Post seminar ramblings

What an amazing seminar Friday night...

Two + hours with Relson Gracie learning half guard escapes, sweeps and advances (SO many notes taken) ---which reminds me, if you have a Windows Phone, there's something in the marketplace called Jiu Jitsu Journal. I HIGHLY recommend this as sometimes it's almost impossible to remember everything in class---, got my gi and my belt signed, so that was pretty nerdalicious...

let's see, what else happened...

My girlfriend's brother received his PURPLE belt (the first one my professor has given out), what an amazing accomplishment. I would LOVE to someday just have some color around my waist, let alone a purple belt. My professor gave out a statistic that around 75% of people who practice jiu jitsu never receive their purple belt. That's crazy....especially coming from TMAs where it appeared you were in the minority if you DIDN'T have your black belt.

Overall it was a fantastic seminar and gave me 4 different ways (on top of another I got this week) to escape half guard. A position I ALWAYS find myself stuck in just waiting to get side controlled/mounted, etc. There are SO many little pieces to jiu jitsu, it all still feels so intimidating. I feel like I'll never remember all of it. I am just going to keep working toward that day when I don't have to constantly think about it...that day when it comes naturally, that's an exciting and motivating thought.

I wish I could put my finger on what about this sport is so darn addicting...I think about it constantly, am doing little things all day in my head to improve my game, I've started running when I don't train, I have towels hung over braces in the house so I can hang and work on grip strength...daily I'm stretching and shooting for triangles on the floor, what the heck is going on?

Hi, I'm Terry and I'm a full-fledged addict.

See you after class...

A night with Relson...

Nothing of real value in this one boys and girls (not that there's much any other time)...just a quick little note telling you how excited I am to go to a 2 hour seminar at my academy tonight with Relson Gracie (the man who gave my professor his black belt).

I am THRILLED. This week has sucked (at my job and mentally related to some personal stuff) and I'm looking forward to purging all of that and getting my mind right to soak some knowledge from a man who has a lifetime of experience in the art I love.

I hope to leave with some real nuggets, I feel like my game is turning a (small) corner lately and hopefully tonight will help solidify that.

See you all after the seminar!

PS, just for fun, here's this:

From this website, some pretty hilarious T-shirts: http://jiujitsutees.com/

New opportunities and "Don't just lie there!"

So far this has been a really fun week at the academy.

Tuesday night we ended up spending the class working self-defense from the original system designed by Helio Gracie. Helio and his brothers learned the martial arts originally from Mitsuyo Maeda, a former sumo and well respected Kodokan Judo practicioner of the time...but Helio was considered frail by not only those who he trained with but also physicians who had him sidelined while his brothers taught. This led to Helio modifying and adapting Judo to a smaller frame and focusing on the groundwork aspect and through him and his brother Carlos, Gracie Jiu Jitsu was born.

Why the history lesson?

Because in self defense classes of Gracie Jiu Jitsu they are key in my humble newbie opinion. Many of the throws, locks, trips...heck EVERYTHING is not based on muscling your way through them. These moves are designed to eliminate the Brute Factor and establish a dominant position for the person who was being attacked. Without Helio and some of these techniques there would potentially be no help for a thin, tall wuss like me.

Needless to say I pay attention to every tiny detail and request additional help from my partner to drill these over and over and over again because until I can do it without too much effort I don't believe I truly have it. This isn't the first time I've done "self-defense" though...I practiced Shaolin Kempo (unfortunately, a style associated with this guy...) for a little over a year before moving to Florida. While it may not be the best martial art, it had its redeeming factors and our instructor was constantly pushing us to find things in the system to make it work. Some of the self defense moves we learned Tuesday night were VERY similar to what I had done in Kempo with one huge difference. When I told my partner to resist or not let me throw them...THESE still worked!  Again, hear me...I'm not insulting Kempo. It just isn't as effective for this type of self defense as GJJ appears to be to my (still) untrained eyes. This could also be a simple "what have you done for me lately" perspective but something just feels more....effective.

Finally, one last little epiphany from last night's after-class rolling session. (Amazing class taught by Phil Cardella BTW). Blue Belt J who kicks my ass was watching me roll with another Blue Belt J who kicks my ass and noticed that every time I start rolling I don't "commit" to a plan and go with it. He advised me to either shoot for one top and go for it, or if I'm going to go onto my back at least fight for hip control, spider guard, etc....apparently I appear to be a fish helplessly flopping on the mat at the start of every roll. While not the most confidence inspiring thing to hear, he took the time to show me and demonstrate and I plan to completely change how my rolls start from now on because of it. Thanks Blue Belt J who kicks my ass, your advice will be heeded.

Until after Friday's seminar... (with Relson Gracie!)...

Just too easy...

Just a quickie before tonight's class, a comment on Wednesday's...

