Tag: jiu-jitsu

Blue belt….

Posted on By Annie

Annie Corriveau blue belt bjj

Last night, I received my blue belt… it was expected but not expected. I knew it was coming but I didn’t think it was going to happen now. My first thought was – Non, for real! My second though was – Wow! My third thought was – holy shit I better get my act together!

The feeling is like when you are in your last year of primary school and you are the king of the world. Then comes high school and you realised that you are back at the bottom.

This blue belt has been earned with a lot dedication, sweat, pain and countless bruises. I am super honoured and I am ready to climb up again and be the king of the world. I am thankful for my instructors, Mauricio Gomes, Roger Gracie, Charles Negromonte, Junia, Bruno Zancaner and amazing training partners #bestwomen #bjjladies

For you out there, how does it feel when you win something big but know there is still a lot more work to do?

I want to hear your stories, add a comment or email me!

I am not so middle class

Posted on By Annie

A few weeks back, I went to the hairdresser to get my hair fixed. It needed badly some attention. I usually go very early so I can get the cut and the colour done before I go train. Yes you read it, I get my hair fix and I go train Brazilian Ju-Jitsu. That’s the way it is. Only this time, there was a big competition – The Abu Dhabi Grand Slam hosted by UAEJJF that afternoon and for once I was not going to mess up my hair straight way.

Sitting on the chair getting my hair done, chit chatting about nothing, the hairdresser asked me “So are you going out tonight?”. Me replying: “I’m going to a Brazilian Ju-Jitsu competition to see my instructors fight and to support them”. There was a pause… a blank stair… “Oh really, ok. Will you plant flowers this year?”. Wait… What? Planting flowers? What are you on about? Oh my… right there and then it dawn on me, I am not so middle class. I assumed she knew about the sport as for me it is a given. She clearly didn’t know what I was talking about. BJJ is so out of her own world, why would she ponder on it? I realised that most of the women of my age who have children don’t do what I am doing, practicing the art of Brazilian ju-jitsu.

So that afternoon, I went to watch my instructors from Roger Gracie Academy competing. One in particular that I was looking forward to see was the World Champion, Yas Wilson.

Yas Wilson Grand Slam UAEBJJ

I am so grateful to have her as my instructor. She is the very first female receiving a black belt from Roger Gracie. She is an amazing fighter and has competed against big names in the BJJ community like Mackenzie Dern. She went on to win the silver medal on that day. She is a mother like me and his running her own gym. She is not so middle class either 🙂

What about you? Are you not so middle class?

I want to hear your stories, add a comment or email me!

Nails and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Posted on By Annie

I started to train in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu back in March 2015 at Roger Gracie Academy in London. I am loving it and there is no turning back! Taking up the sport meant I was to trade off beautiful long nails for dry and peeling skin. Grabbing GIs definitely roughen up the skin. I don’t see that being a problem for a man. For a woman, that could be putting off. However I do not think that because I train in BJJ that I have to trade my femininity. The problem is time.

  • When will I time to that with a demanding job and a family?
  • What could I use that would be quick and efficient?

Today I went to Body Shop and stumble upon their almond nail and cuticle oil. It is a pen with a brush dispensing the oil with a tool on the cap to push the cuticule. I thought that was worth a try. I tried it as soon as I got back home. My cuticules were very hard so it needed more than the pen tool to push them back but once I did, I can see how this product will be easy and quick to use to maintain soft cuticules.

I’m sold!