JujitsuBlog.com

Champs

I've been away coaching soccer in New Hampshire but the break from jujitsu and the blog was very worthwhile. My daugther's team came away the champions and the team had a great time at the beach. 

Jujitsu Frenzy

It's been awhile but I knew this was coming. A busy schedule hasn't kept me out of the dojo completely but it has made providing a blog update difficult. I have been taking the opportunity to try and get in some different types of workouts to keep myself reasonably fit as we head into the summer months. Here's a brief recap from the past week.

Monday: I've been hoping to get my workout in after dinner but that hasn't been dependable as I'm usually beat by the time 10 PM rolls around and my meal is digested. Therefore, I decided to try and take advantage of the gym at work despite this meaning I'd get home later. Last Monday, I took my first 'spinning' class. If you're not familiar, this is basically riding a stationary bike but doing so in a group setting with a class leader setting the pace. I was pleasantly surprised by how great a workout it was. I felt like I got in a great sweat and worked out my legs without beating on my somewhat fragile feet. 

Tuesday: I had soccer coaching on Tuesday night which kept me away from jujitsu class. To get my workout in, I filled a spot on the field to play along with the girls. When I they were younger, I would play against all of them myself. These days, they're as fast as me and more talented. My only advantages are size and experience. It was a good workout trying to keep out with a slew of talented sixth graders. 

Wednesday: The class offered at the gym on Wednesday was called PiYo. It was a combination of pilates and yoga. I thought it would be good for stretching and it was a real test of my flexibility. 

Thursday: I had a chance to return to class and it was the first really muggy day. I had to pause a couple times to steady myself as the sweat poured off me. I was selected to do the warm-ups/fitness and added 'burpees' to our routine. This is basically a squat thrust with a push-up and a leap at the end of each repetition. I spent the bulk of class working with Sempai Sadist and Mega Chris on Weapon Defense and Aikijitsu. One of the last techniques we worked on was Double Wrist - Gyaku Ude Garami. Sensei came by and showed us an extremely cool variation where you added an Otoshi to the end. 

Friday: I'm no golfer and I proved it on Friday. It was our soccer association's annual fund raising tourney and I headed out for my yearly humiliation. Luckily, I had good partners, cold beer and sunny weather to make up for my horrible golf. It turns out that I'm a pretty decent putter but I'm luckily to drive farther than I can throw the ball. 

Saturday: It was another black belt heavy class and I spent an hour working on white and yellow belt newaza with Little Greg. He did pretty well and I think he could move along if he could string together a few weeks of classes to really tighten up his stuff. We rolled the last 1/2 hour of class and I faced three black belts in a row. I had to tap a few times but, overall, I was happy with my stamina and my willingness to just open up and learn. After class, I push mowed my lawn before heading off to coach a state cup soccer game. The girls pulled off a 2-1 upset over a team that had beaten them 5-1 just a couple weeks ago. That made the pizza and beer taste that much better afterwards. 

Sunday: I put in a 30-minute treadmill in the morning before spending the afternoon watching my daughter's dance recital. In the evening, we held a dinner party to celebrate my wife's 50th birthday party. I was a big success but I was fried driving to work this morning. 

So a week of spinning, pilayes/yoga, jujitsu, soccer, running, golf, work and some serious socializing. Life is good. 

If The Hair Has Worn Off Your Knees From Excessive Grappling, You Just Might Be A Jujitsu Player.

If riding home from class in a gi soaked through with sweat gives you a feeling of satisfaction, you just might be a jujitsu player. 

If you think that being alone in a room with two jujitsu black belts is awesome, you just might be a jujitsu player. 

If sitting down to relax means gulping three Aleve tablets, rubbing on a liberal amount of Katana Sports Balm and applying an ice pack or two, you just might be a jujitsu player. (via Mega Chris)

"Bully Beatdown" -- Jake Shields

Von Flue Choke

If The Likelihood Of A Promotion Means There's A Beatdown In Your Future, You Just Might Be A Jujitsu Player...

If you have an interest in the skin care habits of other men, you just might be a jujitsu player...

This is something I heard before a recent class (or approximately so):

Sempai Prodigy: What's going on with your skin?

Joelbow: It's poison ivy. 

Sempai Prodigy: You're sure?

Joelbow: Yes, I have it everywhere. 

Sempai Prodigy: Is it contagious?

Joelbow: Nope. It's only contagious when the oil is still on your skin.

Sempai Prodigy: Hmmm. (with look of serious skepticism)

Joelbow: I've been taking a shower every day to be sure the oil is gone. 

Sempai Sadist: Wow, every day? Bet you'll be glad when that clears up and you don't have that burden. 

If the likelihood of a promotion means there's a beatdown in your future, you just might be a jujitsu player...

Last night, Sensei pulled Osoto Gary aside to run through the charts while the rest of us worked under the tutelage of Mega Chris. Afterwards, I had a chance to roll with Osoto Gary while Sensei coached him. This type of individual review is typically a sign that you're getting close to belt promotion. There's likely to be a night soon when Osoto Gary will be tested again and then face a string of fights to determine whether he'll move ahead. 

If you believe your teacher has supernatural powers, you just might be a jujitsu player...

Before last night's class, Special Ed was asking the group about what self-defense options one had when someone grabbed your collar or pushed you in the shoulder. This is the time before class when we're typically talking about everything under the sun and before Sensei arrives to kick things off. Guess what the topic of class was? Sensei demonstrated about ten different ways to defend and attack when someone grabs your lapel or reached for you. 

There's long been a running joke that Sensei has a hidden microphone and/or camera in the dojo. Last night did nothing to dispell the idea that those hidden reconnaissance devices do exist. 

If you anxiously look forward to trying the 'Von Flue Choke' on a friend, you just might be a jujitsu player...

I ran across a few videos of the 'Von Flue Choke' the other night and couldn't wait to get to class last night to try it out. I'll post one of the videos versus explaining the technique. I asked Osoto Gary to let me test it before class and it worked like a charm. Carrying around a technique all day before class is a bit like trying to concentrate in grade school when your birthday party is that evening. 

If you scoff at signs of weakness (especially your own), you just might be a jujitsu player...

Special Ed was gasping and teetering after rolling with Osoto Gary. He received both words of encouragement that he's improving and directives to, basically, suck it up. On the other side of the dojo, Mega Chris was in a furious, balls-to-the-wall grappling match with Joelbow. Neither of these guys are big on moderation. Making it even more amazing is that Mega has a slew of injuries including an ACL problem. Insanity? Toughness? Both? 

If you laugh about the possibility of being tasered, you just might be a jujitsu player...

Before class, we were talking about things like tear gas and being tasered. The idea of updating the weapon defense charts came up. Say 'Telescopic Stun Baton - Ikkajo' or 'Taser - Kote Maki Tori'. About this time, Sensei entered the dojo and I really wanted the guys to not speak about this in front of him. I thought that he might pick up on the idea. Too late. He commented that we all should have read the fine print of our waiver for the 'taser clause'. Great. 

The Karate Kid - Final Scene

Grappling With An iPhone

BJJ Purple Belt Exam

Submission Of The Year

Via Sherdog.com