Ninjas saved my hair: Product review

So I'm finally writing a review of the zentai (more commonly known as a "catsuit") hood that I started using to protect my hair last year. Hair in jiu jitsu can be a serious liability...I still don't get how people with really long hair roll with it free. I just saw this great video of Leticia Ribeiro and I found myself watching that braid flopping around, waiting for it to get tangled or caught in something.



Anyway...the zentai hood. I'd gone hunting trying to find something that would protect my hair but wasn't as bulky as a wrestling slicker. A friend at work found this site. I purchased two to switch up just in case I ever forgot one in the recesses of my gym bag and it missed washing.

Ordering: The site (www.milanoo.com) is simple to use with a bundle of payment options, including PayPal...pretty standard for any company out of China that ships to an international market. They even have a handy-dandy currency converter that can be used while you shop. Shipping was what some would consider slow, as it took about 3 weeks to get it, but that does happen if you're ordering internationally. Shipping came in around $10.

Wear: Decently comfortable. Like the review on the website says, the neck is a little tight, but I've gotten used to it. It's made of spandex, so it's not bulky and fits snugly. I've noticed that during sparring, it does tend to slip back some and even completely off on some occasions, but 90% of the time, it stays where it needs to. Between rounds, I pull the top behind my head and just pull it back forward when I'm ready to train again.

Construction: The stitching is solid and one has just now started to have a little string come loose, but it's far from serious. It's made of six separate panels and zips up in the back. I was worried at first at grappling with a zipper (it's only about 3/4" long) but no problems yet.

Wash: It gets just as funky as any shirt/rashguard would. I just toss it in to wash with my gi and dry on delicate. No problems or deformities so far.

Effectiveness: Just got my highlights redone today and had to ask my stylist. She said my hair's light years better than it was after my first year of training. I've actually been able to grow it out while training, which I thought would have been impossible.

Overall: I doubt it's very effective in preventing cauliflower ear--I'm not really prone to it so it might not be doing anything at all. I definitely recommend it though if you're looking to save your hair or receive lots of ninja related compliments and cracks.

New school!

Well, new location, same school. The new place is HUGE. I don't know if everybody from my old class is hitting a different session or if people just haven't trickled in yet, but the class is a bit younger. At the old place, I was in the middle age wise. Now I'm strongly on the senior citizen side. I rolled with two teenagers tonight (both very cool). The age honestly makes no difference when sparring, but it did make me feel...old...no...not old. Out of shape and maybe silly...which is ok. I really am there to achieve my own goals and I need to refocus on that.

 

Tonight was my first time there after a week off and I paid for it...yes I did. I felt just as crappy as I did the first day. It wasn't just the time off that did me in though. A week isn't bad, but we also have a different instructor who doubled up on our drills and running. This jiu jitsu thing really is about tackling a new high, hitting a new low and deciding to get back up again...over, and over...and over again. I can't say it's any less difficult, I'm just even more used to the pain.

 

Well, tonight was my first time rolling with someone not wearing a gi (I was, she wasn't). I was LOST. I didn't realize how deeply the habit of getting grips was already engrained in my head...or hands. I kept instinctively reaching for them, but they just weren't there. That killed any collar chokes, anything I knew from spider guard and a couple sweeps. I have a new appreciation for what I know now that I wasn't allowed to do it.

 

After that experience, I'm considering the no-gi class, which would give me three sessions a week...four if I add on the MMA techniques class, but I donknow if that would help my jiu jitsu much. We'll see though. There are so many other options at the new place, thinking about what I'd like to check out has helped me realize that I want to focus on jiu jitsu. Sure, I want to get in shape, but any available time I have, I want to focus on BJJ.

 

...and it just hit me that I was fighting for americanas from inside someone's guard...Ryan's called me on it, Parrumpa's called me on it, and I did it without thinking...really nasty habit that I need to break. I think getting more comfortable with guard escapes would help with that.

 

I was proud of a triangle I set up tonight. Setting things up is a weak spot for me. I didn't get the submission, but I recovered from a failed opportunity to take the guys back to catching a triangle...didn't even forget the arm:) I think I was so happy I just kinda ignored the fact that I needed to like...actually choke the dude.

 

Belt test fears...

