Da Beard

The modern man's love of the beard has perplexed me for a while now. Why anyone would want that much hair just hanging around on their face, especially Florida, was just beyond me. When the beards caught on at the gym, I was even more confused...so much sweat! So much grime!

Well tonight, I learned something. I was telling Wuzzup how, months in, I STILL don't recognize him with the beard. He responded..."Ya know...growing a beard's been a great experience. I can cut it back, grow it out...I trimmed just the top part and now it's fuller at the bottom...all kinds of stuff." And that's when I got it. His talking about his beard sounded almost like how I feel about my natural hair (about 2 weeks ago I cut off the last of my relaxed ends 18 months transitioning, baby!). All of a sudden you've got this new part of you that's been corralled for years, and it's released in its full glory and it's AWESOME. You're proud of it. You check it out when you walk past the mirror. It gets attention, positive and negative, surprise and inquiry.

I get the beards now.  

Tips on being a great mediocre grappler

Thanks to Slidey for this awesome post from Cane Provost (yet another creator of blogly awesomeness). Excerpt below, but it's worth a read by everyone, considering it addresses an important part of the spectrum of BJJ students out there. 

Tips on being a great mediocre grappler

1. Be consistent.
 Training 2 times a week every week is going to pay off more than training very intensely for short periods followed by stretches of time off. Of course I have no scientific data to back this up but I’ve seen it play out over and over again at the gym. Enough to confidently make this claim.

1. Focus on fundamentals.
 At it’s core fundamentals can be broken down intoPosture, Pressure, and Possibilities. Building a library of techniques is not a great or efficient way to get good. You only have so much room on your bookshelf. At a certain point the shelf will be filled and you’ll have to throw some out to make room for new ones. In my personal experience I’ve rarely seen anyone who is good at more than about 5 submissions at one time. They may know way more than that but their A game is mostly limited to the top 5. Adding 50 more moves won’t help your game much.

1. Focus on Posture most of all.
I tell students that the posture should do about 80% of the work for you. You should always be asking yourself “Am I in posture?” If the answer is no then you know what you have to do. If posture does 80% of the work then you should be spending most of your time either working to get posture, improving the posture you have, or fighting to keep it. If you are doing this then BJJ will be way easier.Focusing on posture means getting the best possible posture you can get WHILE putting the other person in the worst possible posture you can. If you create this posture imbalance then you don’t have to be good at BJJ in order to beat the other guy. Remember, the posture does 80% of the work.

1. Don’t roll above 70%.
(Link to post on 70%) I you go all out all the time then you will be building a game that requires that you go all out all the time. That’s hard to do if you aren’t young and in super shape. Instead try building a posture based game that REQUIRES that you move slower and concentrate on simply building good posture along the way. A good goal is to build efficient postures that use leverage and structure instead of muscle strength. To use efficient motion that requires less intensity of movement. And to use fewer movements in your overall game. My goal is to win by moving less and less until eventually you won’t even notice that I’m moving at all. 

1. Focus on breathing.
 If you can’t devote lots of extra time to conditioning exercises you need to be very mindful of your breathing. Stop and check during a roll. Are you breathing heavier than the other guy? If the answer is yes then you need to slow down and focus on posture. Catch your breath before you exert too much energy. Breathing heavy is a sure sign that you are not attending to posture effectively.

1. Simplify the game.
 Can I use the same posture in mount bottom that I use in cross sides bottom? How many ways can I use this triangle submission? Finding multiple uses for things that you already do well is a great way to improve your game without having to put a tremendous amount of extra time in. As you learn new things try to relate them to things you already know and look for commonalities wherever you can.

1. Enjoy the journey.
 In only every case those who enjoy it more are better at it. Train in a way that is healthy, smart, and most of all fun. Will power will get you a year of training at best. If you aren’t having a blast on the mat you won’t stick around or train in a way that will allow you to make much progress. This is perhaps the most important rule. It’s certainly not about “dedication” or “work ethic” as some will describe. Look around you. What looks like dedication is actually someone following their bliss. They are doing it because it’s the most enjoyable and rewarding thing they can think of to do. This is only always the case.

