More Is More: What If We Believe There’s Enough to Go Around?
Let’s face it: Our baser instincts cause us to rejoice just a little when others fail and die just a little when others triumph. I
Author: Valerie Worthington
Valerie Worthington has been moving her body since before she was born, for many reasons and with many outcomes. She really started to pay attention to how, when, and why her body moves when she began training in Brazilian jiu jitsu in 1998. From then on, she became hugely invested in educating herself about how to optimize her body movement for BJJ and how to support it in doing so. She has observed that these endeavors require her to invest herself not only physically, but also mentally, emotionally, and psychologically, fueling a particular interest in the influence on her life of these dimensions of athletic activity.
Valerie has developed as a BJJ practitioner via her own training and competition preparation, teaching and coaching other practitioners, and writing about her life as a jiu jitsu devotee through the lens of her education, personal experiences, and professional background. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, and a doctorate in educational psychology from Michigan State University. She is a first-degree black belt in BJJ, as well as co-founder and proprietor of Groundswell Grappling Concepts. She trains at Princeton Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Princeton, New Jersey.
Most recently, Valerie is the author of How to Love a Grappler: A Guide for People Who Love People Who Love Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. She can be reached through her email.
Posts from this author
How to Take Useful Notes in BJJ Class
Several times recently, I’ve been asked by teammates and visitors to my academy for suggestions on how to take notes on grappling technique. The people
Feel Me Flow: Deconstructing “Let’s Just Go Light”
I don’t think I was ever formally taught to flow roll in Brazilian jiu jitsu. Just as I pretty much learned how to tie my
Read about Read: Andrew Enters Spartan Ultra Beast Mode
I must visit Australia. I’ve wanted to for a while, but now I have two Andrew Read-related reasons. As many Breaking Muscle readers know, Andrew
It’s Up to Her: Professional Athlete Phaidra Knight Controls Her Destiny
While her resume is that of a Renaissance woman, there is a common infrastructure supporting all of professional athlete Phaidra Knight’s pursuits: an abiding belief
A Book Review, Interview, and Conversation with MMA Journalist Brian D’Souza
Brian D’Souza is a mixed martial arts journalist and blogger, and as such, he is used to being the one asking the questions rather than
Merging Selves: My Continued Development as a Grappler and Its Larger Meaning
A few months ago, I had the opportunity to give a presentation in front of an academic audience. It was a presentation about me and
The BJJ “Beatdown” – When and How to Smash a Newbie
Anyone who has grappled for any appreciable length of time has experienced various predictable grappling personalities. In fact, there are numerous lists, some of them
Telltale Signs You’re Dealing with a Grappler
Writers who grapple frequently discuss the “jiu jitsu lifestyle.” You also see mention of it on t-shirts and hear practitioners talking about how much they
How to Own Your Training: A Personal Example
In an earlier article on the responsibilities of an athlete, I mentioned I’d give an example of how I have owned my training in the
Time on the Injured List Is Inevitable: How We Survive It Is a Choice
For the past two weeks, I have found it necessary to do something I usually try to avoid at all costs: take my own advice.
From the Experts: How to Attract and Retain Women in BJJ
A few weeks ago, my editor Becca told me that fellow Breaking Muscle contributor Sally Arsenault wondered if I’d be willing to write a story
