Letting go

One of my fellow blues and I had the same epiphany tonight. I had just finished rolling with a strong, fast blue belt guy and mid way through, I decided to untense my body, stop hunkering down, and just go. Everything moved much more smoothly, my mind included. Afterward, I sat down next to the first blue and she revealed that just recently, she decided to let go...stop fearing the tap.

I can't explain how much brighter everything felt. My next roll felt clear and illuminated...that is until the guy I was rolling with locked down himself. I felt myself immediately respond in kind. It was hard to stay loose the rest of the round, but I managed to stay aware and dial myself back when needed. All those moves from ginastica? They just open up when you're not a ball of tensed muscle.

I sat out the next round, next to one of the first people I ever rolled with. He's a tall, strong purple belt from Brazil who's been around since...two gyms ago. He's testing for brown soon. We talked about the first, unairconditioned gym, full of huge, aggressive guys...the second one where I started, and his training other places because of work.  It was one of those moments where I realized that I actually have history at the gym. Funny to think of when I look back at that first, terrified breath I took before jumping into the line of running men. 

Jiu Jitsu Style and my (lack of) Confidence as a Writer

Blogging has pushed me in ways as a writer that I would never have expected. I am...well...I was pretty confident in my writing. Then came BJJ. I didn't realize how much wider exposure can rattle confidence until I was asked to expound on this piece by Jiu Jitsu Style magazine.

It should have been a breeze. I thought back to my junior year in high school, the year my special little school decided English class should become a writing bootcamp. Three, four, sometimes five times a week, we were given 40 minutes to analyze and write 700 words on pieces like Hemingway's Big Two-Hearted River or Keats' Ode on a Grecian Urn (my stomach turned a bit just typing that). 1800 words on a topic in BJJ that I'd already started thinking about? I could do that in my sleep. I was beyond needing to feel inspired to write...or so I thought. Funny thing how NOT doing something can inflate your sense of skill.

I've written for publications before, but none in communities I cared as much about as I do BJJ.  I found myself worried--doubting my grammar and my voice. Was I being too casual? My syntax! Is proper use of the subjunctive too stuffy? ...do I use too many ellipses? (The answer is yes. Yes I do.) I texted my brother, whom I've watched go through the painful cycle of writing death and rebirth many a time. He assured me that he'd only be worried about me if I weren't concerned about my work.

...so if you run across a copy of the Gunnar Nelson issue, check out page 80. That project calmed a lot of my fears, but between that and upping the ante with projects over on the journal side of GiFreak, I'm less confident than I've been in a really long time. 

Black belts really are magic.

So I have a new goal. Purple belt skill level by year end. When our newest black belt suggested the plan for me, my heart skipped a bit. When I started training, I saw blue belts as incredibly skilled...I knew that if made it there, I'd feel terribly accomplished. After blue though...I lost my vision. I was happy to simply have survived to the first belt. Sure...when asked, I say I think I can make it to black...and I do...but there's something so much more real about purple, which almost makes it seem further away.

But yeah...now, Friday nights at the end of class, I get feedback and a new position to focus on and understand. Friday night, I was partnered with a wrestler/fighter. He rolls, admittedly, without focus. I hesitate too much. He comes from an athletic background. I uh...don't. We're quite the contrast...but still...we both sat listening to feedback on what we do, what we do wrong, what we do right and how we think. It's one of those moments of jiu jitsu I love...I love pure teaching...real guidance. I love the feedback loop and the improvement process. So I sat and learned about myself...about my hesitation, my lack of confidence, my too-soft grips, my not training enough, my doubting of my own strength, my strength, my understanding of fundamentals, my doing all the right things. I find the picking apart of myself simultaneously embarrassing and exhilarating.

I'm the type of learner who, frustratingly to some teachers, needs to have an understanding of where I'm trying to go to go forward. I don't need to know the path, but I like to be included on the planning. I asked Ryan the difference between the blue and the purple before we even got started, and he told me this:


It's basically like knowing how to get to your destination by taking the most effective route depending on the conditions vs driving in the general direction till you get there...I think that's what separates blue from purple. Then purple and above is basically being a better driver and upgrades on the car.

