| BJJ Globetrotters Newsletter // May 2015 | | | Dear Globetrotters, Apart from a 24 hour flash trip to London, I didn't do much traveling in April. It didn't feel that way though, since I had so many visitors come by from all over. One of the beautiful things about our community is that not only does it open up a lot of opportunities to come out and see the world, it can also bring the world to you. In the last 2-3 weeks, I've had people come to train with me from eight different countries, including Greenland, Russia, Norway and Australia. My door is always open and you are welcome any day as well. If you can't travel much yourself, you can also offer up your couch and/or mats to visitors like I do. Sign up on Matsurfing.org, a growing community that really seems to kick off now. My friend in Iceland told me his parents house is basically going to be a BJJ Hostel all summer and I can't wait to hear from the people who visit him and his amazing country. On another note, I'm already deep in the long process of planning camps for next year and always on the look out for great locations. If any of you have ideas for killer places to set up a BJJ Globetrotters camp, I would love to hear from you. Shoot me a message on graugart@gmail.com. Requirements are: Interesting place to visit outside of training too, large mat space available for rent and relatively easy to get to. Recommendations of cities/countries/places are not of much use to me - I am looking for specific academies/sportshalls/contacts etc.
And as always, for any stories of people traveling to interesting places to train BJJ, send a mail to newsletter@bjjglobetrotters.com and we'll include it in the next newsletter!
Have a fantastic day, |
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What you'll find in this month's newsletter:
- An Australian dentist on a year long Euro trip for BJJ
- New white basic travel gi now available
- The BJJ hitchhiker
- The 2016 Beach Camp in El Salvador
- Outdoor open mat in Australia
- Free travel offers from Matsurfing.org
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| | | New sponsored athletes join the team |
| | We are always eager to support those people in our community who truly live the BJJ Globetrotter life and represent the values we hold. Recently, we've added a bunch of new sponsored athletes/travelers to our team, who we found we could help a little on their quest to see the world and the BJJ academies in it :) Welcome to all of them, we are excited to hear about their adventures! |
| | | | | | | | | | An Australian dentist on a year long Euro trip for BJJ |
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Jamie Do is one of BJJ Globetrotters sponsored athletes. He's currently on a year-long BJJ trip through Europe, visiting a lot of small towns and lesser known gyms. We sat down with Jamie and talked to him about the current trip and his future plans. Hey Jamie, tell us a bit about yourself
My name is Jamie, and I’m a 27 year old male from Melbourne,
Australia. I have been living in Adelaide, Australia, for the last several
years working as a Dentist and a university clinical teacher.
During the third year of university, I started watching UFC
and lots of YouTube videos on BJJ, which pushed me to give it a try. At first,
I just wanted to train only once a week for a bit of exercise. But like a lot
of people, I very quickly found it addictive, and wanting to train a lot more.
You're currently travelling to train, how did that come about?
Well, I went on a ski holiday in France at the end of 2013 and
also visited a few other European countries. I fell in love with Europe so
much, I knew I had to come back and see as much as possible. So, when I
returned, I decided to eventually quit my job to travel around Europe for one
year. With such a lengthy time away, I knew that I didn’t want to come back to Australia
with rusty skills nor out of shape. So after some discussions with my fellow
teammates and fellow BJJ Globetrotters Dan & Toyah, I knew BJJ
Globetrotting would become an important part of my year long trip.
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| | How was the planning for this trip, was it hard to finance?
When I returned to Australia following my previous trip to Europe, I knew I had to come back. So I set a date for later in the year, started working longer hours six days a week, and started organising things for my visa. I eventually quit my job, and the rest was history.
As for the itinerary, I tried not to have one, which was difficult as it is completely uncharacteristic of me. In the past, I have always been very organized and booked everything in advance. But this time, I had to remind myself that one year is such a long time, it didn’t make sense to be so structured. I tried to book as few flights in advance as possible. Rather, I wanted to rely on travelling from city to city via buses and trains, and move around spontaneously based on the experiences I have and the people I met along the way. This has worked out amazingly as I have visited so many cities, towns and villages that I have never even heard of, and seen some incredible places.
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| | | Jamie wearing his 'tailor fitted' gi |
| What are your future BJJ plans?
