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Should Have Know Better

I’m not sure if I’m grittily determined or borderline stupid but I definitely warrant psychology investigation.

Some evenings, I visit or ‘check on’ (my mother hates this concept) my parents before jujitsu class. As I walked toward their door yesterday, I felt tired and achy. I’ve not really taken a break from training this year. I’ve sought out classes when in California. I drove back from Rhode Island for regular classes when vacationing at the beach. Heck, I even went to classes with a separated shoulder. Now it was the end of soccer season and I was feeling tired from coaching, raking leaves, carrying air conditioners to various garages and trying to keep up at work. In addition to my lack of energy, I now had a sore knee to go along with my chronically achy shoulders. Even as I headed down the road toward class, I toyed with the idea of just turning toward home and a long night’s rest.

Of course, I turned toward class. Heck, it was a Tuesday. Probably a class full of white and yellow belts. I’d probably get lucky and spend the bulk of the evening doing lower chart Newaza and hardly breaking a sweat.

It worked out exactly the opposite.

Attendees were Sensei, Sempai Jake, Sempai Ryan, Mega Chris (brown), Oz the Wizard (blue), Joelbow (blue) and myself (blue). I knew that the make-up of the class would mean that Sensei didn’t have to focus on the lower charts. He was going to have fun with this more senior group and he didn’t disappoint. Everything had a unique twist to it including Ukemi where we did rolls while running. On some of the forward rolls, we also had to pick up a pistol and a club as we flew across the mat.

We did far too many variations to recount here but I’ll note a few to demonstrate the level of peril. The craziest was a Kata Guruma variation. On a typical version, you over-hook the opponent’s right arm with your left, drop to your right knee, move your head under and against the back of the opponent’s right arm, grasp the opponent’s right leg and then slide your left leg away to initiate the throw. In one of last night’s variation, you went under the opponent’s arm but didn’t drop to a knee. Instead you lifted the Uke unto your shoulder and then threw them over your shoulder and onto the mat behind you. As the Uke, this meant you were dropping blindly from shoulder height. I’m guessing this is five feet or more in most cases. When it was first demonstrated to us, I think we all thought, ‘Does he really expect us to do that?’ He did. Several times.

We also did a variation on Kubi Nage Otoshi. This is typically done so that the Uke is facing toward the fall. On the version we did last evening, we used an elbow strike and then spun to complete the throw while facing the opposite direction of the Uke. You reached across their chest to hold their gi collar, brought them to the ground with the throw, grasped their head to pull them back around to the knees and then took their back to complete a choke.

We did lots of variations of these and other throws as Sensei unveiled loads of tricks. At one point, Mega Chris asked him, ‘How do you make this stuff up?’ to which Sensei replied, ‘I didn’t make any of it up’. In other words, these were things that were being passed to us through the ages.

Sensei then paired us up for a special type of Randori. We wanted us to use some tempered striking to gain position for a throw but to not continue into Newaza. Personally, I think this particular exercise is the most dangerous thing we do. It’s crazy to do some of the throws we do under controlled situations but trying for and taking throws from scrambles is even more perilous. I wondered if this was a great idea given how I felt but knew I couldn’t back down.

I went with Sempai Ryan and Oz the Wizard for this exercise. I didn’t really get anything done. I tried a few weak attempts but didn’t get anything good. I fell pray to a couple Uke Waza since I locked up too much but, in general, I wasn’t the best participant in this. Too wary and defensive on this particular night.

The last part of class was typical Randori. I was matched with Joelbow and the good news here was that I did get him to the ground. We were having another good scramble when he got my left arm and was working for a Juji Gatame (a.k.a., arm bar). I was fighting it pretty hard when he laid a heel strike across my nose and stretched me out more than I’d like. I verbally tapped and wasn’t happy. I wasn’t sure if I should be pissed about the heel in the face, the strong arm bar or for not tapping sooner. As things would turn out, I had Joelbow in a similar predicament a couple minutes later. I had both legs across his face and chest while working to break his grip to complete a Juji Gatame. It was a perfect opportunity to return the heel to the face and crank his elbow tendons. Did I go for it? Nah. It's just not my nature. Although the thought did pass through my mind.

