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| | | | BJJ Globetrotters Newsletter // October 2019 | | Dear Globetrotters,
My brief break from the camps is soon over and in 10 days I'm off to Poland for our 3rd Zen Camp. This is something I look very much forward to every year as it is my favorite place to recharge my energy. Aside from hours and hours of Jiu Jitsu every day, the camp mostly consist of resting in hammocks, going for walks in the forest, playing board games, making bonfires and—a personal, nerdy hobby—practicing handwriting. It truly is a Zen experience and a very important one for me. That's why I've already booked the camp there for 2020, more than a full year ahead of time.
Directly following the camp in Poland, I will fly with our entire camp crew directly to Arizona for our first camp there. It will be really exciting to catch up with a lot of familiar faces from our past USA camps and also meet many new ones.
October is shaping up to be pretty exciting!
Have a fantastic day,
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What you'll find in this month's newsletter:
- Featured Traveller: Agnes Lisik
- Globetrotters Academy in Focus: Two on One Martial Arts
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| | Final 15 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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| | | | | | Featured Traveller: Agnes Lisik |
| | Age: Master 2
Belt: Blue, Icon BJJ (Pablo Cerino’s team in Brussels)
Profession: I'm a translator by training, but I worked in different jobs in my life, including fishmonger, journalist and currently, policy advisor in an environmental NGO.
How many years in BJJ: 3
Other martial arts: My first martial art love was Capoeira. I trained it regularly for about 3 years. I love how expressive it is, and how deep its cultural roots are. Now, I’ve just started historical fencing (HEMA) and picked up a sword thanks to having met a brand new bunch of martial art fanatics.
Thanks to that experience, and Ruadhán MacFadden’s podcast about our common grappling heritage, I start to discover how martial arts influence each other, and that everything is connected: wrestling, boxing, fencing... I hope to live long enough to take up boxing, and maybe even some MMA in the future, inshallah!
Where do you live: Brussels
Where are you originally from: Poland
Other fun or curious information you would like to share: Originally, I left my country for a mere five-month Erasmus student exchange in Spain. Now, it’s been 14 years living abroad and counting. I’m a migrant by default. |
| | | Tell us what inspired you to travel and train? Travelling is a way of life these days, be it for work or leisure. The world has shrunk so much! So far, I've lived in 3 countries, and visited around 30, mostly in Europe, which I love.
BJJ Globetrotters taught me to bring the gi with me wherever I go. I’ve visited different BJJ academies in Poland (Lodz, Gdansk), USA (Baltimore, Miami), Iceland (Reykjavik, Keflavik), Belgium (Brussels, Leuven), the Netherlands (Oss -sic!), Portugal (Ericeira), Spain (Vigo), the UK (London)... I usually travel solo and often I'm the only girl training in the club (never had an issue because of it).
Recently, I found out that a BJJ club is now present even in my home town of 30,000 people in the south of Poland. It’s impressive how much the Gentle Art is expanding.
Tell us about your most recent trip and your upcoming trips – where have you been and where are you going?
Almost all my holidays (and money ;) I spend on BJJ or other martial arts. I’ve just been to the BJJ Globetrotters Summer Camp in Heidelberg, Germany. On the first week of September, I organized a boot camp myself for 30 HEMA fencers in Stara Wies Dojo in Poland, the wonderful venue many Globetrotters know from Zen Camp. The HEMA community is awesome, but I think they need more integration and international exchange opportunities, like Globetrotters already do.
I have a Wanderlust syndrome, so I plan the next adventure even before my return journey. And I usually feel relieved only with a new ticket in my pocket and a new travel entry in my calendar. Next on my radar are weekend trips to Lithuania, Malta, and the beautiful Rhine Valley in Germany, full of castles and vineyards that I’ve recently discovered and keep coming back to in autumn.
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| | What are the things you enjoy about traveling? I like the initially unpleasant and anxious thrill of stepping out of my comfort zone. It’s getting more and more difficult as time goes by, because with age we get more lazy, cozy, and comfy, but as long as you don’t kill that curiousity and thrill in yourself, you feel truly alive.
Can you give us some examples of experiences you had that makes it worth traveling and training?
Last year I was in Iceland twice. I couldn't wait for summer camp, so I visited already in wintertime, as a stopover on the way to the US. In February, I got caught in a blizzard somewhere in the woods between Perlan museum and Mjölnir MMA gym. I thought that if I was going to die there alone and freeze to death in the dark, maybe some Globetrotter would find my body and gi in July. But I survived and got my daily BJJ dose. In that week, I went from training in subarctic Iceland to subtropical Miami.
Another crazy idea was when Robert Barker stayed at my place in Brussels on his Panda Odyssey, and then I spontaneously decided to join complete strangers on a quest to London to roll 24h at a charity Grappleton at Wave BJJ.
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| | What has so far been the most surprising experience for you when traveling? We are one. Whatever our nationality, religion, profession, political views, gender, etc., and whatever they say on the media in this polarized world, we are all just a bunch of naked apes who like to eat, roll, play, sleep, repeat. It's also surprising how much we underestimate body language, whereas it’s the most natural way to communicate. BJJ for me was a way to reconnect with my own body, and at the same time notice that most of people don’t know their own bodies at all; they only use their most basic functions and fear getting physical in so many ways.
For me, BJJ creates a true community and real sense of belonging: we have the same goal and our own corporal language and common understanding: slap hands, bump fists and roll, then try to submit and not let yourself be submitted. BJJ, like any other serious martial art, I think, teaches a lot of respect and humility. We can potentially hurt our partners or get injured ourselves, so with such a “superpower” comes a big responsibility for the others. The Gentle Art taught me discipline, put a structure and purpose to my messy life, and healthily humiliates my ego and challenges my self-limitations on a daily basis.
