The Guantlet

Last night we had promotions at one of the academies that I train at and they had those with Belt Promotions walk/run through the Gauntlet.

I love Jiujitsu.  I have been training almost 4 years and usually make 5-6 classes per week.  I choose BJJ over many activities that I should be doing.  I left my family at the Hotel once on a family vacation to Hong Kong to go to a Clark Gracie Seminar.  I have rescheduled business meetings so I would not have to miss class.  I always try to schedule my flights at times so I can train either before I leave or after I land.  I am a glutton for punishment.  I was at a hard core no gi place on Thanksgiving morning and got shredded by the locals where my parents live as it seems all the beasts are the guys who want to train on Thanksgiving in that part of the woods and instead of looking at me as an old guy who just wanted to get in some light rolling and work  on some techniques they viewed me as fresh (but old) meat to work on their guillotines and arm-bars.  I had no problem with that and when I go back up to visit my parents will most like train with the again.  I will be in Dallas for a week during Christmas visiting my daughter and her family and have already contacted the people there about training.  I am a training fanatic.  I love to train and compete.  I got BJJ in the Blood and on the Mind.

That being said,  for some reason the Gauntlet really bothers me.  I have been through the Gauntlet and while I will say I did feel the pain and had welts for days afterwards it is not the pain part of the Gauntlet that bothers me.  It is the frenzy the you see with people who really just want to be able to hit people as hard as they can with their belts.  I mean you can see how much they enjoy this.  I just can't bring myself to hit someone who is defenseless as hard as I can.  I can't rationalize it in my brain.

I am an older guy went to High School in the 70's and hazing was a real thing.  It really bothered me back then and after I went through the Freshman Hazing that I did I never felt like hazing other kids.  I just never saw the point.  For some it seemed like a right of passage of sorts.  They had been hazed (some were very brutal and not done with Spirit of  Sportsmanship or belonging to the group but done with malice) and because they were High School kids doing it they had no idea if or how bad they might hurt someone. High School kids have not been known to make the best decisions.   When I became an Upper Class men I would never attend the hazing ceremonies.  I am not a pacifist by any means.  I always enjoyed a good fight when the need arose and never backed down from a scuffle.  I hunted and killed many animals and felt no remorse.  I was raised in Wyoming where it was a way of life.  I was not a big kid growing up and always wrestled in the lower weight classes but I belonged and had friends who were bigger guys so I did not really get picked  on.  There was a boy from Church who was a little bit smaller then me.  He broke his arm playing Dodge Ball and he seemed to really get harassed at School by many of the bigger kids.  In the 70's Bullying was not seen the same was it is today.  It was almost accepted and was hard to avoid if you were a smaller kid or maybe had some feature that caused you to be different.  No one wanted to be different so people tried to avoid  being seen with those kids so they would not be seen as less then cool.  I think it is different now days.

I guess I just don't understand what the Gauntlet achieves.  You get a bunch of Grown men and a few ladies together and then publicly whip a few people because there BJJ skills merit them getting promoted to a new belt level  so you whip them?    I do think that people do not hit with malice but many are really trying to leave their mark (welt).  I understand traditions.  I think they are great.  I just don't understand why beating someone would be a tradition you would want to keep.

I know most schools have done away with the Gauntlet.  Not sure why the Gauntlet bothers me so much.  I know I am not expressing it well.  I mean the guys who got promoted rolled with everyone in the class for 2 minutes before the gauntlet that was more then an hour worth or rolls and I had absolutely no problem with that and rolled with them as well as an old man can but the gauntlet just seemed to be over the top to me.

Recap from Master's Worlds.

I know it has been a while since I posted.  I have been busy with work and training for Master Worlds.

The first thing I want to say is that Master Worlds is no joke.  Every year it gets more and more difficult to compete there.  Of course every year we get older and older but that is not what I mean.  I mean that every year the level of competition steps up to a higher level.  If you would have told me a week ago that I would get the same medal as Xande Riberio, Clark Gracie, Cicero Costha and place higher then Samuel Braga I would be sure it going to be a Gold Medal but I ended up with a Bronze just like some of those big names listed above.

I think Master Worlds will soon pass Regular Worlds as a Jiujitsu Draw.  The reason behind this is I think that this is an opportunity for many Professors to be able to compete at a Tournament with their Students and have a chance to show what they got despite their age.  There is no way that most of these guys could compete in an Adult Division.  I also really see the Camaraderie at this tournament that I don't see at any other tournament.  I think it is a combination of having  many athletes from each team combined with the Venue that allows the friends of the fans to really cheer for their teammates, family and friends.  I have to say to watch the big names it is much easier in a big venue like UCI or the Pyramid in Long Beach for everyone to see what is going on but the seats are so far from the mats that it is very difficult to get up close to watch your team mate fight.

Also the change to put the Black Belts Master 1 and 2 on Day 1 and    Black Belts Master 3-6 on Day 2 will make this tournament much more appealing to Black Belts who can get their matches out of the way and then party in Vegas or Coach their athletes or do what ever they want.  I think they will keep this format and it might not be what the Older Blue Belts want who used to be Day 1 but I don't think IBJJF really cares to much about what the Old Blue Belts Want.

I also see many of the older guys really stepping up their training to attend this tournament.  My Buddy is a Feather Weight Purple Belt Master 3 and had to win 5 matches to win his division.  That is crazy that a 40+ year old would need to win 5 matches to win.  I think for the most part after 3 matches the rest is just grit and cardio and a lot of the technique you have prepared goes  out the window.  Of course maybe if my technique was better I would not think this way.  I saw some Master 5 guys with 8  packs and almost all the guys I saw were in shape.  I did not see a lot of guys that just seemed to be there for the party.  They all seemed ready to compete.  Just to show how competitive Masters 5 was the guy who won Master 5 light weight last year did not even medal this year and he dominated the division last year.

Jiu Jitsu is growing.  It is growing among the kids (my grandson is 4 and got his 2nd stripe on his white belt Tuesday) and it is growing among the older people to.  People are finding it a way to be active and keep fit while enjoying the great socializing that seems to cross all boundaries or age, race etc.  I met a guy from Arkansas who was a 69 year old Blue Belt competing in Masters 6.  I met at least 10 people over 60 years old.  I met people from Norway, Venezuela, Japan, Singapore, Sweden, etc that where there competing.  I have to say this tournament is only going to get bigger and more competitive.  This is really what Jiujitsu is all about.

