sPACYcLOUd's Fighter: Morgan Menzies

Morgan Menzies, sPACYCLOUd’s official Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter, recently grappled her way to third place  in the blue belt medium heavy division at the Pan IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship in New York, and the 29-year-old marketing professional has an aspiration to be a world champion in her sport. Her attitude is what attracted sPACYcLOUd, and she proudly wears our gear at public events 

Here, the D.C. fighter took a few moments in her training schedule to talk about life since she started fighting three years ago. 

sPACYcLOUd: Did you wish you’d found Jiu-Jitsu when you were younger?

Morgan: I was actually a cheerleader and a dancer growing up, and then my sister introduced me to it. It’s a shame that I didn’t get into it sooner, because I love it so much and has influenced my life so much.

sPACYcLOUd: What do you love about the sport?

Morgan: I think its extremely empowering. As a woman, I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve been messed with on the street, followed home, harassed on the Metro so much that you don’t even notice it anymore. It feels good to know that I can defend myself against such situations, and I carry myself differently.

sPACYcLOUd: Do people look at you strangely if you walk around with bruises?

Morgan: People always assume that I’ve gotten beat by my boyfriends. I’ve had clients and people try to talk to me about it. They don’t expect women to be doing what I’m doing.

Morgan Menzies, sPACYcLOUd's official Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter. She earned 3rd place in the blue belt medium heavy division at the IBJJF No Gi Pan Ams in New York . (Courtesy photo)

sPACYcLOUd: What about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is addicting?

Morgan: The winning. There’s striving to be your best, to be the alpha. One of the guys on my fight team tells me that I’m an alpha female. Right now I’m losing more than I win with the people on my team, and you do that so that you get better. It’s good to train with people who are better. So, I think the addiction is not getting hurt, but in the adrenaline of winning.

sPACYcLOUd: How has the sport changed your everyday life?

Morgan: It’s changed my life hugely. It’s changed my physical health, my confidence, my dedication. If you looked at me at 21, I was a party girl in college. Now I never go out. I’m a vegetarian, and I don’t want to go drinking on Friday night because I don’t want to get my ass kicked at the gym on Saturday. 

It’s taught me a lot, especially how to deal with loss and how that motivates me and doesn’t discourage me. It made me a more mentally strong person, to go to these tournaments, win or lose. It took a lot of perseverance, training discipline, being able to train when you’re tired from work or tired from getting beat up. I remembered when I started I would just get beat up, and I would get in the car and would cry all the way home, but eventually things just started to click… It’s not fun to get taken out with a bow and arrow choke in an auditorium full of people. People with a big ego can’t stick with this sport, because there is always somebody better than you.