Black Belt Corner with Luciana ”Luka” Dias

28 Friday Feb 2014

Posted by fenomkimonos in Fenomenal Women

Tags

black belt, gracie humaita, luciana "luka" dias, women's bjj, women's brazilian jiu jitsu

Luciana “Luka” Dias was born on December 4, 1962 and began her martial arts career in judo under Petrucio Monteiro while studying physical education. About two years later, in 1986, Luka met Wellington “Megaton” Dias who introduced her to BJJ at a summer camp in Rio de Janeiro.

She started training jiu-jitsu with the Machado brothers in Teresopolis City, and earned her blue belt under them in August 1988, and her purple belt in February 1998. Yes, it’s not a typo, it took Luka 10 years to go from blue to purple because of work, moving, and life general. After graduating from the university she moved to Florida in 1989. Luka and Megaton reconnected in the US in 1996, and Megaton became her mentor, coach, and husband.

Luka has been an active competitor in judo and BJJ for decades, her most recent tournament being the IBJJF European Championship in 2014. She is one of the highest ranked female black belts in the world, and a huge supporter of women’s jiu-jitsu.

What was the most challenging belt level for you?

I would say purple and brown were definitely the most challenging belt levels for me. Purple belt was hard because I felt more advanced and, wanted to prove more to myself and my professors. It was the rank where I felt more power, and that my technique was solid. It was also most challenging time in my competition career. I had to compete against brown and black belts. We did not have enough women in the sport so the brackets were combined from purple to black.

The brown belt for me was more about focusing on getting my black belt. It was the time to refine and polish the techniques. I received my brown belt in 2001, and was finally awarded my black belt in 2003 by Royler Gracie and Megaton.

What advice would you give to women who are struggling?

Ladies, we all have hard time in training but remember that you are strong, and you can do multiple tasks. Never stay away from the mats too long because the longer you are out, the harder it is to come back. Injuries are common in our sport, you have to get used to it. Treat your injuries well, and listen to your doctor!

Try to have a good quality workout, and follow a health- conscious diet. Each day is different, some are good, some are not so good but try to learn something from your professors and higher ranked teammates every day. Respect to earn respect!

Most importantly, be humble about your success, don’t try to be all that! Remember where you came from, and all the people who helped you along. Help the ones who are struggling. Your good qualities will appear with humbleness. Always be honest and true to yourself. Keep training hard! Love you all!!!

Valentine’s Day Gi Giveaway

13 Thursday Feb 2014

Posted by fenomkimonos in News and Events

≈ 46 Comments

Tags

fenom kimonos, gi giveaway, women's bjj, women's brazilian jiu jitsu

Valentine’s Day, a long-awaited holiday for lovers, is here! It’s a feared day for single people who feel the pressure to have a significant other as their Facebook feed is blowing up with pictures of flowers, chocolates, teddy bears, and the cheesiest messages between the most “amazing” couples.

The roots of Valentine’s Day date back to ancient Roman times, to a pagan fertility festival called Lupercalia. Later the church chose mid-February for St. Valentine’s Day in order to Christianize the celebration. It wasn’t until the 1300s that the holiday became definitively associated with love and romance. By the 17th century the people in Great Britain had begun the tradition of exchanging cards and letters.

Modern Valentine’s Day cards bear little resemblance to the intricate paper confections made out of hand cut lace paper, decorated with ribbons, cupids, hearts, flowers, and calligraphy. Handwritten notes that were replaced with mass-produced cards in 1900s are slowly being taken over by e-cards and text messages. Red roses, heart-shaped boxes of chocolate and jewelry are the most popular gifts among couples. Kids in school give out valentines to everyone in order not to hurt anyone’s feelings. Teachers are now the number one group of people receiving valentines.

What started as exchanging of cards has become a commercial holiday of epic proportions. Chase Blueprint Valentine’s Day survey concludes that women will spend around $ 71.00 and men around $ 100.00 on gifts this year. The survey also concludes that 2/3 of men would like to have sex instead of receiving a gift on Valentine’s Day. However, an independent study challenged the results, and determined that number to be 10 out of 10.

