Judoka Chiharu “Gigi” Davis

11 Monday Mar 2019

Tags

dallas, eastside dojo, hofu, jiu-jitsu, judo, judo black belt, white to black belt, women's bjj, women's judo

We had the pleasure of interviewing judo black belt Gigi Davis. She is USA JUDO certified judo coach in Texas, Registered Nurse, and Japanese-English medical interpreter. According to Gigi she wasn’t athletic, hated exercising and had no interest in judo initially. She started training in high-school and joined the school team just to hang out with her good friend. She ended up becoming a judo black belt, a competitor and an instructor! Gigi lived for over a decade in the United States but two years ago moved back to her homeland, Japan. We wanted to learn more about her international family, training, and life in two very different countries.

How did you find your way to the United States and why did you move back to Japan after so many years here?

I had been dreaming of working abroad since I was a high school student but had no chance to make it happen until I was in my 30s. In 2004, a huge tsunami devastated Indonesia and I had the opportunity to join DMAT to go to Banda Ache, Indonesia as a tsunami task force. I was quite confident to complete the mission because I had been learning English in a tutor school and thought I would have no problems there.

However, I was totally shocked because I could not understand international medical teams conversation in the medical team meetings. I realized my English skill was not good enough to complete tasks and work globally. After I completed the DMAT mission, I decided to go to the United States to improve my English. I set my final goal in the U.S. to obtain my RN license. In fall 2005, I went to the States as an international student and started learning English and strategies to pass NCLEX test.

The reason we moved back to Japan is for our children. They have two heritages, Japan and American. They have right to keep both cultures and receive education in Japanese and English. My son and daughter attended Japanese school in Dallas every Saturday but it is quite hard to maintain basic Japanese. Besides, both my husband and I are Registered Nurses and saw the dark side of the U.S. My husband is a psychiatric nurse and he took care of so many people suffering from drug abuse, domestic violence, and severe depression. I was a RN working in the recovery room and I saw a lot of gun violence victims. Well, we have some of the same issues in Japan except for gun shootings. In addition, my hometown is in the countryside and have plentiful nature. Children can walk by themselves, have more freedom, and there is less crime. Therefore, we thought raising our children in my hometown would be much less stressful.

Dallas, Texas

Hofu, Japan

Why did you decide to train jiu-jitsu in addition to judo?

Since I started coaching judo in the United States, I realized that more than half of children lost their match by newaza (groundwork when both competitors are on the ground after a throw or attempted throw). I understood the reason. Children cannot throw a perfect Ippon most of the time because of their immaturity of throwing techniques and the match is decided on the ground. If a child does not know ground technique well enough, they instantly lose the match. This is why I started BJJ with my kids. Today so many judo athletes have both judo and BJJ black belt. If we would like to go to a world level championship tournament, we better learn BJJ and judo.

Your whole family trains judo. Is it hard or easy when everyone has the same hobby?

It is fun to practice judo and BJJ with all the family members. Nothing is hard except coaching. Coaching my own children is challenging because I see my children as athletes on tatami but they see me as “mother” all the time. I mean they would like to think I am their mother no matter where they are. Therefore, I sometimes do not coach my kids on tatami and ask someone else to do it.

How much does it cost in average to take judo classes and jiu-jitsu classes in Japan?

It is extremely cheap to take judo lessons in Japan. Our team charges children only $19 per month per child. This is average cost to learn judo. Jiu-jitsu is a bit higher. I have been paying $40 per month for myself and my kids train for free. It looks great financially but we face several problems. All coaches are volunteers and they do not receive any pay or reward from their team. On top of that almost every week they have to work as a volunteer at tournaments. The coaches have too many responsibilities for their judo team and receive no compensation.

What do you think is harder, jiu-jitsu or judo training?

I love both judo and BJJ. I don’t feel neither is hard. Jiu-jitsu is more difficult than judo for me at this time because I am a white belt in BJJ instead of a black belt in judo.

53811041_10156203625240773_2641244740594434048_n

What is the biggest difference between Japan and the United States in general?

