 30 to 35 regular members.

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

The gym is very new (4 months), but we are slowly getting new students. Hard to say we are currently growing though, as the increase in members due to new students has been offset by a few experienced people leaving the city.

Submission Lab, BJJ New Zealand

What are the highest and lowest belt grades training?

One newly promoted black belt, 2 brown belts, 5 purple belts, around 20 blue belts and under 10 white belts.

When did the gym open?

May 2017.

Who founded it?

Around 20 students (virtually all the senior students except from the owners) walked out of a local BJJ gym a few months ago and hooked up with all the students from another small local BJJ gym (around 10 people) whose head instructor had recently left for Canada. The 2 gyms actually used to be together until a previous split occurred in 2010 so a few students from both gyms used to be team mates a long time ago. BJJ politics…

All together we created a non-profit, open and inclusive gym, owned by the members and administered by a committee elected annually to steer clear of the politics and business issues experienced in the past. We have since attracted a few students from a third BJJ gym in town.

Submission Lab, BJJ New Zealand

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

Most people are experienced members (blue belts or above, and blue belts make up the bulk of the people training) since we didn’t start from scratch. We have a mix of younger and older people training (mostly from 20 to 40 years old), including students from the local university and professionals from all walks of life. We have a few members with other martial arts experience: MMA, judo, wrestling, kick boxing. We are also starting kids’ classes, but have only 5 kids training for now.

Why do they train?

For a variety of reasons but mostly because it’s fun. We cater for everybody; some members are actively competing but not all.

What are some of the challenges of running a BJJ gym?

Until recently we didn’t have a black belt in-house which limited our ability to promote people legitimately (at least under IBJJF) and created problems with entering IBJJF competitions. This should be all sorted soon when our black belt gets IBJJF certified and we can register our gym directly under the IBJJF. No other major challenges otherwise.

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

Bright. There are 3 BJJ gyms in town including us and all 3 seem to be thriving. We don’t have a particularly good relationship with the owner of one of them at this point as a lot of us come from there and we didn’t part in good terms with them but we are hoping this will get resolved over time. Some of their members and former team mates cross train with us however, which is awesome. We also have excellent relationships with other gyms in the country.

Submission Lab, BJJ New Zealand

What’s the best thing about your gym?

We have a long list of teachers (around 10) rotating to teach, which gives us a lot of variety and allows each of us (including teachers) to attend many classes. We offer classes 6 days a week, including morning classes 3 days a week. We offer a balanced mix of gi and no gi classes and open mat, and also one kickboxing class a week. We have experienced members from many different lineages, which adds to the variety of teaching and rolling. The gym is unaffiliated to any large BJJ organization and completely open and welcoming.

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

Lots of opportunities for outdoor activities and nature and wildlife with the Otago Peninsula nearby, beautiful beaches and good surfing (the weather is very cold however!). The city also offers a lot for its size, a few nice buildings and museums, and tourist activities, and a healthy number of bars and restaurants. The nightlife is good when students are around but can be pretty quiet during the university breaks (especially summer).

Any other comments you’d like to add?

We had 3 members competing at the IBJJF World Master recently, 2 of them under BJJ Globetrotters. One of these 2 medalled in the Master 3 female heavy weight blue belt division. Another member medalled in Master 3 male medium heavy brown belt.

That’s brilliant, congratulations! We wish you all the best in the future and hope the gym goes from strength to strength. If anyone would like to get in touch with Submission Lab, BJJ New Zealand, you can find them here.

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

Age: 21

Belt: Blue

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

How many years in BJJ: 2 and a half

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

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

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

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

Jake Walton BJJ

Tell us what inspired you to travel and train?

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

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

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

Jake Walton – BJJ Globetrotters

What are the things you enjoy about travelling?

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

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

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

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

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

Jake Walton BJJ

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

When did the gym open: Feb 2017

Whaingaroa BJJ – New Zealand

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

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

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

Whaingaroa BJJ – New Zealand

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

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

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

Whaingaroa BJJ – New Zealand

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

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

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

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

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