Happy New Year

Had a great finish to the Year.  Got in a final roll at Grace Humaita in Henderson Nevada with my Son in Law before the Holiday.

I have to say I really love the BJJ community.  It has been great to feel the camaraderie from those I see almost daily to those who I have only met once.

I have a few goals for next year.

I plan on competing at most of the large IBJJF Tournaments.  Now that I am a Blue Belt and can compete with those my same age my wife will let me compete more.  I have already signed up for Pan's in March.

I want to do Yoga at least once a week.  I think this will help me with my flexibility and hopefully recovery.

I want to drop one weight class.  I want to be the bigger guy in the weight class and not the smaller guy like I have been in the past.

I want to continue to make more friends and help others along there BJJ Journey's just like so many are helping me.

Happy New Year.  

Little did I realize that this cartoon would be my BJJ career

Show up get beat down then smile at the guys and tell them see you tomorrow.  Oh yeah and sometimes be saved by the bell. 

Had to stop sparring last night.

We have a long class on Tuesday.  We do an hour of drilling then 1/2 hour of warm up/conditioning and then 45 minutes of technique and another 45 minutes of rolling.

The Professor/Instructor was a Black Belt who substitutes sometimes.  He is from the Police Department and many of his moves he shows are what he calls Pain Compliant.  The point of the move is that they are just painful so they make you want to comply with the Choke etc just to stop the pain from the move.

The Class is run a little differently when he substitutes and I really look forward to attending when he teaches.  Last night we went over chokes from the mount.  He taught us 4 very good ones that were very strong chokes.  Mostly blood chokes and not air chokes.  We used the pain compliance methods to get them to move an arm or hand so we could get to the carotid artery to apply the choke.  As a good sparring partner does I blocked the move and allowed my partner to use some pain compliance before administering the choke.  I found that after an hour of this I was getting pretty light headed.  I should have sat out warm up and conditioning but was too stubborn for that and kept going.  Then we did another 45 minutes of chokes.  I was already dizzy and having headaches before the sparring started.  We were going 8 minute rounds and then at the end of my first round I took a knee to the head (on accident I was trying to pass his guard and he was trying to recover his guard and caught me).  Then my next round I was just gassed.  Not sure where I was even at.

I took off the last  3 rounds of sparring.

My question is, do you think if you are drilling chokes for that long that you go into some kind of oxygen debt and it causes your body to shut down.  Just like when you cross your VO2 max and you start to build up lactic acid in your muscles?  Is this a real thing or was I just tired from training so much.    Just trying to figure it out for next time.  

Being a Blue Belt is like putting a target on your gi.

I have only been a blue belt for week and I have been to work out 5 times and it just feels different.

I feel like the higher belts go a little  harder on me not giving me the benefit of age that they did when I was a white belt.

The stripped white belts also are working harder to get the satisfaction of saying they taped out a Blue Belt (which is much more satisfying then saying I taped out an old guy white belt).

On the opposite side the newer white belts now tap much quicker then they did before.  They seem to think that the Blue Belt means  if I get them in a Submission Hold that I will be able to finish it better then before.

I also spar a little different.  Last week going against a white belt who I have done well with in the past I wanted to work on getting out of a guillotine so I let him catch me in it twice and I got tapped twice with what were more neck cranks then chokes but I still taped.  I guess I got to just keep eating the humble pie and being a blue belt does not bring any special magic powers with it.

Not sure if anyone else who has been promoted to Blue Belt feels this way.

It is funny.  Sometimes I keep looking down at my Belt to make sure I am really Blue Belt.  I was told by many before I became a Blue Belt  that I rolled like a Blue Belt.  Now I'm a Blue Belt I am starting to think maybe I need to work a little harder to make sure no one thinks I roll like a white belt.

I got my Blue Belt last night.

So I got my blue belt last night after almost 2 years of 4-5 times a week at BJJ practice.  It was kind of interesting.  6 of us (5 who have been together for almost 2 years) received their Blue Belt Promotions last night.

There was not a lot of surprise as we were all told going on in who was going to be promoted.  To be honest my feelings were a little mixed.  I think I was feeling overwhelmed and maybe emotional when I got my first stripe. I worked very hard for that stripe and it meant a lot more to me then I thought it would.  I thought I would have some of the same feelings but that is not the way I felt.

I think part of the reason I had the feelings I did was because I was expecting those feelings, and also it was a not a surprise, so raw emotions were not triggered.  The other could be because of the anxiety of having to spar with everyone in the class and then getting whipped by them and thrown by the Black Belts.

I have always been an anti hazing kind of guy so when I saw my first belt promotion about 18 months ago I was kind of taken back.  The instructors told me if I was around long enough to get promoted that I would have a choice of being whipped or not.  In reality when the time came I knew I would have to take the whipping.  No matter what they say about leaving your ego at the door goes out the window with the Peer Pressure of those going before you taking the beating and then you having to face the piper.

To be honest because I am older I know that they did not hit me as hard as they hit the younger guys.  I still got welts and bruises and I would be lying if I said it did not hurt but all in all I think that I had to participate.

I know not all gyms do this and in fact it seems like fewer and fewer academy's do the whipping.  I guess the bottom line is if you don't like the culture of the whipping then you can switch academies.

Also I was truly impressed by the congratulations on receiving the Blue Belt.  Not only from those there but from others I have worked out with or known in my short 2 years.  The congratulations all seemed heart felt and genuine and there is a real sense of camaraderie in the BJJ Circles that you don't seem to find in other places.  White Belts through Black Belts alike all seemed to be sincere in their congratulations.

Took 2nd Place at NABJJF World Championships

First of all I didn't write for a couple of weeks because we have been just swamped at work.  

Second I'm writing this at 2 AM because my neck is so sore I can't sleep.  

I thought I would be going against a Judo Black Belt but he moved to The Blue Belt Division so I had a choice to take the Gold or drop age groups and compete.  I chose to compete.  

