Felicia Oh's introduction to Jiu Jitsu was not like most people's. While on a hiking trip with a friend and her friend's husband in late 2000, the friend's husband began telling her about the benefits of Jiu Jitsu, leverage and technique over size and strength, and so on. Felica had no interest in martial arts and really no interest in what he was saying. After arriving at their motel, the friend's husband began showing Felicia Jiu Jitsu positions on the motel room bed. This awkward exchange with Felicia's friend watching and laughing didn't make much of an impression on Felicia and she didn't really give it much thought. That was before an early winter storm moved in, ruining their trip, and leaving the trio in fear for their lives.
This experience with some other nightmarish outdoor experiences left Felicia thinking there must be an indoor activity that would give her the physical and emotional stimulation she sought while outdoors. So shortly after returning home, Felicia tried a Jiu Jitsu class and signed up the very next day. This began a now decades-long love for Jiu Jitsu that saw Felicia make incredible strides in a relatively short amount of time. Within five years Felicia earned her Black Belt from one of the legends of Jiu Jitsu, Jean Jacques Machado, and in doing so she became one of the first dozen women outside of Brazil to achieve that rank.
Felicia amassed a fantastic competition career over those years and amongst other highlights, she became a U.S Open Champion, ADCC finalist, and 2007 Pan American Gi and Nogi Champion. While training with Jean Jacques she also earned her Brown Belt under Eddie Bravo in the 10th Planet system. Felica also became one of the faces of Jiu Jitsu as a journalist and host on Grapple TV.
In 2007 at the height of her competition career, Felicia contracted EBV (Epstein-Barr Virus) which left her incredibly fatigued, and with no real treatments available Felica struggled to maintain her competition career, eventually abandoning it completely. EBV affected Felicia to the point where she could only teach Jiu Jitsu. She was no longer able to actively train without getting hurt, and having the things she loved most about
Jiu Jitsu; rolling, training, and competing taken away Felicia wanted to quit Jiu Jitsu altogether. After years of battling EBV, she made the decision to give it all up and start a new life. But on a trip to Hawaii Felicia began taking an algae supplement that within days had her feeling better. After returning home Felicia walked back into Jean Jacques Machado's gym saying she wanted to return to training. A week and a half later she signed up for Masters Worlds 2014 and has been actively competing since.
Felicia Oh is an artist on and off the mats and whether in front of a camera, podcasting, teaching seminars, or private lessons, Felicia is a true pioneer in the world of Jiu Jitsu.
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