Ever run into a technique that as you try it a few times you think to yourself, "No way...no way this works. How have I not seen this before?" Just to discover that yep, it works. And it works at 100% against a resisting opponent. This happened for me with a half-guard pass tonight. This, along with the side control escapes I learned really seem to be clicking and have improved my game this week.

Now, hear me, when I say "improved" I don't mean by much but I can notice it takes blue belts longer to submit me than it did, say...a month ago.

This was me then..."No, no! Don't hurt me!!

 Most likely I won't submit them and they eventually will get me or time will run out but it's not CONSTANT tapping.

I happy with this progression. It's making my defense much better (comment that was made by Blue Belt J that kicks my ass) and making me more comfortable escaping mount, back mount, side control, etc. If I can get relaxed in those positions I'll be able to progress with my attacks at a later date. Hopefully...

Tonight's open mat so expect me to come back and admit I've learning nothing after being throttled all night. See you then...

Moment of inspiration...

Just in case you don't get this joke...try here + here = joke.. 

Wanna make some of your own? Check out memegenerator.com

Overcoming through technique

Welcome back readers....(silence)...hello? Anyone out there..? No?

Last night was the first night back after last week (life gets in the way sometimes) and I was looking forward to it as, for some reason, I love training with the gi jacket. I guess for a beginner like me it gives me more stuff to hold onto while trying not to be attacked...or maybe it just makes me feel like the ninja I always wanted to be growing up.

The gold ribbon really sets it off

Anyway, I was excited. 

We worked on escaping side mount when the person on top has the underhook (a common position for yours truly)..basically, for any non-jiu jitsu playing readers, it's almost the worst position you can be in. I typically hate this position because there are a few guys in my academy who are similar rank to me but MUCH MUCH stronger and former wrestlers to boot so this position is impossible to break for me using brute strength. I usually end up just defending and defending until I get submitted. I've got a couple of escapes that work from time to time but needed more and needed to understand how to attempt to overcome someone who is so much stronger than me. (I'm about 6'2, 190lbs).

Thankfully, I have an amazing professor at the academy, a Relson Gracie black belt who sees the value in showing proper technique over and over and over again. The escape we worked last night was one we've gone over before but there was a very important piece that I hadn't grasped the first time. 

Pull...don't push. In this case it's with your bottom (inside) shoulder that you pull underneath you to create the base. Combined with a rooted, planted foot, the transfer of energy through a good connection and proper alignment you can't be broken down and it allows for space to be created to establish guard or escape underneath.

It was like someone showed me how to walk. Instantly my game changed. Changed to point that I was not worried about being in side control when we rolled afterward. Confident that given the right timing I not only COULD, but WOULD escape and improve my position. Also, it allowed me to do so being "mellow" (thanks Blue Belt J who kicks my ass). 

One major point that my professor pointed out was that Helio Gracie was NOT some huge, buff wrestler. He was a much smaller man than most and it never stopped him from destroying bigger opponents. Our sport and art is not based on having to be bigger and stronger, it's based on technique, that when applied correctly, essentially nullifies the "brute factor" (pending trademark). 

The GM himself...at around 90 years old.

So what do I take from this? When a technique is not seeming to work for me...ASK WHY NOT. Take the time to go to the professor, express that it's not working against larger opponents and get to the essence of the technique. It's truly a game changer. 

See you after next class...

First steps

Go Gators and go me.

This is awesome timing for my third blog post, huh? I am honored to say that last night after no-gi I received my first stripe on my white belt in Gracie Jiu Jitsu. It's crazy timing because just earlier this week (see here) I was saying I had a night where I felt like I was just getting crushed constantly. I guess my instructor sees some progress and I gotta tell ya, it feels good. 

What felt even better was when I was walking forward to get my stripe my professor says, "Is this guy a natural or what?;;;" It was almost difficult to hear and I wanted to sarcastically play it off...I'm not used to being good at much of anything. For me, it reminded me of how humbling Jiu Jitsu is. When you're in a sport like Jiu Jistu where it's not only OK but essentially required that you "lose" a lot it removes your ego...completely. With the ego removed a comment like that simply makes you feel honored and proud of the work you've put in, not prideful of what you've done. 

It was a healthy night of free-rolling too...constantly ending up on my back followed by constant running away followed by eventual taps, you know, the usual. What is amazing about this sport is that I found myself replaying the rolls over in my head later that night while driving, etc and seeing opportunities and mistakes I made. I usually do. Nothing before has caused me to be this passionate where I am constantly looking to improve and better my technique. 

So things I learned last night:

• When you're doing a take down, COMMIT ALL THE WAY.
• Keep things tight at all times, elbows, wrists, knees, etc.
• It is nearly impossible at this point to perform an Ezekiel no-gi for me...should have gone for the north-south choke.
• Work with your partners on staying on their backs. (This is WAY harder than it looks)

See you after class...