We are celebrating Valentine’s Day with a gi giveaway, and are inviting all husbands, fiancés, boyfriends, and partners to tell us about the great lady in their life. Tell us three good things about the love of your life, tell us why she rocks your world. Tell us why she is special and should win a Fenom gi. If you prefer to remain anonymous, that is okay too. What’s better than a gift from a secret admirer? Are you single? No problem, have your best friend submit an entry. Be creative! The best entry wins a free gi!

Australian Girls in Gi Camp 2014

07 Friday Feb 2014

Posted by fenomkimonos in News and Events

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

australian girls in gi, girl's bjj, jess fraser, sophia drysdale, women's bjj, women's brazilian jiu jitsu

Australian Girls in Gi annual two-day camp is one week away! This is shaping to be one of the largest women’s BJJ camps in the history of Australian Girls in Gi with over 75 spots sold out. The instructor for the weekend is Sophia Drysdale, the first Australian female black belt, who is successfully juggling training, competing, teaching, and being a mom.

AGIG has been bringing women together for events, competition, networking, and training since 2010, and the group is led by outstanding efforts of Jess Fraser, a Melbourne based purple belt. For more information or to register, please click here. Happy training!

SBGi Ladies Only Camp

27 Monday Jan 2014

Posted by fenomkimonos in News and Events

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

sbgi, sbgi women's camp, women's bjj, women's brazilian jiu jitsu

The first West coast women only BJJ camp of 2014 is scheduled for March 7-9th at SBGi Portland gym, and we asked the organizer, Salome Thornton, to talk a little bit about Straight Blast Gym International (SBGi), and the upcoming event.

Salome: SBGi is an international organization with gyms all over America, Europe and Asia. We have decades of experience running camps that are educational, interactive and inspiring. For a very long time these camps consisted mostly of men, because gyms were filled with men.

We are known for teaching BJJ using the I-Method, which consists of introduction, isolation and integration. It is a three stage process that begins with introduction stage, learning the movement, and posturing or pressuring properly. The student then proceeds to the isolation stage where that skill is applied against progressive resistance from a partner so that the crucial element of timing is included. It finishes with the integration stage, where the part is brought back into the whole context of whatever we are training for. Introduction, isolation, and integration are usually all within the same practice session.

Starting a women’s BJJ camp was something that became an interest to us about a year ago after last year’s spring camp. Fairly recently we tweaked a few of our teaching methods to help students learn better and faster. It did amazing things to for our female student population. The number of women grew quickly from one girl in the mists of testosterone to at least 30% of women on the mat at any given time. As the number of women on the mat grew, we realized how profound impact BJJ, and the friendships that came along with it had on their lives, and on our social culture. We want to grow this group of strong, and fearless females.

This camp is open to all women no matter what gym they belong to. It is about bringing women all over the world together to share their love of BJJ, get a chance to train with each other, learn from female instructors, get to know each other, and above all enjoy the process!

Our goal is to provide a comprehensive, well-rounded experience for everyone. We want girls to leave with their heads full of new, and immediately implementable information, a smile on their faces, and an inspiration to continue learning.

The instructors for this camp are Lily Pagle, Amanda Loewen, Leah Taylor and myself.

Lily Pagle is SBGi’s first female black belt, and USJF second degree judo black belt. She has a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology and is certified in sports psychology.

Amanda Loewen, aka the Wizard, is one of SBGi’s top-notch brown belts, and homegrown coaches. She is a regular competitor, and her latest BJJ magic was shown off in her 64 minute round with a heavy weight black belt world champion Tammy Griego!

Leah Taylor is also our homegrown SBGi brown belt, a coach and a competitive athlete. She is 2012 IBJJF blue belt world champion, and 2013 purple belt silver medalist.

