Subject: [September newsletter] Video from Austria camp // Featured Globetrotter // Maverick MMA and Performance

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BJJ Globetrotters Newsletter // September 2021
Dear Globetrotters,

After a fantastic time in Austria, I'm back on the island for a few weeks before heading to Estonia camp next weekend. This camp took the hardest pandemic beating of them all, as it is now our third attempt at hosting it. However, the stars are aligned, travel restrictions are manageable, training is allowed and we are ready to go. We expect around 150 people on the mats and a solid program for off-the-mats social activities, so I'm excited to finally be able to pull this one off.

It is also the camp where we will be hosting the final movie theater premiere of our BJJ Globetrotters documentary before we release it for the public online. It will be forever free to watch on YouTube and you can sign up for the online premiere here if you want to make sure you don't miss it.

In the coming week, we expect to announce at least six new camps for next year. I apologize on beforehand for sending a bit more emails than usual, but we want to make sure that nobody miss the announcements, of course.

Have a fantastic day,

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

  • Highlight video from Austria Camp
  • Featured Globetrotter: Taherul Khan
  • Globetrotters Academy in Focus: Maverick MMA and Performance
A handful of tickets remain for a spontaneous adventure in Estonia
* From September 13th to 18th, 2021 *
* 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 *
* Free ticket for world premiere of BJJ Globetrotters documentary *
* Yoga every morning *
* All experience levels and affiliations welcome! *
Sign up for the free online premiere later this month!
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. Sign up now to receive an invitation for the free online premiere. 
Highlight video from Austria Camp last month
Featured Globetrotter: Taherul Khan
Age: 38

Belt: Brown

Profession: Software Test Automation (I basically piss off software engineers)

How many years in BJJ: 11, I guess officially, but I've been doing some form of shit grappling since 2005.

Other martial arts: Boxing, Muay Thai, and ages ago Kung Fu

Where do you live: Zurich, Switzerland

Where are you from: London, England... the bit that wanted to stay in the EU

Other fun or curious information you would like to share: I recently took up acting a couple of years ago. It’s fun and super challenging.
Tell us what inspired you to travel and train? 
Midlife crisis... kidding... maybe not, but a curiosity like most other people I guess.

Tell us about your most recent travel and your upcoming travel – where have you been and where are you going?
Aside from the recent Globetrotters camp in Heidelberg, I kind of consider moving to Zurich as a bit of a vacation, as I’m still in the honeymoon phase due to Covid. Am going to Sardinia in September though, which I’ve never been to, so I’m looking forward to that and Sardinian white wine: contini karmis bianco tharros. Get this bottle of white from there, it’s a good one.
What are the things you enjoy about traveling?
It varies. I like to travel alone a lot, as I get to just pick and choose what I do, who I meet etc. But food is definitely one of my favourite things. I started a habit a few years back of visiting Michelin star restaurants where I can in other countries, and I love sampling this from different cultures.

Can you give us some examples of experiences you had that makes it worth traveling and training? 
Ok, so Globetrotters is an obvious but very real reason to do so. I’ve made a whole bunch of friends and fun experiences.

Outside of Globetrotters, it depends on what you want to get from travelling. For me, I go with the flow and see what happens. In New York, I love the fact that I can go to a bar by myself and once ended up at a rock gig with a bunch of random student doctors. I’ve tasted some amazing food. NOA Chef Hall in Tallinn, Estonia was mind-blowing - it had some of the best wine pairing I’ve had to date.

In Cuba, I randomly found a Newaza judo club on Varadero beach and they invited me to train. It was a great way to meet locals in a more real way as, without getting into it much, generally the behaviour towards tourists can be understandably superficial, so having a sport in common to train with for a few days in a row lifts some of those barriers.

What has so far been the most surprising experience for you when traveling?
I can’t say I’ve had any surprises. Maybe I didn’t expect to fall in love with New York as much as I did and seeing how friendly people were, given what you hear about NYC people. But coming from London and having visited Paris, I guess anywhere after that seems friendly! Make what you will of that answer. P.S. I love France, don’t hate me mes amis Francais…  
Are you a budget traveller – and if so how do you plan for a cheap trip? 
Not gonna lie, I’m too old for budget travelling and I like travelling and sleeping in comfort. The days of sleeping on people's kitchen floors a la age 20-somethings are long gone. So I’m the worst to give that advice.

If you were to pass on travel advice to your fellow Globetrotters, what would it be? 
I think a lot of people feel a pressure to travel in a way that other people would like to see them travel. Don’t. Do the things you want to do and travel how you want. Even if you’re on a budget, travelling is still expensive in the form of time - don’t waste it visiting the places or doing the things you think would look good on Instagram or please other people. If you want to stay in just one place for a week without seeing much, and you enjoy that, then do exactly that. If you want to see 8 million things in a day, do that. It’s your time and your experience, nobody else's.