Are you a budget traveller – and if so how do you plan for a cheap trip? I’ve been using Skyscanner.net for years to map the best flight options, although I like travelling by train best and I try to do that more often. For accommodation, I use Booking.com - a very handy app that allows even last-minute decisions, although sometimes you can negotiate better rates if you call the property directly. Airbnb or couch surfing never really worked for me, because I don’t like to be dependent on others and their schedule. I am a highly functioning introvert moving at my own pace, so I appreciate single rooms and anonymity of hotels. I need privacy to recharge and prepare for my exhausting supernova blasts of social activity.
I used to get obsessed with planning my trips, whereas now I only plan “the anchors”: where I fly from/to and where I am going to stay on the first and last night. I like to keep “controlled spontaneity” and improvise in between those key points. I don’t plan what to see anymore - I got too overwhelmed and didn't enjoy it anymore - except if there are any specific landmarks on my bucket list. I like just to wander around and absorb the genus loci, turn down the street that appeals to me most, and see how the place and me connect, and what mini-adventures spark in between. The cities where I was hit by such magic the most were Zurich, A Coruña, Valencia, and Zadar. I have a good sense of orientation and a radar in my head, so it's difficult for me to get lost, but I try to make the path curvy enough to discover sidetracks.
If you were to pass on travel advice to your fellow Globetrotters, what would it be? Don’t listen to others’ advice, check it out yourself ;) But if you really have to:
Always go full mental and don’t bother what others would say. Notice the beauty around you, even the little miracles, and let yourself be amazed, absorb, and appreciate it. Don’t miss the opportunity to do new stuff, because it may never present itself again, whether it’s a chance to train Icelandic wrestling (Glima), Irish Collar & Elbow, or try new dance, love, food or drink. The worst thing is to regret not having done something.
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| | | Last chance to join us in the Caribbean in two months - few tickets left |
| | Come run away from the cold winter together with us! The tiny island of Saint Barthélemy in the Caribbean used to be a hideout for pirates before Sweden and France invaded. Today it’s usually off-limits for anyone but Hollywood celebrities and the super rich, anchoring the world’s biggest yachts and staying in ultra-expensive luxury hotels.
Working closely with the local St. Barth Jiu Jitsu club, we’ve managed to book a newly built accommodation facility there and will be hosting yet another Brazilian Jiu Jitsu camp on the island! A full week of training, surfing, exploring, beaches, and sailing that you don’t wanna miss.
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| | | | | | BJJ Globetrotters Academy in Focus: Two on One Martial Arts |
| | Where is the gym located?
In Iasi, Romania. Specifically on 2 Poitiers Street, 700671, Iasi.
How many people train there?
Approximately 100 across all our classes (BJJ - adults and kids, MMA, kickboxing, strength & conditioning, self-defense, arm-wrestling).
Is the gym growing – if so by how many new members each month or year?
Yes, it’s slowly growing. About 1-2 new people monthly.
What are the highest and lowest belt grades training?
The highest is purple belt and the lowest are the white belts.
When did the gym open?
We've been in our new/current location since January 7th 2019. |
| | Some facts about you:
Name: Bogdan Toma Age: 37 Belt: Purple Years in BJJ: 5
Other martial arts: MMA Currently living in: Iasi, Romania Originally from: Barlu, Romania
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| Please tell us the story of how your gym came into existence:
I always had the idea in mind. It all began more than 10 years ago, when I started training in MMA with a couple of close friends in my hometown. We had our own gym and we had very good results in MMA competitions with our students. Then, in 2015 I moved to Iasi and I started training here, at a friend’s gym, Absoluto Iasi, run by Mihai Godun, which was focused exclusively on BJJ.
After a while, we started thinking about opening a bigger gym in a new place, but all that fell through when Mihai moved to another country. While teaching in the absence of my friend, I met Tiberiu Popa, a very talented young man who joined the group shortly after. He helped me with the systematization of the training sessions for a good period of time, and so at one point I asked him if he wanted to join me into this new project. So in 2019, we finally did it: Two on One Martial Arts - a 350 square meter full-spectrum combat sports academy, still affiliated with Absoluto in the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu segment, which has Tudor Mihaita as head coach.
Overall, I can say that it hasn’t been easy, and we still have a long way to go, but I’m very hopeful and optimistic about the future of our academy and this sport in general.
Tell us about the people that train in the gym – who are they?
The people who train here have very different backgrounds: students, engineers, doctors, architects, IT professionals, etc. All brought together by the sport.
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| | Why do they train?
To most of them, it's a hobby; something they like to do outside their working hours. Whereas some of them come to the gym more frequently and usually participate in competitions.
What are some of the challenges of running a BJJ gym in general and in your location specifically?
In general, I would say the main challenge is having to deal with the fact that BJJ is still not a very well-known sport here, and in order to enjoy it you have to understand it first.
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| | How do you see the future for BJJ in your area?
In my opinion, the future of BJJ in Romania will be down to the effort made by each and every academy, the devotion of the coaches, the organic growth of the community and the dissemination of good quality information in groups. Last but not least, there is a need for more well-organized competitions. I’m quite optimistic about the future of this sport in my country and worldwide, but I’m aware it will take some time to get there.
What’s the best thing about your gym?
It’s definitely the team and the fact that we're a family and good friends outside the gym as well.
What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from the inside of your gym?Iasi is the second biggest city in Romania, and since it's a university city you can find friendly people from different parts of the country and the world. The city has a lot to offer: culture, great food, nature, and exciting nightlife. Moreover, approximately 100 km away is the Ceahlau Massif, which is great for hiking or trekking.
Thanks for sharing with us! If you'd like to pay a visit to Two on One Martial Arts, 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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