I am the founder of Primate Yoga ~ Practical Practice, and will be teaching yoga specifically for BJJ, giving girls a few helpful pointers on how to manage discomfort that often arises from rolling. I take a very practical approach to yoga, using the science of human anatomy, and the individual in front of me as a guide to help people improve their posture, and range of motion, help prevent, and rehabilitate injuries.

We have one, two or three-day packages, and early bird prices available. To keep the lodging costs lower, we will have a slumber party/sleepover at the gym. Bring a pillow and a sleeping bag, and we will provide movies and popcorn! For more information please contact Straight Blast Gym Headquarters.

Congratulations!

27 Friday Dec 2013

Posted by fenomkimonos in Women's BJJ

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

brazilian jiu jitsu, girl's bjj, girl's brazilian jiu jitsu, white to black belt, women's bjj, women's brazilian jiu jitsu

As the year comes to an end, it’s time to look back and celebrate women’s jiu-jitsu belt promotions. Lots of girls and women earned stripes on their white belts, fewer made it to blue and purple belt level. Even fewer made it to brown belt and just a handful of dedicated ones achieved the ultimate goal of becoming a black belt. And then there are the super women who earned stripes on their black belts. You are all amazing!

Only the ones who train know how much hard work goes into earning a stripe or a new belt. The countless hours of drilling, and sweating, being frustrated and getting smashed, injuries, and the random submissions transform into a huge smile on the day of the promotions. We all know the feeling of not being ready for the promotion, but excited and elated at the same time.

We congratulate you on achieving your goals this year and hope that 2014 is full of happiness, good surprises, and lots of laughter. Leave behind grudges, sadness, and regret. May you continue to surround yourself with people who enrich your life, and stand by you through thick and thin. Keep it simple, and make it memorable!

Here are some pictures from 2013 belt promotions. We hope you enjoy them.

Nina and Eve

Avery

Olivia

Mandy

Marissa

Pauline

Lauren

Suay

Laura

Kristine

Tara

Leanna

Hannette

BJJ BFFs Beth and Zantha

20 Friday Dec 2013

Posted by fenomkimonos in Women's BJJ

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

bjj bffs, brazilian jiu jitsu, jiu-jitsu hugs, jiu-jitsu mom, peak performance, women's bjj, working out

A couple of months ago we ran a BJJ+BFF photo contest, and asked women to send us pictures of their best friends in jiu-jitsu. We received a bunch of fun, creative entries, and the lucky winners are Beth and Zantha from Keller, Texas. Beth and Zantha were kind enough to tell us how they found jiu-jitsu and each other.

How did you find jiu-jitsu?

Beth: I got started in jiu-jitsu after enrolling my son Xristian at Peak Performance. It had been a couple of months of watching him on the sidelines and I began to think, hey, I could totally do this! So I signed up for women’s self-defense classes. A little bit later I added Muay Thai and started attending evening boot camp, and beginner MMA classes. Now I’m in a class called white to blue that focuses on teaching the techniques you need to master in order to advance to blue belt.

Zantha: I got started in BJJ through my son as well. Like a lot of ladies it started with enrolling him in classes, and me sitting on the bench. For a year I watched him as the discipline of this martial art changed, and grew him. I watched as he struggled with certain techniques but easily grasped others. I was very overweight and out of shape, and finally made the decision that something had to be done. I knew perfectly well what needed to be done but was unable to make myself follow through.

So finally I bit the bullet, and enrolled in our gym’s boot camp classes. I also added beginner MMA class to see if I could learn more about what my son was doing on the mat. I must admit that Muay Thai captured my heart first. I processed the instructions and understood it better. Eventually I joined the white to blue class, and finally all began to click, and make sense. Now BJJ is my passion.

What do you like about jiu-jitsu and your best friend?

Beth: There are so many different things to like about jiu-jitsu. The total body workout for example. I swear, I use every muscle in my body. The focus of a goal, and the ability to defend myself are important as well. BJJ is also something I can share with my son. We often drill together, and he really shows what an awesome kid he is when helping me, other kids, or other white belts.

