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Vote for the Best Female Black Belt of the Year!

This poll has ended. Nominations Beatriz Mesquita IBJJF World Champion IBJJF European Champion IBJJF Pan American Champion IBJJF No Gi World Champion (double gold) EBI Bantamweight Champion Ana Carolina Vieira IBJJF World Champion UAEJJF Abu Dhabi World Pro Champion Black Belt CBD Invitational Champion Nathiely de Jesus IBJJF World Champion IBJJF Pan American Champion Samantha Cook UAEJJF Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Tokyo Champion UAEJJF Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Abu Dhabi Champion Amanda Monteiro IBJJF World Read more…

By ladiesonlybjj, ago

IBJJF No Gi Worlds 2018 Predictions

Picture: Voikukka Photography Only a few days away before the IBJJF World Championship in No Gi will start. We’ve checked the competitors list and man, we’re excited about some great fights coming up! Light feather Top girls are Pati Fontes from Checkmat and recent EBI champ Mayssa Bastos representing GF Team. Mayssa probably got more gold medals during 2018 than I’ll ever get in my entire life. For the past three years Pati had the Read more…

By Johanna, ago

India’s Women On The Rise – Interview with Apeksha Kakkar

“In India, letting someone sit between your legs, that’s a no-no.” Apeksha Kakkar has done something almost no other woman in India has done before: she is one of the first to train jiu jitsu. As far as “being the only girl on the mat” goes, being the only woman in a nation of 1.3 billion is pioneering on a whole new level. We sat down with her to talk about where she comes from, Read more…

By Rose, ago

Do I Need To Cut Weight For Competition?

Picture by UAEJJF You may have looked at the weight categories for a competition, thinking whether to cut weight or not. Is it really worth it to suffer, or should you just not bother at all? When does a weightcut get “dangerous”? And ultimately: does cutting weight help you in competition? Find out here! Why cut? The idea of cutting weight is to end up in a division where you’ll feel big and strong in Read more…

By Rose, ago

This Girl Is On Fire

Interview with Raquel Pa’aluhi Canuto   “I hate competing.” She’s known for her honesty, heart and putting up fights that are all-out wars where she leaves everything on the mat. We talk with black belt Raqual Pa’aluhi Canuto (Checkmat), about competing with a belly full of nerves, her MMA/jiu jitsu career, and sharing the mat with your partner. You grew up in Hawaii, where your dad was one of the pioneers in MMA. Can you Read more…

By Rose, ago

The Best Sports Bra

Finding a great sports bra can be a challenge: you want to feel comfortable, and the bra should not be too loose, but definitely not too tight. Are you the girl picking the ones with cute designs or “just” functional? There are a lot of great budget choices on the market, but for this post I have chosen to recommend “proper” sports brands. In my opinion, they last longer, they support function and stay in place. Why wear Read more…

By Johanna, ago

#submitthestigma

All of us deal with mental struggles. Whether it’s depression, fear of failure, panick attacks or feeling suicidal. Since there is not enough open conversation about it, here are five stories from inspiring jiu jitsu women. Because in spite of what you might think – you are not alone.  https://www.instagram.com/p/BfeNWVlAB5u/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=9bxmcestvmjt https://www.instagram.com/p/BkdvLAhFsSu/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1icvf9if3gdsr View this post on Instagram Competing is not easy for me. I struggle with self-doubt and the fear of “not being good enough.” I’ve Read more…

By ladiesonlybjj, ago

Training During Pregnancy

I am 10 weeks away from estimated date of arrival of our baby Felix. A pregnancy journey is truly amazing. First thing that I learned a few weeks into my pregnancy was that I no longer made the decisions about my body, it turned the other way around. I have been active competitor in gymnastics before I started with jiu jitsu. I have trained a lot throughout the years and I have pushed myself and even ignored signs of Read more…

By Johanna, ago

A Jiu Jitsu Heart With A Gypsy Soul – Interview with Heather Raftery

“Travelling was my first love, jiu jitsu my second.” She is nicknamed the jiu jitsu gypsy, and for a reason! Heather Raftery (team Atos) has travelled the world, and trained jiu jitsu wherever she went. She got her black belt under Andre Galvão, and has started making a name for herself in the black belt competition scene. We sat down with Heather and talked about travelling, mixing jiu jitsu into her work as a social Read more…

By Rose, ago

These Summer Events You Simply Can’t Miss

The IBJJF World Championship has only just finished, and we’re already looking at a summer full of fights that will be so exciting you can’t miss them! Have a look at what’s coming up! June 24th – EBI 16 The Female Bantamweights EBI launches their second all-female tournament with EBI 16 in San Diego, California. In this 61kg/135lbs division, we see names such as Bia Mesquita, Raquel Canuto, Amanda Alequin and Bianca Basilio. The poster still Read more…

By Rose, ago