Asena Melike Ağansoy
Asena Melike Ağansoy pursued BJJ, returned to study and expanded her teaching through free women’s classes and inclusive movement programmes.
Biography
Sources for this profile
Bihter Ayyıldız, own interview with Asena Melike Ağansoy, PlumeMag, December5,2020(opens in a new tab)
Her teaching placed importance on awareness, positional control and learning to make decisions under pressure.
Where in the source: Answers on self-defence and programme approach.
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She saw BJJ as a way to recognise one’s reactions, accept setbacks and improve rather than focus only on appearance or weight.
Where in the source: Final answer, learning and self-knowledge.
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Asena Melike Ağansoy was born in Istanbul in1991.
Where in the source: First personal introduction.
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Her mother, a former dancer and Kyokushin black belt, encouraged both children to stay physically active.
Where in the source: Personal introduction, mother’s influence.
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Her childhood also included her father’s paintings and images of women warriors, which helped shape her imagination.
Where in the source: Personal introduction, art and Amazon portraits.
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She tried several sports and competed in volleyball before BJJ; at school she also considered becoming a tattoo artist.
Where in the source: Question about sport’s place in her life.
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ByDecember2020 she was running free self-defence classes for women and reported receiving more than200 applications.
Where in the source: Questions on free classes and applications.
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She described participants from varied working and educational backgrounds and ages, including a sixty-year-old cyclist.
Where in the source: Question about participant backgrounds.
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Asena Melike Ağansoy, official biography(opens in a new tab)
Her current public biography connects martial practice with critical thought, movement and gender equity in sport.
Where in the source: English biography, current work.
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Through voluntary initiatives and public teaching, she describes helping women develop self-defence strategies with a trauma-informed approach.
Where in the source: English biography, voluntary initiatives.
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Asena Melike Ağansoy, official self-defence programme(opens in a new tab)
Her self-defence programme welcomes participants of all ages and sporting backgrounds without requiring previous experience.
Where in the source: Programme eligibility, final paragraph before Projects.
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She describes a practice built around observing and experiencing movement, with attention to balance, leverage, timing and awareness of personal space.
Where in the source: Programme experience and learning sections.
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Her public project list includes Hope Alkazar community self-defence classes with Nike, school programmes and Rotaract Istanbul.
Where in the source: Projects list.
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KARAR, own interview with Asena Melike Ağansoy, July24,2017(opens in a new tab)
Her brother Uğur’s enthusiasm persuaded her to try BJJ in2012.
Where in the source: Question about starting BJJ.
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By2014 she was teaching BJJ to women and children.
Where in the source: Starting-professional-sport answer, final sentence.
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In2016 she entered İstanbul Bilgi University’s sports-management programme with a scholarship.
Where in the source: Final future-goals answer,2016 entry and scholarship in sports management.
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Her2017 ambition was to make BJJ more visible, particularly to women and children, and inspire participation alongside pursuing international competition.
Where in the source: Final question, future goals.
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Asena Melike Ağansoy, own Moya Brand account, April18,2018(opens in a new tab)
She began training under Burak Değer Biçer at Corvos Combat in2012.
Where in the source: Opening paragraph.
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Experiencing the2013 European Championship as a white belt persuaded her to leave an unsatisfying college course and pursue full-time training.
Where in the source: Opening two paragraphs.
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She understood leaving college as a financial and social risk, but intended to return later to a subject she enjoyed.
Where in the source: School decision and plan to study again.
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She was promoted to blue in2013, purple in2015 and brown inMay2016.
Where in the source: Belt progression paragraph.
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When she returned to study, she adjusted training to academic demands, sometimes reducing it to three sessions during exam weeks.
Where in the source: Training schedule paragraph.
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She credited her instructor, brother, teammates and mother with making her progress possible, viewing the black belt as shared work and a new beginning.
Where in the source: Support and closing paragraphs.
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VITAE, İstanbul Bilgi University Alumni Association magazine, Asena Melike Ağansoy profile(opens in a new tab)
She chose sports management to learn how to develop BJJ in Turkey and turn sporting experience into longer-term plans.
Where in the source: Opening programme-choice paragraph, developing BJJ and planning ahead.
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She valued applying theory through practical projects and learning from experienced sports educators.
Where in the source: Final direct personal statement, applying theory through practical projects and experienced educators.
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IBJJF, Paris International Open2016 gi results(opens in a new tab)
At the2016 Paris International Open, she placed first in adult female brown-belt featherweight and second in the brown open class for Corvos.
Where in the source: Female / Adult / Brown / Feather(58.50kg) and Open Class podiums.
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IBJJF, Paris International Open2016 no-gi results(opens in a new tab)
The2016 Paris no-gi results also list her first in adult female brown-belt featherweight for Corvos.
Where in the source: Female / Adult / Brown / Feather(56.50kg).
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BJJ Eastern Europe, Ağansoy black-belt promotion report, February3,2018(opens in a new tab)
Burak Değer Biçer awarded Ağansoy her black belt at Corvos in earlyFebruary2018.
Where in the source: Opening promotion paragraphs.
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The promotion was reported as Turkey’s first female BJJ black belt.
Where in the source: Opening paragraph.
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Her brother Uğur Ağansoy and teammate Kaan Fazla also received black belts at the same ceremony.
Where in the source: Second paragraph.
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Lineage
No teaching connections are shown on this page.
Open lineage