Magic Mat

I've been trying to figure out why everything about Jiu-Jitsu seems better to me since I started training at Lincoln Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Center. I mean, I'm training with mostly the same people, so that can't be it. I've decided the only reasonable explanation is that the mat at LBJJC is magic. For one thing, I used to get mat burn all the time, and now, even though I'm training harder, I've hardly gotten any! Unfortunately, the magic mat does not make me any better at Jiu-Jitsu, I'm still losing as much as I ever did, but I'm enjoying it more now. Then again, the fact that I'm having more fun makes me want to spend more time on the mat, so in a way, I guess it is making me better. Now that I've bled profusely on the mat at The Center, I'm a part of it, so I'm sure it's magic will only grow stronger!

Of course I don't really believe that the mat is what has made such a difference for me, but I think it might embarrass Greg if I called him "Magic Man"!  His teaching style is well-suited to my needs, which is really why I'm so optimistic and encouraged. Jiu-Jitsu has always been like a foreign language to me, and in the past I was only able to grasp a basic pronunciation of some of the words, but I didn't really understand their full meaning, or how to correctly put sentences together. Being helped by Greg has made me realize that I wasn't even pronouncing some of the words right, and now I'm beginning to build a stronger vocabulary. I'm still at the "See Spot run" stage of sentence creation, but I think I have a firmer grasp of the concepts.

During class this week, Greg gave me one of the best compliments that a teacher can give to a student, he said "You make me happy", and that makes me happy. Since Lincoln, NE was recently named the happiest place in the U.S., and people who train BJJ are obviously the happiest people in the world, I think it's safe to conclude that Lincoln Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Center is the happiest place on earth! We even have a magic mat, so suck on that, Disney World!

Going postal

"Gina should quit doing jiu-jitsu, because she gets hurt too much. First she broke her arm, and now she has stitches!" -Levi, age 9

Most of the people I know who don't train Jiu-Jitsu already thought I was a little bit crazy for doing it, then after they saw the stitches in my face, they were completely convinced. A few people have asked me if I'm going to quit Jiu-Jitsu now, but the answer is a resounding "NO!". The only way I will ever quit doing Jiu-Jitsu is if I'm dead, or physically unable.

Shihan told Joe that I should take up something safer (like Karate ;), then the next day at the Karate convention, Sensei Rod broke his arm! There is an element of danger in all martial arts.

I did take the past week off (mostly to pacify my husband), but my stitches came out today, and I will be in Jiu-Jitsu class tonight! I'm not afraid, and this injury has not dampened my spirit in the slightest. My injuries are not Jiu-Jitsu's fault, they're my own fault. I'm going to keep doing what I love.

"Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night, nor the winds of change, nor stitches in my face, nor broken bones, will stay me from jiu-jitsu. Ever." -Ginger

BJJ for Dummies: Basic Positions

Now, I don't actually think that people who don't train Jiu-Jitsu are "dummies" (I just feel bad for them, because they have no idea what they're missing!), but I know I have a few readers who don't train, and I realized that sometimes they probably don't understand what I'm talking about. My mom has a working knowledge of Jiu-Jitsu (because I've explained it to her, time and time again ;), but for those who don't, I wanted to provide a simple tutorial. Mr. Incredible, SpongeBob SquarePants, and a dinosaur have offered to help me with demonstrating the techniques. Mr. Incredible is the defender.

Guard

Guard: The attacker is on the bottom, with their legs around the defender. There are many, many variations, but the basic is closed guard (where the attacker's legs are closed). Dino was unable to close his legs around Mr. Incredible (I feel ya, bro!), so this picture demonstrates "open" guard. Guard is the position that's probably the most closely associated with BJJ, but just because we know how to fight from our back, that doesn't mean it's always our preferred place to be.

Side control

Side control: The attacker is on the top, controlling the defender from the side of their body. Again there are variations, but this picture demonstrates the basic.

Knee on belly: Variation of side control, where the attacker has their knee on defender's belly, or solar plexus. SpongeBob asked me if he could demo this one, because it's his favorite.

