The first rule is: You don’t talk about fight club. But what if it’s one of the most fun flight clubs on campus? The UW-W Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Club is an interesting niche club sport that provides a different type of club experience for those looking to get some energy out on the mat. 

The club might sound intimidating, but any member would assure you that it is an excellent way to stay fit, while also learning a new skill. This physical battle against another individual can teach you a lot about yourself, but most importantly can help you in certain ways off of the mat as well.

“The way I walk through life – knowing I can kick butt in any setting is definitely an ego boost, but it’s also more so a humbling experience. You tap more than you submit, so it’s something that you’re always going to take away more of a humbling experience than a domination aspect in my opinion,” said senior Club President Rachael Gerondale.

The club also provides an excellent source of stress relief – something that is a motivation of many students when wanting to join clubs.

“The discipline that it takes – you can show up two to three times a semester and get some stuff through it, but if you’re here everyday working, listening, applying the things that you learn on the mat, that is going to get you so much more than watching UFC fights,” said Gerondale.

It may seem overwhelming, but training on different aspects of the craft is easier to comprehend than you might think. While becoming talented at the entire process requires serious dedication, different skills can be learned step by step that are equally as valuable. As the saying goes, the journey can be just as valuable as the destination.

“I’ll start working on a series of moves, and I’ll work on that for most of the semester. Just to keep getting used to it. Some of them are relatively basic, but when you work on it that long you’ve put it in your toolbox of moves you can do versus just trying to learn everything, and then you don’t pick everything up. I’ve found it really helps me,” said Vice-President John Larson.

Signing up for any club can seem like a large commitment, especially when it is something as intimidating as the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Club. But student with all skillsets have found their home in this very club. Member include wrestlers, football players, tennis players and more. While the one rule is that you don’t talk about fight club, campus can’t stop talking about Brazilian jiu jitsu.