Black Belt Corner with Chelsea Leah

15 Tuesday Sep 2015

Posted by fenomkimonos in Fenomenal Women, Women's BJJ

Tags

chelsea leah, support women's bjj, white to black belt, women's bjj

Chelsea Leah is the youngest black belt we have interviewed for our Black Belt Corner series. She is an active competitor, well-known blogger, and teaches women’s jiu-jitsu classes at Art of Jiu-Jitsu.

She started training at the age of 11, and lived and trained in Asia for two years after graduating from university. For the past three years she has been with team Atos. Chelsea lives the dream life of many jiu-jitsu lovers; her home is around the corner from AOJ, she has flexible hours, and trains whenever she wants. Her most recent achievement was winning double gold medals at Santa Cruz BJJ Pro IBJJF Championship.

Which belt level has been the most challenging for you?

Black belt has been incredibly challenging thus far. I’m not an experienced competitor by any means, and being dumped into the black belt division feels like being thrown in the deep end of the pool. I feel like I’m surrounded by extraordinary people every day. I’m undoubtedly very lucky to train with the people who I get to train with but it means that I have very high expectations for myself.

It is hard to start over at black belt again coming up from the bottom but I learned a lot my first year. I have been lucky to be able to compete at the level that I have been at this year, especially with the recent Five tournament. Being part of the lineup at Five was an amazing experience; being in the same bracket with women like Luiza Monteiro, Mackenzie Dern, and Tammi Musumeci was fantastic.

There is an added level of pressure in competition that I did not foresee but I’m sure it is something I will eventually get used to. I can’t say I’ve overcome the challenges yet, they look daunting from down here. Ask me in a year after I have won some titles at black belt!

What advice do you have for women who feel frustrated and think about quitting?

It depends on what the frustrations are. Jiu-Jitsu is hard. It is physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding, especially if you want to compete – and that’s not for everyone. Sometimes the answer may be simpler than that. If you are having trouble with something specific to your academy, talk to someone about it. If you’re concerned about the way a teammate is treating you in class, communicate, and don’t be afraid to escalate the situation up the chain of command. If something makes you uncomfortable, talk about it.

Sometimes we get tough with gym owners for not considering the women in their BJJ academies but for many this is a very new thing; they are learning how to help you. The best way to foster a good relationship is to have open communication.

I would also recommend changing academies if the environment does not match what you want for whatever reason. I don’t adhere to the mentality that you have to stick by an academy no matter what. It is a business, and if you are not receiving what you want from that business, go elsewhere.

You can watch Chelsea’s lightweight finals match from 2015 Santa Cruz BJJ Pro here and the open weight gold medal match here.

Black Belt Corner with Lana Stefanac

19 Sunday Jul 2015

Posted by fenomkimonos in Fenomenal Women, Women's BJJ

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lana stefanac, white to black belt, women's bjj, women's brazilian jiu jitsu, world champion

Tragedy and hurt usually come when you least anticipate it. Lana Stefanac talks about the good, the bad and the ugly in her personal life, career and training .

What was the most difficult belt level for you? How did you overcome the challenges?

There was never really a specific belt that was most challenging for me although I would say that the most fun was blue just because of the numerous, and aggressive fights I had at tournaments. Of course, black belt is the best, and the most challenging due to the range and level of competition.

The most difficult challenge I faced during my competition career was funding my training and competition. I did MMA to make money, not because I loved MMA itself. As it turned out, I was relatively good at MMA which made the pro fighting more attractive to me. With that being said, MMA is not a good way to make money unless you are those one or two females at the top in the big cards. I would never tell someone, male of female, to quit working and train MMA because it is not a sustainable way to live or survive. Again, MMA was just another route I took to attempt to help fund my BJJ career, and it worked okay but it did not provide me a good life nor means to do this.

For me, my life revolved around BJJ, and the journey to my black belt which I reached ultimately in 2009 when I got my black belt from Randy Bloom (there has always been ridiculous rumors surrounding him) on the podium after I won double gold at the Worlds. I was proud to receive my black belt from Randy because I respected him greatly as a person which is not the case with many other “high lever” black belt men.

In 2011, I gave up competing to pursue my career in law enforcement. I have often joked that this was my retirement plan. Funny enough, during the training academy I sustained a very bad injury which required surgery, and rehab for nearly a year. This was my biggest challenge in that not only was I crippled for so long but that ultimately I was released from the department due to a subsequent injury resulting from the initial injury. This was the most devastating obstacle combined with having lost my mother to long battle with cancer just prior. My mother was, and is, a driving force in my soul to succeed at what I do. My heart was broken from the loss of my mother, and then shattered yet again when I was released from the department what was supposed to be the rest of my life, due to the injury. These obstacles have been the hardest things for me to overcome because I gave up the love my life, BJJ, to go into a career that I could be proud of, only to be released from one while having lost the other.