Well, when I return to Australia, I will be moving back to Melbourne to be with family, rather than back to Adelaide. This means I need to find a new BJJ family to adopt me. Also, I’ve always mostly been a gi player. But after training at 10th Planet JJ in Stockholm, I have a new found love for the nogi game. So perhaps I will try to dedicate a bit more time to the nogi game in the future!
Anything you would like to add?
For anyone who is reading the BJJ Globetrotting newsletter and is umming and ahhing about whether to organise a trip – stop thinking, and just do it! There’s really nothing to lose, and everything to gain.
Also, I would just like to add that Christian Graugart is an absolute top bloke, and also very handsome.
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| | | New white basic travel gi |
| | The white, basic version of the super light travel gi is now available. Patch it up as you like, dye it or just keep it plain and simple as it is. Same ultra light weight (from 1.1 kg / 2.4 lbs) and high quality as our blue and gray regular travel gis!
Get yours for just $129 including free world wide shipping. |
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Tell us a bit about yourself. When did you start training BJJ and where do you currently train?
I‘m a BJJ brown belt under Braulio Estima. My adventure with jiu jitsu started a little bit more than 7 years ago in Copacabana Team Warsaw. From the beginning till now this is where I've trained.
I‘m 23 years old and this year my studies will end. Almost three years ago I felt big need to travel and from this time I‘m doing it when i have some free time. One year ago I started to mix BJJ and travel together and now this is my favorite way to spend my free time.
You‘re hitchhiking from your native Poland to Portugal. Where did you get this idea from?
Hmm... It was a normal idea for me. In the past i did some hitchhiking trips, like from Poland to Montenegro and back. Through Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Belarus. And also a lot of smaller trips in my country.
Of course Lisboa is my main point for a reason. My girlfriend is on a student exchange there so it is a good opportunity for me to live in another country for a while. Everyone should do it at least once. For me this is just a warm up!
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| | How many countries will you visit on the way?
It was a long way, but let me think. Poland, Slovenia, Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Slovenia, Croatia, Italy, France, Spain, Gibraltar and finally Portugal. I originally planned on visiting Albania and Greece but people that i meet in Sarajevo just kidnapped me and I got stuck in Ljubliana for 3 days. It was fun! Thanks guys.
Is it hard to hitchhike? Do many people stop and pick you up?
For me hitchhiking is not a hard thing to do. Sometimes You need to be really patient. If You just know how to find a good spot for catching cars, people will always stop. Usually it is from 10 to 30 minutes. On this trip i had only big problems with going out from Belgrade. I had to wait 4 and half hours but then ambulance stopped and they gave me 300 km lift to Bosnia soo at the end it was a good experience!
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| | | Did you do much planning before you started your trip?
Noooo. Planning is not my strongest point. I just put my stuff in a backpack and leave my comfort zone. When I'm on the road I search for places to stay from day to day. On couchsurfing or somewhere else. In France i slept in the front seat of a truck. And once i just asked friends on Facebook where to go – Vienna or Belgrade. So it‘s always fun for me.
What are your plans for the future?
In the beginning of May i will go back to Poland for one month to finish some business and then I will be on the road again.
Anything you would like to add?
I really would like to say thank you to the good people on the road. Without them I would be still in Warsaw! Mostly I don‘t even remember their names but the moments will last in my mind for a long time. I also want to thank my friends and family, who support what I do and who believe in me. A big thanks to Janek, Jacek, Kuba, Hebcio, Damian and all guys from Copacabana Team. Also big thanks to Manto for gear to train! And finally, thanks to my girlfriend Natalie for bearing with me!
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| | | The 2016 Beach Camp in El Salvador |
| | | The annual, all inclusive BJJ Globetrotters Beach Camp in El Salvador is our attempt at creating the world's most luxurious Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Surf vacation. In a fantastic house right by the beach, we surf in the morning on an empty, local beach and roll in the evening under the stars and palm trees in the garden. Our professional chef cooks for us, your gi is being washed daily, we have boats, paddle boards, jet ski, kayaks, a pool, balance boards and we do trips to visit volcanoes, Mayan ruins and local bars. Nothing beats this one.
Next camp will be the first two weeks of February in 2016 and we have room for just 15 people per week. |
| | | | Outdoor open mat in Australia |
| | | Luke Docherty on the far right |
| Being relatively new to the sport did not stop Luke Docherty from arranging an outdoor Open Mat, open to all, regardless of affiliation.
