THE LITTLE THINGS THAT MAKE BJJ PEOPLE HAPPY

With Emilia Tuukkanen

Illustration by Dominique Bell

1. When your favourite gi is clean and dry
2. When the instructor shows your favourite techniques
3. When Roger Gracie, Michelle Nicolini or Keenan Cornelius like your picture on Instagram (fan girl drool)
4. When you get that letter saying your new gi has arrived at your nearest post office
5. When you have one of those days when you can roll hard as many rounds as you want and not get tired (happens about once in a lifetime but still)
6. When you do really, really well against someone who has always kicked your butt
7. When you get some new technique right at the first try
8. When your pants, gi and belt (and long hair) all stay done during the whole round
9. When you find out there will be your jiu jitsu idol's seminar near you
10. When there is something about BJJ on tv, news or in a magazine
11. When you hear some celebrity is doing jiu jitsu (looking at you Ashton Kutcher)
12. When your weigh cut goes smoothly and without any problems (still waiting for this to happen to me, but I have heard rumors that it is possible)
13. When all your relatives don't think that you do judo anymore but actually know what BJJ is
14. Going on vacation somewhere far and finding an awesome gym to visit
15. Acai
16. Seeing that there is a new BJJ related video on youtube from your favourite subscribed user (Hello there Trumpet Dan)
17. Meeting some of your idols and keeping your cool (Not like my boyfriend, who when he met Marcelo Garcia in 2012 just stood there quiet and then literally ran away without saying a word after Marcelo said "Hi" to him)
18. Meeting that idol, taking a picture with them and actually look decent in that picture (Not like me in EVERY SINGLE PHOTO I have of me with the Mendes Bros)
19. When the professor uses you to demonstrate technique
20. Seeing in slow-motion that drop of sweat landing just shy of your open mouth
21. Meeting someone else who trains BJJ while in the supermarket/post office/mundane place

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