Black Belt Corner with Cindy Omatsu

07 Thursday Aug 2014

Posted by fenomkimonos in Fenomenal Women, Women's BJJ

Tags

cindy omatsu, female black belt, first american female black belt, jocelyn chang, leka vieira, let's roll bjj academy, women's bjj, women's brazilian jiu jitsu

Cindy Omatsu was born on January 19, 1961, and started training in July of 1994 at Redondo Beach, California. She walked by the aerobic room at Gold’s Gym, and saw a bunch of guys rolling around on a big mat. At that time a lot of women in South Bay area were being attacked, so she thought it would be a great idea to learn some self-defense. She was hoping to find another woman in class but there were none. The one thing that really got her attention was when her training partner grabbed her wrist. The strength and force of a man’s grip was hard to deal with, and she realized why women would just give up when attacked. She was hooked after the first class. At the same time Cindy’s family was going through a rough time because her dad was battling cancer. Every class helped Cindy deal with her dad’s sickness, and gave her strength to help her mom care for him. Sadly, Cindy’s dad passed away.

After training for a year at Gold’s Gym under Renato Magna, she switched to the Machado Academy at Redondo Beach. Cindy received her black belt from Rigan Machado and Leka Vieira in 2002, making her the first American, as well as the first woman outside of Brazil to receive a black belt in BJJ. Cindy is currently teaching at Let’s Roll Academy in Torrence, and at The Brentwood Club in West LA. She is the OG of women’s BJJ in the US, and her contribution to the sport is invaluable.

What was the most challenging belt level for you?

I feel that my purple belt was one of my toughest belts. This is the belt where you learn which techniques really work for you, and your body type. Your game is really developing here, and you are learning to perfect your moves. I have had many purple belts tell me that they feel stuck or plateau at this belt. At purple belt level it feels like you advance five steps, and then get knocked back down ten. As an instructor, purple belt is where I see a lot of improvement, and growth in my students. With a lot of mat time, and consistent training the rewards will pay off!

What advice would you give to women?

Women who are at white or blue belt level, ask your instructor to watch out for you so that you are training with students who won’t injure you. If you can train with upper belts, do so because they will give you pointers as you roll with them.

I also tell jiu-jitsu women to give yourself kudos if you pass a guy’s guard or hold them in side control or mount. Sometimes you aren’t going to get the tap but you are getting dominant positions, and stabilizing them. Take it as a compliment when a guy starts putting more pressure on you or starts using more strength. It means he is getting frustrated, and your technique is working!

Injuries can happen at any belt level. It is important to let your injuries heal, and be very, very, very patient. I have had my share of injuries with strained MCLs, torn ACL, and shoulder. If you don’t take care of them or let them heal, they will definitely come back, and bite cha in the butt!

Enjoy the experience and journey that each belt level brings. Have fun! If you aren’t learning, and having fun then it is time to quit!

Black Belt Corner with Jocelyn Chang

12 Thursday Jun 2014

Posted by fenomkimonos in Fenomenal Women, Women's BJJ

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

cancer survivor, jocelyn chang, leka vieira, let's roll, masectomy, tiniest black belt in the world

Jocelyn Chang has been training jiu-jitsu for over two decades. She is a second degree black belt under Leka Vieira and at 4’9” the tiniest black belt in the world. Due to her size she has had to adjust the techniques to fit her frame. Furthermore, she has had to modify her training to protect her chest from any pressure. At the age of 39, in 2009, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Jocelyn underwent double mastectomy, 5 months of chemotherapy, and 30 days of radiation. Two weeks after the radiation treatment was finished, she was back on the mat. Jocelyn is a true inspiration for all women in BJJ. Being small or facing a deadly opponent is nothing when you have a never give up attitude. If you have a chance, try to visit her Let’s Roll BJJ Academy in Torrance, California.

What was the most challenging belt lever for you?

Throughout the years of training, the most challenging belt was my purple belt. As a purple belt you are no longer given a pass for any mistakes. The bad habits that you had at the blue belt level are now gone. You have to own the mistakes you make, and reap the consequences. The fun part of purple belt level is that you get to experiment doing more techniques. Mat time is the must, and that is the only way you will grow and succeed to the next level.

What advice would you give to women who are struggling?

It is okay to take a break. Don’t worry, you never forget the basics when you decide to come back from a break. It is like riding a bike. If life completely takes over, BJJ will always be there for you when you find your way back. I’ve had challenging times lately but I don’t see myself giving up the BJJ lifestyle. I’ve recently gone back to working full-time, and still teach at my studio in the evenings. It is too important not to roll. I’m a 3 year cancer survivor, and I believe that doing jiu-jitsu prior to cancer helped me in my recovery both physically and mentally. If you do make time to train regularly, I applaud you. Keep it up, and don’t ever stop rolling!

To read more about Jocelyn Chang, please check out BJJ Legends interview.

