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| | | BJJ Globetrotters Newsletter // December 2022 | | Dear Globetrotters,
I am back home after a wild and intense trip to Austria for our 8th or 9th (I lost count?) Winter Camp. It is by far the hardest camp of the year for me, especially because I try to do everything and there is so much to do. At least I can now rest a full year before the next one 😄
The 10th anniversary of BJJ Globetrotters is this month and it's really a time for me to reflect a lot about all the things that has happened through this project in the last decade. Not that I am back in "the office", I will start putting together all the many audio clips that we have received into a podcast episode. I haven't listened to any of them yet, but I'm excited to hear what people have been sending me. If you want to contribute anything to this podcast episode, please send me audio clips ASAP (before the end of this week for sure). Long or short, doesn't matter! You can send audio files on 10@bjjglobetrotters.com or WhatsApp voice messages on +45 29725007.
I will send you an email as soon as the podcast episode is released.
Have a nice day, | | | |
What you'll find in this month's newsletter: - Last chance to contribute to our 10th anniversary podcast episode!
- Photos from Caribbean Island Camp last month
- Featured Globetrotter: Stephanie Barthelemy
- Globetrotters Academy in Focus: Tropical Squad BJJ
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| | New travel gis now available with 20% off introductory offer
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| | | | Last chance to send us your story for the 10th anniversary podcast! |
| | What has BJJ Globetrotters meant for you? How has BJJ Globetrotters affected your life? What are some experiences/stories/memories that you have had through BJJ Globetrotters? |
| The 10th anniversary of BJJ Globetrotters is coming up very soon! BJJ Globetrotters is—and has always been—community first. That’s why we’re asking your help to tell it’s story; from the point of view of the community members themselves. So we have decided to do a podcast episode like those old radio shows where people can call in and tell a story on an answering machine 😄 Tell your story about BJJ Globetrotters!
Send us your voice message in any format before the end of this week on 10@bjjglobetrotters.com. You can also send us audio as voice messages on WhatsApp +45 29725007. |
| | | * 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 Caribbean Island Camp last month |
| We didn't really get to take many (/any??) pictures from training at this camp, but we promise that we also did a lot of Jiu Jitsu every day! 😄 |
| | | | | | | | | | | More than half of tickets for next Arizona Camp already booked! |
| | * 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: Stephanie Barthelemy |
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| | Age: I am 32 years old.
Belt: A 2-stripe blue belt (I often get demoted by my washing machine, but that’s a story for another day).
Profession: I am a small business owner working in marketing, advertising, and investment.
How many years in BJJ: Only been on the BJJ train for 3 years, yet it feels like forever.
Other martial arts: Boxing and Muay Thai have both been a consistent part of my life since I was 16 years old.
Where do you live: 4 years ago, after experiencing the worst snowstorm and almost losing both my ears and fingers to the harsh Canadian winter, I decided enough was enough and packed my bags for a forever sunny location. From the crazy sub-zero Quebec Arctic to the buzzing desert. Happily living in the sunny Abu Dhabi, UAE desert ever since.
I am forever grateful that this was possible due to the flexible nature of my work. This was also very strategic, since it would allow me to travel to my favorite countries more efficiently.
Where are you from: From Montreal, Canada, an absolutely beautiful and culturally rich city, with so much to offer, whenever it’s not freezing 8 months of the year. All righty, I’m just kidding, slightly…
Montreal will always have a special place in my heart as it’s also where I first started BJJ.
Other fun or curious information you would like to share: I obsess and meticulously plan so that I can travel as light as possible and all my stuff fit into one glorious bag. It’s like a religion to me at this point, or a fun psychotic game. |
| | Tell us what inspired you to travel and train? I travel for both fun and work. I would always visit local gyms for weight training. But when I started BJJ, I noticed that I was feeling anxious at the thought of missing training due to work travel. Then I remembered how popular the sport was globally and how awesome it would be to add BJJ to my travel routine, trying new clubs all around the world.
The rest is truly history. Now the first thing I do when I'm planning to travel to a new place is look for a BJJ gym. You know how some people love to check out UNESCO heritage sites? Well it’s a bit of a similar situation for me. I even go as far as choosing the apartment that’s closest to a BJJ gym.
Tell us about your most recent travel and your upcoming travel – where have you been and where are you going?
I was in Belgrade, Serbia last October for a friend’s birthday and we both fell head over heels with the place. Then I spent 3 weeks in Riga, Latvia for medical tourism.
The next few months should be just as hectic as I like it. I’m planning to go back to train with my new BJJ friends in Belgrade and Malaga. On the calendar there’s also Bulgaria, an Egyptian wedding, and Globetrotters camps in Estonia and Poland.
There are still so many places I want to go to. It’s been a lifelong dream to make it to Antarctica. Also would love to go back to Iceland to hike the Landmannalauger and a glacier again. Then there’s Argentina for a wine and Asado course with some tango.
There’s so much to do and such limited time.
Anyways, I digress. One thing is certain is that I get quite excited when I think about the possibility of still being able to drop by BJJ gyms even in the most remote places. Meteora (Greece) is the only place where I couldn’t find any BJJ gym so far.