So we have a belt test coming up  at the end of this month. This will be the second one that's come up since I've started. The first one was just a couple weeks after I started, but still, the concept made me feel horrible. At least that time I was so new that I wasn't expected to test.

This time though...it's a bit different. It's not that deep fear that showed up last time. This time is more like dread. Like I'm not yet fully recovered from school. I finished grad school incredibly tired of having to meet goals and deadlines and prepare for exams. That's mostly worn off, but I'm still a bit scarred. I guess that's what happens when you stretch school out for the sake of work. It's harder to get out of that pass/fail/everythingrestsonthisoneexam mentality.

I feel a bit relieved because I'll be out of town the day of the test, but I'm trying to take as much of what I out of my reaction. I'm taking it to mean that I'm not confident in the techniques that I do know...that I need to talk to my instructor about what we'll be tested on and that I need to stick with going three times a week to get down the skills I want and establish the confidence I'm missing. I'm also taking it to mean that I haven't quite made my BJJ progress my own.

Bringing up BJJ in Conversation

It doesn't come up often for me...even when people ask "so what have you been up to?" I don't usually chose "I'm finally remembering to lock the triangle on my omoplatas!" as a response. But, today it came up twice.

I was at a Chinese meeting, talking to a lady from Macau who has family living in São Paolo, so of course, I had to mention BJJ. She responded, "But you..." as she began holding her hands above her head...I'm assuming gesturing to make some indication of my size. "But you strong!". Yeah...I strong.

A few hours later, my cousin asked me (jokingly) if I were a black belt yet. I laughed and told him I was still a white. He looked at me surprised. "Still?" "Yes, belts take a while in jiu jitsu." Insert look of confusion and Bruce Lee sounds.

Don't get me wrong, I'm no stranger to activities that make for awkwardly dorky conversation..."You're a handbell soloist? Like that guy in front of stores during Christmas?" "What's that you're reading? The Sillma-what-ion?", but there's something different about BJJ. Maybe it's just me, but it seems to go beyond causing thoughts of "You're a strange one..." to deeper questions of motives and character (depending on whether they're familiar with MMA). It's definitely not enough to keep me from going to class, but I'm starting to wonder if it's even worth being added to the rotation of "normal conversation."

New class schedule, new work schedule...

So my school's class schedule is changing. Class is at 6:15 now, so I backed up my hours at work to give me time to get to the gym.

 

I missed class Monday because of a sore throat/stuffy head and it feels like it's been weeks since class. Funny, when I first started, going once a week seemed insanely frequent. To make matters worse, my diet seemed to go into the toilet along with my not going to class. Quantity wise I'm fine, but quality is in the toilet. I'm getting a bit back on track though...I experimented with a brown rice and mushroom casserole tonight that I'll adapt to quinoa later.

 

I FINALLY broke down and bought the iron gym and I'm liking it so far. Pull-muscles are getting a good workout:)

 

 

Learning Styles

I'm crossing into a new area of my jiu jitsu journey. I remember my first three weeks when my biggest worry was a forward ukemi...and it was a BIG worry. It was the closest I've come to tears so far. Well, I was drilling a triangle from spider guard last night and I realized how tired I wasn't. No burning in my hips or feelings of exhaustion. I felt like I'd been working, but nothing that wasn't manageable. Before, I focused on just surviving the class, so picking up a technique was a huge bonus. Now, the only reason I have issues learning a technique is lack of focus...and it's got me wondering about my learning style.

 

For less physical activities, I'm a blend of listening and reading...absorbing and doing. Physically, I'm really not sure. I need to see a technique at full speed, and while breaking it down into small pieces is helpful, I find that a certain level, it throws me off. I do better seeing a move, trying to replicate it, then having mistakes pointed out and corrected as I go.

 

I went to the all levels class tonight...and again was nervous seeing Master Da Matta.  It's all in my head, since the class is always great and I do fine, but I'm still trying to find my comfort zone. I sat through a portion of the kids' class that was absolutely adorable before hand. They were playing dodgeball with using two tennis balls and a soccer ball. If you got hit...pushups.  They had a blast and it helped calm my nerves.

 

I learned a good drill for passing butterfly guard (I know three now...yay!). We thankfully went over some subsmissions from spider guard that were giving me grief last night. I'm finally able to shoot into a triangle without adjusting.

