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| | | | BJJ Globetrotters Newsletter // February 2021 | | Dear Globetrotters,
Against all odds, we managed to host the Caribbean Island Camp here in St. Barth last week. Everyone tested negative both before and after the camp and despite a bit of stress in relation to traveling and testing, it all ended up being quite straight forward for people to get to the island. It was a week with an incredibly busy schedule of classes, open mats, surf lessons, beach trips, dinners, barbecues, villa parties, boat trip and even a private concert. For a moment there, I forgot all about the pandemic and it felt like any other of the 60 camps we have hosted. A sense of freedom that has felt like it was long forgotten. I am already working on confirming the dates for next Caribbean Island Camp late this year. Check out the pictures from last week below!!
The camp last week gave me renewed energy and optimism and I can't wait to do more of them this year. Next up is Arizona Camp at the end of March. It's been postponed a few times, but I'm optimistic that we'll pull it off this time around. I look forward to seeing many of my American friends there, and of course to make even more new ones.
Have a fantastic day,
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What you'll find in this month's newsletter:
- Photos from Caribbean Island Camp last week
- Featured Traveller: Al Ghuneim
- Globetrotters Academy in Focus: Mitane Budō Kai
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| | | | * March 24th to 28th in Tempe, Arizona * * 15 minutes from Phoenix International Airport * * Five days of training * * Gi and no-gi classes all day long * * Daily workshops and lectures * * Outdoor BBQ in gym’s back yard * * Yoga classes * * Extra mat space for all-day open mat / drilling * * All experience levels and affiliations welcome! *
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| | | Photos from Caribbean Island Camp in St. Barth last week |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Sign up for the free online premiere of our documentary! |
| | The Gentle Art of Travel is following the BJJ Globetrotters camps behind the scenes over the course of one full year and 12 training camps around the world. Sign up now to receive an invitation for the free online premiere. |
| | | | Featured Traveller: Al Ghuneim |
| | Age: 35
Belt: Blue
Profession: I have a Masters degree in marketing that I haven't used much. Otherwise, I'm a business person who does everything from trading, investing, translating, and some marketing.
How many years in BJJ: Six
Other martial arts: I did Tae Kwon Do when I was 5! Does that count?
Where do you live: I'm a digital nomad. I live wherever feels right.
Where are you originally from: Jordan
Other fun or curious information you would like to share: My favorite submission on people who don't know Jiu Jitsu is the Mother’s Milk. |
| | Tell us what inspired you to travel and train? I got bored with my old life and had a break up after a long relationship, then decided to change everything and go!
Tell us about your most recent travel and your upcoming travel – where have you been and where are you going?I was in Colombia for a nice 10 months as the airport was closed. I am now in Rio training with many Brazilians and other COVID refugees like myself.
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| | | What are the things you enjoy about traveling? Seeing new things, meeting new people, and learning new cultures (Brazilians are crazy)!
Can you give us some examples of experiences you had that makes it worth traveling and training?
Walking into BJJ clubs in Rio and training with world champions is pretty cool.
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| | What has so far been the most surprising experience for you when traveling? Getting robbed! No matter how many times it happens it's always surprising haha! But with that said, I'm the kind of guy who's not afraid of walking into Cartel territory in Mexico, Favellas in Rio, and less than reputable neighbourhoods in Medellin and funnily enough, I was never robbed in the dodgy areas… Only in the fancy gringo places.
Are you a budget traveller – and if so how do you plan for a cheap trip? I don't do the backpack thing! I go to a new place and usually rent an apartment for 3 months. This really cuts down on hotel costs. Going to a new location every few days gets really straining on the body and it isn't good for BJJ. I like to go to cities that have good BJJ gyms, then stay there for a while in order to learn their systems. Switching gyms every few weeks isn't good.
If you were to pass on travel advice to your fellow Globetrotters, what would it be? You can save money on everything while travelling, but make sure to have good equipment. Good shoes, pants, shorts, and phone. Take half of what you plan on bringing with you, because you will accumulate stuff on the way. |
| | | | Come join us in beautiful Tallinn! |
| | * From April 26th to May 1st, 2021 *
* In Tallinn, Estonia *
* Less than 20 minutes from Tallinn airport *
* Huge mat space in a beautiful medieval town *
* Six-day training camp *
* Gi and no-gi classes all day long *
* High-level international instructors *
* Free ticket for world premiere of BJJ Globetrotters documentary *
* Competition in classic wrestling styles *
* Yoga every morning *
* All experience levels and affiliations welcome! *
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| | | | BJJ Globetrotters Academy in Focus: Mitane Budō Kai |
| | Where is the gym located?
