Name: Waldo
Dojo: London
Belt: Black (2nd Dan)
Joined: 13 years ago
What inspired you to start practicing Ju-jitsu?
I always liked martial arts and had done Taekwondo for a few years prior to joining, but I didn't like the toxicity and the fake bravado / masculinity of straight clubs I had joined.
So I thought I'd give this club ago and that was over a decade ago and I've not looked back since.
What do you like about Ishigaki?
I think it provides a fun, campy and safe environment for LGBTQ+ people to learn martial arts. Whilst we take our training seriously we also know how to have a lot of fun and do lots of great socials throughout the year.
What has been a highlight of your Ju-jitsu journey so far?
My 2 personal highlights are receiving my blackbelt in December 2018 after almost 3 years of intense training.
My second, has been teaching for the past 4 years and seeing all the different students develop. Seeing their confidence as well as martial arts ability grow.
What would you say to anyone thinking of joining?
I would say give it a go - worst case scenario you learn some self-defence which would better prepare you for a street fight. Best case scenario you make some great friends and learn some martial arts as well, and let's be honest we all want to be as badass as Kitana or Chun-Li 😉