 

Details...I have a hard time absorbing them without immediate correction (i.e. someone sweeping me). I think it ties in to my lack of talent for rote memorization. I need to get the big concept and work my way down by making mistakes and paying for them. Errors are my friend.

 

My school...

I love this place:) You can see my instructor (purple belt) in the background.

http://www.purefight.org/speaker/6974-/video/316864-ATT-West-Palm-Beach

First time sparring with a girl...

I definitely picked the right name for this blog...My triangles still aren't tight enough. We were working on a drill in spider guard that transitioned to a triangle. At least I'm down to my main problem being turning my outside leg out more. I think I have my leg tight enough against the neck, and I'm remembering to crunch. Still forgetting to adjust the arm...but yeah...they're coming along. On a positive note, I heard a "Good job, Megan." come from off the mats while I was drilling. I think it was the kickboxing coach but I'm not entirely sure. Compliments, they go a long way for me in BJJ. Any other part of my life, I take neither compliments nor criticism to heart...but this? A simple pat on the back from the head instructor can motivate me for a month plus.

 

A guy I hadn't seen in a while came to class tonight. Last time I saw him he was a white belt and now he was sporting green. We did warm ups and drills together and were also partnered for the first round of sparring. Before the timer started, he looked at me and asked "Is this your first time rolling?" "Nope...been rolling for a few months." "Ok...well...this is my first time rolling with a girl." Based on some of the other guys' reactions, I'm guessing this isn't the first time I've been a male's introduction to rolling with women. But this IS the first time one has admitted it to me. I laughed and told him that if you step into a class, you honestly expect things to happen . I enjoyed rolling with him. I felt like I had to work, but he wasn't overly aggressive. I was definitely tired by the end, which is one thing I really like about rolling with guys. I know when I'm muscling my way through moves, because I  tire out. Not quite the same with women.

 

Ooo...pulled off the kimura sweep my instructor showed me last class too. Quality.

 

I'm getting decent at getting back to the guard from side control, but I want to start focusing on getting to my knees. I'm spending a lot of time on the bottom going from mount to half guard...side control to mount and back around again. I'm forgetting that getting to the knees is an option and my mind is always set on getting to the guard...doesn't seem to be working well with faster opponents. I'm also a bit wary of giving up my back, but I'll chance it.

 

I need to work on shooting my hips up faster.

 

 

I love omoplatas...

...well...I will one day. I was told, yet again today, that my technique on them is very good, I just have to learn to set them up. I think this is the third time. Bridging that mental gap isn't easy. Somehow setting up triangles comes relatively naturally to me while rolling, but not these. So, like my instructor said, I'm going to have to start looking for opportunities where an arm is outside my thigh. I also got some good advice on dealing with posture I can't break. I have particular trouble with a wrestler in class that's quite a bit smaller than I am. If she sits back, my little repertoire has nothing to deal with the problem. So, next time...kimura sweep.

 

I'm back on my morning protein shakes after a couple weeks off. Almond milk, protein powder, a banana, flax oil and a shot of honey. I used to do the ground seeds and while I love the fiber, I don't like my shakes hairy. I've been trying different powders and right now Publix Greenwise and MLO are my favorites. All the rest seem to have sucralose in them, which turns my stomach to no end.

 

A serious shout out to Curls and their organic hair products. They specialize in products for, well, curly hair and a while back, expanded into the world of super curly Black hair. It has saved my life in BJJ. My hair has been through the gamut...almost waist long and wavy, shoulder length and bone straight, attempts at growing my natural texture out, drama with cutting and the wrong chemicals, not to mention big-bird blonde chunky highlights on my very black mane. So now I sport a very low maintenance texturizer. I wash my hair twice on the days I train, and anything else I've tried has either dried it out or left serious buildup. It works and all the products smell like tropical fruits. Double win:)

 

Oh yeah...good tips on escapes from half guard too. I have a hard time getting out of it with shorter bodies (probably because the angle between my hip and torso is more severe, harder to get good leverage and I've just been pulling). I'm going to have to focus harder on planting the foot of my escaping leg, keeping a wider base, rolling the upper body up and off the mat and not being so reluctant to bring my weight back onto my free leg.

BJJ has ruined my wardrobe...

