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BJJ Globetrotters Newsletter // May 2016
Dear Globetrotters,

And so it begins.... The next four and a half months, we will be pulling off no less than six camps, trying to make every single one of them more amazing than the last one. I'm off to Greenland on Thursday to kick things off and needless to say, I'm super excited about it. I have a feeling that this is going to be a great summer :)

As always, hope you enjoy the stories we've found for this month's newsletter and feel free to shoot me a message any time if you have questions, ideas or suggestions!

Have a fantastic day,

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

  • Featured traveler: Nathan on a roll in the Caribbean
  • Featured traveler: Annie abandoned physics to travel
  • Globetrotters Academy in focus: Jiu Jitsu Academy Worblental, Bern in Switzerland
  • Free travel offers from Matsurfing.org
10% off super light travel gi package this week
Summer is just around the corner so now is the time to get your travel gi to bring for your vacation and we'll throw in sleeping mask, microfiber towel and ear plugs for free. As always, we have free shipping to anywhere in the world and it's only $19.99 upgrade for tracked+insured shipping.

* Super light ripstop jacket and pants *
* From just 1.1 kg *
* Perfect to bring for traveling *
* Fast drying *
* Beautiful embroideries *
* Separate large BJJ Globetrotters patch *
* Includes free super light microfiber travel towel, sleeping mask and ear plugs *
* Includes a free eBook copy of “The Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Globetrotter” *

USE COUPON CODE: TRAVELGI10
Coupon code valid this week only!

This months featured travelers
Each month one of the many BJJ Globetrotters travelers will tell us about his or her most recent travel experiences, and perhaps share with us a couple of good travel tips. Where did they go? What's there to experience? How did they plan it? How do they fit traveling into their lives?

This month you will meet seasoned traveller and instructor Nathan who decided to head back to the tiny and picturesque Caribbean island he visited on the official Globetrotters Caribbean Camp.
(The devoted reader might have noticed this interview announced in April's newsletter, but was somehow lost in cyberspace. Grieve not - here it is!)

You will also get to meet Annie Laderoute and hear more about the adventures that started when she decided to abandon her career in physics and head to Korea to teach instead.
"My approach to traveling is you can't do it soon enough.
I am a simple man and enjoy the experiences over the luxuries"
- Nathan Adamson
Featured traveler: Nathan on a roll in the Caribbean

Name: Nathan Adamson
Age: 32 years old
Belt: Black belt
Profession: Martial arts instructor & academy owner
How many years in BJJ: 14 years of Jiu Jitsu
Other martial arts: I've dabbled in Taekwondo, Muay Thai, Wrestling and Judo
Where do you live: I live in beautiful Seaside Oregon
Where are you originally from: I am originally from Canby Oregon and moved to Seaside after living in Guam for a year at age 9

Nathan, you really have embraced (and been embraced by) the spirit of the BJJ Globetrotters – could you tell us a bit about what traveling and training does for you?
Living the Globetrotters lifestyle is extremely gratifying for me. I love traveling because it exposes me to cultures, people and experiences I am foreign to which helps build my character and ability to communicate with others more effectively. While I'm traveling I always seek out a group of people doing what I love to do most so I get to share my knowledge and learn from them at the same time. 

Judging from your facebook profile you’ve done quite a lot of BJJ related travelling, and it also reveals that you are away from home right now – where are you and what’s it like?
I'm currently in the French West Indies on the island of St Bartholemey (also known as St Barts). It's captivating with amazing scenery, friendly people, music to set the vibe and best of all…where the Jiu Jitsu Outpost is located. I was immediately bonded with this special little gem on earth! Next weekend we will be at the Pan Ams in California to compete and then next stop is Belgium for another Globetrotters Camp.
To the Globetrotters out there looking for that kind nudge – how do you get started on the travelling? Where to begin?
My approach to traveling is you can't do it soon enough. I have positioned myself with very little overhead to budget in while I am home. so I have just enough to get away every couple of months or so. I am a simple man and enjoy the experiences over the luxuries. Networking is a key player, the more people you know the more opportunities you have to visit new places and they have the inside local tips to save you some money. Most of the credit would have to go to our incredibly dedicated team back home that keeps everything solid back home while we are away. We are a very tight family. My brother and I are doing this to set the students up with connections all over the world. We also hope to see many of our newfound friends in Seaside someday.
Apart from traveling a whole lot, Nathan runs a gym with his brother at Seaside, Oregon that welcomes all BJJ Globetrotters. And if you can't make it to Oregon anytime soon, you'll meet him at the Leuwen camp where he will teach a class.
"I think the best thing I have done for my Jiujitsu and for myself is to train at different gyms with different people"
- Annie Laderoute
Featured traveler: Annie left physics to travel and train

Name: Annie Laderoute
Age: 28 years old
Belt: Blue belt
Profession: Teacher/traveler
How many years in BJJ: About 3 years
Other martial arts: None, I was a runner and played volleyball before BJJ
Where do you live: South Korea the past 3 years, finished my last contract in February and been traveling since, so kind of homeless at the moment!
Where are you originally from: Prince Edward Island, Canada
Annie, you started out with physics but ended up traveling and training, tell us how that happened?
I've had the travel bug for as long as i can remember...I have a master's degree in Physics but left my home town as soon as I was done my studies because travel was calling me a lot more than being a scientist. So what started as one year teaching in Korea turned into three with many trips in between.