Tell us a bit about yourself. How long have you been doing BJJ, and why did you start? I love long walks on the beach finished off with a nice roll in the sand… Oh sorry wrong intro. I`m Luke Docherty from Perth, Western Australia. I started my Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu journey in October 2014. I have had a little bit of experience with Martial Arts and Defensive Tactics in the past as I proudly served in the Military (Royal Australian Navy) for 13 years. 7 years ago my wife was pregnant with our first child and I remember taking the step to change my life around, I looked at training BJJ then however the nearest school was a 40 minute drive from where we were living so nothing ever came of it. Fast forward to July last year I had just returned from Thailand and got my daughters some shorts that replicated Thai Boxing shorts. “Daddy can I do kickboxing?” was the question that followed. I looked at my wife and neither of us was too excited about the idea of our little princesses getting into it but we went along with it, thinking it may die down over time.
I started looking for a gym that taught kids kickboxing and that’s when I came across Gemina MMA. They had dedicated kid’s classes in Kickboxing and BJJ. We started both of our kids off in the kickboxing and also managed to get them into the BJJ. After a while the Kickboxing did in fact die down, but they kept going with the BJJ. I enjoyed helping where I could on the smaller classes and then my girls and my wife said maybe I should do some classes so I would be able to help them a little bit more. Without a second thought I jumped into my first class that night. From the moment I started my introductory class I was hooked. I knew that this was it, I had finally found the one thing I wanted to do, and to have my kids and now my wife also training makes me very happy. I have not one regret in my life, I am a firm believer of everything happens for a reason, the closest thing I have to a regret is that I did not take that first step onto the mats 7 years ago.
Long story short, I started practicing BJJ thanks to my children.
You recently arranged an outdoors Open Mat open to all schools/affiliation, where did this idea come from? I have always been a pretty social person, and being new to the BJJ community I wanted to meet as many new people as possible. I had spoken with one of my coaches about setting up the mats down at the local beach for our club to get together have a roll, some food and get to know each other a little more, outside of the gym setting. He was all for it.
After reading Christians book the idea to set the mats up on a larger scale and invite any one from any school/affiliation sounded like a great way to go about things. Being new to the scene I was almost unaware of any of the politics that have the possibility to occur until after I put the word out, as I hadn’t really experienced any of it. Once the word was out it spread pretty fast thanks to social media and it was underway. I was a little bit wary/nervous on the day of what to expect, was there going to be egos, attitudes etc. However the day went off without a problem it was really good to see everyone rolling with a massive smile on their faces no matter the rank, school or age. It was a really positive vibe. |
| | How did you first hear about the BJJ Globetrotters?
As I mentioned before from the first time I stepped onto the mate everything about the BJJ Lifestyle consumed me. Anything to do with Jiu Jitsu, I watched, listened or read. I came across Christian's book one afternoon while searching the net and by the next evening I had finished it. I then read it again starting morning after I finished it taking it a chapter at a time. I've always loved reading and the way Christian wrote the book felt like I was on the journey with him.
What's the BJJ scene like in Australia?
The BJJ scene is still relatively new in Australia but from what I have seen is growing fast. More and more people are getting exposed to it and there are some great events showcasing some of our local talent. BOA Super 8 has put on a couple of great events with some top matches on the cards. Thiago Stefanutti has done a great job with these nights. The last edition was excellent we got to see one of my coaches Josephine Masiello up against Michelle Nicolini. For the time being all of the major events held in Australia are on the East coast, however with a little bit of planning hopefully we may get some over west in the near future. Grappling Industries have just held their first two events in Melbourne and Sydney and both sold out well ahead of the registration closure dates.
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| | Have you done any travelling to do BJJ, or do you plan to in the future?
I haven’t done any travelling specifically to do BJJ, however I am heading to the USA with my family in September and hope to train while we are there. I have seen the Gracie family are holding the 4th Annual Gracie Immersion camp in Hawaii that would be great to get to but I don’t think that will be achievable this time round. I am hoping to get to the BJJ Globetrotters 2016 Beach camp. Since starting I have competed in two events one No Gi and one Gi. The No Gi was the State titles were I placed second in both my weight and open, and the Gi event was a submission only event where I took first place. Both of these events were held in Perth. No matter the result the experience of competing and knowledge I gained was amazing and the challenge of testing myself was something that I really enjoyed. I do plan on heading to Melbourne later on this year to compete in an event or two.
Are there future plans to do anything similar to this event?
