By Sonia Ahmed | 21 June 2020
Shwedagon Pagoda is a massive 99-meter high pagoda with a diamond-studded spire in the famous city of Yangon, Myanmar. The pagoda is said to be 2,500 years old. It enshrines sacred relics of Buddha and his previous incarnations, making it the most prestigious, pilgrimage site for the Buddhists.
The city is also home to the famous Yangon BJJ House and champions Aung La Nsang and Phoe Thaw.
Located on the Singuttara Hill, it's sacred presence can be seen and felt everywhere from Yangon city. Formerly known as Rangoon, Yangon is Myanmar's commercial hub and a favorite among tourists for its numerous pagodas.
A British ex-pat Tammi Willis founded Yangon BJJ House after relocating to the city many years ago. She wished to continue her BJJ training but couldn't find a gym with reasonable fees, proper equipment, sufficient space, and dedicated coaches.
So she had an idea… She converted her apartment into a dojo for herself and fellow grapplers!
Today Yangon BJJ House is located at Transcend Fitness in Junction Maw Tin. It is frequented by tourists who wish to continue practice during travel or pick up a trick or two from the visiting coaches.
So, if you're in Yangon, there's a fat chance you'll end up learning a skill or two from a world-famous sensei visiting Yangon BJJ House!
Source: Yangon BJJ Facebook Page
Training With Famous BJJ Sensei from Around the World
Since its inception, BJJ House has been a favorite dojo for many tourists, ex-pats, and locals in Yangon. The absence of a language barrier, welcoming attitude of the hosts, and traveling coaches have been the main attraction of this training center.
Tauquil Atkinson and Jen Peterson were among the very first coaches at BJJ House. They used to take time out of their busy schedules to coach the classes.
Chris Kelly, a purple belt from the US, was the first resident coach at BJJ House, who was succeeded by Jens Bech as the head coach. The present coach, Mcculloch Hamada, joined Transcend a year ago when coach Jens moved on to Singapore.
Aung La Nsang Burmese Python, ONE FC middle-weight champion, is a regular visiting coach at Transcend Fitness.
Affiliation of Yangon BJJ House and BJJ Globetrotters
Tammi Willis and BJJ House are affiliates of BJJ Globetrotters. For those who don't know about BJJ Globetrotters, it's a worldwide community of travelers who practice BJJ regardless of any affiliations with an academy, person, or lineage.
BJJ Globetrotters movement was started by Christian Graugart from Copenhagen, Denmark.
Since BJJ Globetrotters is a global community, the movement helped Tammi Willis promote Yangon BJJ House beyond Myanmar. High-level traveling coaches from all over the world started arriving at Yangon BJJ House to train the students. They'd stay for a few days to weeks in exchange for lodging and boarding.
It also helped attract more students locally and brought more opportunities to learn, share, and grow their skills.
Transcend Fitness For a Fun BJJ Experience
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a high-intensity combat sport with a serious attitude, but Transcend Fitness mixes in a lot of fun. It's an exciting place where students and coaches don't take themselves too seriously. Most coaches are either travelers or able enough to communicate fluently in English.
Byron Jabara of BJJ Brick describes fellows at Yangon BJJ House as "a fun group of skilled grapplers." Most tourists agree with this observation. They feel welcomed like a friend when they visit BJJ House's new permanent home at Transcend Fitness in Junction Maw Tin shopping mall.
The students and teachers make you feel at home, and many end up making friends for a lifetime.
Source: Transcend Facebook Page
The students are curious and get very excited to meet tourist grapplers. They are eager to learn and ask a lot of intelligent questions. Visitors love to share the techniques that they've learned back at home or during their visits to other dojos in foreign countries.
A pool of talent, an eager audience, and fun grappling sessions are waiting for you at Yangon BJJ House. Heading to Manaymar? Check out Yangon BJJ House while you are there, they can be found at 36, Alan Pya Pagoda St, Yangon, Myanmar.