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| | | | BJJ Globetrotters Newsletter // February 2017 | | Dear Globetrotters,
The photo above is Benjamin from France who is on a trip around Asia to train in a bunch of academies as we speak. I'm always really excited to hear about people going on Jiu Jitsu trips, visiting gyms, meeting people and even more, I'm happy that together, we have created something that can help make these dreams reality. The connections, the inspiration and occasionally the ability to sponsor someone the gear they need for the trip, like the gi I shipped to Benjamin. I just entered an address in my boring warehouse software a late evening with too many things on the to-do list and a few weeks later, a photo like this with a smiling guy on a beach far, far away pops up in my gmail inbox on an otherwise boring Wednesday afternoon.
Those are the moments when everything about this just feel right.
Have a fantastic day, | | | | |
What you'll find in this month's newsletter:
- A Matsurfing story
- Valérie visits the new HQ in The Caribbean
- Carl Magnus gives you an offer you shouldn't resist!
- Globetrotters Academy in focus: Camp Arifjan BJJ, Kuwait
- Free travel offers from Matsurfing.org
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| | | * Super light ripstop jacket and pants * * Improved cut with better fit * * New structural reinforcements of weak areas * * Redesign of all embroideries, woven patches and tape * * From just 1.1 kg * * Perfect to bring for traveling * * Fast drying * * Separate large BJJ Globetrotters patch * * Comes with free watch and a pair of party sunglasses (random color) *
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"Life is like a book.
If you don´t travel,
you just read one page!"
Daniel Meertz, Matsurfer
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| | At the bottom of every month's newsletter you'll find three mat surfing offers. We put them there every month as a small taster of the vast amount of offers you can find here. While you read this, people are meeting all over the world sharing mat space and offering each other roof over the head and good company.
One person that has hosted people through mat surfing several times is Enrico Di Luise from South Italy. He was kind enough to reach out again and tell us his story, and that lead us to contacting his guest Daniel Meertz to get both the traveler's and the host's perspective. And here they are...
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| Hi Enrico, good hearing from you again! This time around you were visited by Daniel from Germany, right?Yes, Daniel Meertz contacted me through the matsurfing network. He is a blue belt training both in BJJ Luta Livre in Düsseldorf.
He told me he had been traveling and training before in different countries including Brazil. Now he was traveling again in order to see new places, get to know new cultures and - of course - train bjj as well.
Ok, so you talk to Daniel, and he tells you that he'd like to visit. What are your thoughts when you get these request? Well, the first meeting with a matsurfer is always a black box. You never know what to expect from it. Daniel's first question was ''How did you recognize me in the middle of the station''? and then I replied ''It was quite simple: you were the only one wearing a Globetrotters t-shirt in a city where almost nobody even know about the existence of BJJ''. Haha :-)
So, we went then to the gym and Daniel dug out from his bag the entire globetrotter set: travel light Gi, flip flops, etc, etc., telling me he took advantage of the last of the BJJ Globetrotters sale with the moving to Saint Barthelemy....
So I knew he had come to the right gym!!!
He stayed at my place for some days, spending the daytime visiting the city and the surrounding areas and then training together and having dinner at night.
It's been a very good experience, fully in the spirit of the matsurfing globetrotter community. |
| | Hi Daniel, so you were the one contacting Enrico! Before you tell us about your visit at Enricos, could you briefly introduce yourself? Sure! I'm a 29 year old blue belt from Düsseldorf, where I work as a fire fighter. I trained about 4 years. And, oh yeah, I just asked for a sabbatical year at my workplace to live the full BJJ Gobetrotter livestyle. Right now I´m waiting for the answer...
You stayed with Enrico di Luise – did he take good care of you :-)?
Yes, definitively! I had a very good time with him. I went every evening to BJJ class and afterwards we went to eat something with some people of the BJJ team. He also gave me some tips for sightseeing. I slept at his place by the Carabinieri station (Italian police station). I also stayed in Palermo with Ruben Stabile. Both guys were great hosts. Thanks a lot!
What is it like to visit a complete stranger and staying at his place?
I felt thankful instantly and you become friends very fast. Also it is interesting to meet new people which you maybe wouldn't have met in your normal life. |
| | | Training BJJ in other places is great. Sometimes the training is a bit different or they have some other techniques so I can learn something. You don´t know the game of the guys like in your academy and maybe it is completely different. I found some holes in my game which I fixed afterwards.
But the best thing is to make friends, get deeper into the culture and not just be one of hundred tourists. In Messina Enrico di Luise suggested me to eat some italian horse meatballs which I wouldn´t have eaten on my own or even found out that this is italian food.
