Bubbles

Conan & Amy

I was just thinking about a conversation Amy and I had during Sunday's class, and it made me really appreciate her journey to gain the knowledge she's now sharing with me.  In a recent post I wrote about the pre-Conan Jiu-Jitsu class at the dojo, and how I was intrigued, but intimidated.  Well, Amy saw that same class every day as she was going to Judo, and instead of being afraid, she thought "That looks interesting, I think I want to try it.", and so she did.

At the time she joined the class it consisted of her and just a few men, all of whom already knew much more than she did.  They did not take it easy on her, and no other new students joined the class for her first few years of training.  Which meant that literally all Amy did when she grappled for those first years is to tap out, repeatedly.  She couldn't even begin to put together an offensive game, because every roll was an all out fight just to survive.

Blossom, Bubbles, Buttercup

She told me that is why it is so important to her that I am able to submit people, because she doesn't want me to spend all of my time just defending, like she did.  Although I am naturally an offensive fighter, my time spent training with Amy has definitely encouraged it.  When we are drilling or grappling, she will often push us to submit as fast as possible, or give us time limits in which to do so.

Amy's first Jiu-Jitsu instructor Darin was an MMA fighter, and he helped teach her how to persevere.  She often imparts lessons to me that she says came from him, like "Why are you tapping, you're not choking, stop being stupid!".  Almost all of our current Jiu-Jitsu students came up under Conan, but Amy was taught by both Darin and Conan, and I get the benefit of all of her knowledge.  She was the very first woman in our school to be belted in Jiu-Jitsu, and if it wasn't for Amy blazing the trail and helping me along, I honestly don't know if I would still be there.