fciwomenswrestling.com article, fightpulse.com photo
Effectively experienced or new to the game, female wrestlers are becoming very comfortable with learning Brazilian Jujitsu.
Our beautiful girls are trendsetters.
As reported by David J Ley, Ph.D. in Psychology Today, “Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, commonly called BJJ, is one of the fastest growing martial arts in the world. First introduced to the US in the 1980’s through the creation of the UFC, BJJ has gathered a tremendous and dedicated following. BJJ has become established as a very pragmatic, and highly effective discipline, and BJJ techniques are dominant in mixed martial arts. BJJ is a sport embraced by many celebrities, from actors Ashton Kutcher, Joe Rogan and Ed O’Neill to chef Anthony Bourdain, playwright David Mamet and philosopher Sam Harris, many of whom have written or spoken about the things that draw them to the sport.”
In our industry we have our long term stars who love the sport like Suzie, a superb Hungarian star pictured below.
Now we would like to introduce you to a new Princess from the Czech Republic who loves it too.
Please meet Hella.
“Hi guys. Just so you know, I am into even more sports than what’s listed above. I cannot be stopped! I’ve been practicing some form of martial arts since I was little. All guys I dated loved the fact I was able to protect myself, and very much knew I was capable of beating ’em up to a pulp too, if required!”
We love it too, a Hella lot.
So do the producers at Alpha Catz. They speak about Hella with a smile, “Hella’s fighting skills, and as importantly, her fighting spirit, are a thing to watch. She burst onto our mats, and just wiped the floor with everyone in the room. This girl LOVES to fight, and does multiple sports almost every day. She very much keeps her femininity too, while her strong stocky build and trained muscles underneath make her one fearsome female amazon. She is capable of both ground game as well as stand-up skills!”
Female wrestlers? If you haven’t learned BJJ, you probably should. It would definitely up your game. It certainly provides a variety of benefits.
Let’s turn our attention to a visiting speaker who expands on that premise.
Women and BJJ – Good Combo for Self Defense?
Following a heated discussion about which martial art would be best suited for women and their self-defense, we decided to piece together an article to hopefully spark discussion and to hear some feedback about your thoughts. For women it’s not if you need to learn self-defense tactics, but when. We’ve all heard and hopefully have paid attention to the advice of officials who deal with this type of crime; be mindful of the current situation you’re putting yourself in, be aware of those around you, avoid certain areas at night, stay within large groups of people around you, or better yet stay with your friends. Your safety starts with these suggestions.
Let’s review the tools available, but are known to have issues; a stun gun is a battery-powered handheld device that will send electric current into an assailant, a Taser can send wires that are electrified to immobilize from a distance. These tools are effective in that using them will help you to run away from the attacker. Remember, laws differ in various states. Aerosol pepper spray is regarded as one of the most effective self-defense tools for women. This will more than likely stop, or at least discourage, an assailant because of the blindness, coughing, and choking. The thing that bothers a lot of women about this is that you have to be very close to the assailant, and if it were me I would want to put as much distance between me and the attacker as possible. Other tools include the persuader or kubotan for hitting, and knives, keys, or whistles. Again, in order to be successful, you must be up close to the attacker. A woman could easily be overpowered in a situation like this. We’ve all heard a lot about guns lately. I think you can make up your own mind on this suggestion. I am not going to touch gun rights with a 10 ft. pole.
OK, now we’re into the main gist of this article; women and Brazilian jiu-jitsu and if it would be an effective way to protect yourself. Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a form of martial arts that can readily be used for self-defense. It can also be found as one of many styles in the sport of mma. At this point you are probably thinking, that’s a man’s sport, no, not really. The reason you think that is because the women who are part of this sport aren’t as well-known as men, but below there are short biographies of two women who are champion competitors in the sport. There are many disciplines to mma, that’s why it’s called mixed martial arts. Within jiu-jitsu alone, there are many defensive tactics you can become very skilled at by going to bjj training, by taking private lessons from a qualified instructor, or through attending seminars.
First off, you will build confidence, self-esteem, and a healthier body. If you ever come face to face with a situation like what we’ve covered you are going to want these traits engrained in you. Certain techniques that are part of Brazilian jiu-jitsu are perfect for women who are seeking self-defense techniques. If you are a small woman without much strength, the time it takes to learn and practice these techniques will build both the physical and mental strength you will need to overpower an attacker. The time and effort will be well invested, believe me.
The two women below have competed at the highest levels, won championships, and given a lot back to the bjj community.
Hillary Williams
Hillary Williams is from Arkansas. She is a middleweight in bjj which is somewhere around 150 lbs. She was born in October 1988, and is a competitor by nature. She has always been involved in sports one way or another from volleyball to soccer, and softball to golf. She was always active, and during the off-season of her regular sports, her goal was to stay fit so she would be ready for the start of the next season. So, she decided that training at Brazilian jiu-jitsu with two experienced coaches would be the best choice for her. She was eighteen years old and loved her first experience with bjj. Again, having such a competitive spirit, she started competing at local tournaments with the other girls, and once in a while ventured into competition with men. Always wanting to train with the best, she searched around the US to get as much training as possible, and finally went to the source of bjj, Brazil. She started earning 1st place in many of her competitions; she was then awarded her brown belt, the highest ranking color belt which then qualified her (officially) to teach lower ranking students. Hillary went on to be awarded her black belt in 2010, and then won the World Championships combining the brown & black belt Women’s division. Hillary is now studying at the University of Arkansas, combining her studies with training, making time for some kickboxing. Hillary has a website at which you can ask questions about self-defense, bjj, med school, horses, adopting puppies, she does it all.
Kyra Gracie was born May 29, 1985 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Her main styles of fighting are Brazilian jiu-jitsu, judo, and wrestling. She is a 2nd degree black belt, the highest common belt within bjj and representing an expert level of technical and practical skills. She is now an instructor. Kyra is currently training for her debut in mma. She has also stepped into the fashion world with her own chic creations of clothing all designed with a mma theme. One of her goals is to become an inspiration to young girls to follow in her footsteps. She runs a camp just for girls where she trains them in a variety of techniques included in mma specifically Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Kyra Gracie is a member of the renowned Gracie family, yes the one that created our jiu-jitsu. You can find links on her website to many other sites she’s featured on.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Steve Larsen is a purple belt in bjj at a Marcelo Garcia affiliate in Memphis, TN.
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OPENING PHOTO CREDIT – FIGHT PULSE
Sources: brainyquote.com, Wikipedia, fciwomenswrestling2.com, FCI Elite Competitor, photos thank you Wikimedia Commons.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/women-who-stray/201412/the-psychology-brazilian-jiu-jitsu
http://ezinearticles.com/?Women-and-BJJ—Good-Combo-for-Self-Defense?&id=7500315
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Steve_E_Larsen/1188064
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7500315
