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| BJJ Globetrotters Newsletter // September 2022 | |
Dear Globetrotters,
...and that's a wrap! Six camps in three months of the summer delivered. It was a bit wild and a bit exhausting, but I enjoyed every minute of it. Thanks to all the participants who came out to Maine, Iceland, Estonia, Germany, Faroe Islands and Austria!
Now I'll have myself a well deserved little rest before the next ones. We're only doing three camps for the rest of the year (which are all sold out) so I'm looking forward to a bit of a slower pace.
The schedule for next year's camps is already in the works so keep an eye out for the first announcements in your inbox sometime during this month, hopefully! :)
Have a nice day, | |
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What you'll find in this month's newsletter: - Featured Globetrotter: James Woodard
- Photos from Austria Family Camp
- Globetrotters Academy in Focus: Bushido Flow Grappling Arts
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The 1,236 participants of the camps this summer!
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Only dorm rooms left for Caribbean Camp in February |
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* February 6 - 12, 2023 in Saint Barthélemy *
* Easily reachable from United States and Europe *
* Seven-day Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training camp *
* Six nights central accommodation *
* An affordable chance to visit exclusive celebrity island *
* Dinners in local restaurants *
* Daily surf lessons and board rental *
* Catamaran boat trip *
* Fresh bread from local bakery every morning *
* Laundry service *
* Stay extra nights at affordable rate *
* Minivans and cars available for exploring the island *
* Some of the world’s best beaches *
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| Featured Globetrotter: James Woodard |
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Age: 51
Belt: Blue
Profession: High school film/media and history teacher
How many years in BJJ: 7 years
Other martial arts: Judo for 20 years (nidan); Toyama and Shinkage Ryu kenjutsu; Danzan Ryu jujutsu for 8 years
Where do you live: Penang, Malaysia, currently training at FLOW BJJ Academy, Penang.
Where are you from: Iowa, United States
Other fun or curious information you would like to share: I am an avid diver who enjoyed dry suit diving at Thingvellir during the first Iceland Globetrotter camp in 2017. |
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Tell us what inspired you to travel and train? I started training BJJ while I was teaching In Myanmar. I had tried to train judo in Yangon, but there were arcane rules about foreigners training at the only gym in town. Somebody told me about an English lady running a BJJ gym out of her back room, so I went to check it out and was immediately introduced to BJJ Globetrotters, as the visiting coach, Brain Carlsen, was teaching some BJJ fundamentals in my friend Tammi’s apartment. I ended up hosting a couple different visiting coaches who passed through Yangon.
Tell us about your most recent travel and your upcoming travel – where have you been and where are you going?
I had planned on attending the Heidelberg camp in 2020, but then everything went sideways. So I was very happy to come to Heidelberg for the 2022 summer camp. I spent the month travelling around Germany while researching for a history project based in the Baltic.
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What are the things you enjoy about travelling? Meeting new people and having at least one good story by the end of the experience.
Can you give us some examples of experiences you had that makes it worth traveling and training?
I moved to Penang in 2017, but before I moved, I packed my gi and went to Europe, spending a few weeks in Germany and England training at some places I had been recommended through the Globetrotter network, each one of them letting me train for free during my stay. I travelled to Iceland and contacted Gudmundur Gunnarson through the Globetrotter network and he offered me a place to stay and train, and I got to meet his family and learn about different places to visit in Iceland. I travelled and trained in Akureyri and at Mjölnir gym in Reykjavik, where both places let me train for free as a visitor who contacted them as a Globetrotter. Gudmundur and his wife Eydis were amazing hosts, and becoming friends with them was a highlight of my journey.
Soon after I moved to Penang, one of the Globetrotter coaches that had visited Myanmar was giving a seminar in Penang. I went to attend and learned he would be coaching at a new gym close to my home. That summer I attended my first camp in Reykjavik and was again a recipient of Gudmundur’s hospitality.
What has so far been the most surprising experience for you when traveling?
I have visited Mongolia a couple of times, and during my last visit was able to see a lot of traditional Mongolian wrestling in the countryside during the summer Naadaam festival. I did not do well, but it was worth the experience.
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Are you a budget traveller – and if so how do you plan for a cheap trip?
I’ll be honest, the older I get, the more comfortable I like to be. That said, I am used to couch/mat-surfing, and took a tent and sleeping bag to Iceland. I try to pack a lot of quick-dry stuff that compresses easily, but also find it useful to have a warm hoodie and sturdy pants.
If you were to pass on travel advice to your fellow Globetrotters, what would it be?
Don’t let the news dictate where you should visit. There are tons of amazing experiences to be had in some pretty off-beat places.