My first match was against Carlos Reza.  I was hoping to avoid the grips but all that was thrown out the window when I found out he was blind.  What an inspiration to compete as a blind man.  The referee gave him the choice of starting standing or kneeling.  He chose kneeling so that is how we started.  I was able to get side control on him and his defense was very good.  Very mobile and strong bursts of energy.  He defended all of my submission attempts and the match ended 5-0 in my favor.  He was an excellent player and I had the utmost respect for him.  The match could have gone either way. 

Then came the finals match. I went against a gentleman named Jaun Avena. I thought I had the take down as I was deep on a double leg but he guillotined me.  It was very tight and actually cut my ear but I was able to fight out of it.  He was very strong and spent most of the match controlling me with a head lock.  I thought I had his back but somehow he rolled through got me in an armbar and I tapped. I think if I could have just created some space I would gave been okay but he was able to control me and keep my posture broken with his string headlock.  I was ahead on points with when I tapped. 

I am thinking I should buy stock in Motrin because that is what I'm going to need to take to get to sleep. 

We had 6 people from Higher Ground BJJ compete it was great comraderie and I'm looking forward to competing again.  

To cut weight or not to cut weight.

Not sure if I mentioned this before but in my upcoming tournament I was supposed to face a Judo Black Belt who is also an instructor at one of the Dojo's downtown.  I really hate being thrown and I am not very good at break-falls so I was a little worried about it.  I just checked the registration and the guy has moved out of my weight class to an heavier weight class.  I assume he signed up thinking he was going to lose some weight and then in the end decided it was not worth it so he just jumped back to his regular weight.

I am currently about 6 lbs under weight so my dilemma is should I try to drop another 6 lbs and drop a weight class or should I just go at my regular weight.  I have decided to stay at my regular weight.  I am 53 and cutting weight (especially water weight) really does things to my system.  Also being underweight gives me the advantage or eating regular meals leading up the tournament.  I might catch a beast at the tournament because I have had to drop an age group to find competition but I mostly think that there are not that many 46-50 year old white  belts who are taking this so serious as to cut weight and kill themselves before the competition.  Really how many white belts over 40 think they are going to make a living doing Jiu Jitsu.  We all have jobs and other responsibilities and Jiu Jitsu is just a hobby to help us deal with the stress or maybe we are going through a midlife crisis.  I have a good friend who sent me this yesterday.  I know it is a quote from a book she is reading "Brene Brown's Gift of Imperfection" but I think it really sums up what a midlife crisis is about.

"People may call what happens at midlife a crisis, but it's not. It's an unraveling - a time when you feel a desperate pull to live the life you want to live, not the one you're supposed to live. The unraveling is a time when you are challenged by the universe to let go of who you think you are supposed to be and to embrace who you are."

I think we get to a spot where we just want to do what we want and don't really care to follow the way we have up to that point living for what others wanted or expected of us.  I think for those of us that start BJJ in our late 40's early 50's we are trying to get back something we always wanted to do but were not able to until this time.

What do you think?

How do you train when you travel.

Usually I try to train while I travel.  This week I was at the SEMA show.  The problem at the show is it is hard to control your time.  You have to be there working the booth for a set amount of time and then you have to entertain customers after the show so finding time to train takes a back seat to making a living so you can afford to train.  I will be back at it today to get the rust off two weeks before my competition.

I did have a good time at the show.  Here are a couple of good ole boys I ran into.  They told me they could use the grappling hook to get some of those gators that got away.  They were very genuine and really nice guys.  They even told me they would put a www.ninjasupply.net sticker on their truck if I gave them one.  Maybe I need to get some made up.  #swamppeople #sema

Knowing when to tap.

We all know that if we want to continue on in BJJ one of the keys is to stay way from injury.  Some injuries will just happen but you can help yourselves out by tapping quickly.

For example today I went with a Purple Belt.  The guy is 20 years younger then me, 40 lbs heavier then me and strong as an ox.  He is a nightmare roll for most people.  I have sparred with him many times over the last couple of years and he has actually hurt me badly twice.  Today during the roll I got his back.  I was working good back game on him and he turtled up.  He then hooked my elbow to roll me.  I would usually roll underneath him and just come back in the same spot but this time when he rolled I went face first into the mat instead of ducking my head.


Of course if you can envision this that means this guy is going to roll right over me and crush my neck as I could not turn my head as my face was stuck in the mat. This is stuff that works in cartoons but not really very well in real life.  Luckily I could see it coming and yelled stop and luckily he stopped.  This was not a conventional move to tap someone with.  This was a neck crank on steroids but not done on purpose.  I think you need to know when your knee, elbow, neck etc are in potential danger and just tap before something snaps.  Part of this comes with experience and part of it comes with not being too concerned about the tap.

Of course it is easier to Tap in Sparring and harder to tap during a tournament but I think it is much better to tap then to risk injury that may side line your for who knows how long.

Injuries are part of the game.

Today we had a guy blow out his shoulder.  It is/was a reoccurring injury.  He had problems with it in the past.  It looked very painful.

We have also had people come in and mess up knees, backs, necks, elbows etc.  I guess my question is how do we avoid injury so we can keep training.

The other question I have is how hard is it to get back into BJJ if you have been out for an extended period of time due to injury or some other cause.  If you get jacked up does it make you nervous about coming back or do you still have the same enthusiasm and draw that you had before.  I thought this Pod Cast was very interesting.

http://iroll.tv/the-blue-belt-curse-why-do-people-quit-1-of-2/


I also saw a great video on youtube by the Gracies who came out with the Boyd Belt System.  It really makes sense.  As you get older your skills diminish.  Guys you used to beat now beat you.  I started when I was 51 so I was already on the diminishing side of the equation.  I have seen in just the short two years that the young athletic guys I used to handle easily have now surpassed me.  I can see how someone who started at a younger age would have more difficulty with this because at one time when they had progressed to be a higher belt and were in top physical condition then pretty much they were unstoppable.  Then as Father Time catches up with them they start getting beat by the ones they used to work.  Just like every Child will eventually be able to beat his father in a foot race every BJJer will eventually be surpassed by his student is they are younger and on the left side of the curve still working up to their peak as the instructor is slowly working his way down the other side.

