Melissa Will: Pioneer of Women's BJJ on 36 Years of Training & Building Inclusive Gyms | Ep. 19

In this BJJ Bonus episode, I sit down with Melissa Will—one of the true pioneers of women's Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. With nearly 36 years on the mats, Melissa has been training longer than any other non-Brazilian woman in the world.Melissa shares her incredible journey from being a 2nd-degree karate black belt to discovering BJJ at a seminar taught by John Will (who would later become her husband). She describes the moment she realized her karate was "useless" when pinned on the ground—and how learning the bridge and roll changed everything.We discuss what it was like being the ONLY woman on the mat for years, how she won the Pan-American Championships at blue belt in 1997, and the mental shift required to keep training after taking 9 years off to raise her son Felix (now also a BJJ black belt and instructor).Melissa offers invaluable advice for women starting in martial arts, guidance for men training with women, and insights on building a healthy gym culture that welcomes everyone.🥋 Topics Covered: Her transition from karate to BJJ Being a woman pioneer in the sport Winning competitions against heavier opponents • Romantic relationships between instructors and students Training philosophy: "The more you tap, the more you learn" Tabata training and staying fit at 55 Raising a BJJ black belt son Building inclusive gym culture Advice for women and men in BJJLinks mentioned in the showAndrew Bews physical trainerhttp://www.andrewbews.com.au/Melissa Will books:Australia Link: https://tinyurl.com/MelissaWillAUSTUSA Link: https://tinyurl.com/MelissaWillUSAUK link: https://tinyurl.com/MelissaWillUKITALY link: https://tinyurl.com/MelissaWillITCanada Link: https://tinyurl.com/MelissaWillCAJapan: https://tinyurl.com/MelissaWillJapanMusic:“Disambiguation” by Robel Borja https://open.spotify.com/artist/7j0DUZ79z4edeLkU2H1UoJ?si=eISl0YfaQ-yLThljs48j5A“Erotic Spring” by Robel Borjahttps://open.spotify.com/track/20RAs5iOvZGYSxQTjx8AAM?si=5c2e9b66c221483dGet in touch! This episode was directed and presented by Dave Meyer, editor & coproducer by Ryan Turner, producer & marketing Robbie Lockie, music kindly provided by Robel Borja.