Mount: Attacker is on top, with legs around the defender. Known in some MMA circles as "ground and pound".

Back mount: Attacker is on defender's back, with their legs wrapped around ("hooks in").

Commonly heard phrase- "Passing the guard": This means that the defender is in the attacker's guard, and they are trying to get out, or "pass", by going around, or over, the legs, most commonly to side control. If the defender gets past one leg, but the attacker traps the other leg, then they are now in "half guard".

This ends our lesson on basic positions for today. Maybe in the future I'll do another post explaining common submissions and other frequently heard phrases, but for now I wanted to keep it short (so you won't have as much to study for the upcoming quiz ;).

Back mount

Knee on belly

Mount

Bang Your Head

I was halfway through my first of what was supposed to be five nine-minute rolls in the advanced BJJ class yesterday, I had just escaped an armbar attempt by an MMA fighter, and I was back in his guard. I heard Greg say "Toreando pass!", so I went for it. As I was coming around, Ken sat up to defend, and we collided in a mutual headbutt. I turtled up in pain, then I noticed that the mat was quickly turning red below me. I knew Ken was bleeding, so at first I somehow thought it was all his blood, but then I heard Fuji yell "Sit up, get your head above your heart!", and I realized he was talking to me.

I really didn't want to go to the doctor, but when I finally looked at the gash above my eye, I knew I had no choice. Ten stitches later, and I'm glad I went. Everyone who looked at it was like "Damn!" The doctor even recommended that I have a plastic surgeon stitch it up, but I was like "Ain't nobody got cash for dat! Just sew it, so I can go home." He was actually a cool guy, and he had done some martial arts when he was younger, so he understood. However, the look on the nurse's face was priceless when Joe was trying to explain Jiu-Jitsu, and he said "It's like wrestling, but with chokes and armbars." She was slightly horrified.

This pic was taken yesterday,
it looks even worse today.

I went to LinCare straight from class, and I still had my hair in pigtails, so I'm sure I was quite a sight to behold when I walked out of there stitched up like Frankenstein's monster! The worst part about it is that the doctor said no grappling for three weeks! However, as I pointed out to my husband, he didn't actually say I couldn't go to class, he just said no rolling. Then Joe pointed out to me that the instruction sheet says "No jujitsu". Well, that's no problem! I promise I will not go to any "jujitsu" classes, but there is no way I'm going to go three weeks without going to "jiu-jitsu"! I'll just have to be careful, and do some watching for awhile. I'm trying to stay positive, but this is crappy timing, with testing coming up.

So, Ken won the headbutt battle. He did have a cut on his forehead, but it's not nearly as awesome as mine is! Mine's a couple of inches long, and it's deep, but it doesn't affect my vision at all, and I'm sure it will heal just fine (as long as I take care of it). I was pretty proud of the fact that I had not yet bled on the mat at LBJJ, but I guess if I had to do it, at least it was epic, and I might have bled, a lot, but I did not cry! The lesson I've learned from all of this is: forehead vs. eyelid, forehead wins! I should have had my head lower. And now it's official, Jiu-Jitsu has scarred me for life! ;)

"Well I'm an axegrinder, piledriver, mother says that I never never mind her.

Got no brains, I'm insane, teacher says that I'm one big pain." -Quiet Riot

No Quarter

I've heard that if you want to feel better about yourself, then you should train with people who don't know as much as you, but if you want to get better, then you should train with people who know more than you, and that's one of the reasons I like training in the advanced classes at Lincoln Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Center. Even though it's a "new" school, the advanced class is the same core group of people who I've been training with for the past four years, and they range in experience up to eleven years. Every single one of them is better than me, and most likely, they always will be. Although it is nice to go to the beginner class and actually be able to win sometimes, I think I learn more when I'm losing. Another reason I enjoy the advanced class is because it's a half hour longer. Since the beginner class is only one hour, I often leave feeling somewhat unfulfilled.

