Goofy Goober

I've been having a hard time wrapping my brain around the fact that I'm now 44. Not because I'm old, but rather, because I'm not that old, yet I have now officially lived longer than my dad did. It's just weird, because I certainly don't feel as old as he seemed to me, and it's hard to believe he was gone before he was my age. It's a reminder to me to not take a single day of my life, or a single loved one, for granted.

One of the things I miss the most about my dad is his goofy sense of humor. He was not beyond acting like a fool to make people laugh, and he had a way of making even the most boring things fun. My dad also liked to play harmless practical jokes on his friends and family. For instance, he was a talented cake decorator, so he would make cakes for special occasions, only sometimes instead of actually using cake, he would put frosting on shaped cardboard or styrofoam. It would be so beautiful that the victim would have no idea it wasn't really cake, until they tried to cut it!

My dad always brought out the silly side in me, and my sisters and I had a lot of fun times with him. He played games with us, took us to concerts, dressed up for Halloween. He could get me to do things that I wouldn't normally do, just so I could see him smile. One time when I was 16 and my dad and I were at the mall together, he told me he would give me a dollar if I would go sit on Santa's lap. Most 16 year-old girls that I knew wouldn't have even gone to the mall with their dorky dad, let alone risked the public humiliation of being seen with Santa, and I was super shy...but I earned a dollar that day!

I learned a lot of things from my dad, and as a military man he could be very stern and serious when he needed to be, but one of the lessons I cherish the most is that he taught me to not be afraid to make a fool of myself in the interest of having fun. I think that's actually part of the reason I've survived in martial arts as long as I have. I'm willing to fail, and most of the time I'm able to laugh at my own ineptitude and enjoy myself, instead of being embarrassed, and I know my dad would be proud.

"Well all I got to say when you tell me not to play, I say NO WAY! No way, no no no no no way."

Kung Fu Fighting

After Ethridge class yesterday, we went to an open house to celebrate Amy getting her Master's degree, and while we were there, her husband said "I guess you guys didn't have Kung Fu class today." Joe and I told him that we did have class, and he said "Oh, I didn't even realize she had left and came back!" Wow, I guess Amy is a Kung Fu Ninja!

When we got home from Ethridge class, I showed Joe a tiny bruise on my hand, and I told him it was his fault. He then proceeded to take off his shirt and show me no less than three bruises that I had supposedly caused. He also had a nice gi burn near his neck, from when I tried to choke him. Kung Fu fighting is no joke!

Despite the fact that I left more visible evidence of a struggle, and I would probably be the one going to jail on domestic violence charges (if the fighting had not been consensual ;) he was definitely the "winner" of the day. Amy even let me play guard during the positional grappling (because it caused the least amount of pain to my knee), but I just couldn't get it together yesterday. Joe was passing my guard like a hot knife through butter.

I did a little better job during our final match. I swept him a couple of times from bottom half-guard, and I even spent a decent amount of time on top. Amy was happy with the way I was transitioning and going for subs, while still retaining control of him. Finally he started to escape and there was a scramble, during which he got me in a weird armbar and I had to tap. Amy made us recreate how it happened, because she had never seen an armbar like that before, and I can't even explain it! That's Joe-Jitsu for you! Or should I say Joe Fu?

Just the Two of Us

It was even quieter during Ethridge class yesterday, because Amy wasn't able to make it, so Joe and I had the dojo all to ourselves! I decided to just show him some of the different things I've recently learned at LBJJ, and he asked me if I was sure I wanted to teach him new techniques to use against me, so I told him that I was only showing them to him so I could remember them for myself, and I asked him to please try to not actually learn anything.  Unfortunately, I think I did a better job of teaching than I normally do! Seriously, I'm surprised at how well I've been remembering details these days, and teaching him really helps both of us.

Joe said he guessed that I didn't want him to teach me what he had learned from Shihan at his last Jiu-Jitsu class, and without even knowing what it was, I said "No, I don't!". I told him that right now I just want to focus on things I learn at LBJJ, and that is true, but I also suspected that what he had learned might involve some kind of throw, which I did not want to do.

Unlike most Ethridge classes, which have a high percentage of grappling, I opted to not roll with Joe at all yesterday, we just drilled. I figured that was the safest route, since Amy wasn't there to referee, but mostly because my knees were bothering me. Not rolling was actually a nice change of pace, I didn't get frustrated (or tell Joe that I hated him ;) one single time!