Of course with me this does not hold true as I am older then my instructors because I started late so I will never be in better physical condition then them and they will also always hold the edge on my in flexibility and knowledge.

Here is the video I am referencing.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGk_urw1_hA

I love BJJ

It is truly an addiction for me.  Sorry if I sometimes comes across as negative or complaining.  That is not my purpose.  I think part of it is being older and always being sore.  My wife and others wonder why I put myself through this but it is for the love or the sport and the camaraderie of the participants.

Yesterday I was able to work out with a very experienced Brown Belt.  He is a guy who is a Hobbyist (His words not mine) but really loves BJJ and has a game that is very unusual compared to most.  He is very methodical and opportunistic and will catch you in all kinds of things.  Wrist Locks, Knee Bars, Crucifix, and all kinds of chokes.  He usually very little strength and pressure with me.  (I have seen him spar with the other higher belts and they give him a run for his money but he always seems to be able to catch then in some tricky move that they are not aware of.

He was very good to let me work all the chokes when we drilled and corrected me multiple times so I could get it right.  He really wanted to see me succeed not just going through the motions until it was time for him to try the move.  I really appreciate his patience and effort.

This is one thing that I love about BJJ.  So many people from different walks of life that are willing to help out those who know less them then so they can become more proficient.   I think they were treated this way when they started and so they treat other people this way as they have progressed.

I hope BJJ always stays this way.

When BJJ Class turns into Cross Fit Class

So last night we had a substitute instructor.  A guy I really  like a black belt that is over 40 and seems to understand a little better how old guys move.  It was a great night for training.  We started drilling at 6 and then at 7 started the regular class.  The class was mostly white belts and a couple of blue belts.  Pretty much the perfect class to go over new moves and learn some basic techniques.

Then one of the Blue Belts,  A young guy super fit who is looking for a position with the Fire Department says he will run the warm up.  I'm thinking we have already drilled for an hour so we are pretty much warmed up, but he showed up at 7 and wanted to run warm up so I'm okay.  We start doing the basic warm up and all is going well until we get to sit ups.  He says we go around the circle picking different ones and we each do 10 of them 100 times.  I'm thinking that is 1000 set ups.  I am sitting next to a Sheriff's deputy in the Circle who is over 40 and we look at each other and think this is not happening.  I ask the young Blue Belt if he is any good at math and if he realizes that is 1000 sit ups and we have people competing this weekend that may not be able to move for a couple of days if we do this.  He tries to play the hard guy (but he is really a good guy that is why I could get away with giving him some crap) and then finally changes his mind when I ask if I made a mistake on my way to BJJ class and I ended up in a Cross Fit class.

Anyway it was all in good fun.  I'm pretty sure if the main instructors would have been there first of all the Blue Belt would not have had us do 1000 sit ups (or really he is just bad at Math and did not realize what he requested would equal 1000) or they would have lead warm ups and I would probably would not have spoken up if there were there.  We had a good time and joked about it later in class.

Have you ever went someplace where they do more conditioning then they do BJJ?

I appreciate the guys who have the confidence to give me a chance.

I am a 53 year old middle weight.  I dropped almost 40 lbs to get to middle weight so my Jiu Jitsu game is more like an old man heavy weight.  Slow and methodical, not a lot of explosion and lots of resting between moves.

I usually attend the 11-12:30 class.  For some reason this class is full of higher belts and heavier practitioners.  Most of the guys are Purple Belts and above and most are over 200 lbs.  I spar with all of them.  I have noticed that some seem to be more confident in letting me try my stuff.  They let me work on things and I feel when I spar with them my game improves.  Others just want to smash me and impose their will on me.  Some in a more aggressive way  then others.  With them I learn how to defend and spend a lot of time thinking if I should just tap because I have this bigger, younger, more experienced sparring partner just smashing me and I am having troubles breathing or I feel like my internal organs are getting moved in to areas of my body that were meant to be moved to.

It is almost impossible for me to recover guard when one of these big guys gets me in a tight side control shoulder against my head twisting my neck in an uncomfortable way.

Here is what I think is going on.

The guys who let me work my moves and don't worry too much about giving up an advantageous position have a lot of confidence in their abilities and don't really have that big of an ego.  I have tapped out black belts, and brown belts (never a purple belt for some reason) when I am able to work a move and get it in really tight.

The guys who don't let me work any moves and just smash me or are very aggressive with me I think don't have the same confidence to escape a bad position or have ego's that won't allow them to tap if I get something on them that just happens to be so tight they cannot get out of.  They think they are doing me a favor by smashing me because I would not appreciate or grow at the same rate if I they gave me position instead of earning it.

Let me tell you.  I know you guys are better then me.  If I tap you I know it is because you gave up a position to me.  I in no way think I am your equal in skill if happen to get a sweep or mount on you.  Lastly I really do appreciate you taking your time to spar with an older guy and giving me a few breaks a long with some pointers on mistakes I make.  That is how I feel I learn best not getting smashed.  What do you guys think?

Open mat is something everyone should take advantage of.

Open mat is great.  Show up work in some stuff that you were shown by the instructors during the week but need to drill some to fine tune.  Bring someone to roll with to get your Saturday off to a good start.  Hang out and talk about BJJ. Work on something you have difficulties with as you get ready to compete.  

There are so many upsides to Open Mat I'm surprised more people don't take advantage of it.  

Here is Paul, Ezra and I at Open Mat last Saturday.  

Going against the new guy.

Today I had a chance to spar with the new guy.  He is a higher belt then me and 15 years younger.  Because I am 53 when I go against the new guy (unless they are some young buck white belt who has no hespect for their Elders) they usually try not to go to hard because they don't want to break me.
The funny thing is other old guys don't take it easy but the guys in their 30's usually pull back a little.  This was a mistake on his part.  I took him down and put him in a tight side control.  I then couldn't get the bread cutter but was able to get arm triangle.  As soon as I could get across and go to mount I stepped over and really applied the pressure.  He did not tap.  Maybe because I was older and maybe because he was a higher belt or maybe it just wasn't that tight but I felt him go limp so I let up and he was able to move to half guard.

