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BJJ Globetrotters Newsletter // August 2017 | |
I'm back from the Summer Camp in Belgium - what an experience it was. It was our biggest to camp with 272 participants and an overwhelming amount of training and activities crammed into one week. With all the stuff going on behind the scenes, I mostly manage to be on the mats myself for the open mats, but even that seemed like endless rounds of hard, easy, fun, interesting and challenging rolls with old and new friends at all levels. A big thanks to everyone who joined the camp. I have no idea how we can possibly raise the bar for the experience next year, but I'm up for the challenge! :)
On Friday, I'm off to Germany for the Fall Camp in beautiful Heidelberg. Looking forward to do it all again!
I hope you'll enjoy the stories we've found for you this month. Have a fantastic day,
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What you'll find in this month's newsletter: - Exploring with Eric in the USA
- Igor in Copenhagen
- Photos from the Summer Camp in Belgium
- Globetrotters Academy in Focus: MI Sports, Osaka, Japan
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| 10 tickets left for Caribbean Island Camp in February |
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* February 12th to 18th in Saint Barthélemy * * Easily reachable in few hours from major U.S. airports * * Seven days Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training camp * * Six nights central accommodation * * An affordable chance to visit exclusive celebrity island * * Dinner in new local restaurant every evening * * Fresh bread from local bakery every morning * * Laundry service * * Stay up to an extra week at affordable nightly rate * * Carnival party * * Mini vans and cars available for exploring the island * * Some of the world’s best beaches * * Daily surf lessons and board rental * * Catamaran boat trip * |
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Exploring with Eric in the USA
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"Don’t go in with expectations. The act of letting life happen often surprises you. And don’t be a dick."
- Eric Lubow
Recently we have seen amazing things happen within the BJJ Globetrotters community. When Eric Lubow realised that he would no longer be able to use his ticket to the Copenhagen camp, he decided not to sell it but to give it to someone who otherwise would be unable to go. This month we have caught up with Eric to find out about his travels, and Igor who he decided to give his camp ticket to! |
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Hey Eric! Let's start by telling us a bit about yourself.
Age: 35 Belt: Blue Profession: Tech entrepreneur, mentor/advisor and programmer How many years in BJJ: 3 years Other martial arts: Over 10 years of MMA, 6 years of wrestling, 5 years of Tae Kwon Do, 2 years of boxing, 1 year of judo Where do you live: New York City, USA Where are you originally from: New Jersey, USA
Other fun or curious information you would like to share? I have had over 700 skydives, a few BASE jumps and tens of thousands of miles riding a motorcycle. I also have a dog (@charliedognyc on Instagram) who travels with me whenever possible.
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| So Eric, tell us what inspired you to travel and train.
I’ve been travelling and training martial arts in short bursts since college. My wrestling team used to take trips to train with other teams as a way to improve our skills. I have been doing that ever since with all types of martial arts. BJJ has a community that makes it more fun. Most people who do BJJ are chill people who share a passion. That acts as a great ice breaker and helps you make friends wherever you go.
Tell us about your most recent travel – where have you been and where are you going?
At the moment, I’m travelling around the northern part of the United States. I realized I had been to more countries than states and I wanted to see more of the place I’ve lived my whole life. We (Charlie and I) started this trip in mid-May and will finish up around mid-August before I head to Germany for the Heidelberg camp (my 4th Globetrotters camp). I can’t really get more specific about where I’m going because I’m sort of making it up as I go along. If you want to see where I went and what I did, I have been writing about it on http://eric.lubow.org/.
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| What are the things you enjoy about travelling?
The best things about travelling to me are meeting new people. Places exist and have a rich history worth exploring. But the people make the places what they are now. I enjoy finding out about people’s passions and why they are where they are. And finally, I enjoy finding out what came together to create a particular place. Context is so important and learning about heritage and where people and their land came from and how they got to where they are today is fascinating. |
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Can you give us some examples of experiences you had that makes it worth travelling and training?
Every place you go to expands your horizons. I have yet to go to a place regretted it. I have been to multiple gyms where I have met other people who are either Globetrotters themselves or know Globetrotters really well. While in Idaho, I met a good friend of Nate Adamson (a regular Globetrotter instructor) who took me to a few gyms and let me and my dog stay at his place for a few days.
Additionally, after training, people love to tell you their favorite things to do locally. They are generally more hesitant before you’ve trained with them. So every new place I go where I get to train with people, I always end up being told about better experiences to have and enjoy the new place even more. Without training, you don’t get to build that level of camaraderie quite as quickly.
What has so far been the most surprising experience for you when travelling?
Meeting random people who just happily let me and my dog crash on their couch or extra bed with barely knowing me and only training with me. People are awesome.
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Are you a budget traveller – and if so how do you plan for a cheap trip?
Because I’m travelling for such an extended period of time, I do some days travelling on the cheap. Other days, I stay in a hotel. One of the easiest ways to make for a cheap trip is to make friends on the mat. It never ceases to amaze me how many BJJ people offer up a couch or a bed after you roll with them. I typically end up camping as that is a cheap (often times free) way to find a place to sleep. But new friends are always a great way to travel. I’ve even had people offer to call ahead to my next city because they have friends there and offer me a bed.
If you were to pass on travel advice to your fellow Globetrotters, what would it be?
Don’t go in with expectations. The act of letting life happen often surprises you. And don’t be a dick.
