I'm really not sure if my 'judgment' is my worst enemy or an important driver in continuing to move forward
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I'm really not sure if my 'judgment' is my worst enemy or an important driver in continuing to move forward
Posted at 08:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Every once in awhile, you walk through the dojo doors and the class has a different intensity. You expect that with the annual bash or a belt test but not so much on a seemingly unexceptional Tuesday in late November. What was the impetus behind Sensei pushing us harder than has been typical? Was it a tough day at work or highways? Was it the prospective new student watching the class? Maybe it was the upcoming annual bash or us not having class on Thursday due to the holiday? Maybe he felt we needed to be driven harder? Obviously, there’s no explanation offered. We simply needed to tighten our belts and stay with the pace. As I sat down to dinner later in the evening, I had no interest in the salad in front of me. My insides were still churning. I just wanted to drink Gatorade and watch ‘The Road to Perdition’.
Posted at 09:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Over the past couple days, I've been watching 'Seven Samurai'. The movie is nearly 3 1/2 hours so watching it in one sitting would require more time or patience than I have these days. It's an excellent movie and I'd recommend it highly. During the battle scene toward the end of the movie, the two top samurai are discussing the fortifications they built. The second in charge asks why they had left an exposure on one of their four boundaries. The leader replies that they needed to provide a gap to lure the attacking bandits in to fight them. We states, 'If we only defend, we lose the war.' This made me think about jujitsu. That rushing in heedlessly or playing all defense were both flawed strategies. It was fine to be careful but not to withdraw completely.
Sensei started class by having us run around the yard surrounding the dojo. We looked like a motely crew in our gi and assorted footwear (e.g., sandals, boots, sneakers) as we trudged across the frosty grass. It did make the cool air inside the dojo seem warm in comparison. Sempai Jake led a round of Ukemi to close out the warm-ups. I felt bad for the new white belt Mikey. He hadn't done Ukemi before and his rolls were awkward. He also had some very sore ribs from a tough landing he took at Thursday's class. He was treading on the fine line between being gritty and doing more than he should have. We all run into these judgment calls about our fitness. Are we making a reasoned decision or wuzzing out when we skip a class due to a tweak? Should we suck it up and make the best of it or allow ourselves to recover?
I spent the majority of class working with Sempai Jake on blue belt jujitsu. This included:
We ended class with some randori. I had a chance to go with some of the lower belts and Sempai Jake. With the white and yellow belts, I spent a fair amount of this time trying to be helpful but also looking to work a submission if I could find the opening. My toughest roll was, not surprisingly, with Sempai Jake. He had me in a couple tough spots but I kept composed enough to not make matters worse for myself. Although I didn't tap out, I don't think I lived up to the quote above about only defending. I'll need to ensure I add more offense to my rolls with the senior belts (even if it means losing a few battles along the way).
Posted at 01:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Last night's class was relatively small which has become the norm for a Thursday's evening. In fact, I was the highest belt in class other than Sensei. He put us through a pretty tough workout to begin with things like doing sit-ups from the back of a training partner on their hands and knees. Sensei then ended the sequence with some yoga to warm us down.
Posted at 11:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
There’s no piece of technology that I’m more attached to than my iPod. Even this computer plays second fiddle to my iPod. I listen to it on my long commute to and from work. I carry it with me when I run on the track, hike along trails or mow the lawn. I even go to sleep with one ear bud in. I most often listen to podcasts (e.g., FilmSpotting.net, TheFightWorksPodcast.com, Adam Corolla) or audiobooks. Yesterday, I downloaded the new book ‘Outliers’ by Malcolm Galdwell. He’s the authored of such best sellers as ‘The Tipping Point’ and ‘Blink’.
This new books delves into the phenomenon of why some people (e.g., Bill Gates, Michael Jordan) are so successful. One chapter discusses the ’10,000 Hour Rule’. In short, this is the finding that one needs to dedicate 10,000 hours to be an expert at something. This applies to everything from computer programming to playing an instrument. That equates to about 3 hours of practice each day for 10 years.
Assuming that the 10,000 hour rule applies to jujitsu, I will become a jujitsu expert at about age 75.
Earlier this week, I heard from a dojo mate that had been missing from class the past few weeks. Scooby Tom was nicknamed for the Scooby Doo-like noises he sometimes made when enduring a choke, arm bar or some other unfortunate event. Jujitsu had been good for Scooby. I remember the first times we ran before class. At some points, I actually ran behind him and pushed him along with two hands in his back. This past summer he had come so far that he ran away from the crowd to finish before everyone else. He’d also lost lots of weight and gained a good deal of strength and skill. That said he had some nagging injuries that discouraged him. Like I had also been, he was ‘stuck’ trying to earn his blue belt. In the end, he decided to pursue his love of hiking versus continuing to train. Scooby is hardly the first person to stop training and certainly won’t be the last but he'll definitely be missed more than most.
Training on Tuesday focused on more ‘knee on stomach’ positions. Just wonderful when my training partner is Big Dave. Even more amusing was my attempt at Guard/Sankaku Garami (a.k.a., omoplata) on this big dude. The good news is that I'll be prepared should I ever be attacked by Hulk Hogan.
Posted at 09:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted at 12:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

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