Featured affiliated academy: Tórshavn BJJ, Faroe Islands
Where is the gym located?
The gym is located in Tórshavn, the capital city of the Faroe Islands.
How many people train there?
We currently have approximately thirty members.
Is the gym growing – if so by how many new members each month or year?
Yes, the gym is growing but not in a linear way. Throughout the year, we grow by a small handful of people while some existing members might pause or cancel their memberships. All in all, we have a strong core community while membership ebbs and flows in a positive direction.
What are the highest and lowest belt grades training?
We have one purple belt, seven blue belts, and the rest are white.
When did the gym open?
In the summer of 2015.
Some facts about you:
Name: Luis Antonio Pellecer Jr.
Age: 38
Academy: Tórshavn BJJ, Faroe Islands
Belt: Purple
Profession: Sales/Service Management & Landscaping
Years in BJJ: 14
Other martial arts: Muay Thai/Boxing
Currently living in: Iceland
Originally from: Michigan, USA
Please tell us the story of how the gym came into existence
I moved to the Faroe Islands as an early blue belt and quickly realized no one was training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. With no one to train with, I resorted to tying a gi onto a pillow and practicing guard work, but this style of training obviously got old quickly. I decided to begin advertising some BJJ 101 classes, and with the help of a local gym and the local judo club, Tórshavn BJJ was born.
Tell us about the people that train in Tórshavn BJJ, Faroe Islands – who are they?
Our club is made up of people from all walks of life, from teenagers who want to build their self-esteem to adults in their 50s who want to work on fitness, flexibility, and self-defense.
Why do they train?
I can confidently say the primary reasons our members train are: self-defense, mental health, and community. BJJ is world-famous for its practicality and efficiency for self-defense, but something the BJJ community had known for a long time is how it can play a transformative role with mental health. We have members who discovered BJJ to be therapeutic for their anxiety, depression, ADD/ADHD, and PTSD. Whether it stems from the discipline, fitness, confidence, community, or some combination of these factors, our members have found BJJ positively impacts their lives in various areas of life.
What are some of the challenges of running a BJJ gym in general, and in your area specifically?
Of course there are the practical challenges of running this sort of operation e.g. finding a system to handle membership fees, creating and adjusting the training schedule to fit most people’s needs, etc. However, the biggest challenge for our club has been breaking through social preconceptions of which sports are appropriate/acceptable and which are not. The Faroe Islands is a fantastic place for many reasons, but it has been isolated from the outside world until relatively recently. So when locals see adults rolling around on the floor in compromising positions, self-defense and fitness are not the first things to pop in their heads. This matter is combined with the fact that the Faroes are heavily invested, socially and financially, in their most popular sports, namely Football and Handball. So yeah, it has been a slow process for us, but we are making progress with gaining headspace in Faroese sports consciousness.
How do you see the future for BJJ, Faroe Islands?
In the near future, we hope to get recognition by the Faroese Sports Authority which would provide our club, and the sport throughout the country, with funds and greater legitimacy in the eyes of the public.
What’s the best thing about the gym?
The best thing about our gym is the community of kind people who are always willing and ready to choke out a friend in need.
What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from the inside of Tórshavn BJJ, Faroe Islands?
We have some wild and magnificent nature in the Faroes, so I would recommend renting a car and spending a couple days exploring the beautiful fjords, waterfalls, mountain hikes, and ocean views. But make sure to leave time & room for the local food, especially the fermented meat! Oh, and also important, book your hotel & restaurant reservations MONTHS in advance if possible. This is a tiny country, so things fill-up quickly, especially during tourist season. Either way, enjoy!
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