canada's too big, i've got a few good women here in winnipeg, but there is no way they will make it to a tournament in toronto - and if they had the cash/time to travel that far, i think they would be scared that there would be no turn out and waster the trip
candice, we'll have to set up a little tournament here for us one of these days!
I have an idea - why doesn't someone start a women-only BJJ club in Toronto? :P
I think the problem is not so much that women don't want to compete, as it is that there just aren't that many practicing the art. Yet.
There are sometimes thirty guys in one division not because guys who do bjj love competing so much more than girls who do, but 'cause for every girl practicing the art, you probably have thirty or forty guys. It will change, but it takes time. I think the ladies-only tournament, mailing list and getting more women-only classes will definitely help.
For any women able to make it, I teach a women's class at Yonge and Eglinton. We hold regular class Friday nights and Sunday afternoons, and a pay-what-you-can open-mat on Tuesday nights.
We average six-eight women per class (though we've had up to fifteen) and sometimes have some of the more experienced women from around the city come by as well. I know the girls would love to have more women come out, and it would be a good opportunity to roll with a number of different bodies and skill levels.
In fact, we're trying to get more women to come out and roll, so classes are free to women from other clubs who are at or around blue belt level. And if there's interest, we're thinking of hosting a female black belt seminar in 2006 (let me know if you'd be down).
These are some of the ideas we've been working on, but we're difinitely open to suggestions. If you're by a TV tonight around six, CityTV is going to be doing a short spot on us. Let me know what you think.
ttt for more women training/fighting.
Elliott
www.kimonogirl.ca
P.S. Yael - happy bday! Sorry I couldn't make it - having to get up at 7 really takes the party out of you. Also, check your email soon. I just got an idea.
I wish I was closer to Toronto I'd definitely come out.
We have 2 consistent women who come to my club and one who comes periodically. We've all tried to get other women to come out.
bjj has been a great asset to my job (I work with behavioural clients with brain injuries) I've tried to get every female I work with to come out but so far none have taken me up on it.
Hey Ibite,
My name's Lisa, I train at Toronto BJJ.
bonton2 - i would definitely come to a female black belt seminar and think some other ladies from Hamilton would come :)
What time Sunday's do you guys train? We have our women's class Sunday mornings followed by our regular gi class. I would like to check out your class in the afternoon if I have time to get there - it is probably about an hour drive from the Hammer to your club. Us girls from Joslin's have been training for about a year now. We are by no means anywhere close to being blue belts, but we aren't total newbies either :) Maybe I can get a few of us together to come out every few weeks and roll with the ladies from your club. Let me know ok? Much appreciated!
sketchy - were you at the last open matt? I don't remember a Lisa being there.
Ibite
Please notice that the women face the same problem that the extreme light or heavy weights men have.
It is a matter of quantity of people at the category.
Yesterday in a small tourney the got together plume, feather and light weigths for the purple male.
Safety is an issue.
But fighters use to not care with safety, specialy when they fight at the absolute division.
I think that posting more weight classes would encourage greater participation.
The women on this thread already know what happens at tournies and still want to compete. But what about the women who have yet to try their first tourney?
Joslins offers the most weight classes for women and gets the greatest number of female participants of any Ontario tournament.
Clearly we need to get more women into the sport, and that this is where the greatest gains will be realized.
I think we should all applaud Eliott Bayev for his efforts to get more women in the sport.
But we also need to adress the fact that the women who presently train and compete represent some of the most outgoing, resilient and bravest women out there. I have seen Jiuchick give up close to a 100 pounds to an opponent. But she is fearless.
Also, please don't think I don't have any idea where you are coming from. I compete in the heavyiest weight class, and I have twice gone to tournies and had only one opponent to face, On another 2 occasions I have had only 2 opponents to face.
Ibite, that's too bad:( you need to convince your training partners to compete every chance they get.
Are there any new ladies training at the club since I left? Last time I was there I saw at least 5 women training so even if half of the ladies from your club came out you'd have 2 people to compete against. The same goes for every other club. I don't know if it's a money issue, nerves, lack of desire to compete etc. but the only way to remedy the problem is to get out and compete as often as possible.
It may be a good idea to allow women to bypass registration fees for local tournies until the pool grows. I could see how it could become somewhat of a negative experience to train, pay $50 bucks and then have 1 match.
BTW, Say hello to Mr Dozer and his butthead brother for me:)
Kashk - logic says that posting weight classes encourages greater participation, but I really just not sure I am convinced that this is really what happens. Have there even been any tournaments that didn't post weight classes? All of them that I have seen do post weight classes, but end up having to pool everyone together when women don't come out.
