I recently read a great post over at Breaking Muscle by Valerie Worthington, “Merging Selves: My Continued Development as a Grappler and Its Larger Meaning”.  It really made me stop and think.  It made me realize that what I hope for is to find that perfect balance between training and self and family.  If you have trained jiu jitsu for any length of time, or even if you are new to training, you know that it can be hard to find the right balance.  At times, I know that I have become more focused on my training and neglected other areas of my life.  Then there are other times I’ve had to put jiu jitsu on the back burner and focus on my family.  Sometimes my job can be demanding, and I have to work late to finish a project.  Other times, I’ve found myself physically and mentally broken down, and I’ve had to take a step back and let my body and my mind heal.  To keep things in perspective, for me anyway, it’s good to have some kind of training philosophy or blueprint to go by.  I keep mine written down somewhere handy.  I refer to it as often as I need to.  I refine it as my life and my family and my training evolves.  Because we all know that change is the only constant and that life has a way of throwing a wrench in things on a regular basis.  As women, we can handle it, but it’s always good to be prepared.  If you are curious, you can check out my BJJ training philosophy below.

Photo by Ember Solis Photography

Mrs. Ibarra’s BJJ Training Philosophy:

1. Attend two BJJ classes per week
2. Attend at least one open mat per month
3. Drill, drill, drill to become proficient at each move
4. Continue to educate myself on and off the mat (with GIG and women’s only seminars)
5. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or ask for help
6. Keep a positive attitude
7. Smiling and laughing and hugging and high fives are always allowed on the mat
8. Always give my best effort on the mat
9. Never say “I can’t do that”
10. Anything is possible
11. Position before submission
12. Take care of my body because it’s the only one I’ve got to work with
13. I am a work in progress and I will continue to train BJJ as long as my body allows me too

I would challenge you to create your own.  It can be simple or complex, you can add goals and timelines, make it colorful and fancy or plain and simple, but do make it fit your life and your personality.  Mine used to a simple quote by Aristotle – “We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”  It was appropriate for me at the beginning of my journey.  What does your BJJ philosophy or blueprint look like?  Feel free to share your thoughts and ideas on women finding that perfect balance.  I would love to hear what you all have to say.  Until we meet on the mats, I wish you all peace, love and great jiu jitsu!  :)

About the Author:

Debra Ibarra

I am a 45 year old wife and mother. I have a terrific husband and two great teenage kids. I work full time as a paralegal. My kids are actively involved in football, marching band and track. When we aren’t at a football game or a track meet, my daughter and I train Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai kickboxing. I have been training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu since June of 2010. I currently train under the direction of Vincent Serrano at Dirty Bay MMA in Baytown, Texas (an affiliate school of Solis Martial Arts Academy). I received my blue belt on September 19, 2012 from Roy Davis (Solis Martial Arts Academy Black Belt). I love Jiu Jitsu and I train as much as my body and my schedule allow it. Out of this love that I have for Jiu Jitsu my blog was born. I love to write and share my personal experiences as I walk this Jiu Jitsu journey.

Girls in Gis events are always different but always   “successful”. We don’t measure the success of an event by number of participants, funds or donations raised sponsors, giveaways or the color of the belt of the host. The success of a GIG event is 100% measured by the experiences of our participants.  None of that other stuff really matters.

On Sunday April 21^st, fifty-two females of all ages and skill levels came together at Girls in Gis San Antonio. $94 and four boxes of donations were collected for Family Violence Prevention Services and $96 was raised for United. Girls in Gis conducted a free self-defense event in support of Sexual Assault Awareness month. The training was led by Texas’s highest ranked female black belt, Fabiana Borges. This was the first introduction to the GIG experience for over half the participants and it won’t be their last. Also for several women, this was their very first experience with jiu-jitsu.

Professor Fabiana Borges led the group though a series of team oriented warm-up games and exercises. The warm- up not only broke the ice, but led the way to creating a comfortable and welcoming environment, where everyone could  let down their guard and have fun, and where  girls could be girls. After everyone got to know each other, it was time for some drilling and  self defense technique. It’s a rare treat to learn from experienced females like Fabiana, unless you’re lucky enough to be a student of hers at Gracie Barra San Antonio. Finally, it was time for some rolling which is everyone’s favorite!