So, I went to the advanced class last night, and I got my butt kicked, and I learned a lot. I've only been training at LBJJ for a couple of months, but I feel like I have progressed more in that time than I did in the entire year before I started there. Most of the credit can be given to our teacher, Greg Lawson, but I also know that my BJJ bros have a lot to do with it. Because we do King of the Mat in every advanced class, and Greg assigns all free rolls, I end up working with everyone at some point, and that has really enabled me to grow. I used to only roll with the same few people, or ever-changing white belts, most of the time. Now, not only do I have so many more experienced people giving me no quarter, they've also really been helping me learn from my mistakes.

Although I prefer the advanced class, I do think I should probably start going to more of the beginner classes, since I'm not entirely sure that I know all of the requirements for our upcoming blue belt test, which is fast approaching. Apparently, Mauricio Tinguinha himself will be flying in to test us sometime in July, as if I wasn't nervous enough already! I want to make sure that I'm on point, especially since most of the people who I will be testing with are better than me, and I don't want to look too stupid by comparison. Greg is an awesome teacher, and we have an great school, so I don't want to make us look bad!

BJJ B'Day

Yesterday was my 44th birthday, so what better way to celebrate than by going to BJJ class, and dragging my husband with me? It was Joe's first time at Lincoln Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Center, and it was a good experience. He's not planning on training there, he's staying with the Jiu-Jitsu program at the dojo, I just wanted him to see how we roll!

It might have been better if we had gone to the beginner class, but I figured Joe could hang in the advanced, and Greg said it was okay. We worked on arm drag from butterfly guard, which is my least favorite form of guard (probably because I suck at it), so I wasn't the best partner for Joe, but we did alright. At one point Greg had us doing a reciprocal drill, from arm drag to arm drag, and that fried both of our brains a little!

I told Joe to not tell people it was my birthday, and I didn't think anyone knew, but when we started King of the Mat, Greg called me out, which was kind of weird because he usually just asks for volunteers. Then he told everyone it was my birthday, and he had them sing Happy Birthday to me! He also said to make sure they all got a chance to go against me, and not a damn one of them took it easy on me for my birthday! Well, except for Ray when I rolled with him at the end of class. I don't think a sweep really counts if your opponent puts your feet in the right position for you! ;)

I rolled with with Mike, Greg, and Ray yesterday. Even though Ray went light with me, he did give me a hard time, and he ribbed me a little bit when I had him in side control and I didn't really try to do anything except hold him. He said "You know this isn't Judo, right?" I don't remember much else about my rolls, except that grappling with Mike is like trying to harness a tornado, and I think Greg could control me using only his pinky toe! I also remember that Mike tried the spider guard variation on me that we saw Braulio use at Metamoris II, and it was super annoying! Greg went from guard, to side control, to mount, to back mount on me, like he was doing a drill! Lastly, I remember that Greg and Mike both choked me, because I was asking for it.

All in all, it was a good Jiu-Jitsu class, and a good birthday. I think the best part was when I was going against Adam during KOTM, and he said "So, you're 26 now, right?", and I said "Yes, that's exactly how old I am, how did you know?", and he said "Well, you look like you're 26." Yeah, I totally forgive Adam for not letting me win!

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?

The little ginger that could

Also don't tell people they "can't", let them "try".

In Jiu-Jitsu class when I'm partnered with people who are much bigger than me, sometimes they will tell me that I won't be able to do the technique on them, before I've even attempted it. My response is always "Let me try", and most of the time, I prove them wrong. I might have to adjust the details a little bit, but more often than not, I can make it work.

Every once in awhile, people will also tell me that I can't do things when I'm rolling with them. For example, one guy recently told me there was no way I would be able to pass his guard. Yeah well, I passed his guard. When someone says I can't do something, it makes me want to do it even more. I consider those kind of comments to be motivation.

There have been many times in Jiu-Jitsu class when I thought I wouldn't be able to do something, but instead of failing before I even try, I always attempt them. I'm usually pleasantly surprised to find how much I can do, and even when I really can't do something, I don't give up, I just try again. I can do so much more now than I could when I started, and in the future, I will be probably be able to do even more, as long as I keep trying.

