JujitsuBlog.com

End of a personal era...

During my father's recent hospitalization, we had many hours to sit and talk about everything from the horror of hospital food to the great care provided by the medical professionals to the many wonderful members of our family. At one point, I was studying my jujitsu charts as he rested between the next round of pokes and prods. I mentioned the possibility of a belt test in February and then asked whether he'd be interested in attending. He smiled and replied, 'Yeah!?". Not long after that discussion, my father ended 2 1/2 weeks in the hospital. He returned home and was doing much better. We shared a great Thanksgiving with the family gathered for a big day of chowing down, watching football and keeping good company. 

My father died the next morning. He had a massive heart attack while having an early morning slug of egg nog. 

The past few days have been a whirlwind of emotion and events. 78 years of life, 52 years of marriage, 36 years of firefighting, 4 children, 3 grandchildren and a throng of other family members, friends, co-workers neighbors and acquaintances left behind. Crying, notifications, disbelief, wakes, eulogies, hugs, flowers, food, drink and attempts to take the first steps forward. 

Many of my dojo mates have reached out and a good number came to my father's wake to extend their sympathies and lend their support. They were a part of the group that came together to provide my family and I with the understanding and bolstering we needed. A family of fighters reaching out a hand to lift us back up. 

I've written a good deal about my father these past few days. His obituary. His eulogy. He played a very significant role in making me who I am and we shared many wonderful times together. We were fortunate to forge a closer relationship over the past several years. Maybe what I'll miss most is the early mornings we shared on vacations. We'd rented beach cottages for family vacations for many years. I'm usually the first to rise and make coffee. My father wasn't far behind me and would join me on the deck for some hot java while the sun rose over the beach. While the rest of the family slept. we'd chat about almost anything as the waves rolled onto the shore and the sun made the water look like it was topped with gold glitter. It was our time. 

I returned to the dojo last night for the first time since my father's death. It felt great to expend some energy not related to coping with the aftermath of father's death. Now I need to try and move ahead. To re-focus on the task at hand. That shouldn't be too difficult with the memory of my father to inspire me. 

BillWhitaker.com

Below is a cartoon that my father drew for my 49th birthday in 2008. He always used is cartooning abilities to personalize his cards and letters. I've started a website to begin storing scans of his thousands of cartoons, paintings and other works of art. It can be found at BillWhitaker.com. 

Click on the cartoon below to expand it further...

 

Martial Arts Training in Gaza

Palestinian boys stand on top of another as he lays on iron nails, broken glass and knives during a training session at the Red Dragon martial arts club in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza on November 19, 2009. UPI/Ismael Mohamad | License Photo | Permalink

via www.upi.com

Holiday Madness Approaches

It's been awhile. The craziness of soccer season was supposed to lead directly into a 'stay-cation' and a renewed focus on jujitsu. Instead, my family had to rally around our ailing patriarch. My father spent two and a half weeks in the hospital battling a number health issues, During that time, I made a couple classes but spent more time sleeping in a chair in the corner of his hospital room. He's now home and continuing his recovery. Personally, I'm catching up a bit. Trying to get my feet under me before the holidays are upon us. So what's going on?

• Regular classes: For the most part, I've been able to get to, at least, two classes a week. We have an interesting mix right now. A good spread on guys training across all belt levels. The weather is starting to turn a bit cooler and training in the cold dojo will test the new guys mettle. That said, I have to admit that I prefer the sweat and mosquitoes of August versus the bitter cold and hard mats of February. 
• Brown belt: Sensei put Joelbow and I on notice that we may test for brown belts in February. This means that the pressure is on and we need to up our games. Add this to the holiday season and it's a good thing you have class to work of some anxiety build-up. 
• Privates: In order to help prepare for a possible test, I've lined up a few additional classes to get my techniques up to snuff. The first is tomorrow. 
• Bash: The annual mass beatdown is scheduled for about a month from now. To prepare, we're doing more sparing in class. I caught a nice solid knee to the forehead from Sensei the other night. It should be interesting to see whether I survive the next couple months unscathed. That will be one of the hurdles to clear before a test. 
• CrossFit: In order to up my fitness level before testing, I've started some CrossFit training. Between regular training, leaf raking and CrossFit craziness, I'm feeling good and sore. 
• Running: Thanksgiving brings the annual Manchester Road Race. It's about a five-mile run the morning of the holiday and will, in my mind, officially kick-off the effort to prepare for my first official belt test. 

Now for some sleep. Let the madness begin. 

Mega Chris' Childhood Adventures

Best Uchi Mata

Jujitsu Photo Gallery

It was hot inside the dojo and cold outside which caused my camera lens to continually fog up. That noted, I did get a few shots from Tuesday night's class. 