Heartbreaker

Another week between posts as the soccer season comes toward an end. Unfortunately, my girls lost a heartbreaker this afternoon. They played a full game plus two overtimes which ended in a 1-1 tie. They then went to penalty kicks to decide who would go to the tournament finals. They lost 4-3 and went home disappointed but proud. Next week ends the season and we'll take another shot at the state title in the spring. 

An interesting class on Tuesday night. Still a relatively small class with six students joining Sensei. In addition to myself, the attendees were Joelbow, Big Dave, Osoto Gary, Rob the Plumber and first-timer Michael. We spent about the first half class doing a combination of exercises, stretches, striking techniques and newaza practice. It was different since we usually go through class in specific sections versus mixing things together so much. Big Dave, Joelbow and I then worked on Open Guard techniques until we ended the class with some Randori. 

I started with Rob the Plumber. Given that he's new to class, the idea is to help Rob along by providing him some instruction as you roll. For example, I let him take my back and sink in a choke. Then I tried to work free. This helps me work from a tough position and give Rob a chance to try these position during live action. I have to admit that Rob is a strong dude and I had a difficult time getting out of his choke. 

I next went with Joelbow and we had a very active roll with lots of action. I got something close to a Harai Goshi to get him to the floor and took top position. From there, we rolled around the dojo at a frenetic pace. Lots of transitions, sweeps and submission attempts. After one particular flurry, I heard Sensei comment to the onlookers that, if this was a BJJ match, we just scored about 50 points between us. It was just the type of roll you'd always hope to have. 

My last partner was Sensei himself. He started by grabbing my right gi lapel with his left hand. I tried to transition into an Ippon Seoi Nage but failed. We ended up in a corner and I tried to gain mount by stuffing his legs. He has blocked in the corner for a bit but eventually came out with a fury. From that point, I was basically in survival mode. I tried not to fall into the same traps that I usually do. Don't post my arm coming out of guard and get caught in a kimura. Don't fall for the arm bar transition from the knee on stomach position. Guard my legs from knee bars. Keep my chin down to avoid the guillotine. Eventually, I fell pray to a foot lock when trying to transition into an Open Guard attack. This has been a new problem for me and I think it's because I'm not controlling my opponent's upper body correctly when making these attempts. 

Thursday's class was even smaller with just Osoto Gary, Sempai Steve and Sensei there along with me. For warm-ups, Sensei rotated the choice between us. It made for an interesting set of exercises and stretches. We spent the middle portion of the class working on yellow belt jujutsu. Osoto Gary, Sempai Steve and I served as each other's ukes as we worked through the chart. Some of the techniques were new to Gary but he picked them up quickly. Given that I've 'passed' this chart, I feel a certain pressure to get these right with Sensei watching over us. He's mentioned that he expects us to improve upon our lower belt techniques as well as learning the new ones. 

I ended class working on primarily Harai Goshi and Uchi Mata with Sempai Steve. I felt like my Harai was improving a bit. My leg position still needs lots of work but I'm doing a bit better because I was loading the throw better. The Uchi Mata was even tougher but both these throws will take lots of work to perfect. 

So two more good classes and I'm beginning to get deeper into the brown belt chart and comfortable with what's in front of me. There's a ton of work to do ahead and my body is suspect but I understand better what it will take to move along. In the meantime, I'll try to enjoy the ride. 

'Welcome To Blue Belt'

I'm sitting and watching UFC 89 and hoping for some decent jujitsu while updating this blog. I did see a nice transition into a guillotine by Marcus Taylor but I haven't seen much else as yet. Nothing at all to speak of in the last couple fights. After class this morning, I zipped over to the soccer field and my girl's won their game 1-0 to advance to the state semi-finals. So soccer reason rolls on and things will stay busy for the next couple weeks.

I came away feeling satisfied with the past couple classes. Not due to my techniques being sharp (as they all need work) but because I felt a little beat up and tired yet still went to class and got my work in. Both Thursday and Saturday's classes were smallish. At this point, I have no idea what drives the ebbs and flows of attendance. The good news for me is that these small groups mean lots of room to work, lots of repetitions and the focused attention of private classes.