The feedback from the first event was very positive and I definitely plan on holding more events like this. It was a great way to meet new people and roll with different people outside of a competition setting. It also had the added bonus of being held in a public space so it immediately raises the attention of the general public to a bunch of people doing, as I heard on person describe it “Taekwondo, Karate, Yoga Looking stuff”. I have a few other ideas in mind for other events and look forward to putting them all into action really soon.
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| | Anything you want to add?
Thank you for the opportunity to tell you more about my journey and to share the idea of Free Rollers with the community. If you would like to stay up to date with anything that we are doing with Free Rollers Perth please feel free to follow us on Facebook. If anyone from anywhere is travelling through Perth please get in touch with me you are more than welcome to join me/us for a roll.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Free-Rollers-Perth/343901789133874
A few quick thank you`s I would like to throw out there.
1. To my wife Nicky for her continued support of my journey, it is tough for her with me working away and then coming home and training all the time, it does make it easier that she has embarked on her own journey.
2. Christian thanks for all your support and giveaways for the first event. I look forward to helping spread the word down under about the BJJ Globetrotters and meeting as many Globetrotters on my own and their travels.
3. Josephine Masiello for all her help and assistance with coaching me along the way your knowledge has been priceless.
4. Aaron Cadd and the entire Gemina Family for making my family feel welcome and part of the team from the first day we walked into the school and part of the team from the first day we walked into the school.
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| | Free travel offers from Matsurfing.org |
| | | Every month in this newsletter, we'll be bringing a few of the interesting travel destinations offered by Matsurfing.org. The rest will be published seperately in the monthly Matsurfing email. If you are interested in opening up your own home and/or academy to BJJ travelers, sign up on www.matsurfing.org!
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| Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
Host: Robert Biernacki
Contact email: islandtopteam@gmail.com
Can accommodate: 2 + more at students places
The host: BJJ black belt, able to travel and train for years
due to the generosity of others and would love to pay it forward. Has operated a free
visiting student program at own academy since its inception, and has hosted students
from all over North America.
The place: Nanaimo is a town on Vancouver
Island, with easy access to mountains, ocean, and all the natural splendor British
Columbia has to offer. Skiing in winter, surfing in summer. Vancouver, one of the
most beautiful cities in the world, is 20 minutes away by seaplane.
The training: Multiple classes a day at my
academy Island Top Team. I was the second runner up for the bjj instructor of the
year award, I teach every class, and your training partners vary from total
beginners to purple belt pans champs. We also arrange special free training sessions
for visitors. I teach seminars and workshops frequently on the island and in
Vancouver, which you are welcome to join, usually free or by donation, and I can
provide transportation so you can experience training at several academies and meet
many amazing people.
Can offer a spare bedroom and couch at my place,
and similar accommodations at a few of my students' homes. Laundry and
transportation to the academy will be provided. |
| Bruchsal, Germany Host: Daniel Huchler
Contact email: Daniel.huchler.91@gmail.com
Can host: 2
The host: A 24 year old martial artist who trains no-gi BJJ (Luta Livre), Muay Thai, Boxing and MMA. Does climbing and bouldering as well and is willing to teach those to visitors.
The place: Bruchsal is a city in Southwest of Germany. Bigger cities like Karlsruhe, Heidelberg and Mannheim are not far from
there.
The training: No-gi twice a week at the hosts academy, other schools nearby which offer more classes as well as mats at home. Muay Thai, Boxing and MMA training available as well. |
| Dublin, California, USA
Host: Mason Cornelius
Contact email: mason@novamidwifery.com
Can accommodate: 1-4
The host: We are a family of BJJ athletes (though I am the most
recent one to start training) who enjoy travel and meeting new people. Two laid
back parents who cook, two great teens, one who lives for BJJ training and would
happily roll any time, any day. 1 dog, 4 cats and lots of friends.
The place: We are 30 miles outside of San
Francisco, 20 miles from Oakland and 1 mile from the Ralph Gracie Academy in Dublin.
We are a short walk to public transit. Our actual town is a bedroom suburb but we
live close to fun stuff and great food.
The training: Ralph Gracie Academy, Guerilla
Jiu Jitsu, Darcio Lira, Golden Gate BJJ...too many to name!
We have a guest room with two twin beds,
a large family room and two queen air mattresses but if you sleep in the living room
the cats will want to sleep with you and the dog snores. You've been warned :)
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