One of the things Greg sometimes has us do during warmups at LBJJ is walking handstands, and so far I have not been able to stay up for even one second without falling over, but every time we practice them, I do my best. I just say to myself "I think I can, I think I can!", and hopefully one day, I will. Before I started training Jiu-Jitsu, I never thought I would even be able to do a headstand, and now that's no problem for me. Anything is possible, and I don't need to listen to what other people think I can and can't do, because if I don't even know, then how can they?

Gonna Make You Sweat

My favorite thing that I heard during Jiu-Jitsu on Thursday night was at the end of the beginner class when Jerad, who was staying for the advanced no gi class afterward, wanted to cool off, so he said "I think I'm going to go stand out in the rain for a minute. I can't get any more wet than I already am!".

Every day that I've trained at Lincoln Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Center, I've looked like a drowned kitteh within ten minutes of class starting. When I got home after my first class, my husband said "I didn't know they had showers there!" They don't. Another time he told me that I looked like I had been at the beach, because I was soaked, and my face was all red.

I was sweating so much during Wednesday's advanced grappling class, that when I had Ken in back mount, sweat was dripping into my eyes, so I wiped my forehead on the back of his gi. I told him I was going to do it, so that's less gross, right? Shihan always says if we're training with someone and we're sweating but they're not, then we should feel free to share our sweat with them, but trust me, Ken was sweating enough on his own! When I got home from class that night, I didn't put my gi in the wash right away, and it was still drenched the next morning. It doesn't help that it's been so humid lately.

So, not only will there be blood at LBJJ, there will also be sweat. Lots and lots of sweat, and it hasn't even really gotten hot yet! But so far, there have been no tears (that I know of ;). Everybody dance now!

Ride the Lightning

There was one hell of a thunderstorm going on when I was driving to LBJJ tonight! It was raining buckets, and I thought I was going to float away, because so much rain was coming down that water was completely covering the road. I made it there safely, then right about the time class started, a lightning bolt hit a pole in the parking lot, and we lost power! It was epic! I'm sure we would've just trained in the dark, but the lights came back on a minute later.

I guess to match the intensity of the weather outside, we also had one hell of an advanced Jiu-Jitsu class! We warmed up, drilled some escapes, then the rest was all grappling. We did eight minutes in hell, and I started out on the bottom. I had to try to escape mount with Jerad, back mount with Fuji, side control with Jordan, and turtle with Ken.`Of course, for the next eight minutes, I was on top. Unfortunately for me, payback was not really a bitch, it was more like a mildly annoyed ginger.

Then Greg paired us up for six minute rolls, and my partners were Fuji, Jordan, and Patrick. Highlight: Sweeping Jordan with my new favorite sweep! I also got some nice KOB action in on him when I was on top in side control during eight minutes in hell, but in the interest of full disclosure, Jordan submitted me at least once tonight, and I did not sub him. Lowlight: Literally putting myself into an armbar for Patrick when he had me in guard. Seriously, I made that way too easy for him!

Strangely enough, I don't feel any more sore or tired after class tonight than I normally do, so maybe I'm finally getting used to the new program. I did consciously try to conserve my energy while grappling tonight, because I knew it was going to be an intense class! I like the way Greg puts it, he says we have to learn to be "intelligently lazy". No wasted energy...ride the lightning!

Eyes On The Prize

One of my bros recently told me to "keep my eyes on the prize" in Jiu-Jitsu, and I had to ask myself exactly what I would consider the prize to be. It certainly isn't any medal, as I don't really enjoy competition, and I've only done it to improve myself. The prize isn't about beating my teammates in class, because that rarely happens, and as I improve, so do they, which means that's unlikely to ever change. Even when it does happen, most of the time I feel bad for them. The prize isn't about self-defense, because although that's why I started training Jiu-Jitsu, it's not why I stay. It isn't about getting a black belt, because, honestly, I'm happiest in white, and I already have a black belt that I don't want to wear.

So, what is the goal, what is it that keeps me wanting to move forward? Well, I guess I just love Jiu-Jitsu, and that makes me strive to overcome all of the things that hold me back. I love grappling the same whether I win or lose, which is a good thing, because I lose a lot. In the past I've been too concerned with how other people assess my abilities, instead of just focusing on enjoying my journey. I was worried that if I wasn't good enough, people wouldn't respect me, or they wouldn't want to roll or work with me. It wasn't as much a personal fear of failure as it was a fear of not being accepted.

