The 5 Critical Responsibilities of the Grappling Student
In an earlier article, I enumerated some rights I believe every grappler should be able to enjoy in his or her academy. As I mentioned
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
In The Course of Grappling Events: Certain Unalienable Rights in BJJ
This is the first of a two-part essay on the rights and responsibilities of a BJJ practitioner. At my college graduation, which took place on
Intellectual Property and Citation of Sources: Who “Owns” BJJ?
Academia is concerned with making sense of the world. College and university undergraduates engage with the ideas and cultural dictates of “the canon,” which is
Having It All: How to Cram Training, Working, and Life into Every Day
A couple people have asked me recently for advice about how they can strike a balance among work, personal obligations, and training. It’s always a
Pushing the Envelope: How Each Generation Builds the BJJ Evolution
Photos provided by David Brown Photography. Last summer, I went to my college reunion and waxed nostalgic with a bunch of old friends about a
A Love Letter to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
Dear Brazilian Jiu Jitsu: We’ve been together for many years, and while my love for you has transformed over time, it has remained a constant
The Soundtrack of Life: 10 Songs to Grapple By
At Fifty/50 BJJ, where I train, students and instructors finish off a long week of training with, of course, more training. On Friday nights, we
More on Gender and Jiu Jitsu: Why Acting Like a “Man” Might Be a Good Thing
Okay, XX chromosomes. It’s our turn. Here goes: On the one hand, I fervently believe women deserve the same opportunities and the same access to
Gender and Jiu Jitsu: Helping Men Understand Newbie Women
You may have noticed I’m on a kick about how we as grapplers can better understand each other: the perspectives we need to know about
It’s the Art: How an in-the-Moment Decision Continues to Pay Dividends
Photos provided by David Brown Photography. Several years ago, I was training with a man who had significantly less jiu jitsu experience than I. Indeed,
Show Respect to Earn Respect: Prioritize Doing the Right Thing
In an earlier article, I wrote about how it can be frustrating sometimes for those of us whose priorities fall outside the norm when others
Women’s Grappling Camp: We Come In Peace
I write a lot about Women’s Grappling Camp. I’m hoping you’re not tired of it and that you see, like I do, that just as