This guy was really good with the leg lock down from half guard.  I could feel a lot of pressure on my knee etc because of the way he had wrapped my leg with his leg.  I applied pressure on him and was going to work on a knee slice to clear my leg when all of the sudden he did something with my leg in his legs that was either some sort of calf slicer or ankle lock.  It felt like when you have someones back and you make the mistake of crossing your legs and they put their legs over yours and arch their backs.  I tapped.  It did not hurt bad enough to tap but I was not sure where the pressure was coming from and had no idea what he was doing so I figured best to tap.  It kind of reminded me of a kidney  stone I had over 20 years ago.  I could feel the pain and had no idea what it was.  My wife took me to the emergency room where they used some machine to break it up so it would pass.  The pain was crazy but the scary part was not knowing what was causing the pain.  Since then I have had a few kidney stones and I have just gritted it out and passed them.  I kind of felt that way with this position he had me in.  It really was not enough pain to tap when I did but I was not sure if that was all he had or if that was just the start of a move that was going to cause some serious damage if he continued on.

Now I need to know what the move was so that I can learn to defend it and also learn how effective it is.  It worked well on me.  Someone told me it might be illegal.  I am not even sure what he did as I could not see because I was on top facing forward and this was behind me.  If anyone knows that this move could possibly  be let me know.

Old Man Jiu Jitsu

Last night our instructor was an older black belt.  The young black belts (under 35) who usually teach us must of had commitments so they arranged for an older guy to teach us.

It was a great class.  Finally someone that understands that older guys don't bend as well or move as fast as younger guys and don't expect them to.  Finally someone that showed us moves using limited movement, and concentrating on control instead of athleticism and quickness to beat the guy to the spot.  I know the young guys who teach the class will swear that the moves are based on technique and not strength, flexibility and quickness but I can tell you that working the moves they require all the above.   I have noticed that many times during my sparring sessions I know what I need to do and my brain is telling me things that my body just can't quite get to in time.  It becomes very frustrating to me to know that if I beat the guy to a grip or position I would have the advantage but not being able to achieve that because of slowed reflexes due to age.

One of the reasons I now prefer Gi to Nogi is that the Gi really does Slow things down.  When you get older and you slow down a  little (something that just happens) you appreciate having a little more reaction time.  The key here is everyone slows down some when they get older.  The younger guys need to understand it and especially the guys that are teaching the classes need to understand that there are some moves we are not going to be able to do.  It is not us being difficult, negative, insubordinate, argumentative or thinking because we are old we know more then the instructor it is just a fact of life.   When I am being reprimanded for trying to think of a better way to do the move that fits in with my abilities I always think to myself "talk to me when you are over 50 and see if you have the same opinion as you do now."

I have a good friend who is about the same age as me. He is a Tae Kwon Do Champion.  He competed all over the USA in high level tournaments in his age group and won most of them easily.  He is in great shape and has maintained this over many years.  He decided he needed a little more competition and he dropped down to fight the guys in the 30-40 year old bracket.  So most of these guys were 15-20 years younger then him.  What he found out was that even though his mind could identify what he needed to do his body did not respond quick enough whether making a strike or defending it and he got smacked around.

I guess all I'm saying is I get frustrated sometimes when the instructors expect me to do the same moves that a much younger guy does and I cannot replicate them to my satisfaction.

On an ending note it is not just instructors.  It is sometimes the other athletes.  Last night I got frustrated with a guy who told me to pick up the pace during warm up.  He wanted me to do more sit ups and more push ups, run faster etc.  He was really getting on me a nd I was not in the mood to take it.  I basically told him that if he kept barking at me I would just not leave.  I don't come to practice to get barked at by a 21 year old Blue Belt who thinks, because he is in perfect shape that everyone in class should be able to keep up with him.  Give the guy 30 years and if I'm still alive then he can tell me how his body responds to what his mind wants him to do.

Takedown Time.

When we get ready for Tournaments the first thing the instructors want to work on is take downs.  Take downs is vital as it is the way you start the match and if you can get the take down then that gives you an instant lead and makes the other guy now have to score points or submit you to beat you.

I used to wrestle so take downs are in my bread and butter.  I have done 10's or thousands of take downs in my life so I am pretty confident when it comes to taking down the opponent with a variety of take downs and also defending the take down.

Here is my suggestion to BJJ Athletes that have not worked on Take Downs.

1.  Go with what you are comfortable with.  (I think this is the reason most pull guard because they are comfortable with this and they also feel it puts them in a better position to score points with a sweep etc.  The key here is to practice enough to be comfortable with something.

2.  Know your distances.  Know what distance you can be effective at.  Know when you are too far to shoot.  This is the thing that I feel is the most bothersome to most is that they have no idea how far or close they need to be when they start to shoot.  They are afraid to get too close to let the competitor grab them but then they shoot from so far away it is impossible to get the take down.

3. Have a go to move.  When all else fails have a move you can go to, to get the take down.  When you get frustrated with not being able to get the fancy throw etc then have a go to move.

4.  Work on your set ups. Ankle Picks. Fireman Carries, Double Leg, Single Leg, Arm Drag etc all have set ups.  Work on getting the person to right spot so you can do the take down  you want.

5.  Stay in control.  Don't let them grab your lapel and start to drag you around the mat.  If you have to hand fight then hand fight.  Keep them off guard.  Make them concentrate on things that are not going to help them get their take down and get to the spot that they can do their take down and or pull guard.

6.  Just keep practicing it.

Today at open mat we had a group getting ready for competition

The good thing about competing is it makes your workouts more meaningful.  I have noticed that when some knows they are working toward competition or if someone signs up for their first competition all of the sudden the moves and techniques have more importance.   The competitor does not want to be embarrassed so they make sure they have the skills they need to compete.  

