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| | | | BJJ Globetrotters Newsletter // November 2019 | | Dear Globetrotters,
What a trip! I just returned home from two weeks on the road and I'm a bit exhausted to say the least. First, we did the Zen Camp in Poland, then flew directly to Arizona (9 hours time difference) to do the first ever camp there. It was a bit tough but I loved every minute of it! Zen Camp was as beautiful as always and it was amazing to go to Arizona and see so many new faces there. Lots of new friends were made and I'm looking forward to see where this will take us.
We enjoyed the camp in Arizona so much, that we decided to go back next year. I'm not doing those two camps back-to-back again haha, so we are moving it to March instead. Check www.bjjglobetrotters.com/arizonacamp2020 for more info!
Have a fantastic day,
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What you'll find in this month's newsletter:
- Photos from Zen Camp
- Featured Traveller: Jacek Klimko
- Photos from Arizona Camp
- Globetrotters Academy in Focus: Ronin de México
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| | Final 5 tickets left for January! |
| | Year six and still going strong! We’re kicking 2020 off in proper style, as we head back up to the towering white heights of the Austrian alps for our annual Winter Camp. Four days of skiing, snowboarding, and Jiu Jitsu, nights full of beer, schnitzel, and impromptu pole-dance lessons, and a hotel full of fellow Globetrotters to share it all with.
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| | | | | Photos from Zen Camp last month |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | Only 35 tickets left for next year's USA Camp in Maine |
| | A genuine American camp experience in the crisp woodland air of Maine. Five days of Jiu Jitsu and evening bonfires by the shores of a shimmering lake, where you could quite possibly end up learning just as many classic martial arts film quotes as armbar variations.
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| | | | Featured Traveller: Jacek Klimko |
| | Age: 36
Belt: White
Profession: Yoga teacher, massage therapist, writer
How many years in BJJ: One
Other martial arts: Some Aikido when I was young. When I grew disillusioned with it, I took up Krav Maga… which proved to be quite similar to Aikido, but more violent.
Where do you live: Swansea, Wales
Where are you originally from: Poland
Other fun or curious information you would like to share: I once spent over 3 years travelling the world on my motorcycle.
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| | | Tell us what inspired you to travel and train? Working in the corporate world could have had only two effects on me:
- Send me mad
- Make me want to do something more interesting with my life
Luckily, the latter happened first.
Tell us about your most recent trip and your upcoming trips – where have you been and where are you going?
Most recently, I spent 6 months in Asia. On this occasion, it was all about learning. First, I spent 2 months in Thailand learning the art of Thai massage. Next was Bali. I travelled to this beautiful island to develop my yoga practice. Finally, after two months of intensive practice, I travelled to India to qualify as a yoga teacher.
I’d love to go to Japan next. I used to travel mainly to see interesting places and to meet people from different cultures. Now I seek experiences. So for example, if I were to go to Japan, I’d want to immerse myself in the culture, in this case by training kendo, judo, or learning to do raku pottery.
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| | What are the things you enjoy about traveling? I’ve always believed that travelling should be challenging, either physically or mentally; that it should be an opportunity to face your own limitations, fears, and prejudices; to challenge who you are and shake the foundation of your being.
I travel to return a different person; more able, open minded, trusting, caring, connected with other people (both in their joys but also in their sorrows)... simply a better me.
More conventionally, I really enjoy tasting local dishes.
Can you give us some examples of experiences you had that makes it worth traveling and training?
It must be waking up at 4 am in Darjeeling in Northern India and seeing the rising sun over Kangchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world. The view was magnificent, like molten gold pouring over the peaks.
What was even more special about this experience was the fact that just one week before I almost gave up on travelling in India and went home. In Kolkata I got sick and spent an entire week between my bed and toilet. Add to that other numerous frustrations that I experienced around that time, and my spirit was near-broken. I got what I wanted, a challenge, and I couldn’t take it.
Georges St-Pierre said it well:
“You don’t get better on the days when you feel like going. You get better on the days when you don’t want to go on, but you go anyway. If you can overcome the negative energy coming from your tired body or unmotivated mind, you will grow and become better. It won’t be the best workout you have, you won’t accomplish as much as what you usually do when you actually feel good, but that doesn’t matter. Growth is a long-term game, and the crappy days are more important.”
These were indeed “crappy days”, but I persevered, and I’m so happy I did - because what I saw just a few days later in Darjeeling was more than worth it. In a way, I feel that this make or break experience made me through breaking me.
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| | What has so far been the most surprising experience for you when traveling? One day, when travelling through northern Iraq on our motorcycle, my wife and I stopped by the side of the road to cook. Soon, curious about this unusual sight, a small crowd of people materialised around us. Everyone was welcoming and friendly, so we enjoyed a bit of company. Once it was ready, we shared our simple dish. When we were ready to leave, one of them, Abbas, asked us to come with him to his house. We accepted. After spending a few hours with Abbas and his family, we felt it was time to leave. We were planning on reaching the next town that same day, but when asked to stay overnight, we happily accepted the offer. A few hours later, when it came to sleeping, we were given a mattress and some blankets, and were shown where to sleep.
Just before hitting the pillow, we realised that we'd been given the only room in the house, and the entire family had gone to sleep outside on the concrete. We couldn’t believe it. Their hospitality was unprecedented; they went out of their way, giving their house and comforts away, just to make us feel welcome.