I have not competed actively because I intended to go back into law enforcement once my injury was fully healed. I have stepped away from hard training, and competition to stay injury free. This is hard, because again, I gave up one love to pursue the other, and the latter ultimately removed me from BJJ competition.

How I overcame this tragic course of events is that I continue to teach, and develop my techniques, and share them with others who are actively competing. For now, this will have to suffice for me until I make my next course of action as far as sustainable, and viable options for career are concerned.

What advice do you have for women who have a hard time in training, and think about quitting? Does it get better when you earn your black belt?

Life is hard, and it is a journey that is full of accomplishments and heartbreak combined. Things do not ever get better when you get your black belt; they actually get worse. The good news is that challenges come at you even faster, and with more aggression as a black belt.

Jiu-jitsu is a life choice that is supposed to help you overcome weaknesses in your life. If it does not do this, you are doing something wrong or not seeing it for what it is. When you start training BJJ, your goal should be to reach your black belt, and then your larger goal is to be that you NEVER QUIT.

This is the saddest, and most disgusting thing I have seen in both men and women that they quit like punks. There is no end point. Jiu-jitsu is a life-style. Once you commit to it, you should be devoted until you are no more, and until you no longer draw a breath. This is not to say that you will compete forever but it is to say that your journey will change just as mine did. The end result of all this is that you use your failures to motivate you until failures aren’t failures any more but rather obstacles that you know you will overcome eventually.

Black Belt Corner with Charlene Coats

05 Sunday Apr 2015

Posted by fenomkimonos in Fenomenal Women, Women's BJJ

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Tags

charlene coats, competition, female black belt, girls' jiu-jitsu, white to black belt

Charlene Coats has dedicated the last 22 years of her life to martial arts. She started in Kami-Do-Ryu style karate, earned multiple state, regional and national titles, and the rank of second degree black belt before heading off to college. She found BJJ in 2006, after earning her bachelor’s degree in Philosophy. After seven years of training six days a week, sometimes multiple times a day, and competing as often as possible, she received her black belt from Raul Castillo in 2013.

Training, and competing under Raul Castillo has enabled Charlene to earn over 25 Brazilian jiu-jitsu titles, including the 2012 IBJJF World Championship female brown belt middle weight title, and absolute weight bronze medalist. In 2013, before her black belt promotion, she also held the IBJJF American National brown belt gi and no-gi weight, and absolute division titles. This year, in February, she won double gold at IBJJF San Francisco Open, and is currently ranked number 24 female black belt in the world.

What do you do besides training, and competing?

People are often surprised that I’m a nanny. It is hard to believe that I have the time to train full-time and manage the lives of two young girls. As a nanny, I am often a single parent juggling homework, music lessons, play dates, chores, training for the girls, training for myself, and traveling. The girls’ mother is a CFO of a major company, and travels internationally. Their Dad lives in another city so it takes a lot of organization, and diligence. This is why I love jiu-jitsu; it is something for the whole family, and having the girls on the mats is good for everyone! They can do homework at the school, be surrounded by good people, and see great examples of hard work, commitment, and discipline.

Being a nanny is one of the most rewarding parts of my BJJ journey! The girls get to be part of my success; they get to live a life where they are being cared for everyday by someone who is also stopping at nothing to achieve her dreams. They are learning that if you truly want something, you’ll make it happen through dedicated work because nothing worth having is ever given to you but rather it is earned.

Since the opening of Raul Castillo Martial Arts in 2007, I have been one of the main instructors of the youth BJJ program, the Head Instructor of the kids karate program, competition team, women’s grappling, and the special defenses for special needs youth.

Which was the most challenging belt level for you?

My BJJ journey has not been easy. The girls, and my family have shared my pains during weight cuts, injuries, losses, training camps, and even my emotional obstacles as the only woman on the team. Yet the most important is what they will never see. They will NEVER see me quit!

In 2013, still a brown belt, I injured my knee at Pan Ams. This was the year I had qualified for the World Pro Cup in Abu Dhabi, and I was the returning female middle weight brown belt IBJJF World Champion; and I was injured! Injured or not, I was not going to quit. I made it to Abu Dhabi and to the Worlds. While it was not my year to win because I re-injured my knee in Abu Dhabi, it was my year to be an example to my team, and show that the only things that will hold us back are the things we let hold us back!

I am now fully recovered from my injuries, and for those who ask, I would not do anything different if given the choice again. I learned to train smarter versus harder. Had my knee not felt up to the task of stepping on the competition mats I would have listened to my body but I was not going to quit before trying, and I was not going to make that decision before competition day.