I am also the President of a swim team.  We kick people off the team if they will not compete   We have to explain to the parents that if they sent their kids to a school that there was no tests how hard would the kids study.   Would they do their homework?  Would they push themselves to understand a concept?   I think you know the answers.   I think the same holds true for Jiu Jitsu and that is why we get a better turnout for open mat the weeks before the Tournaments.  I also think competing makes you better in the long run and will make your BJJ better.  

I am the type that always has a plan.  When I go to open mat I have specific things I want to work on.  When I compete I have a general plan on what I'm going to do.  Do I plan to pull guard or go for the takedown?  Which takedown will I use?   One of the ladies that showed up today and will compete for her first time in two weeks had no plan at all.   All the guys there tried to help her come up with a plan but it seemed to just confuse her.   Here is what I think you should know before you compete.  

1.  You will start on your feet.  Will you go for a takedown or pull guard?   Your answer should be based on two things.  What are you best at?  What position do you want to be in after the move?   If you don't want to play bottom game then you shouldn't pull guard.   

2.   How do you plan to win?   Do you have moves to score points?   Do you need to get them in a certain spot so you can submit?   Are you really good at a certain submission?   What moves or techniques will you use to get to that spot?

3.   Are their places you struggle?  Do you have trouble recovering the guard or passing the guard.  If someone gets you in Side Control or mount or takes your back are you in trouble?  If you have a spot you are week in avoid getting in that spot.  Don't turtle if you can't escape once someone takes your back.   

Have a plan it will make you a better competitor.  

I would not consider myself a Gym Hopper

I am very loyal to the people who I started with.  I feel that I owe them a debt of gratitude for introducing me to BJJ and I will be forever grateful to them.

That being said I cannot train at Certain times because of my schedule so I do go to a different place once a week and it is a stark contrast to my usual training.  I like being a Student of two places.  I feel it gives me more range in my game and makes me less predictable when we roll.  I am able to take somethings I learn from one place and use them when we spar at the other place and so on.

One place always starts from standing so I get more practice on takedowns and the other place does a much more intense warm up so I don't have to worry  about going somewhere else to better my cardio.  Of course as I have discussed before with age you slow down so sometimes too much of a warm up and I'm ready to hit the shower before we even begin to learn technique.  I really like both places and feel part of the family when there.  I know that the 2nd place I go to the instructor would probably work with me more if I was more dedicated to his spot and I don't have a problem with that.  I just accept it as part of life.

One thing interesting this AM is seemed that several of the people who were in attendance were actually Gym Hoppers who jump around from place to place.  I'm not sure if they have schedule difficulties like me or if they are hopping for another reason but I do think there is something to say about loyalty and consistency.

What is the general opinion of this?  Do the BJJ Schools you attend encourage or discourage people from training at other places?

I signed up for another Tournament Today.

It is funny how as you get older you have to adjust to how your body responds to certain situations. Those young bucks really have no idea what it is like to be older and train.  They also do not understand the older guys need to prepare for a tournament differently then younger guys.

I used to coach Wrestling so I know how to train the younger guys.  You push them hard, break them down, build up their cardio and then give them a day of rest (or a couple of days to recover) before the tournament.  They recover quickly so they need to work up to the very end to make sure their timing is okay and that they don't lose the edge.

We have all seen it with Professional and College level athletes who have a lay off before competition and it  messes up their timing and they need a few pitches, or baskets to get back on and get back to where they want to be or to where they were before the layoff.

With Old guys it is different.  At least it is different for me.  I find that if I train hard up to a couple of days before I compete all I end up doing is being sore and not able to really compete like I would want to.  I compare this more to swimming where they work really hard but the last couple of weeks before a big Swim Meet they taper and rest.  Those kids are bouncing off the walls with all the new found energy they have and if they hit their taper right swim the best times of the Season.  I think Old Guys need to taper.  I think it makes you fresh and ready to compete.  I think being old you already have a degree of rust so it does not hurt as much because you are used to dealing with the rust (timing) issues anyway and it does not affect your grappling as much.

Anyway here's to another Tournament.  May everyone be injury free and compete to the best of their ability with respect for their opponents.

Why is it so hard for a higher belt to tap to a lower belt?

I have noticed a common saying among Jiu Jitsu Practitioner and that is leave your ego at the door.  I am starting to think that this is a one sided proposition.  It seems  like they are telling the new guys to not get fired up and go all crazy when a higher belt takes you to school and works you over.  I mean most of the higher belts take it easy on me.  No one really wants to hurt me or actually hurt anyone else when they are sparring for the most part.  The only time I see this change is when you catch a higher belt in a move that they have to really fight to get out of and then they go crazy on you trying to show there superiority.  They don't really have to do this as I already know they are better then me and so they have nothing to prove to me.

So yesterday I was rolling with a Purple Belt.  He was 20 years younger then me weighed about 50 lbs more was much stronger then me (or anyone at the gym for that matter) and is even better looking then me.  As we rolled I could tell he was working hard on trying to be technical and not just use his brute strength.  He has hurt me in the past using strength so I think he try to calm it down with me and works on technique mostly when we roll.  So yesterday we were rolling and I caught him in a very tight ankle lock.  It was a straight ankle lock and I could tell I had him.  I looked at his face in pain and realized he was not going to tap.  He tried to roll through but it just made it tighter and he still was not going to tap.  He tried to go 50/50 with me but it was not happening.  So I figured if he was not going to tap I was just going to let it go.  No need to hurt him because of his own stubbornness.  I know some may have an issue with this and may have wanted  me to finish this but I thought why hurt the guy just because he is too proud to tap to an older lower belt then him.

What do you guys think?  Is this a common practice where it is hard a higher belt to tap to a lower belt or someone they think has inferior skills to themselves but if that person is a higher belt or someone with better skills you would tap during the same hold and the same pain level.

 

Today I am posting an embarrassing moment.

