This episode features an engaging conversation on mental health and jiujitsu with Erin Herle and Kristina Barlaan. Erin Herle is an American born, Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Rubens Charles (Cobrinha) having also worked extensively with other legendary instructors such as Rômulo Barral and Marcelo Garcia. A member of the Alliance team, Herle conquered many important titles in this sport/martial art’s competitive circuit including at the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) World No-Gi, European Open and South American Championship. Erin has also been revered for her work promoting the #SubmitTheStigma campaign, a non profit endeavor founded by Herle designated towards the grappling community and designed to raise awareness to mental illness and suicide. To learn more about this non-profit go to www.submitthestigma.com Kristina Barlaan is 2nd degree black belt under Professor Caio Terra. When she started her Jiu-Jitsu journey in October 2007, Kristina had no previous experience in martial arts until she started Muay Thai in October 2006. Until that time, she had dedicated a considerable amount of years to the study of dance and performing arts. Jiu Jitsu quickly became a passion and tool to help Kristina feel empowered and confident. With her first tournament in June 2008, Kristina fell in love with competition and has been able to create an impressive resume of wins and titles throughout the years. Her proudest achievement though was the creation of INSPIRE, an open mat event that was made with the intention of building and strengthening the women’s Jiu-Jitsu community. She is an advocate for mental health awareness and she hopes that by living her life with passion and purpose, she can inspire others to do the same. Resources for mental health: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline – Call 988 Crisis Text Line - Text “HELLO” to 741741 Veteran’s Crisis Line - Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) and press 1 or text to 838255