Link to gallery: 171 photos

 

Prepare To Tap

 

Class At Sempai Matt's

 

Full Contact Jujutsu

Injury Report

Sitting here today, I feel a little nodule of soreness at the top of my left ear. My jawline line is a bit tender. Both shoulders are achy but no worse for wear. The right wrist is a little raw from Big Dave wrapping the wrist with my belt and mimicking a garrote. A rib on my left side is sore from his knee a couple weeks ago. My abdominal muscles are gnarled up from excessive crunches and leg lifts from the Joelbow-led exercises. My right knee still hurts and is clicky from a fall over a month ago. And I'm having fun. Such is life at the dojo.

As noted, Joelbow led an exercise session that left everyone gasping. Lots more push-ups than I expected from someone with a bum shoulder. Joelbow and I were paired to train together for the night. We worked on the yellow belt chart and worked our way through 75% of it before newaza began. Joelbow's shoulder is still not right so we worked at half-strength. It was interesting to do the yellow belt techniques again as they seemed far less complex after so much time spent on the blue charts.

I got in plenty of newaza with mixed results. The good news was that I never felt gassed. Or maybe that means I didn't push myself enough.

• Sempai Steve: As always, this is a losing proposition. I don't have an advantage in any area. Size? No. Strength? No. Agility? No. Skills? No. Experience? No. I feel like one of those teams UConn plays early in the season to break a sweat and get a W in the Win column. You know, South Appalachian State or the like. Sempai Steve always finds a bunch of submissions on me and lets them pass. He usually finishes me with something I try on him. It's sort of his lesson on how it should be done.
• Osoto Gary: We had a good roll until I banged my heel into his face on a Mount/Juji Gatame attempt. He's been sending me coloration details by e-mail to remind me of my carelessness.
• Special Ed: He's WAY better than he was. Fights much tougher and won't tap to a mean look. He needs to keep a better base as he's still easily knocked over but he's far more game than he was.
• Lawyer Steve: He's not big but smart and very strong. He tends to give 110% of that strength in the first few minutes. Waiting it out until his gas tank drains is the easiest route. He has the potential to be a killer when his techniques catch up to his willingness to fight.
• Big Dave: He seems bigger than ever. I survived despite being either buried under his 300 pounds or being literally flung across the dojo. Each roll is death defying and only made survivable due to his reasonable temperament. 

Back to class again tonight. Hoping to gain some more knowledge and experience without picking up another knock.

Still On The Soccer Fields

 

Definitive Proof That Martial Arts Is Good For Your Body

 

Soccer Trumps Blogging

It's that time of year where jujitsu classes continue while soccer season is now is full effect. Seven games and four practices in the next couple weeks. This leaves little time for anything jujitsu-oriented aside from class and healing from class. Then again, these years for coaching my daughter's teams are fleeting and I'll hope to have years of jujitsu ahead when she's away at college. 

Lessons From A Champion

Ukemi

Special Army soldiers flip simultaneously as they demonstrate their martial arts skills during a rehearsal for the 61st anniversary of Armed Forces Day at the Gyeryong military headquarters, South Korea. South Korea will celebrate the 61st Armed Forces Day on Oct. 1.

via news.bbc.co.uk

Kata Guruma Variation

Proving Your Worth

As I drove from soccer practice to class Tuesday night, my throat still was a little sore from a 'koko' to the throat by Sempai Sadist at the previous Thursday's class. We were practicing Pistol Side Head - Osoto Gari which includes a strike to the neck using the C-shaped ridge formed between your thumb and fingers. He gave me a jab that was a couple levels above normal and gave me a way to remember him over the next week.

Classes on Tuesday nights are well attended but it was clear when arriving that this wasn't a typical night. Cars were stacked deep and wedged in everywhere. As I approached the packed dojo, I ran into Osoto Gary. We'd recently been talking about the likelihood of a night like this. He's been flirting with getting promoted to blue belt and the assembly of black belts was a sure sign that the game was on. I said to him, ''This looks like your night, dude.'' He just nodded his head seriously and proceeded inside. 

We started the class with warm-ups and then paired up to work on some techniques instructed by Sensei. We went through a numerous throw transitions which included a method for receiving an Ogoshi but gaining Guard as you landed.

We then were moved into different groups. The black and brown belts on one side of the dojo and the blue and white belts on the other. Sensei placed Osoto Gary into the middle with Sempai Matt. From the first thunderous Kubi Nage Otoshi laid on by Sempai Matt, it was clear that this was absolutely Gary's test night. During the course of the next half-hour, I looked over from time to time as I trained with Special Ed. Sempai Matt was pushing him hard and working the techniques with an intensity not seen on an average night. Gary's shaved head was bright red and sweat was pouring down his face. Game on.