Are you a budget traveller – and if so how do you plan for a cheap trip?
Mostly I try to save some money if I can. I check out prices on skyscanner and watch for discounts. Ryanair is very cheap to get around in Europe. I try to take just handluggage to save money. I search for sleeping places at Matsurfing, Couchsurfing or I will book a bed in a hostel in a shared room.
If you were to pass on travel advice to your fellow Globetrotters, what would it be?
Life is like a book.
If you don´t travel,
you just read one page!
Thanks, Daniel! And everybody go check out all your matsurfing options, and get started on planning you trip :-) |
| | | Less than 25 spots left for the USA camp in May |
| | | | | Valérie visits the new HQ in the Caribbean
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"I practice the 3Rs even when traveling – reuse, reduce and recycle, and it helps to keep the finances in check." Valérie Jean, Budget Adventurer
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| | | If you're curious what life on an island is like, then we are happy to inform your that the new BJJ Globetrotters HQ on Saint Barthelomeus is always open to visitors. In fact we urge you to come and visit us. We'll make sure you'll have an unforgettable island time :-)
Recently Valérie Jean from Canada decided to pay us a visit, so we decided to invite her about her recent trip... |
| | Age: 30
Belt: Blue
Profession: customs/immigration officer
How many years in BJJ: Three
Other martial arts: 3 years of muay thai in a past life
Where do you live: South shore of Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Where are you originally from: A little lost hometown called Shawinigan
Other fun or curious information you would like to share: I get the opposite of a special treatment every time I cross a border and travel solo because of my destinations and my look. The irony.
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| | Hi Valérie, you recently went to Saint Barths - we'd love to hear more about your trip! I left for 10 days. I went to St-Barth, the new BJJ Globetrotters HQ for 7 days and then spent 3 days in Sint-Maarten/St-Martin. I stayed in dorms while I was in St-Barths and was fortunate enough to have an entire room to myself while I was there. I trained BJJ almost everyday and went for runs and hikes every day as well. St-Barth is known for being one of the most glamorous and expensive place in the world to travel – most villas or hotel will charge between $2,500-10,000 per week to stay there and some beach clubs can go as high as $30,000 per day to have access to their facilities. St-Barth is not a budget-friendly place if you plan on taking the easy road. Are you a budget traveller – and if so how do you plan for a cheap trip?
I'm a frugal person, but I don't pass on good things either. I like a comfortable bed and air conditioning especially after a long day spent outside. I usually shop for tickets in advance, read up on destinations, see what's available and when is the best time to do certain things. I try to always focus on the free stuff that's interesting first. I usually don't go out unless someone is asking me to join them as part of a group. I try to eat a big breakfast in my room before going out in the morning, I pack all the stuff I need and I buy water buy the gallon instead of small bottles in countries where you can't drink tap water.
I practice the 3Rs even when travelling – reuse, reduce and recycle, and it helps to keep the finances in check. I also have an app that keep track of my expenses. Everything that can be paid with a credit card is paid with one that gives me cashback and that doesn't charge for currency conversion fees. Those little things help.
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| | It's beautiful but expensive. Unless you know someone who can get you booked in a dorm. Wait, you do! |
| | Travelling solo as a female can sometimes be challenging, but I try to not let it get to me. I took many buses and hitchhiked rides during the day to visit both side of the island in the short time I was there. It was nice to have a big room and a full bathroom with good WiFi for a few days and to be able to finally find fresh fruits and vegetables for less than $10 a portion ;) I also trained at Renzo Gracie SXM while I was on Saint Martin and had a great time on the mats.
Could you tell us what originally inspired you to travel and train, and what are the things you enjoy about traveling?
It started a few years ago when I travelled to Thailand to train muay thai. Funny enough, that's when I started training BJJ because I could attend the classes while I was there. After a month, I wasn't even doing muay thai anymore, only MMA and BJJ.
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| I made sure after that I could get a job where I could travel from time to time. I usually travel to be with locals, walk, go on hikes and discover new places. I'm not a resort type of person and neither is my wife. It just became natural to train and pick destinations where I could train BJJ at the same time and meet new people while doing so.
Getting out of my comfort zone, realizing how I don't need much to be happy and that if you reach out to people, they will be there for you – you just need to be open-minded and be willing to try new stuff. I also enjoy finding ways to fix tricky situations like cards being declined, flights being cancelled and what not. At first it's scary and if you let it, it will ruin your trip and your vacations. Don't let it ruin your time and your experience – make it a part of the trip.