Black belt is by far the hardest rank for me physically, and mentally but also the most fulfilling! At 31 years old I compete against women 10 years younger who have trained and competed in BJJ twice as long. Jiu-jitsu has also evolved to a very strong level, and requires a lot of mat time to keep up. I love the challenge, and want to be a world champion again, and I know with my continued hard work my day is coming. Despite its challenges I could not imagine living my life any other way.

Jiu-jitsu is not easy. It will test you mentally, and physically. Jiu-jitsu will break you down before it builds you back up but what it makes you is so much more than what you would have ever become without it. I believe that all women should train even if for nothing more than self-defense. Every mother, daughter, sister, and friend should give this to themselves, and each other in this world. Thankfully there are many women’s jiu-jitsu programs now so the opportunity is there; be the example!

What advice would you give to women who think about quitting?

If you feel beat down, injured, stagnant, the odd one out, or are being pressured to spend time off the mats by others in your life, my advice is: KEEP TRAINING! Train right through those feelings until you love jiu-jitsu again; until those voices are silenced by the love of a good choke hold. If you love jiu-jitsu, the people who truly love you will only encourage your journey, and commitment! Love is supportive not resentful or selfish. Sometimes there is a balance or compromise to workout but quitting should NEVER be the answer!

If you are injured, go to class! Watch, study, learn, and do what you can to keep your routine. If you break the routine, it is much harder to come back; make it easier on yourself! If your leg hurts practice chokes and work on grips. If your arms hurt, escape your hips. There is always something you can do.

Stagnation is a part of the long-term commitment; remember to change it up, work with kids or lower ranks to help re-inspire your passion for jiu-jitsu. Also no one is ever the odd one out. If you think you are, remember, you are really a pioneer, and soon enough your courage will make someone else feel like they can train too!

Lastly, if money or time is your issue, speak to the instructor. There is often a way a student can be helped when it comes to time, and money. Instructors want to share jiu-jitsu, and want their students to succeed. Sometimes there is something you can help your academy with in exchange for lessons, and sometimes it takes a third-party to see where you might have time to give yourself what you want! Remember, we all have a choice when confronted with an obstacle; quit or believe and overcome. I will always choose the latter because quitters never succeed!

Here’s a recent podcast Charlene did with Inside BJJ! Enjoy!

Black Belt Corner with Melissa Haueter

21 Wednesday Jan 2015

Posted by fenomkimonos in Fenomenal Women, Women's BJJ

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chris haueter, cindy omatsu, melissa haueter, the garage, white to black belt

First degree black belt Melissa Haueter is a mom of two young kids, the owner of Expanding Abilities Tutoring, and the wife of Dirty Dozen’s Chris Haueter. She is lucky to have a gym in her back yard, The Garage, where she teaches and trains! She will be travelling to Minnesota in March to teach a women’s bjj seminar at Minnesota Kali Group. Don’t miss the opportunity to train with her!

Tell us a little bit about yourself? How did you get started, and what is your most memorable achievement so far?

My first real experience with jiu-jitsu was learning a guard arm bar in the one car garage of the home I now live in. In February of 2003, I met this cute guy with strange mangled ears named Chris Haueter. On our third date, he cooked dinner for me, and gave me my first jiu-jitsu lesson. After that, I started attending his classes at South Bay Jiu Jitsu in Hermosa Beach, and Centerline Gym in Bellflower, and was soon taking private lessons from Cindy Omatsu as well as attending her classes, and open mats at the Machado Academy in Torrance. I’d say I became addicted to training pretty quickly. I was somewhat awkward on the mat, and had a hard time learning techniques as I had never participated in any sports growing up, and I was pretty out of shape when I began.

Chris teaches seminars around the world, and I’ve had the good fortune of being able to travel with him, and train in Singapore, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and around the US. We did a lot of traveling when I was a blue and a purple belt, and I feel that this really helped to shape my game. As a brown and a black belt, I’ve spent time training at Let’s Roll in Torrance, and Alliance Los Angeles. In 2005, we converted our back garage into a mat room, and I spend a lot of time there drilling, teaching, and sparring. Right now, I am solely training in The Garage as I have a five month old baby, and I don’t like to leave him for too long. I am able to set the little guy up on the side of the mat, and train until he fusses.

Besides the births of my children, there is one achievement that stands out among the rest. I struggled to become an athlete as an adult, and I did a lot of competing at blue and purple belt level. I had a hard time with nerves, and had to learn how to be a good sport. In 2008, I competed at the No-gi Worlds, and I had a great day. I was relaxed; went out, and played my game. I won 3 matches in my division to take the gold. The last match was a submission in under two minutes. I also won my first match in open class and took third place. This was and still is my best day of competing in a major tournament.

