Jess Fraser – Brown Belt Dominance MMA
I met Jess in 2013 (which I am sure she would have no recollection of, she meets a lot of people), I was in Melbourne to compete at the Nationals. I entered the female change rooms to get changed into my gi and there she was also getting changed. I was this dopey brand new blue belt, all tongue tied because I was sharing the change room with Jess Fraser!! I awkwardly introduced myself while Jess was half naked :-), I can’t remember what we talked about but I do remember thinking she was super nice. Jess is an inspiration to a lot of us ladies, she leads the way to help promote women’s BJJ here in Australia and she is a real rock star when it comes to organizing Australia Girls in Gi camps, which I was really happy to attend my first last weekend (Jan 2015). Not only is she very smart, hilarious (awesome sense of humor), beautiful, articulate, and talented – she is going to be an awesome coach. She provides so much support to us ladies, she is a true ambassador for this sport. Please let me introduce, the awesome Jess Fraser.
How many years have you been doing BJJ – how old were you when you started BJJ and why did you start?
I started in April 2010. I was 30 years old the first time I put on a gi.
I started BJJ without knowing what it was or researching it in any way. Weirdly I just knew that’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to be a badass. This sport, the athletes, they are certainly that. So here we are.
What other sporting background do you have?
I skateboarded for years very badly. And snowboarded for many more very well. Before starting BJJ I was an instructor in both yoga and Krav Maga. I was doing a lot back then. Now I’m more focused.
You recently got your brown belt, besides being thrilled how did you feel when you received it? What were your thoughts?
As I understand it my journey is the fastest female to brown in Australia’s history. On top of that there’s only about 5 a Aussie female Browns. This is not only the rarest belt in Oz, it’s the rarest in the World. Female brown belts, we’re very, very rare. So. What does that tell me? It tells me I have a great deal of support and love and investment being shared my way. There’s no way I’m exceptional yet I’m in an exceptional situation. That means exceptional people have gotten me here. And my hard work and dedication has made that possible. It’s a shared effort. I believe my belt is shared with all of those around me and see it my responsibility to then share as much as I can of myself with others.
As far as how I felt on the day, I’m FKN proud to wear a Dominance Brown. Like I can’t explain. Belts come slow and hard at my gym and my coach only grades those that are truly ready. The purple belts here are ridiculously good. It blows me away that I have worked to get the technical ability worthy of his Acknowledgement in this way. I’m proud. And stunned. As with receiving my purple. Now all I can think is, I don’t wanna just be a brown. I want to be an incredible brown. So now we start again.
What does your training schedule look like? Does this include strength training and are you particular with your nutrition?
I’m off season now so weight training and weight checking is almost out of my routine.
My week is currently: Monday 6pm wrestling, 7:30pm gi Tuesday 6pm advance BJJ, 730pm gi Wednesday 6pm No Gi, 7:30pm gi Thursday 6pm advance BJJ, 730pm gi Friday 10am. Playful free rolling. Lots of laughter. Nothing serious.
During comp season I replace both wrestling and no gi with lifting heavy. And add a hard 2 hour Saturday session in. Plus Myotherapy weekly.
It’s important to note I roll/spar a lot. Like 80% of my training. And I’m disciplined about it. I’m always working on something and never rolling without a plan. I self critique a lot and I ask lots and lots of questions and feedback. My rolling is drilling. It is drilling but it’s against a resisting opponent. I learn more this way.
My diet is meat, veg, coffee, dark chocolate and strawberries. Barely any dairy. Glutenous foods are avoided. During comp season I start to intermittently fast (one day per week on non training days) and only eat starchy veg or white rice within half an hour of training. No starchy carbs at other times of the day. Loads of fish oil and always 3 litres of water a day.
You do a lot of competition and travel a lot for them, do you enjoy competing and how do you deal with the pressure?
I have never loved competing but I love the gains I get from a hard training camp. I also love training at that intensity. I deal poorly with the stress and extra load though and it effects my personality in a negative way. Self absorption doesn’t suit me well but it gets the job done. I find that trade off difficult. I’m a bloody good sport at the events and take wins and losses very well but my anxiety and the extra load at training make me less fun and someone I don’t enjoy. I hate that about competing.
I value the gain of skill, understanding, technique, improvement, refinement. Not so much titles and not gold. I would rather lose a match that was epic and a battle and against an amazing opponent than smash my way easily to the podium. So when I hit the competition and tap hands with an opponent I’m not scared or worried. I’m not at all because she cannot possibly take from me what I’ve gained prior to that moment. So if I win or lose the match, I’ve absolutely already won. Outcomes can go either way but advancing and improving is always a win.