Mom! Mom! Mom! Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! Mama! Mama! Mama! Ma! Ma! Ma!...

One of my favorite "mother" stories comes from a friend who had her first child at a young age. As she was looking down at her newborn baby, she told the nurse that she wasn't sure if she was going to be a good mother. The nurse said "I know you're going to be a good mom, because bad moms don't worry about things like that." She now has four kids, and she's one of the best moms I know.

I wouldn't say that I'm good at many things, but one thing I know for sure is that I'm a good mom. After I had my daughter, I became a better person, and I discovered a whole new kind of love. All I ever really wanted was for her to be happy, but she has grown into someone I am proud of in every way.

I know how to be a good mother because my mom taught me how, like if there's four people but only three pieces of cake, you say "I don't want any, I never really liked cake." (even though you love cake, and you do want some!). My mom taught me that it's the little things that really matter. Listening when they need to talk, accepting them for who they are, and encouraging them to be the best they can be. Neither my mom nor I tried to be our kids' "friend" while they were growing up, and sometimes I didn't like my mom because of it, but now my mother and my daughter are two of my closest allies.

My mom also taught me that if your child loves something, you should be supportive, even if you don't fully understand. That's why I know so much about cosplay, even though I've never done it, and why my mom could probably kick your ass, even though she's never trained a day of martial arts in her life! ;)

 

Ball and Chain

Yesterday was mine and Joe's wedding anniversary, and one of the ways we celebrated was by going to Jiu-Jitsu class together, just like any other Sunday, but I told Amy we had to work on something "fun", so that I wouldn't get mad at Joe on our anniversary (Joe said it would be more appropriate if I did ;). Amy knows my game pretty well, so she interpreted "fun" to mean "guard grappling drills". Joe still dominated most of class, but it was kind of enjoyable when he tried to put submissions on me backwards, or tried to armbar the wrong arm, because I used to do that all the time!

It was also funny when I got all set up for a sweep, then instead of just trying to sweep him, I stopped and said "De La Riva", so that he would know what the position was! After I lost the momentum, I couldn't even sweep him with Ken's help. I mean that Ken tried to coach me, not that he physically tried to help me sweep Joe, or else it definitely would have worked!

I almost regret dragging Joe with me to the no gi class last week, because I think he remembered all of the butterfly guard stuff we worked on, and then he used it against me yesterday, even though he had never even learned anything about butterfly before! However, there is an upside, because every time he figures out a new technique, I have to keep stepping up my game. Nothing motivates you to improve more than having someone kick your ass, especially when you have to go home with them afterward! 

Joe and I have been together for twenty-two years, and married for eighteen. I think the secret to marriage is the same as the secret to Jiu-Jitsu...that there is no "secret". You just have to commit to it, keep working on it, and don't quit...but it's not even worth doing if you're not having fun.

"I said oh, oh baby, why you wanna do these ole mean things to me?" -Big Mama Thornton

Something to Talk About

After my Jiu-Jitsu brothers open their new BJJ school and I start training there, I'll still be affiliated with Sho-Rei-Shobu-Kan through Karate, but Shihan said I will not be allowed to train Jiu-Jitsu at the dojo anymore, nor will I be allowed to come back if I decide to leave their school, or if it closes down. I assumed this meant that Ethridge Jiu-Jitsu class would soon be ending, but today Shihan said that Amy can still teach Joe and I at the dojo on Sundays, so I am very grateful for that. I would have missed Amy a lot!

It's nice that I'll still be able to practice Jiu-Jitsu with Joe other than at home, since he is not going to be joining me at the new school. Most of the time we train in separate classes at the dojo, and then when we get home, we both want to tell the other about our class! I usually try to listen and wait patiently for my turn, only occasionally interrupting him with random exclamations like "I almost took Conan's back!". It's nice when we can actually train together, and then discuss it afterward. Today I convinced Joe to go to the no gi Jiu-Jitsu class with me before our Ethridge class, so when we got home we had a lot to talk about!

When we go to different classes, Joe and I will also sometimes try to show or tell each other new things that we worked on that day. When he talks to me about a new Judo throw he learned, it often sounds like "Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah." (and I'm sure that's also probably what it sounds like to him when I tell him about things like de la riva or berimbolo ;). I guess we're both just really lucky that we have someone to talk to about our training who mostly understands. Even if Joe and I never talked about anything else but martial arts for the rest of our lives, I don't think we would ever run out of things to talk about.