I started training BJJ after having been in Korea for a few months. My partner asked me to try a class with him to see if I'd like it. I had no idea what I was getting into but I figured why not give it a shot. Loved it and have been training on and off ever since.  Oh, and I did most of my BJJ in Korean, my professor didn't speak English, but we made it work!
Annie's BJJ team in South Korea: Lock n Roll BJJ
Tell us about your most recent travel – where have you been?
Ive travelled quite a bit over the past few years but for the past few months we've been moving across South East Asia. We spent a month in the Philippines, a week in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, and now Thailand. We trained with amazing and welcoming people in Cebu and in Bohol in the Philippines. From there we moved to Phuket and what started as a week quickly turned into a month at Phuket Top Team. Basically this trip has been very open ended, we go where there is training and cool things to do. It's been really great. We're off to Singapore next week then Vietnam after that!
                             Private lessons with a dog in Cebu...
Time to make us all a bit envious... give us some examples of experiences you had that makes it worth traveling and training?
I can think of two from this trip so far that have made it all worth it. While in Cebu we were invited to train at 90/eight BJJ for a week. PJ (professor) and his wife Johanna were two of the nicest people I've met. They invited us to their home for a private BJJ session on Mactan Island. We rolled for hours outside on his personal mats, played with their dogs, ate great food. It was such an amazing day. And more recently, celebrating Songkran (Thai new year) with people from all over the world at Phuket Top Team. The best water fight I've ever been a part of.
Yes, those are fire hoses, but no, those are not riots, it's people engaging in the annual public water fight celebrating Songkran - new year in Thailand
And that leads us to the next question. How do you manage all your traveling financially - are you a budget traveller?
Yes definitely on a small budget. I worked really hard in Korea to save my money for this trip and want to stretch it as far as I can. The best thing is to make a budget. After doing a bit of research and looking at how much of my savings could go into this trip, I came up with what would be a good daily allowance for food and housing without giving up too much. Aside from the daily budget I gave myself a certain amount for travel between countries, for bigger activities, and for training. Travel on a budget means travelling a little slower and picking and choosing activities (you can't do it all, but that's OK). If you stay in one place longer it is often cheaper because you can book an apartment for less than a hotel, and you can cook your own food which saves a lot in some places.
And for the final advice for your fellow travelers out there?
Well, If you're a bit reserved like me it can be intimidating to step into a new place. But I think it can be a bit scary for anyone new to travel or BJJ. I'm not the best at BJJ, I've never competed, and can be a little shy on the mat. I think the best thing I have done for my Jiujitsu and for myself is to train at different gyms with different people. Training and travel has forced me out of shell and I'm so thankful for that. The best thing I can say is just get out there. Dont be shy to contact gyms, if you don't ask you won't get what you want, and be open to plans changing. A friendly attitude and open mind goes a long way. Careful though, travelling and training becomes addictive!

Oh! And get a travel GI! Honestly the best purchase I could have made. I can train in the morning, wash it and it's dry in time to train again in the evening, awesome!
Thank you very much, Annie, and good luck with your traveling. If you want to follow Annie, you'll find her here:
BJJ Globetrotters affiliated Academy in Focus: Jiu Jitsu Academy Worblental in Switzerland
Bern, Switzerland
Hey Giuliano, you're the boss in the Globetrotters affiliated gym in Switzerland. Before you tell us about the gym, please give us your "how I started with BJJ"-story :-)
I started BJJ in Australia




 when I was there to learn English.




 At the beach I met some Brazilians and they invited me to train Jiu-Jitsu. At that point 




I was already a brown belt in Judo and Japanese Jiu-Jitsu and thought it's the same. I didn't know anything about BJJ back then.






Then during the training I understood it's not the same, as almost every blue belt was better than me during the sparring. After that training I couldn't stop thinking of visiting this school as much as I could.
You had become infected by the BJJ-virus?
Yes, couldn't sleep anymore...In 2004 I opened the first BJJ Academy in canton Bern with the objective to learn, develop and show the beauty of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in our area.

And fast forward - you now run one gym in three different locations in Switzerland?
Yes, the HQ is located about 15 minutes outside of Bern...and the other two locations are very close to the city. So with that there is no excuse that the Dojos are not close enough to where people live or work!