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Less than 30 tickets left for next year's **full week** camp in Maine |
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May 29 to June 4th, 2023 in Maine, USA *
* Beautiful lakeside location in the middle of a forest *
* Approx. an hour’s drive from Portland, ME *
* Gi and no-gi classes all day long *
* Six nights accommodation in cabins or private rooms *
* All meals included *
* Full laundry service *
* Daily morning yoga *
* 50+ hours of gi and no-gi classes *
* 20+ hours of open mat *
* Jiu Jitsu and other sports-related workshops *
* Great accommodation and training facilities *
* Free use of paddle boards and kayaks *
* Bonfire every evening *
* First night Pub crawl at camp *
* Dodgeball USA vs. The World *
* Board game night *
* Beer tasting *
* Karaoke night *
* Ninja assassination game *
* Evening show last night *
* Midnight barbecue *
* Many other available activities *
* Everyone welcome regardless of experience and affiliation *
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| Photos from Austria Family Camp |
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| Austria Camp in the summer is the only camp of the year where we welcome families with kids along. We're renting an entire hotel with their own dedicated sports hall, smack in the middle of the beautiful Austrian Alps. There's a plethora of nature, playgrounds, mountain hikes, stunning views, castles and waterparks in the area, so there's plenty to do outside of the 10 hours of Jiu Jitsu scheduled a day. For the kids we had daily kids' classes, parkour, free play open mat, movie night and even a disco party 😄 |
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| We're going back to beautiful Tallinn in the Spring! |
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* From April 24th to 29th, 2023 *
* In Tallinn, Estonia *
* Less than 20 minutes from Tallinn airport *
* Huge mat space in a beautiful medieval town *
* Six-day training camp *
* Gi and no-gi classes all day long *
* High-level international instructors *
* Yoga every morning *
* All experience levels and affiliations welcome! *
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| BJJ Globetrotters Academy in Focus: Bushido Flow Grappling Arts |
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Where is the gym located?
Devonport, Tasmania (Australia)
How many people train there?
All up about 20 people.
Is the gym growing - if so by how many new members each month or year?
We've only just opened and are still getting set up, but yes we have doubled our members in a month.
What are the highest and lowest belt grades training?
Highest grade is brown belt - that's me and I am coaching. We have lots of new white belts which is great to help the sport grow!
When did the gym open?
We opened on the 1st August 2022. At the moment our space is pretty sparse, however in a fortnight we have new carpet coming, new vinyl cover for the mats, and we'll finish painting.
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Some facts about you:
Name: Matt Hull-Styles
Age: 42 Belt: Brown belt Profession: Academic/University tutor Years in BJJ: 15 Other martial arts: Luta Livre Currently living in: Ulverstone, Tasmania Originally from: I was born in New South Wales in Australia and moved to Queensland and lived there for over 20 years. |
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Please tell us the story of how your gym came into existence I was training at another gym for a few months, but took a short break due to Covid concerns as my kids have compromised immune systems. In the downtime I started to realise there were some things at the gym I was previously at that didn't sit well with me from a coaching and leadership methodology perspective. Soon after, some local guys I had met at open mats and casual classes contacted me to come and do some training. We hit it off and I began rolling regularly with them at their shed before it was suggested I start coaching some regular sessions. After doing this for a few months and having some new people join in, we realised we had something special going on and wanted to expand. We managed to secure a nice big space close by and are in the process of fitting it out, but have been training and welcoming new people in the meantime.
Tell us about the people that train in the gym – who are they? We have a great variety of people already. Some young crew, a few a bit older like me or close to it, some relatively experienced with a few years of training, and others who are brand new. Men and women, mums and dads. Each person comes from a different walk of life and brings a unique background to training which I try to incorporate into how I coach them.
Why do they train? Many of the students are fans of the new wave of nogi competition as well as MMA, and so it is a logical progression to seek out training. Others are keen for the challenge that martial arts creates and understand that grappling is a highly effective art for self defence as well as fairly safe due to the lack of repeated concussions that can accumulate when training in the striking arts for a long period of time.
What are some of the challenges of running a BJJ gym in general, and in your area specifically?
The main challenge for me is structuring classes that are engaging yet practical and build all the necessary fundamentals without being boring! Other than that other challenges are balancing the task of building a new business with my work and family responsibilities. Also, ensuring my way of doing business is community minded and ethical is also really important and needs constant attention. Keeping costs low for my students whilst trying to fit out the place on a limited budget is also challenging.
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How do you see the future for BJJ in your area?
There are already some other gyms around with their own flavour. I think different and new coaching approaches and gym cultures offer healthy alternatives to people looking to start BJJ, or who need a change from the gym they are in, so hopefully I can be a part of a trend that focuses on quality coaching and great gym culture.
What’s the best thing about your gym?The welcoming atmosphere and attention to detail! Lazy coaching is disrespectful and so is an uninviting vibe. From the outset I wanted to run a progressive and inclusive gym. I've been around enough to know the atmosphere I want to train and coach in and produce new students from. Racists, homophobes etc can go find somewhere else to train. We invest in people first.
What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from the inside of your gym? Tasmania is a gorgeous place!!!! I have only been here a year but the beaches are amazing, the numerous rivers and lakes are beautiful, Cradle Mountain is breathtaking, and the forests and natural landscapes are world class.
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Thanks for sharing! If you'd like to visit Bushido Flow Grappling Arts, you can find them here. |
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Super lightweight travel gis available in all colors |
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