Having very little experience with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, I first asked Luz to describe the sport to me. I learned that Jiu-jitsu focuses on grappling and holds to take down an opponent. Like most martial arts, it has its roots in self-defense. However, there are no kicks or punches thrown. Instead, practitioners "roll," the term for two people practicing their skills by sparring in a manner that combines the close contact of wrestling and the acrobatics of gymnastics.
I asked Luz if she would let me think of her as the female Jackie Chan. Luz chuckled, smiled, and said yes.
Luz began practicing jiu-jitsu when she was 16 years old, getting involved with classes at her local gym. Though she faced the steep learning curve of the sport, Luz quickly advanced and arrived at Stanford highly skilled with the jiu-jitsu club in mind. She served as vice-president of the club her sophomore year, president her junior and senior years, and is now the club's financial officer as she is co-terming. The club has around one hundred members signed up, with about twenty of them being active. Of those twenty, there are three women on the team, including Luz.
But Luz is used to this. Jiu-jitsu is a very male dominated sport: in 2021, only 28% of the competitors in the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation World Championships were women. As for Luz, she notices that oftentimes, especially among newer male practitioners of jiu-jitsu, after spending practice getting 'beat-up' by more skilled practitioners it can be tempting for them to simply use aggression and physical size to win when rolling against women. As both a role model and a coach within Stanford's team, Luz helps encourage male teammates to control this aggression and strengthen their technique, while also empowering women to keep persevering in the sport.
And despite all of this, Luz says that she is grateful for the opportunity to roll with men. It has encouraged her to improve other aspects of her technique, such as speed and flexibility. It has given her grit in her training, and it has empowered her sense of self on and off the mat.
"A former coach once told me, 'If you can beat every guy in this room, you can beat any woman' I think that this is absolutely false. If anything, I fear rolling with women more than I do men. They bring a certain feistiness that forces me to really use my technique. It is much more dependent on cognition and skill, instead of simply who is bigger than the other."
The fundamental dogma of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is that it allows a physically smaller person to take down someone larger than them in a tactful and intentional way. This is also part of the reason that jiu-jitsu has been emphasized in so many self-defense classes that have, unfortunately, been on the rise as violence towards women has been rightfully emphasized as a major problem. 65% of women in the United States have experienced street harassment, ranging from verbal assault to physical harm. And unfortunately, this hits all too close to home within our Stanford community.
Even Luz herself says, "I have no problem rolling with men. But I still get scared walking at night alone. I know that I simply cannot take down someone with a weapon, or multiple people, or all the other possible things that could give someone who wants to harm me an unfair advantage"
Being experienced in self-defense technique is a wonderful skill, especially for young women. It gives them physical strength, dismantles stereotypes, and empowers them to take control in their lives off of the mat. But, when it comes to graphic violence against women, there's only much that athleticism can do. While it is vital to encourage women to pursue activities such as jiu-jitsu and self-defense, even when they may be in the minority, it must not be used as a substitute for actual institutional change to protect women.
Luz is a role model to the women in club jiu-jitsu. She encourages them to use their strength, fortitude, speed, and skill when rolling against men. She also lets them know that she is here for them and will not stand by and let them roll in a pairing that is unhealthy, dangerous, or aggressively unfair. She knows that exercising strength is more than just taking the person in front of you to the ground. It allows her to do that, but it also allows her to be aware of the cultural changes necessary that help make any environment safe for women.
