Introducing Kingz Experience: A Week in Norway

This past week marked the first-ever Kingz Experience, as we joined forces with our Europe team to celebrate the Kingz Norway opening. What started as an idea we'd had for a while finally came together, turning the Norway launch into a full week bringing together European athletes for something that went well beyond a normal training camp. 

Why Norway 

Opening Kingz Norway wasn't just about adding a new market. It was a chance to bring the European side of the team physically together in one place — something that doesn't happen often when athletes are training and competing across different countries and teams.  

Kingz Experience turned that opening into an opportunity: instead of a quiet launch, the week became a gathering point for the athletes who represent the brand across Europe. 

A Week Built Around More Than Training 

The schedule wasn't just mat time. Over the course of the week, athletes moved between training sessions, content creation, and product previews, a mix designed to get the most out of having the whole group in one place. 

Sessions brought athletes from different teams, countries, and styles onto the same mats — the kind of cross-training that doesn't happen in a daily routine.  

Athletes also got early access to what's coming next: new releases not yet available to the public. Getting hands-on feedback from the professional athletes who will compete in the gear is part of what makes previews like this valuable. 

Closing the Week with a Seminar at OxyGym 

The week wrapped with a Kingz seminar at OxyGym, bringing everyone back together after days split between training, filming, and product sessions. On the mats: Matheus and Davi Vetoraci, Rosa Walsh, Josefine Modig, Espen Mathiesen, and Tommy Langaker — giving athletes direct contact time to exchange knowledge and experience with some of the names carrying the sport forward in Europe. 

Josefine was one of the athletes who taught the gi seminar and shared her experience:

In my part of the seminar, I taught how I play sit-up guard by feeding the sleeve grip under my opponent's leg. I like to show only techniques I use often, so I know they work. This particular technique was how I took the back and finished my quarter-final in Worlds 2025, but also something I do all the time in training. I feel honored (and nervous!!) to be given the opportunity to teach in front of such a high-level crowd. 

The overall experience in Norway was amazing. I spent so much time in Stavanger that I could show the girls around and also got to know Felipe and Julia very well. Getting to know new people is one of my favorite things about this sport, and I got to know new amazing athletes. It was a lot of laughing, to say the least! Sparring is another one of my favorites, and I had so many exciting rounds. I can’t wait til’ the next Kingz Experience!

In the no-gi, Espen Mathiesen was one of the athletes who shared his knowledge and experience:

It was amazing, such a good group! I taught how you should structure yourself in reverse de la riva to be safe while also being able to move your opponent to create openings for attack. I showed a basic single leg sweep and then a kiss of the dragon backtake. Overall, the experience was awesome; the people I taught alongside were super knowledgeable and skillful, and the seminar had a fun, good vibe. 

Looking Ahead 

For a first edition, the week delivered on what it set out to do: it was productive, well-organized, and grounded in the same values Kingz has built its name on — community, craft, and putting athletes first.  

Bringing training, content, product, and knowledge-sharing into a single week isn't a small logistical lift, and the fact that it came together cleanly says as much about the team behind it as it does about the athletes who showed up. 

With Kingz Norway now open and the first Kingz Experience behind them, this looks like the start of something ongoing rather than a one-off. Thank you to everyone who made this happen — especially our athletes and the Kingz Norway team for putting together an amazing week.