As many of you may know I also sell Samurai Swords, Ninja Stuff etc on a website at www.ninjasupply.net  I  have always liked Asia (spent many years over there) and also speak Asian Languages.  My kids call me the Ginja Ninja (Ginja being short for Ginger because of my red hair.

I have found a factory that make high quality knives and swords.  They have some Folded Damascus steel blades (I know it is redundant to say Folded Damascus Steel) etc.

We ship stuff almost everyday and the people who buy from us seem to be very happy.  We have only had a few miscues and we started the site back in July.

So I decided before I sell these more expensive Musashi Swords I better buy a couple and see how Sharp they are and how well they work.  Let me tell you they are extremely sharp and well balanced.  They are truly Samurai Swords and the material and Craftsman ship is Amazing.  The problem comes from me and my buddies lack of experience using a Samurai Sword.

We have to now learn how to hold it correctly and also how to swing it etc.  Here is my first try at this and I cut a corner off of poor John's table.  It was so smooth I did not even notice it cut a corner off the table until I saw the video.  Of course on the next bottle I swung high  to compensate and missed the bottle all together.  I am going to continue practicing by assaulting water bottles and fruit and maybe by Halloween I will be able to  carve a Jack O Lantern with a Samurai Sword.  Then I truly would be the Ginja Ninja.

Maybe I should right a blog on mid life crisis's

Here is the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4O9LLL5P7s

After you've passed out are you less aggressive?

I passed out in a cross choke on Monday.  I have been to 3 workouts since then at different places.  I find myself tapping much quicker.  I have always tapped quick to joint submissions but really have been slow to tap to chokes.  I always felt I would be able to tap before I passed out but ever since Monday I have been questioning myself.  

Is this Normal?  

I enjoy starting the day with Jiu Jitsu but more then 2 rolls and I am shot for the day.

I guess I am getting older and my age is showing.  I like starting the day at Jiu Jitsu class but if I roll more then 2 times I find I am not very productive during the day.

This morning I went in and had a good class.  It was all Blue Belts and me there and we learned some technique from the quarter guard.  (off on a Tangent now)  What is your theory on learning Jiu Jitsu?  I have been studying for almost 2 years and it seems like we are going over new moves or variations of moves we have learned in each class.  I find that when I am rolling that I miss certain aspects of the move so I cannot finish it.  Case in point.  This AM I worked on a move that I was taught in Santa Fe NM last week.  I got the back of a younger stronger jiujiterio and then took his left arm in my left hand, hooked my right hand behind his left shoulder and then went for the rear naked choke.  What I forgot to do was trap his arm with my leg so I could finish the move.  When I got choked out the same thing happened.  I was in a cross choke and pushed one arm down and then lifted the other up.  I then moved my hand to cover my neck but I stepped the wrong way with the leg and thought I could pass his guard and boom I am in lala land.  If I would have stepped up with the left leg my angle would have broken the cross choke, instead I was sleeping during class.

I wonder if I will ever get to the point of really being automatic on my moves.  As an older guy being able to anticipate and counter a move before it happens is vital.  Some days it seems like I am going in reverse.  I was thinking about it today.  The guys I started with almost 2 years ago that are still around have improved at about the same level as me.  They have interesting twists to their game that I can anticipate and counter.  On the other hand they are also good at countering my moves.  When we spar we are doing more stuff but basically are in the same battle we were when we started.  What I would really like to see is how I do against the guy who started when I did but quit 3 months in.  I would like to see him come back to see if my game has improved.

Back at Higher Ground BJJ Today

I have been travelling and will still be out this week but was able to make it to HGBJJ today for the lunch class.  It was a good class with a good mixture of proficiency and sizes there.

We did a good warm up and it has been a long time since I did this.  I think I need more of this to increase my Cardio.  Then we worked on an Americana from Side Control.  It always amazes me the little things in each move that can make it or break it.  If you can put all the parts together in a fluid motion you will be top notch.

I know many debate the technique vs strength of Jiu Jitsu and I have to say technique is the key.  Technique will over come strength in most instances.  The only problem is when technique is equal or close then strength takes over.  I try to work on moves that require a minimum amount of strength to pull off and they work well on the unsuspecting when I am sparring at another academy but when I am with my own guys and they know my techniques then the strength and speed of how I hit the move is what makes the difference.

You should train like the guy is going to be stronger but you should use your strength combined with your technical skill when you spar and compete to be your best.  

If you do BJJ you will get choked out sometime.

I try to be quick to tap. I have to say that eventhough I try to leave my ego at the door sometimes it still creeps in,  I don't know about you it is harder for me to tap to a white belt then an upper belt.  

Tonight I was in St. George Utah for the Sheriff's show and I went over to open mat with Jake  Johnston.  What a great guy to roll with and a guy with a great story.  He got his black belt from Pedro Sauer and seemed to be in my mind knowing exactly what I was going to do before I did it and countering everything with technique and not strength.  I was very impressed with his skills.  

Next I was matched with Victor a guy 32 years younger then me at 21 years old.  He was a good roll for me I got a couple of sweeps and he was able to recover guard.  He got me in a cross choke and it seemed a little tight but I thought I had my arm in a place that I was safe.  I passed his guard and the next thing I knew I was dreaming that I was driving and then I heard him ask me if I was okay.  I woke up holding the guy in side control.  I have had dreams of jiujitsu before and woke up to find I was sleeping but this is the first time I was dreaming and woke up to find myself doing jiujitsu.  Being stupid I continued the roll and then actually rolled with a purple belt after that.  

Victor is a good guy.  The problem was mine.  I should have gave his cross choke more respect and not thought I could fight out of it.  I need to let my ego go with all belts.  Lesson learned. 

Getting ready for competition.

Today at open mat not many showed up just some getting ready for an upcoming competition.  For a couple it will be there first time to compete so I thought it was best to go over some things to calm them down and give them some confidence.   