So yeah...the idea of be even being able to function at near purple level seems like fantasy at this point, but I'm willing to aim for it. My biggest concern though? This. This online stuff. GiFreak takes time and it also takes will. Will that I'm realizing isn't infinite. This past month, between work, a sinus infection, work and general life, I've been drained. Not in a I-need-to-crash-in-front-of-the-TV kind of way, but more like I-need-someone-to-fly-me-to-a-foreign-country kinda way. Last time I felt like this I booked a panicked flight to Montreal.

The technique.

It's a knee block pass, based on pressure. You grab around the top leg, gripping the pant of the bottom at mid thigh, while folding the leg down with the inside shoulder...at the same time you grab the bottom lapel and pull your opponent into you (since they will be trying to stretch themselves). Windshield wiper the trapped leg, sprawl, walk your hips around while pulling the legs to flatten their body. I had issues remembering to move their hips back with my hips while keeping the trailing leg almost against their leg.

Squaring up is a whole different story. This is where I started seeing the black belt magic. I got shown some of the details of maintaining pressure and it was crazy. It honestly felt like one of those bad dreams where something's holding you down and you can't move but there's nothing there. Black magic indeed.

A blind man and my British pants

So I picked up a Zero G v2.0 men's last week (BJJHQ is a dangerous place). It's a light gi, but we only get like 3 days of cold in these parts anyway, so a lightweight gi is good year 'round.

One of my biggest gi peeves is pant removal after class (hence my distaste for flat drawstrings, which have left me desperately hopping around the locker room trying to get free of their death-grip). Even though I already own a Midas, these stood out as much more comfortable, mobile (roomy hips and thighs) and generally wearable. Yay:)

Tonight was hard in a good way. Four rounds and I was showing signs of waning by the second, but even that's improvement. Something struck me tonight though. I'm finally picking up moves holistically. Two demonstrations and I had tonight's techniques (well, all but the failed armbar to bow and arrow...that took a second). I want more speed, but that will come with more Ginastica...

...speaking of which, I had a roll tonight that I can only describe as intriguing. GinasticaInstructor decided to do a round with me with his eyes closed the entire time. It was another one of those moments where I had to remember to not stop and watch what he'd do after he got his grips set in and try to actually...defend. 

The Year of the Triangle

I've dubbed 2012 the year of the triangle. I've heard multiple times from KickboxerInstructor that I should be fantabulous (my word, not his) with this submission and I plan to make that real in 2012. I don't want to call it a "resolution", so I'm just going to say that, having been promoted to blue belt, I'm more comfortable sitting back and planning what I want to learn and improve. I basically want to be able to threaten a triangle from anywhere.

SO...first step. Information. I bought Ryan Hall's "The Triangle" because it's the first thing that comes out of anybody's mouth when you say you want better triangles, but honestly mostly because he takes a conceptual approach to the position, teaching it as both a submission and a type of guard simultaneously. I'm particularly enamored with disc 2: Angles, Mechanics and Entries. Why? Because I only catch elementary and accidental triangles. I can't impose one on anybody save very new white belts from mount.

I'm quite happy to say that first time on the mats and I'm seeing results. Mostly in rethinking head control and  the base requirements for finishing, but the really big "a-ha" came for my mounted triangles. I've been setting them up from mount and finishing from guard after rolling over (lots of chances to lose them there) but I learned in one lesson, how to finish from mount and it really works. Before, I couldn't even pull it off when just working technique.

The other thing I've pulled from it is his hip shooting drill. Dude is CRAZY fast with his hips...something I'm definitely not...something you definitely need to be when using triangles. He's so fast his legs like bird wings flapping. I tried it once (it involves holding a regular hip shoot and switching back and forth between left and right locks) and came crashing down to the floor. My hips are HEAVY...and not just from the 10lbs I've picked up over the last two months. Anatomically, women just have more weight distributed down there and my hips are quite Black, so it's going to take a bit to be able to move them.

