Brazilian jiu jitsu

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  • 5 Principles for Growth in BJJ

    By: Emily Kwok

    Before we breakdown some of the growth principles that have been helpful in my BJJ, let’s just clear the air here and demystify what the word ‘principle’ means in this context. All too often people will nod their heads when you mention, ‘Do you understand this principle?’ when they really have no flipping […]

  • Returning to Competition: Finding My Heart Again

    Returning to Competition: Finding my heart again
    By: Emily Kwok

    I 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 […]

  • 10 Tips on How to Age Gracefully in BJJ

    10 Tips on How to Age Gracefully in BJJ
    By: Emily Kwok

    BJJ 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 […]

  • Competition: Finding Your Why

    Competition: Finding Your WHY
    By: Emily Kwok

    Competition isn’t for everyone. For many, it stirs up all the awkward feelings we humans generally don’t like to feel: confrontation, stress, fear, anxiety, self-doubt. I think any athlete, professional or otherwise would be lying if they didn’t admit to feeling one or all prior to a fight. The nerves […]

  • Pura Vida. Pura Vida Jiu Jitsu.

     
    Pura Vida. Pura Vida Jiu Jitsu.
    (Pure Life. Pure Life Jiu Jitsu)
    By: Emily Kwok

    I 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 […]

  • Redefining a Good Roll

    Redefining a Good Roll
    By: Joe Hannan

    I am a spaz — an uncoordinated tangled jumble of lanky limbs that don’t listen to my brain. They have a knack for finding soft, vulnerable places on my training partners, even though my brain does all it can to prevent it. It’s pretty easy to pick me out of […]

  • You Are How You Train

    You are how you train
    By: Emily Kwok

    It’s very common for even the best of us to get locked up when it comes to personal expression. This is true of life in general, but the mats give us the rare opportunity to see where we are literally challenged and liberated.

    At the beginning of our BJJ career, […]

  • You Will Alienate Some

    You will alienate some.

    By: Joe Hannan

    Your dedication might alienate those closest to you. Some people will never appreciate Jiu Jitsu. They’re probably not reading this post. But should someone close to you need convincing that your newfound practice is worthwhile, this entry is a good place to start.

    Family, friends and significant others, for the most part, […]