Post World Championship Report

I know it has been a couple of weeks since Worlds were finished but I have some stuff I have been thinking about since before then and  I am just finding time to get around to putting it to my blog.

First as a disclaimer I have only been doing Jiujitsu for about 3 1/2 years.  I have been involved in athletics since I was young and have been around swimming the last 20 years supporting my Children and before that I competed in other sports.  What I want to say may seem to go in the face of many of the Top BJJ Schools and Pre Competition Philosophy.

Why do BJJ schools up the intensity of practices on the days leading up to Worlds and I see that many of the Top Schools have Hell Week leading up to the Big Tournaments.  I do not understand this concept of working really hard leading up to a big competition.  It seems to me that it only increases the chance for injury or fatigue before a major competition.

You are not getting better cardio in the few days leading up to the competition, you most likely will not be learning a new move that you can perfect to pull off against a tough opponent and it seems like to me there is only downside to working really hard right before you compete.  Maintaining weight and/or cutting weight and you need to break a sweat that I understand.  Dan at Brea Jiujitsu had a group of competitors there and he turned up the heat piped in competition sounds during the rolls and generally encouraged all to roll hard.

It seems like to me that if they went in with the Taper Mind set like they use in swimming, cycling, and even football and wrestling where they just do walk through type of training leading up to the competition to keep you fresh and reduce the chance of injury your chances of performing at a high level would be increased.  I think too many people in Jiujitsu over train before a big tournament and it causes them to not be able to give their optimum effort.  

Here is a little bit about what Dan is doing at Brea Jiujitsu.

Dan  has invited many people through Reddit and other Social Media places to come stay at his academy as a staging area before major competitions.  There were a dozen or so before Pans and then a lot of people before Worlds.  This has been a huge success and he had almost 25 people there one night and over 40 people on the mats training.   I train at Brea a few nights a week as it is very near my home I still train at the place I started but because of my schedule I cannot get there many days so Dan allows me to train at Brea even though I represent another school at Tournaments.  Dan is just a great guy who loves BJJ .  So it was packed over there the few days leading up to Worlds.  They had many top notch competitors there many from the Cicero Costha Group.  It is amazing to watch them train.  Even after they left I can tell that the intensity of the rolls has remained and these competitors have opened many eyes of those that sparred with them just what Jiujitsu is capable of.  I was able to take a few of them out to eat have them come over to the house for dinner  and take them back and forth from the Airport so I was able to spend some time with them. .  (I picked up the Miyao Brothers at the Airport Thursday night and then was at  Joao's Seminar the next Monday).  All these guys really train at a different level.  They told me when we were at dinner they train 3 times a day for about 2 1/2 hours and train 6-7 days a week.  I follow these guys on Instagram and they seem to be at a Tournament almost every week.  They are young guys who are following a dream and very appreciative of any help they can get.  Just watching them train motivates me and others who saw them to train harder.   I can't help to think that out of the 4-5 Purple and Blue Belt competiors that I was able to roll with and then take out to eat that one day they will be the next Miyao or Mendez. (they train with Miyao so they know where they need to be.    It was just a great opportunity for me and hopefully for the many others they came in contact with during their stay in the USA to meet these BJJ competitors.

What is important to us.

I was thinking the other day of what is important to me.

I thought of my Family, Church, Friends, Work, Jiu Jitsu etc.

I read an article that was written somewhere that asked the question to one of the top BJJ guys how much they would accept in compensation to go back and have not started BJJ at all.  The answer was no amount because of what I have learned and the friends I have made.  It had nothing to do with the Medals he had earned or the other tangible things.  It was all about the knowledge he had gained and the relationships that he had made.

I was thinking if this was a good way to judge how important something is to you.  If we can put a price on it then maybe it is not that important to us.

For example if I could ask for all the money I have spent on Candy Bars or Ice Cream or some other vices to be put back in my bank account and  not have any memories from those things or benefits that they gave me removed I would take the money in a heart beat.  I think of many things I have spent money on that I would exchange my experience with those things for monetary reimbursement.  Some times we spend the money and really get no long term benefit out of it and the short term benefit does not create any lasting memories.  (Think Captain Crunch Cereal).

The things on that list must not have been that important to me.  This includes Cars, Motorcycles, Fitness Equipment, Clothing and many other things.

So what  are some of the things I would not take the money back for but would rather keep the knowledge I have learned from those things.

Learning to Speak Chinese is very valuable to me.  This is something that I spent many hours and much time working on and I would not take money in exchange for not being able to speak Chinese.

Doing Jiujitsu is also high on the list. I have worked hard to gain the knowledge I have gained and I lost 60 lbs from the workouts and have met people who I would never have come in contact with if not for BJJ.   If someone offered me a large amount of money and told me that everything I have learned in BJJ and all the people I have met in BJJ would be
foreign to me and I would be 60 lbs heavier I would not make that trade.

Family Vacations are experiences I have had that I would want to keep even though some of the cost of them were very high.  My Church experience.  The knowledge and things I have learned at Church and the friends I have made are very valuable to me and would be things that I would not just give up.  Being able to raise my Children in the Church has no price tag on it.

I think this is an interesting thing to think about and a good way of self evaluation on what we find important to us.

What things in your life would you not exchange to  get paid back and what things would you exchange.  I have a bunch of extra inventory on those hoverboards that not only would I exchange but I would be willing to get rid of at less then what I paid because they have a very low value to me.

In our lives we have deals like that.  Things we have done (bad deals or extra inventory) that we would be better off just taking the money back.  Then we have other things we have done that we would not exchange that experience for any amount of money.

They have that one commercial for Rosetta Stone that says "wouldn't you rather learn a language then have another pair of shoes?"  My 14 year old who is usually in the car with me says she would rather have the shoes.  When I was 14 maybe I would rather have the shoes.  This is an interesting commercial to me.  I think it is easy to take the shoes but maybe we should be filling our lives with worthwhile endeavors things that are more valuable in the long run then a "New Pair of Shoes"

Jiu Jitsu with Friends

This might not be consistent with some of the things are wrote in the past on my blog but I had to write this because of the truly great time I had in Chicago with my JiuJitsu Team.

