February 06, 2010
January 29, 2010
January 27, 2010
January 24, 2010
Jujitsu Flux
Things have always had a tendency to flux a bit with jujitsu. More often than not, you feel as though you're beginning to figure things out and you spend the next week befuddled and getting owned on the mats. As an inexperienced jujitsu fanatic, it's often a case where you'll seem to have some early success when grappling with a senior belt only to find out the next class that they were just toying with you. Letting you do decently just to keep your spirits up. The next thing you know you're tapping almost as soon as the roll begins. These days the fluctuations tend to be based on other things.
Attendance: My major conflict tends to be soccer coaching and we're in the winter season. Things means only early games on Saturdays. This week, I coached a soccer game at 7 AM and then went to jujitsu class at 10:30. I've been able to make almost all my schedule classes at the new dojo and I'm certainly getting in the reps I need. So the flux is UP in this area.
Technique: On Thursday night, I began class working on a version of the Makikomi throw that I hadn't attempted before. I had a couple decent attempts but never really mastered it. Of course, this didn't stop me from trying it during my roll with Mega Chris. Needless to say, it was a failed attempt although somewhat better than the practice versions. I also had a chance to work through aikijitsu techniques with Sensei. He had me do both right and left-handed versions. Although not extremely sharp, I actually did better than I expected. Part of this is probably because I've worked a fair amount of left-hand reps due to my primary training partner, Joelbow, having a cranky right shoulder. We also worked some ground techniques and I had a complete brain freeze on one technique. On Saturday, Joelbow and I worked through the charts with Sempai Matt watching over us. He had plenty of praise for Joelbow's efforts but mostly corrections for mine. Rightly so. My hip was aching and I was letting myself use that as an excuse but it wasn't a huge factor. I left that section of training feeling like I was total crap. So the flux is DOWN in this area.
Fighting: For the most part, I've been staying with the higher belts for my rolls. Lots of time with Sensei, Sempai Matt, Sempai Jake and Mega Chris. Generally, my efforts have been fairly good. I've definitely been doing the vast majority of the tapping but my rolls have been active and I've not been an easy mark. I'm aggressive on takedowns but often fail and end up with a disadvantage. I need to improve my technique and commitment to the throw to have them be to my advantage. Flux is generally UP.
Fitness: Some of the ukemi in the new larger dojo is making me a bit dizzy and push-ups past 50 reps are very tough with the shoulder I separated. Otherwise, I seem to be in decent shape. I've done cardio when not in class and my motor has been good. I worked on my diet and have dropped about 8 pounds since the beginning of the year. I've been trying to work on improving my flexibility but I sense that I'll never be putting my foot behind my head or doing a split. Given the weight loss and regular class attendance, I would say the flux is UP.
Health: A couple weeks ago, I thought my brown belt test was in jeopardy. I felt what I thought was a back spasm when practicing a throw with Sempai Matt. It seemed like a back muscle a couple days later and a butt muscle sooner after that. It now feels like a hip muscle. All that said, it feels like it's getting better and I have been able to get through the classes. I've been doing more stretching and have scheduled some massages between now and the test. Aside from older injuries, I feel okay. This recent injury definitely sent the flux DOWN but the ability to work through it has the flux edging back UP.
Focus: I'm definitely an ADD type. My mind is always floating around. This is useful when trying to divert my mind when Sempai Sadist is having us bang out an insane number of leg lifts but not valuable when you need to translate Japanese into precision self-defense maneuvers. I'm not sure if my focus is currently any worse than normal but it's certainly more important at the moment. This makes the lack of it more critical and apparent. The flux here is DOWN.
Learning: Part of going through the chart techniques repetitively is to build muscle memory and to improve your results. As we've gone through the charts of late, Sensei and the other instructors have refined many subtle things. Some of it is refining footwork or grips and others are breaking bad habits I've gotten into over the years. This focus on precision has the flux heading UP.
Enjoyment: Nobody laughs in class more than I do. I truly enjoy myself and enjoy laughing at even things that are painful. I sometimes feel like I shouldn't be laughing so much because it might appear that I'm not taking things seriously enough. I was also a bit concerned about the transition to the new location but I now believe it makes the whole experience more enjoyable. The space, the parking, the facilities and even the influx of new students are all positives. The flux here is UP.
Enough for the self-analysis. I better go study.
January 21, 2010
37 Days To Go...
Not my best night of training...but I learned...and there are days like that which serve as a foundation for progressing...I picked up some corrections...got a good workout....and took another step (albeit crooked) forward...
January 19, 2010
January 18, 2010
Upon Further Review
The long weekend has given me a chance to start cleaning out the basement thanks to FreeCycle and also to watch a view fight related videos. I thought I'd pass along my impressions.