Black Belt Corner with Leticia Ribeiro

29 Tuesday Apr 2014

Posted by fenomkimonos in Fenomenal Women

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

bjj, brazilian jiu jitsu, girl's bjj, gracie humaita, leka vieira, leticia ribeiro, women's bjj, women's brazilian jiu jitsu

Leticia Ribeiro started her jiu-jitsu training in Brazil, at Gracie Tijuca academy, in 1994. She fell in love with the sport, trained 2-3 times a day, and received her blue belt in three months. Leticia holds nine world championship titles, seven in gi, and two in no-gi. She has been competing at the Worlds ever since the women’s divisions were introduced in 1998. She received her black belt from Royler Gracie, and Vinicius Aieta in 2000, after winning her first title in the black belt division. In 2008 she moved to California, and started leading Gracie Humaitá female team. In 2013 she opened her own academy, Gracie South Bay. Leticia is a third degree black belt, IBJJF Hall of Famer, and one of the busiest instructors teaching women’s jiu-jitsu seminars and camps all over the world.

Which belt level has been the most challenging for you?

White belt was the hardest for me. When you start training, you don’t even know how to move your body. Everything is new, even hip escape, and shrimping are difficult movements. When you get closer to the blue belt things become easier. You start to understand the game more, have better control of your body, and breathing. That’s when the fun really starts! I felt that after my first armbar. I thought: I love it, I want more!

Photo: Leka Vieira

Tournaments were tough back when I started training. There were only two divisions, and all belts together for women at the first Worlds in 1998. After a few years they separated blue belts, later on purple belts, and now we have all belts separate. I’ve seen the evolution of the women’s jiu-jitsu from the very beginning. I’m very happy with the progress. We have lots of good, technical fighters now. When I was a white belt, we did not have a lot of girls but I was lucky to have Leka Vieira to look up to. She was always two belts ahead of me, and had her female team. She has always been a huge inspiration for me.

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

My advice to all the women who train BJJ is to keep going! Be confident, and be patient with yourself in the learning process. The hard times will pass, and the armbars and chokes will come. It is great if you want to compete, but it is also okay if you don’t want to compete. Jiu-jitsu is for everyone, it will help you in different aspects of your life.

It takes away all the stress at work, kids, family, and everything else that can disturb your day or sleep. Many people say that they don’t go to train because they are too tired from work. To me it sounds like an excuse. No excuses! After work get your gi, and go to class. I can guarantee that you will feel much better after training. Enjoy being on the mat not just to train but to enjoy your team who is your new family because your jiu-jitsu academy should be your second home. Good luck and good training!

Black Belt Corner with Kris Shaw

01 Tuesday Apr 2014

Posted by fenomkimonos in Fenomenal Women

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

bjj, bjj legends, female black belt, kris shaw, leka vieira, rigan machado, women's bjj, women's brazilian jiu jitsu

Our Black Belt Corner series continues with Kris Shaw. She started training in 1997 in Texas but soon moved to Manhattan Beach, California, for work. In California Kris continued her training under Rigan Machado, and received her blue belt, and purple belt from him. In 2000, Leka Vieira came to Rigan Machado’s, and founded the legendary womens jiu-jitsu team. Despite not speaking any English, Leka built a very successful team, and the ladies won some major trophies. Kris was an active competitor at that time, and won several championships in Brazil, and the US. In 2004, Leka established her own academy, which was the first all female academy anywhere. Kris followed her instructor to the new academy, and received her black belt from Leka in May of 2005.

Currently she trains under Mauricio “Tinguinha” Mariano, and a few months ago was promoted to 2nd degree black belt. Kris is a mother of four young daughters, the owner of BJJ Legends Magazine, and on top of that teaches kids’ BJJ classes.

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

Black, black, black! Definitely black belt! My ortho is telling me that I have to quit training forever! I have a bad knee, and I need a knee replacement but I’m too young for the surgery, so it’s a catch 22. I feel my game slipping away. I want to feel the glory days, and run through everybody but now everybody runs through me. I have family commitments that I try to balance. The other weekend I was at a kid’s birthday party but I really wanted to check out Five Tournament. I don’t compete anymore, and I don’t own an academy. I’m getting older, and the white belts are getting younger.

You don’t really overcome getting older but I do make up for it by networking. I reached deep down, and figured out that the reason I still do jiu-jitsu is because of the people. We have a special, magic bond. Fight someone and you know that person. You can’t lie while you’re sparring. The pretenses are stripped away, and pretty much if you hang through a competition class, I like you!

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

Is it your inner defeatist monologue? If you have an hour to get to class, and you’ve planned to go to all day, and that voice starts, you can’t go because if you leave now you will be late. You can’t go now because the couch is so comfortable. You can’t go now because the dog will miss you. Recognize it, turn it off, and go to class. Don’t argue with it, just turn it off! Everything else is out of your control, whether or not you get to class is within your control.

Self-doubt is horrible, and it affects us all. It still creeps up on me. Again, you have to recognize it to stop it. Here’s where a BJJ BFF (best friend) is the helpful. My BJJ BFF has gone through the same things I have, and vice versa. It’s funny because it’s like a script. I tell her, “My instructor didn’t even LOOK at me today!” And a week or a month later, she will tell me that her instructor doesn’t even know if she is alive. So if you can, get yourself a BJJ BFF.

Retail therapy. Buy some new gear. You have to go to class if you just dropped $180 on a new gi! Now counter that with some philanthropy. Give an old gi, give a new gi, go to a grapplethon, and roll for charity. Go to a women’s open mat and help a white belt.

I definitely don’t have all the answers but I hope you stay on the mats and reach your goals!