For me, the prize is about overcoming the fears that keep me from enjoying Jiu-Jitsu (and in turn, life) as much as I can, and training at LBJJ has helped me move forward toward that goal. I truly feel like I belong there, and I've been getting a lot of personal assistance from Greg and my brothers, which has made me stop worrying about how much I suck. I may be on the bottom rung of the ladder, but people are reaching down to help me up, and I don't think they would be doing that if they didn't respect me. I might never be a great Jiu-Jitsu fighter, but I can always be better, and that's what keeps me going.

Push It

At the end of BJJ class on Thursday night when I was rolling with Ray, I was so sore and tired that I really just wanted to quit, but then Greg said to me "Right now is when you're learning the most." I knew he was right, so I feebly kept going.

One of the things Shihan usually does when he teaches at the dojo is before he has us spar he wears us out with exercise and drilling first. He says that way when we fight, we'll be too tired to use strength or speed, so we'll have to rely on technique. For me, being really tired also helps reduce the distractions in my head, and as a result, those are the rare times when my mind and body are actually working together. That state of exhaustion is almost like meditation, cutting everything down to the core, and discarding any useless information. Muscle memory is being formed, and it shows you where your abilities really stand.

Outside of competition, I don't remember ever being this tired while grappling before I started training at LBJJ. Greg puts us through the paces, and I'm already seeing results from it. Last week when I submitted that guy at the end of class, it was after I had left the mat for a few seconds because I felt like I was going to pass out. Instead, I went right back out there, and I got the submission. It probably wouldn't have happened had I not been so exhausted, because I would've "over-thought" my way out of it.

Your body can do much more than your brain thinks it can, and when you feel tired, you usually have a lot more energy left than you realize. In one of Conan's posts about running he said "run until your knees hit the ground", because up until that point, even though you might think you can't go on, you can. I didn't want to keep rolling with The Doggfather on Thursday, but I did, because I could.

"Now if you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up. It is always tired morning, noon, and night. But the body is never tired if the mind is not tired." 

-General George S. Patton

Dog Days are Over

Since I started training at LBJJ, I have not had a "bad day" in Jiu-Jitsu! Don't get me wrong, it's not like I'm suddenly awesome, as a matter of fact, the full extent of my suckiness has become even more clear to me, but now, no matter how much I struggle, every day is a good day. I believe my attitude adjustment can be attributed to the fact that the atmosphere at LBJJ is one in which I can fully relax and enjoy myself.

I didn't go to class last night, but I know from reading Josh's Jiu-Jitsu Journal that they worked on the toreador pass, and we continued that theme tonight, adding an adjustment if your opponent sits up and tries to block you with their arm. In that case, you drive your head into their shoulder, and pass around their legs in the opposite direction from which you were originally trying to pass. That particular technique is right up my alley, and if you're unable to drive them back down, there's also a chance to take their back!

After that, we did KOTM, during which I was a serf. Then Greg paired us up to roll, and I don't know why he looked at the people who were there and thought "I will have Gina grapple with the biggest, strongest guy here.", but at least Adam was tired from his long reign as King!  I kid, Adam is actually a great grappling partner, even though he gift wraps me, and then ties me up in a bow, every chance he gets. I did manage to sweep him once (with the standing guard sweep I learned last week, and then taught to Joe on Sunday), but I'm convinced that he let me. Adam did not submit me, but I think that's just because he was too worn out.

My final grappling partner was Conan, and if someone had filmed our roll, I believe the title would be "Two Tired Old People". I don't know who he had rolled with before me, but hey, at least it wasn't Adam! Conan also did not sub me, but I think that's just because he didn't think it was worth the energy.

So, basically...I'm working harder than ever before, I'm more aware of how much I don't know, I'm getting pwned all the time...and I've never loved Jiu-Jitsu more than I do right now! The dog days are over...but there will be blood.

