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| | | BJJ Globetrotters Newsletter // February 2022 | | Dear Globetrotters,
Our little project of "doing BJJ affiliation differently" has turned 10 years old and what a time it has been! A big thanks to each and every one of you who have been involved or participated in any way in this. It's been a true pleasure and I am very much looking forward to seeing what the next 10 years will bring. I recently published the special edition podcast episode for the anniversary that we made with people "calling in" from all over and talking about their experience with BJJ Globetrotters. It was such a pleasure to hear from everyone and I think the episode turned out really well. If you haven't listened to it yet, you can do so here, on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Most of our camps this summer are already sold out but there's still a bit of time if you want to join us in the Faroe Islands, Estonia or Austria. Outside of that, your best bet is—as always—the waiting list.
Have a nice day,
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What you'll find in this month's newsletter: - Photos from Winter Camp last month
- Featured Globetrotter: Seb Egan
- Globetrotters Academy in Focus: Team Gringo Piteå
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| | New travel gis now available with 20% off introductory offer
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| | | | | * From July 5th to 8th, 2023 *
* In Tórshavn, Faroe Islands *
* Four day training camp *
* Gi and no-gi classes all day long *
* Modern training facilities 3 min. drive from downtown Tórshavn *
* Direct flights from multiple European cities *
* Affordable accommodation option *
* High level international instructors *
* Everyone welcome, regardless of experience or affiliation *
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| | | Photos from Winter Island Camp last month |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Less than 60 tickets left for next Arizona Camp |
| | * November 13th to 18th in Tempe, Arizona * * 15 minutes from Phoenix International Airport * * Full week 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 * * Free professional portrait service/photo booth * * All experience levels and affiliations welcome! * |
| | | | Featured Globetrotter: Seb Egan |
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| | Age: 30 (yes, I know, surprising!)
Belt: White belt - 4 stripes
Profession: IT Lead Officer, but used to work in theatre as a lampy!
How many years in BJJ: 5 years. However, it feels longer with the amount of injuries that I have.
I started to train after I worked on a teaser trailer for a film based around MMA called ‘Law of One’. This is where I met one of the lead actors, Steve ‘Spartan’ Obe (a brown belt under Andy Roberts). Steve became my personal trainer and helped me a lot with core movements. At the gym Christmas party I met Tim Radcliffe, my coach, and long story short I made a dodgy deal: sold my soul (which is why I’m a wristlocker nowadays) and started training BJJ.
Other martial arts: I did judo once as a kid. I had no balance and that’s where my shoulder issues started. Well, either that or falling off a horse too many times!
Where do you live: Woking, in the UK. It’s a really leafy part of Surrey (countryside in England) and it’s where the Martians landed in the H.G Wells classic The War of the Worlds (which we’re all made to read!)
Where are you from: Woking, UK. Never moved
Other fun or curious information you would like to share: I coach and manage U13 & U14 girls in cricket, and score for a local men’s team. I’m also sponsored by Woking & Horsell Cricket Club, which is why you’ll see me walking around in a cricket top. I’m ambidextrous due to the tremor in my right arm. I’m an avid competitor and love going to competitions and, having competed several times in the South of England, I’m now looking for the right opportunity to compete internationally. |
| | Tell us what inspired you to travel and train? When I started travelling and training, FOMO (fear of missing out) was real and a big problem for me. I just wanted to be in the gym training when I was on holiday. I was in Myrtle Beach, SC on a family holiday and I just needed to train. I found a local gym where I was welcomed with open arms, and ever since I’ve looked at gyms within a short distance of where I’ll be staying. Even whilst doing a group travel tour holiday, I still managed to find the time to train.
BJJ Globetrotters was a lucky find for me. After spending a weekend in hospital during the pandemic and staying in a COVID-19 geriatrics ward, I started looking for somewhere to lie in the sun and do some Jiu Jitsu, that’s when I found BJJ Globetrotters. Which really takes FOMO out of holidays since I can now train and travel at the same time.
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 Austria for Winter Camp via Kauai, Hawaii for a beach trip and to let some of my injuries recover. This was the first time in five years that I’ve had a holiday without some Jiu Jitsu! And Christmas in Hawaii was too good to refuse. A big mistake not doing anything but lying on a beach and training the muscles in my left arm picking up a glass of beer over and over again! I really suffered in the first few rounds in Austria!
My next trip is going to be a short trip over to Wexford, Ireland for Micheal Currier’s seminar. Also one of the guys that used to train with me now trains there (and I owe him a wristlock or two!).
Currently on the books already are camps in Tallinn, Maine (where I’m spending a week either side of the camp in Boston/NYC for work), Poland for Zen Camp, Arizona, and a trip to Kansas City for work before travelling to St Barths - yacht owners lock up your yachts!!!
I do want to get over to Ukraine and train there, but this may not happen for a while. Other places that I want to go to are South Africa and South America, in particular Peru.
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| | What are the things you enjoy about travelling? I enjoy seeing different places, meeting new people, drinking with them, and sharing stories. I also enjoy the culture in new places. I love going on adventures - especially those with adrenaline, like throwing myself off bridges or jumping out of planes!
Can you give us some examples of experiences you had that makes it worth traveling and training?
I was travelling to Florida after Christmas 2021, which is where two fellow Globetrotters, Matt and Cynthia, live. I got in touch with Matt for a post-Christmas meet up. This ended with us doing a private session with Charles Harriott in a park just outside of Clearwater, one of the best travel and training experiences I’ve done - where else are you going to go to roll and have a private session?