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| | Can you give us some examples of experiences you had that makes it worth traveling and training?
I don't know if I look like a known person, but there were cab drivers in Mexico that started offering me rides for very little money. Every night they could see me walk the same road with my gi on my shoulder and then raise my hand, bargain the price to go to the gym. The price kept going down and down and then one day, a driver asked me for an autograph. I explained to him in Spanish that he was mistaken me for someone else, but he insisted and seemed so happy afterwards I guess I'm a celebrity in Mexico.
Having my training stuff with me has also cut short the not-so-fun encounters I've had at customs and immigration. They usually assume the worse, but as soon as they find the gis, dirty rashguards and mouthpiece, I'm good to go ! But yeah, solo female travelling in South America with only a carry-on can raise some red flags.
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| | What has so far been the most surprising experience for you when traveling?
How genuine people are and how I've never had to pay to train anywhere even after emailing and being told there would be a fee. Most academies are really excited to see someone show up, especially a female traveller.
Also, getting on Duolingo and learning the language basics before travelling to a country will open you many doors and give you bargains everywhere you go as it shows care and respect. Those two things will get you really far when you travel.
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| If you were to pass on travel advice to your fellow Globetrotters, what would it be?
Just go for it. Be uncomfortable as it will make you grow. Email people, ask questions, reach out as much as possible. Get up early and be ready for many adventures, not just BJJ. Get a good watch and use a paper map – it's always super useful. And I cannot recommend it enough, but a multi-adapter for USB ports, a portable charger and a 10-foot long USB cable are 3 light and practical things that will make your trip smoother.
Thanks a lot Valérie, it was a pleasure hearing about your trip. Good luck with the next one. And to our readers: the HQ is open for travelers :-) |
| | | More than half the spots now sold for next camp in Saint Barth! |
| | | | Carl Magnus gives you an offer you shouldn't resist
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"I have traveled all over the world, but never done something quite like this. However, i am a very good driver and have driven on every continent but Australia." Carl-Magnus, taking you with him for free on a road trip
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Meet Carl from Norway!
He wants to drive from California to Costa Rica, training jiu Jitsu and surfing along the way.
You can come with him. Yes, you can!
Hi Carl, please introduce yourself quickly before we get to your ridiculously good offer... Hi Guys, I’m a 31 year old blue belt from Norway. I have trained jiu jitsu for about 3 year, and previously judo as a kid and teenager.
After i ripped my knee in a tournament in August last year, on top of having experienced the earthquake in Kathmandu and the suicide of a friend, i have decided to take a year to train and enjoy life as much as possible. Possibly, slightly inspired by the OG (Original Globetrotter) Christian ;) |
| | Carl, this is a magnificient opportunity, and we can’t wait for you to tell more about it. What exactly is going to happen?
Well, guys here it is...
The trip: Starting in San Diego, and ending in Tamarindo Costa Rica. It’s rougly 3.500 miles and about 65-70 hours of straight line driving according to google. It will be longer than that, as we will need to divert some to find the best places to stop.
Timing: I Departure some time around May/June 2017! I am going to LA with my girlfriend for her birthday on May 13th, and then spend the week preparing the car/cars and whatever else is needed before driving down.
Duration: I have no rush! But I am thinking to spend about three weeks and have some time to spare if/when stuff happens. People can join for the whole or parts of that, and jump on/off as they see fit along the way, but I will prioritize space for people who can join for the whole adventure.
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| | The plan:
So the plan is to find Globetrotters in all the countries on the way down to Costa Rica. Thats Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua. Stay with them if possible, or use motels/hostels where that is not possible. The route is an absolute white canvas, and i would love the community to help out with this part! Where to train, and where to surf, and contacts, suggestions and so on. (ed.: if you can help Carl with any of that don't hesitate contacting him)
Who can join?
Anyone! BJJ Globetrotters spirit all the way. Any and all belt ranks, experience levels, countries or backgrounds.
How many can join?
For comfort I will take up to 3 passengers in my car, but if more people want to join I have a way of getting more cars! I know of a guy who will buy them once in Costa Rica, and he might finance them upfront as well.
If a bigger group wants to go, we could even have a van full of mats and stop anywhere we want to train in addition to visiting gyms, and pay the trip for a black belt to join us for the duration. I would still say we can’t be more than 12-15 people in 4-5 cars.
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| | Car(s) The car is going to be a 5 seater Toyota Tacoma or 4Runner around 2000-2005 model, so for comfort i will take up to 3 passengers! It’s roomie, and big, and a comfortable 4x4 that will go smoothly through anything those kind of roads will throw at it.
