Subject: [October newsletter] Photos from Fall Camp Estonia // Featured Globetrotter // Paderborn Wombats

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BJJ Globetrotters Newsletter // October 2021
Dear Globetrotters,

Things are starting to pick up around here. Our camp in Tallinn, Estonia a few weeks ago was a great success. I always enjoy visiting that corner of Europe, it's such a beautiful place. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that we quickly decided to come back next year in April. 

The camp in Estonia was also where we hosted our final premiere of our BJJ Globetrotters documentary "The Gentle Art of Travel". We screened it in a beautiful, old, Soviet cinema and simultaneously released it online for the world to see. More than 12,000 people have already watched it and it's honestly kind of a strange feeling after having worked on it for almost three years and not shown anyone. If you haven't watched it yet, catch it for free on YouTube and get a glimpse in what goes on behind the scenes of the camp. Hope you'll like it!

I'm also very pleased to report that at the last three camps, with a total of almost 450 participants, we've seen zero covid-19 infections. There is no such thing as "no risk", but it seems like with our current precautions and requirements, it is indeed possible to host Jiu Jitsu camps pretty safely these days.

Have a fantastic day,

What you'll find in this month's newsletter:

  • Photos from Fall Camp Estonia
  • Featured Globetrotter: Vince Millett
  • Globetrotters Academy in Focus: Paderborn Wombats
Watch now: The BJJ Globetrotters 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.
More than 25% of tickets already booked
* From June 13th to 18th, 2022 *
* In Reykjavík, Iceland *
* Six-day training camp in the largest grappling and MMA gym in the world *
* Classes all day long *
* Full use of all sauna, hot tub and weight-lifting facilities *
* 45 minutes from Keflavik international airport *
* Vikings vs. Intruders Icelandic wrestling competition *
* Optional half day Golden Circle sightseeing trip *
* Camp party in Viking bar *
* Everyone welcome, regardless of experience or affiliation *
Photos from Fall Camp in Tallinn, Estonia last month
Featured Globetrotter: Vince Millett
Age: 60

Belt: Purple

Profession: Civil servant

How many years in BJJ: 8

Other martial arts: Judo, Aikido, Nippon Kempo, Shorinji Kempo, Taekwondo, Karate, Lau Gar kung fu

Where do you live: Croydon (London), United Kingdom

Where are you from: London

Other fun or curious information you would like to share: I was once caught trying to derail a steam train but I escaped. I have broken into a working gold mine. I once sold two battery-operated toy submarines to Roger Moore. I have met the man who invented the pollen count. I saw Hilary Clinton out shopping in Vietnam. I have been inside one of the Great Pyramids of Giza. I have almost stepped on venomous snakes twice. I am a musician and have been releasing music since 1988.
Tell us what inspired you to travel and train? 
I read Christian’s book not long after starting BJJ. Saw an advert for a camp in Denmark and went. That started it all! I love adventures and seeing new places, meeting new people. Combining that with BJJ is the perfect thing to do.

Tell us about your most recent travel and your upcoming travel – where have you been and where are you going?
This year I’ve been to the Iceland Camp and the Estonia camp. Both quite different from each other, although that’s probably partly down to me. In Estonia I stayed in the hostel with other campers for the first time, and because the camp days ended quite early I took part in much more social activity than on previous camps. Didn’t do so much socialising in Iceland. I’m old and I don’t drink so much of the partying isn’t of interest to me, but I love all the history and architecture and food in the places we go. Haven’t booked the next trip yet, but I’m very tempted by the Estonia beach camp.
What are the things you enjoy about traveling?
I love history and culture, architecture, and languages. I’ve loved all the European camps I’ve been on because they have opened up a whole continent to me. I also love to cook and I always try to hunt out local food in the camp locations, for example fish stew in Iceland and blood sausage in Estonia. Heck, I even ate vegan food in Estonia - although that’s not traditional, of course!

Can you give us some examples of experiences you had that makes it worth traveling and training? 
I’ve loved all the training, of course - I’m still working on things I learned nine camps back! Learning directly from a range of amazing teachers in such a friendly environment is incredible. Having a go at Glima wrestling, Backhold wrestling, Collar and Elbow wrestling, and Central Asian belt wrestling has been amazing. Doesn’t matter if I get dumped on my head - how many people my age have a crack at something like that? I love that we have the opportunity to get significant conceptual ideas that are shaping modern Jiu Jitsu straight from the source; for example, Priit’s defensive jiu jitsu. However, just seeing new places and making new friends is a big incentive for me.

What has so far been the most surprising experience for you when traveling?
I was surprised to be deported from Sweden on my way to Estonia, but I managed to get to camp by a different route in time to catch Christian’s opening speech so I didn’t miss anything!
Are you a budget traveller – and if so how do you plan for a cheap trip? 
I’m afraid I am a budget traveller. It’s always difficult for me, but my job (in public health) pays overtime money when there are pandemics to be dealt with. Ebola and COVID have paid for several of the camps I’ve been on!