...none of my pants fit the same. The jeans are fine, but my actual suit pants, I swear I'm gonna have to donate them or something. They look better in a sense, but while I've gotten smaller, my hips are proportionately wider. Thanks hip escapes.

 

New new theme music: Lil Wayne's Steady Mobbin is on everytime...every...single time...I'm on my way to the gym. It's a great song, but it's so dirty the radio edit might as well be an instrumental. That and Say Ahh by Trey Songz. Not my style of music at all, but I really like it.

 

But yeah...another lady white belt has been catching me in armbars every time we roll and finally, tonight, I was able to get out of one using a technique or rather, a principle, I read up on a couple weeks back. Funny how things can take a while to sink in...or maybe a few failed attempts to understand.

 

I'm starting to wonder if I'm a lazy roller. Mid roll tonight my instructor called out to me to "move those hips!" (which made me laugh, because it sounded like a line  from the aforementioned Lil Wayne track). It's possible I just think too much. I've noticed that I stop to look and get a handle of what's going on in a position if I haven't been exposed to it.

 

I'm having some issues getting to my knees I THINK when I'm in kesa gatame. Lady wrestler keeps me pretty tight to the ground and when I try to turn my hips out, I hit a wall where I couldn't rotate anymore. I tried it again after she got me back in the position again and got a little bit further. I'll have to give it a shot again next time.

Still Nervous.

I'm sitting here, nervous again before class. At this point it's just
annoying. The fear's gone, but I still have these butterflies. I hope
they'll pass once and for all soon.

Ukemi Success

I forgot to mention that I did my forward ukemi from standing last night and it went quite well. No hurt shoulder! I even got less head contact with my backward ones.

I woke up this morning with a revelation about my standing guard escape. I did it twice while rolling with with Mr. Rebar-for-Ligaments, and the first time, he caught my right arm and wouldn't let go, so I couldn't pass his guard. The second time he didn't and I was able to pass. I thought he did it just to keep me from passing, but I realized that he did it because I made a mistake and didn't bring his right arm far enough across his left. Love it.

Dun-nuh nuh-nuh nuh-nuh nuh-nuh, Dun-nuh nuh-nuh nuh-nuh nuh-nuh...Cat Maaaaan

For me, one of the worst things about joining a new group is names. I'm HORRIBLE with names, and I'm in that period where it seems like pretty much everybody knows my name, but I only know the people that I've spoken to relatively regularly. Awkward.

I was watching this one blue belt today. I've rolled with him twice before. The first time I felt like I was rolling with a human vice grip. The second time I swear he was just spinning on top of me in circles, pulling and bending my limbs however he liked. I finally spent some time watching him from the outside and the man moves like a cat. Incredibly smooth and on all fours. It's nuts.

 

We went over an escape from half guard today, which I've done once before. Thankfully I was paired with a blue belt that's amazingly good at explaining details and picking out errors...in a good way. The knee placement is so crucial...it's going to take me a few more sessions (or a lot of times getting swept) to learn instinctually where I need to place my knee so that I don't leave too much space, but also not so close that I'm not left asking to be swept. I had a hard time remembering to apply pressure to the hip when first freeing the leg. Between that and the timing in grabbing the tricep, I feel like the move is brand new. My first roll was with the bluebelt I went over the technique with and he had me just try things, resetting everytime I got swept. It was a great way to make me hyper aware of my weight placement.

 

My second roll was with another white belt and since she was having some trouble passing my guard, I decided I wanted to try an armbar. I couldn't get it to feel right though and now realize it's because I wasn't centering her arm on my torso. Something tells me I still could have pulled it off, but it didn't feel "right" so I didn't even try...hesitation. I switched to a choke we learned about a month ago and that failed miserably. I still don't see how people pull them off.

 

My last roll was with a purple and while I felt like I was running the entire time, some of the general principles I picked up from The Guard helped out immensely.

 

The last few times we've been running, I've felt an old, familiar tightness in my chest. It's been years...decades since I've had a full on asthma attack or even felt close to one, so feeling my lungs closing in, even slightly, makes me pretty anxious. I still carry an OTC inhaler just in case. I

 

I gotta learn to stop making so much noise. I think I'm like the loud person in class. I let out grunts in pain and discomfort and a couple of times, people have pulled back on submissions/pressure even though I was fine. I guess I'll get used to being squashed eventually and won't be as...vocal.