This can definitely be a hard road. My body doesn’t always cooperate. It doesn’t always do what my brain tells it to or just plain hurts after rolling. This is one of the disadvantages of being a women rolling with men, and one of the smallest women at that. But that is part of jiu-jitsu, finding the strength to push through, and not giving up.

This is where having awesome teammates comes in, especially those who would call or text every time you don’t make it, and who are always there no matter what, like Zantha. I am an internally motivated person but everyone needs that external push, and she is mine. She is my accountability partner, my BFF in BJJ, and life whom I am truly thankful for every day! We drill, we dance, we laugh, we roll. We make BJJ OURS!

Zantha: It’s always hard to answer the question of why I like jiu-jitsu. There are all the standard reasons that most people give that are true for me as well. I love the physical challenge. There is no other workout that strengthens the entire body quite the same way. The mental component is incredible. The planning, and problem solving that must occur in a split second if you want the advantage is exhilarating. The concept of being able to defend myself if necessary is completely reassuring. But it goes deeper than that. I step onto the mat and the rest of the world melts away. Time stands still, and I can work in that moment alone. Jiu-jitsu allows me to turn off all the other roles I am supposed to play in my life ,and just be. That is why I like jiu-jitsu.

Frustrations abound of course in jiu-jitsu just like in life. When I continuously walk into the same set up realizing it a second or two too late or even when it’s not too late but I just can’t come up with the counter quickly enough. It can also be frustrating being out weighed, and out muscled by every partner on a night when no-one your size is training. But the ability to exist in the moment remains despite all of those frustrations. The bonds and comradery that are built on the mats is another reason I love this sport.

My teammates who are on the same journey continuously inspire me, especially Beth. Over the last year she has truly become my best friend. Not just in jiu-jitsu, but in life. We got out start in BJJ in the same way, through our sons, and both love defying what others expect us to be as ladies with families in our late 30s. We both said, why can’t I take this up now? Why shouldn’t this be where I can grow strong? She pushes me to be better, and she inspires me to keep working as hard as she does. She does not let me get caught up in myself when I am having one of those frustrating days on the mats, and most of all she walks this journey with me. Beth is my BFF in BJJ!!

Thank you Beth and Zantha, and enjoy your new gis!

Fenomenal Girl AJ Wurtz

14 Saturday Dec 2013

Posted by fenomkimonos in Fenomenal Girls

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

bruno bastos, girl's bjj, girl's brazilian jiu jitsu, midland bjj, petya bastos

We end our fenomenal girls’ series this year with AJ Wurtz, from Midland, Texas. She is 9 years old, loves jiu-jitsu, color purple, and One Direction. When AJ grows up, she wants to own a bakery. Everyone meet AJ!

How did you get started and how long have you been training?

My whole family trains at Bruno Bastos BJJ, in Midland, Texas, but my older brother started first. I used to go and watch him train. The kids’ class looked a lot of fun and I wanted to try it. I have been training for almost a year now, and I am a four stripe white belt.

What do you like the most about jiu-jitsu?

My favorite part is learning new techniques. I like to learn and try new things. I also love all of my BJJ friends and my coaches.

Do you like to compete? What is your favorite tournament so far?

I like to compete. My family has competed three times. Competing is fun but also challenging for me because I compete against girls and boys. My favorite tournament so far was Fight to Win Torque in Dallas, Texas. It was the first one for my whole family. I got a bronze medal, and got to go to Six Flags the next day.

What is your favorite submission?

I like armbars a lot. I also get to train judo with one of my coaches, and my favorite judo technique is o-goshi which is a hip throw.

Do you ever get bored in training?

No, I don’t get bored because my coaches make training fun. I’m always ready for class, and also love seeing my friends.

Who do you look up to in BJJ and in life general?

