Keene State boasts a number of clubs and student organizations that attract individuals from a diverse student body to engage in fun activities and get involved on campus. One club on campus that students might not be aware of is Keene State’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Club, a co-ed club that meets every Tuesday at 7 p.m. in REC 225 to get active and engage in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Junior Sarah Magdziarz, a secondary education and sociology dual major, is the current president of the club. The Equinox sat down with Magdziarz in the L.P. Young Student Center to learn more about the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Club and its weekly activities.
“I first got involved with the club because I was interested in learning self defense. I’m a survivor of stalking and the club has helped me feel like I own and control my own body, and it’s been really nice to see those results,” Magdziarz said. “I started my freshman year, so it’s been two and half years for me in the club. The club has been running for 18 years in total, which is crazy.”
When asked about her role as president, Magdziarz said, “I started out on the e-board as vice president, and then our past president had to leave her role because of an injury, so I was the interim president. This past re-vote, I was officially voted in as president.”
“The way our meetings run each time is people tend to arrive around 6:45 and get into their Gi uniform, and then they sign in,” Magdziar continued, getting into describing how a typical meeting goes. “Once they sign in, people head to the mat room where we practice and chat with each other until around 7 p.m. when our instructor arrives.”
The instructor for the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu club is Peter Greene, a KSC professor and owner of Keene Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (KBJJ). KBJJ is located in Swanzey, N.H. and all students who participate in the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu club on campus have access to a free membership at the gym, which offers classes seven days a week.
“When our instructor arrives, we do a 10-minute warm-up and then he will show us a new technique, which we have until 8 p.m. to practice,” Magdziarz said. “When 8 p.m. comes around, that’s when we begin our sparring sessions, which are one-on-one.”
When asked what her favorite thing about the club is, Magdziarz said, “the community. I feel like it’s a pretty basic answer to have, but the community is really good. The way our club runs, there is completely equal opportunity for people with experience or people with absolutely no experience to participate, so everyone is able to engage in the sport and chat with each other.”
One thing the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu club does regularly is enter competitions for the sport, and the club has racked up an impressive amount of awards over the years.
“We do a competition once every semester, and all the competitors get their fees waived. Anyone can compete, but we do require that students have been engaged with the club for at least one semester and go to the gym once a week to compete for safety reasons,” Magdziar said.
“If you’re not competing, you can go and spectate competitions. Afterwards, we usually go to Applebee’s and debrief what happened together. Last year, we had two club members go on to the World Competition–Jack Shea and Ashley Leary. That was very exciting for us.”
In addition to world competitors, Magdziarz said that the previous president has a collection of three gold medals, which she won at a competition. “It’s so cool. She’s like 4’11 and she’s an absolute beast. I got to feel the medals one time and they were so heavy.”
For people curious about the accessibility of the sport, Magdziarz took time to highlight the flexibility it offers. “Something people don’t often know about Brazilian jiu-jitsu is that it’s different from regular jiu-jitsu as it’s been adapted to be useful for all body types. There are no real disadvantages when it comes to size in the sport. No matter what body type you have, there are moves you can learn and use.”
Magdziar spoke about the benefits the sport has for women in particular. “I’ve been working with Kat Workman, the sexual violence specialist on campus to provide basic self defense classes for women who are interested.”
“In the past, the sport has been pretty male-dominated, but now our club is pretty mixed. There isn’t any pressure on women or anyone to spar with someone they aren’t comfortable with– we have a no-questions-asked policy when it comes to sparring with a partner. A lot of women in the club like to role with other women at first, and we totally support that.”
Magdziarz added that Greene teaches women-only classes at KBJJ.
“A fun fact is that a lot of couples do it. I met my partner at the club, and now we have plans to get engaged,” Magdziarz said. “Everyone is really passionate about the club, which makes for a lot of connections.”
When asked what she would say to those curious about joining the club, Magdziarz said, “It looks more intimidating than it is. Our entire program is designed under the assumption that you have no prior experience in the sport, and you can go at your own pace. It’s a really good opportunity to be able to connect with others in the sport without paywalls.”
“Come spectate a practice,” Magdziarz continued. “Anyone is welcome to drop in and see what we’re doing, and you can leave at any time. I would say everyone should try it at least once, because that way you can at least know if you like it or not, and you might really love it.”
Those interested in learning more about the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu club can attend the club’s tabling at Take Back the Night or Solar Fest, which Magdziarz said will likely feature a live sparring demonstration. Students can also check out @keenebjj on Instagram and the clubs page on OwlNet for more information.
Serena Taylor can be contacted at