"Happiness hit her like a bullet in the back." -Florence and the Machine

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!

Lovin' Every Minute Of It

I'm super happy! It's like regular happy,
except I'm wearing a cape.

I went to the beginner class at LBJJ tonight, and it was a true white belt class, because none of the students who were there held rank at the dojo (well, except for me). We worked on sweeps from when your opponent stands up in your guard, and I did feel pretty special when Greg used me to demonstrate the second sweep we worked on. I don't remember ever learning that particular sweep before, but I was able to pick it up pretty easily, and I even effectively used it against Greg during the positional grappling! Wha? I'm sure he let me set it up because he was testing to see if I would remember and do it.

I also felt pretty special at the end of class when some of my bros who were sitting there waiting for the advanced class to start began cheering me on when I was going for a triangle on my grappling partner. I switched to an armbar and tapped him, which to the best of my recollection is only the second time I've submitted someone at LBJJ! The first one was a straight armbar from mount a couple of weeks ago.

My husband told me that I need to stop whining about the changes in detail on some of the techniques at LBJJ, because I'm not really having to learn anything new, I'm simply "polishing" the things I already know, and just like in any other martial art, I will be doing that for the rest of my life. I think that's especially true in Jiu-Jitsu, because it's constantly evolving.

There will never come a point in time when I'm done learning, and I'm actually enjoying the process tremendously right now, so it really doesn't get any better than this! I have the lack of pressure of being a white belt again, but I've come a long way since the first time I wore one. I am truly loving every minute of my training, whether I sub anyone or, like most of the time, I get subbed myself. My drive to improve at Jiu-Jitsu will never die.

"I'm not man or machine, I'm just something in between." -Loverboy

(Just Like) Starting Over

I went to Jiu-Jitsu class yesterday, and my knees aren't any worse for the wear, so after missing a week I'm back on track! That's a good thing, because I've realized that if I want to have any hope of not making a fool of myself at the upcoming blue belt test, then I'm going to need to train as much as I can. For me, changing styles of Jiu-Jitsu and training at a new school has involved more than just putting on a white belt until I can test, it really does feel like I'm starting over. Many of the things I've learned in the past have details added, or even changed, so that means not only do I have to learn new details, but I also have to "unlearn" some of the things I already know.

I think that anyone who has trained in two different styles of the same art, or even the same style at two separate schools, knows that sometimes there are different ways of doing the same thing. When people come into our Karate class at the dojo with prior knowledge of another style, they often have a harder time adjusting to the way we do things than the new students do. It's hard to fill a cup that's already full, so I guess I should be thankful that I made the Jiu-Jitsu switch while I still don't know very much!

I'm not just wearing a white belt, I am a white belt at LBJJ, and I honestly don't know if I will be ready to test for blue when the time comes. However, much of my previous knowledge does still apply, and every single day that I go to class now, my mistakes are being corrected, I'm learning something, and I can tell that I'm improving. All I can do is fully commit to the new path I've chosen, and keep putting in work. It's a lot easier to do when you know you're headed in the right direction, and of that I have no doubt.

Benched

Using the word "your":
You're doing it wrong.

I haven't been able to train since last Tuesday, because once again my knees have been giving me problems. I've had recurring issues with my knees since I started training Jiu-Jitsu, including a dislocated kneecap and relentless bursitis, but this is a new kind of pain, and it's affecting both knees. It mostly hurts when I try to drop it like a squat, or do any kind of knee bends (even simply sitting down), and I'm not sure what caused it.

One of the guys I train with, Josh, recently had surgery on his knee, and while he was recovering he wrote on his blog about experiencing "Jiu-Jitsu jealousy" over the fact that everyone's training was surpassing his while he was away. I'm also feeling jealous, but it's simply because I miss Jiu-Jitsu, and I don't like not being able to train, so I'm jealous of those who can.

After a week off, my knees are feeling a little better, so I think I'm going to attend class tonight and see how it goes. I don't believe it's a major injury, but more of a painful inconvenience, so I'm going to chance it. I really don't want to lose the momentum I've been gaining, so hopefully my knees will get with the program! It seems like I'm always taking two steps forward and one step back, but I'm not as concerned with "getting somewhere" as I am with just being able to keep walking. Sitting on the sidelines sucks!