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| | What are the things you enjoy about travelling? As a history and architecture aficionado, it goes without saying that I enjoy checking out the historical landmarks and museums. I also like outdoor adventuring. That said, my travel pattern is still different nowadays. For example, my friends tease me and call me a turtle because, apparently, I travel way too slow. I tried my best to pick up the pace but with time, I finally got to understand and accept my personal travel style instead of fighting it.
If I only have one week, you best believe it will be spent in the same city. This reminds me of a guy I met in Istanbul a few years ago. He was telling me about how fast he was and how he was able to travel the entirety of Turkey in only a week. I still shiver at that thought up until today. I had no idea how he did it.
Anyways, on my side, I’m slow and I like diving into the local food as a self-proclaimed foodie. Getting to know the locals and sharing meals and drinks with new friends is my main focus and the absolute cherry on top for me.
Then when I started dropping by local BJJ gyms, my overall travel experience increased tenfold.
Nowadays my perfect travel itinerary looks something like: work in the morning, then a quick museum, cultural, or food walking tour in the afternoon. In the evening, I head to Gi and NoGi training... brownie points if there's a 10th Planet around (yes I know). Afterwards I’d be hitting some of the best places to eat. Ending the day with some crafted cocktails in a hole in the wall bar lounge that only the locals know about.
Can you give us some examples of experiences you had that makes it worth traveling and training?
I’ve been traveling for quite some time now, but only recently started to merge it with training. And let me tell you that I never fathomed this type of life-changing experience.
Back in November, I traveled to Latvia entirely alone to have a major surgery. Before the surgery, I managed to drop by Strela Riga BJJ in order to train. I still remember the pure joy I felt attending the class being fully taught in Russian. BJJ truly knows no limits. I just never expected to receive such a warm welcome and acceptance from the head coach along with the team members. After the training we all exchanged our @ on IG (how things have changed since the email days). I had only recently met these people and only rolled with them once, yet they all kept checking on me post-surgery, during my recovery and offering me their help. Up until today, I’m still flabbergasted by their kindness.
What has so far been the most surprising experience for you when traveling?
Yes, there are most certainly serial killers out there. That said, after continuously traveling all around the world, I’m determined that most people are good. And I don’t say this lightly but as a minority who sticks out like a sore thumb wherever I go.
My experience has never been short of amazing 99% of the time. It’s insane how people go out of their way to help you.
Another surprising thing is related to traveling in the modern landscape. I still can’t get used to how so many people use Instagram. I know that the platform gets a lot of hate, but I’m so thankful that I started using it this year. It has had a great impact in my life and has been a positive tool to stay in contact and nurture the friendship with all these amazing jiujiteiros/-as all around the world.
There was also that time when I was traveling through Palestine and met this lovely Palestinian girl at a local coffee shop. After talking for a few minutes, she invited me to stay over at her place so she could practice her English. She was a recent medical graduate looking for a job and was bored out of her mind. Next thing you know, my one week stay turned into 3 months and we were traveling round the region and having a blast. She also refused to let me pay back a single dime for the hospitality.
So many people with hearts of gold all around the world. I try my best to contribute and pay it forward in my own way.
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| | Are you a budget traveller – and if so how do you plan for a cheap trip?
I’m afraid I’m not much of a budget traveler. I see myself more of medium to luxury traveler with a passion for scoring good deals. That said, most of my trips are planned ahead of time, which gives me plenty of time to research the best prices.
I guess I still have my ways to minimize cost and strike a balance. For example, I don’t mind a budget airline for shorter trips but then I would splurge on a nice apartment rental, restaurants, wine, and excursions. That said, I will almost always say yes to any adventure so I don’t mind roughing it occasionally. All in the name of yolo-ing and making lifetime memories with amazing friends.
For the sake of transparency, I also do want to add that my favorite parts of the world to travel are the Baltics, Balkans, overall the geographical Eastern part of Europe (not trying to get political here), the Caucasus, and Central Asia (Silk Road). Coincidentally, these are all places that also allow me to stretch my dollar much further than, let’s say, Switzerland, France or Scandinavia.
So that’s probably my #1 travel hack right there.
If you were to pass on travel advice to your fellow Globetrotters, what would it be?
A reminder that even if we look different or speak different languages, have different nationalities etc., we’re all social creatures who crave various level of human interaction, connection, and a sense of togetherness and belonging. I think fellow globetrotters already know this to some extent and tend to be naturally adventurous at heart.
Still, it’s very easy to get complacent or let fear cripple us, as the news only seem to get worse by the day. So let's all keep gallivanting around the globe in our gis whilst simultaneously connecting and sharing awesome moments together. Although we certainly momentarily choose violence on the mats, no one else knows how to have a good time like my fellow globetrotters.
Looking forward to seeing you half way around the world, perhaps even RNC’ing a couple of you guys, only to enjoy a few too many glasses of wine when all is said and done.
Cheers & stay curious and adventurous my friends!
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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: Tropical Squad BJJ |
| | Where is the gym located?
The gym is located in the city center of Motril, a small town (60,000 people) on the tropical coast of Spain.
How many people train there?