I love Japan because most people are really polite, honest, and kind. Safe environment allows us to let our kids go outside freely. No gun violence (only in Yakuza – Japanese criminal organization) makes all parents comfortable letting kids go to school without being concerned about gun shootings. However, Japan still needs some improvement. People prefer using cash instead of credit or debit cards. We still need to work on making our country more foreigner-friendly. I see lots of issues that still need to be resolved but I also love Japan as it is now. Japanese people respect their culture and try to maintain it.

I also love the United States. People are very funny and respect individuality. People are free and living their individual life. I like that a lot. I am just happy to have the opportunity to live in both countries.

If someone wants to visit Japan, what is the one place they should visit for sure and why?

I truly recommend to visit rural areas of Japan like my hometown. Most foreigners like to visit urban cities like Tokyo and Osaka or they visit historical cities like Kyoto and Nara. However, rural Japan has numerous sight-seeing spots. People are really nice. Please visit my hometown, Yamaguchi prefecture, it is really beautiful! People can enjoy historical areas, our beautiful ocean, and nature as well. You will like it!

Do you have any other hobbies?

Yes, I do. I used to love all kinds of board sports such as snowboarding, skateboarding, wakeboarding, and surfing. Today I love fishing, climbing, and hot yoga!

11. Tell us something most people don’t know about you!

I was a judo champion in my hometown when I was 17. It is equivalent to a state champion in the U.S. I got first place in -52kg division and went to All Japan Judo Championship. I won my first match but lost the second one. I made it to the top 24 in Japan.

Female BJJ Black Belts

23 Monday Jul 2018

Posted by fenomkimonos in Women's BJJ

≈ 52 Comments

Tags

bjj, BJJ black belt, female black belt, support women's bjj, white to black belt, women's bjj

We have started a project to map out female BJJ black belts in the U.S., state by state. This database is for the women’s jiu-jitsu community as a free resource for anyone who wants to find a gym with an active female black belt practicioner or an instructor.

So far we found about 160 ladies through friends, IBJJF rankings and social media. There are probably another 30-40 black belts whom we somehow missed.

If you can help us complete the project, we would greatly appreciate it. Check out the black belt list and if you see a name that is missing the year of promotion, instructor’s name or current location, and you can help us correct it, please do. If you know of a female black belt who is not mentioned, please comment and we can add her. Thank you and happy training!

Fenomenal Woman Dr. Olga Lyashevska

23 Thursday Jun 2016

Posted by fenomkimonos in Fenomenal Women, Women's BJJ

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

carlson gracie amsterdam, doctor black belt, female black belt, olga lyashevska, smart girls, white to black belt

We are very happy to feature another doctor on our blog. Dr. Olga Lyashevska is originally from Crimea but currently lives in the Netherlands. She has been training judo and jiu-jitsu since 2005 and has earned her black belt in both martial arts. Olga works full-time in a very brainy field, competes actively and is also one of the instructors at Carlson Gracie Amsterdam. Everyone please meet Dr. Lyashevska!

What do you do in real life besides training jiu-jitsu?

In real life I spend my days in the office behind my computer. I am working as a postdoctoral (someone after PhD) in statistical ecology. My daily activities include code writing to run statistical models, analysis of relationship between variables and making predictions or simulations.

How did you find jiu-jitsu and where have you been training?

Finding jiu-jitsu was pure luck for me and I do not know how my life would be otherwise. About 11 years ago as a master student at the Dutch University I had a self-study week. This means no classes, just preparation for your exams and more time for sports. Out of curiosity I picked a random activity at the university sport centre and decided to give it a try. When I arrived there, I saw a few black belts coming in and I got so intimidated that I was about to leave. Fortunately it was too late. The teacher noticed me and I was told to join. I remember his words ”No, you cannot watch, you need to do.” I was told to grab a gi and a belt. I was terrible. After a few minutes of the class, he asked me, ”Have you done it before?” I said, ”No.” ‘Why are you wearing a colored belt then then?”, he asked. I did not know either. All I knew was that I was so excited that I picked a random belt out of the box.

The first class was fun and since then I have never stopped training. My home gym is Carlson Gracie Amsterdam and my instructor who promoted me to black belt in 2015 is Marcos Flexa who is a 4th degree black belt under the legendary Carlson Gracie Sr.

Now being an instuctor myself I have learned two things: 1) you do not know whether you like jiu-jitsu until you actually do it yourself 2) first class can be very intimidating.

How did you end up living in the Netherlands?