I'll definitely be spending some quality time with this one. 

Bad Escapes from Technical Mount

Since I just got to a point where I feel comfortable for my blue belt test (thanks to the help of my partner, Ladybug, and KickboxerInstructor), I can finally start working on applied techniques of my choosing again. Check out this video from the Part Time Grappler

Bullying and the omoplata, revisited

I was sitting at work today and got an IM from my mom.

"I saw your wallowing people on the front page of Yahoo!...this thing is going to EXPLODE."

She then sent me a link to this article about a Colorado mother who flew her son to California to enroll in the Gracie Bullyproof program and for private lessons with Rener Gracie after some pretty severe bullying episodes at his school. It's a very nice read.

Freemind Upgrade!

To keep this blog as readable as possible, I keep my techniques in a separate database using Freemind's mind mapping software.

Well They just upgraded and fixed a lot of the bugs that used to irk me. Notes no longer automatically pop up if you hover over a cell. The interface is cleaner overall and you can edit them using HTML. The preview pop up is pretty nice too. As far as keeping a technique journal is concerned, it's definitely the best solution I've run across.

I haven't hit my learning groove.

Seriously...less than a minute ago, it hit me that I haven't yet hit my BJJ learning groove. It all still feels somewhat awkward and bumpy.

I miss training. I know what I want to improve...what I want to specialize in...what I'm ignoring because I know it's just going to be an uphill battle (taking the back).

Not sure what that means, if it's a problem, or if injury fatigue is starting to set in. My best guess is that I've hit a point in my training where the newness has totally worn off and I want focus and a game plan and direction.

On a side note, I'm really starting to worry about my foot. I've been in the boot for a week and I still have shocking pain if anything bumps into my big toe. (Thankfully the two baby-fractured ones seem to be healing ok.) It's terribly ironic that I hurt it the same day two purples and a brown belt gingerly walked me through the mystery and intimidation of stapling passes. All I want to do is drill them and I think it's going to be a while before I can do that properly.

If BJJ teaches you nothing else, it teaches you deep, internal patience.

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.

My doctor knows what the full guard is!

So I was sitting at the chiropractor's office today. I'm getting an MRI on my foot instead of das boot. Hopefully it'll be smoother sailing than clomping around in a chunk of plastic.

The visit was great though. This is the second...no...THIRD doctor I've seen about this, so I wasn't expecting too much. I explained how I'd hurt myself and he replied "Yeah...we're going to have to take you off running, but I don't want you to have to stop training completely. If you do spar, work in full guard and escapes only. Nothing from the top." Say what? Did he just give me a BJJ specific prescription? I knew going to a chiro that specialized in sports medicine meant that there would be a deeper understanding of the injury, but it turns out this guy works on a couple of big name MMA fighters when they want to treat their injuries with as much secrecy as possible. This was the exact OPPOSITE of the kiais. I guess that's the benefit of training in an area where MMA is so big.

We talked more about treatment and diagnosis options and something he said totally caught me off guard "I want to interrupt your training as little as possible. I don't like to keep athletes from their activities." Athletes? Me? An athlete? No way.

Afterward, we discussed my chronically crackly knees, which thankfully, are only due to genetically tight quads. Apparently the tight muscle offsets alignment, causing pain. The grinding comes from decreased cartilage (which I knew) and apparently, grappling helps rebuild it. 

What I learned (and didn't learn) from armbars from mount.

This submission has plagued me like no other before...though I think I may be glamorizing the good ol' days of triangle frustration.

I think though, that it is an excellent example of the recent clarity I've had in how I learn physical things. Not surprisingly, it is very similar to how I learn the intangible. I'm a top down learner, which means details are little more than disconnected lists of rote memorization until I know what the whole puzzle looks like. Always making comparisons to my adventures in language learning, I'm starting to make efforts to translate what I learned not to do while studying Japanese, and learned TO do in Spanish and Mandarin.