At Thursday class, we started with some unique exercises including standing over our prone partner, gripping their gi collars and lifting them toward your chest. We also did another exercise where we did squats while our partner was piggy-backed on us.

My training partners for the night were Sempai Steve and Oz the Wizard. It's great to have Sensei' expertise but it's added to when you have partners like Sempai Steve, a black belt in judo and jujitsu, and Oz the Wizard, a black belt in Kyosukin karate and an undefeated MMA fighter. We started with the thirteen yellow belt jujutsu techniques and then got through the first seven on the blue belt chart. Multiple repetitions of twenty techniques is a good test of whether you can suck it up. I think my favorite moment was attempting the Front Hug - Harai Goshi and having Oz make fun of my pitifully weak leg kick.

Today, it was another small class and I was paired with Joel-bow while Sempai Jake worked with Little Greg. We started with some exercises and warm-ups with a series of white and yellow belt nage thrown in. Sensei focused Joel-bow and I on open guard techniques starting with white belt and working up to blue. My favorite part of this were a number of 'flying arm bars' with numerous variations and even a transition to a takedown and a traditional juji gatame.

Near the end of Thursday night's class, Sensei showed us a technique that was new to me: Lapel Grab - Ippon Seoi Nage. The opponent grabs one lapel and then throws a punch with their other hand. You block the punch and then pull this arm across and alongside their other arm. You then turn into a Ippon Seoi Nage position with BOTH arm trapped before completing the throw. The uke must be quick to get an arm free or be subject to falling without having any slap to break their decent to the mat. After receiving a couple of these throws and struggling to get my arm free, Sensei said, 'Welcome to Blue Belt.'

The thing is, I did feel welcomed to blue belt after this week. Trying a Harai Goshi on Big Dave, taking a few 'no arms' Ippon Seoi Nage and spending a morning doing 'flying juji' variations. Even more so, I gritted my teeth and went to class when I was feeling subpar. I showed a little grit this week and I'm going to allow myself to feel good about that.

By the way, still no great jujitsu stuff on UFC 89. I don't think that they put many jujitsu practioners on this card. The British like their boxing.

Harai Goshi Goliath

A surprisingly small Tuesday night class. Where were they? Watching the Red Sox get pummeled again by the Rays? Resting up for the final Presidential debate? Thinking about the prospect of seeing Big Dave with a blue belt? Whatever the reason, we had ample space to test our abilities to try and land a Harai Goshi on Big Dave and have nobody crushed.

We had a potential new student visiting which typically means that we're going to have a well-rounded class so that they can witness a variety of what happens within the dojo. Sempai Ryan led warm-ups including his favorite 'little man in the woods' jumping jacks followed by a series of squats. My legs burned as they're evidently not yet recovered from the half-marathon on Saturday. We also went through ukemi but didn't build an 'uke pryamid' to test my lack of jumping ability.

Joel-bow, Big Dave and I were put together and Sensei had us begin with a basic Harai Goshi. It was interesting switch between these two partners as Joel-bow is almost exactly my size and Big Dave dwarfs both of us. Watching Big Dave fly over Joel-bow's hip was amazing. His toes looked like they were going to hit the ceiling beams and the sound of him hitting the mats was like a clap of thunder.

Sensei then had us add a couple versions of Harai Goshi starting from a Front Hug. The first initiated with a knee strike and pushing up the opponent's arms. You then took a half-turn away from the opponent before completing the throw. It was important to maintain control of their arms in almost an Ippon Seoi Nage way. We then added a couple submissions to the end of the throw. The first was a basic Juji Gatame. The second assumed that the opponent would attempt to pass the Juji Gatame by lifting the leg over his face. This finish called for hooking the back the opponent's head and pulling them onto their stomach. You then transitioned into a kneeling Juji Gatame.

Next we did repetitions of Club - Kote Maki Tori which Joel-bow and I had done before but Big Dave was trying for the first time. Most memorable was Big Dave's first attempt with Joel-bow. He underestimated how much torque he would generate and Joel-bow was lifted clear off the mat before landing with a bash and a Scooby-esque groan.