I came to the Netherlands to study for my Master of Science degree. After graduating I lived in a few different places including the UK and Ireland but the Netherlands was always my home.

Do you like to compete? What are your biggest accomplishments so far?

Yes I do. But my liking has changed over the years. Up to the purple belt I competed a lot, sometimes as often as twice a month. Back then there were few girls competing so I competed against guys and had some success. Now I like doing big competitions a few times a year to stay sharp and to evaluate myself. It’s also a great opportunity to meet other tough girls. At the same time I also enjoy off-season because I can invest time into developing my game, training new things, confusing your body, making mistakes and improving overall. For me jiu-jitsu is for life. So I believe you should train smart and train different things to become a true martial artist. My biggest accomplishment so far I guess would be Europeans 2016. I got third place in the adult black belt open class. Now I am looking forward to the World Masters Championship in Las Vegas at the end of August.

What was your most challenging belt level and why?

Purple I guess. Because back then purple, brown, and black were still one category in competitions. Fighting much more experienced girls was by no means easy but it was invaluable experience. After several years when the moment was right black belt came naturally to me. I felt well prepared. In my very first competition as a black belt I made it to the podium.

You are teaching a women’s jiu-jitsu seminar in Seattle on July 2nd. How did the seminar in the USA come about?

The seminar in the USA was a coincidence. I am going to a conference to present a paper on gradient boosting regression trees at the University of Washington. Whenever I travel for work no matter where I go or for how long I always bring a gi or two with me. And the first thing I do I check where I can train. I checked and found a club of my team, Carlson Gracie, in Seattle. The rest was a matter of planning. I am very excited to go there and meet new people who share your passion. Thanks to jiu-jitsu I have made friends in many countries such as Canada, France, Germany and Russia. After Seattle I have another ladies only seminar lined up at my home gym on July 10th.

From time to time I teach seminars but I think I prefer teaching regular classes. You build connection with your students; you can see their progress and help them to get better. Recently I have started teaching regular women’s jiu-jitsu classes. There is a really good vibe in the class. I see that women are enjoying it and so do I. It is very exciting to share my passion and to see how others get passionate as well.

What is happening in women’s BJJ in the Netherlands? Are there any regular open mats and camps being organized?

Yes, there have been big changes in the past few years. Women’s BJJ is growing fast. At Carlson Gracie Amsterdam alone there are at least 6-8 girls training together on a regular night. Once a month we meet with girls from other teams for an open mat somewhere in the country. It is a different place each time so everyone can participate. A couple of times a year there are international trainings camps where girls from all over Europe come together.

Do you have any other talents or hobbies? Anything interesting you want our readers to know about you?

I love learning languages. My jiu-jitsu teacher says that is because I like talking… a lot. So I can talk to everyone. But seriously, I like a challenge; I like the sound of languages. I like to see the amazing capacity of your brain to accumulate knowledge and its response to all the learning. I do it daily. You probably ask how many languages I speak? Regularly I speak only four: Russian, Dutch, English and Portuguese. Sometimes Ukrainian. And I am still learning German and Arabic. There is a long list to do. 😉

Black Belt Corner with Jill Baker

27 Tuesday Oct 2015

Posted by fenomkimonos in Fenomenal Women, Women's BJJ

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

bakersfield bjj, female black belt, jill baker, messy hair we don't care, socal wbjj, white to black belt, women's bjj, women's brazilian jiu jitsu

We interviewed Jill Baker in 2012 when she was a brand new brown belt, and had become the main organizer of SoCal Women’s BJJ Open Mat.

Last year in September she was promoted to black belt by Jean Jacques Machado. She called the promotion day a really special yet terrifying one. The striking tall beauty was kind enough to make a second appearance on our blog, and answer a couple of questions for the Black Belt Corner series. Enjoy!

Which belt level has been the most challenging for you?

For me, white belt was absolutely the most challenging belt. When you start training, jiu-jitsu is daunting. The things you don’t know are overwhelming in comparison to a few lessons a week. I remember learning a move and practicing it and then going, “OK got it! But then what do I do?” I didn’t compete for my first year or so, and then when I did, I could not win a match to save my life. I just did not have any pieces glued together. I got my blue belt after almost three years of training, and that is when I felt like things began to make sense.