A Microbiologist's Take on BJJ

**For the sake of the health of all in the BJJ community, I encourage sharing of this information--so if you'd like to repost or distribute this article, include credit and link back to http://bjiujitsu.blogspot.com/2011/09/microbiologists-take-on-bjj.html or http://www.gifreak.com/content/microbiologists-take-bjj. A lot of time and work went into researching this post and proper credit should be given.**

So I've really been wondering about all this...information we've got floating around regarding treatment, prevention, cleanliness, the whole shebang. Thankfully, a girl I know from WAY back grew up to be a really cool microbiologist (she managed to work a reference to LeBron James into a conversation about bacteria) and she was nice enough to, after a weekend at Dragoncon, take the time to answer some questions I'd collected.


You can check her credentials below (she did her dissertation on MRSA), and if you have any questions about the critters you may be carrying to and from the gym, you can also email her at ms.oxide at gmail dot com, just tell her you read her interview with Megan. (Seriously, shoot her an email, she'd love the questions.)


If you have a few minutes, take the time to read the whole thing. She addresses the general "lifestyles" of bateria and fungi, the use of triclosan, MRSA, and general habits that we have around keeping clean in the gym, not to mention a bunch of other things (like not washing belts), that we could all benefit from. So, a huge thanks to Brea and...here goes!

My Interview over at JiuJitsuSweep

Thanks to Manny over at JiuJitsuSweep for the interview! It's cool to hear so much of my training experience summarized in one conversation.

http://jiujitsusweep.com/interviews-with-bjj/bjj-blogger-megan-williams-talks-jiujitsusweepcom/

Can you donate $10 for Orphans?

A friend of mine is riding all the way around one of our local lakes (Lake Okeechobee) to raise money for International Orphan Support. Any donation you can make is appreciated...but all we're asking is $10. So check it out, donate, pass it on!

Here's the Crowdrise site: http://www.crowdrise.com/120forOrphansRide





Thanks!!

Adjusting to a BJJ body

Your body changes a lot when you train regularly, especially if you weren't previously active. Rougher skin, more muscle, less fat, more flexibility...and that's not to mention all the changes that can come from injury.

Several weeks back, I went out with my best friend to test out her newest photography gear. This is a sample of what resulted.

Trudy's photographed me many times before, but usually under more prepared circumstances...either I'd done my makeup and hair or my appearance was softened by the happiness of travel or peace of restedness. I'd never before been photographed wearing regular clothes, the emotional weight of a day's work and no makeup. On the way downtown, I had brief apprehensions, but I thought to myself that there was no reason I shouldn't be able to handle being photographed in my "natural" state, even knowing the pictures would be up for public viewing. For the first time, I didn't try to undo the strain of a day staring at spreadsheets, highlight my eyes or wear a top that camouflaged my short leg to torso ratio.

Once I saw this photo (my current Facebook profile pic) the very first thing that struck me was how much of jiu jitsu I could see on myself. I've always been self-conscious about my mid-section, and I saw a trunk that had been thickened through months of hip escapes. I saw short nails and thighs that are the thickest they've been in a long time.

I'm not gonna lie, I'm not 100% happy with where my fat content stands right now, but jiu jitsu has allowed me to accept my body in ways I haven't before.

You have no idea what your body can't do.

I say this to other couch potatoes. I say this as a natural couch potato. No, not those of you who were football players in high school and college and got lazy after your daughter was born, or even those that were karate champions at age 10, but gave up after the priorities of friends and fun took over. 

I'm talking to those of you who hate moving and have always hated moving. Those who only moved during P.E. or on Wednesdays when your parents forced you into a ballet class. I'm talking to those of you who were more interested in D&D, WoW, Magic or Pokemon than...tag. Yes. I'm speaking mostly to my nerdish and bookish brethren. 

We have many reasons for disliking movement. Maybe you're like me and were set against outside play from birth because a grass allergy discouraged you from playing in the lawn with other kids. Maybe your parents were overprotective and wouldn't let you leave the house. Or...again...like me, maybe your knees hurt and your chest burned like fire when you exerted yourself. Maybe you were just clumsy and embarrassed by movement. 

When, at age 12, I took the Presidential Physical Fitness Test and couldn't get my hands past my knees because of tight hamstrings, no one told me that could be changed. No one told me that the fact that I got winded within minutes of running could be remedied. Not even a hint. Teachers focused on the athletically gifted, tolerated the mediocre and the rest of us were expected to survive. One crucial thing they didn't teach me in PE that, for whatever reason, was hammered into students in every other field through homework and writing and repetition...

You can do better.