Here are the methods I use when studying language:

• Listen as much as possible. 8 hrs a day of foreign radio at work, more at home and while driving if possible.
• Study grammar, but in very, very small pieces that you concentrate on identifying during your listening sessions throughout the day.
• Study vocabulary, but no more than 2-3 words a day that you keep an ear out for during listening sessions.
• Engage in small, simple conversations as much as possible
• Spend as much time as possible talking to native speakers.
• Spend time with other learners for the sake of explanation and guidance from someone who's walked the same path you have.
• Spend time with less advanced learners for the sake of explanation and guidance. Minimize listening, especially when starting off. 
• Change little parts of your life for skills that require pure memorization (counting stretching in your non-native tongue, reading off numbers on signs you see, etc.)
• Watch movies and shows in genres you enjoy in a foreign language
• Listen to rap in that language (sounds nuts, but it does wonders for comprehension, listening speed and accent if you start to sing along)

This part right here? The bane of my jiu jitsu existence. 

Basically, I prefer a more subconscious method of language acquisiton partnered with light use of bottom-up methods like drills and vocabulary.

What's that mean in the world of BJJ? I find rolling more helpful than drilling. Now before the drilling police find me, I appreciate the importance of drilling...after 10 years of piano scales and finger exercises, I know all too well that certain muscle function is only acquired with massive amounts of time spent in repetition of movement. Beyond that though, when it comes to understanding a position, I need to see it in action. I need to watch other people react. I know I'm at a disadvantage because I've never watched MMA or grappling before training, so I have to watch more matches and more higher belts rolling...higher only. If I watch lower belts, I'll pick up their habits. I spent a year teaching newbies to Mandarin the basics of pronunciation, thinking "Yay! I'm helping someone learn Mandarin and at the same time, will improve my own because teaching helps you learn!" Yeah...only kinda. It helped me in my understanding of theory, but application? My tones muddied and I slowed massively in vocabulary acquisition.

So last week, I was sitting in a lesson with WrestlerInstructor (brown) and KickboxerInstructor (purple), having the steps of an armbar explained to me. While trying not to completely smother the poor teen that was my dummy for the day, I would imitate, and then go off on my own tangential efforts of understanding overarching concepts, letting go of any details that had just been given me.

I'll imitate a detail to advance a lesson, but I don't focus until I get the purpose. As a child, I did this in private, trying to follow along while my mind was racing, looking for the big picture. As an adult, I've learned to repeat what I see as the purpose of a detail, out loud. I have yet to have an instructor that didn't respond with a confirmation or correction.

I can though, see how this could be frustrating for an instructor. I imagine it can come off as if I'm forgetful or not listening, which in actuality, I'm simply not ready for the details I'm being given at the time. I'm thinking I'd benefit from discussion of a position before any demonstration begins.

Here are some issues I've found crop up for me in the step-by-step method of BJJ instruction:

• I can repeat steps when they're presented to me, but retention is far from optimal.
• I can explain steps when they're presented, but application while rolling will be difficult.
• I miss steps because I find myself concentrating on the entire move.
• If a step has to be modified for my body type and I haven't grasped the entire big picture, I have to start rebuilding said picture from scratch.
• Performing variations becomes difficult.
• Countering an opponent's reactions becomes a daunting task of memorizing prescribed reactions to prescribed situations...neither of which can even come close to covering all the possibilities that come up in training.
• I stall. A lot.  

I'm comforted somewhat by a gong fu friend of mine who "suffers" from the same issue. His sensei told him that his method of learning is much slower at the beginning, but provides for a more solid foundation of understanding since you are trying to learn much more from the get go.

Oh...the translation of that language rules...

• Watch as much as possible. Get on YouTube and watch matching of grapplers you respect. Especially those with similar body types and strengths/weaknesses
• Study principles, but only one or two at a time. Find people at the gym who execute them well and watch them.
• Study moves but only a couple at a time. Focus on identifying them while you're watching others roll.
• Position specific, full resistance drills are your friends.
• Spend as much time as possible with high level belts.
• Spend time with blues and high whites for the sake of explanation and guidance from someone who's memory is fresh on what it's like to be a newbie.
• Teach other white belts. When rolling, play offense as much as possible. (I'm finding that defense against white belts isn't a very valuable skill.) 
• Incorporate drills into your life. Stretch at work. Bridge and hip shoot to get moving in the morning. Use bodyweight exercises to come down from work.
• Watch Red Belt.
• Listen to Brazilian rap. 

