They step onto the mat, fierce and focused. A handshake, in a crouched position, followed by an attempt to push the other. Arms and legs twisting. Wrapping, grappling bodies. It takes but a minute when one is knocked to the ground with a swift sweep, the other hovering over. The one below taps out, as the other stands, waving to the crowd and adjusting her ponytail.
While Brazilian Jiu-jitsu continues to be a male-dominated sport, it has seen a rise in women competitors in recent years. One of these women is Melburnian Apryl Eppinger who competes for the Philippine National Team and in Australian Freestyle Wrestling. Currently ranking as a purple belt, Ms Eppinger has competed and won several tournaments including the Sydney International Open IBJJF Championship, the Oceania Wrestling Championships, and the Asian Championship in Vietnam.
"[Jiu-jitsu is] like a game of chess, but with your body. Instead of using striking or punching to win over your opponents, [you strategise]. It's an excellent mental and physical challenge."
"Jiu-jitsu is like a game of chess, but with your body." Source: Apryl Eppinger
Ms Eppinger, born of a half-Filipino mother and a German father, is certainly familiar with mental and physical challenges; after all, she was a cyclist for the Philippine National Team before she decided to shift to jiu-jitsu. But what she did have to acclimatize to was using her strength in a different way, in a sport she knew nothing about seven years ago until a fellow cyclist and friend introduced it to her.
"So I contacted [my friend] and told her, I'm going to come train with you guys and give this jiu-jitsu thing a try," she shares, "I was hooked instantly."
And when Ms Eppinger gets hooked, she holds on tight. She committed her whole self to the sport so much so that she quit her Superannuation career to focus on it. Aside from studying Sports Psychology, she currently teaches and works at the jiu-jitsu gym where she trains.
Noting that she teaches a women's class every Saturday, Ms Eppinger excitedly says that the number of women doing jiu-jitsu in the Philippines and Australia has increased in recent years.
Apryl Eppinger with the other members of the Philippine National Team. Second to the left is Meggie Ochoa, three-time jiu-jitsu world champion. Source: Apryl Eppinger
Ms Eppinger actively encourages women and children to try jiu-jitsu, and says that the sport helps participants become more confident in defending themselves. This confidence then spills over to every aspect of their lives.
"[It makes] you feel like you can problem-solve your way out of anything. If you can solve this problem here, it can help you in everyday life," she shares.
For Ms Eppinger, being part of the jiu-jitsu community means having a second family whose members are from different parts of the world. She says that the sport promotes a sense of camaraderie and respect, and that succeeding in jiu-jitsu means leaving ego and selfishness behind. After all, she jokes, "You need people to train with. You can't train by yourself. Otherwise it would look kind of funny - someone rolling around on the floor by themselves."
And when you do get to roll on the floor and grapple with someone, one of the pluses of the sport if you're a woman is your size and strength aren't as important as your strategy.
“No matter what body type you are, you can learn the techniques that best suit your body type. [Jiu-jitsu is not a sport] that you need to have power [or] speed. [It] has different styles that can suit different body types and strength,” she says, sharing that one of the smallest members of the Philippine team, Meggie Ochoa, is a three-time world champion.
Aside from being teammates, Ms Eppinger has joined Ms Ochoa in promoting the latter's advocacy, , a group focused on protecting, rehabilitating and empowering Filipino victims of child sexual abuse and exploitation through jiu-jitsu. The said advocacy was created in coordination with the non-profit organisation, Safe Haven for Kids.
"The kids are amazing. They're so cute and cheeky," she shares, "Just to see them smile...They're my heroes just because they're so strong. They keep coming back...Whatever they're dealing with, they just keep trying to be better."
While jiu-jitsu won't solve everything, Ms Eppinger shares that she has seen a significant change in the children. Although they still have to go through further rehabilitation, jiu-jitsu has made them feel less helpless, and more accepted, empowered and confident.
Apryl Eppinger supports and promotes her friend Meggie Ochoa's advocacy, Fight to Protect. Source: Apryl Eppinger
That, in the end is what makes jiu-jitsu what it is. It's not purely about size, strength or speed. It's not about brute force or knocking out the other. It's about learning how to defend yourself. It's about strategy and will. It's about camaraderie and respect. It's about confidence-building and empowerment. It's about finding ways to make your body work for you - whether you're 6-foot tall or 5-foot small, whether you're an adult or a child, whether you're a man or a woman. And really, those thoughts aren't hard to grapple with.
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