Cost: The honest answer is; I don’t know. We will figure that out. But we will simply plan as a group and divide the expenses. I will pay for my car obviously, but we need a special insurance driving it down. If we do more cars, then we just share the expenses, they will go down the more people we are. Other than that, everybody pays for their own room and food when needed.
If it’s me and someone else only, then we share expenses fuel and insurance and such and that’s it.
I am keen on keeping it cheap on the way down, but at the same time stay focus on being safe, so no super dodgy places! Hopefully we can get some nice deals on Airbnb’s and homestays and so on.
Black belt offer: If there are any black belts who are keen, i will give you the ride for free, and throw in 500$ for food and expenses. That goes if you are a ”black belt” surfer too, no matter jiu jitsu level.
If we become a bigger group, that offer might increase in size, who knows.
Safety: There are obviously millions of people who travel safely in the countries every year! If excuted the right way, i see no reason why this should not be a prefectly calm and cool trip through paradis on earth. Certainly we need to stay safe and take precious care, and with this i would also like help from the community. Any experiences driving in these countries, where to stay away from and so on.
In addition, we are traveling light, with little or no valuables but our clothes and gi’s. The car will be insured, so if someone steals it, well... We will figure that out ;)
Experience: I have traveled all over the world, but never done something quite like this. However, I am a very good driver and have driven on every continent but Australia. I don’t have a lot of experience in Latin America, but by the time we leave my already rapidly improving Spanish will probably be pretty sufficient, though I welcome very gladly Spanish speakers!
More about me: I recently moved to Costa Rica after having had a work year full of travel as a videographer for Warner Bros. Traveling with lottery winners and being their guide in places like Tokyo, Bali and Costa Rica. All in all, I had 15 trips last year plus guided a group with my travel company in Nepal. It’s been hectic to say the least.
At the moment I am on my last work trip in New York, before moving permanently to the surf paradise Tamarindo for a loooong term workcation (Yeah, I made that up). There are 3 gyms there with a Gracie Academy, a second degree black belt from De La Riva and a third giving classes at a local gym. How many people train and the level, I have no idea yet. However, by the time this trip rolls by I will know the full scene up and down that coast!
In addition to training, I am going to become a bad ass adventures only travel agent full time. Running all sorts of crazy trips to mainly Bali, Nepal and Costa Rica! So this will be good practice.
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| | Tamarindo Beach Costa Rica |
| | Carl, thank you so much for putting this opportunity out there, and dear reader: start looking for cheap flights and get in touch with Carl... |
| | Download for $0.99 on Kindle or the Kindle smartphone app
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| | | | | | BJJ Globetrotters affiliated Academy in Focus: Camp Arifjan BJJ, Kuwait |
| | "We’re hoping to get the word out for military service member, military contractors, or government civilians of any nation that is passing through or residing at Camp Arifjan to come visit us." Jesse Fu, deployed at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait
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| | This time around we're going all the way to The Middle East to visit a military base in Kuwait with a small gym run by the outstationed soldiers. We talked to one of them who also happens to have been globetrotting a lot. |
| Hi Jesse, we're very curious to learn more about the gym you guys run, but could you briefly introduce yourself first?
Sure, my name is Jesse Fu, I'm 32 and originally from New York, but currently in Kuwait for military deployment. I wear a blue belt with two stripes.
So it’s a little different we're guessing since it’s a military base, but tell us the story of how your gym came into existence?
Our BJJ program went through a lot of different hands managing it before I came onboard, so I don’t know exactly how it came into existence. I would imagine it is just people wanting to roll putting the word out there and getting people to meet regularly.
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| Tell us about the people that train in the gym – who are they?
We have service members from different branch of service (currently Army and Air Force) of different compoennts (Active Duty vs. Reserve) from the US Military of different military rank and different military specialities. We also have US Government civilians and contractors that train with us. Besides BJJ practioners, we also have people who train in wrestling or judo that train or teach us. (See attached on some bios provided by some of our members.) I am hoping to also attract service members of allied nations that come to our base to our program.
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| | What are some of the challenges running a BJJ gym on a base?
Being a Blue Belt, I only had a limited amount of knowledge to teach. It was exhausting to research for new class material everyday while still having to perform my military duties during the day. When I first took over running the program, I was the most senior belt grade in the program teaching all the classes.
Luckily, some of our members had tremendous wrestling experience to assist in teaching takedowns on some days, and we also started having more senior belt grade practitioners join our program later. I asked those people with experience to teach on some days. Once their schedule became stable, I asked them to commit to teach on certain days of the week. That alleviated the instruction burden.