I think the only reason that the Joslin's tourney gets as many women at it as they do is the simple fact that there are just that many more competitors overall at that tournament. I think the ratio of men to women is likely the same compared to all the other tournaments.
The Joslin's tournament had three weight divisions for women and two experience levels - 115 and under, 115 to 145 and 145 and up at the beginner and advanced levels. The GTA tournament (prior to the Grand Prix weight classes being implemented) I believe had the exact same weight classes. More women come to the Joslin's tournament, but the GTA has in the past had the same weight classes posted. So I don't see how posting weight classes has encouraged people to come out per se. Besides that, us ladies still know going in (and new competitors will likely have been forewarned in advance) that they will probably pool everyone together anyways. If women want to compete, that won't really matter. I admit, I wasn't too thrilled about the Grand Prix women's weight classes being 125 and up, but I understand why they did it. It is just a numbers thing.
It still comes down to the fact that we need to get more women into the sport. More women in classes = more women competing. How can we get more women to come out?
What clubs offer women's only classes? Do you find that they are successful or do you have a hard time finding enough women to even run the program?
no i wasn't at the last open mat. if i remember correctly, i was out of town that weekend.
TF??? Pics!
Gabora! How's it going in BC? Hope all is well. Haven't talked to you in a while. Shoot me an email bro. When you coming back to the Hammer?
We actually lost one of the women out of that group of 5. Still the four of us left. There have been several people come in and try a class or two, but nobody really has stuck with it yet for more than a few weeks.
I would love to get our girls out to the tourneys to compete. But I have to say...I don't think that my goal in my quest to get more women to compete is to pay my registration fees at a tournament to fight the same three girls that I fight every week. I can save my bucks and just go to class for that :) I want to get more women from ALL the clubs to come out! Would you want to pay $30 to fight that same German cartwheel guy that you used to fight every week?
Mrs. Dozer
Hello Ladies of BJJ.
This is Cappster the organizer of the GTA. First of all I would like to thank those of you who made it out this weekend. Despite the dismal turn out all of your attitudes were great. I think this thread is the most communication I have ever seen! It is great and a step in the right direction. I am behind you guys 100%. Whatever you guys need to help grow your sport I will be more than happy to provide.
If you need a venue for an all female training facility, let me know...Kombat Arts is very open to such initiatives. If you need someone to help organize an event please don't hesitate to let me know. And any suggestions for future events we host would be appreciated.
I think that all of you need not worry. As I mentioned to the ladies at the GTA, female wrestling was in this same situation 10 years ago. Maybe half dozen competitors each competition, in fact in the US it still is like that. However, today we consistantly get over a hundred if not double that at larger tournaments. It will take time, work and perseverance. But I can't wait for the day when I have to curse at the sheer size of the draws I have to run for gemale events!
Thanks lady warriors!
Cappster
M
First your allow to vote and now you want to compete in Jiu Jitsu???!! Oh brother....look out!!! =)
Hey Little One, who do you work for..is it PHABIS??
Cappster - thanks for your help and positive attitude. You are awesome :) I really enjoy bjj and don't want to switch to wrestling to be able to get some women to train with.
Would anyone be interested in running a regular women's open matt say once a month or once every two months? Say we made it the first Sunday of every month or every second month. I know I would go for sure and I think I could round up two more ladies from Joslin's at least. What about everyone else? If Kombat Arts is willing to host as well, maybe we can rotate around between a few clubs in the area???
Kwanzanator, you just open your mouth and remove all doubt that you are a jackass :) See if I do anything nice for you again...I didn't see you out competing yesterday...
That magnificent german bastard charges a lot of money for his privates but I won't complain if I can learn the art of the cartwheel.
Btw, everything is going well in BC. I walk to the gym and skip rope every night in my shorts haha:) I've been going to the gym a lot but not much training for the past month and a half or so cus I sprained my wrist. I found a really nice club near school that I'll be starting this weekend. I'm preparing myself to be very sore next weekend. lol.
Toronto BJJ is interested in holding Monthly Womens Open Mats. We have hosted at tlest 3 of them already.
And has a womens only class taught by women in the works.
Toronto BJJ is very committed to Women in the sport. This includes hosting of open mats, creating a women's program, and sponsoring one of North America's top female BJJ competitors.
wow it's awesome to see this thread blow up and i can't wait to read all this and see whats up but i just wrote a philosophy final on no sleep and 2 coffees...omg
ttt for women of bjj wooooohooo
ok nap time