Frustration

Back when my daughter used to go to Jiu-Jitsu with me, before she went away to college, she was only attending the women's classes, while I was also going to the regular classes. This led to my knowledge and skill surpassing her's fairly quickly. Even though I tried to not go too hard on her, and she is younger, bigger, and stronger than I am, sometimes she would get very frustrated over the fact that she felt as though she couldn't do anything against me. Once in awhile she would even start to tear up, which was a big deal because she's not a crier (like her mom is). It was nice when we had new students in class, because then Skyler could see that she was actually learning something.

Now that my husband is going to class with me instead, the tables have turned, and I am the one feeling frustrated and hopeless. I believe Joe is kind of a natural at Jiu-Jitsu, and along with my obviously expert training of him, some days it just feels like I can't do a single thing. He is also very aggressive towards me, which I am not used to with most of my training partners, so it can be overwhelming.

I started crying today during Ethridge class, and I expressed anger towards Joe for "man-handling" me, but the real problem is that grappling with him can make me feel like I don't know anything about Jiu-Jitsu. It seems as though he is usually one step ahead of me, and I can never keep up. I still have to think about what I'm doing too much of the time, while he can just feel it. He also does a lot of "unconventional" things that I don't have an answer for.

Sometimes I joke about competing against my husband, but to me it's really not about winning or losing. To be honest, if we both used all of the tools we have available to us, he would probably "win" every time. Conan told me today that I was being selfish for getting upset when Joe does well against me, and that I should be happy for him instead. I am happy for him, but the physical feeling of constantly being dominated in such a decisive way can be a little hard to take, no matter who it is. The good thing about it is that Joe tried to submit me about seventeen times today, but he only succeeded once, so I'm building a solid defense.

I feel bad that I got frustrated and walked off the mat, and I hate the fact that I cried (especially since people saw it). I'm sorry that I directed my frustration towards Joe, because it really doesn't have anything to do with him. Amy gave me props for coming back to the mat today, but I had no choice. I may think I suck, but I know I won't get any better if I quit.

The Art of Hug O' War

"The supreme art of hug o' war is to subdue the enemy without biting."
-Sun Silverstein

Skyler and I were once discussing what Jiu-Jitsu would be without submissions, and she said it would be "Hug O' War". I often think about that when Amy has Joe and I do full-resistance grappling drills sans submissions, which we did for most of Ethridge class today. Thinking of it as Hug O' War helps me from getting too frustrated when it feels like I'm not getting anywhere.

We mostly worked side control, and I think it's hard enough to escape or hold when subs are involved, but without them it's even harder! My escapes are definitely improving, but I still need a lot of work on top. The theme of the day was "keeping your hips down", because I have a bad habit of sticking my butt in the air when I'm on top, thus leaving my partner gaping holes from which to escape. The secondary theme was the one I've been working on lately: maintaining top control by transitioning between positions. I was starting to get the hang of it, then Amy added in submissions towards the end, and I became so focused on getting the sub that I started forgetting to keep my hips down again!

At the end of class, Sensei Tracey was waiting for Joe for Daitoryu, and Amy told him we would be done soon because we were doing our Final Death Match. Joe said "Yeah, I'll be with you as soon as someone dies.", then Amy clarified that the match could be won by death, submission, or first blood. Not long after that Joe caught me in a triangle, and I contemplated biting his leg so I could win by drawing first blood, but that didn't seem to be in the Hug O' War spirit, so I just tapped instead.

Round & Round

Amy called in sick to Ethridge Jiu-Jitsu class yesterday, so I ended up teaching again. It was actually kind of nice that I didn't know I would have to teach, because I didn't have time to freak out about it, but I'm not good at coming up with a plan on the fly, so it was a more of a free-form class. Joe and I reviewed some techniques, then we just started grappling, stopping to work on different things that came up.

At first I didn't tell Joe I had a personal theme I was focusing on, but he noticed that I was spending a lot of time on top, so I told him my goal was to gain top position and stay there for as long as I could. Since day one, Amy has been telling me to stop desperately trying to hold onto failing positions, and instead transition to other positions, thereby maintaining control. Recently I've really began to understand that for a smaller person such as myself, fluidity is the key to maintaining top control. I'm probably not going to be able to lock most people down in one pin for any length of time, so I have to keep moving.

