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Becoming the Conscious Competitor: Master’s Seniors Worlds 2018
By: Emily Kwok
“The fact of the matter is that there will be nothing learned from any challenge in which we don’t try our hardest. Growth comes at the point of resistance. We learn by pushing ourselves and finding what really lies at the outer reaches of our abilities.” – Josh Waitzkin, The Art of Learning
Fully […]
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Showing Up
Showing Up
By: Joe Hannan2018 began with goals for my martial arts life, one of which was to compete three times. With the second behind me and the third at some undetermined point in the future, I’m a bit unmoored and dejected. The physical and metaphorical hunger lit a fire in me that I hadn’t felt […]
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Returning to Competition: Finding My Heart Again
Returning to Competition: Finding my heart again
By: Emily KwokI recently made the decision and announcement that I would compete at this year’s IBJJF Master’s Seniors Worlds.
It’s been 6 years since I have competed and in the typical timeframe that a purple belt is born, I opened a school, birthed 2 children, concentrated on building […]
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10 Tips on How to Age Gracefully in BJJ
10 Tips on How to Age Gracefully in BJJ
By: Emily KwokBJJ is a very physically demanding sport. A workout can leave you feeling wasted more often than not, yet grounded at the same time. Most people can’t bear to be as uncomfortable as you’ve been for the last hour of your life and survive to […]
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Take the Opportunity to Build Your Community
Take the Opportunity to Build Your Community
By: Val Worthington
My partners (Emily Kwok and Hannette Staack) and I run a business called Groundswell Grappling Concepts. In 2009, we started hosting grappling camps for women, because back then, there were few opportunities for women to train together. Those ladies who were committed to improving our jiu-jitsu had […]
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Pura Vida. Pura Vida Jiu Jitsu.
Pura Vida. Pura Vida Jiu Jitsu.
(Pure Life. Pure Life Jiu Jitsu)
By: Emily KwokI recently came back from a glorious vacation in Costa Rica with my family. For a week we lived on the edge of where the jungle meets the ocean; where the guttural sounds of howler monkeys in the trees and the chirps and […]
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12 Rules For White Belt Life
12 RULES FOR WHITE BELT LIFE
An Antidote For BJJ Chaos
By: Joe Hannan
Most grapplers with some experience likely have their own set of rules for survival as a white belt. These are mine, codified on the receiving end of the shoulder of justice and other less-than-desirable positions. May they serve you well.1. Admit You Know Nothing. Anyone looking […]
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What to Expect When You’re Expecting to Compete
What To Expect When You’re Expecting to Compete
By: Joe HannanCompetition is a an experience every grappler should have. It crystallizes the form and function of BJJ as a martial art more than any number of rolls or lessons ever could. Perhaps just as important, if not more so, is preparation for competition.
I write this from […]
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Dear White Belt, I Promise You, We All Suck…
Dear white belt, I promise you, we all suck…
By: Emily KwokIt’s not uncommon after I finish teaching a class to see a short queue of students waiting to ask a question or express their frustration.
Last week a student stopped me to tell me that they didn’t think they were cut out for BJJ. They felt […]
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Getting Comfortable With Discomfort
Getting Comfortable with Discomfort
By: Joe HannanIt’s enough to make some panic: the first time a much larger partner has you in mount, their chest driving into your face. You cock your head to the side and gasp for air like you’re doing your 12th lap in an olympic pool. You can’t maintain your cool. You […]