Mitane, Akita, Japan
How many people train there?
13 regulars. Classes range from 1-10 people on any given day.
Is the gym growing - if so by how many new members each month or year?
Currently, no. COVID-19 protocols restrict us from accepting new members. However, we have a lot of local interest and get an average of 2 inquiries a week.
What are the highest and lowest belt grades training?
Brown, purple, blue, and white.
We currently do not have a Black Belt instructor. We hope to remedy that in 2022.
When did the gym open?
July 2020
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| | Some facts about you:
Name: Michael Brevig Age: 39 Belt: Purple 1 stripe Profession: Software engineer Currently living in: Akita, Japan Originally from: Minneapolis, MN USA |
| | Please tell us the story of how your gym came into existence Oh man, where do I start… I suppose you could say it started back in 2019. I was walking around Chiang Mai, Thailand when I bumped into a Jiujiterio I trained with at Pure Grappling (puregrappling.org). He asked if I wanted to grab a drink. Well, one became many and the rest of the night is a bit of a blur.
I woke up the next morning sitting upright on my couch, shoes on, and my phone in my hand. I unlocked my phone, hoping for clues as to what happened the night before, to find the website for TaneHub (tanehub.asia), and no Tinder replies. I'm not sure why I was looking at the site, but what I found was a co-working space in rural Japan. They were running an experiment to see if digital nomads would want to live in reclaimed abandoned homes.
I was intrigued.
I contacted the owner via Facebook, booked a flight, and arrived in Japan a week later. I fell in love instantly. The rice fields, clean air, nihonshu (sake), cheap eats, friendly farmers, and hundreds of years worth of history at your fingertips. I was amazed by how at home I felt.
I left Japan three months later.
Fast forward to March 2020 - I was traveling around Portugal when various countries started shutting down due to COVID-19. I saw the writing on the wall, weighed my options, then decided to get "stuck" in Japan.
Three months went by. I was isolated, getting fat, and missed training regularly. So, I bought some mats, used gis from a friend in Malaysia, and invited a few locals to train with me. They loved it! They told their friends and we grew unexpectedly. Since then, we've had local judoka cross-train, a sumo instructor drop in a couple of times, and several people come from across the prefecture to take part in our Super Saturday class.
This past August, I teamed up with TaneHub and Start-up Akita to develop a plan to revitalize Mitane's local economy with martial arts tourism and digital nomad cohabitation. Things are moving slowly but surely. We're close to acquiring a new (to us) building for our dojo, our first shared house ready to go, etc.
Tell us about the people that train in the gym – who are they?
They're probably the most diverse club in all of Akita. Our members are teachers, engineers, business owners, a model, etc. And from all over the globe.
Our gym is inclusive.
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| Why do they train? The new guys do it for stress relief, to get in shape, for the community, etc. The rest of us are just obsessed.
What are some of the challenges of running a BJJ gym in general and in your location specifically?
I'm always fixing or cleaning something haha. Besides that, collecting payments, adjusting lesson plans on the fly, answering questions, and taking a beating from new students day-in-and-day-out.
Not being Japanese has created its own set of challenges. Everything from getting my business visa to finding out who owns xyz property. The customs, rules, regulations are so vastly different than the US. This process has deepened my respect for immigrants everywhere. Every day is fucking challenge, but I'm grateful for it.
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| | How do you see the future for BJJ in your area?
We have big plans to expand our little club into a village for martial artists, digital nomads, and travelers. Check out our site for more information :p
What’s the best thing about your gym?We're a chill academy. Lots of drilling, discussion, and trial and error during each class
What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from the inside of your gym? In this order:
1) Onsen - natural and man-made hot springs are sprinkled all over Japan. We have four within a 5-minute drive from the dojo. Tattoos okay!
2) Hiking/Camping - There's a crazy amount of hiking and free camping in our area.
3) Food - We're near a fishing port, a horse butcher, etc.
4) Beach - We have a great beach (camping allowed) about 8km from us.
5) Festivals - Japan is known for its crazy street festivals. There's one or two a month in this area during the warmer months.
6) Nihonshu - Sake! Akita rice is the best in Japan. Brewery tours abound!
7) Moritake Kabuki - Moritake Kabuki has been performed for over 200 years, and is a local production put on by community members.
For more, check out: https://visitshirakami.com/blessings/
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Thanks for sharing with us! If you'd like to pay a visit to Mitane Budō Kai, you can find them here. |
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