I imagine that to the Daitoryu students who were watching Joe and I grapple, we truly exemplified the term "rolling", because for awhile it felt like we just kept going round and round in circles. No laying in half-guard for twenty minutes for us! The nice thing for me was that I kept managing to get top position, and I was able to stay there a little longer each time. I didn't just try to stay on top, I did attempt to submit Joe (unsuccessfully), but not from guard (like I usually do), I only used guard to help me get on top. The best part was when Joe asked "When did you get so heavy?".

After class was over yesterday, Sensei Tracey from Daitoryu told Joe that it looked like I had been beating him, and I don't think he would have gotten that same impression if I would've played my usual guard game. Last week in Ethridge class our "final death match" abruptly ended after I reversed Joe, and while trying to establish top position I took an elbow to the mouth, which had me tasting blood. Amy declared Joe the winner, and when I protested by saying he cheated, she replied that it was more like I had thrown my face into his elbow, not the other way around! Since Amy wasn't there to name a winner this week, and there was no submission, I hereby claim victory...if only for the fact that I did not bleed.

"Tightened our belts, abuse ourselves..." -Ratt

Love is...

"Love is patient, love is kind. 
It always protects, always trusts, 
always hopes, always perseveres."

Some people have asked why my husband doesn't train in the regular Jiu-Jitsu classes with me. Joe and I had already been training Karate together for several years before I started Jiu-Jitsu, and after it became obvious that my interest in Jiu-Jitsu was not a passing thing, he expressed a desire to try it out as well, but I asked him not to. My reason was up until that point in my training I didn't feel like an individual, I was simply one of "The Ethridges". I wanted to step outside the comfort zone of training with my family, and do something on my own.

Joe might've had mixed feelings about it at first, but he did as I asked, and stayed away. This allowed me to grow and challenge myself in new ways. I couldn't just hide in my husband's shadow to avoid interacting with others. Some days I really wanted to ask him to go to class with me so that I would have someone I felt comfortable with, but I knew I had to do it by myself. He did attend a class here and there, but Joe and I mostly shared Jiu-Jitsu at home, not at the dojo.

Now almost four years later, I feel as though I have found my place, and I don't mind anymore if my husband trains Jiu-Jitsu, in fact, I want him to. Of course, after seeing all of the injuries I've endured in the past few years, Joe is reluctant! Since he makes his living with his body, he doesn't want to risk being forced to miss work. So, now he just trains with me in "Ethridge class". It's kind of the best of both worlds. We get to share Jiu-Jitsu, but I also get to do it on my own.

I appreciate Joe being patient with me, and waiting until I was ready for him to join me in Jiu-Jitsu. When people would ask him why he didn't train, he would say "I have to let Gina get some knowledge first, so I don't destroy her!" but the real reason was because he loved me enough to let me do it without him.

Success

I did it! I actually taught an entire Jiu-Jitsu class to my husband that didn't descend into chaos and anarchy! I went into it with a theme and a plan, so it was a big improvement over last week. I even had warm-up drills that tied right into the techniques we worked on.

The theme of the day was...drumroll...submissions from guard! Seeing as how I really like guard, and I really like submissions, I figured that would be a good choice. As a result, not only did I have confidence in what I was teaching, I also had fun doing it.

The subs we practiced were kimura, omoplata, armbar, and of course, triangle choke. We spent the most time on the first two, because Joe has the least amount of experience with them. I have to admit it was kind of enjoyable to watch him try to understand the omoplata, since I'd struggled so long and hard to figure it out myself. Of course, that struggle is what enabled me to be able to answer every question he had about it!

So, Ethridge class was a success this week. I think I did a decent job, and Joe might have even learned something. He didn't have any complaints (except for some minor whining about his abs hurting afterward ;). That doesn't mean I'm at all ready to teach a "real" class, but I'm a little bit closer than I was before.

"I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed." -Michael Jordan

Blind Leading the Blind

And the award for the World's Worst Jiu-Jitsu Teacher goes to...Gina "Ginger" Ethridge!

I can't believe I won! Actually, that's a lie, I knew I was going to win because no one deserves this more than I do, and I have no one to thank but myself. Since this is probably the only Jiu-Jitsu award I will ever win, I would like to take this opportunity to say nana nana boo boo, I suck at teaching more than you do!

