Pacific Grappler Veterans Day Open Mat for We Defy — Okinawa, Japan

Pacific Grappler Dojo hosts a Veterans Day open mat in Okinawa on 11 November, from 10:00 to 11:30 — the only stop in the campaign outside the United States, on an island with a long-standing US military presence.

This is one stop in Veterans Day Ruck & Roll, the We Defy Foundation’s nationwide November campaign. Academies and ruck clubs each host their own ruck, seminar or open mat on the same theme and raise money for We Defy, a 501(c)(3) that funds year-long Brazilian jiu-jitsu scholarships for combat veterans living with military-connected disabilities. One scholarship costs roughly $2,500.

There is no entry fee. Attendees sign up through the host academy’s campaign page, where donations go to the scholarship fund, and a commemorative event t-shirt with a custom GORUCK patch is available for a $50 donation.