We then did a new aikijitsu technique called Double Wrist - Gyaku Ude Garami. It was a relativity easy to execute control move but Big Dave's size is going to require some sort of modification since the angle is too much to apply the necessary leverage.

We ended with a couple newaza transitions. I worked with Rob the Plumber on these. One example was being in your opponent's side control, executing a Shrimp Pass, gaining guard, completing an Elevator Pass to mount, doing an Ude Garami and then jumping off to side control to do a Gyaku Ude Garami.

So a night with lots of variety to keep our training interesting and to give the spectator a taste of Kobukai life. As for tomorrow's class, I was thinking about taking a day off to rest. My left shoulder is sore, my left knee is bruised and I have a variety of other bumps. Yet I somehow sense I'll be on the mats come 7:30 Thursday evening.

Jujitsu Marathon

I've never been a big fan of blog posts that explain why the blogger hasn't been posting. I've found myself in that position quite a bit of late so I'll spare anyone reading the apology and just provide a bit of a life travelogue of the past few days. Some jujitsu but plenty of other distractions as well. I'll try (probably in vain) to tie them back to some jujitsu-related application.

Wednesday: A fun-filled day at work. I was going to get in a run on the treadmill in the gym but my foot was yanked up from something that happened in Tuesday class. What and where it happened remains a mystery. Maybe when Big Dave was flinging me around the dojo. Whatever the case, the ball of my foot is purplish and sore.

Thursday: I visited the orthopedic surgeon to get my shoulders checked. My previously separated right shoulder is funny looking but highly functional. My sore left shoulder is re-diagnosed from a labrum tear to AC joint arthritis or a mild separation. I choose more 'grit my teeth', non-treatment and schedule a follow-up despite recommendations from friends to get a cortisone shot immediately. Thursday's jujitsu class is smaller than Tuesday's. This has been the trend of late. A full house on Tuesday and a smaller group on Thursday. We have four black belts and as many 'underclassmen'. Sempai Kenny is in attendance and leads us through 50 minutes of various warm-ups including lots of transition work. For example, he would have you start by having someone in guard, pass to half guard, swing up onto their back, drop into half guard on the opposite side and then regain guard. Repeat this ten times and you'll be sweating a ton. As noted, we did these drills for the bulk of the class. I was them moved to work with Rob on white belt nage and jujutsu. It's an interesting challenge to teach someone how to do a Punch/Ura Nage (rear throw). And very cool when they lock it in for the first time.

Friday: My fun at work including lunch with the boss and interviewing folks trying to move away from struggling companies like AIG. Then hustling off to soccer practice to get the girls ready for their upcoming quarterfinal state cup match while being chomped by hardy last-ditch fall mosquitoes. Then zip home to catch a quick shower before heading to the casino to watch Bonnie Raitt. Again.

Saturday: Up early to get into the city to meet Mega Chris before 8 AM start of the Hartford Marathon. We're going to go for just a 1/2 marathon this time around. Mega is challenging himself with this run since he has struggled with just a couple miles in the summer. It's a great day for a run with bright sun, cool temperatures and colorful characters and foliage all along the way. Mega sets a slow and steady pace. He's not zippy but he's steady. I worry when his iPod runs out at around mile 9 since he was living on the military cadences loaded on it. I babble along trying to distract him. At about 11, he admits to an occasional cigarette when out having a drink and that might be holding him back. He edges along and eventually we cross the finish line. It was good to see Mega meet his personal challenge and I was happy to know that I can still get this far as well. After running, I head to my sister's place and then my parent's house to pull their air conditioners out and into their respective garages for the winter. Then it's off to a hot bath and a couple beers.

Sunday: Off early to a soccer tournament. Need to be there at 7:30 AM for a start thirty minutes later. Second game at noon and back home around 2 PM. Spend the next few hours pushing first the lawn mower and then the leaf blower around the yard while listening to my iPod.

Monday: Off to work around 7 AM. Took the back roads to Springfield to avoid the highway and enjoy the leaves. It's spectacular today and it's worth the extra time. A day full of meetings before heading to the Enfield office. I meet my buddy J. Michael who will be coming to the dojo tomorrow night to check things out. I'm kind of excited about him seeing what goes on inside those four walls.