I think you should always have a plan when you start a match and then make adjustments as the match goes on depending on how your opponent responds or reacts to what your doing.  As the match starts with a takedown you should always have in mind what you are going to do. Do you pull guard? Shoot a double or single leg? Go with a wrestling or judo throw?  If you know what you want you have the advantage.  Do you want to keep them from grabbing a sleeve or lapel?  It all depends on what your plan is.  Your plan should include a takedown that puts you into the position you want to be in once you get on the mat.  It is much easier to get to the position you want to be in during transition then letting your opponent get to a neutral position and starting from there.  

So we went over takedowns based on where they wanted to end up.  We will see what happens once the competition comes. 

Nothing better then BJJ to forget about the worries of life.

When people get overwhelmed, stressed out, under too much pressure, things just don't seem be going the right way they many times will resort to things that are detrimental and addictive.  I am thinking of drugs, alcohol, gambling, overeating or many other addictive vices.  They feel this will relieve their stress and make them forget their problems.  In reality it only creates more problems as it does not solve the situation at hand and then complicates it by bringing in something that usually is worse then the initial problem and gives them one more problem to deal with,

What do I do when I feel stressed out.  I go out and do Jiu Jitsu.  Funny how when some guy is trying to choke you or put you in an arm bar to hyperextend your arm or any number of things that can be done it really does help you put your problems behind you and in perspective even if just temporarily.  You have to admit when a guy is behind you with his arms around your neck trying to cut off the blood flow to your brain your best to worry about the task at hand and not concern yourself with why one of your kids is acting the way they are or what the boss or teacher is going to say about the assignment you are working on, or if you are going to make enough sales that week to put bread on the table etc.

I guess I should  try to start a movement for BJJ for Therapy.  Maybe I can contact the AA people and see what they think.  Who knows maybe if BJJ becomes addictive one day they will have a BJJA.

Also a Shout Out to Dan Lukehart for gettng his Black Belt in Style on Sunday.  Sorry I was not able to make it but I was there in Spirit.  Here is a picture of Dan at the Ceremony while still in his Brown Belt.  Looks like some pretty serious concentration there.

Took a detour home from the Sheriff's show

Just less then 2 hours from Kingman, AZ is Las Vegas.  My kids and Grandsons live there so I decided to make the detour and see them.  

Had a great time there.   You can never spend too much time with family. 

Jiu Jitsu at 7000 Feet

So today I worked out in Santa Fe at Santa Fe Brazillian Jiu Jitsu at 7000 Feet let me tell you that you can feel it.  When we started warm up I could already feel the altitude.  There seemed to be a true lack of oxygen in the air.  I was wondering how I would be able to spar at the end of class.  After our warm up they separated us.  All the lower white belts went to another room and the 4 stripe white belts and above stayed to work on some other moves.   I got paired with another visitor a purple belt from. Virginia who trains with Machado who was 25 years younger then me 25 lbs heavier then me and no fat.  We worked on Chokes from the back and let me say the guy applied the chokes hard and fast.  

Then we situational trained for 10 minutes.  One person on the back the other trying to escape to guard or half guard and the guy on the back trying to submit or mount.  Winner stay on.  The line only had 3 people in it so there was no rest.  I was able to hold my own against the Blue Belts and was able to stay in for 3 rounds where it was mandatory to sit out.  I seemed like maybe the altitude problem was over.  Then we sparred. I was pooped.  I only had spurts of energy that lasted about 15 Seconds and then had to rest, stall, defend whatever you want to call it for 30 seconds or longer to catch my breath.  I considered tapping just to rest.  My Cardio has always been good for my age but I got my butt kicked today.  I can see where training at altitude would really help your cardio come tourney time. 

Can't wait to get back to Sea level. Here is my Santa Fe Souvenir. 

At the Sheriffs show in New Mexico

The Sheriff's really love the new Proelia knives we brought plus the other knives.  The flashlight baton and the flashlight stun gun have almost sold out and today was basically set up day.  Hope for continued success.  

After the show and reception I stopped by Santa Fe BJJ they were just finishing up but I will try to make it tomorrow.  Will be interesting how rolling at 7000 feet makes me feel. 

So today at Church I was thinking about BJJ and awards

Many times when I work out while traveling I see the medals that they have won at different tournaments.  I am guessing that these are awards won by the instructors at those locales.  Usually they are medals but sometimes I see swords.  I have never been in a competition that gives away swords so I am wondering if they are for something special like overall champ etc or if they are like medals and every division gets them.  Also what kind and quality of swords are they?  Are they cheap decorative swords or something better?   Are they engraved or the scabbard marked with the competition or are they just plain swords.  Anyone with some insight please let me know.  

Also Congrats to Dan Lukehart of Brea Jiu Jitsu who received his Black Belt in BJJ today.  I wish I could have made it.  

What do you call the place you do BJJ at?

Today I wanted to write that they let me open the ???  Gym? Academy? School? Dojo? Center?  What do you call a place that they do BJJ?  Also what do you call the head guy there?  Instructor? Master? Professor? Coach?  Just casually call him by his first name?

It seems like in other Martial Arts it is layed out very well.  I am heading to the Dojo to work out with Master Wong seems to be very common for those in TKD, Karate, etc.  Anyway anyone that can help me out I would really appreciate it.  I'm almost 2 years in and I travel a lot so it would be nice to know what to call the head guy just to show proper respect.  My personal preference is Instructor and Academy.  Sounds a little like Millitary or Police but it is what I feel comfortable with.

I enjoy opening the Academy.  I showed up a little early and brought my grappling dummy so I could work on stuff just in case no one else showed up.  Luckily 4 people showed up and we drilled on sweeps for an hour.  Just worked on becoming more efficient and some moves that we already knew but needed to get better out as our timing is off when we spar.

I am heading to a Sheriff Show for 4 days so I hope I get a chance to write some blogs there.  I do plan on working out in Santa Fe.  I will see what the instructor there likes to be called.