Let me tell you in the past mostly what I could see was the differences between me and my team mates.  I am old enough to be the father of many of them.  I have lived over 50 years and am on the back side of my life and career  and they are looking forward to what they can become  and have the future in front of them.  Some of them may seem a little more rough then me and run with a rougher crowd.  I don't drink, smoke, and have no tattoos and don't plan on getting any.  Outside of Jiujitsu we don't have a lot in common.

The guys at the Gym do accept me though they treat me like a brother and call me brother but sometimes I wonder if they should be calling me dad. Often I feel I am the Square Peg in the Round Hole around the gym.   They treat me well and we spar hard and shake hands and embrace afterward.  After practice they hang around maybe go out and get something to eat or drink and I head home to soak myself in the hot tub.  I am taking some Motrin to heal myself while they are out enjoying themselves.

So in December when they said lets do a travel trip, lets go to Chicago and compete I told them I was in thinking I would take my wife and family and we would have a nice trip and just do our own thing and let them do their own thing.

Then when about 10 people bailed on the trip and it was going to be a small group and my wife did not want to spend the extra money the airfare  and everything else would cost to get her and the rest of the family to Chicago to watch the competition I was now on my own with my teammates.

I was not sure what was going to happen.  We decided to share a Hotel Room because it would save some money.  I was up for that.  I have been married 31 years and have no problem sleeping in the same bed with someone.  I also travel a lot so I have some perks when travelling that some of the young bucks don't have like Free Breakfast, Free Internet, Free Snacks, Access to the Club at the Hotel and the Airport etc.  I showed up early got the room and then picked them up at the airport.  We had a great time.  It was like back when I was a youngster.  We bought a Rotisserie Chicken and some fruit and vegtables the night before the competition because we wanted to make sure we made weight.  We stayed at the Hilton and I got some extra breakfast coupons, so for those that could eat we had a great breakfast the day of the Competition and an even better one the day after when we could all eat.  As some were doing the open weight and we were all in one rental car so no one cold leave everyone who made the Podium that day decided to compete in the absolute.  We would be hanging around waiting for everyone any way and could not leave until the last competitor was finished.  Then after the competition we all went back to the hotel showered and went out for Chicago Style Pizza.  We had so much fun.  It was easy for the old guy to stay out late because being from CA the two hour time difference really helped, plus being amped up from the Competition.

I have to say this was the most fun I have had at a Jiujitsu Tournament.  The guys I was with agreed.  It snowed on the first day and it was one guys first time to actually see it snow.  Then the weather was great the day after the tournament.  We all got back and now these guys are super excited about doing more travel trips.  I am too.  If I can say anything to people reading this blog is if you get a chance to take a trip with your team do it.  It is great fun and will build relationships and give you memories and stories that will last a lifetime.

To each his own journey. What if you don't want to compete?

I had a friend who posted on Facebook about to each his own Journey.  I thought many of his suggestions were spot on.  I thought I would share some of them here and add a few of mine.  As I am going from memory and not pasting what he wrote so will be using some liberties with what I write.

First of all let me say that we are older guys and we train BJJ.  We train it because we want to.  We train it because we enjoy it.  We train it because it takes us away from some of our outside issues and we get a chance to get away if even for just a short time.  We also enjoy the camaraderie we have with our younger BJJ enthusiasts.  

There are other influences that make it not as fun.  Outside pressure to compete or to compare ourselves with others.  Pressure to get a BeltPromotion or to be compared to someone who started later then us or so many other things.  These are things that can consume us bring extra stress and anxiety to what normally would be a serene peaceful endeavor and makes us not enjoy it like we normally would.  

Why do we do these things?  Why is it so important to keep up with the Jones?  I know a Black Belt.  He is one of the best BJJ players I know.  He is big (210) strong could do cross fit with the best and also so flexible you would think he was a Gymnast.  He is in his 30's and I have seen him destroy people who compete regularly and win.  I asked him won day why he does not compete at all.  He said he used to but the anxiety it caused was just too much.  He would have to drink the night before he competed to calm down and the things he was doing were not good for his body.  Same thing for a over 50 year old Purple Belt I know.  He has all the assets to be a World Champion but he does not want to compete.  He said that when he competes he becomes a different person.  His Girl Friend would basically have to move out of the house for the month before the competition because he was just that hard to live with.  It was not worth it to him.  He just preferred to work out and spar with the guys and continue to improve his game like that.  

I used to think that you had to compete to improve but I am starting to see that we all have a different BJJ Journey.  It is a hard journey and we have chosen a hard sport to master.  No need by making it more difficult by bringing in things we cannot control and things that cause it to be no fun into the mix.  

Who really thinks people leave their ego at the Door?

When I first started BJJ I heard this all the time.  "Leave the Ego at the Door" or how humbling this sport was.  I agree that the BJJ is humbling but I think the "Leave the Ego at the Door" concept only applies to those lower belts, lighter or older guys and most women and juveniles. .

I think the leave the Ego does not work for higher belts who are heavier and more athletic then their opponents.  As an Older BJJ Blue Belt  I find that when I spar with lower belts, guys lighter then me, or women we have good rolls no matter what happens.  They can catch me in a position and I tap or I can catch them in a position and they tap.  When I spar with Higher Belts or Heavier guys they seem to have a real problem tapping if I get a submission hold on them.

Of course this is not true in all cases but in many cases it seems to be true.  I can be rolling with a 35 year old Blue Belt that weighs about 10 lbs more then me and we are rolling at a good pace and the flow is good.  Then I just happen to catch them in a Submission and for the rest of the round they are going crazy trying to get even.  They change the intensity of their roll and start going much harder.  I get it.  I understand what is going on.  The Ego has been bruised as they have been tapped by an old man.  They then need to get a Sub on me before the end of the round to save their pride.

Once while Sparring with a  Big Purple Belt who had about 50 lbs on me and was 25 years younger (I'm 55 160 lbs)  I caught him in a Triangle.  He went crazy to get out but it was just really tight.  He lifted me and slammed me on the mat.  I let go and asked him if he was okay.  He came at me with fire in his eye and like a Grizzly Bear picked me up and threw me across the mat.   I looked up just to see him coming at me.  I told him stop.  Calm down.  I can't spar with you when you are this angry.  I'm going to get hurt.  After about 30 seconds we bumped hands and continued the roll.