The week ahead: Tuesday brings a full day of work followed by soccer practice and jujitsu class. Wednesday includes work and a soccer game. Thursday is work and jujitsu class. Friday is work and soccer practice. Saturday is jujitsu class, a soccer tournament game and some chores around the house. Sunday brings another soccer game.

This is why I look dumbfounded when hearing someone say they're bored. I might get tired but I'm certainly not bored.

Big Blue

Another rush from the soccer field to practice to find the parking area already packed when I arrived at class with 10 minutes to spare. I have to admit that it's still odd to walk into a dojo filled with so many white and yellow belts when I'd been one of the lowest ranked for so long. This had meant that the others mopped the floor with me and then I also mopped the floor after class.

There was the usual pre-class banter. Guys moaned about the value of their 401ks in the aftermath of the recent stock downturn. Sensei gave us a favorable update on his recent knee problems. We kicked around nickname ideas for the new guy Rob. Given a recent incident where his gi pants slipped down, Sempai Ryan suggested 'Ass Crack Rob' or 'Rob the Plumber'. Hmmm? They have possibilities.

Sempai Ryan led a standard warm-up before we split up. I was paired with Big Dave to work on his white and yellow belt aikijitsu. As mentioned before, he's ridiculously big and strong. Tweaking his techniques so that they're 'worse' is a brutal endeavor. This is a guy that could remove your limb just on principal so giving him the nuances of technique means you're going to feel the pain.

Sensei then moved Joel-bow and I over with white belt Rob to work on mount techniques including Mount/Ude Garami, Mount/Kata Gatame and Mount/Juji Gatame. Rob did very well for the initial time through. I have to admit to enjoying seeing newly promoted belts feeling a submission for the first time. There's nothing like that look of surprise. We all become a little more accustomed to being choked and the like. Heck, we might even begin to savor it.

Joel-bow and I then worked some with Sempai Ryan on Harai Goshi. He showed us a modified grip and we practiced fitting the throw. A couple felt very good and others like crap. I also took a couple tough landings on my shoulder that caused me to wince but, as I write this, it feels no worse for wear. Either way, I have a appointment with my surgeon on Thursday to discuss whether to stay the course with the 'grit my teeth/no treatment' approach.

We ended the night with some randori. I drew Big Dave to start and did okay after being tossed across the dojo a couple times and escaping a near mount position. I next went with the new guy Rob and it was just a learning experience. I just tried to show him a couple things as we lightly rolled. My last roll was with Mega Chris and we had a good go at it. We both had each other in some uncomfortable spots.

At the end of class, Sensei announced to the group that Big Dave was promoted to blue belt. We've been training together for a couple years and it was great to see him achieve this. Being on the cusp of promotion can weigh on you and I know that he's feeling a sense of pride and relief this evening. That said, how the hell am I going to do a Harai Goshi on this monster? Damn.

Variety

It's been a week since my last post due to 1) a crazy schedule, 2) more soccer mania and 3) a case of the flu that caught me this weekend. If you click on the photo to the left, you'll see that the distraction has been worth it. The soccer team that I help coach notched a comeback-from-behind win to advance into the state championship quarter-finals. The only possible downside is that my schedule will continue to be busy with soccer through this month. That's not really a negative except for losing some jujitsu time.

For the girls to perform well and to keep them coming back to practices, we need to provide both consistency and repetition while trying to keep things fresh and engaging. We'll try to have them play specific positions to gain a comfort level but try not to stick them somewhere to the point of boredom. Likewise, we work some drills continually to build their skills but know that not changing things up will cause them to lose focus and interest. One thing that keeps me coming back to Kobukai is the variety of training. One day we'll have a small class and another we'll have an overflow pushing some of us outside onto the lawn. One day we'll be working out on mats slick with sweat dripping from our gi and the next we'll be doing a swimming pool-bound session including fighting in waist-deep water. There's a never-ending variety at our school and I thought I'd compare the last couple classes I attended as an example.