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

When women have the courage to start jiu-jitsu, I let them know that it is a life changing move. There will be highs and lows, tears and celebrations but if they persevere through the first year, they will never be the same person they were before they trained.

They will be better athletes of course but more importantly, they will be better problem solvers. They will be better stress managers, better wives, moms, teachers; just better at life because of this sport. No exaggeration.

I am so thankful that I had the teammates, and my amazing coach to get me through the weeds of the first years, so that I could learn the life lessons that are communicated through my involvement in this sport. Training has become an outlet for me. It’s a place I go to when I’m stressed, when I am tired, when I am sad or starving. Most days I really feel like jiu-jitsu solves all of these. It is also the place I run to after a great day. When I am happy, jiu-jitsu feels just as good. It makes me feel productive, and accomplished; it let’s me think about nothing but what is happening in the moment.

Check out Jill’s upcoming SoCal Women’s Toy Roll in Bakersfield, CA. Bring an unwrapped toy to make a child happy, and get some rolls in to make yourself happy!

Black Belt Corner with Chelsea Leah

15 Tuesday Sep 2015

Posted by fenomkimonos in Fenomenal Women, Women's BJJ

≈ 1 Comment

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.

Hemp Belt Giveaway!

28 Tuesday Jul 2015

Posted by fenomkimonos in Products, Women's BJJ

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

belt envy, bjj, fenom kimonos, hemp, hemp belt, white to black belt, women's bjj, women's brazilian jiu jitsu

Some people say that belts and stripes are not important. Do you agree or disagree? We disagree. The wear and tear on your belt shows the hard work, hours on the mat and your dedication to jiu-jitsu. Stripes show your progress and that you are a step closer to your next goal. Why shouldn’t we be proud of it?

Let’s see the most worn out, unrecognizable color belts out there. Is your belt falling apart at the seams? Do people ask if you are a gray belt? Do you sometimes hope that no-one grabs your belt when rolling so that you don’t have to see the white filler slowly ooze out and hear the dreaded ripping sound? Has the belt served you well and is soon ready to be displayed in a shadow box to enjoy its retirement years? If so, send us a picture of your belt for a chance to win a brand new Fenom hemp belt.

Photos can be submitted on Facebook, Instagram or via email. Winners will receive a belt of their choice in any color and size. Five random winners will be picked on August 2. Good luck and happy training!

Black Belt Corner with Lana Stefanac

19 Sunday Jul 2015

Posted by fenomkimonos in Fenomenal Women, Women's BJJ

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

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.

#Equalpaytuesday

16 Tuesday Jun 2015

Posted by fenomkimonos in Women's BJJ

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

dominyka obelenyte, equalpayforbjj, ibjjf, white to black belt, women's bjj

Black belt world champion Dominyka Obelenyte is petitioning IBJJF to change how the biggest, and most profitable organization in BJJ doles out prize money to women at their Pro events. New York BJJ Pro Championship, scheduled to take place in November, offers $4,000.00 to the first place winner in each weight class for male black belt competitors. For female black belts the prize money is $1,500.00, and only offered to the open weight class winner. Please sign the petition if you believe that women should receive equal prize money at IBJJF Pro tournaments.

Please support #equalpaytuesday by posting a photo with a sign #equalpayforbjj and tag all the major players in BJJ. Make it big; make it fair for women’s jiu-jitsu!

2015 Worlds in Photos

04 Thursday Jun 2015

Posted by fenomkimonos in Women's BJJ

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

messy hair we don't care, white to black belt, women's brazilian jiu jitsu, worlds 2015

2015 World Championship is over, and athletes have returned home near and far. Some travelled home feeling pure joy and happiness; their dreams of placing on top of the podium came true. Others had to deal with disappointment, sadness and the realization that a gold medal may never be attainable at that belt level. All the sacrifices, dieting, extra conditioning and early morning drills did not pay off this time. Someone else had a better day. Thank you to all the ladies who stepped on the mat, and fought technically outsanding fights. You have brought women’s jiu-jitsu to a new level.

11393138_10153298503705435_4593469257372025566_n

Black Belt Corner with Charlene Coats

05 Sunday Apr 2015

Posted by fenomkimonos in Fenomenal Women, Women's BJJ

≈ 1 Comment

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!