 

I find myself getting caught in side control less, and when I do, I'm defending against the cross-face better. Woo.

Goodie MoB is my new theme music.

We found out tonight that one of the instructors at American Top Team has a staph infection in his lungs. He was fighting for his life a few days ago, but has improved. He doesn't have any insurance and there's a seminar this weekend to raise money for him. This is about the third time I've heard of something like this since I started training and since fighting the evil forces of the Dark Side (health insurance companies) is what I do for a living, it's really starting to bother me on a deep level. Sure, everybody's at risk of getting hurt, but if you get hurt and aren't insured, it's a whole different ball game. I've never really thought about it, but I can't imagine what insurance premiums are for professional fighters. They're bad enough for people sitting at a desk all day.

On a lighter note, class was great tonight! I gotta be honest though, getting ready, I felt that same, deep fear that I did the first few classes, and I know it's purely from the warmups. They've been more intense lately and that messes with my mind. I was talking to one of the pro fighters before class and she said something that I really have to keep in mind. That at the very least, it's a good workout. Even if I feel like I can't pull off even basic moves and that I'm getting beaten at every turn, at the very least, it's a good workout, and that's something I need regardless and is a great reason to show up.

But yeah...on the drive there, I was so freaked I had to try some new music. I love Queen like there's no tomorrow, but somehow Freddie's voice just doesn't put me in the right frame of mind. I tried Chili Peppers, anime tracks and Bone Thugs, but nothing helped. Tonight, I dug out some old Goodie MoB tracks (ah memories) and it instantly calmed me down. There's something about Southern rap...the seething intensity contrasted against the the laid back attitude...that really focuses me.

I'm still having a rough time adjusting triangles. I just never feel confident against a resisting opponent, but they are getting better. I also finally got a peek at the concept of controlling one side of your opponent. We reviewed the same standing escape from full guard. It's still hard, but it's feeling more natural, I maintained my balance a little better and my knees feel totally fine. I just have to keep my weight centered over the middle of my feet and to put solid force behind the upward movement. Fluidity is so important.

Bad habit of the night...sitting back too far. I also ran into a situation where I needed to bridge while I had someone in half guard. Hard.

Oh! Speaking of joint issues, switching to MSM in the morning has me back to not remembering my dreams. I'm finally feeling rested again:)

The Good Fight

I went to go check out a local tournament today that was organized by The Good Fight. Unfortunately, I took my time getting there, and even though gi matches started at 1 and no-gi at 3, when I walked in at 1:30, no-gi was already going, so I only got to watch four matches.  It was good to go though, and cool to see one of the guys was from a local branch of American Top Team.

Self esteem...crashing!

I can honestly say , this is the single hardest thing I've ever done. I'm not very good at jiu jitsu...and that's hard on me. I want to be good. The fact that instructors and other students have to be patient with me is not easy for me to digest. I think I deal with failure better than I do with pity, real or imagined. I've read other people's stories...people in worse shape, older, less coordinated, injured, slow to learn and I feel almost petty for so consistently forgetting what advantages I do have. What bothers me is not being bad. I'm not bad. I'm simply not good.

 

I finally learned a guard pass tonight that I think I can latch on to. Someone was reading my mind because I've been scouring the Internet for one. Funny, because it involves going from kneeling to standing...a movement that's physically very difficult for me. A few years ago, I couldn't stand from a kneeling position at all (still can't do a full squat). I have genetically HORRIBLE knees, and it's taken quite a bit of work to get myself to the point where I can stand on my own. Adding the weight of another human being just makes it incredibly difficult (not to mention I kept forgetting to keep my hips tucked). The biggest impediment though, is fear. I expect pain, or joints buckling, or spontaneous combustion. None of those things happened, but the expectation takes my focus off what I'm doing and redirects it to places that are hard to come back from. I do worry though, that I'm going to be in some nasty pain tomorrow. I have that same feeling in my knees when I used to dance just a little too long or spin just a few too many times in one night.

 

We're going to be focusing on guard passes for a while, which makes me happy, because I have none that I'm really taking to. Being in some one's guard and getting the mount are the two positions that leave me blank.