I had no clue what my body was capable of and no one, from what I could tell, seemed to think it was capable of more. I just assumed that the genes that had my athletic father, uncle, cousins and grandparents on both sides playing college and pro basketball, running track and playing baseball had skipped me. 

Actually...I take that back. I think there can be a draw back in focusing on what a body is capable of. First off, a person has to believe you when you tell them what they "could" do. After the pre-teens, self-perception is pretty much set and everybody involved ends up fighting a losing battle. Even now, let's say my body "could" run a five minute mile. Even if I believe you, so what? Do I need that skill in my daily life? If I don't have a desire and there's no use, why should I even try to reach my full potential?

I don't care what I'm capable of if I don't need or appreciate those capabilities. 

What Brazilian jiu jitsu HAS taught me to care about though, is what I'm NOT capable of. It's a small twist on perspective, but it's made a huge difference for me. I know that I'm not capable of squatting with my feet flat on the floor. I've learned to notice times in my life when I couldn't go about my daily business without an increase in heart rate. I've learned that I couldn't handle my own body weight aside from basic walking and jogging and stair climbing. That last one...really disturbed me. Even if a person never becomes an elite athlete, I believe they should be able to handle diverse spectra of movement of their own physical being. I would have known none of these things had I not started practicing. 

Learning the not and conquering the not, has made me aware of the could and want the could. 

I believe we are a special and uncommon student. I believe that we have a chasm to cross that most other people in gyms don't. I can't name one other person at my gym that isn't an athlete or former athlete or at least a former tomboy. Breaking the negative association with or dismissal of physical movement is a task unto itself, and one I think BJJ is especially well equipped to complete.

BJJ and church, Intimacy and Men

So I've spent the better part of the past six weeks limping, facially bruised (I just got kneed REALLY hard in the cheek on Friday) and wearing a wrist brace. I think this is the first time I've really started to "show" that I train. I hobbled into my small group study at church a couple of weeks back and between that and a fading black eye, I knew I probably needed to do something proactive in explaining my injuries. The pastor that leads the group knows I train, has trained himself and to my surprise, was elated to find out I trained at American Top Team.

So last week we were discussing Biblical warriors (David in particular) and situations where technique, agility and training win out over larger, more powerful opponents. I knew he wanted me to mention jiu jitsu, since honestly, it's a perfect example of the concept. I hesitated, unsure how it would go over. Why?

Because church...gender wise, is probably the opposite of what goes on at the gym. Genders hold the same positions in relation to one another...men do manlier things and women do womanlier things...but the environment is shifted toward that of the less physical...making the men not quite as manly (at least not while physically in the building) and the women not quite as manly as you'd see in class.

So yeah, being a 200lb, 6' tall, Black woman with a stoic personality and relatively non-feminine communication style, I paused a little before adding "MMA fighter" (because you know people won't differentiate) to that list of the superficial breakdown of Megan.

He kept talking, wanting to discuss, but not wanting to "out" me. "I know someone in here trains physically for something very similar to what we're talking about." He didn't stop for me to "step forward". I took it as his wanting to engage in the subject, but at the same time, being aware that not everybody wants every part of their life revealed to a group of people. He moved on through the topic. I sat and thought about why I was concerned and decided to just come out with it. As I was talking, I could feel my label shifting, growing, being reviewed and recalculated. I didn't care. If people can be open about divorce and alcoholism, abuse and abandonment, I surely should have no shame or qualms about what I do for fun and challenge.

Of course, there were changes in people's reactions to me...mostly on the male side though. The pastor's wife already knew I trained, so nothing changed with her. We discussed books and Chinese and stress as always. The other women...no shifts that I could see. The guys though, once again, I noticed them being more open to discussing their own physical pursuits and interests...more emotionally open overall and more relaxed...and this came simply from the factual knowledge that I did something physical.

...which got me thinking back to something that hit me about men and physicality as a gateway to intimacy.

Every week I get men and the physical bonding deal even more. I think it breaks down walls and establishes trust. We've all read and heard often how important sex is for men to feel close to their partners in a relationship and I'm starting to think the physical closeness is a HUGE component in that. That it's a big deal for men in any relationship, romantic or otherwise. Which...on a side note...has me lamenting how our society sexualizes almost all forms of physical contact...but I really digress.

