Amy and I first met when I joined Foster Brazilian Jiujitsu in December of 2017. Since then she has become a great friend, and training partner. Her story is one I am honored to share, and I think it will resonate with many. Everyone’s journey is a little different, but most of the stories we see are those of the competitors. Today we hear the story about perserverance and tenacity.
Tell me a little bit about yourself. Where do you live, where do you train, how long have you been training?
I live in Washington state with my husband/professor, James “300” Foster and our 3 cats. I work and train at Foster Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Kent, WA and have been training for 17 years. I’ve been a horse lover my whole life and have a 20-year-old appaloosa named Justin who is my pride and joy.
How did you get into jiujitsu? What did you want to get out of it in the beginning, and what do you want to get out of it now?
When James and I started dating in 2001, I’d come watch him train at a Ralph Gracie affiliate school in Burien, WA. He was a purple belt at the time and on the weekends he’d meet a group of bigger guys for an open mat. At that point I’d never considered training in jiu-jitsu myself, I just went to spend more time with James.
It wasn’t until I went with him to one of the weeknight classes and saw Michelle Wagner training with the class that I started thinking I might like to try it. She had recently received her purple belt and was hanging with the boys on the mats with both her technique and wit. Seeing her train made me realize there was room for women in this sport and I no longer viewed it as being entirely a “boy’s club.”
In the beginning, I trained to get to spend more time with James and get a better understanding of the sport he was dedicating his life too. We got married in 2004 and had started Foster Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu out of his childhood karate school, Aamerican Colleges of Karate (now Aamerican College of Mixed Martial Arts) in 2003.
We were able to move into our own location in 2007 in Kent, WA, about a mile from where we are now. In 2010, we moved into our current, much larger, location. In 2019 I took a big leap, quit my longtime graphic design job, and started working for the academy full time as the administrator. It has proven to be the best decision of my life, even with the struggle COVID-19 has presented.
Tell me about what you’ve accomplished in jiujitsu.
For me, achieving the rank of brown belt recently has been my most notable accomplishment to date, as I’m not a competitor…yet. When I started my journey, I tried to keep up with the students who started with me. I got my blue belt in 2005 and my purple belt in 2008. After I got my purple belt my work schedule made it harder to get out to the school. I chose training my horse over training in jiu-jitsu most of the time. I started to feel disconnected from the academy and struggled to retain what I learned. The students I started with continued to progress through the ranks and I slowly started watching people who started after I was already a purple belt become brown and black belts. I became ashamed of my rank so I joked about it and made excuses. I’m excited to start the next chapter as a brown belt and am going into this chapter hopefully being a little nicer to myself than I was as a purple belt.
How has jiujitsu changed your life?
Aside from it becoming my career, jiu-jitsu has helped me build confidence in life. You walk a little taller when you know what it’s like to grapple with someone much stronger than you. It also helps you manage your ego when you get dominated by a much smaller opponent. You learn to think more clearly in uncomfortable situations.
How have you used jiujitsu to change other peoples lives?
The team James has built at our academy is amazing and I do my best to support him in his efforts. He works tirelessly at managing the community and keeping the academy a judgement free sanctuary from life’s stresses. I’m happy that I’m now able to manage the clerical work so he can commit 100% of his focus to helping more people through his instruction.
If you had one piece of advice to give women in jiujitsu or those wanting to start, what would it be?
Find a school where you feel comfortable. Every school has its own vibe and if you try a class you should be able to get a pretty good idea if that school is right for you or not. It’s okay to try more than one school, most reputable academies offer at least one trial class, so take your time and find the atmosphere that’s right for you. Once you find a school that fits your vibe, commit yourself to 6 months of training at least 2 days a week. The first 6 months are often rough because you have to build your tool box of knowledge which takes time. Stay consistent and be kind to yourself. Once you have some of the basic tools you’ll start feeling more of the highs and begin experiencing the positive life improvements jiu-jitsu offers, both mentally and physically.
Find Amy online:
Instagram: @amyfoster & @fosterjiujitsu
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fosterjiujitsu
Website: fbjjonline.com
Contact us at: contact@womenwhoroll.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WomenWhoRoll
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WomenWhoRollBJJ
Instagram: @WomenWhoRollBJJ
You, Amy, are an amazing woman. I am so proud to be your aunt.