Featured traveller: James Woodard – BJJ Globetrotters
Age: 51
Belt: Blue
Profession: High school film/media and history teacher
How many years in BJJ: 7 years
Other martial arts: Judo for 20 years (nidan); Toyama and Shinkage Ryu kenjutsu; Danzan Ryu jujutsu for 8 years
Where do you live: Penang, Malaysia, currently training at FLOW BJJ Academy, Penang.
Where are you from: Iowa, United States
Other fun or curious information you would like to share: I am an avid diver who enjoyed dry suit diving at Thingvellir during the first Iceland Globetrotter camp in 2017.
James Woodard – BJJ Globetrotters Camp in Heidelberg
Tell us what inspired you to travel and train?
I started training BJJ while I was teaching In Myanmar. I had tried to train judo in Yangon, but there were arcane rules about foreigners training at the only gym in town. Somebody told me about an English lady running a BJJ gym out of her back room, so I went to check it out and was immediately introduced to BJJ Globetrotters, as the visiting coach, Brain Carlsen, was teaching some BJJ fundamentals in my friend Tammi’s apartment. I ended up hosting a couple different visiting coaches who passed through Yangon.
Tell us about your most recent travel and your upcoming travel – where have you been and where are you going?
I had planned on attending the Heidelberg camp in 2020, but then everything went sideways. So I was very happy to come to Heidelberg for the 2022 summer camp. I spent the month travelling around Germany while researching for a history project based in the Baltic.
James Woodard – BJJ Globetrotters camp in Heidelberg
What are the things you enjoy about travelling?
Meeting new people and having at least one good story by the end of the experience.
Can you give us some examples of experiences you had that makes it worth traveling and training?
I moved to Penang in 2017, but before I moved, I packed my gi and went to Europe, spending a few weeks in Germany and England training at some places I had been recommended through the Globetrotter network, each one of them letting me train for free during my stay. I travelled to Iceland and contacted Gudmundur Gunnarson through the Globetrotter network and he offered me a place to stay and train, and I got to meet his family and learn about different places to visit in Iceland. I travelled and trained in Akureyri and at Mjölnir gym in Reykjavik, where both places let me train for free as a visitor who contacted them as a Globetrotter. Gudmundur and his wife Eydis were amazing hosts, and becoming friends with them was a highlight of my journey.
Soon after I moved to Penang, one of the Globetrotter coaches that had visited Myanmar was giving a seminar in Penang. I went to attend and learned he would be coaching at a new gym close to my home. That summer I attended my first camp in Reykjavik and was again a recipient of Gudmundur’s hospitality.
What has so far been the most surprising experience for you when traveling?
I have visited Mongolia a couple of times, and during my last visit was able to see a lot of traditional Mongolian wrestling in the countryside during the summer Naadaam festival. I did not do well, but it was worth the experience.
James Woodard – BJJ Globetrotters
Are you a budget traveller – and if so how do you plan for a cheap trip?
I’ll be honest, the older I get, the more comfortable I like to be. That said, I am used to couch/mat-surfing, and took a tent and sleeping bag to Iceland. I try to pack a lot of quick-dry stuff that compresses easily, but also find it useful to have a warm hoodie and sturdy pants.
If you were to pass on travel advice to your fellow Globetrotters, what would it be?
Don’t let the news dictate where you should visit. There are tons of amazing experiences to be had in some pretty off-beat places.
