Last Tuesday (Mar 18th), marked the end of my two-week stay in Taiwan, with one week of training at Kaohsiung BJJ & MMA.

Although it has been half year now, I still felt like a newcomer in BJJ. And so, I was a little nervous about training abroad, as a white belt, and as a woman with a small frame.

To add to the anxiety, I had a rough start. I had a fever on the plane and a skin rash during my first week, which meant I spent most of that time recovering. But in a way, that ended up being a good thing because it gave me the space to slow down and reflect. While we often think of travel as trying to do everything at once, I simply wanted to be more present and reset. So, instead of diving into BJJ, I took time to explore the neighborhood with long walks and explore the local life.

Taiwan

Before I get into the BJJ part, let me tell give you a quick look at my trip around Taiwan:

  • Taipei: A busy, vibrant city with lots to see and do both in the city and in the outskirts. It’s safe, easy to navigate with good public transport and it’s walking friendly.

  • Kaohsiung: A port city with a more chill vibe. There’s not as much to see as in Taipei, but still plenty.

  • Lambai Island: A tiny tiny island off Kaohsiung, famous as hotspot for swimming with sea turtles. Perfect for a short escape from the city, where time feels flowing slower.

Overall, Taiwan gave me the impression of being extremely safe, friendly, and alive. A stark contrast to the vibes in Denmark, which I’d describe as safe but cold and distant. The country is also categorized by contrast, which I found very peculiar but also really enjoyable as you could to eat street food at hawker stall or in a modern and high-end setting, for example.

This is just my first impression, of course. If you’re looking for more details on Taiwan, I am sure there is plenty of content online.

Training in Kaohsiung with Kaohsiung BJJ & MMA

I spent a week training at Kaohsiung BJJ & MMA, and it was an awesome.

Before I arrived, I had some concerns about how I’d be received. I reached out to the gym via Instagram, and Ryan was quick to respond, reassuring me they had a gi ready for me and encouraging me to join his class. The kindness really helped ease my nerves.

Gym overview

  • Name: Kaohsiung BJJ & MMA
  • Location: The gym is easy to find and centrally located with access to public transport.
  • Facilities: Clean and spacious mat. Gym equipment. Tape, band aids, tissues, etc. You can grab a gi at the gym and they take care of the laundry so there are always clean one everyday. Fridge with water for a fee. Shower facilities.
  • Coach: Ryan is not only a fantastic coach but also a community builder and leader. He’s incredibly supportive and makes sure everyone feels comfortable.

Training highlights

The training was a great mix of technical drills and sparring, and I learned a lot just in a few classes:

  • Gi training: The focus of the entire week has been on butterfly guard.
  • No gi: I had my first no gi class here. Very interesting and I may prefer it for the freedom compare to gi. The class I attended was about half guard with several variation, one of them being the ‘space walk’ technique. Cool stuff.
  • Guest class with Tadashi Sensei: We had a guest class where we focused on transitioning from knee-on-belly to submission. It was a great opportunity to learn from another instructor and be part of culture experience since Tadashi sensei spoke only Japanese.

The gym is a total hotpot, with a great mix of genders, age, different backgrounds and experience levels, which made for a dynamic and engaging training environment. Every class was well-structured, and I always walked away with a new technique or experiencing something new.

I also trained and sparred with guys for the first time here. It felt intimidating at first but I realize it is was a safe environment, where everyone is taking care each each other.

The community

One of the highlights of training at Kaohsiung BJJ was the sense of community. The gym wasn’t just about training, it was about the people. I met so many people from all over the world, and everyone was incredibly welcoming. I’d say the average is quite young here.

  • Class structure: Classes were clear, with a focus on top and bottom positions with specific goals for each position. It was a great environment to learn, no matter your level.
  • International vibes: The gym had a good mix of English and Chinese speakers, which made a very interesting environment as Ryan would also teach using both languages simultaneously. There was also a diverse range of people dropping in from different countries, which added to the global vibe.

After training, it would not be unusual for a group to head out for dinner. Ryan even has a club where some of the gym members hang out, so it really felt like a close-knit group.

Side quests

First dive and swimming with sea turtles in Lambai island

One of the best parts of traveling and training BJJ is the friendships you make. In Taiwan, I met some incredible people, but one of the most memorable moments was when Jeremy spontaneously joined me on a last-minute trip to Lambai Island to dive with sea turtles. We booked tickets in the morning and were off the next day!

It all started with a casual conversation after class. When I half-seriously extended the invite, he simply went “Why not?” :D We met, traveled to the island, and were loaded into the back of a truck to head to the diving spot. After a quick 5-minute briefing, we were in the water! The whole experience was a bit surreal—I ended up with a nosebleed and we didn’t see any turtles, but the whole experience in the water was incredible. We parted ways in the late afternoon after a nice walk and some good conversation.