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| Another challenge is that we share the the facilities with other athletic programs and military training events on our base; we reserve the mats every month but our classes may be bumped if there is any special event or military training going on. Sometimes, instructors and/or students may be called to mission or duty and not make it to class. We use Facebook to communicate who is covering for instruction if the instructor cannot make it and when class is cancelled for special events.
I see the greatest challenge is the transitioning of one program administrator to another. It is important to have a person who is willing and capable to organize and coordinate the classes to ensure that the proper paperwork is filed with the facilities to reserve the training area and to continue to encourage instrocturs and students for class attendance.
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| How do you see the future for BJJ on the base?
I see our BJJ program to continue to grow. When I took over managing the program about three months ago, I was the only dedicated instructor teaching in the evenings. Now, we have expanded the program to also have day classes, and we have multiple instructors assigned to teach the different classes.
What’s the best thing about your gym?
It is free! Anyone on the base is welcome. Gym is always open. As long as no other program reserved for the mats, anyone can set up an open mat meet. We are hoping to have service members from allied nations join our program.
What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from the inside of your gym?
I asked people who have done traveling in Kuwait City, and here is what I got:
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| - Kuwait Towers: It is one of the iconic tourist spots. They are towers by the ocean, and there are nice restaurants in the tower.
- Souks: These are markets that have cheap and good food.
- Avenues Mall: This is the largest mall in Kuwait. It has a small city inside spearated by avenues.
- Marina Mall: The nice part of this is really the beach and the marina next to the mall.
- Grand Mosque: The largest mosque in Kuwait.
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| | | Alright, Jesse, thanks for the peek inside a US Military base - any words for the BJJ Globetrotters community out there?
We’re hoping to get the word out for military service member, military contractors, or government civilians of any nation that is passing through or residing at Camp Arifjan to come visit us. We reflect what BJJ Globetrotters is about: People from different lineages and different parts of the world coming together because we want to train and meet people that share the same passion for the sport.
Well, if that's you, do not hesitate to contact Jesse Fu! |
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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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| Farmington, Arkansas Host: Dylan Scott
Contact email: spidermonkey092@gmail.com
Can host: 2
The host: I am a student at the University of Arkansas in my senior year, I am a 22 year old brown belt originally from Tulsa, Ok. I teach and manage a small gym in Fayetteville, Ar called Fayetteville Jiu-Jitsu.
The place: Farmington is about 5 mins away from Fayetteville, it is a college town so if you're interested in a night life Dickson street is the place to go. It's a great place to go hike there's about 2-3 national parks within 20-30mins of Fayetteville.
The training: We train at least 3 days a week it's a small facility that can hold 8 people rolling comfortably. All of my students are relatively new but I do have a few people that are blue belts. We usually train Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6pm and 7pm and also have open mat on Sundays at 3pm
The accommodation: I live with 3 other roommates but, we have an extra couch and a love seat that's actually more comfortable than the couch. The other option is if you have sleeping bags I can open up the gym for you to stay in. |
| Laois, IrelandHost: Tom McNamara Contact email: tom@sbgportarlington.com Can accommodate: 4 The host: I am a BJJ Blue Belt under John Kavanagh at SBG Irelands. I have opened an SBG affiliate with Philip 'The HoneyBadger' Mulpeter. I love to travel and compete around Europe. I have recently returned from Colombia where I trained with different clubs. The experience humbled me and I am opening the doors to visitors to come train with us in Ireland.
The place: We are located in the heart of Ireland. Roughly 1 hour on bus from Dublin. There are castle ruins close by and within a short distance you can do dirt biking, skydiving and downhill mountain biking. The training: We are building a BJJ Competition team here to be reckoned with. We have BJJ sessions 3 times a day, morning, midday and evening.
The accommodation: Staying in my family home there is a triple room available but we also have a mattress for the floor. The room is ensuite. The house is a farmhouse and you are free to use the fridge. You can use the kitchen at certain times
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| Melbourne, AustraliaHost: Chris Arnott Contact email: arnottchristopher@hotmail.com Can accommodate: Up to 20 The host: Black Belt Instructor at Not For Profit Club in Melbourne Social Worker The place: Broadmeadows- suburb of Melbourne- easy public transport to clubs in city
The training: Easy public transport to any club in Melbourne
The accommodation: 4 spare beds (bedding supplied)- a tonne of space to camp in yard, some extra camping gear that can be lent (gear to sleep another 10 or so camping). Front and back yard with fire pits to sit around on a cold night- more of a camping feel than a house
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