What was the most challenging belt level for you?

I was at a low point in my life when I began training, and jiu-jitsu was part of the solution for me. I had something to focus on besides the drama that was going on in my life. I faced many challenges in the years that followed but what stands out in my mind is my journey through the brown belt.

A few months after receiving my brown belt, I injured my knee while preparing to compete at the Pans. Shortly after, I became pregnant with my daughter, and my whole life suddenly took a tremendous shift.

I had a hard time adjusting to motherhood. I went from working more than full-time, and training 6 days a week with regular competitions to being responsible for another human being, and having to put some of my personal goals on hold. I decided that I would put competing out of my mind until my daughter Alison was one.

In 2011, I cut weight to 114 pounds by pretty much starving myself so I could compete at light feather in the brown/black belt division. I was also training multiple times a day. I did this as I was weaning my daughter from breastfeeding, and undergoing some huge hormonal changes. Needless to say, I was pretty crazy; my husband and I were at each other’s throats. I was at a bottom, and my addiction was jiu-jitsu. I had to get help. I took some time away from competing but I continued to train a few days a week. I had to work on my mental relationship with jiu-jitsu. Jiu-jitsu is an outlet for me. It is not only a hobby but a passion. If I’m not enjoying it, and it’s not enhancing my life, I’m doing something wrong.

One of the main challenges it presents to me is a continuous release of my ego. I had to learn not to compare my experience with jiu-jitsu to other people’s experience as each person has their own journey. I learn from each session, and strive to keep balance in my life. It is a practice of knowing when to be a student, and when to be a teacher; when to train, and when to take a day off, and to remain humble in all my interactions with people I meet on the mat. I got my priorities in order, and I think that my relationship with jiu-jitsu is now much more balanced. I was able to train and compete in both the Pans and Worlds in 2013, and my experience was so much more relaxed and fun.

What advice would you give to women who have a hard time in training and consider quitting?

My advice would depend on what specific challenges the woman is facing. If a woman is feeling unsupported by her team mates, I might advise to look for a more supportive male coach or a gym that has a few solid female grapplers.

I really benefitted from training with Cindy, and her group of women. Cindy understood what it was like to be one of the smallest people on the mat and taught me how to use technique over strength.

Chris competed at feather weight for many years, and was able to help me utilize techniques that he knew were effective against larger opponents. If a woman is discouraged by feeling like she is always being dominated by her training partners, I would advise her to stick with it for a few years, and that will change. My experience is that jiu-jitsu takes a long time to learn especially if you are only training a couple of days a week. The more time you spend on the mat, the faster you will improve. To quote Chris, “It’s not who’s good; it’s who’s left.”

I definitely feel that jiu-jitsu is not for everyone. I always ask my students why they want to learn jiu-jitsu. If the answer is to get in shape, I tell them that there are easier ways to get in shape. Learning and practicing jiu-jitsu is challenging, and that is what I love about it. It pushes me physically, mentally, and emotionally. With each challenge that I face comes growth to a new level. For any woman who loves jiu-jitsu, and can’t imagine her life without it, I say make time for it, and commit to showing up! Become friends with some of the people you train with, and turn to them for support when you need it.

Black Belt Quotes

13 Tuesday Jan 2015

Posted by fenomkimonos in Fenomenal Women, Women's BJJ

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amanda loewen, cindy hales, cindy omatsu, felicia oh, jocelyn chang, kris shaw, leticia ribeiro, luciana "luka" dias, luciana bassoli, michelle wagner, sophia drysdale, white to black belt

Funny thing about advice: the better the advice, the harder it is to follow.

Black Belt Corner with Cindy Hales

06 Tuesday Jan 2015

Posted by fenomkimonos in Fenomenal Women, Women's BJJ

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cindy hales, female black belt, gracie barra kirkland, white to black belt

Our Black Belt Corner series continues with Cindy Hales, a second degree black belt from Gracie Barra. She has had an exciting competition career in BJJ and MMA that include 2007 ADCC, a grappling super-fight at PAC SUB, and a Smack Girl fight against her idol Megumi Fujii. Cindy has been focusing on teaching in the past few years but is planning to return to the tournament scene in 2015.

How did you get started in BJJ?

I first saw BJJ when a friend showed me the early UFCs. I was fascinated with Royce Gracie, the little guy in the gi who just grabbed onto people, and somehow won. I didn’t understand it at all, and was not into fighting or martial arts; it was an odd, captivating thing. About 5 years later in 2000, I happened to be across Marcelo Alonso’s BJJ school in Tacoma while walking home from my bus stop. It took me back to the memories of the UFC and Royce. I decided to go in, and check it out because I had been looking for something to do to get in shape, and distract me from other things in my life. I quickly knew that this was just what I was looking for but I had no idea how this was going to change the rest of my life.

