Featured Traveller: Liz Corso – BJJ Globetrotters
Liz Corso – BJJ Globetrotters
Let’s start out with some quick facts about you…
Age: 35
Belt: Blue
Profession: Teacher
How many years in BJJ: Two
Other martial arts: None
Where do you live: Paris, France
Where are you originally from: New Jersey, USA
Other fun or curious information you’d like to share: I do mail art, collages, and stop-motion animation. I also get really happy when I encounter a 3-pronged fork.
Liz Corso BJJ
Tell us what inspired you to travel and train?
I’ve always been a traveller. I crave new perspectives and enjoy solving problems (how do I get vegetarian food in this strange language?!). I left the US as soon as I finished school, and have since lived in half a dozen different countries and travelled to well over 50. I accidentally stumbled upon BJJ while living in Taiwan and immediately became obsessed. My first coach, Daniel Reid, is a Globetrotter, and he introduced me to the Globetrotters network, which makes it so much easier!
Tell us about your most recent trip and your upcoming trips – where have you been and where are you going?
I just got back from the Winter Camp in Wagrain and it was amazing! I always meet so many great new people at Globetrotters camps. My next trip is back to the US to visit friends and family. There’s a 10th Planet gym near my folks, which is a fun change from what I’m used to in Paris. Before I set off for the summer, I plan to revisit Prague in the spring. I hope to add a couple cities around that trip… possibly Vienna and Brno. We’ll see!
Liz Corso BJJ
What are the things you enjoy about traveling?
I’ve met so many great people training in different places. Some of them have gone on to become really good friends, some have even shaped who I am as a person. When you leave your comfort zone, you learn. Sometimes it’s painful (we all remember our first couple BJJ classes!), but learning is always rewarding.
Can you give us some examples of experiences you had that makes it worth traveling and training?
In addition to meeting great people, having lots of fun crazy nights, experiencing new cultures, and trying new things, travelling helps a lot for BJJ. Sometimes I’ll be having trouble with a particular aspect of my game, and this is often the best time to travel somewhere new and train. Fresh perspectives can really help to get you out of a rut… both in your BJJ game and sometimes life in general!
What has so far been the most surprising experience for you when traveling?
Realizing how far a smile and patience can take you. Keeping my cool has helped me out of many many tough situations. For example, after living in Berlin for a couple years, I got tired of the weather and decided to do a motorcycle trip from Berlin to Bamako, Mali. Actually, I didn’t have an end destination… that’s where I ended up selling the motorcycle for plane tickets to Asia – but that’s a different story.
Long story short, I had entered Guinea illegally. Not because I had wanted to, but because…OK, short story…that’s how it was. When crossing the border into Mali, I ran into trouble: I was illegally in the country with a foreign vehicle. This being Africa, the border guard was eager to cut a deal: $100. The only problem was that 1.) I didn’t want to spend $100, and 2.) I had sewn my larger bills into the waist seam of my pants and I only had a 1 dollar bill on me. Not losing my cool, staying friendly, and having patience worked to my advantage. It took a lot of smiling and A LOT of patience, but in the end, I parted with my $1 and was on my merry way.
Are you a budget traveller – and if so how do you plan for a cheap trip?
Staying and training with a Globetrotters host not only helps you to meet a great new person, but also cuts down on accomodation fees. In the summers, I quit the city for good. I sublet my apartment and explore around Europe in my VW camping van (yeah, the sexy kind). I love the freedom it affords and I only wild camp, so it doesn’t cost much. It’s really nice, but the van doesn’t have a shower. That’s where training fits in perfectly! I find a nearby club with showers to train at. I still go to laundromats to wash my gis, but nogi gear can easily be hand washed.
If you were to pass on travel advice to your fellow Globetrotters, what would it be?
Smile. Be open to people and experiences and things will happen.
Thank you Liz Corso BJJ for doing this interview!
