News

  • Biohacking Tips to Lose Weight on a Budget


    Weight Loss Tips Many of us would like to shed excess weight, get better sleep, and improve our moods. However, these goals can seem almost unachievable. After years of following the same tired life-improvement advice, you may be hoping for something more.   That’s where biohacking comes in. This is a method of fine-tuning your choices to take advantage of what your body needs. By making and tracking incremental changes, you can find out wha...

  • Re-stoking the Fire: A Story of BJJ Burnout and an Unexpected Journey to Fuel the Fire Again- Part 2


    Part 2 Continued from Part 1 “Would you be interested in coming to Mexico to work together in person?” Margot, true to her nomadic handle, then-based in Reunion, a French island off the African coast, was about to travel to Mexico City next, camping there for two weeks before competing at American Nationals in Dallas.  I asked a few trusted people for their input on the following matter: whether to take a jiu-jitsu trip to Mexico in under two ...

  • Re-stoking the Fire: A Story of BJJ Burnout and an Unexpected Journey to Fuel the Fire Again- Part 1


    Part 1 Around this time last year, I was amping up for Pan Ams 2020. March 7 was marked in bold on my calendar as the day I’d fly out to Irvine for the very first time and compete in my very first Grand Slam. I studied the names of my division with nervous anticipation, fearing how I’d perform against the likely-abundant Californian talent. I trained with an intensity with which I’d never trained in my near-three years in the sport. Then COVID...

  • Escaping A Cult


    A Real Life Survival Story of Escaping A Cult  As I ran down the stairs leaving all of my gear in my locker, all of my medals on the wall from competitions I suddenly became weightless, my mental health was more important.  That night and every night prior to that in that week I’d woken up and realized my coach had full mind control over me for almost 4 years. What was worse was that it wasn’t only me. There were many others.  Everyone’s story...

  • 2020. Very Bad. Would Not Recommend.


    I give 2020 one out of five stars at best. I know there are people who have it far worse than me, but when you suffer from depression and anxiety it's difficult not to constantly feel like the victim and think that no one has endured more. My perception is my reality and, although; the thought that no one has endured more is not correct- it is all I can envision. 2020 started off positively, I was training hard and work was going well. I e...

  • Pandemic-Friendly Exercises and Activities for the Whole Family


    Are you looking for some pandemic-friendly exercises and activities that can be enjoyed in your home gym, living room, or backyard? You’ve come to the right place! Here is a list of pandemic-friendly home workouts, healthy habits, and safe outdoor activities that can be enjoyed as a family during COVID-19. Read on to get started! How to Get Started Whether you’re looking to try high-intensity interval training (HIIT), martial arts, or a genera...

  • Patience With an Injury


    Near the end of August, after a little over a year of training I got my blue belt. I was absolutely ecstatic. On the way home I grabbed the biggest burrito from Moe’s to celebrate. The following Monday I walked into the gym feeling newly leveled up. I drilled hard and rolled harder. For my final roll of the night, I grabbed one of my buddies and we started on our feet. Bumped fists. Slapped hands. It was go time. I went to my knee, grabbed his...

  • I Just Wanna BANG!- Finding an MMA fight in a pandemic


    Fighting is an unconventional occupation as is, but throw in a global pandemic to the mix and suddenly your whole world is in disarray. Understandably, there are numerous unprecedented precautions we all must now implement, but securing a contracted fight during the Covid-19 era is almost damn near impossible. Either people haven’t been training due to the lockdowns, shutdowns, and even permanent gym closures, or they haven’t been as vigilant...

  • Surviving Assault Without Your Tribe


    This year has been a roller coaster for me. I’m sure, like most people, my mental health has really been up and down this year as well. From dealing with the entire COVID-19 thing to being a victim of a serious domestic violence assault. It just seemed like I could not catch a break. To try to get back on track, I recently decided to try and see the good in everything. Working on becoming a better version of myself and fixing the negative aspe...

  • Everyone’s Competition Journey is Different


    On March 30th (2010) I competed in my first tournament as a 6-month white belt. I faced a black belt. There were so few women competing back then that we didn’t have belt divisions. It was the trials for Abu Dhabi pro in Montreal and the venue felt huge and intimidating. For some reason I had a sort of naive confidence despite being terrified. A strange dichotomy, I know. I don’t know why I insisted on pulling guard, probably because I had do...

  • Love Your Martial Art School Day


    Show Your Love Back in January, which seems like a lifetime ago, we kept hearing about what was going on overseas in regards to this virus that was spreading like wildfire. We were living life normally. Even when my Dad warned us and said we should stock up on some stuff, I thought surely, if Ebola and other SARS viruses have not been successful, why would this one? We made it through all of February. As the month went along, and we started s...

  • The BJJ Comeback Will Be Greater Than The Setback


    BJJ Life After Quarantine The gym represents so much more than a place to train for a vast number of individuals involved in the sport of Jiu Jitsu. A lot of people utilize their dojos as a sanctuary and mental reprieve from the stressors of their everyday life, or they implement it as a tool to engage in social interaction with likeminded peers, or as methods of physical activity, self-defense, and exercise. With the current state of affairs ...