13 Reasons Why: the show deals with bullying and young people’s difficulty communicating.

Don’t worry about spoilers from the show, if you’re watching.

As he comes back from school, the character Clay Jensen gets a package with 13 cassette tapes containing the voice of a classmate explaining why she chose to take her own life. The 17-year-old boy goes on to listen to all of it to find out how he contributed to the tragedy. That’s the synopsis of Jay Asher’s 2009 best-seller 13 Reasons Why, recently adapted into a Netflix show.

In the series, the spectator takes blow after blow as they go over how the character Hannah Baker faces serious problems like sexual violence, bullying and prejudice, unable to signal to parents, school board or friends that she is depressed, about to do something drastic. Those who watched season one and practice BJJ may have noticed how the martial art might have helped with some of the episodes experienced by Hanna. Here are 13 benefits BJJ has to offer teenagers.

1. Healthy friendships – The story mentions the difficulty the characters have in making new friends when they change schools. At the BJJ gym, training partners become siblings for life, sharing interests and healthy habits.

2. Communication – Shyness and trouble exposing one’s feelings are nothing new for teenagers. BJJ helps the young person gain confidence and lose their fears — including the fear to communicate with relatives.

3. Lust for life – Constant learning and overcoming challenges in each session make a young person excited for tomorrow. BJJ teaches that there is nothing like a day after the other, and that life is a succession of good days and bad days.

4. Beneficial habits – Practicing BJJ regularly forces the person to eat right, sleep well and be physically well. Thus they tend to do away with bad habits like going to bed late, overeating and doing stupid stuff in general.

5. Respect – Those who train learn how to treat classmates well and respect teachers, and they begin to notice that those with more experience always have something to teach.

6. Advice – Thanks to sharing the school with instructors and older classmates, the teenager acquires older, more experienced friends who are always ready to provide good advice or tell what they have been through.

7. Interaction with parents – Trouble speaking to parents, shown throughout the show, is minimized by BJJ. Especially when kids and parents train together.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JebwYGn5Z3E&feature=youtu.be

8. More fun – School life can be oppressively dull. BJJ offers hours of plenty of adrenaline and emotion, including wins against heavier opponents.

9. Self-confidence – Those who train quickly lose weight, feel good about themselves, and stop caring about being harassed by annoying kids at school.

10. Facing problems – BJJ teaches us not to let problems build up. Did something pop up — say, a hand bothering you on your collar? You must deal with it now or be submitted. In BJJ, as in life, sometimes you can’t just let it be.

11. Rape prevention – In the first few lessons, any girl or boy will learn the benefits of the guard and legwork to get rid of aggressors.

12. Less alcohol – In school life, it’s common for young people to want to break the ice at parties with alcohol or even heavier drugs. Through BJJ we learn we don’t need to get high to make friends — we build solid, lasting friendships on the mat.

13. No more bullying – As put by Rener Gracie, knowing BJJ amounts not to using fire against fire, but rather water against fire. One need not fight bullies at school to impose oneself. Just a conversation carried with a firm stare, or even just a T-shirt that reads “jiu-jitsu,” may suffice.

Photo: www.fionagumboots.shootproof.com

At the height of Australian summer, late January each year sees female focused grappling organisation, Australian Girls in Gi, gather together members from all over Australia for their record breaking Summer Camps.

This year, the 6th annual, saw 135 female attendees head in to the Aussie bushland for a weekend of grappling, networking & camping.

Female athletes from throughout the nation were in attendance, with ages ranging from 15 to 55. Over the 3 days, accommodation and all meals were provided in between 15 hours of hands on training & coaching with Australia’s most decorated female Jiu Jitsu fighters.

Home grown black belts Maryanne Mullahy & Esther Tavares-Tutida, as well as World title holding brown belts, Hope Douglass, Livia Gluchowska & Jess Fraser, provided the 135 campers with hours of tuition and training advice.

The camp boasted 10 competition squares of mat space in a spacious indoor arena, recovery pool, merchandise stalls, canoeing, bush walks, giant flying fox & cocktail parties.

Australian Girls in Gi is a nationwide organization with well over 1000 active female members. Each year their annual Summer camp sells out many months prior to doors opening as spaces are prized by all members.

Australian Girls in Gi is run by brown belt, Jess Fraser who would like to thank Grappling Industries for sponsoring the summer camp each year by providing their mats.

Check out the documentary of this year’s camp:

http://youtu.be/PHbToLrdIhE

If you would like to know more about Australian Girls in Gi or to get involved please find them on Facebook and Instagram or head to www.australiangirlsingi.com.

Upcoming Australian Girls in Gi events:

-Female Only Grappling Competition: Sydney May 1, Brisbane TBA, Perth TBA, Melbourne TBA.

-Bali Training Holiday & Masters Worlds Camp: August 5th to August 20th

-Summer Camp 2017 – January 26 to 29