Getting my chin to my toes...

The 100 day Chin to Toe challenge rages on. I've modified my technique a bit after reading of this lady's success.

My biggest impediment to the forward bend? My hamstrings. When stretching with my back flat in a cold stretch, I could only get to about 90 degrees (Sad, I know). I've made some good progress and it doesn't hurt to stretch anymore...I'm down to mild discomfort. 

On the side split, I actually enjoy that one now. Groin is still tight, but I'm noticing some positive impact when rolling already. 

How to know if you're on the right track to a triangle.

So this is like, round three of my focusing on triangles. Gotten much better at not losing people in the locking process (I'm keeping better pressure and don't need to really look anymore). I'm not forgetting the arm, and I've started going straight for the lock more (at the gentle encouragement of a couple of the guys).

So I just ran across this article from InsideBJJ. I've been referencing Rob's stuff pretty much since I started training and it's all been really helpful, especially his piece "33 Grips Every Grappler Must Know".


The video that comes with it gives a few things you should aim for when setting up the submission. The one that I think is going to be the most use to me (in cases where going straight for the lock might not an option) is heel placement-getting the heel in contact with with at least the middle of the back. I think shooting for that will help me get past lazy hip-shooting. 

What have you learned from a lower belt?

So I was rolling with this new blue yesterday. I had him in scarf hold and managed to pull off this armbar. I saw it sitting there and went for it. He locked his hands up to defend and I started pushing (carefully) to break his grip. I did it, he tapped and I got a "good job, you got that, just push higher up on the arm next time."

We'd never learned it in class, I just know that for about a week, one of the bigger kids was catching me in it left and right (and now I see why. People just seem to walk into it.)

So...what has a lower belt taught you?

I had a quick conversation with our lady black belt about all the bumps and pitfalls your run into training BJJ and this video speaks pretty directly to that. If you've got a couple minutes, check out this video. I teared up a little.

Doing "manly" pushups...

The resistance bands are really working. I'm up to doing full on military style pushups during the warmup...range of motion is still WAY too shallow, but the bands 3x a week are making a huge difference.



I know people recommend that you build perfect pushup form first, then work on number from there, but the opposite way seems to be working better for me. I think, starting out, I was so weak that bottoming out, I didn't have even close to enough power to get my 210 lbs back off the floor. I still don't, but I've started doing the workout above to build what I need during that phase of the movement. I highly recommend these for anybody looking for a portable, challenging resistance workout.

Happy news on the squat front too, I'm able to get my thighs below parallel with feet flat and hold without pain for a decent amount of time. I wouldn't have suspected that loosening up lower body flexibility would be so hard and slow.

I did this today and I'm proud...and I feel like a jerk.

Being one of those rare jiujitsukas that has no athletic experience at ALL, every now and then, we do something and my reaction is WOW! I did it!

Tonight was nice and chill. I showed up and it was me, NiceVoiceInstructor, four blues and one of the kids. Long story short, we did this...

I was so happy when I finished. Before we started, NiceVoiceInstructor told me it was a flashy, but not-too-difficult move he was going to teach. I don't know if it's because it was his class that I first took, but I always get scared when he says things about class. Somehow I heard "I'm going to do that to you today" and my nerves went all a-flutter. He's never hurt me, never had a bad experience and my nervousness is a thing of the past...I guess I just associate him with the scariness of starting BJJ.

Anyway, I ended up drilling with a blue that sounded EXACTLY like one of my cousins from New York and it went off without a hitch. Nice finish to judo month. I'm quite proud.

What I'm NOT proud of is yelping for joy when I thought I managed to make my way out of a judo throw one of the blue belts tried on me, only to find out a few seconds later that his groan wasn't one of failure, but instead one of pain because he'd actually strained his hamstring part way through. Oops.