In jiu-jitsu I look up to my coaches Bruno and Petya Bastos. They are like a family to me. In real life I look up to my parents and my big brother.

What do your friends think about BJJ?

My friends like that I train jiu-jitsu and think it is awesome! They think my gis look cool. I wish they could watch me compete.

This is what AJ’s mom and dad had to say:

Mom: AJ has the biggest loving heart. She doesn’t discriminate against anyone. The first time she was ever in big trouble at school was because she stood up, and defended her friend who has a physical disability. She was sent to the office for pushing the kid who made fun of her friend who is missing parts of his feet. Needless to say, she was not in trouble when she got home. I praised her for standing up for her friend.

Dad: AJ loves to talk. A lot. She is also extremely competitive with her big brother. One day in kids class, her talking and arguing with her brother got her into some trouble with her coaches. They both ended up in the corner, facing the wall but having to hug each other the whole time until her coach was sure they had learned to love each other again. I will never forget that day.

Coach Bruno Bastos:

At first AJ was not very motivated to train. However, I saw that she did not like to lose in sparring, so I realized that she had a competitive spirit. I asked her if she would like to compete. AJ competed and lost her match. She was upset and cried, but started training more and harder after the loss.

She is motivated by challenges. If she is motivated, she goes after what she wants and that has made her much more successful in tournaments. I try to teach my students to do the best they can every day, not only in jiu-jitsu, but also in school and at home. Always try to fight for what you believe is worth. AJ is a good role model because she fights for what she believes in and has a great attitude doing it.

Happy Shopping!

27 Wednesday Nov 2013

Posted by fenomkimonos in News and Events

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

fenom kimonos, girl's brazilian jiu jitsu, gis for women, women's bjj, women's brazilian jiu jitsu

Fenom Kimonos is having a 12-hour sale on Friday, November 29th. Limited quantities and sizes will be available in each color, so set your alarm clocks and enjoy the lowest prices of the year!

Fenomenal Woman Itzel Bazua

24 Sunday Nov 2013

Posted by fenomkimonos in Fenomenal Women

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

itzel bazua, jiu-jitsu para mujeres, promahos jiujitsu, women's bjj, women's brazilian jiu jitsu

Women’s jiu-jitsu in Mexico is a very young sport. The highest ranked women are purple belts. One of the purple belts, Itzel Bazua, has big dreams. With limited resources but with lots of passion, she is taking the initiative to be the leader and bringing on the change. Everyone meet Itzel Bazua!

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I was born and raised in Mexico City. I am a neurolinguist and have a Psychopedagogy Degree. I am the Director of the Family Resiliency Project which guides children with disabilities, and their families towards an independent and joyful lifestyle. I have a very strong academic background, I teach at a university and I’m an international congress speaker and advisor. I have grown and matured both in my academic activities and BJJ simultaneously, and I find many common grounds in both fields, especially now that I’m working a lot with cerebral palsy, and the awareness and control over the body.

Right now I’m in the transition period. I have decided to dedicate most of my time to BJJ. I am teaching all female and kids’ classes at my house. This project is called Promahos Jiujitsu, and I hope to turn it into something big and meaningful.

You are one of the highest ranked female BJJ practitioners in Mexico. How did you get started?

I’m the second highest ranked but the highest ranked that is actively competing. I used to be a contemporary dancer but back in 2003 my school closed, and I had to look for another activity. A high-school friend told me a little bit about BJJ, and I was very interested. He loaned me a gi, and invited me to train. Since then I have had ups and downs but my love for the sport has only grown. I train at Escola Mente e Corpo Jiu Jitsu in Mexico City. We are affiliated with Team Brasa, and my instructor is Tomas Salgado, a black belt under Felipe Costa.

How has your training been so far? What have been the biggest obstacles?

When I started training I liked BJJ but I did not feel comfortable in my school. I was the youngest, the smallest, and the only female. I felt like a little girl who was going to work with her father. Nobody took me seriously or practiced any technique with me properly. Some guys even said, let’s roll but because you are a girl, I will use one arm or let’s roll so I can warm up.

