Category Archives: Testimonial

Artemis BJJ Women’s Class Testimonial: Kirsty

Kirsty joined the Artemis BJJ women’s class in late March, as a complete beginner. She swiftly progressed to the mixed class, then motivated a group of students from the club to join her at a competition. After only three months of training, she won a bronze medal.

It’s been fantastic to watch her develop over that time. Kirsty is always smiling and laughing, meaning that a class with Kirsty is guaranteed to be a fun class! She kindly offered to share her thoughts on what the women’s class and training at Artemis BJJ has meant to her so far.

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I have never really done any martial arts before, but when I moved to Bristol from Swansea I was interested in taking up a new hobby. I was lucky enough to find the women’s only class at Artemis BJJ, as the thought of walking into a room full of big scary men was very intimidating for me.

I went to my first class, it was a small class and Can was so helpful on making sure I got the technique just right. I walked away thinking how great that was. After a two week holiday to Thailand I was quite jet lagged, so there were 3 weeks off between my sessions. At this point I was worried about how much stuff I might have missed and I am still so new, so I actually doubted coming back.

I pushed myself to go again, and it was definitely the best decision! The classes run on a cycle so you will catch up on everything that you miss, which made me feel so much better. I remember chatting with the women in class, enjoying the atmosphere and felt confident enough to jump straight into the mixed class, even after just one women’s class!

Everyone is different and the purpose of the women’s class is to learn the basics to feel comfortable in the mixed, but I jumped straight in. Since then, it has been a whirlwind of excitement, achievement, learning and enjoyment. I am completely hooked and have made some beautiful and true friends as everyone is so friendly at Artemis BJJ. You will always find someone to chat to and help you with whatever you need!

The best part about it all for me is that I’ve struggled with my body image ever since I can remember. Brazilian jiu jitsu has given me some confidence, raised my self esteem and now I feel I have really overcome a lot of issues that have held me down for so long. Also, I have lost weight and my overall fitness has improved so much, I am leaner, stronger and most of all happy with myself.

I have been training 3-4 times a week since April, and my progress has been great. Having the right people behind you, pushing you, ultimately helps you achieve your maximum potential. Competitions can be a big part of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu if you want them to be, but they aren’t compulsory. However, I wanted to give it a go!

So on July 5th, after being supported by my team at Artemis, I competed and brought home a bronze medal, which is the first medal for the club and I feel so empowered as a woman. Competition isn’t for everyone but it is exciting to see your team mates develop and compete regardless!

[You can watch Kirsty’s medal winning match here]

In the space of three months, I have started training 3-4 times a week, I have grown emotionally, lost weight, developed a skill very good for self defence and have a bronze medal! Finding Brazilian jiu jitsu has been the best thing I’ve done in years!

The women’s class is a year old this month: come and join us! Your first week at Artemis BJJ is completely free, with access to all our classes. So, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. For more testimonials, click here.

Update September 2015: On a training course at her job, Kirsty had a video editing project. She produced this cool little video about what BJJ has meant to her.

Artemis BJJ Women’s Class Testimonial: Tracey

The Artemis BJJ women’s class has been running since July, completely free. One of the most regular students has been Tracey, who has shown real improvement over the months she has been training. She was also the first student from the women’s class to cross over into mixed training: she and her son are now both stalwarts of the Saturday open mat too!

Leading up to the launch of the 2015 women’s class, Tracey kindly shared her thoughts on what the women’s class and BJJ has meant to her so far. If you’d like to find out more about the women’s class, head here.

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Tracey applies the americana she learned in the women’s class

I first came across Brazilian jiu jitsu a few years ago when I went to watch a friend taking part in a GrappleThon Can had organised. The event was to raise money for a UK charity, RapeCrisis. The friendly and fun atmosphere, along with the fact that there were a lot of guys raising money as well as women, made a strong impression on me.

After Can told me about the women-only class he was setting up, I wanted to go to it. I didn’t know if I could do it and questioned my age and fitness, not to mention long-standing injuries to my back and leg. But my main question was, did I have the confidence to do it? After hearing this quote, I stopped messing about and took the plunge:

If it excites you and scares the crap out of you at the same time, it probably means you should do it.

I’ve been going to the classes for a couple of months now. I also go to open mat sessions and take my son along. Learning new moves and sparring with different people is great. It’s fun, absorbing and quite addictive! I’ve made some new friends and my confidence is improving. Muscles ache now that I never knew existed, so I’m hoping for some more Radox for Christmas!!

Artemis BJJ Bristol Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Women Only Class Women's Class Women Martial Arts Testimonial Review Open Mat Mother Son

The free trial period for the women’s class is coming to an end: from January 2015, the women’s BJJ class will be included within the standard rates (your first week will still be free, of course).