Amy flew off to Hawaii and left us without a teacher for Ethridge Jiu-Jitsu class yesterday, so I tried to fill her shoes, and I failed miserably! I should've had a better idea of what I wanted to do. At first my plan mainly consisted of slow rolling, so that I could help Joe work on some of the details, but I almost lost my student about ten minutes into class, when I became super frustrated because he couldn't understand what I was trying to show him. I knew what he was supposed to do, but when he asked me why he was supposed to do it that way, I didn't know the answer. So I stole Ray away from the no gi class and enlisted his help for a couple of minutes, which was very beneficial to both Joe and I. Teaching is hard! Teaching your husband is even harder!! Teaching when you still don't have a clear understanding of all the details is the hardest of all!!!

Then a little while later Conan was kind enough to offer us his assistance, and he recommended that we just work on a particular drill where we took turns escaping side control. Things went smoother after that, and we got some good work in. I also showed Joe a drill we had done earlier this week where you escape mount to guard, and then scissor sweep to mount, setting the next person up to do the drill. Those kind of exercises are always good practice, because you don't stop moving, and it really helps build muscle memory.

I originally told Joe that my plan for class yesterday was that I was going to submit him in every way I could think of, and he was not allowed to defend, but for some reason he didn't think that was a good idea. I would have aced that class! I suppose what we did end up doing was much more mutually beneficial, but it took all of the fun out of being in charge! ;)

Bye Bye Birdie

My sister Lori is the neglected middle child, the Jan to my Marcia, and I hate to admit it, but when we were growing up, I wasn't always a very good big sister. I mean, I did chase down and beat up bullies who picked on her, but I also teased her a fair amount myself. She was a gullible child, and when my mom would send me out to get her when it was time to come home, I would always say "Come on, we're going to Dairy Queen.", and Lori would get all excited. We never, ever, actually went to Dairy Queen, but she fell for it every time!

Lori and I shared a room when we were younger, which drove me a little insane, because I am quiet and internal, while Lori is vocal and external. Even though I loved her a lot, I can't tell you how many times I just wished she would go away! Now after having her near me for most of my life, she will soon be moving out of state, and I regret all of the times I wished she would leave. Even though I am technically the oldest, Lori has always been more mature than I am, and it's been comforting to have her around.

For all the times I picked on her, and lied to her about Dairy Queen, she never held it against me! When we were kids, stores would sometimes hand out candy if you went up to the counter, and since I was too shy to ask for my own, Lori would always request an extra piece for her "big seestwo". My childhood wouldn't have been nearly as sweet without her! I'm not saying I want to go back to sharing a room, but I will miss having her nearby.

I wish Tweety Bird luck on her new adventure (not that she'll need it, she succeeds at everything she does!). She's always been an awesome sister, and she deserves nothing but the best. I would try to talk her into staying in Nebraska by telling her I'll take her to Dairy Queen, but she's much too wise for that now!

Don't gloat!

We did positional grappling drills for all of Ethridge Jiu-Jitsu class yesterday, and at one point I managed to get Joe in mount, which I have to tell you is not a small feat for me (and it might have been the only thing I did well during the entire class!). After I accomplished this Herculean task, I raised my arms as if to say "I'm the queen of the world!", and while I was distracted, Joe took the opportunity to reverse me. I said "Hey, I was gloating, you're not allowed to do anything to me while I'm gloating!", and then we all decided that would be the new rule for Ethridge class. Yeah right, Amy and Joe both told me I got what I deserved!

I was just having fun with my husband, but I have actually seen someone do that very same thing in a grappling competition, they raised their arms triumphantly to the crowd after they mounted their opponent. I thought it was distasteful, because it's not very sportsmanlike. When The Doggfather was reffing at the last State Games, I saw him chastise a competitor for gloating. In my personal experience, it was bad enough the one time when my opponent ran off of the mat to high-five her teammates after beating me, before she shook my hand, or even had her own hand raised in victory.

When I gloated to Joe yesterday, it was in a playful, joking manner, and when he took advantage of it, the joke was on me! If you absolutely must gloat, at least wait until the fight is over. A long time ago a man in a leather suit warned me about the perils of gloating, if only I'd have listened.

I just remembered another thing I did well against Joe yesterday! When I started from back mount, I was able to transition from a failed triangle attempt to an armbar and submit him, but I'm certainly not going to gloat about it, especially since during the course of the class he armbarred me about four times, and also one wrist lock, and a choke or two...but who's counting? Now you see why I got so excited about just getting mount!

