Lez Roll Radio Queer Grappling Camp: Why it Matters
April 14-16th, we at Academic Grappling and KruFit hosted the inaugural Lez Roll Radio Queer BJJ Camp. Simply put, it was wonderful.
The camp began with a check-in and open mat on Friday evening with coaches Andrea and Kelly Schoenegge. While there, we were able to meet a range of individuals from all over the country; from right down the road all the way to Seattle.
While it would be easy to simply recap all of the wonderful sessions put on by all of the incredible coaches (Zach and his DLR; Jamie and her intro to Muay Thai; AJ and her competition fundamentals; Jess and Christine with their techniques for different body-types; Jared with open guard passing), those were not exactly the highlight of the camp.
What was the highlight of the camp was the feeling of camaraderie. We came in with the shared understanding of what it feels like to be a member of the LGBTQ+ community in a sport that has largely been hostile towards such individuals. At this point, it’s no secret how many MMA and BJJ fans feel towards the community. Every online comment section regarding a queer fighter or grappler is awash in hateful, hurtful messages.
To be able to come into a space that was free from all of that judgment and vitriol was like a breath of fresh air for so many participants. There was an honest, joyful feeling all weekend. I don’t just mean it felt nice, or it was happy. I mean, people felt real, honest joy.
Carving out a space for ourselves in BJJ has never been an easy feat. The battle has been uphill from the start. Combat sports tend to bring in people who - and this will feel like a loaded thing to say - have baggage. That baggage can make them either a kinder person or a more cruel person. Too many of us have witnessed the cruel and reactionary members of the BJJ and MMA communities be given platforms and held up as the standard.
To push against the culture that exists within these combat sports may feel like a push against the sports themselves because of how deeply ingrained such attitudes are. However, pushing against the anti-LGBTQ+ (even more especially the anti-trans) and even the anti-BLM feelings within BJJ and MMA is a push to expand our sports and make them even better than they were before. No system can find success through exclusion. So we seek inclusion as our main strategy. The more inclusive our culture is, the more people will have access to it, and the more it will develop and grow.
This camp that Lez Roll Radio put on is such a huge step in making Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu a more safe and inclusive sport. The first of its kind, the Lez Roll Queer Camp has established itself as a beacon for the LGBTQ+ grappling community. It is visible and it is strong and we all felt that while we were there. It felt reinvigorating. Empowering. It showed us we can come together and do mighty things within this sport and that is exactly what we will do.