Featured affiliated academy: Playa Venao BJJ Panama
Where is the gym located?
We’re located in Playa Venao, Panama, which is on the Azuero peninsula on the country’s Southwest Pacific coast. Playa Venao is known as one of Panama’s best and most consistent beach breaks. The gym is physically located at Beach Break Surf Camp (www.beachbreaksurfcamp.com), a beachfront hotel steps from the waves.
How many people train there?
Playa Venao BJJ Panama has a kids program of local and expat kids from ages 3-16+ yrs old, and around 10 adults in BJJ. We also do Muay Thai and conditioning classes with around another 10 or so people.
Is the gym growing – if so by how many new members each month or year?
Playa Venao is a small community, but it’s definitely growing and developing. With the expansion, there are more families, service industry workers, and others that could potentially start training. I just need to show them the light (BJJ :)). For now, our numbers remain more or less consistent.
What are the highest and lowest belt grades training?
The gym has the whitest of white belts in for their first classes, 1 blue belt, 2 purple belts, a brown belt, a black belt, and many visitors from the whole spectrum of belts.
When did the gym open?
2017.
Some facts about you:
Name: John Boyle
Age: 34
Academy: Playa Venao BJJ Panama
Belt: Black
Profession: Surf Camp Hotel Manager & BJJ Academy Owner
Years in BJJ: 12
Other martial arts: Muay Thai
Currently living in: Playa Venao
Originally from: South Jersey / Colorado, USA
Please tell us the story of how your gym came into existence:
I moved to Panama in 2013 in need of adventure and change. In the first year, my friend and I founded AlleyCat Fitness Foundation (another Globetrotters-affiliated school). After 4 of the best years of my life operating this non-profit academy which provided free martial arts and fitness classes to impoverished communities, I again needed change. I meditated, focused, and pondered on what my wife and I’s perfect life would look like. The picture I came up with was living at the beach, surfing, training, and sharing Jiu-Jitsu with people from all over the world.
In 2017, we were lucky enough to have the opportunity to use a small space at the back of Beach Break Surf Camp for BJJ classes for the community. My wife got a job at the hotel, and I was making ends meet with teaching classes. A year and a half into our lives at the beach, and another opportunity presented itself – to become the manager of the hotel and expand the BJJ gym into the amazing new facility it is today, with 80m2 of brand new Fuji mats just steps away from the surf break.
Tell us about the people that train in the gym – who are they?
We’re lucky enough to have people from all over the world that train here. Some of the countries represented are: Panama, United States, Australia, Belgium, Israel, Colombia, Argentina, Venezuela, and Uruguay, plus visitors from all over the rest of the world. Many of our full-time members are local expats who have different jobs in the area or are self-employed.
Playa Venao BJJ Panama
Why do they train?
Many of our students started their Jiu Jitsu journey here. Some have moved here and continued their practice. I believe everyone has their own reasons for training that are personal to them, but speaking for myself I love the health and physical benefits, as well as the amazing community of people it brings together and the friendships I’ve made on the mats.
What are some of the challenges of running a BJJ gym in general and in your location specifically?
Work can always become work, even if it is your dream life/ job. So I try and remind myself not to get stressed about the normal business stuff. Other challenges include: deciding whether to surf before or after training, having so much fun you forget to take a nap, and going out with friends visiting on vacation and turning their vacation into my own…
How do you see the future for BJJ in your area?
I see the future generations wondering why the hell there are so many killers coming from Playa Venao that can speak three languages, surf amazingly well, and strangle 99% of the untrained population.
What’s the best thing about your gym?
For sure the people that fill its mats…. But the world class waves out front aren’t so bad either.
What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from the inside of your gym?
The inside of some barrels.