Over the next couple of years, I trained with Marcelo and found myself falling in love with the art of BJJ, and wanting to train all of the time. Marcelo left for Brazil, and I had a few issues at his school so I began looking around for a new school, and found Rodrigo Lopes who was teaching at a school in Seattle. I began driving up there to train with him. I also started working with a few other people to improve my stand up and no gi game.

Since then I have trained basically every day with only small breaks for injuries. I eventually quit my job to pursue BJJ full-time. I competed as much as I could in jiu-jitsu, and had a small stint in MMA but then moved away from competition due to injuries. I began to focus on teaching. Currently I am the head instructor of Gracie Barra Kirkland. I teach kids, and kickboxing classes at GB Seattle, and also freelance teach private lessons for companies, and individuals in Seattle area. I have really found my true love of BJJ through sharing the techniques, and lessons I have learned with my students. I am currently rehabbing a shoulder surgery, and am hoping to begin competing again in 2015.

What belt level has been the most challenging for you?

When I think back over my time in BJJ, I really think of it more in terms of what was going on in my life at any given time: personal challenges or successes, injuries, emotional hurdles, those kinds of things.

As far as belts, I was awarded my black belt in 2006 by Rodrigo Lopes and Marcio “Mamazinho” Laudier, and I believe this has been, and will always be the most challenging belt. As a white belt I thought if I ever reached black belt I would have things figured out, and I would feel confident, and comfortable in my game and myself. This was the farthest thing from the truth. I recently saw something on Facebook about the black belt meaning that you have a basic understanding of the techniques, and concepts, and that it is really when you can begin analyzing the true aspects of the art.

For me, this really holds true. I feel that only now I am able to really understand the deeper concepts of the game, and can begin refining my techniques with precise adjustments of leverage, and timing to hopefully achieve perfection in my understanding of BJJ. I often feel like a brand new student again when I see a subtle adjustment or concept that I had never thought of before or was just unable to understand until now.

Training, learning, and teaching are a work in progress for me. Sometimes I am a white belt; sometimes I am a black belt. I am constantly scrapping old ways of thinking, and trying to adapt to more efficient, and effective ways to solve problems. It is sometimes hard to accept that I still don’t have a full understanding of things, and that it is not a constant; what works some of the times, doesn’t work other times. It is transitory, and always changing and evolving. The biggest lesson I have learned in BJJ is to continue growing, learning, and embracing the process even when it doesn’t go the way I had planned or when it seems ridiculously hard.

I try to stay focused on how I can apply ideas of patience, timing, emotional control, and proper technique to solve problems on the mats, in relationships, and at work. It all can be approached through the lessons I have learned in BJJ. It has been a really rewarding journey and I am expecting even more great adventures and lessons learned in the future.

What advice do you have for women who have a hard time in training, and consider quitting?

I would advise women, and really anyone, to embrace the process of learning, and not to focus too much on the immediate successes or failures. I think this is hard to do because everyone, myself included, wants immediate feedback or results.

I wanted to learn a move, and be able to know that it would work 100% of the time. BJJ isn’t like that. Life isn’t like that. A winner one moment is not necessarily a winner the next moment. I discovered that when I was distracted by the small losses or victories, I often lost sight of the long-term goal of learning BJJ, and personal growth. I would get depressed that I wasn’t progressing because I was looking at it the wrong way. This in turn limited my progress more. When I am open to the process, I find that I make my biggest gains, and I am the happiest in my training, and in my life.

I would also encourage jiu-jitsu women, and all students, to make sure they find the right environment for them; a place where they feel safe, supported, and respected. I have been in gyms that were not healthy for me, and it greatly impacted my growth in the sport as well as my growth as a person. Finding a team that is supportive, and shared the same goals as me was critical in making the next big leap in my journey. It took me a while to really recognize this. I initially thought that the gym with the most winners, the toughest, most savage technique was the best path to being a champion. I eventually realized that this was only half of the equation, and that it didn’t afford for the personal growth that I was looking for, and needed.

I have been fortunate to have a core group of friends, and training partners around me who have believed in me, and helped me through my failures, and my successes. These relationships have enabled me to continue training in the good times, and the bad, and have made me stick with the journey no matter how hard it gets. Overall, I wouldn’t trade anything for the lessons I have learned in BJJ. The journey has completely changed the course of my life for the better, and I am excited to see what the future holds for me and for the sport.