Are you a budget traveller – and if so how do you plan for a cheap trip? Having left my job to travel the world indefinitely, budget had to be a serious consideration. Travelling on a motorcycle proved to be a perfect solution. It gave us freedom and adventure, but also allowed us to save a lot of money. We’d cook our own food whenever possible, sleep at least a few nights a week camping wild or couchsurfing. Also, travelling slow proved to work to our advantage. We’d rent rooms or even entire apartments, sometimes for months at a time (for example, we had a flat in Batumi, Georgia for close to 4 months). This way, we could make friends and really get to know the area, and at the same time live on a tiny budget.
Later we discovered house sitting, which within just a couple of years we used more than 30 times. We house sat in Thailand (almost 2 months), north Wales, Scotland, and many other attractive destinations.
If you were to pass on travel advice to your fellow Globetrotters, what would it be? Always go with the flow. Be kind, be easy going, be considerate.
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| | | | We continue to break new ground with this camp in 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. |
| | | Photos from our first ever Arizona Camp last month |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | We're going back to Arizona in March 2020! |
| | Our first ever Arizona camp was a huge success, so we’ve decided to go back to the desert. All day classes, open mats and workshops, combined with on-site barbecues and breathtaking landscapes. |
| | | | BJJ Globetrotters Academy in Focus: Ronin de México |
| | Where is the gym located?
We're located very close to Mariachi Plaza in Garibaldi, the historic downtown of CDMX (Ciudad de México, aka. Mexico City).
How many people train there?
It depends on the day and the season. Approximately 10-15 people per class.
Is the gym growing – if so by how many new members each month or year?
It also really depends on the season. People come and go. We're a small team, but with a long tradition in the city.
What are the highest and lowest belt grades training?
From complete beginner to black. The majority are blue and purple belts.
When did the gym open?
We started back in 2005. |
| | Some facts about you:
Name: Miguel Angel Cortes Oliva “Thrasher” Age: 53 Belt: Four-stripe brown belt Profession: Musician , promoter, producer Years in BJJ: 14 years
Other martial arts: Grappling, MMA Currently living in: Mexico City, also known as CDMX Originally from: I'm a local born in Tenochtitlan (the ancient name for CDMX)
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| Please tell us the story of how your gym came into existence:
It's a long story! Back in 2004, when I was 38 years old, I went looking for Aikido classes, but a friend told me about BJJ instead. At that point there was only one BJJ dojo in CDMX, and it was very expensive. I went anyway. The classes were usually taught by a blue belt, since the sensei (a purple belt) was travelling very often so I hardly ever actually got to take any classes from him. Then I travelled to Japan and trained at Axis BJJ. It was also very expensive, so I was only able to attend once a week.
When I got back home, me and some other friends started trying to find some space where we could train and roll more, and I came up with the idea of renting a small room. We used some tatami mats from another friend who taught Aikido. Lots of people came on the weekends to roll with us; people from other schools, but in secret, since in those days you were forbidden to do that because of the CREONTE THING (that's how the name "Ronin" first came to mind). I started to run grappling classes, and that eventually lead to the opportunity for some different affiliations. In the end, we decided to split, and some friends ended up running two separate academies in the same building on the same floor as me. Between the three academies, we were visited by some great teachers and champions, including Ratinho, Felipe Costa, Casquinha, Royce Gracie, Terere, Cobrinha, Jeff Monson, Durinho, Davi Ramos, Marcelo Garcia, and a few others.
Then the building was sold, so we had to move and now we're very close to downtown.
Tell us about the people that train in the gym – who are they?
Most of my students are people over 30 who live or work far away, in and around the CDMX area. They often have a low budget, so they can't afford to pay most of the other dojos' fees. We run self-defense classes, and from that more girls have started taking regular BJJ classes with us now too.
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| | Why do they train?
Most of them are into BJJ because it teaches many things that they can use in real life. Things like discipline, health, self defence, and managing their egos; all the positive things that BJJ offers besides camaraderie and friendship.
What are some of the challenges of running a BJJ gym in general and in your location specifically?
Most of the other academies in the city are trying to compete with each other. Not so in our case. We're not aiming to grow into a huge group - you know, quality not quantity. The main challenge is to manage your own demons, and of course have enough students to pay the rent haha!
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| | How do you see the future for BJJ in your area?
It's growing slowly but constantly. MMA is really prompting more people to start looking for some BJJ/grappling knowledge.
What’s the best thing about your gym?
We consider our dojo as a social project more than a business gym. We preach self-management, mutual support, and solidarity. Another thing worth mentioning is that we're able to open 24 hrs a day, 365 days a year. We open on Sundays and holidays, and we're a very friendly team. Everybody is welcome!
What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from the inside of your gym?Well, we're just few steps from Garibaldi Plaza and the historic downtown (Zocalo) of CDMX. And there are lots of museums around, so you have plenty of options.
Thanks for sharing with us! If you'd like to pay a visit to Ronin de Mexico, you can find them here. |
| | | | | | | | | | | | Make your custom gis, patches and rashguards at our dedicated BJJ Globetrotters factory |
| | | It can be a mess to try and find a manufacturer of BJJ gear that you can trust on quality, delivery and attention to detail.
You can burn a lot of money going through samples from the many thousands of factories in Asia, trying to find one that will provide you with the product as you’ve imagined it. We know, because we’ve been through it all, ourselves! |
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