Hello my potential supporters, may I introduce my passion to you?

I´m Lea and training BJJ (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) for about 3 years now and am a proud bluebelt in this gentle but effective martial art.

BJJ is a very demanding groundfighting sport, as it is challenging not only physically due to it´s close full-body-contact (similar to wrestling), but also it is challenging the mind, as it is very much about technique and quickly adapting strategical set-ups whilst fighting, reacting to the opponents moves, basically an action-reaction-ground-fighting game, with a never ending range of opportunities for the next move, why it is also known as the “game of human chess”.

For this reason, this sport is also very time-consuming and cost-intense, as it just about to get more popular in Germany, an one needs to pay to attend tournaments, unlike boxing or K1 where at least one get a bit of money for getting the ass kicked. ;-) In the US, the sport is already more popular, in the rest of Europe, it is yet about to attract more and more people, yet it is not much known and not supported by governments or communities at all, most likely because Germany spends all it´s sports budget on football ;-)

I am not a sports person. I am quite the opposite. I have never done any sports in my life before the age of 25, when I visited a fitness center for the first time, doing twice a months half-heartedly a bit of yoga or aerobic classes. I have been partying through all my teenage years, and kept it with Churchill “No sports, only whiskey and cigars”.

My best friend convinced me in late 2012 to visit a gym in Frankfurt to try out BJJ, she told me that it is a lot of fun and also the best a lady can do for proper self-defense. I was not expecting much when I got there the first time and went more to do her a favour to show interest in her hobby, but once I had stepped on the mats for the first time, I was immediately thrilled by the high energy training, the complexity of the game and the friendliness of the people.

I had rarely experienced any physical activity that was such intense. It was like a drug, better than most good things in life, and I got immediately addicted, but it took me a while until I showed up there again, because in the first few trainings, I needed 2 days for recovery and it was also difficult mentally to come down after class, as is is all so exciting, so I was a bit worried that this new passion could not be integrated into my life, as training only once a week is by far not enough, and I had a demanding job and very little time. But well, I could not help but got infected with the BJJ virus by skipping many other things in my life and so from early 2013 onwards I´m training as often as I can.

Still, I´m not the typical athlet, learning to control my body takes me longer time than the average human being, even though I´m very eager, maybe sometimes too much.

I´m a senior lady with crispy bones and started sports in an age, where the average person usually turns towards less demanding fitness activities, I´m the smallest in my gym so the lightest sparring partners I have are already 10 – 20 kilos more than me and I do not have as much time for training as most young competitors due to the usual adult life obligations, they usually do several sparring sessions each day and some supporting activities like weight lifting, running and climbing etc on top. Well, I do as much as I can, and as much as my old aching body can handle.

So well, why should you support me on my way to fight at the World Master Championships 2016 in Las Vegas – August 25th – 27th 2016?

Because I have passion! I might have zero talent, but I have passion for the sport, and it is fun to watch my fights, as I´m active and entertaining, and well, a bit suicidal. ;-)

I´m “Eddie the Eagle” of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and I believe every sport needs an “Eddie The Eagle” type of competitor. Someone who does not have necessarily talent but love and passion for the sport and the heart at the right spot, someone who is inspiring others just by being there, letting them know that if he/she or in this case me can do it, you can do it , too! As I believe, BJJ is a wonderful gift for everyone! For young and old, for every gender, for small and big, it is a great sport for the whole family to challenge the mind and keep the body in shape, and my goal is to make BJJ more popular in Germany and especially amongst the ladies, so to attract soon more new sparrings partners.

* * * * * * 

And, most importantly, this is a very private issue for me, because the championship will be taking place this year on the birthday of my best friend, the one who introduced me to BJJ and might have rescued my life by this, as I had very tough times over the last few years, and if I did not discover this sport, I might not be here anymore, it gave me so much strengths and happiness, and as it keeps my mind busy, it is also stopping bad thoughts, at least for the day. Unfortunately, her own life could not be rescued, she died in early 2014 due to issues with her heart. She could not train in the end, even though she would have liked it so much, but she was too frustrated that her body could not do the way she wanted anymore, she would have been a great competitor otherwise, of that I´m sure, and I would have given her strength for the daily life. So if I can find a way to go to this tournament, she will be with me, as she is always in my heart. It will be like our last journey, on her birthday, just me and her to thank her for everything she did for me, so I´m mainly fighting my endless sadness, and if I will get awarded a medal the winner´s podium, it will be dedicated to her. I really need to do this, and I can´t do it alone – I desperately need your support to make it happen.

* * * * * * *

On a less emotional level: The Las Vegas Championship is also the first time and only opportunity for me to compete under equal conditions, meaning that the other competitors in my bracket will be female fighters with the same age and weight. As BJJ is not that popular yet in Europe, there are no other girls competing with my weight and age, so far I had always competed against opponents either younger or heavier than me or both, and I would just love to have the experience before it is too late, who knows if I can next year still compete.   

My fighting record so far is:

- Grappling Games Bavarian Cup 2014 female bluebelt adult -53,5 kg – 1st place

- Submissao 2015 – female bluebelt adult – 58,5 kg - 3rd place

- UAEJJF Netherlands Pro Championships 2015 – female adult blue – 55 kg – eliminated

- German Championship 2015 – female bluebelt -53,5 kg -  1st place

- European Championship 2016 Lisboa – female bluebelt master 1 – 53,5 kg – eliminated

- Zurich International Open 2016 – female bluebelt master 1 – 53,5 kg – 3rd place

- Copa do BJJ 2.0 2016 – female bluebelt adult – 58,5 kg – 1st place

Please help me to support my dream! If you can donate 5 or 500 or 5000 Euros, Dollars, food or nutrition vouchers, whatever, every bit helps.

You can grab one of the suggested campaigns listed on the right, or just donate to keep me hustling through my fights.

Thank you for your interest and for your support!

Lea