Black Belt Corner with Amanda Loewen

27 Saturday Dec 2014

Posted by fenomkimonos in Fenomenal Women, Women's BJJ

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amanda loewen, jiujiitsutryhards, matt thornton, pnw bjj, sbgi, sbgi black belt, women's bjj

Our Black Belt Corner series continues with Amanda Loewen, a jiu-jitsu phenom, who received her black belt from Matt Thornton in October of 2014 after 5 years of training. She is a full-time coach at SBGi Portland, Oregon, a newlywed, a dog lover, and follows a vegan lifestyle. She trains 6 days a week, teaches 2-5 classes a day, and competes regularly. Amanda is the 2014 World Championship silver medalist in the brown belt lightweight division. Her goals in the coming years are to compete as much as possible, to become a better instructor, and to continue teaching SBGi philosophy of posture, pressure, and possibilities.

What was the most challenging belt level for you?

That’s a tough question to answer because to me the belt is just a representation of the work I’ve put in on the mat. I think that every belt level has its challenges, and the usual one I face is my own criticism of “am I getting better?”

The biggest challenge I’m constantly overcoming is the failure part. I tell myself that failure is part of growth; if I’m not failing, I’m not learning which is always easier said than done. This goes for competition as well. The last thing I want to do is lose in front of my team, and my coaches. I know now that there will always be a perfect excuse for whatever loss I take. All I can do is go back to the gym, fix my mistakes, and improve my game.

What advice would you give to women who have a hard time in training?

Training can be arduous, however, if you are passionate about it, I see no reason why you would stop. I may not be as physically strong as most men but I am a hell of a lot stronger mentally than most. The more you doubt me, the more I’ll prove you wrong; that’s the kind of woman I am.

Advice for jiu-jitsu women can be challenging because there are so many different types out there on the mats. The ones that truly love it for what it is will overcome any, and every difficulty presented to them. With that being said, I truly believe that there are a few fundamental ingredients for a successful female student:

Find a gym/coach that supports you. I’ve heard all too often from women that their coach did not think they could make it to the next level of training or because in the past they have had women come and go; and assuming that you would be the next to leave. I got incredibly lucky finding SBGi, and noticed that most gyms here in Oregon hold the same high standards for women’s bjj, and show the utmost respect to their female students.
Find solid training partners. They should be a good mix of people who you can beat; who can destroy you; and who you can go back, and forth with. It is okay to so no if you don’t want to roll with someone. You have one body for the rest of your life; use it wisely.
You must understand that there are going to be training partners that are bigger than you, smaller than you, older than you, and younger than you. You are going to be in uncomfortable positions; you are going to feel weak, and sometimes you are going to feel strong. It is wise not to complain about these things as most women go through the same situations. Your technique may take just a little bit longer to come out on top but eventually it will.
Don’t give up!

Black Belt Corner with Felicia Oh

07 Friday Nov 2014

Posted by fenomkimonos in Fenomenal Women, Women's BJJ

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Tags

felicia oh, female black belt, women's bjj, women's brazilian jiu jitsu

This edition of Black Belt Corner features Felicia Oh whom we tried to interview for a long time. Things got delayed, and postponed, and we thought it was not going to happen. Turns out that in the last 3 weeks a whole lot in Felicia’s life has changed, and her story did not want to go public without it! The wait was worthwhile. Please enjoy!

Can you tell us a little bit about how you found BJJ, and what you have been doing lately?

I started training when I was 33 years old. I had done lots of different sports growing up but I wasn’t really good at any of them. I was decent; I didn’t get cut from the JV Basketball team but I never actually got to play. I enjoyed gymnastics a lot, and made the team but I wasn’t really that good. I just really loved sports, and worked very hard at them.

In 2000, I had an unusually bad outdoor year. I did the LA Marathon, and it turned into an awful time. And then, in October, I went on a last-minute climb to Mt. Whitney, and that was also a terrible experience. We got caught in a horrible storm, and never made it to the top. My friend’s husband told me about BJJ on our drive up so on the unpleasant drive home, I decided that an indoor activity might be a good change. The following week I went to watch a class at Jean Jacques Machado’s Academy, and signed up. After 6 months I did my first tournament, and after that I just kept competing.

It’s funny because it wasn’t like I did my first class, and thought “Wow! I’ve found a great sport”. It was just a class that I signed up for, and went to go learn. I kept going back, and the 2 days a week turned into 3, into 4, and so on.

I received my black belt from Jean Jacques Machado after training for 4.5 years. In 2006, I won the ADCC North American Trials, and my spot at ADCC. I finished 2^nd after winning matches against two very seasoned women’s jiu- jitsu veterans.