So I stopped training, and did not believe that I could achieve anything. In 2005 I went back to train. The friend who had introduced me to BJJ was now teaching. I suffered a bad sciatic nerve injury, and had to take some time off again but in 2007 I managed to fully return to training. Around that time I also met a purple belt, Tomas Salgado, who has now become a black belt and is my instructor. I cannot stress how thankful I am to him because he believed in me even when I did not. He pushed me until I started believing in myself. He supports me on and off the mat. Without him I don’t think I would have ever gotten past the white belt.

What have been the most rewarding moments?

The most rewarding moment was when I got my purple belt from Felipe Costa because it meant a lot of hard training and overcoming obstacles. Meeting all the incredible people in the BJJ community is pretty amazing too. I have friends all over the world! I met my boyfriend, Evans Merkouris, at the Brazilian Black Belt Camp in Greece. Something very important about this sport is that it forces you to grow in many aspects, human and intellectual. I believe that I am the person I am today because of BJJ.

Are there any opportunities for women to compete in Mexico?

There are more and more opportunities every year. I have been competing since 2008 as much as my budget has allowed. Sadly, in my category there are never more than four girls, and it is a mix of blue and purple belts. The problem in Mexico is that BJJ is not a priority in many people’s budget. For example, in order to get to the Brazilian Black Belt Camp, I had five jobs and sold many of my possessions. Most girls have different priorities and don’t compete much.

You are organizing the women’s camp with Mackenzie Dern. Tell us more about how you came up with that and why Mackenzie?

The camp was an idea inspired by my friend Keitha Bannan, the very first female black belt in New Zealand. She does an amazing job promoting the sport, and advised me through her experience. This event has the sole objective of promoting the sport in the female community. I met Mackenzie in Greece in 2011, we became good friends, and kept in touch. I admire her for many reasons but mainly because she trains very hard, is very technical, and has true love for the sport. When I told her about this project, she supported me completely.

Unfortunately we had to postpone the first camp due to Mackenzie’s injury. She requires some time off from training, and we are working on new dates for the camp for 2014. It will be even bigger than the one we were planning for this year. I’m excited and wish Mackenzie a fast recovery.

However, this month we had pleasant surprise visitors from Australia. Purple belt world champion Livia Gluchowska and her boyfriend, Lachlan Giles, who is a black belt, spent a few days in Mexico City sharing their knowledge with us.

Have you had a chance to attend any women only training camps or seminars?

Unfortunately I have not been able to attend all female events abroad because of the budget constraints. I would love to go to the Inspire All Female Open Mat, and to any other events where all affiliations and associations are welcome. Hopefully we can have something similar here in Mexico soon as more women are starting to take interest in jiu-jitsu.

Anything else you would like to say?

I would like to just encourage any girl that has enough rank to try teaching, and helping other girls along the way. It is very rewarding! Many girls do not believe that this sport is for them but training with other girls is safe and fun!

Thank you, Itzel!

Hannette Staack BJJ Seminar in Houston

10 Sunday Nov 2013

Posted by fenomkimonos in News and Events

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

brazil 021, brazilian jiu jitsu, girl's bjj, hannette staack, women's bjj, women's brazilian jiu jitsu

Third degree BJJ black belt Hannette Staack has had a busy schedule in 2013 teaching in the US and Europe. She will be closing the year with a trip to Houston for another 3-hour, women only seminar that is becoming an annual tradition. The early bird price of $40.00 is available until November 16th, after that the price is $50.00.

Not only is the price of the seminar an absolute steal but the participants have a chance to win her brand new signature gi that is a collaboration between Fenom Kimonos and Hannette herself. The gi features contrast stitching, inside tape, and beautiful, detailed embroidery in her favorite colors: green, yellow and blue. This is a perfect gift for someone who appreciates the subtle feminine design, and bright color scheme.