When a half-hour remained in class, Sensei paired up a couple fights. Osoto Gary drew Sempai Matt and the bashing began. Osoto Gary is a sizable guy and probably outweighs Sempai Matt by 40 pounds but he was being dominated and tossed around like a rag doll. This was no average roll after a night of training. This was a probe into the of depth Osoto Gary's will. 

Things did not stop there. All the belts above Osoto Gary in rank awaited their turn to test his mettle. Did he have the strength, the courage and the spirit to endure? Sensei, Sempai Sadist, Sempai Prodigy, Mega Chris, Joelbow and I all wanted our chance to push Osoto Gary to his limit. And most of us did. Gary had just the slightest chance to straighten his gi and retie his yellow belt before another anxious jujitsu practitioner threw him to the mat and began treating him ruthlessly. 

After 30 minutes of continuous pummeling, Osoto Gary was still standing. Albeit with a sweat-drenched gi, a beet-red face and a look of utter exhaustion etched across his face. We lined up to end class. There was a brief pause before Sensei waved Osoto Gary to join the front of the class. Sensei presented him with his new belt and instructed him to snap it open. He then removed his yellow belt for the last time and tied it on the ground in front of him. Osoto Gary then placed his new bright blue belt around his waist as Sensei said a few words on his behalf. He spoke about Osoto's proven toughness. That when Gary had first started he was unable to complete our pre-class runs but was now at the head of the pack. He'd proven that he was worthy of moving beyond the beginning belt levels and into blue. 

Things weren't quite over for Osoto Gary. It's Kobukai tradition that the promoted student receives a throw from the higher ranked belts. This represents all the times the higher belts have received a throw from the newly promoted student during their journey. The throws are all from the student's new chart which means it's also an introduction to what lies ahead. With the exception to the Maki Geashi (where he landed on his head), Gary took all the throws without issue. He certainly was plenty warmed up by this point. 

It was great to see one of my favorite training partners get the recognition he's worked so hard for. And I'm looking forward to training the blue belt chart with him and seeing him wince the first few times he goes through each technique. 

The Power Of Katana

Baltimore City police officers talking near the yard where a Johns Hopkins University student armed with a samurai sword reportedly killed a man who broke into the garage of his off-campus residence early Tuesday. (Baltimore Sun photo by Lloyd Fox / September 15, 2009)

via www.baltimoresun.com

The Road More Traveled

There have been days when I've left the dojo on a high based on my workout, my technique or my fighting. Today wasn't one of those days. Yet, I left feeling satisfied that I sucked it up and made my way through the night despite being tempted earlier to pass on the class. Here was my day in a nutshell:

5:15 - Up from bed and down into the kitchen to pop on the coffee. 

5:30 - Make a tasty breakfast for my dog Ben and myself. 

5:40 - Watch some 'Entourage' while polishing off some yogurt and coffee. 

6:00 - Down to the basement for some sit-ups and weights. 

6:30 - Wake-up my daughter before heading to the shower.

7:00 - Take Ben for a short walk and start the car. 

7:15 - Begin my workday with a 7:15 teleconference while driving my daughter to school. 

7:40 - Walk my daughter to the school yard. 

8:00 - Arrive at the vet with Ben for his latest chemo treatment. 

8:20 - Leave the vet and begin the drive to work. 

9:10 - Arrive at work.

10:00 - A series of meetings begin. 

4:00 - Leave work and speed home. 

4:45 - Leave home and head to soccer practice with daughter. 

4:55 - Pick up another soccer player in neighborhood. 

5:00 - Begin coaching soccer practice. 

6:30 - Bring soccer practice to a close. 

6:35 - Jump in Jeep and head to jujitsu class. 

6:55 - Arrive at class and quickly change into gi.

7:00 - Class begins. 

7:20 - Finish initial warm-ups while sweating and swatting mosquitoes. 

8:00 - Finish muddling through technique training.

8:30 - Finish lethargic randori with some fair nage attempts and poor newaza.

8:40 - Head home. 

9:05 - Arrive home. 

9:15 - Grab a quick shower. 

9:30 - Kiss daughter good night. 

9:45 - Review daughter's homework while eating a late dinner and watching 'Bully Beatdown'. 

10:20 - Write this blog entry while watching 'The Daily Show' on Hulu. 

11:00 - Set alarm clock for 5 AM. Need to be at work 7 AM tomorrow. 

Sometimes jujitsu is just the smallest slice of a long day but well worth the thrashing.