It all started with a protest. Four-year-old Xora, all curls and fierce spirit, stood at the edge of the mat, tiny hands on her hips. Looking at her daddy holding out a crisp, black Gi. 'I'm not wearing that,' Xora declared, her voice a surprisingly firm declaration. "It's too…boy."

Her daddy tried to explain the practicality, the tradition, but Xora was unmoved. 'I just want to be cute when I do Jiu-Jitsu,' she insisted, the now-famous phrase echoing through her household.

That's when the spark ignited...