I stayed at a homestay that night, which was charming but a little unsettling as I was alone in an unfamiliar place. The hostel was down a parallel street, so it was empty, not so well lit after the sunset (18pm) and there were a couple of stray dogs around. The homestay itself was open to the street, with large windows, and I found myself alone when the hosts left without saying anything 😅 I locked everything for peace of mind, though it seems common for people to do things like leave keys on their scooters, which I guess implies that the island is super safe?

Anywaaayy… the next day, I did snorkeling and finally swam with the sea turtles. There were so many! Of different ages and very close to the shore. Watching them glide through the water was both stunning and humbling—a beautiful reminder of how amazing nature is.

Hiking with monkeys and squirrels in Shoushan

Accessible by metro, there’s a mountain overlooking Kaohsiung with multiple entries and paths, and I highly recommend hiking it. Most of the trail has staircases, which seems to be a common characteristic of hiking in Asia for some reason. The mountain is full of diverse flora and fauna. It’s incredibly green, and you’ll spot monkeys and squirrels along the way. Actually, the monkeys are impossible to miss—they’re often right on the path or eyeing at hikers hoping they got food to steal :D

Important: don’t bring food. The monkeys will follow you and try to steal it. They’re not aggressive, but they can become so if they see or smell food on you.

Practical travel tips

As mentioned in my intro, I am more of a comfortable budget backpacker. Meaning that I lean towards the cheap side but I’d rather spend a bit more for comfort, convenience and safety. And since I have a backpack, I try to pack light, although I feel like I already packed too much :) 30L + 20 L. Total of 13 kg.

  • BJJ practicalities
    • Equipment
      I travel with 2 no gi ‘outfits’. 1 short + rash guard and 1 short + sleeveless tee. I don’t have my gi with me and that has not been a problem in Kaohsiung as they always had a clean gi for you to use. I’d normally wear one outfit, wear the second one and then do laundry.
    • Laundry
      Laundry is convenient. All hostels I stayed in had a coin laundry and dryer. Usually around 40-50 TWD per wash and 10 TWD for 5 minutes of drying. If you are lucky, they have a draining machine and a area to hang wet clothes.
  • Travel practicalities
    • Sim card. If your phone supports it. I highly recommend you get an esim before you even leave. Super convenient. You also don’t need a local number since the public transportation and there is so much food everywhere so you don’t need Grab and Uber.
    • Currency. Taiwan uses TWD. It’s cheap for European but a bit more costly than SEA countries and it really depends on your traveling style. Cash is still king, so make sure to withdraw some. You can used credit card in many places but not for charging the EasyCard, local shops, and in Lambai Island.
    • Transportation (EasyCard). Transportation is good across Taiwan. Easy to navigate and well-connected. You do not need Grab. Get a EasyCard for transportation. You charge it and just tap when you need to use buses, metro, trains, etc. It also works as a credit card in many stores.
  • Accommodation. The hostels can be still very cheap and high standards. Overall, really good. My average per night in hostel dorm has been around 550 TWD. These two are highly recommended:
      • NK Hostel in Taipei
      • Flyinn Hostel in Kaohsiung
  • Food. Taiwan has a immense food scene and a big street food culture and in any place with street food, you are normally aware of hygiene and safety. I normally go for very local places even hawker stalls and also ate a good share of pre cooked 7 eleven food and I have been lucky not to have any issues. Overall it gave me impression to be still okay. The range I’ve been eaten for a proper meal (main + side) has been 100 TWD to 300 TWD, with 500 TWD being the most expensive.
  • Water. In many places water dispensers are provided so that’s safe. Just refill your bottle.

    Pro tip: As a rule of thumb never get ice with your drink or have water in local places that is not bottled. Or do it at your risk and expesne based on your jusdgement :))) I did that and was fine. I also used water from the tap to brush my teeth.

  • Safety
    Taiwan felt extremely safe even as a woman. Probaly comparable to South Korea and Japan. Altough the road and some places may look a little bit run downs and bit skethy due to the smell and cables hanging around, I have always felt very safe, with people around in the night too everytone minding their own business. no weird looks. Okay to walk around in shorts.

    Pro tip: Still, for anywhere in the world, do not get into random cars like udentified taxis. Do not walk in dark isoletaed alleys at night. Be aware of your surroundings. Always have your passport on yourself and emergency contacts.

Final thoughts

Taiwan has been challenging in some ways but also an incredibly experience. The country is full of friendly people, vibrant culture, and so much food. Here, for me, BJJ became more than just a sport – it became a way to connect with like-minded people from all over the world, and I’m grateful for the friendships I made at Kaohsiung BJJ & MMA.

I highly recommend it for both traveling and training.

On a more personal level, this experience reminded me to take care of myself, slow down, and not be afraid to do the things I love. I tend to get anxious and overwhelmed when things don’t go as planned, but eventually, they worked out. Along the way, I met many people who showed me kindness, and many young people like me who are still figuring things out in their own way. It was refreshing to see that they don’t stand still, constantly moving forward in their unique ways. It felt like a welcome change from the bubble I was in, where everyone just seemed to accept… things…