If you passed her on the street you would have never guessed that this gentle-natured speech pathologist could choke you unconscious or break your arms in a matter of seconds. In the world of martial arts, Kim Sarah Rice is known as the “Grappling Girl” of the Grappling Girl blog which has a tagline “A Nice Lady’s Adventures in the Gentle Art of Jiujitsu.”
Her intelligent yet candid writings about her martial arts adventures and just life in general has won her a strong fan base. Her blog has racked up over a quarter million visits as of time of this interview’s publication.
Kim holds a Master’s in Science with a Certificate of Clinical Competence for Speech-Language Pathologists (CCC-SLP) from the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA). She has specialized in Pediatric Speech Pathology throughout her career, helping children with developmental and speech problems
This intrepid athlete is a two-time IBJJF world champion, a five-time IBJJF world champion at the Master’s level (athletes 30 years old and up), a silver medalist at the renown Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship by the UAEJJF, and holds many other highly-prestigious accolades.
Kim is a holder of a Brazilian Jiujitsu brown belt and currently trains with Royce Gracie blackbelt Jason Culbreth.
Who is Kim Sarah Rice?
I am an artsy dog lady with a tendency towards lovable dork. I love pottery, giant fluffy dogs, and craft beer. I am neurotically competitive and will try to win everything from yoga to karaoke.
What is an average day in the life of Kim Rice?
I am a full-time, pediatric speech language pathologist, working in the home health setting. I start each weekday training jiu-jitsu and then head to families’ homes, where I help kids develop skills to communicate. I work on a variety of communication issues including articulation, language and learning delays, fluency, and social communication.
After work, I head home to my husband Jason and our giant dogs Nona and Tooney. I often do a second, non-jiujitsu workout like CrossFit or tennis.
What made you start your blog? How has blogging affected your life?
I started my blog because I love writing and wanted to share my jiujitsu journey with others. When I was new to the sport, reading other blogs helped me navigate my way through a new, strange, sometimes smelly environment. I was the only woman at my gym at that time and
reading the blogs of other women helped me find solidarity and community.
Now I want to be that voice to others. Whatever issue you are going through, someone has been there before. Sometimes it just takes 2 clicks of a mouse to find out you are not alone.
How has your training as a speech pathologist affected you as a martial artist?
In both areas, I utilize the principles of motor learning. I studied these concepts in grad school, but I am able to use them not only at my job but in my martial arts training as well. The same principles that I employ to help a child acquire and then generalize a new sound, I can use to help myself learn and retain a new sweep or submission.
Working with children with language delays has also made me skilled in presenting verbal information in short, digestible chunks. Whether at work or teaching jiu jitsu, I know how to teach to the abilities of my audience, presenting information on a level that they are ready to
grasp.
Lastly, in both areas I know the importance of positive self-talk and surrounding yourself with positive voices that will help you meet your goals. Before a tournament, I only want to be around those who make positive statements that allow me to believe “I got this.” When working with kids, I want to be that voice that says “I know this is hard. I believe in you and you CAN do this.”
How do you juggle family, career and jiujitsu? Do you have any personal rules you follow in managing time between all three?
I really love training jiu jitsu and I do so 5-6 times a week. I do so knowing that it’s my hobby, not my job. If there is ever a day that I really don’t feel like training, I don’t. Sometimes the body or mind just needs a break. This rule keeps jiu jitsu from becoming a chore and it keeps me from burning out.
My other rule is that I budget for non-jiu jitsu related travel each year. I pick and choose my out-of-town tournaments, so that I am able to do other travel with my family. On these trips, I usually will still pack a gi, but don’t prioritize training if other things are on the agenda.
You’ve described yourself as a life-long athlete in your blog. Can you tell us about your story how you’ve gotten into BJJ?
I grew up as a competitive swimmer. As a teenager and young adult, I started specializing in open water swimming, especially marathon swims. I started jiu jitsu looking for a fresh, new sport to try. It was like nothing I had ever done, but I knew immediately it was for me.
What are the factors that motivate you at work and on the mats?
What motivates me most in both spheres is the reward of consistent improvement. In jiu jitsu, I am motivated by learning and implementing new techniques and getting maybe 1% better each month.
At work, I love to see the progress made by my kids. There’s nothing quite like seeing a child who is nonverbal go from using gestures, to sounds, to finally his first words to communicate.
What are your BJJ life goals? How to balance them with your goals as a professional speech pathologist?
My long-term BJJ goal is to become a black belt word champion. To balance my training with my career, I need to be very efficient with my time. It helps that I have a ridiculously supportive husband who also trains. He’s always willing to drill with me in our home mat room and he is the one who volunteers to wait at the house for the cable guy so I don’t have to miss training.
If you could put a message on a billboard that could be seen by millions of people all over the world, what would it say?
“Get your kids off of their screens and back outside.” Kids are meant to explore their world through play. They learn problem solving, cooperation, leadership, managing risk, not to mention getting natural exercise. None of these things can be replaced by screen time.
[End of Interview]
Awesome interview and awesome “grappling girl”. I especially like her explanations on how she juggles work and jiu jitsu and what keeps her motivated. Again, great interview. Thank you for sharing.
Take care,
Damon.