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| BJJ Globetrotters Newsletter // December 2023 | |
Dear Globetrotters,
A big thanks to everyone who came out for the camp in Arizona! It was nice to see so many on the mats - more than 250 of you this time around, including all the locals (we didn't manage to make everyone show up for that group photo above, though 😂) Always a pleasure to see and roll with so many people from this area. And a big congratulations to Alan and Rachael who met at the camp in Maine and decided to get married in Arizona together with all of us. It was a really nice day.
Tomorrow, I'm picking up the first guests in the airport here for our Caribbean Island Camp. It's been a while since we had guests at the BJJ Globetrotters HQ so I'm really excited to for a week of surf, beach and Jiu Jitsu with everyone!
Have a nice day,
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What you'll find in this month's newsletter: - Photos from Arizona Camp last month
- Featured Globetrotter: Anna Fischer
- Globetrotters Academy in Focus: NOVO Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
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Can you contribute with something to Camp 100? |
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Our 100th camp sold out in a few hours after being anonunced, but we have reserved some tickets for people who can contribute with different things to the event. Are you a DJ, comedian, entertainer or something like that? Then you can apply for a contribution ticket and still get in! |
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35 tickets left for next camp in beautiful Tallinn |
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We're returning to the ancient yet vigorously modern Baltic city of Tallinn. Join us as we explore the largest and most innovative Jiu Jitsu gym in the country, as well as some of the most beautifully preserved medieval architecture that Europe has to offer. |
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| Photos from Arizona Camp last month |
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Less than 30 tickets left for next USA Camp in Maine |
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For a full week, an enthusiastic community of Globetrotters will settle into the cabins and fully equipped sports hall of Camp Manitou, fueled by the crisp woodland air of Maine! Each morning we’ll hit the mats as the sun rises over the lake and keep going until the embers of the bonfire settle down for the night.
We take care of absolutely everything – food, accommodation, laundry, and Jiu Jitsu. All you need to do is show up, get in your gi or shorts, and get ready for the experience of a lifetime.
Hope to see you there! |
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| Featured Globetrotter: Anna Fischer |
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Age: 28
Belt: Blue
Profession: I’m studying Plant Sciences at the University of Helsinki.
How many years in BJJ: 5
Other martial arts: I’ve trained Krav Maga for 3 years.
Where do you live: Helsinki, Finland
Where are you from: A small village in the south of Germany
Other fun or curious information you would like to share: I’m really into plants. I’m a trained gardener. Cacti are my favourite plants - they're really fascinating and have the big advantage that they can survive without water or any care for several weeks while I’m traveling.
I also really like to learn languages. So if you see me at some camp and want to practice some fancy language, I’m in! Besides German and English I can offer a bit of French, Finnish, Portuguese, and Spanish (in that order) and if I should ever have time I want to learn Swedish and Dutch. And some of the Cyrillic alphabet. The problem is I don’t have time. |
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Tell us what inspired you to travel and train? I’ve always liked traveling. Before I even knew what Jiu Jitsu was, I did some solo trips to the German and Austrian mountains and to Portugal. Then I figured out that Jiu Jitsu exists and stopped taking longer trips because I didn’t want to miss training. I was in a dilemma. I didn’t know back then how open and visitor friendly the Jiu Jitsu community is. Then I was randomly talking about single leg takedowns with a guy from my gym and afterwards he sent me a link to a BJJ Globetrotters video that covered that topic. That’s how I first heard about the Globetrotters. Learning that I can go to a Jiu Jitsu camp for a whole week and train as much as I want and at the same time explore a new city or country was amazing. I signed up for my first camp and knew immediately that this is how I will spend my holidays from now on.
Tell us about your most recent travel and your upcoming travel – where have you been and where are you going?
My most recent trip was to Rome to participate in the Rome Open and the European Nogi championships in October together with my partner. Well, let me put it like this: I should work on my armbar defence. My partner did better and brought home gold. It was nice to catch some sun before the Finnish winter.
I’ve planned two more trips for this year: one weekend trip to Berlin to participate in a Grappling Industries tournament, and then I will visit my family in Germany over Christmas. There’s a small gym nearby which I’ve already visited a few times, so I’m looking forward to meeting the group again. And then I want to visit the two gyms where I trained before I moved. It’s been almost a year since I was there last time. I hope somebody trains there at that time of the year. But I’m sure I can organize the key and some motivated old training partners.
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What are the things you enjoy about travelling? I like to get to know new countries and their culture, cities, people, and nature. Traveling is always a little adventure and a break from whatever might be stressful in life. And traveling also teaches me a lot about myself. Not everything goes as planned and difficulties can pop up everywhere. Finding solutions for all kind of problems makes you grow a lot as a person.
I’m a very introverted person and always had problems with socializing and talking to strangers. When traveling within the Jiu Jitsu community, things are a bit easier because there are so many like-minded people. From these travels, I’ve learned that it’s worth pushing myself out of my comfort zone for a while, and nowadays I enjoy meeting new Jiu Jitsu people from all around the globe.
Can you give us some examples of experiences you had that makes it worth traveling and training?
I stayed in a Japanese village in the middle of the Polish nowhere and trained on the hugest matspace ever. I wrestled with a Viking and hiked in a country where hot water shoots out of the ground. I had a wrestling match in an Estonian bog. I rolled at an open mat from midnight till 3 in the morning until I almost fell asleep while trying to choke people. There are so many great memories. But one memory sticks with me particularly...