After open mat and a really good roll, I sat with one of the blues, talking about why we started training and he told me how little confidence and how little focus he used to have. He spoke of how much of a positive difference training has made in his life. I told him about my first day training after years of the school/work grind and how it was a release after almost a decade pushing to learn business, health care and foreign languages. The conversation shifted into Spanish...his a fluent Cuban, mine a solid, but stumbling work in progress. He continued to talk about training and the gym and I taught him some basic principles of Chinese. I know that I would have never had this conversation with this man had I not been training...and honestly, wouldn't have if I hadn't been rolling with him on a regular basis.

There are walls that exist between men and women, founded on our differences and constructed by societal norms...some I believe exist for a reason, but many of them, don't. I see now, that the cleanest way to break down walls with men is through physical activity as a trust building exercise... after all, it's hard to hide your true character in a fight. My only question now is, assuming that women have some mechanism for breaking down those same barriers of trust, what that mechanism is. 

Top 10 Fight Songs

I'm sitting here festering in injury funk so imaginary rolling has been a good friend this last month of half-sparring. Here are a few of the songs that make me feel like I NEED to fight somebody. need.

1) Xzibit-Concentrate
2) System of a Down-Chop Suey
3) Beyonce-Run the World
4) Tan Dun-In the Chess Court (the track from that awesomely insane fight between Donnie Yen and Jet Li in Hero)
5) Jay Z- On to the Next one
6) Goodie MoB-Who's that Peeking in my Window
7) Shiro Sagisu-Storm Center
8) Biggie Smalls and Bone Thugs 'n' Harmony-Notorious Thugs
9) Disturbed-Stupified
10) Clint Mansell-Requiem for a Dream

*honorable mention-Trick Daddy-Bet That

This video cracks me up and I have no idea why...

The first time I saw it I thought it was the stupidest thing I'd ever seen. Two days later, driving, I remember it and start crying laughing.

BJJ's costing me how much per year?!?

I went to the podiatrist today...after going to urgent care. My foot just isn't healing the way I felt it should (also, seeing one of the guys who broke his arm playing with his kids after ignoring "slight" injuries on the mats got me moving) so I decided to get it checked out. Trying to explain BJJ injuries really takes some skill. You say "martial arts" injury and doctors start diagnosing impact related injuries and "kiai" starts being thrown around. I had to do it about four times between there and the podiatrist.

Thankfully the first doc was wrong in his first guess and it wasn't an occult fracture. The podiatrist has me in a sesamoid pad and off running/dancing/anything that involves putting my weight on my toes for two weeks. I can spar if I'm careful. If there's no improvement, I go for an MRI. Oh...and I have to wear sneakers...which is driving me nuts. I LOVED sneakers in college. I had a pair to match almost every top I had. Now...they feel bulky and annoying. I had a pair of cross-trainers at the office that I stuffed my feet into and I was miserable. I'll have to dig out a lighter pair to get me through the duration. At least my heels will stay cute.

Love the arrow they drew on...

But yeah, after paying for a couple copays today (and ordering my Vulkan Pro Light yesterday), I started to wonder how much I was putting out pure year on BJJ. Here's the list of expenses...

2 gis per year
1 bottle of hibiclens yearly
1 bottle of wrestler's foam per year
Special body washes, band-aids, disinfectant gels, disposable wash cloths, etc.
gas...
monthly membership
monthly privates
increase in use of shampoo and conditioner
assorted supplements that I wouldn't be taking otherwise

Grand total...just about $3,000 annually. Note that this doesn't include any tournaments or major injuries. I've never been one for cheap hobbies. It was a bit surprising, but it's totally worth it. 

I doubled my lung capacity!!

It's up to 3000mL inspired volume...which means I'm up to 94% of the recommended lung capacity for a female my age and weight, up from 48%. I love this thing an recommend it to ANYONE who'd like to improve gassing issues.

Happy Spider's breathing happily. 

I kinda like being an adult.

I'm gonna plaigiarize myself a bit for this post...


Perhaps the most surprising thing about jiu jitsu to me is the fact that I like the teenagers. Genuinely like them. They're like...in my phone and...on my Facebook...and I'm actually cool with it.


 My younger brother came to visit two weeks ago and afterward told me that his first reaction was "Is that my sister talking to kids? Really?" My mother told me years ago that she'd hoped, when my brother was born three years after me, that he'd teach me how to play. Youth...other than not being old...I've never taken that much enjoyment from it. As a child I never understood the energy and exuberance of other children. They seemed irrational and all too eager to spend their time on things that made very little sense to me. Oddly, I enjoyed my childhood...though I think it was more of a really long, pre-adulthood.