I have talked to many Women who feel the same way.  That many guys would rather pass out then Tap to a Women.  Now the new White Belts have no problem tapping.  They have been humbled and have been tapped by the Women and Old guys at the Gym so they really have no Ego.  The Problem is the guys who think that they should never tap to a lower belt, a woman or anyone that is smaller then them and over 50.  I do BJJ a lot when I travel and this is not just the case at one Gym.  This happen at places all over.

Okay tell me why I am wrong.  I do know of higher belts who will actually just tap when you get them in a good position and move on but most  won't and are not really leaving their Ego's at the Door.

Why do so many try to pull others down.

I love BJJ.  I wish I could do it full time.  I, like many of you have a job that keeps us away from BJJ at times but it also helps us support our BJJ addiction.  My wife always wonders why I spend so much money on BJJ,  I buy Gi's (I have at  least 15 of them) and support the industry.  I sign up for tournaments and pay to travel to get there.  I pay dues each month and also pay for private lessons some times. I also pay for Team Gear and support the team when they have Seminars.   I am paying a lot to do Jiu Jitsu and I am happy to do it.

Lately I have been making patches for some of the local BJJ Schools.  We have a good factory we work with that gives us great prices and we pass those great prices on to the buyers.  This factory is a friend of mine who does me a favor by doing small runs.  They  make embroidered patches for Disney, Coke, Universal Studios, Ralph Lauren, Target etc. They are a certified vendor for these companies.   This is a good company making high end patches.  You may ask me what the problem is?  Let me tell you what the problem is.  The problem is the crabs.

There is an old story that goes if you catch a two crabs and put them in a bucket then you don't need to put a lid on the bucket because when one crab tries to get out the other crab will pull it back down. Of course this is just nature but it looks like  the one crab does not want to let the other crab improve it's situation by getting out of the bucket.  I feel like this is the case when I post something on a Public Forum or Social Media letting people know that I can make Embroidered Patches.  The boobirds come out complaining that I should not be using that medium to promote my product.  Why not?  I'm not posting something every hour trying to promote this product.  I know that the key to getting sales with  these patches is to find a team that needs patches or just ran out of patches and is looking to order some.  How do I get the word out if I don't use my contacts on Social Media and Public Forums I frequent.  I would think (hope) other BJJ Practitioners would be happy to help a fellow jiujiteor to cover some of his cost incurred on their JiuJitsu Journey.

To be honest I understand not wanting to be spammed  and if a guy is selling sunglasses or something unrelated to BJJ I would agree it has no place on a forum but this is an item that many JiuJitsu Teams need and are looking for a reliable vendor.

What do you think?  What are you suggestions.  Let me know I am all ears. (Cauliflower Ears LOL)

I write this with Heavy Heart

I have not written for a while.  One I was  getting some negative feedback from some people and I did not need the criticism and Two I really had nothing important to say.

Today I am writing with very Heavy Heart.  Two weeks ago a BJJ Friend of mine Brian Kim passed away of a heart attack.  I was not able to attend the funeral last week as I was at the Shot Show in Vegas and this has been consuming my thoughts and his family has been in my prayers.  A few hours a go I found out that another Friend of mine has died.  This time it was another Black Belt Don Charley from Las Vegas.  He was a good guy to train with and never took it easy on me.  He invited me to his home to train and I should have went last week while in Vegas but I told him next time and there will never be next time hear on earth.

Both of these men where black belts and both humored me.  I remember doing stand up with Brian over at Brea Jiu Jitsu and when I shot and took him down he then went to work on my submitting me at least 5 times in the next 7 1/2 minutes.  At Higher Ground it was the Same.  He would come in all smiles and happy.  Looked to be very care free and everyone was Happy when Brian showed up even though we all knew we were in for a beating.  He always took care of business with a smile complimenting you on a good move while countering it with a submission of his own.

Don was closer to my age.  One year older then me.  I rolled with him a few times while in Vegas.  He was always very specific when it came to BJJ etiquette and made sure we did not enter the mat unless we were invited by the Proffesor and that we shook hands and greeted all Black belts and higher belts before we proceeded with out workout.  He was the only guy I ever rolled with that was older then me and smaller then me (slightly older and smaller)  but could still work me over.  Of course the skills he developed as a Black Belt made him so much better at Jiujitsu then me and I had no problems tapping when he ankle locked me or got me in another position when I thought I was going to get the advantage but ended up tapping.

My 3 year BJJ anniversary is Monday.  It is hard to believe how two Gentlemen like this that I only met on a few occasions I saw Brian maybe 15 times and Don only 3-4 times would stir such emotion in me.  I continue to Pray for both their families.

RIP Brian Kim
RIP Don Charley
 

World Championships Post Dinner

Last night I had some BJJ Friends and their wives over.   We decided weeks in advance that we would get together  Sunday afternoon after Master World Championships because then none us were going to have to worry about cutting weight and we could indulge without fear of the scale the next day.

One of the guys who came over had a Son who should be on The Food Channel.  He is 13 years old, and a very good BJJ practioner but also an excellent Chef.  He made a Chinese Sea Food Soup that was incredible.  (Tom Yum Soup)

One of the reasons we got together is to let our wives meet each other and also to give support to each other as sometimes all married men who do BJJ (unless your wife trains with you) can get the "Why are you going to BJJ so often?" line from wifey.  We felt like if our wives could see we were not the only crazy ones that would be good for us.  Also there is one guy we invited that trains like Crazy.  He does 2 a days plus 2 private lessons a week.  He spends over $500 a month on BJJ lessons and I thought that with him there we would all look like slackers by comparison and our wives would see that we were not the most hard core jiujiteors our there.

What started  out as a good dinner and a show of how the guys that made more workout did better at Worlds turned into the end of a BJJ Wives Anonymous meeting where the Women just sat and discussed why their husbands could not do this or that because of a BJJ injury or because they were too tired.  (This or that has to do with Chores around the house and running errands not other things that may or may not have popped into your mind.  At the end of the day all was well.  Some of the wives decided we were not so bad and they would let their husbands train more.  All in all it was good fun and the wives all seemed to enjoy being together with other wives who have husbands that share the same passion. Also it seemed in the end when the dust had settled most of the Women were happy their husbands were doing BJJ and were willing to let them train as much as they could.  They even suggested getting together next month and inviting a couple of wives (and husbands who train elsewhere) to come over and join the fun.