G.I. Ginger

During Jiu-Jitsu class yesterday, one of the white belts asked if I used to be in the military. I was surprised by the question, it's certainly not something people usually ask me. I don't know what prompted it, but maybe the fact that I did three one-handed push-ups on each arm had something to do with it! We were supposed to do five on each arm, but whatever. In response to his question I simply said "No" but what I was thinking was "Oh, hell no!".

I've never been a soldier, but I was raised by one, and like many military parents, my dad wanted his daughters to follow in his footsteps, but we did not. I wasn't even remotely interested, but I think if my sister Lori had it to do all over again, she would probably join up. She's now married to a Seabee who was recently deployed. The Army brat in me wants to give him a hard time about being in the Navy, but hey, at least it's not the Air Force! I jest, but I thank him for his service, and I look forward to his safe return.

G.I. gi

Even though I never wanted to enlist, there are many similarities between the military and martial arts training, which makes sense to me, not only because most of the American MA pioneers were military men (including John Roseberry-Shihan, Marine), but also because it's all about mortal combat, right? We wear uniforms that signify our rank, we salute/bow, and we operate on a hierarchy, just to name a few of the things we have in common.

So, I guess in some small way, I did follow in my father's footsteps, and I know he would be proud and happy. However, if the dojo really was the military, I would've probably been dishonorably discharged for insubordination by now. There's only so much authority I can take!  

"I fight authority, authority always wins 

Well, I fight authority, authority always wins 

Well, I've been doing it since I was a young kid, I come out grinnin' 

Well, I fight authority, authority always wins." -John Mellencamp

Ethridge vs. Ethridge: Ethridge wins!

They forgot: A good wife always lets her husband win, so he doesn't feel emasculated.

Yeah, I'm not sure I'm ever going to be able to tap my husband out again.  After every Sunday class, it's becoming progressively harder.  Yesterday at the end of class he submitted me in what felt like thirty seconds, but was probably closer to a minute and a half.  It's only been a couple of months since he started training Jiu-Jitsu, and he only goes to one class a week, but he's almost caught up to me already.  So not fair!

Joe told Amy that sometimes I will come home from class and show him what we worked on, and then I will say "Oh, I shouldn't have shown you that!".  The problem is he remembers too much, and I forget too much, then he uses it against me!

When he recently told one of his co-workers that I train Jiu-Jitsu, after he explained what it was, the guy asked him "So, she can beat you up?", and Joe responded "I hold my own."  I don't think he's going to drop his own very often anymore.  I guess my only consolation is that after he goes to class with me, he's in just as much pain as I am.  Besides, the better he gets, the sweeter it's going to be if I ever do submit him again!

Shit My Grandma Says

My maternal grandmother Mollie is one of the strongest, most independent people I have ever known.  In the early 1950s she divorced her alcoholic husband and raised their three daughters all on her own (which was uncommon back then).  She's always been a stubborn, outspoken, feisty broad, and I learned my first German curse word from her.  Scheissekopf!

Gramollie (as she is affectionately known in our family) is now 92 years old.  She has an outrageous number of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and even some great-greats, but she is still just as ornery as ever.  Seriously, you would not believe some of the stuff that comes out of her mouth!

When grandma was in the hospital a few years ago, she had a framed picture of a professional wrestler on her nightstand.  The doctor asked her why she liked him, and she answered "Because he has a nice body, duh!".  Once when I took her shopping, a car almost hit her as it was backing out in the parking lot, and I angrily told the driver that he should look behind him before he backed up.  He responded by calling me a bitch, and I told grandma that if getting mad because he almost ran her over made me a bitch, then I was proud to be one.  Grandma enthusiastically responded "Yeah, you go, bitch!"

At a family Halloween party last year, Gramollie dressed as a nun, and my sister Brandi and I were a goddess and a sorceress.  Grandma jokingly insisted that we were both dressed as "hussies", and she proceeded to douse us with "holy water" whenever we walked by.  One time after she watched an episode of Jerry Springer, she was telling me about it, and she said "They already tested six men, and none of them were the father.  That woman must be a ho!".

Grandma was given a fancy new walker this Christmas (because she refuses to use her wheelchair), and the first words out of her mouth when she saw it were "You're making me feel old, you young shits!".  She's always been an independent woman, and she fiercely remains so, as much as she can. 

I have more examples of some crazy stuff my grandma says, but frankly, I can't repeat it!  Gramollie has really been the only grandparent who's been in my life, but she's the only one I needed.  I have learned so much from her (besides how to cuss in German ;), and as the matriarch of our family, she is universally beloved.  I hope to be just like Gramollie when I grow up!