Well, a few nights ago, I was drilling armbars with one of the boys and he asked how I was doing. I told him work had been crazy and I was drained. He replied that he wasn't looking forward to that stage of life. I revealed to him that I enjoyed being an adult...being a kid was cool, but that I definitely wouldn't go back. He paused briefly on his right hip, looking at me. "Really?" "...yeah."

This exchange made me think of something I'd read about the painter Cezanne and so-called "late bloomers". 
The article examines fertile periods in a few artists’ lives, contrasting those that met with success while young and those that didn't see fame until their twilight years. Cezanne is an example of the latter, and the piece says this about him "The freshness, exuberance, and energy of youth did little for Cézanne." 

I think people...especially Americans...put entirely too much value on youth. At the wise, old age of 31, I've learned that as an adult, fun must be seriously pursued. Maybe that’s what’s so special and so deceptive about youth. When you’re young, fun and a lack of responsibility become synonymous. We're conditioned to believe that fun should just fall into our laps at random, and it frequently does. But does that mean that we must choose between building lives that are structured purely for fun and ones that leave us in a desert devoid of all pleasure? Maybe for some people, fun is all around us, just begging to be picked by any random passer by that hasn't breathed too many breaths. For others though, that may have never been deceived into thinking that fun and responsibility were mutually exclusive. They may just know that it's something that builds as we build it, that grows as we invest in it. 

My breathing machine

I've mentioned it a couple of times before, but I have a horrible lung capacity. Years ago, I tested at about 40% of a normal adult's. I want to concentrate on a couple of physical shortcomings I have this year and lung capacity is a BIG one for BJJ, so I bought a volumetric exerciser. It's a handy, inexpensive little gadget that both measures and helps you increase your lung capacity. Here's a video of my first try...

I didn't record this part, but to get started, you look up the ideal capacity of an adult your gender, height and weight, adjust the slide and go from there, exhaling normally inserting the mouth piece and breathing in with control. As you can see, I hit about 1500/3200 to start, so I'm up to about 47%.

You're supposed to do it about 20 times a day. Between recording and writing this, I've done it about five and I've cracked 1500. The "Rx only" label made me a bit wary, but since I've had a doctor tell me I need to increase my lung capacity, I figure that's good enough an Rx for something whose purchase isn't regulated. Stay tuned for updates...

Men DO notice little details.

...when they're related to sports that is...

So I've been wearing Sally Hansen Hard as Nails in Lime Lights. Didn't really like it at first, and I'm still not a huge fan, but apparently, when you paint your nails a color that matches the mats, guys notice. From "nice nails!" to "pretty green nails!", the pastel take on our mat borders have been a hit.

"Did you paint your nails to match the mats?!"
"Yeah!!"
"Really??"
"...no."

I was around push-up number 20 today, stationed next to one of the kids who'd noticed I'd changed my color to a less respectable cafe au lait color.

"Why don't you have the green anymore??"
"Gotta keep things exciting."
"Awww."

I should totally start a line of BJJ themed polishes...Garish Gi White...Black and Blue Bombshell...Mat Burnt Umber...Ringwo...I'll stop now.

And the Matty goes to...

I had so much fun at NAGA!  I went to support and to check it out.I arrived at FAU and started texting and calling, trying to find my way to the ladies' competition area. As I was searching for my team, I looked to my right and saw a face that looked familiar. It was Allie! ...and Jennifer! I've never met anyone from blog-land before and it was really cool. It was great to see both these ladies in action after reading so much about their relationships with BJJ.

I gotta say...I'm thinking about competing now. Even just helping the ladies get ready was a blast. I honestly expected the rounds to be more intense than they were. My only concern now is being able to last the number of fights I might have to without passing out or vomiting.

A few moments really stuck out to me though. Specifically for their softness. A year in and the contrast of the softness of the personalities and interactions and the hardness of the sport STILL get to me.

Happiest moment: One of the first things I noticed was how happy the fathers and husbands were. I mean beaming from ear to ear, toting around kids, helping wives and girlfriends with their gis. I honestly can't say I've seen that anywhere else. I get it though. Where else in life do men get to bring their families AND participate in/watch something so man-tastic?

Most insightful moment: Later I was sitting a few people down from Parrumpha, waiting to start videoing one of my teammate's rounds. A guy came up and sat down and started discussing the reasons he got into BJJ...specifically because he finds the lifestyle so much more peaceful than others he could have chosen. From what I've experienced, I'm guessing he's right.