The GIG experience isn’t complete unless you make a new friend, leave with a smile and spend the afternoon laughing. No matter if it’s your first event or thirtieth, you are guaranteed to have a great time. Thank you to our upper belts for helping out. Thank you to Gracie Barra San Antonio for opening their doors to us and for the warm welcome. Also thank you Professor Fabiana for sharing your knowledge and leading the charge. Lastly, big thanks to all of you awesome girls for joining us and thank you for your generous donations. Together we are making a difference. See you at the next GIG on May 19^th in Spring! Strength in Solidarity.

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Sunday, May 19, 2013

From 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM (MST

Easton Training Center

1304 S Sante Fe Dr

Denver, CO 80223

Register online for GIG-Denver Co

REGISTER FOR GIG-DENVER CO HERE!

Girls in Gis (GIG) is headed back up to Denver, Colorado! Last time we got snowed in! Not this time! Come on out and enjoy the GIG experience! You don’t want to miss this!

All GIG events are 100% free and open to women and girls of all ages and levels from any and no affiliation. GIG events are by females for females. All women & girls are encouraged to participate, even if it’s your first day.

GIG has also teamed up with SafeHouse Denver to raise in-kind donations for their shelter. Please bring an in-kind donation from our list or make a suggested donation of $10 at the door. 100% donations go to SafeHouse Denver. All donations are welcome.

In-kind donations:

• Liquid hand soap
• New bottles of lotion
• Washcloths
• Children’s socks (various sizes)

Sponsors:
Eidos Clothing Company
Cocona

Free Cocona fleece for first 50 participants
Eidos Hoodie and T-shirt giveaways

From 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM

Tier 1 Training Facility
320 Industrial Blvd, Suite #204
Mckinney, TX 75069

Register online for GIG-Mckinney

REGISTER FOR GIG-Mckinney HERE!

Girls in Gis events are by females for females. Our events provide a unique opportunity for women and girls in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to come together. Our free training events are hosted, instructed, and attended only by females. It’s our time to take over the mats! Women and girls of all ages and skill levels are welcome to attend from any academy affiliation. Sorry no boys allowed. :) No experience required. Beginners welcome.

Keep in the loop:

After a warm-up, Elena demonstrated a series of arm bar and triangle submissions. Her concise attention to details resonated for a lot of girls and was a fun and informative session. As the participants executed the moves, Kat Harrison, Ashley Nguyen, Lana Hunter, Tessa Simpson, Jackie Mahler and Rebecca Varady were on deck to help those in need. No Wo-Man was left behind. We concluded with an open mat session which gave the girls an opportunity to roll with someone their size and rank.

Our beloved sponsor, Defense Soap, was a part of the festivities with a rock’n giveaway contest provided by reseller Rebecca Varady. Congratulations to Whitney Neck on winning the Defense Soap goodies!

We would also like to thank Paragon Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Austin for their hospitality. Always great to work with you guys! Thank you Elena Lee for hosting and instructing at Girls in Gis-Austin. And a big huge gigantic thank you to all of you rock’n & roll’n girls for coming out and joining us at GIG-Austin!

It began with an introduction to GIG, explaining where we started and our goals. After the introductions and “getting to know each other” portion of the event, the warm up began. The warm up was led by Lana Hunter and Shama Ko. The warm up not only got participants ready for the instructional portion of the event but also built camaraderie.

After the warm up groups were separated by experience levels and ages. The kids group was led by James Bollinger, the advanced group by Liz Tran and beginners by Rossie Snow. Liz, Rossie and James all stepped up to bat and knocked it out of the park! A few of our hosts Milly Malloy and Heather Schmitz weren’t able to make it due to the bad weather, but their roles and efforts from the beginning greatly contributed to GIG-Denver’s success.

After the instructional portion of the event, it was time for giveaways and challenges. First up were the Eidos Clothing Company Duck Walk Races and raffles. Congratulations to Shana Cox and Katie Brothnick on winning the raffle and to Sandra George on winning the Eidos Clothing Company Duck Walk Races and the Eidos hoodie!