Crazy

Shihan always tries to cancel class on the holidays, but half of the time some students want to meet at the dojo to train anyway.  I don't think everyone realizes that he actually wants us to take time off, which is one of the reasons he canceled class in the first place.  Shihan recently told Joe a story about how back in the day he would be thinking about a technique or theory, and he would be so obsessed that he would wake his wife up in the middle of the night to help him work on it.  Sometimes he would even make her put on a gi.  Now reflecting back on it, his advice to Joe was "Don't do that, that's crazy!".

Joe and I did get into a grip-fighting contest (which I won ;) over a garbage bag while we were at a family party on Christmas Eve, but otherwise our holiday was free of martial arts.  Since we have a home mat and an available partner, we can train any time we want, but it's good for our relationship, and each of us individually, to not always be focused on it.

I received a new Judo gi as a gift from Joe (since my old one is shredded), and we also gave a gi to our four year-old grandson, so it's obvious that martial arts are a big part of our lives.  Not a day goes by that Joe and I don't discuss our training in some form or another, but we try to not overdo it.  I think both of us realized a long time ago that if we were to ever wake the other one up in the middle of the night to help us work on something, we've gone too far.  If Joe tried to wake me up to train, I'd be like "Who you trying to get crazy with, ese?  Don't you know I'm loca?".

I think you have to be at least a little bit crazy to train martial arts in the first place.  I understand the obsession, so it's not surprising to me that the some students have such a hard time taking a break, but a couple of days off never killed anyone.  I can't stand it when I can't train because of an injury, but I realize that sometimes it's necessary.  Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and it gives the mind, body, and spirit time to rest.

"I've always been different, with one foot over the line
Winding up somewhere, one step ahead or behind
It ain't been so easy, but I guess I shouldn't complain
I've always been crazy, but it's kept me from going insane." 

-Waylon Jennings

Welcome to the Jungle

Our women's Jiu-Jitsu class is on hiatus while our new student heals from a pre-existing injury, so it's become Ethridge class again.  When Joe first started going to the class, he was primarily there as just a training partner, and the focus of Amy's instruction was toward me, but I decided if he was going to come to class, he should learn some Jiu-Jitsu, so lately we've been showing him some fundamentals.

I do realize that by actually teaching Joe something, I am surely sealing my fate, because he could already beat me half of the time when he didn't know very much!   He's improved after just a few classes, and it's annoying how fast he picks it up, but as he gets better, so do I.   It's a win-win.  Yesterday we got to take turns choking each other, and I still know a few more chokes than he does, so it was all good!

I've noticed that lately when we grapple, neither one of us can really pin the other, at least not for long. It's a constant mad scramble, and the first person to see an opportunity for submission amidst the madness is usually victorious.  This is helping me to be more fluid and creative, and it's also cut down on my tendency to over-think.  Joe told me he has recently seen an improvement in my reaction time.

I've really been having fun helping to teach my husband Jiu-Jitsu (and I can certainly use the practice).  I think he's also been enjoying it, although I did have to laugh last week in class when he said "This is complicated!" Yeah, welcome to my world!  

"Welcome to the jungle, we take it day by day 

If you want it, you're gonna bleed, but it's the price you pay." 

-GnR

The Terrible Twos

My blog is now two years old.  It's walking on it's own, but it's still not fully potty-trained.  Most of what comes out of it's mouth is gibberish, and sometimes it throws temper tantrums, but I'm still glad I gave birth to it.  Hopefully it will continue to mature and grow in the coming years!

On a completely unrelated note, Sensei Scissorhands likes to call my daughter Skyler "Skywalker", which is fine with me because I figure if she's a Skywalker that makes me Queen Amidala and Joe is Darth Vader.   Since my ring tone for him is "The Imperial Death March", it just seems right.

However, I think Joe would disagree with that.  He insists that he is of the light side, and it is I who is a Darth.  I cannot confirm nor deny that, but as Yoda would say "A valid point he may have."

Skyler on the other hand, has very little knowledge of, nor interest in, anything which she refers to as "those star shows".  I wasn't even sure if she knew what a Skywalker was, but she does know of Luke (and she would probably rather be him than Princess Leia).  Personally, I've always seen her as more of a Solo.  

"I take orders from just one person: me." -Han Solo