Curious Ginger

Hey, hey, I'm a monkey, and people say I monkey around! I want to be a lion, or a tiger, or a bear (oh my!), but in the past few days, two of my Jiu-Jitsu bros have called me a monkey. I believe Josh's exact words were "Let go of me, you monkey!", and then last night at the Jiu-Jitsu party when Martínez was telling the story of our exhibition match at a tournament, he said "Seriously, she's a monkey!".

I believe it's due to the fact that instead of trying to hold someone down, I have a tendency to just attach myself, and move with them as they move. Amy says I do a good impression of a "leech" (especially when I have back mount), but I think I prefer "monkey" instead. I do not vant to suck your blood!

Now that Mr. Incredible has signed up to train at LBJJ, I can't wait to roll with him, because I know how much he hates monkeys! When he was serving overseas in the Marines, street vendors were selling monkey meat on a stick. He thought it was gross, and he would never eat it. Then after he discovered that the monkeys enjoying throwing their feces at him, he was like "Gimme some of that monkey meat!".

I guess being a monkey isn't so bad, although outside of Jiu-Jitsu my natural state is more that of a turtle. Actually, I do some of that in Jiu-Jitsu, too, especially when the crawling king snakes and daddy longlegs spiders come around!

With a Little Help from My Friends

One thing that has changed since the move to LBJJ is that more of my Jiu-Jitsu brothers seem to be watching when I'm rolling. Normally that would freak me out, because I don't like being watched, pretty much ever, but in this case they aren't just watching, they're coaching me, offering advice and encouragement. It's awesome!

I've also been getting more assistance on the mistakes I make while grappling, which has been very valuable to me. I feel as though I've been making a lot of the same mistakes for years, but I wasn't fully aware of it, or I didn't know how to fix it. Having someone pointing out my errors, and telling me how to correct them, has really been helpful, and I seem to be remembering the advice better than I used to.

After I got triangled by Patrick during king of the mat yesterday, Greg pulled me aside and was offering help on what I had done wrong. He said "Your posture was...", and I said "Terrible." He smiled and said "Well, I wasn't going to say that, but yes, it was terrible." I have no problem with constructive criticism!

Sometimes my mistakes are things I know I shouldn't do, yet when I'm grappling, I still do them. The more my errors get pointed out to me (both the ones I already know better than to do, and the ones I don't) the more aware I will be when I'm making them, and the sooner they will be corrected. I expect that I'm going to improve at a much faster rate than in the past!

It's Oh, So Quiet

Earlier this week when I was heading to class at LBJJ, I started driving to the dojo out of habit, and then today when I was going to Ethridge class at the dojo, I almost started driving to LBJJ! I also wore my white belt to class today, and when Amy and Joe told me I should be wearing my blue belt, I said I didn't train Roseberry's Jiu-Jitsu anymore, so I didn't think I should wear it. They were like "Dummy, this class is Roseberry's Jiu-Jitsu, and Shihan didn't take your belt away, did he?" Um, no. So, I guess for six days of the week I'm a BJJ white belt, and then on Sundays, I'm blue for a day.

It feels weird that Amy, Joe, and I are the only people in the dojo during Ethridge class now. I'm used to the no gi Jiu-Jitsu class taking place right before, but Shihan cancelled that class, so now we're the only ones there at that time. Class went about the same as usual today; Joe tried to submit me 101 times, and I escaped 98. If he ever figures out how to stop trying to armbar the wrong arm, I'm in big trouble.

I'm the only person who is training Jiu-Jitsu at both the dojo and LBJJ, and it feels a little odd, but good. Today during class, Joe would say things like "Shihan taught me this.", and then I would say "Greg taught me this." It's a little of both worlds. I told Joe that he should invite the remaining dojo Jiu-Jitsu students to come to our Ethridge class, so he would have more training partners (and so I can keep training with them!), but I don't know if that would be allowed. It's just oh, so quiet there now. Nothing but the sound of me tapping.