BJJ Problems. Bad Fingers.

I have not written for a while but I have had lots of stuff to write about.  Just busy so I thought I would save it for later.

I am getting ready for Master Worlds and for me that mostly means trying to avoid getting injured as the healing time takes way to long.  I have had many team mates close to my age that start working harder for a big tournament and get busted up and end up not being able to perform like they wanted.
I think old guys need to understand that they cannot train like Young Guys no matter what the Professor or their own brain says.  It just does not work out.  I think that is the biggest struggle for older Jiu Jitsu players.  Our minds are strong but our bodies just don't respond like we want them to.

One thing that I am getting used to is for the referee to ask me to take of my wedding ring.  I cannot get the ring off.  It has been on my finger for 31 years.  In fact at the last tournament I went to I worked to get the ring off before I competed and was able to get it off the middle knuckle but the top knuckle has grown so much (thank you Spider Guard) that the ring was stuck between the middle and top knuckle on my hand.  It took me another few minutes and some oil to get it back down to the correct spot on the finger.  I guess I could label this under BJJ Problems.

Now I just put some tape over it so I don't have to worry about them stopping the match and asking me about it.

I been involved in a lot of youth sports and BJJ Parents seem better then most.

Just to give you that don't know me well some background.  I have had daughters on a swim team for the last 18 years.  We just spent 5 days in blazing heat in the Inland Empire watching our youngest daughter swim.  I saw many parents who were getting really worked  when their child added time.  They would pull them aside and berate them about their lack of hard work at practice and other problems with their strokes, not being tough enough etc. The parents were really agitated.

 I was sitting with the Coaches when a swimmer from another team came up to his Coach and told him that his mother was going to buy him one of the new $400 swim suits.  He asked the Coach which one would make him swim fastest.  The Coach said if you want to get faster tell your mom to bring you to practice more often.  It will save you the $400.

3 weeks ago I was at American Nationals BJJ tournament and as part of the UFC event they also had a high level youth wrestling tournament, 6 and under, 8 and under, 10 and under, etc in all weight classes These kids had come from all over the country and it seemed like it was most likely an invite only type of tournament because their were lots of individuals there but did not seem to be lots of  full teams of wrestlers and coaches that traveled as a team.   The problem this created is that the kids were coached mostly by the parents.  They let the parents sit around the circle of the mat while their child/athlete competed.  The behavior I saw from these parents was out of control.  In swimming I see parents yell at their kids during the event all the time but the kids heads are under water and the swimmer rarely can hear a parent yelling.  During the Wrestling Matches the parents were sometimes inches from their athletes face yelling at them not to be a quitter and getting very upset.  I saw 3 times where they had to bring in an extra referee to stand between the Parents and the kids.  Then when the match was over the parents went crazy.  Now just to be fair it was a very intense environment, these kids were competing at a very high level.  I saw 8 year olds doing suplexes on other wrestlers.  I was very impressed with the skill set of the kids who attended this tournament and I would guess that most of them were state champions or region champions and none of them were used to getting beat.  You could see it in almost every match.  When one kid knew he was not as good as the kid he was going against the tears started to fall.  The amount of intensity that was there was incredible.  I think the kids were crying because they had a fear or disappointing their parents more then actually losing the match.  I would really like to take some of these kids and see if they are qualifying for NCAA's in 8-12 years.

Then two weeks ago I was at the Kids World BJJ tournament.  First the quality of the kids was great.  The parents did not seem to be too over the top.  Sure they were cheering and holding up signs but for the most part the  parents accepted defeat easily and complimented their child on a job well done.  Only once did I see a Parent get upset and that was because the kid started crying and ran to the edge of the mat and fell down crying uncontrollably.  I am not sure if the parent was upset about the kid losing or the behavior afterward.   The parents seemed to be much better.

My question is why?  My short answer is that most parents in swimming and wrestling have an existing knowledge of the sport.  They may have participated in it in the past and they think they have the ability to coach their kids.  I think with BJJ it is so new to most parents they really don't understand it well enough to be obnoxious.  Do you think there is validity  to this or are  BJJ Parents just more respectful then other Sport's parents?

The Key to Longevity in BJJ is to tap quick

I have been fortunate  to win a few tournaments.  First of all let me tell you I'm not that good.  I have been able to win because I compete in an Older Age Group (Masters 5) I have been able to catch some of my best competitors right after a match so they are already tired.  I am pretty good at defending submissions and I know how to score points.

I talk with many of my fellow competitors and I have come to the conclusion that we are doing this for fun not to kill each other and no one wants to have to be carried off the mat.  In fact most of the time we talk this is what we talk about.  Now let me tell you that everyone goes hard and tries their best to win but in the long run most of us would rather lose with a quick tap then win and limp for a week because we were ahead on points and we were able to deal with the ankle  lock the guy put on us.

We have heard many say that BJJ is like Chess.  Move, counter move,  staying one step ahead of your opponent, bait them into doing a move that will benefit you etc.  I agree but one thing that Older Guys seem to get that younger guys don't is that when the other guy has done a move and has got you in the Submission Correctly the Older Guys just tap and say good job and aren't willing to break an arm to get out of a arm-bar or willing to risk an ankle injury because you wanted to fight off that ankle lock,  Old guys know they have been beat and they tap,  Recovery time takes too long for an old guy to warrant fighting off the nasty joint lock submissions.

I am not saying that young guys should tap earlier  but I am saying that there is a reason we are old guys and can still train and compete.  It is because we use discretion when it comes to knowing when we are beat.   I think this is good counsel when it comes to extending your BJJ life,

I know it is sometimes hard for you young bucks to tap to an old guy a lower belt or a female but in the bigger picture just give them  credit for pulling off the move correctly tap and move on,  You will be better off for it in the long run,

For most of us it is a Hobby not a Job and sometimes we may weekend Warrior ourselves out of training,

What is the benefit of competing in Jiu Jitsu Tournaments.