Most hardcore moment of the day: There was a lady breast-feeding between competition rounds. She almost missed a round because her husband was fighting and she didn't have anyone else to watch her child. That's hardcore.

Cutest moment of the day: A lady was up competing and had gotten caught on the bottom. All of a sudden I heard her seven year old son's pre-pubescent voice burst across the mats "You can do this, Mom! You can do this!"

Most touching moment of the day: I love any situation where cultures and ages and lifestyles are mixed up and people are broken down to their core elements. One of my teammates had a difficult round and was taking it pretty badly. We were sitting and talking to her, and I took a quick look at what was going on. Ages ranging from 10 to 41, bounty hunter, professional, firefighter, student, Black, White, Mexican, male, female...all sitting together trying to boost the spirits of someone else. The quickness with which the kids and teens run to support a discouraged adult touches me the most. I can't name one other place I've ever seen any of this happen...ever.

So yeah...the competition question is still up in the air for me, but after seeing one up close, I'm kinda excited about the prospect. 

"You're kinda...thick."

I don't know if there's any other place on Earth where men can comment on a woman's weight/body without fear of violating cultural taboos...ok...except maybe the American South.

Last night I was drilling with a new white belt. Looks to be late 30s to early 40s...6'2", medium frame, not fluffy, but not super ripped either. The guy is powerful. I don't move easily and he was tossing me pretty well. We were working butterfly sweeps and he looks at me and says "you're...heavier...than...you look. You're kinda...thick." Being Black-American, I'm used to the word "thick" being a commentary on the visual impression of the size of a woman's hips, thighs and behind. So by "thick" I'm guessing he means "dense". That didn't surprise me though. Apparently, even when I was a child, people would come to pick me up, and after feeling how much I actually weighed, would stop and put me back down.

Sitting at lunch today after NAGA and discussing diet plans over the next year, I realized that these types of conversations don't occur often in mixed company...and, seeing as we had one new grappler, and one non-grappler at the table...that they could likely be off-putting to newcomers.

I don't want to leave the impression that men are commenting on women's weight left at right at the gym. I'd already opened the door for weight discussion with the white belt I mentioned. A couple weeks ago, when one of the kids couldn't get his legs around my waist, he immediately said "it's not you, it's my stubby little legs". The rest still tend to stumble and stutter whenever the topic comes up.

I've honestly found the openness about weight and size to be comforting. I think it's a good thing for women, seeing as we frequently have issues tackling not just the issues of body weight, but also having objective conversations about our bodies overall. My vocalizing that I have the "arms of a condor, legs of a spider and the body of a beetle" likely wouldn't have happened pre-BJJ, and I know it's been good for me.

Compliments

Happy spider is happy.

When I started college, I started keeping a page in my journal of my favorite compliments. Not just the superficial "you've got nice legs" types, but genuine, heart-felt compliments. The ones you don't hear often. The ones people give you when it's just you and them, being human, together. I want to start doing the same in some way in jiu jitsu because compliments here come from people who've seen so much of the long hidden parts of me.


"The guys really have some respect for you. I've heard them."
"You've got anaconda legs!"

Ok, that last one isn't very deep, but for anyone to notice anything positive about me in this sport, it means a ton to me.

Top 5 "What...am I doing?" Moments...

I haven't had any in a long while, and I'm guessing the days of asking "Why am I doing this?" have passed, but I wanted to recap a few of the ones that stick out...

1)  My second roll, I don't remember what position I was in, but I looked over and saw a guy's foot, with a pair of dice tattooed on the top of his foot. Tat aside, I have a foot phobia, and that one was WAY too close to my face.

2) The first time I...expelled gas in class. It was during lifts and I was the only one left drilling. The room was silent. I was partnered with Mr. Rebar-for-ligaments. My instructor turned to some of the guys on the wall and smirked. I just...kept going.

3) When I went deaf after class for a minute. Freaked me out. Made an appointment with the cardiologist first thing in the morning.

4) The first time sweat fell in my mouth. Someone else's sweat that is. It was a white belt teen and it took all I had not to start flailing like a maniac.

5) My first time in north-south.

I'm guessing this happens most often with people who are out of shape, women and those who aren't used to that much personal contact.

Top 50!!

Was very happy to see Tangled Triangle listed here: Top 50 Jiu Jitsu Blogs

Once again, I'm not a girl...