Early Morning BJJ

Once a week I go to a 7 AM Class at a different place.  I enjoy the early morning classes even though getting stacked at 7 AM seems to hurt a lot more then getting stacked at 7 PM.  The guys that show up to the 7 AM class seem to be more of the family type.  Have kids and activities that keep them from coming after school but still have a level of dedication to the sport to get up and get out on the  mats.

The instructor is excellent and really helps you understand the details of the technique.  Small things like head position or where to put an elbow make the move much easier to execute.  Also instead of a normal Cardio, Stretching warmup we basically drill to warm up.  It is a good warm up (but once again that early in the Morning your body does seem extra stiff.).

I can honestly say that I always leave the morning class having learned something.  I can't spar for more then two rounds  in the morning or I am shot for the day but as long as I can keep that in check I think the mornings will always be a part of my Jiu Jitsu Training.

The funny thing this AM is that only 3 people were there.  Me and two other professionals with kids.  I know one of the guys is a Dentist we are all over 40 so we actually spent time on the mat in a discussion on how Keenan Cornelius was able to beat Eduardo Telles who just used the Turtle move to keep Keenan at bay.  Sometimes the discussion is more educational then the roll.

So I am working out last night and feeling pretty good.  We did technique on a way to get out of the cross choke and also worked on how to defend the choke from the back so pretty basic stuff but always good to remember some of the smaller details that make the difference during sparring and competition.

Then we start to Spar.  Remember I am an Older Guy so conserving energy is vital as well as I don't really like to beat up the guys I Spar with, (something about breaking your toys comes to mind).  I go 3, 6 minute rounds and then this new white belt ask me if I want to Spar.  I say sure figuring I would be able to take it easy.  The guy is smaller framed then me but weighs about the same.  We start and I work a controlling position and then I give him some space to recover guard and then we just continue the roll.  I'm going at an easy pace and all the sudden the guy gets me in a Darce Choke and I tap then shortly their after I am tapping to a Guillotine and then he does a bread cutter style choke from the back and I am totally confused.  I ask him afterwards how long he started BJJ and he tells me that he is new at the Gi but is a Professional Undefeated MMA fighter.  I'm thinking this will be good to know next time we spar,

The lesson learned here is never to get over confident.  Just because you are going against a lower belt does not mean you should drop your guard when it comes to protecting your neck and arms etc.  Next time we spar I will be much more cautious.  I'm pretty sure my neck is going to be hurting the next few days.  

How do you Spar with Women?

Last  night was interesting because when I showed up for drilling there was only Women there to drill.  There was an accident on the Freeway that had the closest on ramp to our gym closed down so I guess only the Women could figure out how to get there on time.  By the end of class we ended up with a bunch of guys there.

Since it was all ladies I asked them who they liked to spar with and who they didn't like to spar with.  (Now these are mostly white belts (one blue belt) and I can tell you that I have had Brown and Black Belt Women come to our place and give me way more then I can handle.  The comments that follow have to do with a specific situation and in no way insinuate that all Women and especially Women of Higher Belts feel this way.)  (Disclaimer out of the way).  They said that they prefer to go with people who will test their skills but not just muscle their way into a position or smash them when they spar.  They also don't want someone who is condescending or patronizing.  They can tell when someone just lays there and gives them moves they don't earn.  They want to earn the position by doing proper technique.  Last night we drilled Bump Sweep and Scissor Sweep.  The Women who attended the drills class seemed to really benefit from it.  I think most Women understand why technique is so important to Jiu Jitsu and that is why more of them show up to the drilling class.  We could probably all learn something from them.

I always look forward to Tuesdays because we drill for an hour before class

I find the time we drill to be very valuable.  It gives me a chance to go over some more again and again and build some muscle memory.  This really helps when you get in a Tournament and the instincts take over.  I have seen so many people who enter tournaments and spend much more time about thinking what they are going to do instead of actually doing it.

I think you need to have a game plan if you want to win.  If you can scout your opponent that makes it easier but that is not always possible.  The best thing to do is have 3 moves from each position.  That means 3 take downs and if you are really good 3 take downs from each grip that he has.  Your response will be much different if the guy grabs a collar, sleeve, or lapel or if he leaves an open spot.  Know what you are going to do ahead of time.

If you get underneath how will you sweep him.  The answer is different depending on how he is positioned.  How will you pass the guard if you are on top?  Will you try to go knee on belly, or mount?  What about taking his back?  Do you have moves from those spots.  Jiu Jitsu tournaments are not pick  up basketball games where you just go out and run up and down the court.  Having a plan will help you to wiin.

That is why if you get a chance to drill take it.

I love the smell of the Gym.

I have been told on many occasions that the sense of smell is the strongest sense you have and it stays with you longer and triggers more memories then any other senses.  We can all think of distinctive smells that trigger memories.  Hospitals, or things that smell like Hospitals triggers certain memories.  My Grandparents were raised in Farm Land so when I smell Farm Smells it reminds me of them.

Hong Kong has a distinct smell and in fact the word Hong Kong actually means Fragrant Harbour in Chinese (Cantonese).

I think this is one of my draws to Jiu Jitsu.  I wrestled when I was young and in College.  I coached for a while after that.  There is a distinct smell that the wrestling room has and I get that smell when I walk in the door of a BJJ academy.  No matter how tired I am and how worn out I seem to be (I am 53 so I can get pretty Tired and worn out) I always am happy that I made the effort and showed up.  The smell the Camaraderie and the other things about showing up to sweat and roll with these other men are the things that draw me to the sport.  I go 4 days a week and get beat up most days as I attend the mid day class with younger, stronger, heavier, quicker and more experienced practitioners then me.  The treat me I just have no advantage on them.  Most of these guys are Purple Belts, Brown Belts and Black Belts and 20 years or more younger then me.  I am just glad they tolerate me.

I have an addiction to BJJ

I am 53 years old and started Jiu Jitsu when I was 51.  I have been totally addicted since the start.  I wanted to compete and lost 40 lbs in just over 2 months so I could compete against the smaller guys and I actually won the first tournament that I entered.

Not sure if this is a midlife crisis or what but I am all in.

www.ninjasupply.net