Body & Soul BJJ - Yamasaki SOMD

Body & Soul BJJ - Yamasaki SOMD Body and Soul BJJ, Yamasaki Southern Maryland

Today we get to spotlight ⚡️Raydon. Raydon is a mentor, friend and kids’ coach. Below he shares reflections on his BJJ j...
09/27/2026

Today we get to spotlight ⚡️Raydon. Raydon is a mentor, friend and kids’ coach. Below he shares reflections on his BJJ journey and coaching perspective.

What’s something you are currently working toward?

I’m always working toward improving and being the best I can be. My main goal throughout this sport is to become an ibjjf and adcc world champion. Those two tournaments shows who the best athletes really are, and they push you past your limits.

What’s have the kids you Coach taught you?

Coaching kids has taught me that you NEED to be patient. Kids won’t always understand things right away, it takes time. It also teaches you to look at things with a different perspective you may not always have.

You’re someone the younger kids look up to. What does being a leader mean to you?

Being a leader to me means to be a role model for the younger ones. It means setting a good example, helping others when they need it, and showing them how to work hard but stay respectful.

What advice would you give to a younger student just starting their bjj journey?

You are going to lose in this sport, winning is never guaranteed in life, but losing is. Do NOT quit just because things get challenging and don’t go your way. This sport demands consistency, mental focus, and constant problem solving. Over time things will start to click and you will get the hang out it.

This week marks the least color we will have on our mats! Belt promotion is just five days away.
09/07/2026

This week marks the least color we will have on our mats! Belt promotion is just five days away.

Today we get to ✨SPOTLIGHT✨ Madison! Madi has been on, and off, the mats for 16 years! She’s a dedicated coach for the k...
09/04/2026

Today we get to ✨SPOTLIGHT✨ Madison! Madi has been on, and off, the mats for 16 years! She’s a dedicated coach for the kids team. Below she shares some reflections of her Jiu Jitsu journey. Oss
1. ⁠ Was there ever a time you wanted to quit? If so, what made you stay?
- I did quit. I quit when i graduated high school, in 2020, right around Cvid. During that time of my life, I thought it was “just” a sport I did when I was younger. Looking back, that is not the case. The jiu jitsu bug never goes away, even when I was off the mat for a solid three years, I still thought about it constantly. Everything about jiu jitsu made me stay. The community, the respect, compassion, awareness, the puzzle of jiu jitsu, the list goes on, but jiu jitsu its self made me stay.

2. ⁠ You’ve been a part of the BJJ community for so long. What does community mean to you?
- It’s more than just a community, it’s a family. I have made life long friends on that mat that continuously lift me up and help me become a better me. When you share blood, sweat, and tears with a “community” a relationship forms that lasts forever.

3. ⁠ What do you hope the younger generation of girls in BJJ learn from watching women like you train?
- They can do hard things, to never give up, and to fight for what they believe in. Learn from mistakes, mistakes are supposed to happen, without them you never learn.

4. ⁠ After 16 years of training, what are you still curious about?
- Everything, I can drill the same thing for hours and go home and still have questions.

5. ⁠ what is your favorite submission?
- Armbar, duh 🤪

6. ⁠ What’s your favorite part about teaching and leading the kids class?
- my favorite part about teach the kids is witnessing their determination and dedication to the sport. They remind me of my younger self and my team growing up. Their hard work and developed friendships inspires me to become a better person, teacher, and student everyday.

New schedule begins Monday, September 14! Oss
09/02/2026

New schedule begins Monday, September 14!
Oss

New schedule starts Monday, September 14! Oss
09/02/2026

New schedule starts Monday, September 14! Oss

Don’t miss this. The Body & Soul BJJ 2nd Annual Women’s Only Retreat is HERE! We had so much fun last year-we had to do ...
09/01/2026

Don’t miss this.

The Body & Soul BJJ 2nd Annual Women’s Only Retreat is HERE! We had so much fun last year-we had to do it again!

We are psyched to welcome Brittany and Chanel. We have so much respect for both of these athletes. This is that duo you don’t want to miss.

Two Days:
Saturday, Nov 7 Full-day seminar, Q&A, food, community.
Sunday, Nov 8 WOMENS ONLY OPEN MAT

Space is limited-don’t wait to register.

Our Instructors:

Brittany Senter
First degree black belt at
Checkmat HQ under Leo Viera.
8x IBJJF Gold medalist, including Master Worlds and Pans
3x Pans Silver medalist
5x Bronze medalist
Loves tea and listening to old ladies complain.

Chanel Minzel
Brown Belt mat menace and knee assassin.
Bad at bolos but won’t quit ‘em.
Mopping Jiu Jitsu mats since 2009.
Walked out of Atos in 2014 - knew about Galvao before anyone else.
Owner of Eville Jiu Jitsu in Germantown MD

Oss
LINK IN BIO

👏🏽 Nice work team! Congratulations to all PBJJF competitors this past weekend!Oss📸: Maria
08/24/2026

👏🏽 Nice work team! Congratulations to all PBJJF competitors this past weekend!
Oss
📸: Maria

Today we get to ⭐️spot light⭐️ Alex! Below, Alex shares a little of his jiu jitsu journey. ⁠1. Was there a particular mo...
08/22/2026

Today we get to ⭐️spot light⭐️ Alex!
Below, Alex shares a little of his jiu jitsu journey.

⁠1. Was there a particular moment, person, or experience that really changed the way you train?
A great example of someone changing the way I train is Fernando Yamasaki, Fernando Yamasaki I attended the seminar at the cottage and we specifically focused on simple fundamental techniques for multiple hours, and it clicked to me the attention to details on the basics. A quote from John Rohn that helps me stay grounded in that is “To be successful, you don’t have to do extraordinary things. Just do ordinary things extraordinarily well”

2. What do you think makes a good training room culture? A good training room culture starts with respect and honor, taking care of your training partner and agreeing on a common goal of improving even if that means giving eachother difficult problems to solve. My greatest improvements have come from constant loss and difficult rolls that make me adapt. Without each other we can’t get better.

3. What’s something people at the gym might be surprised to learn about you? My first name is Joel and my middle name is Alex, also that I grew up playing baseball and hockey.

4. If you could roll with any grappler from any era, who would it be and why? I would love to roll with Charles Olivera, I truly love how he showcases the application and success of bjj when it comes to a real fight with strikes involved.

We work hard at Body & Soul BJJ! As a team we inspire and support one another’s growth and goals. It doesn’t matter if y...
08/20/2026

We work hard at Body & Soul BJJ! As a team we inspire and support one another’s growth and goals. It doesn’t matter if you’re a part of or simply watching …the tenacity, respect, and camaraderie demonstrated in all of our classes is clearly evident. What a dope community.
📸: Maria - thanks for capturing the commitment and hard work of the team!

Address

22807 Three Notch Road
Lexington Park, MD
20619

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Body & Soul BJJ - Yamasaki SOMD posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category