Well, guys, you did it. About a week and a half ago, I asked you to come together for a very special cause after my “jiu-jitsu sister”, Nichole “Ozzy” Ossman, committed suicide due to a secret, silent battle with mental illness. The first part of my plea was simple: dedicate at least one of your open mats for the week to Ozzy. But then came the challenging, but most important part: use the opportunity to speak to your students, teammates, and coaches about mental illness and suicide, and remind each other that you’re all there for each other even when times get tough.
I had my fingers crossed that we’d get ten, maybe fifteen academies involved. But of course, I have to apologize, because by setting the bar so low, I insulted your awesomeness. By the time Monday rolled around, forty gyms from all over the world had confirmed that they’d be holding #RollForNichole events. As an added bonus, you guys helped raise well over $1,000 to help Ozzy’s family cover the cost of her funeral.
Check out the inspiring photos from some of these events, and remember that all of these gyms have made the effort to show us all that they are safe places to talk about mental illness, thoughts of suicide, and just about anything else. The massive response to Roll For Nichole is proof that the jiu-jitsu family is a global one. If you’re struggling, please take this as hard evidence that you never have to go through it alone.
10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu Amsterdam – Amsterdam, The Netherlands
10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu Santa Fe – Santa Fe, NM
AFS Academy/10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu Richmond – Richmond, KY
Ares BJJ Peru – Lima, Peru
Arruda BJJ – Adelaide, Australia
Artemis BJJ – Bristol, United Kingdom
Brazen Martial Arts – Windsor, NJ
Central PA MMA – State College, PA
Durango Martial Arts Academy – Durango, CO
Full Circle BJJ – Gahanna, OH
Fusion Fitness MMA – Elgin, IL
Gracie Barra Charlotte – Charlotte, NC
Kaze BJJ and Gracie Barra Clarksville – Clarksville, TN
Kalamazoo BJJ and Grand Rapids Brazilian Jiu Jitsu – Kalamazoo, MI
London Fight Factory – London, United Kingdom
Mark Shrader’s MMA – Washington, PA
McHugh BJJ – Mount Laurel, NJ
Michael Foley’s Academy of Martial Arts – Newfoundland, Canada
Momentum BJJ – Nutley, NJ
New Port Richey Jiu-Jitsu Academy – New Port Richey, FL
Next Level Martial Arts – Austintown, OH
North South Jiu-Jitsu – Montclair, NJ
Open Air Jiu-Jitsu Project – Burlington, VT
Pride Lands BJJ Pittsburgh – Monaca, PA
10th Planet Fairfield/Radius Martial Arts Academy – Fairfield, CT
Raptor Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu – State College, PA
Solid MMA/Cobra BJJ Lawton – Lawton, OK
South Jersey Jiu-Jitsu – Berlin, NJ
Straight Blast Gym Scarborough – Toronto, Canada
Submit 2 Success – Thornaby, United Kingdom
The Dojo, Redcar – Redcar, United Kingdom
Wulfpack MMA/Nola BJJ Metairie – Metairie, LA
If I missed your academy’s photo or if you’d like to make a correction, please send me a message and I’ll get it sorted out!
Awesome to see so many schools get together for a good cause! 😀