further by this women’s open mat initiative. “Women can be ABOVE politics with an open mat because it is so important for women to train with other women. As women in this sport we should be able to share our own secrets; instead of feeling the tension towards one another. If instructors don’t recognize that, that will be normal.” Yes, it will feel comfortable to want to stay within your own community and safe space, but what if we were allowed more opportunities to venture into unknown territory? Well…thankfully we would survive because we aren’t living it out on our own. We have women right next to us, who are learning and soaking in just as much as. The Best Intentions As women, even if we had never put on a gi or practiced in a form of MMA before, we would know what we would be getting ourselves into, every time we stepped on the mat. When choosing where we would train it was a thoughtful decision that came with genuine advising and personal processing. Whoever we chose to train under, we chose because we trusted that they would have the best interest in our training. Wherever you call your home gym, know that our instructors have the best intention for us. Especially as women, our coaches are protective of us from getting hurt outside of the school, where the instructors won’t be where their eyes aren’t. Although, if you are ready to expand your experiences and who you get to try and fail with, then take your training into your own hands. Meaning do not be afraid to rally up your team8 | ISSUE 005 | FEB 2017
mates as allies, and together talk to your coach about open mats in other gyms so that rules and traditions are continued to be made aware of and respected, and your coach is kept in open communication about what the women in the school value and want to seek more of. In essence, it comes back to what was expressed earlier. If women want to expand and deepen their BJJ journey, they have to take responsibility to self-advocate for how their training will pan out. Yes, we may be the minority and as an individuals, you may be one or two voices out of 10 others. But honestly if you don’t speak up, no one will. So, take ownership as you will get back what you put out. It won’t be just women being able to make this happen, “we need the buy in from the black belt coaches, they have the power to help us grow this.” The Open Door Open mat is not just a day set for a few hours of women getting to roll with new bodies, and simply meet, roll, and forget. On a more profound level, there is so much to value in this time that women get to be in a common place, where the gis may all have different school patches but the mat we step on holds equal opportunity for all to experience for themselves. Mel and Kelly both share what they believe are some valuable takeaways: 1) Women’s open mat gives women an opportunity to not just compete but to interact with other women in a non-competitive environment. 2) It’s a way to see where you are at with other people, without killing each other or trying to beat others. 3) No one is there to prove a point but to