Grappleart Submissions and Sweeps for the iTouch: I was lucky to get an iTouch for Christmas. I wondered what the heck I'd do with it but I now finding myself carrying it everywhere with me. One of the coolest features has been the Grapplearts applications that provide videos of various techniques. For only $3.99 apiece, I now have a library of techniques that I can watch at anytime. I've already been able to successfully use a couple techniques during classes. That's both a sign of how effective the lessons are and how limited my 'arsenal' is (but I'm working on it).
My daughter was good enough to pluck a couple bargain DVDs out of the bin at the local discount store and I had a chance to watch them while running on the treadmill.
UFC 5: This UFC featured both the elimination tournament and a super fight. Dan Severn made up for his loss to Royce Gracie in the UFC 4 finals by blazing through the competition including UFC 6 winner Oleg Taktarov. The super fight was between Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock. Gracie had choked out Shamrock in UFC 1 and was determined not to suffer the same fate. Unfortunately, Shamrock defined the 'lay and pray' strategy with 36 minutes of hiding his head in Gracie's guard. It was a declared a draw. Boring stuff.
UFC 8: Billed as 'David Vs. Goliath', the tournament featured huge fighters versus simply big dudes. The cream did rise to the top with Don Frye knocking off Gary Goodridge. Frye had a great tournament winning his three fights in a total of just over 3 minutes. The super fight featured Ken Shamrok versus Kimo. Not surprisingly, Shamrock schooled him on the ground and tapped Kimo via knee bar.
Mike Tyson versus Larry Holmes - January 22, 1988: I caught this fight on ESPN on Demand. A 21-year old Tyson at 32-0 and still not limited by bad habits versus an un-retiring Holmes at 48-2. For the first three rounds, Holmes was able to keep distance with his left jab and smoother the shorter Tyson in the clinch. Holmes started the fourth with some fancy footwork. After a break midway in the round, Tyson caught Holmes with a long lead right that floored the former champ. Holmes got to his feet staggering but was floored two more times to close the fight out.
Holmes would end up fighting until 2002 but would lose both of his title fights. Tyson's demise was on the horizon. He was an amazingly tenacious fighter and really under-sized for a heavy weight.
January 17, 2010
Three Frogs Sitting On A Log...
As is my weekly habit, I was listening to The Fightworks Podcast to get a fill of jujitsu talk while making my work commute. One of the recent guests was fitness expert Martin Rooney. He was on the podcast to discuss New Year's fitness resolutions and the upcoming release of his new book, 'Utlimate Warrior Workouts - Fitness Secrets of the Martial Arts'. At one point, Martin asked the following question to the podcast host Caleb:
Three frogs are sitting on a log in a pond. Two of them decide to jump into the water. How many frogs are left on the log?
Not surprisingly, Caleb answered, 'One'. Martin replied that the correct answer was three as the two frogs had simply 'decided' to jump into the water versus actually having done so. His point was that resolutions are nothing until you take action. Deciding to lose 10 pounds and actually taking action to do so are very different.
With that in mind, I'll get down to my jujitsu resolutions for 2010:
Brown belt - My brown belt test is currently scheduled for February 27th at 11 AM. I note 'currently scheduled' because much can happen between now and then. It's only 41 days. Not much time to get prepared but enough time to suffer an injury that could cause a postponement. An untimely injury aside, the six weeks will pass quickly and there's much to be done to ensure I'm prepared properly. Dojo history to memorize. Japanese terms to brush up on. Techniques to tighten up. Physical fitness and mental fortitude to hone.
Fitness - Some sloppy habits and tough personal events combined for some missed workouts and poor eatings in the last part of the year. My weight went up too high and I started to feel slow and heavy. I've gotten off to a good start this year and quickly dropped 9 pounds. I'd like to drop another 7 and keep my weight in the area of 180. I'm using a diet/exercise tracking program called Lose It! and it has helped me really think about what I'm eating versus my activity. I'm sure that my grappling is far better and that I feel much better when my weight is where it should be. I recently had my annual physical and came away with great results. Jujitsu has provided me with health benefits and will continue to do so as long as I keep my food intake in check.
JujitsuBlog.com - Like my eating/exercise, my posting has been unsteady during the later part of the year. I'm going to try and update on a regular basis. The posts might be brief but I'd like to get back to making regular updates.
Supporting teammates - If I can pass the brown belt test, I will have a very long road in front of me before I can be considered for a black belt. It will be a good time to focus on aiding my dojomates in their efforts to progress. Mega Chris to black belt. Oz the Wizard and Big Dave to brown belt. Little Greg and Special Ed to blue belt. Sprout and Esqueleto to yellow belt. Plus all the others within the school.
Supporting the new dojo - We're now in a new dojo and the school appears to be taking off. Initially, it was a little unsettling to move from our familiar hombu to this new location. A couple weeks in and the mats are beginning to feel comfortable and I'm not finding myself driving to the wrong place as often. We're accustomed to a small crew with few visitors and we're now often holding class in front of potential students. Being open to this new experience is as important is being open to new techniques. And I always love a new technique.
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