martial-arts

Martial Art Events – KD Events LLC

The following is a resharing of the webpage copy about the martial art event company for whom I am an event coordinator, KD Events LLC.

KD Events LLC was formed in 2023 by Robert and Matthew Van Valkenburgh, along with their friend Dwayne Bowie, as a means of creating more local competition opportunities for Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai practitioners in the DMV (DC, MD, VA, and DE). Specifically, KD Events LLC focuses on events for niche sub-communities within Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai who are otherwise underserved by larger, more traditional events.

Events run by KD Events LLC:

  • Liquid Swords NoGi Sub Only: nogi submission only jiu-jitsu superfights 
  • Muay Thai Development League: technical sparring scrimmages for youth, teen, and adult Muay Thai practitioners
  • Older Grappler: gi and nogi sparring scrimmages for older jiu-jitsu practitioners 40+
  • Shrimp Roll BJJ: gi and nogi sparring scrimmages for youth jiu-jitsu practitioners age 5-15 years old
  • The Gentle Woman: gi and nogi sparring scrimmages for female jiu-jitsu practitioners

These events are not intended to replace or compete with the larger events that already exist in our area, but to fill the gaps between them and to provide training opportunities for the Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai subcultures that are unintentionally neglected or ignored by these larger promotions. 

For example, many older Jiu-Jitsu practitioners are hesitant to compete in traditional Jiu-Jitsu tournaments for fear of having to face someone much younger than them because of a lack of registrations in their age group. Older Grappler solves this problem by offering scrimmages and open mats for Jiu-Jitsu practitioners over the age of 40. The Gentle Woman serves the same purpose for the female Jiu-Jitsu community. 

The Muay Thai Development League exists to give up-and-coming Muay Thai athletes a safe outlet through which they can gain competitive experience, either for the purpose of working up to becoming a professional fighter, or simply to test themselves outside of the comfort of their academy. Shrimp Roll Youth Jiu-Jitsu Scrimmages serves a similar purpose for youth Jiu-Jitsu practitioners who may have never competed before or are looking to gain more experience competing without the pressure and cost of a larger tournament. 

Liquid Swords NoGi Sub Only is a nogi submission only jiu-jitsu superfight series where local athletes can showcase their skills in front of an audience. This is a spectator event featuring local talent and local vendors, and is intended to be a fun experience for everyone involved. The main purpose of Liquid Swords NoGi Sub Only is to provide jiu-jitsu athletes with more local nogi competition opportunities in the DMV where the majority of tournaments prioritize gi jiu-jitsu. 

To find out more about KD Events LLC or to check out our upcoming events, CLICK HERE

Robert Van Valkenburgh

On Writing – Holistic Budo

The following is a resharing of the webpage copy about my other blog ‘Holistic Budo: The Way of the Gentle Warrior’

Holistic Budo originally started as an attempt to tell stories about my martial art journey and how it has shaped and informed the person I am today. Hence, the name Holistic (the interconnectedness of things) Budo (martial arts), or how my whole life and person has been positively affected and influenced by my martial art practice. 

As the years progressed, however, I began to understand that the lessons learned in martial arts and the lessons learned in life are not separate. In this way, the concept of Holistic Budo became a self-fulfilling truth. This led to the tagline: As in life, so too in budo. As in budo, so too in life. 

Many blog posts later, Holistic Budo is now a sort of personal, daily meditation wherein I write advice on how to live a more open-hearted, compassionate, and creative life. This advice is mostly written to myself, as I need it as much as anyone, but it is also written to my daughter’s future self in the event that I am no longer around to guide her directly. As long as my writing exists, she will have a way to look to me for guidance should she so desire. 

You can read Holistic Budo HERE. If you find value in my writing, please leave a comment letting me know what you think or what your personal experience is with the topic of a given post. I write for myself, but I share my writing so that others may benefit from it as well. It is good to know that what I am putting into the world is making a connection and that I am not alone. 

Robert Van Valkenburgh