 

I've been having a really rough time sleeping. I started MSM supplements for my joints when I started BJJ and one of the potential side effects is sleeping issues. I don't normally remember my dreams, and this stuff has me present for all of them. I'm waking up feeling like I haven't slept more than ten minutes. I've been taking it at night, so hopefully switching them to the morning will make things easier. I've been a tad zombi-fied at work lately and that's not gonna fly with all the growth and changes that are going on on my side of the health care continuum.

 

I made it four whole months without buying another book or DVD...woo! To celebrate, I bought a book and DVD:) Following the recommendations of Slideyfoot, I picked up Roy Dean's Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Blue Belt Requirements, Mastering Jiu Jitsu and The Guard: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Details and Techniques. Fine...two books and a DVD. I figure they should keep me busy for quite some time.

Creativity

Yesterday, during the transition from the advanced class to beginner, our head instructor made the recommendation that everyone try to be more creative when rolling. It's a bit beyond my comprehension as a white belt, but the concept really stuck in my head. Like anything else though, I'm guessing that it's something that's best practiced after you learn the rules.

I've noticed my shrimping is slower on my left side, so I focused on it, one-legged, and left my right side alone. It made some issues more clear. Not only am I weaker, but I'm less coordinated. Thinking back to sparring yesterday, when I'm pinned on my left side, I feel more stuck and like I have fewer options.

I've been about a week without working on the stability ball and getting back on it today was good. I actually feel more steady on it after the time off. Whatever I pulled on the top of my left foot when I first started has started bothering me again and I'm guessing it's no coincidence that I got rolled back on it last night. I need to spend more time stretching out my feet before class. I'm also noticing some weakness in my left shoulder while doing bridging drills. I think that comes from the bodyweight program just like my loss in knee flexibility. I'm going to leave that (the bodyweight) alone for a couple of weeks and see what happens. Kind of sucks though, since I have so few options for cardio...stupid knees.

I'm starting a new pushup program! It involves starting in plank position, lowering yourself as far as you can, and holding it until you drop, eight times. I'm going to try it 3-4 times a week. Now to think of a way to explain the 8 consecutive thuds to my coworkers...

Staph, staph go away...

I love Hibiclens. It smells like a clean hotel room and helps sedate the germaphobe in me.

Tonight was...pretty rough. I left the mats feeling like an all around failure. I rolled with all higher belts, but my ego doesn't seem to want to take that into consideration.The warmup was long (Wuzzup mentioned it was hard on him, so I didn't feel completely out of shape). The technique we're reviewing is an underhook sweep from guard, and it's giving me grief.

We started it last week and I think I finally started picking up the basic action the last few times I tried it. Tonight we learned how to tie the failed sweep into a triangle or omoplata. BeginnersInstructor asked if I remembered how to finish the triangle and I replied "yep!". Of course I remembered triangle, it was one of the first techniques I learned! Well, apparently I only remembered it in theory, because once I got through the failed sweep, it was all upside-down and backwards. I'm having a really hard time balancing learning new techniques and retaining the finer points of old ones.

On the up side, I rolled with my first purple belt tonight. I didn't notice his belt color until we started rolling, and then a small jolt of fear ran through me. I was ready for a serious fight. But as soon as I started struggling, I noticed that he was very...soft...so I calmed down and tried to pay attention to what he was doing and ask a few questions. I'm starting to really appreciate higher belts that genuinely try to submit me. I want to build a really solid defense, and having someone really trying to catch me helps me find problem areas.

I feel like my one legged bridging is paying off, as I don't get pinned for long periods of time like I used to.

I'm going to spend some time studying escapes from the following holds, because I get caught in them a LOT.

1) Kesa Gatame
2) Reverse Kesa Gatame
3) Seated Mount-I've been attempting the escape from JiuJitsu University (pg 62) but just noticed that I've been staying on my back while trying to escape AND completely ignoring the choke defense.

Going to check out my first tournament...

I was fumbling around Google this afternoon and ran into what appears to be a small tournament in the area. It looks like The Good Fight has been around since 2008 and features both gi and no gi matches. Looks to be interesting.

...now to find someone to drag along with me...

I never thought I'd say this...

...as a person that would choose acupuncture over a back rub any day, this is difficult...

 

 

I desperately need a neck massage.