Gizem Bekaroglu was working as Resettlement Assistant at the Case Management Building Ankara. She practices Yoga, attends drawing classes and is interested in the history of arts. Gizem began working with UNHCR in 2010 with a four-month internship with the Public Information team, headed at the time by Metin Corabatir. This experience led her to study further in the field of asylum and migration and she got an MA in the field of European Migration and Asylum Policies in 2012. The same year, she joined UNHCR’s Resettlement Unit.
Gizem’s encounter with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) also dates back to 2012, when she was convinced by her partner Mert who is a brown belt in BJJ, to attend training. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art, combat sport and self-defense system. It is based on the concept that a smaller, weaker, person can successfully defend against a larger stronger assailant. Gizem admits that during her first year attending BJJ trainings she was a bit lost. It all changed when she witnessed her current teacher Deger decorate one of his female students with a blue belt during a seminar. Gizem remembers “That was impressive. I was thinking to myself about my goal. I thought I can be a role model or represent women in Ankara”. In September 2013, Gizem was also decorated with a blue belt. She competed in her first match in November 2013. Eight months ago, she earned the purple belt and is one of only four women holding a purple belt in Turkey.
Gizem trains four days a week (sometimes six days a week) for three months prior to matches. She tries to take part in an international competition at least once a year. Despite all the time and effort, she puts into BJJ, Gizem considers herself as a semi-professional. Professionals in the area of BJJ usually have sponsors, which enables them to concentrate full time on their training.
Gizem admits that it is sometimes difficult to remain in the competition due to her workload and missions. “I mostly sacrifice my social life. I cannot attend most events as I prefer to rest to either go to work on the next day or to train” says Gizem with a smile and that is how she manages work, sports and other hobbies. Investing time and effort in BJJ helps her to achieve a healthy work life balance. According to Gizem, BJJ is a bit like therapy, especially when faced with tough, complex cases or after missions. “The work, the cases and the complexities are there but BJJ helps me to focus when I get back to my desk” she says.
Her father had some reservations at first about her involvement in BJJ. But with her success and after meeting her team mates, he is more at ease. “He is still asking me occasionally why BJJ but not Salsa” says Gizem laughing.
For Gizem, BJJ is more than a sport she performs at the gym. BJJ is hard, there are several levels you have to reach and it takes time and effort to progress. “It is a journey during which I can observe the progress towards the goal I set for myself. The black belts in BJJ are also called as “professor.” At first, I didn’t appreciate the meaning associated with this title. To me the title only applied to academia. Later on, you realize that these people reached certain wisdom throughout this journey and deserved this title”.
By: Yasemin Nun
January 2016
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Ankara Turkey Newsletter