Normally we are between 15 to 20 people. It depends a lot on which period of the year we're in. For instance, during summertime, because of holidays, there are normally less people coming to train.
Is the gym growing - if so by how many new members each month or year?
Yes! We started in November 2021, so we're still a really young team. Every month someone new comes to try, and normally they stay and join the team.
What are the highest and lowest belt grades training?
We have many white belts with the same level (1-2 stripes), two recently promoted blue belts, and a brown belt (me). We often have guests from other academies because we’re in the south of Spain, which is a really touristic area, so many people come to train during their holidays.
On Saturdays we have an open mat where everybody is welcome, so many times members from other academies join us for some rolls.
When did the gym open?
The gym itself opened in 2011, originally as an Aikido dojo. When I moved to Spain in Dec 2020, I was looking for a place to train but couldn’t find any in this area, and had to drive a long distance every time. So I decided to open my own, starting in November 2021.
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| | Some facts about you:
Name: Alessandro Roncali Age: 38 Belt: Brown Profession: Right now I’m just teaching BJJ, but I used to work as a mechanical maintainer. Years in BJJ: I started in 2006, and since 2014 I was really addicted. I trained a lot and competed a lot. Then I changed jobs and started working on shifts, so it became very difficult to train regularly. Also, at that time I had some serious issues with my back, and that made me quit for quite a long period. Once I moved here in 2020 I decided to start training again, and here I am. Other martial arts: I did some Karate (Shotokan style) when I was a kid for a couple of years. I also did a martial art called Yosekanbudo, which is like a mix of different martial arts. There I had my first approach to ground fighting, but of course still really soft compared to BJJ. I did MMA in my old gym, but never with the aim of competing, just training to improve skills. Currently living in: I live in the countryside near Motril, on the coast of Granada province in the south of Spain. Originally from: I come from Cividale del Friuli, a small town in the deep northeast of Italy, near the Slovenian border. |
| | Please tell us the story of how your gym came into existence Hope you're not in a hurry! Ahahah!
When I moved here from Italy, I was a few years out of training seriously and I was really bored and out of shape. One day my wife (she is from this area) told me: why don’t you search for a BJJ gym around here? I started searching on the internet and asking people, but no one was doing it in my area. When every hope was gone, I casually found on the street a flyer of a gym in a town far from here… so I decided to go there and give it a try.
The gym was also really new (they were basically training in a garage) but I had the chance to train and that was the important thing. After a while, they moved to a better place and opened a real gym. I trained there whenever I could, but it was so far away, so I talked to the coach and owner, who is a really good friend, and told him that I would try to open something in my area. He agreed and supported me.
Then I started looking for a place, but the main big commercial gyms weren’t interested. Everytime i said Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, they used to answer me, "Oh yes, I know it! It’s something like a dance (capoeira)..." LOL
After many attempts, I found the dojo where we currently train thanks to a friend of mine that was teaching yoga there. I spoke to the owner and we got along so quickly. From that point everything evolved really fast… flyers, social media… some people called telling me that they had been waiting for BJJ for a long time…
And here we are.
Tell us about the people that train in the gym – who are they? Some of them are people that have no previous experience in martial arts. Some are police officers, but mainly normal people that try BJJ and get addicted. We also have people coming from other martial arts like Karate Kyokushin, Thai Boxing, and Judo.
Why do they train? Different reasons, like learning self defense and getting in shape, but I think most of them train because they like the atmosphere. We're more like a group of friends. Rolling is a better way to get to know people than talking, I think many people don't expect the feeling you get when you're doing BJJ, so they simply get addicted.
What are some of the challenges of running a BJJ gym in general, and in your area specifically? Since there's still no culture for it around here, many people just see the violent part of the sport and are reluctant to give it a chance. The town is quite big, but if you search for martial arts there is only Karate,Taekwondo, Aikido… nothing related to BJJ.
However, I think that things are changing… slowly, but they are changing.
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| | How do you see the future for BJJ in your area?
We hope to grow more. In a few years, I would like to be able to open a bigger academy with BJJ and other activities/disciplines that can grow together.
What’s the best thing about your gym?The fridge is always full of beer. Ahahah! It’s not simple to say just one thing, but if I have to say one, the best thing is the people who train here. There is a good atmosphere.
What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from the inside of your gym? This area is absolutely incredible for the weather. We have less than 30 rainy days a year, and we enjoy a subtropical climate, so the average temperature during the winter is 19ºC. Here you’ll find avocado, mango, papaya, and every kind of vegetable and fruit you can imagine, plus being right by the sea means a very rich gastronomy.
The cost of living is really low compared to other areas, so there are many things to do and try also on a budget! Every type of outdoor sport is possible all year! There are many sea sports you can also practice in winter. We have a 3500-metre mountain just an hour's drive from the coast, so you can ski in the morning and surf in the sea in the afternoon.
If you like history, we have the beautiful city of Granada 40 minutes away by car, where you can visit many many amazing things.
I’m sure that organising a camp here would be absolutely great! The chances to embrace many sports and the guarantee of sunny weather makes it the perfect place for it.
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Thanks for sharing! If you'd like to visit Tropical Squad BJJ, you can contact them here. |
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