BJJ Babes Podcast

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: [email protected]

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: [email protected]

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: [email protected]

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

[email protected]

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