If you were to pass on travel advice to your fellow Globetrotters, what would it be? 
If in doubt, book it and go. Life is short. Travel light. Do some research about local public transport and cheap places to eat before you get there. Seek out the real local experience - don’t be too much of a tourist. Scan all your important travel documents and have them in Dropbox - if you lose everything you’ll still have all your info to hand. Get to know your fellow campers - you’ll make friends for life.
Less than 20 tickets left for our comeback-camp in the Alp
(was cancelled last time due to the pandemic!)
* January 2-6 in Wagrain, Austria *
* 70 km from Salzburg airport *
* Beautiful location in the middle of the alps *
* Five days of BJJ and skiing / snowboarding *
* Four nights accommodation *
* All meals included *
* Free skiing and snowboarding lessons *
* Daily workshops, lectures and movie nights *
* 24 hr free fruit and non-alcoholic beverages *
* Extra mat space for all-day open mat / drilling *
* Free laundry service *
* Direct access to huge skiing area with 120+ km slopes *
* Free access to water park and sauna facilities next door *
* Afterski parties *
* All levels of BJJ and skiers welcome *
BJJ Globetrotters Academy in Focus: 
Paderborn Wombats
Where is the gym located?
In Paderborn, North Rhine Westphalia, Germany.

How many people train there?
At the moment we have around 200 members training at our gym. In a normal class there are about 10-25 people. MMA classes tend to get a little bit more crowded.

Is the gym growing - if so by how many new members each month or year?
The gym is steadily growing, but we try to welcome new members in specific assigned months each year so we can focus our attention on them. So sometimes we get zero new members a month, sometimes it's 30.

What are the highest and lowest belt grades training?
We have grapplers of all levels at our gym. In luta livre, our practised nogi grappling style, we got a couple of blackbelts and alot more whitebelts (and everything in between). Bjj is slowly catching up with a good group of grapplers from white to brown with one blackbelt.

When did the gym open?
The team was started in 2007 by our Luta Livre coach Mark Davis.
Some facts about you:

Name: Paul Urbanik
Age: 33
Belt: Black belt in Luta Livre and BJJ
Profession: Schoolteacher for mathematics and physics
Years in BJJ: 9 in BJJ, 12 in Luta Livre
Other martial arts: Luta Livre, MMA, and some Taekwondo back in the day
Currently living in: Paderborn
Originally from: Born in Poland, raised in Germany
Please tell us the story of how your gym came into existence
In 2007 we started as a nogi and MMA competition team. Later down the road we started to loosen up a little bit and tried to focus on building the sport in our area. At that point, we listed our gym as a non-profit club and rented a bigger place.

Tell us about the people that train in the gym – who are they?
We got people from all walks of life at our gym, with almost every age present. So it's not unusual to see our 8-year-old kids greet our adult class attendees that work as a policeman, chemist, welder, or teacher.

Why do they train?
Most of the members just enjoy training, sweating, improving, and getting a clear head for a couple of hours. But we also have some strong competitors in grappling, as well as a great group of pro MMA fighters.

What are some of the challenges of running a BJJ gym in general, and in your area specifically?
Paderborn is a city with a lot of “big” sports clubs like soccer, American football, and baseball. So the focus for many people are those “ball-sports”, while martial arts is often looked down on. At the beginning there was no one teaching BJJ, Luta Livre, or MMA in the area, so our founder Mark Davis had to build it up from zero. Now we have a strong team of volunteer trainers with great knowledge in their respective styles working together, which we are really happy about and proud of.
How do you see the future for BJJ in your area?
BJJ and Luta Livre (no-gi grappling) doesn't get the same attention as, for example, MMA, but we've noticed a steady increase in people who come to us for BJJ only. So kudos to all the celebs who use their reach to promote the sport.

What’s the best thing about your gym?
The team and atmosphere for sure. We've got a great mix of people on the mat who always keep the energy light and fun. Also a lot of people worked together to push the team to where it is now. All those times traveling to competitions, rebuilding our gym, and grinding on the mats formed a really tight bond between a lot of members.

What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from the inside of your gym?
Paderborn itself has some nice spots with some sights and good places to eat, but the surrounding area has some really cool sights too. The Teutoburg forest is right around the corner, with some great hikes and old historical sights. You can even attend an old German feast like the Germans who fought the Romans back in the day (no need for forks and knives).

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Thanks for sharing! If you'd like to visit Paderborn Wombats, you can find them here.
 
 
 
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    This is an online snapshot of a newsletter created by the owner of BJJ Globetrotters (BJJ Globetrotters, Quartier du Roy, 97133 Anse des Cayes, Saint Barthélemy) and sent via GetResponse on 2021-10-05. Report abuse