Cool! Thanks for sharing your story with us. And of course for giving another member of the BJJ community the fantastic opportunity to learn at the Copenhagen Camp! If anyone would like to get in touch with Eric you can find him here. We'll have a chat with Igor next! |
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| Super light travel gi v2 in stock in all colors and sizes! |
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Photos from our Summer Camp in Belgium
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Join us in Austria for our 4th legendary Winter Camp! |
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* January 3-7 in Wagrain, Austria * * 70 km from Salzburg airport * * Beautiful location in the middle of the alps * * Now FIVE days of BJJ and skiing / snowboarding * * Four nights accommodation * * All meals included * * 24 hr free fruit and non-alcoholic beverages * * Free laundry service * * Direct access to huge skiing area with 120+ km slopes * * Free access to next door Water World Amadé with sauna * * Afterski parties * * All levels of BJJ and skiers welcome * * Top ski and snowboarding instructors * |
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"Globetrotters is a great community of beautiful people. And in terms of the development of Jiu Jitsu for my club, this is invaluable. This is not a step forward. This is a huge leap forward!"
- Igor Yevtushenko
So you've met Eric - not it's time to meet Igor, the well-deserving recipient of Eric's camp ticket! He explained to us just how much of a big deal this was for him and his students. |
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Age: 44
Belt: White
Profession: Jiu Jitsu instructor, used to work as a diver
How many years in BJJ: 2 years
Other martial arts: None
Lives in: Kherson, Ukraine
Originally from: Same place
What inspired you to start training?
I honestly do not even know! I have always given my all to Jiu Jitsu - it is the most interesting thing for me to do. I was overweight and not very well and I started exercising to lose weight. But when I tried Jiu Jitsu it was love at first sight! My weight before training was 85kg and now I weigh 58kg. I was so passionate that I then decided to open up my own gym and now I train both children and adults. I hope I can bring the same passion to their lives. Already we have more than a dozen medals - each student is a prize-winner at tournaments without exceptions. |
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Tell us about your most recent travel – where have you been and where are you going?
I have never travelled before. I can not afford it. A trip to the BJJ Globetrotters camp in Copenhagen will be my first trip. This became possible thanks to Erik Lubow and Christian Ifversen. I am so excited to meet new people and see nature.
This sounds like it will be a fantastic opportunity for you! How are you planning on getting to the camp?
I plan to go from Kherson to Hamburg by bus. In Hamburg, I will then take a bus to Copenhagen. This is the most budget option. It takes more time than an airplane, but it is twice as cheap. And one more bonus of such a route - I will be able to enjoy the scenery from the bus window!
Great! What does this mean for you and your club?
I do not even know how to describe what it is for my club. This is the cosmos!!! Other planet!!! I couldn't even dream about it. Thanks to all the people who helped me with this trip. Globetrotters is a great community of beautiful people. And in terms of the development of Jiu Jitsu for my club, this is invaluable. This is not a step forward. This is a huge leap forward! I'm happy.
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| Thank you so much Igor! We're glad to hear that it was a great experience for you. If anyone would like to get in touch with Igor, you can find him on Facebook. |
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* May 30th to June 3rd, 2018 in Maine, USA * * Beautiful location by a lake in the forest * * Approx. an hour’s drive from Portland, ME * * Five days intense training camp * * Great accommodation and training facilities * * High level international instructors * * Gi and no-gi classes all day long * * Four nights accommodation in cabins or double rooms * * Full laundry service * * All meals included * * Free use of paddle boards * * Bonfire every evening * * Lobster bake night * * Night out at local bar * * Many other available activities * * Everyone welcome regardless of experience and affiliation * |
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BJJ Globetrotters affiliated Academy in Focus: MI Sports, Osaka, Japan |
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"I can see the BJJ scenery in the area growing because we are the first gym in central Osaka." - Ivaylo Ivanov, MI Sports |
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Check out this months featured gym - MI Sports in Japan. It's the first Japanese Globetrotters affiliate! |
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Name: Ivaylo Ivanov
Belt: Brown
How many years in BJJ: 15
Other Martial Arts: Originally started with Greco Roman wrestling as a kid and have given various other grappling styles a try
Where do you live: Osaka, Japan for the last 17 years
Where are you originally from: Varna, Bulgaria |
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Where is the gym located?
The gym is located in the ideal centre of Osaka: Osaka, Naniwa-ku, Nipponbashi Higashi 1-5-14.
How many people train there?
We have about 30 members at the moment, with more people joining next month, when we will start our morning BJJ classes as well.
What are the highest and lowest belt grades training?
The level varies greatly. We have several black belts, brown belts, purple, blue and white.
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When did the gym open?
It was open in the beginning of this March, by Ivaylo Ivanov (BJJ brown belt, Judo black belt, Sambo master of sport and founder of the International Combat Wrestling Federation- FICW).
Tell us about the people that train in the gym – who are they?
Our crowd is very mixed - we have plenty of expats and japanese from all ages, from kids to elders (we have people in their 50s), all walks of life, who train to compete, to lose weight, deal with stress, self defense and etc. |
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How do you see the future for BJJ in your area?
I can see the BJJ scenery in the area growing, because we are the first gym in central Osaka and we offer full package of grappling experience, topped with many different physical conditioning classes, suitable for very diverse crowd.
What is the best thing about your gym?
We have a lot of different things to offer! We have classes in BJJ, Sambo, Combat Wrestling, several fitness and conditioning classes, such as Kettlebells, Bulgarian Bag, Power Lifting, Arm Wrestling and HIIT.
It really sounds like you guys have a great place to train in! If any Globetrotters are visiting Japan, make sure to get in touch with MI Sports! |
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