First let me say that I think it a huge benefit to all to compete.  I have several  very good friends that just don't want to compete.  I understand the anxiety that comes with competing.  I also understand the ego bruise that can result if you don't fare well in your competition.  I also understand the pressure building up to the competition and how it may affect your personality and of course I understand the hated weight cutting that is also associated with competing so with all that going on with competitions you may ask why I think it is a benefit to compete so let me explain.

1.  When you compete it makes you a little more dedicated to BJJ.  It does not matter who dedicated you are if you are signed up for a competition you will be a little more motivated to make it to practice.

2.  It is a good opportunity to see where you stand in comparison with others in your division, weight class and belt rank.  If you think about it this is not like running etc where you have no chance to getting a medal because of some of the top notch people involved.  Sure they still have age groups in other sports but have you ever been to a swim competition where they only have you compete against people your same size?  Belt Rank is a little different because even though most other sports do not have belt rank they do have novice, beginner and expert divisions which can differentiate the athletes skill level.

3.  It is good to practice the discipline it takes to make weight and get ready for a tournament.  I had a tournament last weekend and because of some confusion  on my side ended up with no one in my weight class.  (It is a long story but I they sent me an email and I thought I had a match but didn't)  I still feel I benefited by the preparation it took to get ready for the tournament.  Just think about how hard you would study in school if you were never required to take a test.  I think everyone in the gym benefits when some of the people compete.

Not just to give a simple way to deal with the above issues of competing.
Anxiety can be dealt with by just becoming more familiar with the competitions.  I still get butterflies every time I compete but the more I compete the better I seem to be.

No one wants to be embarrassed in front of their family and peers.   I can tell you all the team mates I have that have competed have received the utmost respect from everyone at the gym.  Maybe a family member or friend might not understand the courage it takes to compete but that is okay.  They have to understand that there is only one winner in your division and sometimes the other guy is just better.  No big deal.  That is just life.  In fact as funny as it sounds losing actually helps in this instance because it lowers the expectations of your friends and family.

You can be a little edgy before a competition and add cutting weight into the mix and you can be a whole different personality.  Last week I h
ad one daughter turn 22 the week before I had a daughter turn 29 and that sandwiched Father's Day.  I had to limit myself on some of those dinners and desserts that I would usually partake of.  I could not just sit around and snack with the family.  I felt it made me irritable and not very fun to be around.   I have to say that all of that was caused by me.  I could have chosen to go at a weight I would not have to cut for and that would have made me much happier.

I think you should try to compete at least every 4 months.  That would be 3 times a year.  I think if you do you will see a noticeable difference in your progression.  The difference does not really come from the few minutes on the mats during the competition but the hours in the gym preparing for the competition.

BJJ has really increased my Social Circles.

I am not sure how the rest of you feel about this but I can tell you in the 2 1/2 years I have been doing BJJ my Social Circles have really increased.

It used to be I just new some people that I worked with or saw at Trade Shows or other work related functions,  People from Church and people from our swim team and parents of swimmers that my daughters have competed and continue to compete with but now that I am doing BJJ I have 100's of new friends that I did not even know existed and these guys really are true friends with what seems to be no hidden agendas.

The beauty of this is that we all need each other to improve.   You cannot be the guy that always wants to do the technique but never have the technique done on you.  We all benefit by the other guy being there.  I have trained on the East Coast, West Coast, Mid West, Rocky Mountains, and China and Hong Kong and it is the same at all places.  People welcoming me with open arms regardless of my age, experience, or other factors that may cause me to be stereotyped in other sports.  I find this as truly one of the best aspects of the BJJ Journey.  I have been around a while and played Golf and Tennis in the past when I traveled.  With Tennis you pretty much needed to show up to the Courts with a partner and if you got there without a partner it was only fun if you found someone who has a similar skill set to what you had.   If they are too good and you couldn't even return their serve then it is not fun for you or for them.  If you are a lot better then your opponent it is also boring for you and not fun for them.  Golf is a little different as long as you can keep the ball in play and not slow down your foursome you can show up as a Single and still be okay but there is still not the camaraderie that you see in BJJ and if you get someone you are playing with that is super intense then it can ruin the whole round for the whole group and we are talking ruining 4-5 hours not just a 5-8 minute roll if you get stuck with an idiot.

A good example is the other day I was working out at Brea Jujitsu

.  There was a new guy there.  He was from Sweden.  He had competed as an Adult Blue Belt at Worlds and was staying over to see Southern California.  Dan being the good guy he is offered to let him stay at his gym.  (He had several people stay at his gym leading up to Worlds and I was able to meet and roll with them and then he had a few stay afterwards and Simon was one of them.  He did not have a car and was living on the mats at the Gym.  After Saturday AM workout I was going to the Beach to drop off my daughter for a Swimming Birthday Party and asked him if he wanted a ride to the Beach.  He said sure I took him to the Beach.  I live very close to the gym so I asked him if he wanted to come over for Sunday Dinner if he was still around.  He said yes.  He came over and taught my wife some Swedish so she could talk to a Nephew she has in Stockholm and if was all good. He told us about his BJJ journey.  He had left Sweden a few months ago went to England to train at Roger Gracie's place in England and then wen to Brazil for 3 months to train.  He stopped by after worlds and that is where we met him.    Then he took off later that day either heading North to Santa Barbara or South to San Diego.  He knew Jujitsu and the people who practice it would take care of him while he was here.  I'm not sure I would ever just take off hoping BJJ would take care of me for 6-8 months but I do feel a certain camaraderie at BJJ that I don't feel at other places.

OSS!

JiuJitsu with a Mormon Missionary.

I am a member of the Mormon Church.  I have been for over 50 years.  Currently my job in the Church is to take care of the Missionaries that serve in our local unit.  I talk to them a few times a week and usually feed them when no one else in our Ward (name for a local unit) is available.

We see these guys come and go and they are all different.  Different sizes, shapes, personalities and background.  They always travel in two's.  The Missionaries are called Elders.   Currently the Elders serving our area are from Idaho and Indiana.  The Elder from Idaho is a big kid.  Probably goes about 240 and is about 6"5' has some wrestling experience and is a pretty good kid.  He has that personality that everybody loves.  He seems like an easy going laid back kind of guy and people are attracted to him.

