Each time we prepare for camp, we get really agitated that things will go poorly or chaos will ensue, and each time we are pleasantly surprised beyond our wildest imaginings. The stated goal of camp is to bring together women who train Brazilian jiu jitsu so they can learn with and from other women who train, given that grappling is still a fairly male-dominated sport. The actual outcome is far more synergistic, though. There is catharsis, teambuilding, body part humor, personal growth, and all the other things women love and men could probably benefit from (at least a little). Campers make friends, train jiu jitsu, learn something about how to own their training and be a positive influence in their home academies, and, we hope, engage in what we refer to as self-actualizing (becoming the best version of themselves they can be).

I know, maybe it sounds a little pompous. But it’s really not hyperbole. We find that every time we have camp, the activities we plan and the changes we make on the fly to accommodate unexpected preferences, plus the amazing energy of the participants results in a memorable experience. Every single time. This is what the surveys we administer tell us, this is what the campers themselves tell us, and this is why we do it. To have someone tell me an environment I had a large role in creating has in some small way changed their life for the better inspires me in a way very few other things do.

Now that I have buried the lead, we just held the most recent Women’s Grappling Camp over Veteran’s Day weekend at Fifty/50 BJJ. The lead-burying part is related to the following: For this camp, we were fortunate enough to host as featured guest instructors Hannette Staack (for the second time) and Michelle Nicolini. Hannette holds eight world grappling titles and Michelle holds five, which means they are among the most decorated grapplers in the world, male or female. They are also absolutely delightful people – kind, warm, funny, and mischievous – in addition to being highly accomplished BJJ practitioners, competitors, and teachers. They were willing to share both their technical knowledge and their wisdom about what it takes for people to survive and thrive in the grappling world, male and female alike.

As an extra-added bonus, we also had in attendance black belt Sayaka Shioda, who is herself a 2007 ADCC champion (the Abu Dhabi Combat Club tournament is a very high-profile, highly respected event in the grappling world), and a black belt in sambo and judo as well. As far as we know, it was the first time there were female black belts from Brazil (Michelle and Hannette), Canada (Emily), Japan (Sayaka), and the United States (me) working together in any capacity. So we’re feeling pretty stoked.

I’ve thought a lot about why camp is amazeballs, as one repeat offender describes it. I was trying to drill down on why people who attend tell their friends, develop strong feelings about it, and come back for more. I think the things I’ve divined have potential relevance for coaches and athletes alike in other athletic pursuits as well. See if you agree:

We stress care and feeding of the whole person, not just the grapply parts. There is no doubt that the guest instructors we were able to host this time around possess world-class grappling skill, competition acumen, and teaching ability. That goes without saying (though I just said it). But what makes them and the experience of learning from them truly extraordinary is the fact that they were willing to share their personal stories and their vulnerabilities related to grappling. And this willingness reassured the rest of us that we are not alone in experiencing doubt, fear, and blows to self-confidence sometimes.

We focus on collaboration and support, even in a competitive sport. Obviously there is a time and a place for competition training and mindset, and we are discussing how to support that focus through future camps. But the lasting message we hope we convey is that competition is not mutually exclusive with community, integrity, and respect; rather, they are part and parcel of one another.

We learn and train hard. (Yes, I said we learn hard.) We give campers a lot of time to process their experiences, because as we say, people bring themselves to camp – stresses, fears, and current life problems. These don’t go away just because campers are out of town. Indeed, they can become more pronounced in such contexts. But we never lose sight of the fact we are running jiu jitsu camps and the reason we train jiu jitsu is because we want to train jiu jitsu. In other words, the processing is a complement to the butt-kicking.

We do our best to make sure everyone gets what they need from camp, but we recognize this will be different for everyone. Having run many camps, we have learned that the benefit attendees derive is going to depend on the individual. Maybe for one camper it’s a set of details on specific techniques. Or for another maybe it’s validation that she is not alone in experiencing certain challenges. The point is, our perception of the purpose or goal of camp is only partially relevant to individual campers. What matters is that each camper feels fulfilled; what is less important is the specific reason.