Later that year, I got Epstein-Barr Virus, and have been plagued with health, and fatigue issues ever since. I competed a few times in the following years, and had started training for MMA but it was impossible to train at the high level necessary in order to compete. I’ve gone to different doctors but haven’t found any answers. This forced me to shift my focus more to teaching instead of training.

Now I’ve found myself having a great time teaching, and coaching kids! It was never something I was interested in doing! This year, I am helping to start the Valencia High School Wrestling program, the first one in the Santa Clarita Valley since they cut back their sports program in 1977.

For a while I’ve entertained the idea of getting back to competition. However, at 46, I’ve reluctantly come to accept that the body is no longer the same, and it has a mind of its own. There are increasingly more divisions, and competitors in the masters divisions so I decided to compete this year at the World Masters Jiu-Jitsu Championship, and took home a gold medal after just a few weeks of training!

Which belt level was the most challenging for you, and how did you overcome the challenges?

Wow! Every belt level has its own set of challenges, and then life has its own set of challenges on top of that. That would be a few books worth! There were times where jiu-jitsu was my safe cocoon, my escape, and made all my problems, all my worries disappear because the person on your back trying to choke you out was a little more pressing at that moment. It lets you have very focused attention; I love that, and the freedom that I feel in that space.

There were also times where jiu-jitsu was the source of my misery, and it has been very difficult. I would say my blue belt was a real emotional jiu-jitsu rollercoaster ride. After 2009 I was pretty much done with competing, and training. I only taught.

The fatigue made it really hard to train, so for 3 years I didn’t do anything. When I would try to get back to rolling or even running, some odd injury popped up, and it started to get very frustrating, and old after a couple of years. I was starting to think that I was done with training for good.

Then, just a few weeks ago, I started running again; felt pretty good, and didn’t get any injuries, and sort of decided to sign up for the 2014 IBJJF World Masters Championship. I didn’t think there would be anyone my age, and I did it more as something to make me commit to training again. But there was another woman, Sue Ausman, signed up so I put my gi on, and started training! The tournament is sometimes referred to as “Old Man Worlds” but being there this year was really amazing. It has grown so much! I got to see so many guys I used to watch, and whom I looked up to; they are back out there on the mat competing! There are also the brave men, and women that do both the regular Worlds, and the Masters because 30 isn’t really that old, and certainly doesn’t mean you are past your prime!

It has taken me some time to come around to this, and I would not have done the tournament before, but now I’m so grateful that there is a venue for competitors when we …uh… advance in our years, and realize that the competition itch doesn’t fully go away. Coming back to training; learning to enjoy jiu-jitsu for the pure joy of it, without competition as the primary motivation. That is where I am now!

What advice would you give to women who have a hard time in training?

It’s the same in life, and in jiu-jitsu that you just have to keep going. Even though you will get lost or you are uncertain; you just keep going, and believing. Sometimes it is a really hard advice to follow when it seems like things keep getting worse and worse. It’s easier in jiu-jitsu because you can tap, and you get to start over. Life does not always let you start over or give you a second chance, and the boundaries are not always as clear. So I find this to be much easier in jiu-jitsu than in life.

Black Belt Corner with Sophia Drysdale

10 Wednesday Sep 2014

Posted by fenomkimonos in Fenomenal Women, Women's BJJ

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

australian girls in gi, drysdale bjj, female black belt, sophia drysdale, women's bjj, women's brazilian jiu jitsu

Sophia Drysdale started jiu-jitsu in 2002 in Melbourne, Australia. She had been in gymnastics for about 10 years when a long-term injury forced her to retire. She was looking for something that was physically and mentally challenging, and her search stopped the day she found BJJ.

Sophia trained in Australia for 5 years, and after doing very well at local tournaments she decided to compete overseas. She won her first Pan American Championships as a blue belt and then again as a purple belt two years in a row. That is when she decided to move overseas to focus more on training.

Sophia moved to the US in 2007. For the next few years, however, she was dealing with a series of major injuries that halted her competition career temporarily. In 2009 Sophia started training in Las Vegas with Robert Drysdale, and received her black belt in 2010. Two years later she won a gold at the No-Gi Worlds right before becoming pregnant with her first child. A year and a half later she had another baby. This year Sophia has been busy teaching women’s jiu-jitsu seminars in Australia, Mexico and the US, and she is back on the competition scene. She added Pan Ams gold, and the Worlds bronze to her impressive list of achievements.

Although she still trains very hard and competes, her focus is a little different. She wants to teach more, and help inspire and empower women. She wants to show that you can be a mother, and an athlete at the same time. Even though she did not take home a gold this year at the Worlds, we are pretty sure she was the only mother on the black belt podium. Considering her youngest is only a year old, and she had stopped breastfeeding 6 months earlier, that is quite an achievement.

What was the most challenging belt level for you?