On the training front, you can’t train at your gym the way you do when at camps. Your training partners grow accustomed to your style, and your game stops evolving. Somebody at your gym has to be learning from someone somewhere else, otherwise you’re still drilling the same techniques as each other with no exposure to how others are training.
What has so far been the most surprising experience for you when traveling?
The general kindness of people. How they can act with so much care for you if you tell them that you're alone, turning up to a restaurant and saying table for one and then strangers going out of their way to come and talk to you (maybe that's just me though!)
Also when getting blackout drunk in a foreign country and finding local people to take you back to whatever accommodation I’m staying in, usually helped by having my address scrawled across my arm with a sharpie. |
| | Are you a budget traveller – and if so how do you plan for a cheap trip?
No to the budget travelling, but I do look for cheap deals and I do this by planning early and rebooking hotels last minute. I would normally class myself as a middle-luxury class traveller. I don’t stay in hostels very often. I prefer hotels and Airbnbs even if it means that I have to be on my own.
If you were to pass on travel advice to your fellow Globetrotters, what would it be? Keep doing you, keep travelling, and generally say yes to most things - it might be an experience that you would never have otherwise. The most important piece of advice is, whatever you do, don't listen to Michael or to Francesco, as that's usually where chaos begins. And if they're both together, just enjoy the ride - it’s going to be a crazy one (Michael gets slapped and pubs get set on fire)!
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| | | Less than half the tickets for our mega-camp in Estonia are left! |
| | * From July 17th to 22nd, 2023 *
* In Pärnu, Estonia *
* Easy bus connection from Tallinn and Riga *
* Direct flights from Helsinki and Stockholm *
* Huge mat space in a beautiful beach town *
* Six-day training camp *
* 20+ black belt instructors *
* 45+ gi and nogi classes *
* 25+ hours of open mats *
* High-level international instructors *
* Yoga every morning *
* All experience levels and affiliations welcome! *
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| | | | BJJ Globetrotters Academy in Focus: Team Gringo Piteå |
| | Where is the gym located?
In the very north of Sweden, close to the Arctic circle, in a town called Piteå.
How many people train there?
During the pandemic, the commune closed our training facility and many members went on with other things in life. We are currently working to get the numbers back up. Currently we are closing in on around 20.
Is the gym growing - if so by how many new members each month or year?
Well, Piteå is a small town and I must be realistic, but if we could get around 25 participants every sesson I would be thrilled.
What are the highest and lowest belt grades training?
I am the highest - I received my black belt in 2014 from Eduardo "Duda" Soares (DLR). We have two purples and a few blues, and the rest are white.
When did the gym open?
Shortly after I moved here from Stockholm, in January 2016.
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| | Some facts about you:
Name: Joakim Ögren Age: 50 Belt: Black Profession: Construction worker Years in BJJ: Since the late 90s Other martial arts: Yes, since I was 4 years old. Striking arts after the mandatory judo/wrestling as a kid. Currently living in: Piteå |
| | Please tell us the story of how your gym came into existence I played a role when Magnus Hansson started Team Gringo in Stockholm, that has since grown into a great place to train both gi and nogi. But, being an outdoors man as I am, I missed the north and had grown sick of big city life. So we sold the flat and bought a house outside of Piteå. I didn't want to stop Jiu Jitsu just because there was none here. So I started this gym, not only so I could keep on training but also to spread Jiu Jitsu in this corner of the world.
Tell us about the people that train in the gym – who are they? Most are just "guys" that like to train Jiu Jitsu. They do it for the great exercise and the bonding that only a Juijiteiro can understand.
Why do they train? Beside what I just mentioned, I think the answers are as individual as every single student.
What are some of the challenges of running a BJJ gym in general, and in your area specifically? This is a low populated area and martial arts are not very deeply rooted in the culture. The commune happily spends money and builds arenas for ball sports, but when it comes to martial arts it's a very different story. I think it would be awesome if they could let the different martial arts around here have a facility for the purpose of doing what we like.
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| | How do you see the future for BJJ in your area?
I think we will grow slowly. As of a year ago I'm on the board of the Swedish Submisson Wrestling federation. It's a win-win senario since now we can arrange competitions around here - something that was previously very rare. This will have an added effect of making people more eager to train, and more locals will discover the art.
What’s the best thing about your gym?As with most BJJ gyms, the atmosphere and camaraderie. We have always welcomed visitors, and over the years we've had many from all over the world. I think it's a great way to pick up new stuff and to learn. I also encourage my students to visit other gyms when travelling, just like I've done over the years.
What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from the inside of your gym? Dude… there's so much to see once you realise that travelling isn't just about cities! The surrounding areas offer so much. If, like me, you love to fish, hunt, go snowmobiling or boondocking or anything in the outdoors, this is the place.
- Rent a car and go sightseeing in the mountains. See the great rivers. Or take a boat trip around the archipelago.
- We have quite a unique law in Sweden that gives you the right to wander and hike all over the place. So if you're into hiking there is no place like it.
- During the winter you can go skiing or snowmobiling. I'm also big-time into ice fishing and hunting during that time of the year.
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Thanks for sharing! If you'd like to visit Team Gringo Piteå, you can contact them here. |
| | SUPER LIGHT TRAVEL GIS- ALL MODELS IN STOCK! |
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