Historic Women's Sub-Only Jiu-Jitsu Event Help Spotlight Suicide Prevention
Historic Women's Sub-Only Jiu-Jitsu Event Help Spotlight Suicide Prevention
The Good Fight held its first female-only event. With their sub-only format it was the first event of this nature but it was more than just a day for women.
On September 29, The Good Fight held its first female-only tournament: G3- Female Only Invitational. With their submission-only format, it was the first event of this nature. So, history was made in a school gymnasium just west of Philadelphia. But it was more than just a day for women.
The event, run by event organizers Doug and Sheryl Kline, gathered proceeds for the #SubmitTheStigma non-profit. It was a chance, not only for empowerment towards being a female in a male-dominated sport, but also education about mental health and its presence in the jiu-jitsu community.
In fact, the idea to partner with #SubmitTheStigma came from the Isaacs, a family of four daughters and their parents who all train jiu-jitsu. The eldest daughter, Eve, experienced a recent suicide loss of a friend despite only being 14 years old. After attending a #SubmitTheStigma event a year and a half prior, they called on me and my charity to help make the day even more special.
In her speeches to both the kids and adults competing, she mentioned how she wasn’t aware that her friend was suffering. And had she or her friend only reached out, her demise could have been avoided. She has since vowed to be open-hearted and available for anyone who needs to talk or reach out when they feel sad or upset.
To witness a 14-year-old with such an understanding of mental health and its importance, speak on such a topic is eye-opening. A child who lost a friend to suicide became an ambassador for those struggling.
One woman was inspired by Eve’s story and was even more impressed when she competed against her in the adult blue belt division later that day. Steph Morriss signed up to compete despite her lack of experience with competition and her being three times as old as her opponent.
“This Good Fight Tournament was so much more than a jiu jitsu tournament; It gave me an opportunity to start a conversation about mental illness with my kids, and this is priceless,” said Morriss. “I was very inspired by Eve's speech and her attitude on and off/around the mat. I normally don't compete but if this tournament becomes an annual event you can count on me being there."
Similar to Eve’s experience, I too suffered a suicide loss. When my father took his own life, I announced it to the world and vowed to help those who have a tough time asking for help. And so I founded #SubmitTheStigma as a way to make the conversation a seamless one within our jiu jitsu community. I know that training jiu jitsu for the last 9 years has transformed my self-esteem, my confidence, and gave me an empowering life path I would not otherwise have discovered.
To be present for a day that represented two of my missions: empowering women in jiu jitsu and making mental health a priority, it was monumental. Many women went home with similar sentiments.
The event marked the first of what will now be an annual event.