We depart camp more confident that we can be a force for good in the world. Empowerment is such a loaded word. Some people think it’s psychobabble. Others think it’s code for “I do what I want with no regard for others.” We think it’s neither of those things. Rather, we think it has to do with personal responsibility, recognition that we have choices, and willingness to own the consequences – positive or negative – of those choices. Whether it’s deciding not to tap out of pride or reaching out to someone who is struggling with a confidence issue, we are always making decisions about how to act, and we can (or should) make the connection in our minds between those decisions and the quality of our own lives and experiences.

Camp is intense. As I’m writing this, it’s the day after the last day, and I am both physically and psychically exhausted. I’m missing the campers. I’m missing Emily, Lola, Hannette, Michelle, and Sayaka. I know that once I have had a little more sleep (and a little more coffee), I’ll feel confident this exhaustion means we once again did a good thing, for numerous people, using as the mechanism the martial art we all love.

Does any of what I’ve written here resonate with you, as a coach or as an athlete? Post your reactions to comments.

The post Camp For Grown-Ups: How Grappling Camp Helps Female Athletes appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Soon after, I became a fan of the Los Angeles Thunderbirds, which was wildly popular in the early 1970s as part of a co-ed Roller Games league. It had a professional wrestling feel to it with many staged fights and scripted outcomes. Nonetheless, I was mesmerized by the sport. As a child, roller derby seemed to have no rules, but rules came second to Skinny Minnie Miller getting whipped around the track so she could then bob and weave through a mob of angry skaters trying to hip check her into the audience. She skated with the perfect combination of acrobatics and instinct. Looking back, I realize her ability to stay upright on skates on a banked track while dodging elbows was unbelievably athletic. Most roller derby fans from the 1970s watched the sport for the spectacle, but I was always in awe of what they were able to do physically.

As with professional wrestling, one often misses the impressive athleticism of the performers because it’s upstaged by the theatrics. Roller derby now is no longer staged, but that reputation certainly lingers. Players often get asked if roller derby now is “real.” Christina Fritz, aka Hockey Honey #7 who currently plays for the San Diego Starlettes in a flat-track league said, “There is never a set outcome in derby now, and with an extremely competitive background in hockey, I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Modern day roller derby is all about scoring points. No more choreographed fights or rehearsed stunts. These skaters are playing to score. The surviving theatrics remain only in the player’s roller derby names and the outfits. As long as the outfits don’t interfere with the much needed pads or the efficiency of their skates, that is. Fish net stockings are all fun and good, but they better not get in the way of performance.

Though the L.A. Thunderbirds was the entire world of roller derby for me as a kid, it turns out that roller derby has a very long history, all rooted in the idea of mixing spectacle and athleticism. In 1935, Leo Seltzer introduced the first incarnation of roller derby to Chicago as a tracked roller marathon. Two-person teams comprised of a man and a woman would skate around a banked track against other teams for an unbelievable three thousand miles. Only one member of the team skated at a time while the other often slept in a cot in the middle of the track. The first marathon started on August 13, 1935 and on September 22, roller marathon had its first winning team. Only nine out of twenty-five teams finished all three thousand miles.

The use of women athletes in the 1930s was incredibly ground breaking especially when introducing a sport that required so much endurance and mental toughness. But this also proved to be a downfall. Despite the popularity – that first marathon drew twenty-thousand spectators – Mr. Seltzer’s vision was considered more a sideshow than a sport. What can never be taken away, however, is the fact the sport was founded on the very premise that women competitors were just as able and tough as men.

