Conversation with Sofia Stojanovska: It's powerful to be a woman in the world of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
"I believe that if you are persistent - anything can be achieved. And I started at my own pace, there were challenges throughout the process, there were people who didn't think like me and it was a challenge for me to prove to them, maybe precisely because I am a woman," says Sofia.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art of self-defense, which is a combination of traditional Japanese jiu-jitsu and judo. It is a fairly new martial art, whose founders Carlos и Helio Gracie they created it at the beginning of the 20th century in Brazil.
Today it is considered one of the most popular martial arts in the world, including Macedonia. Although it is a predominantly male sport, more and more women are showing interest in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and are determined to break down gender stereotypes when it comes to this type of sport.
One of them is and Sofija Stojanovska, a 27-year-old girl from Skopje, who is a scrum master by profession, and in her free time she likes to hike, attend Latin dance classes and train Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
She is a member of the club "Enso Jiu-Jitsu" since 2016 and encourages other women to give this martial art a try, as she says the benefits are numerous.
Sofia, how did you enter the world of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?
– For a long time I thought about the fact that I need something more dynamic for exercise and an activity from which I will learn new things. I shared it with my friends, who already did some martial arts, and they recommended that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu would be great for me.
Fortunately, a colleague of mine at the time was a member of the club I am in now and invited me to come to training. Initially, I was looking for company so I wouldn't go alone, but my friends weren't interested in such a seemingly male sport. After two months of persuasion with my friends, I said to myself: "I'm starting", and I really started something nice.
What kind of skill is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and did it meet your expectations when you started the sport?
– I joined the "Carlos Maya" club, which today is named "Enso Jiu-Jitsu", at the end of 2016 and since then I haven't changed because I really liked their methodical approach. From the very first training I started working with one of the more advanced members, i.e. today's coach Ognen, who leads our club, who from the very beginning showed me some basics of jiu-jitsu and introduced me accordingly. Honestly, I was confused at first and it took me a year to figure out what I was doing, but that's what attracted me – I wanted to solve the puzzle. Today it is a little different and, perhaps, easier, but then it was a direct "step into the fire" of everything that happens in sports.
It was very important to me that I didn't want a martial art that involved striking, and in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu it's all about grappling in a controlled environment. I liked that in my club a lot of attention is paid to it. Yes, you practice a martial art, but the people you practice with are your partners, not your opponents. You look out for each other and learn together. Simply put, you are a team.
Naturally, we have faced various challenges over the years, but we have overcome them precisely because of the people who lead the team. These are people who want to create an accepting environment for anyone who wants to come and practice the sport, regardless of whether you have or have not practiced martial arts before, whether you are active in sports, whether you are male or female – everyone is welcome and the training will be customized for each member.
I believe that if you are persistent - anything can be achieved. I also started at my own pace, there were challenges throughout the process, there were people who did not think like me and it was a challenge for me to prove to them, maybe precisely because I am a woman.
As a woman, how does it feel to play a male-dominated sport?
– Definitely, challenging. Especially at the beginning. Today I can talk openly with the coach about everything, whom I help run a beginner group. Also, communication with other members is excellent. But it is something that I have achieved in a process that has been going on since 2016, until today. Over time, I managed to turn this environment into my comfort zone. And that took me about two or three years.
Until I got to that comfort, I had periods where I took breaks of several months. Not because I didn't want to practice this, but because it was hard for me to make myself go in an environment where there are so many challenges. Fortunately for me, I met people who became close to me from the beginning and people who motivated me to continue practicing with their pleasant, comfortable and interesting approach.
Have you ever been in a situation where you felt gender-based discrimination during training?
– Yes, I had a situation where a new male member of the club refused to fight me just because I was female, even though I had much more experience than him. He was a member for a month, I've been playing for a little over a year. I explained to him that since he was a beginner, I would be able to practice with him. He accepted, but throughout the exercise he was laughing and unable to do anything. Honestly, I found that situation very belittling and discriminatory, and that's the only awkward moment I remember, precisely because it was gender-based.
All the other situations were more ego-related, and that's one of the things you learn in this sport – how to overcome the ego and on the other hand, keep the motivation.
We live in a world that can be pretty unsafe at times. Can the grips in this martial art be an effective weapon for personal self-defense in real-life situations?
- To be able to. Although we are on the ground all the time during training and it seems to us that what we do cannot be applied in a real situation, many of the things used in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu are based on something that can really be happened.
This skill changes the way you think, makes you solve problems, learn the human body and learn how it reacts in certain situations. I think that the most important thing is to learn how you would react in such a situation. The initial reaction of each of us would be to run away, but self-defense is a different concept.
Our trainer is licensed to do self-defense training and I hope that we will have the opportunity to do those beneficial trainings in the near future. So far we've had a few trial classes and then I realized that, as physically fit as I am, I don't know everything about self-defense. It must be noted that it is a stressful situation, and the training is in a controlled environment. But in those classes I learned that no matter how stressful the situation is, I give myself space to react more soberly and assess the situation more objectively. We can't predict how the person across from us will react, but the beautiful thing about this sport is that you learn yourself and the ways you would react. In my opinion, it is most important for self-defense.
What are your tips to all girls and women who would like to start practicing this martial art?
– Simply, start. I can't speak much about other clubs, but I can share the experience at my Enso Jiu-Jitsu club. If you are a beginner, the trainers have a nice methodical approach. In the beginning, you will start with easier trainings, for which the trainers will prepare you for several months before entering the regular groups.
Also, don't be afraid to voice your opinion regarding what you expect from the workouts themselves. If you communicate that right from the start, you'll immediately get an honest opinion about whether you're in the right place and whether this sport is for you.
Don't let being women discourage you.
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