AJ Clingerman along with her husband James run Indiana Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu/Fight Hub HQ in Greenwood, Indiana. This jiu-jitsu power couple will be running their 6th Women’s Grappling Camp May 3rd-5th. The event has become so popular that the initial limit of 60 sign ups was reached in a record time. Due to overwhelming demand the organizers had to rent a larger venue and extend the max capacity several times. The camp is expected to have 150 participants and this year’s guest instructor is Emily Kwok who is a third degree black belt, a world champion and the founder/master instructor of Princeton BJJ.

AJ spoke to us about how it all started and what to expect this year, “I attended a training camp that Rachel Casias of Zenith Team in Tennessee organized a few years ago. It was such a great event that I knew I wanted to do something similar. Rachel is the only instructor who has taught in all of my events. Women love her teaching style and energy and she really knows how to get ladies fired up at the end of a long weekend. 

I run a competition and rolling session during the camp but I bring in the big guns do the actual teaching. Besides Rachel, I usually invite another guest instructor. In the past we have had Michelle Nicolini, Nikki Sullivan, Angelica Galvao, Angela Marino, Julie Kedzie and Vanessa Wexler. To be honest, I mostly choose instructors who I want to train with and learn from. If I am excited about it, other ladies are probably too. 

We always work with a charity for all our events. I am on the board of My Bruises Are From, a charity benefiting domestic violence victims and I think it is important for strong women to help other women in their time of need. We have donated to the Julian Center, a domestic violence shelter for women and children, at each of our previous camps and will continue doing so this time around.

I want to make sure that the ladies have the absolute best time possible, so I do everything I can to make it happen. I have an amazing husband and a women’s team who help me with it all. I could not do it without them!”

Fenom Kimonos is donating one gi to the camp raffle and the lucky winner can pick a gi of her choice from the product line of 19 different women’s gi designs. Good luck and happy training!