So we have them over quite a bit and I have a room set up for working on my BJJ.  It has mats in it and I have showed it to the Missionaries and several members of my ward who have come over to work out with me.

So after dinner the big Missionary says he would like to see how he would do against a Jujitsu guy. He was pretty confident had about 80 lbs and 35 years on me and felt he could take me easily.  So after Dinner we take the stuff out of our pockets go  into the room and I tell him we should probably start from our knees because with him being a big guy we could have easily rolled through the mirror or wall if we started doing take-downs.  (We went in just regular street clothes.  I was wearing a hoodie sweat shirt and a pair of shorts and he took his tie off but was wearing a white shirt and slacks, in retrospect I wish I would have had a Gi big enough for him and we could have changed into Gi's. but I was thinking this was just going to be a demo of sorts).

So anyway we get on our knees and he asks me what our goal is.  I say it is to get the other guy to tap by choking him or putting him or some sort of joint lock etc.  I then said I will probably try to take your back so I can choke you and I started to move around his back to show him what I meant, when he grabbed me with a head and arm and threw me on the mat.  It was on.  He was very aggressive.  I was not ready to start so he caught me completely off guard.  (I was thinking that I was the old guy that should have been my trick)  He was on top of me with a scarf choke and I had his full weight on me.  I thought this was not my plan.  I slowly worked out of it bringing my leg around the back and getting back was able to get a reverse triangle choke on him but it took me about 2 minutes to get there but he was exhausted after that.  At that point he was totally worn out and as we continued I was able to get two armbars (I did not put a lot of pressure on them just enough to get the tap) and then finished him with a mount to Arm Triangle that I had in pretty tight.  At that point we were done.  I would guess about 10 minutes.

I asked him why he went so hard at first and he said he thought I was trying to get some position on him so he needed to react quickly.  We laughed and he gave me a hug and said he has a new respect for BJJ.  I told him to stop by and train if he had some free time.  My wife told me I was an idiot and his companion from Indiana said that he recorded  it on his phone to show the other members.

I learned a couple of things from this.

1.  Never think your opponent is going to go slow.  I remember once I was with Royler Gracie when I as a White Belt.  We took a picture and I put my arm up on his shoulder and he pushed it off.  He told me never let anyone get their arm that close to your neck or they might choke you.  I bet he has had some idiots at Photo Ops try to choke him before.  Always be ready.

2.  Jiu Jitsu really does work for a smaller older guy against a younger much more athletic guy who is much larger then you.  I am just glad it was not a real fight and punches were being thrown.  He could have pummeled me.

3.  I need to set some rules and pull out some Gi's before I just start sparring with people I don't really know  at my house.

I have an addiction and I am happy about it.

I have been doing BJJ for 28 months and I can say that it is a total addiction for me.

Look at the facts.

I am writing this blog right now instead of working on a Project.

I blew off a dinner meeting and extended my stay in Denver by 6 hours so I could train for two days.

I trained in Vegas early, and had my daughter drop off my other daughter at a swim  meet for Warm Ups.  ( I did make it to the swim meet in time to see my daughter swim)

I schedule most of my meetings, conference calls etc around my BJJ Schedule.  I know where I am going to be M, W, F from 11:00-1:00 and T, TH evening from 7:00 - 8;30 and Saturday AM from 11:00-1:00.

I even have worked my Vacation around being near a BJJ Academy and a training schedule.  I must be crazy.

Now for some meat with these Potatoes.

Training as often as a I do has some upside.  As I was driving back to So Cal from Vegas in lots of traffic on Memorial Day I counted how many Black Belts I have rolled with since I started 28 months ago.  I counted 26 different Black Belts I have rolled with at the different academies, my home academy, grapplethons, and Open Mats.  I can remember each one of the 26 and the different lessons they taught me.  (If there is more then 26 then the others must not have been very memorable).

I remember rolling with Young Guys like Gianni Grippo and just how smooth he was.  I rolled with some beasts like Xande who even though they could have just picked me up and thrown me across the gym were very technical with me.  I rolled with a lot of guys in their 30's and 40's some let me work on stuff and just defended, some opposed their will on me.  I have to say I was impressed with all of them and would not question the skills of any of them.  I knew in most cases when I was able to complete a sweep, pass or even submission it is because they let me get to far on a move before they started to counter.

The reason I bring this up is because I rolled with Don Charley last weekend,  Usually I am able to rationalize a roll by thinking that I am older, or lighter, then the guy I rolled with who just kicked my butt.  The problem with Don is that he was older then me (one year) and lighter then me (15 lbs) and was still light years better then me.  This was the first time that I actually felt that  I could become something more then just an old guy that was past his prime and was on the downhill side of life in realtion to my BJJ.  If I can develop a game like Don then I will be able to defend myself against those agressive Blue and Purple Belts in the Future and just wait until they wear down and then work my game on them.

I am so happy that I found BJJ.  It has really given me a new outlook on life and I have met so many friends while visiting and also at my local places.  Guys I would never have even thought about associating with before our now texting me coming over to the house and are truly valued friends.

Here is a picture of 3 of the places I trained last week.  That makes 14 work outs in 14 days.

2 years ago today I almost quit BJJ

Today is my Birthday.  I started BJJ  just over 2 years ago, in February of 2013.  Two years ago today I showed up for a Wednesday morning afternoon class and told them it was my Birthday.  I had told some of the guys before hand that my Birthday was coming up and they joked around that I should come to class that Birthdays were special.

I showed up for Class and everything was good.  People were telling me Happy Birthday and then it came time to roll.  The instructor asked me to get in the Middle of the Mat and said I would be rolling with everyone because it was my Birthday.  I had no idea what was going on.  I thought they were all going to let me submit them as a present to me or at worse it would be like regular sparring and I would just get a chance to spar with everyone.  As I had only been doing BJJ for a few months my stamina and cardio and general BJJ skills were not great and I was not relaxed at all during sparring. I was  very tense and using way to much energy.  The first guy to come at me was a Brown Belt who weighed 60 lbs more then me.  When they said go  he came at me Super hard I tried to match his intensity but he was throwing me around like a rag doll and even though I fought it I tapped maybe 4 times in a minute.  Then the next big upper belt came at me and just beat me up something terrible.  7-8 rolls later the White Belts were having there way with me.  Then I thought it was done and the Black Belts just smiled.  I laid their and could not move.  My heart was pounding out of my chest and I seriously thought I was close to having a heart attack.  I was totally exhausted and I was spent.  I could not believe what had just happened.  I was totally ambushed.  I had never seen this done to anyone else before so did not know what to expect.  All the guys were just laughing at me.  I was embarrassed and ashamed that I was put up for public humiliation in front of my peers to get beat up while everyone just sat and laughed at me, it was very difficult for me.

