As often seems to be the case lately, life’s keeping me inordinately busy. There are quite a few techniques I want to post about, but have not gotten around to. In the interest of remembering them for when I have time, here’s a list items for later posts, with some notes to remind me of details: Continue reading
Category Archives: Musings
Got the Blues. In a Good Way.
It’s finally mine. The blue belt, the symbol indicating that I know just a tad more than nothing about this art that has verily taken over my life. Though my official training has been somewhere in the realm of a year and a half, I’ve been waiting years to achieve this. Now that it’s out of the way I can forget about milestones, titles, and symbols for a while and concentrate on just improving my skills. This belt is going to see me through arguably the most important stage in my BJJ career, and it’s not going anywhere for a while.
Filed under Musings, Pictures, Promotions
Ride Into Obsession
“Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.” That’s one of my favorite sayings. Most things can be good in moderation. Excessive overuse, however, will turn even something good for you into something bad. For the most part I try to take wisdom from this adage when it comes to things I like doing.
That being said, I’m clearly addicted to BJJ in a bad way, and it can’t be stopped. On or off the mat, I’m constantly thinking about it. Looking up ways to tweak my techniques, replaying the previous night’s class(es) and sparring sessions in my mind, thinking of what I want to work on and what I can or should try next class. I even obsess over things that aren’t directly about rolling, like when I’m going to workout to improve my pathetic excuse for cardio, or if I am finally going to start taking private lessons, or when I should compete, or how I’m going to manage to make it to at least 3 classes a week when I’m so busy with three jobs. See? Obsessing.
But enough about that. On to interesting stuff (i.e., techniques):
Filed under Half-guard, Log, Musings, Sweeps, X-guard
One Step Closer
Had a feeling this was going to happen, though I’d sort of decided I didn’t want it to happen this week. Maybe that’s the secret: once you decide you don’t want something, you get it. Some variant of Murphy’s Law? I’ve decided: I don’t want to be a billionaire.
Keep a Tight Game
Keep it close. Leave no space for your opponent to move. My partner today was serious about this, and I’m inspired to concentrate on this in my upcoming training sessions. Stop worrying about those submissions. Start focusing on that control. Make it so your opponent is constantly uncomfortable. Keep the pressure on.
Filed under Gi, Joint locks, Log, Mount, Musings
Is It Not a Little Soon for a Hiatus?
Well, it’s been six days since I got back from Mexico. And of course Thursday and Friday I was itching to get back on the mats.
No, seriously, I was literally itching. And still am.
See, I was unfortunate enough to have an allergic reaction to something in the water down in the tropics. My legs are covered to the knee in an unsightly red rash. My lower back wasn’t to be left out, so that now at any given time I am likely to be contorted with one hand reaching to my lower back while the other scratches a leg or two. I’ve seen my doctor, and it should be gone within two weeks, but in the meantime there is naught to do but wait it out.
Continue reading