2010 has not been a bad year for US Brazilian Jiu Jitsu sensation Hillary Williams.
On 11th April 2010 she won gold in her weight category and bronze in the Absolute division at the 2010 Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Pan-Am Championships and then, in the same month scooped a bronze at the inaugural women’s event at the Abu Dhabi Pro.
Earlier this month she scooped her biggest win to date by becoming only the second US female Brazilian Ju Jitsu World Champion [after Lana Stefanac in 2009] at the 2010 Mundials in Long …

The rationale for writing this brief post was met over a Grande soy almond latte in Starbucks. You read Val Worthington’s nemesis [the sauce] is diet coke well, soy almond latte is mine and at £3.00 a pop it’s a little more expensive too, anyway, I was perusing an edition of the Sunday Times sports section when I came across an article concerning age and competitive sportsmen and women. The raison d’être for the piece seemed to be the imminent return of Michael Schumacher, the seven times Formula One motor …

By David Webb, 11th January 2010
This, the second of two interviews done with Emily Kwok and Valerie Worthington, is meant to highlight the work being done by both, alongside fellow world champion Felicia Oh over in the United States of America and Canada to promote women’s grappling. At various intervals Emily and Val are responsible for sharing their world-class knowledge on a number of women only camps with an ever-increasing number of dedicated and committed female grapplers.
For further information on the camps in question check out: http://www.womensgrappling.org
Enjoy!

Photograph by kind permission of Lauren Elle photography
By David Webb, 19th December 2009

Valerie “Valhalla” Worthington is champion grappler based in Santa Fe Springs, CA who currently teaches and competes out of the New Breed Academy run be Johnny Ramirez and John Ouano. Originally a marathon runner Val has been training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu since 1998 where she gained her Blue and Purple belts under Carlson Gracie, Jr. and his legendary father Carlson Gracie. Heavily into CrossFit and now a Brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Val was placed second at this year’s Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Mundials that were held in Long Beach, …