The real problem here was not  understanding what was going to happen or what to expect.  I was upset and maybe it was just me being too sensitive but as a new guy who had never seen this happen to anyone else before (or since) it caught me off guard.  When I left class that day I am pretty sure no one thought I would ever come back.

I missed going last year on my Birthday so did not get the beat down but I plan to head on on over to class in about an hour let them know it is my birthday and if they want to give me the beat down again I am okay with it because
1.  I know what to expect.
2.  I understand they are not trying to humiliate me in public and
3 I will not try to match their intensity but just play  defensive for the minute each of them has their shot at me.  I am sure I will take the beating much better this time but I also am sure I will still take a beating.

Wish me luck.  I must be a glutton for punishment.

I love going to new places to train

I travel a lot and I love to train in different places and one of the great things is I always make new friends there (and thanks to Facebook I am able to keep in  touch with them and here about their BJJ journey) and always have people welcoming me back when I return to that area.  I also get to learn different styles from different instructors and spar against people with different games and strengths so I learn to defend different styles.  Last but not least I get to use my moves that the guys at my place see all the time anticipate and counter but the people at other places may not be as familiar with those moves so I see how well they work in those circumstances.

Last week I was able to Train in Hong Kong.  The guys tipped me off before hand that the elevator was broken so I left early knowing I would have to walk up to the 11th floor.  At the 7th floor my calves started to feel the burn  but when I got the 11th floor and saw the guys already starting I was happy I made the trip.

(On a side not another place I train  in Hong Kong the first time I showed up there the Professor called me out had all the people circle up and then told me to show him what I knew.  I had only been doing BJJ for about 3 months at the time and was a zero stripe white belt.  I did have some wrestling back ground so I made the mistake of taking him down and then proceeded to get the bazooka beat out of me and finally succumbed to a choke.  Even with that I am still good friends with that Professor today).

 Here are some things that I think are  important to have a good experience when doing BJJ while traveling.

1.  Don't try to partner with those of smaller size, lower belt or old people that you can think you can dominate.  Not a problem when you are doing technique but once you roll if you beat up  your partner expect the next roll to be  with the Hammer and you playing the part of the Nail.

2.  Don't talk about what your home school does.

3.  Always offer to pay

4.  Be respectful and gracious.  Never compare what someone else does especially if you think someone else has a better way to do it.  No one wants to hear that.

5.  When travelling outside the USA know your weight in kilograms so you when asked you can answer in a way that does not make them have to do math to figure  out.

5.  Have fun, make friends, talk to people and show interest in what them.

If you do these  things you will surely have a great time at most BJJ Schools and not only make new friends but learn new tricks to improve your game.

Jiu Jitsu a great way to lose weight

My wife and kid are out of town so I trained at two different places yesterday.

The Place I trained in the AM had a visitor.  We had several things in common.  We both have 4 daughters, We both have trained for about 2 years.  We both lost a ton of weight when we started doing BJJ.  Of couse I was 30 years older then him but that did not seem to matter.

How did I know he lost the weight?  When we were sparring I asked him how much he weighed.  I ask this question often because 1. I like to have a feel for some of the moves I do and how they are working on people of different sizes 2. I like to know if people are bigger or smaller then the weight I compete at.   He told me he weighed about 155  but when he started BJJ he was at 305.  I was amazed.  He looked great and I could see no sign that he had dropped over 50% of his body weight.  When I started BJJ I weighed in at 220 and now I weigh about 160.  I thought that was a huge weight drop but that is nothing compared to this guy.  I wish I would have gotten a picture of us and also been able to question him about how he did it but I was off to my next roll and then he was out the door before I had a chance to ask him more questions.

It is funny when you have lost a lot of weight.  The first thing you get is that eye from people who wonder if you are sick or have some ailment causing you to lose the weight.  They have not seen you in a while and that last time they saw you, you were much bigger and they don't want to be rude so they don't ask.   Then once they find out your healthy the questions start to come.  Here are the answers to the most common asked questions.

Q: How did you lose so much weight?
A: I started doing BJJ.  I did not set out to lose weight it was just a byproduct of the workouts.

Q:  Did you change your diet or just workout.
A:  I often tell people I started having Motrin for Dinner instead of real food and that is the truth but I was not doing that to lose weight I was so sore after workout I could not eat and I needed something to reduce the inflammation in my joints so I was on the Motrin Train.

Q; How long did it take you to lose the weight?
A:  I got down to 175 in about 3 months and then held that for a year until I dropped another 15 lbs for competition purposes.  ( The guy that lost the 150 lbs told me he dropped all that weight in less then a year)

Q:  Did a doctor tell you to lose weight?  What was your motivation?
A:  Every Check up I went to the Doctor told me I was healthy and did not need to lose weight.  The reason I lost weight was because of my desire to compete.  I would spar with people and then ask them how much they weighed.  I knew I could hold my own with the under 175 crowd so I decided if I was going to be compete that is where I needed to be.  It was easy to cut weight when you had the motivation of competing against smaller athletes.  Every time I thought about picking up a Donut or taking a Second Helping I was able to remind myself that I wanted to compete in the lighter weight class and I was able to abstain.

Q:  Has it been hard to keep the weight off.
A:  No it has not been hard.  Now that I have been doing this for a couple of years my appetite has returned because my technique has improved and I am not getting beat up like I once did.  I am still burning the calories and I watch the scales daily so if me weight starts to creep back up I can cut back but I basically eat what I want and am able to maintain my weight.

This has been a crazy trip for me.  I never was overly concerned about my weight and 3 years ago I was happy and content.  Then I got the BJJ Bug and I look like a different person.  To be honest I had never even heard of BJJ before I attended that first class with my Son in Law.    Now I am a total addict (working out twice yesterday when my wife and daughter were out of town).  I think I am in this for the long run.

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this journey.