Roller derby evolved in many ways from that first marathon, but also had many fits and starts. Every decade had a resurgence and then a dying down. It was hugely popular in the 1940s and early 50s especially after Marilyn Monroe starred in The Fireball. Again in the early 1960s, roller derby made a comeback when Leo Seltzer’s son Jerry introduced a more physical game with the very popular San Francisco Bombers. Through the 1970s, as it became more theatrical, roller derby leagues had big television endorsements and a large fan base, but that all died when each league eventually went bankrupt, much to the disappointment of the fans and players.

There is a slow-burning comeback going on in roller derby now, and it has been growing for over a decade. But this comeback feels more underground and grassroots in comparison to the over-hyped promotion of earlier decades. These new and ever-growing leagues are started by players old and new whose love for the sport won’t let it die. Most leagues are all-women, but there is now a rise in men’s leagues, too. Many leagues now take on a “do it yourself” mentality where old warehouses are taken over and stands and tracks are built by a community who simply loves the game. An example is the LA Derby Dolls:

In true DIY fashion, the LA Derby Dolls’ 100′ x 60′ banked track was designed and built by our skaters, friends, and family. It is the fulfillment of a dream that required a considerable investment of time, money, and willpower. The finished product – composed of wood, steel, and Masonite, held together by thousands of nuts and bolts, and sanctified with blood, sweat and tears has become as much a part of our league as any skater.¹

I often take my daughters to catch a game at the Doll Factory in Los Angeles to watch the teams of the LA Derby Doll league. My girls are as mesmerized as I was as a kid, and still am. And since the sport is legitimate and no longer scripted, the athleticism rises to the top. At first we point out all the great outfits, wild socks, booty shorts, make up, and hair. We laugh at all the great names like Gia de los Muertos, Tart of Darkness, or Whip N Ash. But watching them skate quickly becomes our focus. Their speed and agility, the ability to take a hit or fall and get right back into the action is so impressive that the spectacle often falls away. We’re watching warriors out there. Warriors having a great time.

At the end of the day, roller derby is still about the fans and using great athleticism to entertain. They roll right into the crowd at halftime or after a game to interact with fans. These skaters are not paid. They play for the love of the game and their biggest payment is the love from the crowd. And boy do we love them.

There are leagues in many cities now. Check your local area for games and go support roller derby. Maybe even go lace up some skates and give it a shot yourself.

Photos provided by Danette “Dizzle” Rivera, except LA Thunderbirds photo courtesy of latbirds.net.

The post Spectacle and Sport: The Tough and Wildly Awesome World of Roller Derby appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The challenges of being a practicing Muslim and a serious athlete don’t just stop at controversial competition gear. After a year of campaigning to compete “covered” in the preferred garb of her religion, weightlifter Kulsoom Abdullah is back to her regular training schedule, which looks like that of a “regular” athlete, and yet doesn’t.

Recently, Kulsoom has been juggling her nutritional needs as an athlete with aspects of her religious beliefs. Namely, we are in the middle of Ramadan, a month-long Muslim holiday that requires observers to fast during the daylight hours. This translates into no food or water from sunup until sundown. Kulsoom trains when her gym is open and a coach is present: during the day. This means she trains in a fasted state.

In a blog post on her site Kulsoom describes her process: before sunrise every morning, she drinks as much water as possible and eats some protein and fat, but not many carbs. When she’s actually working out in a fasted state and it’s hot, she just pays close attention to how she’s feeling and uses the breaks between lifts to their greatest advantage. She says it’s a matter of being mindful and not pushing too much. At the time we spoke, she had been fasting for about a week. She had scaled down from six days of training per week to four or five, but she was still able to continue working out.

In the evening Kulsoom first breaks the fast with dates and water, and then after a short wait, she’ll have a balance of protein, fats, and carbs, eschewing gluten and focusing more on veggies and fruits, or perhaps a bit of rice or sweet potatoes. And lots and lots of water.

Kulsoom’s dietary habits during Ramadan have similarities to intermittent fasting, a dietary practice believed to have health benefits for athletes and the general population. It is an example of the notion that Kulsoom’s lifestyle doesn’t actually set her apart as much as one might initially expect. While perhaps she must be a bit more planful during Ramadan, so too must an intermittent faster. She notes that it is not as bad as it might sound to those of us who like to eat whenever we want to.

Perhaps the timing of Ramadan is fortuitous for Kulsoom; given the media attention she had been receiving, she was basically going non-stop for a year. Lately, she is able to dial things back a bit and focus on finding a job in her field of computer engineering. She noted that her academic background is quite complementary to her weight training and her religious practice. She tries to approach each of them in the same way, working hard to do her best and asking questions about the “why” of things in all three areas.

For Kulsoom, weightlifting plays into all aspects of her personality – the engineer, the philosopher, and the athlete. She wanted to do away with the idea that she was a “delicate butterfly” and that weightlifting is dangerous for her, while she fulfills her scientific bent by maintaining a logbook of her training. On the other hand, Kulsoom also recognizes there will be unknowns sometimes, in all aspects of life. She will always have goals, but the attainment of them is not always linear.

Arguably this mindset is appropriate for most would-be athletes; while some may say that there is only one way to do things, the individual would do well to figure out for him/herself what’s best. Some things that work for some people might not work for others, so it is important to get guidance but then do individual research, whether it has to do with diet, spirituality, or any other facet of life.

When asked to identify a favorite lift, Kulsoom distinguished between her best lift, which is the deadlift, and the lifts she gets the most satisfaction out of, which are the snatch and jerk. These latter lifts are harder for her, so she feels more of a sense of accomplishment when she makes progress in these.

From Kulsoom’s story we can learn there is more that unites us than divides us as athletes. While Kulsoom deals with challenges specific to her religion and sport, each of us brings our own considerations, expectations, and limitations to bear on our lives, both inside and outside the gym. Kulsoom noted that just because someone comes from a different culture or chooses to dress differently, that person is not necessarily trying to set him/herself apart. At the end of the day we can all be at the same gym and we can all work out together; there is room for everyone. Perhaps established athletes can take it upon themselves to reach out to different communities to help members of these communities feel comfortable enough entering the gym that they can start to derive the benefits we do of an athletic practice. For many people, just walking into the gym is a big step.

Kulsoom is not entirely sure what her goals are in the future. “After this past year, it has been pretty busy where I have been non-stop like the Energizer bunny. I do know I will not completely stop weightlifting, because the whole reason I started it was because I like it for exercise and the other benefits.” What is likely is that she will continue to bring the same level of dedication and self-awareness to whatever she decides to do. And in the meantime, perhaps there are other girls, women, boys, and men who will step up to the barbell who might not have before.

Read part one of our interview with Kulsoom to learn how to paved the way for Muslim women to wear traditional clothing in weightlifting competition.

The post Lifting Covered: One Woman’s Experiences of Weightlifting and Islam, Part 2 appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

This article is one of a two part interview with weightlifter Kulsoom Abdullah:

At a time when women are representing countries never before represented by females in the Olympics, Pakistani-American Kulsoom Abdullah is doing her part to forward the cause of Muslim women in sports. Kulsoom Abdullah is like many readers of Breaking Muscle in that she is a weightlifting enthusiast and sometime CrossFitter. She is perhaps different from some readers in that she is also Muslim and wears a traditional head scarf, or hijab, as part of her religious expression. When I had the opportunity to interview Kulsoom, however, I discovered the differences are not all that pronounced. In fact, Kulsoom’s experiences “lifting covered,” which is also the name of her website, reflect the experiences many of us have as athletes and thoughtful people, Muslim or otherwise. Ironically, it is the very clothing of her religion that is now becoming the center of conflict in her life as an athlete in the United States.

A dual citizen of Pakistan and the U.S., Kulsoom first began receiving media attention because she wanted to compete at a USA National weightlifting competition wearing more than the regulation singlet. Her expression of her religious beliefs includes the preference to cover her arms. However, weightlifting officials indicated this would be problematic, because if her arms were covered it would be difficult for judges to determine whether she is correctly locked out on a lift. Thus, she was initially told she would be unable to participate.

Undeterred, Kulsoom started her website, Lifting Covered, in 2010 to try to obtain some leeway for the clothing issue. The story about her denial had already gone international, with USA Weightlifting maintaining that it was following international weightlifting rules. A press release followed, which Kulsoom posted on Lifting Covered, and she used the website as a way to introduce herself, explain her story, and document her experience.

Like many of us, Kulsoom had wanted to be athletic as a child, but where she grew up in Florida she did not have any access to resources. Later, she moved to Atlanta to work on a doctorate in computer engineering at Georgia Tech, and upon her arrival, she tried taekwondo at the suggestion of an acquaintance. She felt comfortable wearing the uniform, which covered her in a manner consistent with her beliefs, and the instructor had no problem with her wearing a head scarf.

Due to her newfound confidence and enjoyment in learning a skill and getting exercise, Kulsoom decided she wanted to supplement her martial arts practice with weightlifting. She found stumptuous.com, which is maintained by one of our friends here at Breaking Muscle, Krista Scott-Dixon, and which provided Kulsoom with information about weightlifting, giving her the opportunity to work on more functional movements.

Kulsoom started out with powerlifting (e.g., deadlift, bench press) and eventually got into the Olympic lifts (clean and jerk, snatch) through the CrossFit gym she joined in 2007. Her coaches encouraged her to consider competing, and after some reluctance, she took up the standard in the beginning of 2010. Her participation in this local weightlifting tournament, at which she had quite a bit of fun, helped her overcome a deep-seated belief that she is not strong or competitive. It turns out she is both. And interestingly, her clothing choices were not an issue at this tournament.

Kulsoom’s clothing did not become the issue she describes on her website until she qualified for the USA National competition. Some coaches remarked that wearing the singlet shouldn’t be a big deal for her, and at first USA Weightlifting declined to make any compromises. Kulsoom pursued a course of action to try to gain permission to compete. She spent the first half of 2011 consulting legal advice and civil rights groups, the press release was posted in June of 2011, and she also wrote a letter to USAW, to no avail, asking if there was a way for her to stay covered but also demonstrate proper technique.

Things started coming together when she wrote a presentation explaining some ideas about how a compromise could be reached – clothing she had worn and could wear in the future that would accomplish the same goal – and brought it to the International Weightlifting Federation technical meeting in 2011.

Ultimately, the IWF consented to a clothing modification in the form of a singlet over a unitard so the wearer’s arms and legs would be covered but so that lockout would also be visible. Fortunately, the IWF sets the standard for all of the more regional bodies, which means that once they gave the okay, Kulsoom had the okay to participate in the USA National Weightlifting competition. Not so fortunately, that only gave her two weeks to prepare.

Additionally, since Kulsoom was the first woman to ever compete covered, there was quite a bit of press coverage at that event. She competed in the world championship in France in November 2011, representing Pakistan, and then on to Korea in April 2012. Around that time, Kulsoom discovered there was a chance she could go to the Olympics in London with a wild card invitation, which is available sometimes to athletes whose home countries do not field a team in the sport in question. Kulsoom knew she was unlikely to medal on her own, which meant the wild card was her only option. Toward the end of June, after campaigning for a spot, she learned she wouldn’t be going to the Olympics, which was disappointing, but not a reason for her to stop training.

2012 would turn out to be an amazing year for athletes from the Middle East, with women representing Saudi Arabia, Brunei, and Qatar for the first time in history. Kulsoom has made her own history here in the United States and abroad, and possibly her Olympic dreams will come true in the future.

Read part two of our interview – Kulsoom discusses other aspects of the relationship between her religious practice and her training, such as diet and fasting.

The post Lifting Covered: One Woman’s Experiences of Weightlifting and Islam, Part 1 appeared first on Breaking Muscle.