Twice a week at Sanctuary Jiu-Jitsu Academy, women take over the mats. There is an inexplicable power and growth that comes from women creating a time and space to learn and practice Jiu-Jitsu together.
Training With Agility
For the first year of my Jiu-Jitsu training, I was the only woman on the mats. I had actually built up a sense of pride around this fact.
I’d proudly declare, “I train with men.”
And then I competed for the first time. And I learned that there are differences in how men and women bend and move. There I was, in what I perceived as a submission, and she wasn’t tapping. My triangle chokes needed to be tighter and my Americanas more technical to adjust for the change in body type and flexibility.
Leave Your Ego Behind
“Leave your ego at the door.” Yes, we have all heard it, but do we all live it?
The truth is that being a woman in a male dominated sport means constantly feeling the need to prove you deserve to be here and to show that you can keep up with the guys.
This is most obvious when new men join the gym. Our culture has reinforced the idea that it is somehow more shameful to get beat up by a woman. New guys take one of two approaches. Either they roll really lightly as though they could break you or they try to outmuscle your technique with a frantic energy. Anything to avoid the tap, especially when you are rolling with a “girl.”
For the most part, women who have been at the sport for a while learn how to navigate these situations. After all, that new guy will eventually chill after he is tapped out a few times or wears himself out. And the guy who is afraid to “break” a female athlete will have to get over that pretty quickly if he doesn’t want to be completely dominated. But handle it or not, all of this can be distracting and change an athlete’s enjoyment of the game.
Short the testosterone, women’s classes have an entirely different vibe, and it is clearly one of support and pushing each other.
Instruction is peppered with comments and questions as we all collaborate to arrive at the best possible technique. Feedback is commonplace during drilling and rolling. There is a strong sense of being in it together and wanting to raise everyone up to the next level.
With this heightened level of support and comfort comes the willingness to experiment with the game. During women’s classes, it is commonplace to hear “Well, what would happen if I…”
And the response is frequently. “Try it! Let’s find out.”
Shared Experiences
Being a woman in Jiu-Jitsu is a great experience. Training Jiu-Jitsu teaches strength and confidence like no other sport can. But a lot of the time, you will be surrounded by men.
Women’s classes offer the opportunity to talk through the triumphs and hardships that come with constantly trying to be “just one of the guys.”
For this reason, if you look around during Women’s Open Mat, rounds are intermixed with conversation. There is an abundance of smiling and head nodding during these mat chats. And there is a distinct sense of understanding that we are not in this alone.
Gender Rolls
I love Jiu-Jitsu. I love my Academy and the Caio Terra curriculum. And I love all the people I train with — men and women. They are my family and my team.
But as much as I love the guys, women’s classes are an important part of my development in Jiu Jitsu. It is my space to be a leader and to learn from other women. It is a time to problem solve, give support, and be supported.
Women’s Classes are Tuesday evenings from 6:30-7:30 and Sundays from 12:00-1:30. We also host a Women’s Open Mat the second Sunday of every month from 12:00-2:00.
The full schedule and information about a trial membership is available at Sanctuary Jiu-Jitsu Academy.
Come Check us out!