I’ve competed in over 50 comps. Most actively in my blue belt and first year of purple. It’s no longer the actual competition matches that I get a lot out of or learn from anymore. It was at white and blue but not so much now. For me now its the preparation that a get a lot out of. I think this then helps me feel no pressure on the day. The lead up though… There’s always at least one epic melt down. Usually more.
I also feel like that drive to prove myself is done. I no longer feel I need to prove that I’m doing well. I just ensure I am.
What are the highs and lows of BJJ for you?
Lows are plateaus. They’re the worst. They always feel longer than they actually are. And you have them for longer and longer as you move up the ranks. For me these days, if I fix just one grip in a 3 month time frame, I’m happy. That’s a gain! Frustrated white belts missing a sweep twice but getting it the next week have no idea how lucky they are! Haha. That accelerated learning & daily improvement does slow down. I urge peeps to enjoy it now. And be less frustrated. Watching a white belt learn is like hearing a child learn to talk. It’s epic how much happens in a short amount of time in those early days.
The highs? When you’re rolling and you realise the plateau is over! It’s always suddenly and mid roll and in that moment you feel you’re a genius! You’re moving like a beast. Everything is smooth! Everything works! You nail a perfectly timed sweep and it sets up your favourite pass. It’s magical…it’s the greatest feeling in the world! Haha. Suddenly you’re in love with BJJ again. It’s what keeps me coming back. Even more fun to see others go through that.
The bigger picture life lesson here is that the peaks are only possible because of the plateaus. They are linked. Damn. That’s deep. Haha. But real.
You must have seen many people come and go – what keeps you going?
See above. Plus obsession. Plus believing that I can actually get good and be good at this thing. I have complete and utter belief in that fact. I don’t know why but I do.
What advice would you give other women who were thinking about starting BJJ or who have just started?
-Try to find a way to laugh at yourself at least once each session. Truly. Usually this comes easily in the form of a team mate who will be happy to help. Take the piss. Out of yourself and the situation. That’s what boys do in ALL sports. And they stick around.
-Refrain from bitching or critiquing other girls. It’s a habit. It will continue if you foster that habit. And stop if you don’t. Don’t make yourself miserable by saying mean shit. Even in private. Don’t be that girl.
-Don’t bring your existing understanding competitive nature to this sport. This sport is different than anything you have ever done so you need to approach it differently than anything you have ever done. Understand that your greatest competitor or best friend or least favourite person or weirdest team mate can succeed while you also succeed. It doesn’t have to be one or the other. You don’t even have to share and you will get better no matter what. That includes if other people do also. In fact. It’s inevitable. It’s how this sport works. Comparing yourself to others and creating your own hierarchy on where they/you should be at is a huge waste of time and not going to help you. Beat techniques, not people.
-Ask lots of questions. As a white belt you are discovering BJJ and learning how to learn it, not actually developing it yet. It’s heaps of fun and probably your entire obsession right now which is the perfect situation for advancing. You’ve gotta set up the frame work to make yourself no longer be a white belt. Learn how to be a teachable student. Learn how you process information. Learn who needs to deliver this to you. Sometimes it’s not only your coach. Be realistic in your assessment of yourself as a student. If you’re getting in the way of your own learning, no one can help you but you. Trust this old yoda on these ideas you should.
Australia Girls in Gi
In your opinion what do you believe it takes to be successful at BJJ?
The ability to self assess honestly. And to hear and accept feedback without taking it personally.
Who inspires you?
The people closest to me are my biggest inspirations. Dave Hart my coach is this in an epic in this way. He’s shown me that BJJ as a sport for myself & a community can be anything I want it to be, I just need to put in the work. As far as athletes go, Luanna Alguzuir has movement I would kill for. I love her technique. Her game rocks.
What personal lessons have you learnt about yourself since doing BJJ?
Too many to list. So many that they’ve changed me forever. I’m a much kinder person than I was pre BJJ. I’m also more certain of myself. And able to communicate on all levels much much better. This has vastly improved all of the relationships in my life, my working environment and my life. I couldn’t be more thankful for that.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
I see myself touring Australia as the black belt head of Australian Girls In Gi, offering seminars and private lessons to both women and men. I see myself gathering a shit load of knowledge about this sport between now and then and still be 110% driven to find a way to share that knowledge. I hope this vision becomes my life.
Is there anyone you would like to thank?
Dominance MMA. The entire staff there. They are my closest friends and my life. Australian Girls in Gi for being my inspiration. I want to be the kind of leader that group deserves. And they deserve the world. Dave Hart, my coach. The Bear, my partner.
Tess Hunt RKC 