Double whammy!

Double destruction courtesy of
G.I. Ginger with Kung Fu grip!

I went to the no gi Jiu-Jitsu class right before Ethridge class yesterday, and it was a double whammy! Mostly because I had to do things in both classes that I really didn't want to do. In no gi class, The Doggfather gave me a chance to redeem myself from my teaching disaster last Tuesday, by having each of us teach a technique again. I almost had a panic attack, but I managed to pull it together, and I did a slightly better job this time. I specifically asked Ray to not make me teach, but I'm pretty sure he was actually doing it for my benefit, and I do feel a little better about the whole thing now.

Then in Ethridge class, we practiced throwing. It's been awhile since we had a Throwing Sunday (because I keep trying to put it off), so I was nervous and tense. I was grabbing Joe with such a death grip, that I managed to rip not just one, but two different gis! The first one was an old Karate gi that Joe wore to class, and before we even started I told him I didn't think it was sturdy enough. After I tore it, he put on a loaner Judo gi from the dojo, and not more than ten minutes later, I shredded that one, too! I just know that in Jiu-Jitsu I've been told to think of it as: if I let go of my grip, then my grandma is going to plunge to her death, so I know how to hold on for dear life!

At the end of Ethridge class when Joe and I were doing randori, Amy told me that I couldn't go home until I scored an ippon. Talk about pressure! It was probably fifteen minutes after she said that before I finally managed to throw him. I can't believe she actually counted it, because it wasn't pretty, but it got the job done. I think I got some extra credit because I used a combination.

I was starting to think that I just don't like things that start with the letter T...teaching, throwing, takedowns...but then I remembered that I love tacos, so T can't be all bad. For the record, when I say "tacos", I don't mean those greasy cheesy things they serve at fast food places, I mean real tacos. Some people I know don't like them because they think cilantro tastes like soap, but I guess they're just not putting on enough super hot sauce. Mmmmm, now that's the kind of double whammy I like!