Variations on Triangles and a lesson from hospitals

Took today off after a day at Universal Studios (Harry Potter was great...the rest of Islands of Adventure? Not-so-much.) and decided to go by the no-gi class this morning. It's taught by KickboxerInstructor who's a very direct contrast to WrestlerInstructor, the brownbelt I take privates with. Kind of like...MacGyver vs. House...Kirk vs. Picard...Mayuri Kurotsuchi vs. Kenpachi Zaraki. 


His classes tend to focus on a basic position, then variations from there. Today, we did triangles with three adjustments.


1) Basic Triangle-I always get caught up on adjusting/not adjusting my upper body depending on the situation. I was told today, that because of my leg length, that I should be going straight for the lock...which I knew, I just need some triangle confidence. 


2) Fleeing arm, hiding armbar-Love faking. In this one, you fake like you're going to undo the arm that's been hidden to defend and instead grab an armbar on the opposite side. 


3) Standing opponent gives up armbar-Opponent stands up so you lose leverage on the choke. Take the outside arm between your neck and shoulder, turn the arm outward (seemed to work better if I turned just below the elbow and push with your hips.


4) Switched choke-I absolutely adored this one. It switches from an air to a blood choke by simply reversing the triangle. After the opponent defends, bring the top, locking leg across the back with the opposite arm, while maintaining pressure with the bottom leg and simultaneously rotating it across the back so that it becomes the top leg. While the basic triangle applies pressure by pressing with the bottom leg and turning out with the top, the switched version uses more of a squeezing motion. 

A tennis coach friend of mine got me using wipes in situations where I couldn't get to a shower (long days at theme parks, long flights, outdoor festivals, etc.) I've come to love these hospital grade, disposable washcloths. They're generally used for patients that are bedridden to help prevent infection, but I use them since I don't shower at the gym. We're at a new, much bigger gym and honestly, there are just too many random guys wandering around. I used to use the regular little wipes you get, but they don't hold up well for wiping down an entire body.

The 100-day, chin to toe challenge

One of my speaking partners, a taichi and gong fu guy, just IMd me that he's starting this stretching program and I think I'm going to join him.

The goal is to be able to get your chin to your toes in 100 days. I'm not sure if that's even an option because of my build, but I'm game. If I can get a good method for achieving side splits too, I'll add that on.

I've made progress with my hamstrings and the bend at my hips is deeper, but my calves still burn. If anyone's interested in joining, I'm going to do this and straddle stretches. 

It's Judo Month!!! My psoas are tight!!

And I'm friggin' sore!!

Me 18 months ago...well, not literally...you know what I mean

Georgette, thank you for the reminder about Stumptuous. I'd started reading a while back but it had fallen off my regular blog reading list. I went just now and right on the home page I found this article about yoga for fighters and tight psoas. Before I started, I could do double pigeon and almost get my head to the ground. Now? Sitting up straight is a bit of a challenge.

I TOTALLY forgot we were doing a month of judo at the gym. I was super excited when I found out last month and totally glad we're doing it. This grip thing is so mysterious, it makes me want to learn more. As soon as I finish writing this, I'm going to see how much I can put down on paper from memory.


We did two rounds today...one from standing, just grip fighting and the other from our knees, pure jiu jitsu. Why...oh why...do I hesitate so much??? Side control and bottom half are my mortal enemies and I know exactly what to do, but what do I do when I see someone coming for them? I freeze and start thinking. I'm getting better at setting up submissions from spider and what do I do? Hesitate to get my lasso in. The thinking periods are getting shorter though. I was way too down on myself after class. I don't know why I ignore perfectly reasonable factors for reduced performance...first day of resistance band training (my shoulder are so weak!), longer than normal warm up. I think I'm getting better about that yet.

And this week, to get back on track, I'm doing a week of brown rice with black beans and wheat germ, chicken baked in a smoked paprika yoghurt crust with panko, salmon croquettes and Parmesan roasted broccoli...and to keep me on track, a weekend project of churros con chocolate. Something near and dear to my heart.