Health

• Tuesday: I usually pop a couple Aleve about a hour before class to take the bite out of some of my lingering pain spots. I didn't this day as I was rushing from work to soccer practice and then the dojo. I paid for it the whole night as I felt like the oldest jujitsu practitioner in history.
• Thursday: Got a chance to take the Aleve and wrap my bum toe. I wasn't spry but I did much better.

Fitness

• Tuesday: Mega leads the class and has a basic training flashback. We do more push-ups than I did during my time at Fort Benning and whatever juice I had in my tweaked shoulders goes right out the dojo door.
• Thursday: Sensei leads a reasoned session of calisthenics and stretches. I break a sweat and feel warmed up. We segue into practice by doing some repetitions of throw entries. Ten on each side and then switch before moving onto the next throw.

Practice Part One

• Tuesday: It's a crowded mat with lots of attendees. Sensei asks Joel-bow and I to work on blue belt newaza. We stake out a little corner of the dojo and try to avoid the flying bodies. We do okay until someone lands on the back of Joel-bow's head sending his nose bashing into the floor. Sensei leaves us alone most of the time but we ask for assistance a few times. We work on Mount/Tatsumaki, Mount/Sankaku Jime, Mount/Sode Jime, Mount - Hip Pass, Guard/Ude Gatame, and Guard/Sankaku Garami. Sometimes I recall the basics and sometimes Joel-bow does. On a couple techniques we call on Sensei or a nearby Sempai for assistance. It's very useful set of repetitions but I'm distracted by my achiness and feeling my I have no bounce or resilience.
• Thursday:It's a smaller class than Tuesday. I'm the highest-ranked non-black belt and work with three Sempai. Sensei has us work on a variety of blue belt throws entered in an assortment of ways. I get paired with Sempai Steve who happens to be a black belt in jujitsu and judo. As is always the case, he's extremely considerate of my relative clumsiness. He even takes an accidental head butt to the ear with a hardly a complaint. We spend the most time working on a throw that begins with an overhook that grips the opponents lapel. We use this to pull the opponent forward with downward shoulder pressure. This allows us to transition into an Uchi Mata or a kneeling Ippon Seoi.

Practice Part Two

• Tuesday: I move over to work with Big Dave on his yellow belt techniques. As his name suggests, Big Dave is a behemoth. Somewhere is the range of 6'3" or more and usually about 285 muscular pounds. Better that he be your friend versus an enemy. He works through the chart fairly easily and flings me around at will. Somehow this pummeling doesn't damage me further. He does get me to groan a couple times which elicits a mock plea to spare me from across the room. Sensei comes and calls out some techniques for Big Dave to execute. It's much tougher doing them under the Sensei's gaze and we muddle our way through.
• Thursday: I move over to work with Osoto Gary and one of our new white belts, Rob. He still has no nickname but these have to happen naturally. There's plenty of time for him to 'earn' a moniker. Rob is very new and we work through some weapon defense including Club - Osoto Gari, Club - Ogoshi, Knife Stab - Gyakute and Knife Throat Rear - Ude Garami.  As Sensei leaves me with Rob, he says, 'Listen to the blue belt' which is both a proud and nervous moment. It feels good to be trusted to impart something I've learned and a little worrying that I'm actually able to do so. Rob does fine and Osoto Gary and I work with him. Not surprisingly, he tries to muscle things too much. Also not surprising, he grimaces when feeling a submission for the first time.

End Of Class:

• Tuesday: We end class with some randori. We keep our practice partners which leaves me with Big Dave. He gives me an old guy discount and doesn't just crush me. He works at a reasonable pace and strength. We still almost end up going out the door and we reset. I get a scissor sweep and set-up an arm bar attempt with a gi choke. I almost get it but Big Dave is way too strong and reverses to pretzel me into the mat. After flailing around under him, I eventually sweep and get into his guard. We struggle a bit before the action is called to an end.
• Thursday: There's no randori or newaza on this night. We work right up the the end of class. The black belts doing scary things on one end of the dojo while the rest of us work on the basics on the other.

There's always something new and unique happening at Kobukai. It can be a chin-up contest or a broken nose. A visiting black belt or a new student. A fight to remember or belt test extraordinaire. It's always something but there's never a dull moment at this dojo.

 

Jujitsu Sucks?

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