Next were the Neocell Forward and Backward Races. The winner, Isabel Ranney although still dizzy when she accepted her prize, was able to hold the bountiful Neocell basket while keeping her lunch down. This is how we roll at GIG!

Then came the  Bear Crawl races for our little Girls in Gis. It was a close race so Hannah and Aidan both tied for a GIG tee! Congratulations girls!!!

It wouldn’t be a Girls in Gis event without the support of  Fenom Kimonos. Liz Tran won the GIG-Denver burpee challenge and the awesome Fenom Kimonos  gi giveaway!

Forever Young Body Clinic also raffled off two $50 gift certificates to Liz Tran and Isabel Ranney. The Scentsy pot was raffled off to Natay Storie. The winner of the Mean Streak Pix photo package was Courtney King! All participants went home with a goodie bag filled with swag from Lara Bar, Defense Soap and Forever Young Body Clinic along with 50% off competitor fees at the Fight to Win Tournament of Champions 12 which was held on February 23, 2013. Participants also were given a 50% off coupon for Forever Young Body Clinic. Snacks were provided by Lara Bar and Easton Training Center.

Together GIG participants raised $155 and a box of in-kind donations for SafeHouse Denver. We know quite a few of you weren’t able to make the event due to the weather and we would like to make it up to you. GIG will be hosting another event in Colorado, possibly in the spring or summer next time! We will have more details available soon!

A very big thank you to all our wonderful sponsors: Defense Soap, Fight to Win, Fenom Kimonos, Forever Young Body Clinic, Lara Bar, Scentsy, Mean Streak Pix, T/aco and Eidos Clothing. We are so grateful for all for your donations and support. We would also like to thank Easton Training Center and the Easton Training Center women’s team for all you did to make this event a success.

And finally, it wouldn’t have been a Girls in Gis event if not for all of you awesome girls in Colorado who joined us despite of the ice, sleet and snow. Most of all thank you to the Colorado Jiu-Jitsu community. It was all of us working together that made this possible!

It may have been freezing outside, but the action at GIG-Weatherford was sizzling hot! Only the second event of the year and we’ve almost had eighty participants combine! We’re just getting started! Forty women and girls from all across Texas and even a four came all the way from Oklahoma to spend February 10, 2013 at GIG-Weatherford.

The event was hosted by Purple belt Pilar Roper-Foo at Epic BJJ Academy. Pilar led the group of girls through a variation of warm up drills and exercises. She then moved on to a few  instructional moves including the lasso choke and ankle attacks. Pilar’s was the hostess with the mostess and a true ninja on the mats. Her natural leadership abilities combine with her  patience as an instructor/teacher shined through.

GIG-Weatherford participants ranged in skill level from their first day to a handful of purple belts. The higher belts helped the lower belts.  That’s what GIG is all about-team work, community and growing the sport for females everywhere. The Dallas girls always know how to do it right. The tight knit community in the Dallas area is strong and it shows. The Oklahoma girls were in the house! It’s always a treat when our neighbors to the north come to visit. It’s like seeing family. Not to mention, those girls know how to have fun! Everyone pitched in and joined in the fun to make this event one to remember.

Thank you Dondi, Pilar and Epic BJJ Academy for hosting GIG-Weatherford and for making this a memorable event! Big thanks to Kristine Felts for MC’n, Yuri Star, Marissa Star and Tara Arrington for taking photos. Most importantly thank you to all the GIG-Weatherford participants for spending their Sunday at GIG! Strength in Solidarity all day, every day! Click photos to see full albums!

From 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM

Ground Dwellers

9222 Louetta Rd, Suite 130
Spring, TX 77379

Register online for GIG-Spring

REGISTER FOR GIG-Spring HERE!

Girls in Gis events are by females for females. Our events provide a unique opportunity for women and girls in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to come together. Our free training events are hosted, instructed, and attended only by females. It’s our time to take over the mats! Women and girls of all ages and skill levels are welcome to attend from any academy affiliation. Sorry no boys allowed. :) No experience required. Beginners welcome.

Keep in the loop: