Blu, known online as The Neurodivergent Grappler, joins us to share her journey training BJJ as a neurodivergent athlete. From managing decision paralysis to finding the right community, Blu offers an honest, empowering look at what it means to thrive by doing Jiu Jitsu your own way.
Connect with Blu through instagram, @neurodivergent_grappler
To share your story, dm me on insta or TikTok, @bjjbabespodcast, or shoot me an email: bjjbabespodcast@gmail.com
In this episode, we sit down with Christina Lucidi, a 10th Planet purple belt whose jiu jitsu journey defies expectations. Christina lives and trains with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) — a connective tissue disorder that affects joint stability and mobility. Despite the challenges, she’s found ways to adapt her training, protect her body, and continue to thrive on the mats.
We dive into how Christina discovered jiu jitsu, what it’s been like navigating a sport that often demands intensity from a body that needs gentleness, and the creative adjustments she’s made to keep rolling safely. She also opens up about mindset, recovery, and redefining what “progress” looks like when your body has unique limits.
If you'd like to reach out to Christina, she is on instagram @secretknives and TikTok @christina10pwsd
Come listen to Erika, a BJJ purple belt, mother, and plant medicine practitioner, share her story of training BJJ, living in Scotland, and sharing her traditional plant medicine from Peru with others!
To connect with Erika and learn more about her work:
Instagram: @erikacaya1204
@nativewisdomhub
www.erikahuarcaya.com
To share your story, hit me up! @bjjbabespodcast on Instagram and TikTok
bjjbabespodcast@gmail.com
Hey babes! Welcome back! This week, come listen to me chat with Sarah Fanning, BJJ white belt, and Academy Relationship Manager at Tap Cancer Out!
Come listen to Sarah's journey as she went from planning rodeos in Cheyenne, Wyoming, to planning BJJ competitions and Global Grappling Day, all for a worthy cause!
Connect with Sarah on Instagram: @sarahfanningg
Learn more about Tap Cancer Out
www.tapcancerout.org
Instagram: @tapcancerout
TikTok: @tapcancerout
Connect with me
BJJBabespodcast@gmail.com
Instagram and TikTok: @bjjbabespodcast
You never know what someone is carrying with them when they walk in the door to train. Jiu Jitsu, and other martial arts, when taught in a healthy environment, has many benefits for trauma survivors, including survivors of intimate partner violence. That's why Molly Higgins, a BJJ purple belt, and PhD student, has dedicated her research to advocating for martial arts as a therapeutic tool for survivors of intimate partner violence. Through her research, Molly has created guidelines for gyms to implement to help them create and maintain a space that welcomes and supports trauma survivors.
This conversation is an important, and timely one. The link to Molly's guidelines is here: https://osf.io/3zdsv
Connect with Molly on instagram @mollyhigg
Welcome back babes! This week I'm talking to one of my classmates from the weekly women's class I attend in San Diego. Cat is a BJJ white belt and a scientist. We talk science, BJJ, and some heavy topics about toxic gym dynamics, including grooming and abuse - so trigger warning on that. Thanks to Cat for sharing her story and being vulnerable,
Hey babes! Welcome to this week's episode. This week, I interview Tess Kent, a celloist and jiu jitsu purple belt based out of Texas. Come listen to us chat about gym selection, competition, learning theories, and more!
To connect with Tess: @tesskent.2 on instagram
To share your story, send me a DM or email
Instagram and TikTok: @bjjbabespodcast
Email: bjjbabespodcast@gmail.com
Unless that's your thing, and then, go nuts!
Welcome back babes! After a nice long hiatus, and some soul-reviving travel, I am back with another episode!
This week, I am talking to Leah, a 52-year old white belt. Come listen to Leah talk about how she started martial arts, while working to find the right gym near her with an instructor who aligned with her training goals. She did something I'd never think to do, but think is a great idea: she interviewed her coach before signing onto her current gym. It sounds like she has found a great, supportive training environment, which is what we all deserve!
Connect with Leah, and learn more about some of the topics discussed:
Leah Barretta –
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/leahbarretta/
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/leah-barretta-a7554430b/
Mean Girl Self Defense https://www.meangirlselfdefense.com/
10th Planet Grass Valley https://www.instagram.com/10thplanetgrassvalley/
1st Phorm https://share.1stphorm.app/8iyL5ygq5Rb
Women’s Shooting Club – A Girl & A Gun - https://www.agirlandagun.org/
What's up babes? Ever thought about sparring on the beach? This week's guests sure did. This week I'm talking to Jed Dulaney, and Talita Alencar of the Beach Jiu Jitsu International Federation.
You may know of Talita already as a multi-time Jiu Jitsu world champion, and UFC fighter. In addition to those accolades, she co-owns Beach Jiu Jitsu International Federation with Jed.
Listen to how Jed got the idea for Jiu Jitsu fights on the beach, starting from very humble, grassroots beginnings, and bringing in Talita to expand their reach. BJJIF currently is hosting fights in Florida, but hopes to expand to other locations. Stay tuned!
Check out Beach Jiu Jitsu International Federation
Instagram: @beachjiujitsufederation
Youtube: @beachjiujitsuinternational
Connect with Jed:
Instagram: @jeddulaney
Connect with Talita
Instagram: @talitaalencarbjj
Youtube: @talitaalencarbjj
Connect with me:
Instagram: @bjjbabespodcast
Email: Bjjbabespodcast@gmail.com
Hey babes! Welcome to this week's episode of the BJJ Babes podcast! This week, I'm bringing you an interview with Briana Bowley, a BJJ practitioner, and mental performance and nervous system regulation coach. Briana developed her system for helping athletes and other high performance individuals regulate their nervous systems and perform better through years of working with different people, observing the fight, flight, or fawn response, and collecting data. She has taken that product, and development a method for teaching her system to others, which she calls The Bowley Blueprint. Come listen to Briana talk about her own personal journey in jiu jitsu, and the interplay with her work as a mental performance coach.
Connect with Briana:
Website: brianabowley.com/thebowleyblueprint
Instagram: @brianabowley
@thebowleyblueprint
Connect with me:
Email: bjjbabespodcast@gmail.com
Instagram: @bjjbabespodcast
Tiktok: @bjjbabespodcast
Hey there babes! Welcome back! I took a little hiatus last week due to some work circumstances, but I'm back with your latest interview! This week, I'm talking to Dante, founder of the BJJ Wiki instagram account and host of the Off the Mats podcast. Dante contributes a lot to the online BJJ community, both with his Instagram content, and his podcast, which highlights a lot of the everyday people working a 9-5, then showing up and training because it's what lights them on fire.
Dante gets personal with his own jiu jitsu journey here. And yes, we do talk wristlocks. Dante hates them...
Connects with Dante:
@bjj.wiki
@offthematspodcast
Share your story
@bjjbabespodcast
bjjbabespodcast@gmail.com
Hey babes! This week, I am so honored to share my interview with AJ Clingerman, a black belt instructor, and the founder of Roll Model Grappling Camps in Indiannapolis, Indiana. Join me and listen to AJ talk about how she finally fell in love with Jiu Jitsu when she did it for her, creating community, and fostering the right environment.
As a bonus, AJ is offering a 20% discount for this summer's Roll Model Camp for our listeners. Camp is July 11-13 in Indiannapolis. Use code bjjbabes20
Website to register is www.rollmodelswanted.com
Catch with AJ on all socials @AJClingerman, except TikTok, which still exists (yay!), where you can find her at roll_model
Welcome back this week babes! This week, I am talking to Maria Pineda, a purple belt out of Black Sheep Jiu Jitsu in El Paso, Texas. Maria talks about coming into Jiu Jitsu from a wrestling background, the ecological method used at her gym, teaching women's classes, and growing a community of women.
Check out Maria, Black Sheep JJ, and monthly women's open mats in the El Paso area.
@maria_in_a_gi
@blacksheepbjjep
@belladonnajiujitsu
Hey babes! This week, we're talking to Jody Shields, a purple belt training at Mythic BJJ in Fullerton, CA, known on instagram as the No Gi Yogi!
I met Jody back in August at a Girls in Gis seminar in SoCa. I was thrilled to get her on the pod and hear her story of how she started training jiu jitsu after putting her special needs children in training at an adaptive martial arts school.
Listen to Jody tell her story of her progression through the belts, including teaching a women's class at her school, figuring out her learning style, and rediscovering herself through BJJ.
We also talk about Jody's recent performance at No Gi worlds, picking up a gold in her weight division, and silver in the open class, and her training leading up to worlds, including specific goals, and entering the adult division at local competitions to challenge herself.
Catch up with Jody on instagram: @nogi_yogi
To donate your gi or other jiu jitsu gear to LA fire victims, or if you are affected by the LA fires, Hyperfly is collecting gear to donate to those who have lost everything in the fires. For more information, go to their instagram, @hyperfly.
For other resources, the LA Times has compiled a list of free and discounted resources for LA fire victims, here: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-01-10/heres-a-list-of-free-and-discounted-resources-for-victims-of-los-angeles-area-fires
What kind of research, beyond what's the schedule, and how much does it cost, did you do when choosing your first jiu jitsu academy?
Have you ever googled, "sexual assault martial arts"?
Were you aware of the instances of sexual harassment, child abuse, and other misconduct in the BJJ community when you started?
I certainly wasn't, which is why I reached out to Milton Campis, founder of Academy Safe, to talk about some difficult topics facing the martial arts community. Milton wears many hats -- in addition to Academy Safe, he is the co-host of the Jiu Jitsu Dummies podcast, owner of Black Belt Digital Marketing, and recently received his black belt in BJJ.
Academy Safe aims to create a registry of Academy Safe accredited martial arts academies, that have met specific criteria to maintain their accreditation, including having all adult employees go through background checks, and taking the Safe Sport certification course.
Listen to Milton talk about his background in martial arts, what led him to create Academy Safe, and his goals moving forward.
If you'd like to learn more, reach out to Milton through the Academy Safe Instagram
@academysafe
You can also find Milton through his podcast, @jiujitsudummies, and his company, @blackbeltdigitalmarketing
No interview this week -- just a short episode of me talking about some recent news in the jiu jitsu world, WNO, and some of the competitors I'm excited about for no gi worlds!
This is my last episode for 2024 - I am taking a break over the holidays from publishing episode, but will be back with more in January! I'm still scheduling and recording interviews, so send me a message if you'd like to come on the show, or want to recommend someone!
bjjbabespodcast@gmail.com
Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube: @biibabespodcast
And the process is sucking for a long time! Join me in hearing from the co-owner of the first women's only BJJ and martial arts gym in Portland, Oregon, G.I.R.L.S. Gym, black belt Sarah Oriza! Sarah started training martial arts at 15, and even had a stint as a professional MMA fighter, but her passion is teaching others!
Check her out!
@orizabjj
@girlsgympdx
https://girlsgympdx.com/index.html
Email me: bjjbabespodcast@gmail.com
Hey babes! This week, Erin "Brutal Viking" Quillen, a brown belt at Checkmat Upland shares her story of how she started jiu jitsu, got hooked, and overcame a serious back injury to return to competition.
This week I'm catching up with an old friend, Joe Dobry, who trains BJJ in Towson, Maryland. Joe talks about his experiences training BJJ, MMA, Muay Thai, boxing, and being a girl dad.
Check out Joe's sponsor: silverbackstripes.com
Share your story:
Instagram: @bjjbabespodcast
TikTok: @bjjbabespodcast
Email: bjjbabespodcast@gmail.com
Remember Megan from Lady Savage Fightwear? Meet Megan's coach, Ashley, purple belt, and women's program Instructor at Resolve Martial Arts Academy in Orillia, Ontario. Join me as Ashley tells her story of how she got started in BJJ and how she came to teach the women's classes at Resolve, including her thoughts on creating a safe space for women to train.
Check out Resolve: https://www.resolvemartialartsorillia.com/
And Lady Savage, of course! https://ladysavagefightwear.store/
Follow me: @bjjbabespodcast
Email me: bjjbabespodcast@gmail.com