Tell us about your gym and the people that train there...
It's a multicultural place, people are between 16 to 50 years. We have white to Black belts, and some train for competitions others for self-defense, work-out or just for fun. We have an open mindset, and we have students with black belt in other martial arts, so we like to be explore and mix them together. We have an open mindset also in terms of other BJJ teams so everyone is welcome. It doesn't matter from which team or organisation.

Sounds like the BJJ Globetrotters spirit?
yes...when I found out about Globetrotters I thought I was looking into a mirror!
The Jiu Jitsu team in Bern...
What should a traveler curious to visit you guys in Switzerland do?
Fly with Easy jet to Geneva or Basel and then catch the train to Bern...not the cheapest but very beautiful. 
In the summer you can swim in the river and ski/snowboard in the mountains in the winter.
Great and thanks a lot for opening up your gym to us, Giuliano! Any final messages for the BJJ Globetrotters out there?
Yes, on September 5, 2015 we have started the first Open-Mat-Event in Switzerland. The number of participants is constantly growing. To see the past or upcoming events check out the details here

You can reach Giuliano and Jiu Jitsu Academy Worblental here
 
 
 
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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Penticon B.C., Canada
Host: Jason Linton
Contact email: longhair604@hotmail.com
Can host: 2

The host: Training for 1 year white belt, I train at a small club
instructor is Judo Black Belt and Bjj Brown Belt. We have a spare bed room a nice
deck and a hot tub as well, we live between two lakes and there are a lot of
vineyard`s and orchards close by, Me and my wife enjoy drinks and good food.  I`m 44, she's  younger than me. We have a spare bed room in our home, it's a
nice middle class home with no judgements or hang ups. 


The place: Many things to do: Beaches, rock climbing, Mt. biking, hiking, etc. Penticton is packed with tourist in the summer and a sleepy town in the off months!

The training: There are a couple of places to train where I live, but 45 minutes away ( Kelowna ) there are a lot more clubs and mma Gym`s. Mostly white and blue belts where I train but in the town where I train as well there are higher belts and also other high end mma clubs !
Koper, Slovenia
Host: Taso
Contact email: mma.koper@gmail.com
Can accommodate: 1-10

The host: Founder, president and head coach of MMA Koper. Started
to train martial arts 17 years ago with PFS (progressing fighting systems/Vunak &
Faraone) and grappling. Later boxing, Muay Thai and 2 years ago started with BJJ
under B.Mirkovi? (Cro) and Master R. Murgel (Bra-UNION BJJ Team), Im a current blue belt.

The place: Koper is the "biggest" city on slovenian coast. A lot of history and nice arhitecture, but because Slovenia is so small, many beautifull places to see not far away, even Venice (Italy).

The training: We have BJJ training 2x per week and we are not many for now (3-6). We are very adjustable and training is always available because gym is rented for 24h. We would be very happy to host anyone, higher or lower belt to train and learn! :)

The accommodation: We have very nice gym with aircondition, refrigerator and showers so many people can sleep on the mats in sleeping bags. If comes just one, maybe I could find space at my small apartment.

Our BJJ group is very frendly so welcome to all cool people, champions or anyone else who wanna roll and have a good time! :)
Tumby Bay, South Australia
Host: Corey Slade
Contact email: slade55@bigpond.com
Can accommodate: 2

The host: I'm a personal trainer with a small home studio (60m2)
of mat space. Run a small kids martial arts academy sharing mainly family based (i.e. most of my Bootcamp & PT clients have kids in the club) self defensive style Jiu Jitsu. I'm a proud husband and father of two beautiful daughters eldest of which is training BJJ. We plan to travel & train together one day but things are pretty hectic currently. I'm a Blue Belt under Will/Machado affiliation but have sustained a couple nasty injuries last couple years which I'm working around. Also trained & continue Wing Chun for a long time.

The place: Beautiful beach side location. Everything you need. Good kite boarding beaches, surf close by, amazing fishing, city comforts 1/2 hr to Port Lincoln. Shark Cage Diving. Local cross country obstacle course and waterfalls i can personally show you at no cost!

The training: I'm fairly junior instructor but we have a small group of around 6 train 2 early mornings per week here in my
studio. Will train more often of course for visitors. I attend my own training at Reality MMA (Sam Broughton - Purple Belt) for BJJ in
Port Lincoln on Tue & sometimes Thu nights & Saturday morning open mat rolling. Also travel infrequently to train with Alan Hartley in Whyalla (2hrs drive) who is a very good Blue Belt competitor & coach.

The accommodation: We are fortunate enough to have free access to a B&B next door when required for friends so if it's not booked then we can help you out. Otherwise if it is booked our Fitness Studio is beautifully lined & insulated & swags can be arranged (however you'd have to be up early each morning while Bootcamp is running 3 days per week).

Love to share friendship, culture and of course Martial Arts on the mat with people willing to share.
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