My brown belt was the most challenging belt because at the time I was overseas on my own searching for an academy that I could call home. I had suffered from some really bad injuries, such as torn cartilage in my ribs, complete shoulder separation, and herniated disc in my neck. Competing was also tough because brown and black belt were in the same division. Mentally it was tough to deal with being an up-and-comer, and knowing that I was competing against some of the most seasoned black belts who I had idolized throughout my journey.

What advice would you give to women who are struggling?

BJJ is always tougher for women since we are the minority on the mat. I would say that most women have dealt with sexual discrimination, being ostracized or bullying of some sort. But this is changing. Today the journey for women is much easier than it was back when I started.

There are so many more women who train now, and they have formed solid training groups which is a huge help. Additionally, there are more female black belts, so there are more role models who teach women’s classes and seminars.

This is important on so many levels because women see that it can be done. You can achieve your black belt, be a world champion, a teacher, and a mother! Seminars are an opportunity to pass on techniques that are better suited for women. I teach techniques that have taken me years to refine, and I know they work! Seminar, camps and open mats provide an opportunity for women to cross train, learn, share, and grow together and build lifelong friendships.

BJJ is a way of life. If things get rough, there is nothing wrong with taking a break, and getting back on the mats when the fire is strong again. Also, changing your attitude at certain times can help. If you are feeling bad, tired or weak, it is better to focus on having a great workout, and spending time with friends rather than focusing on winning all your matches. Having a strong support network helps tremendously. It is much easier to overcome obstacles if you have an empathetic coach, a friend or a partner who understands the sport and what you are going through.

BJJ in Brunei

19 Tuesday Aug 2014

Posted by fenomkimonos in Fenomenal Women, Women's BJJ

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

brunei, busiido mma&bjj, women's bjj, women's bjj brunei, women's brazilian jiu jitsu

Brunei (Negara Brunei Darussalam) is a tiny country with a population of about 416,000 people. It is located on the Southeast Asian island of Borneo that is shared by Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. Brunei is a devoutly Muslim country but also respectful, and open to other faiths and beliefs. It is an oil rich country with some of the most breath-taking, untamed rainforests, and opulent buildings.

A few months ago we started receiving gi orders from Brunei, and were wondering how in the world did Brunei jiu-jitsu women find us.

We asked one of our customers, Ling, to talk about BJJ in Brunei. Ling is a 33-year old mom of three, soon to be four, kids. She is a youth worker, and a life coach, and has been training for about 8 months now. She is a white belt, and her whole family trains together.

Ling, how did you get started and what is happening in BJJ in Brunei?

I first heard about BJJ when I was a kid. My dad was huge fan of the Gracies, and he would bring home video tapes of the Gracies’ fights for us to watch. He said, if you want to learn how to be the best fighter, you need to learn BJJ. He was a 3rd degree karate black belt at the time. However, back then BJJ schools, and classes were unheard of in Brunei. Even the term jiu-jitsu would leave a lot of people clueless and confused.

Right now I’m glad to say that we are blessed to have access to BJJ. Our instructor Eazy is local. He is a purple belt, and participates actively in competitions. Occasionally we have black belt guest instructors who fly in to teach seminars. We have two branches, one near the capital and the other in another district. The academy is called Busiido BJJ, and we belong to Checkmat association. So far we have about 10 women who actively train BJJ. Our coach’s wife, Fuzzers, is a blue belt and the highest ranked woman in Brunei.

Is it challenging for women to train in Brunei?

Initially because of our conservative culture, most women would feel a little awkward if they had to partner with a guy for the first time. However, eventually we get over our shyness because there is only a limited number of female partners. Over time we also develop healthy friendships with our teammates and that makes it easier to train. We can’t let the boys have all the fun!

The fees at our academy are affordable but buying gis is very expensive. Everything has to be ordered online internationally, and the shipping cost plus the exchange rate makes everything pricey. Another limitation is the lack of tournaments. If we want to compete, we have to travel outside of the country.

What do you like about BJJ?

I love that both my husband, our three kids, and I all train together. It draws us closer to each other, and make family time extra fun. I enjoy learning new techniques at BJJ. Right now it’s all about the chokes. I also love spider guard, and de la Riva guard. I enjoy seeing my endurance improve, and being able to perfectly execute that move after practicing it many times!

What makes Brunei a great place to live?

I would like to invite everyone to visit Brunei. It is a very beautiful, and very unique place. We are a tiny country but we have our own culture, and everyone is friendly here. It’s a peaceful place, a great place to raise kids, and we generally have an easy paced life. We are tax-free nation, and every Bruneian has access to free education and healthcare. We have some of the nicest beaches that are less crowded than other popular tourist spots. Come and visit us!