When I started training Jiu Jitsu, I used to train in two very small gyms in southern Germany - the only ones in the whole area. In the beginning it was only me and a handful of big, skilled guys most of the time. I didn’t mind that and really enjoyed training, but I had serious doubts that I will ever reach a somewhat reasonable level, or even get a blue belt. Then I went to my first Globetrotters camp and there were so many women, mostly blue and purple belts. I had never seen a woman with a colored belt before. I was quite intimidated, but they were all so nice and trained with me and gave me tips. I was really looking up to them.
Years later, I eventually made it to blue and was asked to teach classes in one of my old gyms and also in two other small gyms in Germany I have visited. There were these white belt women everywhere and at some point I realized that they are just like I was back then, but the roles have switched. Now I can pass on the inspiration I once received. In these moments I always have to think back to that overwhelming experience at my first camp and I’m so grateful for the Globetrotters community.
What has so far been the most surprising experience for you when traveling?
The most surprising thing so far happened at the Globetrotters Fall Camp in Tallinn in 2021. It was my second camp, and my first time in Estonia. I had signed up for a group dinner and was curious to meet new people, but at the same time I was also a bit nervous because I’m not very good at talking with strangers and often end up saying no more than a few words. And then there was this guy at my table, wearing a t-shirt with an “Introverted, but willing to discuss Jiu Jitsu” print. So I talked with him. Over the next few days he kept asking me out for dinner, and we trained and rolled together quite a few times. And well, now I’m writing this text from Helsinki because I moved in with this guy. I ended up living in a country I probably wouldn’t have been able to point out on a map before the Tallinn camp, and coming here has been one of the best decisions in my life so far. |
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Are you a budget traveller – and if so how do you plan for a cheap trip?
Kind of. Travelling and training is where I’m willing to spend my money, but since the university doesn’t pay me to study plants, I try to look for cheaper options when there are alternatives. Booking flights and train tickets well in advance can save a lot of money. I’ve also slept on some airport benches because the options with an overnight layover were much cheaper. Not sure if I can recommend that though - they were not the most comfortable nights. The airport in Helsinki was really okay, but Riga and Munich were not so much fun. I also try to travel light. Often hand luggage is enough and much cheaper when flying.
If you were to pass on travel advice to your fellow Globetrotters, what would it be? Go out and discover the world. Just do it. There is so much waiting for you out there. The destination doesn’t have to be the other end of the globe. Sometimes amazing experiences are waiting in the next town just a few minutes away.
Try to train with many different people from many different gyms. That has helped me a lot to improve my Jiu Jitsu and it’s fun.
Don’t blindly trust everyone. Often I watch people train or roll first before I pair up with them, especially when there’s a big weight difference.
Always bring enough tape. It can fix everything. Your body, shoes, tent, phone... everything.
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| Last 5 tickets left for the Caribbean Island Camp in January/February |
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During this week on the tropical island headquarters of BJJ Globetrotters, you’ll get to experience multiple Jiu Jitsu classes each day, a sunset Open Mat overlooking the Caribbean Sea and complimentary surf lessons every morning on some of the world’s most stunning beaches. |
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| BJJ Globetrotters Academy in Focus: NOVO Brazilian Jiu Jitsu |
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Where is the gym located?
Ambato, Ecuador.
How many people train there?
52 people including kids, teenagers, and adults.
Is the gym growing - if so by how many new members each month or year?
Maybe two or three new members each month.
What are the highest and lowest belt grades training? The highest are 2 black belts and the lowest belts are white.
When did the gym open?
We opened the gym on April 15, 2022.
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Some facts about you:
Name: Francisco Melendez Age: 33 Belt: Black Profession: Industrial design engineer Years in BJJ: 11 Other martial arts: Judo (orange belt) Currently living in: Ambato, Ecuador Originally from: Ambato, Ecuador |
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Please tell us the story of how your gym came into existence The idea of opening a Jiu Jitsu academy came from a friend with whom I'd trained since our first day as white belts. In addition to having the pleasure of teaching and transmitting all our knowledge acquired during all this training time.
Tell us about the people that train in the gym – who are they? Most of our members are adults who I have known since my time as a student. Everyone, despite having their professional jobs, takes their time to train. This is something that motivates you as a teacher every day. Among them I have doctors, engineers, lawyers, chefs, and judo/MMA/karate teachers who want to learn another type of discipline.
Why do they train? The majority of people who train are here to relieve stress from day-to-day life. Other people train to improve their health and physical condition. In the case of children, parents enroll them to develop discipline in their little ones, and so they can learn self-defense.
What are some of the challenges of running a BJJ gym in general, and in your area specifically? I think that the main challenge of opening a martial arts gym is the economic part, because you don't know what kind of reception it will receive. And in this area there is a general lack of knowledge about Jiu Jitsu because it is a relatively new discipline here, which is why you have to teach a love for it.
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How do you see the future for BJJ in your area?
From my point of view, I see that Jiu Jitsu is going to grow a lot in this area, because we have many people who compete nationally and internationally and make the name of the city stand out.
What’s the best thing about your gym?The best thing for me about my gym is the space. It is a very spacious place in addition to having a small area for physical conditioning. On the other hand, it is the camaraderie - the friendship that each of the people who make up the team have where we can go out with each other and share moments on and off the tatami.
What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from the inside of your gym? The city where I am is a very quiet place, but we are close to a very touristy place called Baños de Agua Santa, a city where many people from abroad come for its variety of attractions.
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Thanks for sharing! If you'd like to visit NOVO Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, you can contact them here. |
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| Our biggest camp and biggest mat space of the year! |
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The first two Beach Camps in Pärnu were a tremendous success, so we’re once again heading off to this summer gem on the Baltic coast. A full week of sun, sea, sand, and all the Jiu Jitsu you can handle. Hope to see you there!
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