One year ago today, we opened our new academy in downtown Bellingham.
If you’re reading this, you joined us at some point in the last year — so thank you for that. Thank you for sharing a host of great memories from the first 365 days, and thank you for sticking with us during the current closure.
It’s been an incredible season. In just our first year as an academy we’ve:
* Hosted seminars by people we love and admire, such as Dominyka Obelenyte, Dave Camarillo, Felicia Oh, Seph Smith, Jake Whitfield, Cody Maltais, Pete McGregor, D’Juan Owens, Jeff Glover, Radji Bryson-Barrett, Bill Jones and Oliver Taza.
Held 10 sold-out sessions of Intro to BJJ and Women’s/Non-Binary Self Defense, welcoming hundreds of new people into our academy and into jiu-jitsu training.
Won the “People’s Choice Award” at the Downtown Bellingham Association’s Third Annual Sceptre Awards.
Held a Super Soft Birthday Party for Dave and Betsy, with a downtown Bellingham scavenger hunt that we can’t wait to do again.
Promoted a bunch of deserving students, including our first group of blue belts who have been training with us since they first put on a gi.
Grappled in costumes and street clothes.
Released Jeff’s first full-length BJJ instructional (Omoplatapalooza, available for free to academy members!).
Competed in Canada, Washington, and Oregon at tournaments and superfights up and down the West Coast.
Postponed seminars we’d scheduled with Robson Moura and Chris Haueter (but we WILL bring those folks in!).
Opened our space to the Downtown Bellingham Art Walk, displaying work by our own folks. We also released gear designed by our in-house artists, like Kris Stencel and Brittney Boykin (with gear from Karen Blanquart and Clint Sana coming out this year!)
Been guests on podcasts ranging from our own DWB Radio to Pedro Sauer UK and the Great Northeast BJJ Podcast.
Dave rocked an eyepatch like a boss.
Finally, we endured a global pandemic, closed up to do the right thing, and did dozens of free live-streamed classes that are archived at YouTube.com/dirtywhitebelt
Would we have chosen to be closed right now due to a public health crisis? Certainly not. But given everything else that has gone right this year, we’re blessed and lucky. We’ll be back when it’s safe to open — and get right down to making many more years of memories.
Thanks for being part of our community and our journey. We miss you.
— Betsy, Dave and Jeff