Having said that, if you’re not too shy, try to get to know locals somehow. We have a superpower in BJJ in that it makes it so much easier to meet people from a local region, so if you want, it’s worth using that to connect with locals and get a glimpse of their culture.

Finally, if some dude on a street corner is staring at you and rubbing his knees, probably don’t strike up a conversation with him. Or do. YOLO.
Five days of Jiu Jitsu, skiing, snowboarding and schnitzel ❤️
* 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: 
Maverick MMA and Performance
Where is the gym located?
Balllybofey, Donegal, Ireland.

How many people train there?
40 to 45 on average come through our doors a weekly basis.

Is the gym growing - if so by how many new members each month or year?
We only opened our new full-time HQ a month ago because of Covid delays, but we are growing steadily with new sign-ups daily.

What are the highest and lowest belt grades training?
We have had purple belts and blue belts in rolling on a daily basis and it's great for our club to get the rolls in with higher level competitors. We run our gym on a open door policy, so it doesn't matter what team or affiliation you belong to - you are more than welcome to drop in for a session.

When did the gym open?
Maverick MMA and Performance was established in 2018, working out of gyms and community centres. In July 2021 we opened our full-time academy.
Some facts about you:

Name: AJ McDaid
Age: 28
Belt: Blue belt
Profession: Gym owner
Years in BJJ: 14 years on and off
Other martial arts: I've fought in MMA and competed in K1 kickboxing
Currently living in: Stranorlar, Donegal, Ireland
Originally from: Strabane, Tyrone, Ireland
Please tell us the story of how your gym came into existence
I have been involved in martial arts since I was 14 years old, and I've been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to train alongside some amazing fighters and coaches along the way. I had always been travelling at night for my training, up to several hours. It was always my dream to open a martial arts academy in my hometown to offer the kind of training I had been travelling to get to. My previous jobs took me to the UK and Dublin, where I got to see loads of successful full-time academies and people living the Jiu-Jitsu lifestyle.

I had never really been passionate about anything other than martial arts, and always believed you should follow your passion whatever it is.

We started by working out of community centres and halls, but I realised that in order to have great success and to become the type of academy we wanted to be, we needed a full-time academy. We had problems at first finding a unit, which ended up moving us 20 mins away from the town we started in, but I think the unit we found and location is perfect. Now post-Covid it's back to business.

Tell us about the people that train in the gym – who are they?
We have people literally from every walk of life, from social workers to tree surgeons and students etc. We have a great mix of personalities.

Why do they train?
Some members train with the hope of competing on a high level. Others just want a different way of getting fit. I think a major aspect is the community feeling. We push this hard and really try to strike a great balance between training hard and having a laugh. As soon as you walk through our door on your first day, we try and make you feel part of the team. Always keeping a positive vibe.

What are some of the challenges of running a BJJ gym in general, and in your area specifically?
The biggest challenge I've seen is getting people to take the final step and come through the door. A lot of people are intimidated to come through the door -  they'll message and get everything in order, but fail to show. I think in time this will diminish when they see the great characters we have on the mats and how friendly an atmosphere we have.
How do you see the future for BJJ in your area?
I think this is only the beginning. I hope it progresses to be a club known for high-level grappling. I will do everything I can to make it happen. I already have two BJJ Globetrotters instructors, Chris Paines and Michael Currier, coming to our gym for seminars, and as a team we will try to attend as many camps as possible. Just a little note to any other Globetrotters instructors ever wanting to come to Donegal - just PM us on our FB page and we will do our best to make it happen!

What’s the best thing about your gym?
100% the community vibe and the more relaxed attitude towards the, in our opinion, outdated rules of the grappling community. We don't do belt hierarchy or any of this so-called club loyalty where you are only allowed to train here. We show each and every member respect, as they do to each other, and we encourage our members to always learn more and experience travelling to other gyms.

What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from the inside of your gym?
If you're coming to Donegal you can visit over 100 beaches, with a few cold paradises for surfers. The international surf spots Bundoran and Rossnowlough are not far from our gym. You also can explore the breathtaking scenery which is endless in Donegal. Donegal offers all the outdoor sports you could imagine, and if that doesn't take your fancy we offer endless amounts of Irish pubs and good ‘Crk’. Everyone is more than welcome to come visit our gym anytime.

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Thanks for sharing! If you'd like to visit Maverick MMA and Performance, 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 2021-09-05. Report abuse