Emerald City Judo: Intro

For our anniversary the Mrs. bought me a Gi. A good, heavy-weight, competition Gi. Since that time I've worn it but a handful of times. Mostly because I'd stopped playing Judo. I had begun lifting, and set Judo aside to focus on my lifting. I was under the impression that I could lift, and lose weight, and be healthy. I couldn't effectively lift, and play judo with any hope of recovering and avoiding injury.

So, the Gi hung in the closet. Every time I opened the closet it was there, pressed, hung, waiting.

Today, I took the Gi out of the closet, and decided to get back on the mat. Frankly, I'm 315lbs, my cardio for the past year has been almost non-existent. I'm strong, stronger then I've been in years, but after ten minutes on the mat I realized I was badly dehydrated and feeling ill. So, I took a few minutes, got my breathing under control, and got back to it.

Class ran for just under two hours. With two young students, and a number of black belts. With more black belts, then colored belts, it was an interesting class. We opened with between ten and fifteen minutes of warm-up. Jogging, sprints, high-knees, the usual. I sat out for the mat crawls, and shrimping to catch my breath.

We began by practicing an arm bar from mount, focusing on technique. One point I did find interesting is that  keeping the knee that's on the mat tight to the opponents body, and leaning slightly forward, made it much easier to swing the other leg over, to finish the arm bar.

Class then moved into techniques on the ground. We worked a turn-over escape from guard. You'd sit up, take a cross the body over-hook, then bridge. Alternating sides. The objective is to trap the arm, and roll the opponent onto his back.

We then moved into escapes from being mounted. The first, was a turn over. You bridge, bringing the opponent forward. They post, to keep their balance. You trap and arm, by cupping the tricep with both hands. Then, you'd pull the arm to your opposite ear. Opponent's right arm, to your right ear. You trap the shoulder, and the same-side leg, bridge, and roll into mount.

The second escape from mount involved shrimping. You start, by bucking the opponent forward. Your second bridge, you shrimp onto your side, gaining space. With your lower leg, you press their leg away. Then, using your hand, you pass their knee over yours, and shrimp the opposite way, taking half-guard, and working onto the back.

We then moved to breaking the turtle. The first was a turn-over into a pin. Head-to head, keeping pressure on the back, you work the right hand, under the arm, to take the near side lapel. You want to keep the thumb outside of the opponents Gi. This means that your right thumb will be pressed into their chest, and you'll have a fistful of their near-side lapel. You then cup the other arm, with your left hand at the tricep, push into the opponent, wait for them to push back, then you pull with the left hand, at the tricep, and roll into the hole on that side. Using the right hand, which is full of Gi, you roll them over, and come to your stomach.

Alternately, you can use the same movement, as a choke. Instead of taking the lapel in the right hand, come across the face, then come back until you can catch the lapel. Slide the thumb in, grab the tricep with the left hand, and roll through. Your left hand should come through to grab your own lapel, slide the right hand, under the opponents chin, and rev the motorbike for the choke.

The two hours flew by. I found the class to be easy-going, and friendly. The black belts teaching ranged in size from around 130lbs, to near my size, which was a welcome change. I'll definitely be back.

Family Dinner

I've been sitting on the link below for a long time, and I think it's finally time that I talk about it, and what I'm thinking about my family.

http://www.ncparkour.com/blog/275-mmx

The article itself has nothing to do with my family, in any sense of the word. Yet there is one line that stuck with me: "A family may not enjoy the presence of a particular member but he is still invited to the table for dinner at the end of the day."

I train with a lot of people, I have a Judo family, and there are members of that family I simply cannot stand, yet at the end of the day they are family, they have put in the sweat, the time, the energy, taken the falls, and been there offering me a hand up when I took my falls. I may dislike them as a person, but as a family member I'd stand shoulder to shoulder with them. I am able to distance them as a person, and their behavior from the simple fact that they are family.

I have a biological family, and in a way the biological family is, if anything, more prone to issues, more prone to fracturing yet there should be a stronger tie between the members. Yet I've found that work binds closer then any blood, any relation. I respect and love the people I sweat with, the people I fight with, next-to, and against more then most of the people I have a blood relationship to but at the end of the day they are still welcome at my table. I do not like my father, I love him, he is my father, but I do not like him. He and I have a very strained relationship, we play nice, and we get along for short periods but on most things we do not agree, however my father is welcome at my table. Any of my family, irregardless of whether I like them or not are welcome at my table. That, and that alone is family.

I just wish more of my family felt the same way.

Fear and Judo

I once heard a man say that you have to face the little fears, for if you chicken out on the little things you'll be more likely to chicken out on the big things.

I'm paraphrasing, obviously.

I haven't competed in over a year. I've avoided any tournament that came my way, from friendly inter-club tournaments to regional fights, to Am-Can, the American and Canadian open. I've had excuses, some of them valid, most times I just kept my mouth shut.

Truth be told I stayed home because I was scared. I was scared if I stepped on the mat and failed again that I wouldn't have the heart to get back up and keep training. I did not think my self confidence could take another last place bronze "medal" so I just didn't fight.

I'm sick of being scared. I'm sick of saying no. I'm strong, I'm big, and I'll just have to see what happens. But win, loose, or draw I'm going to fight.

I made myself a promise as part of my New Years resolution, and that was to fight again and to fight in something bigger then my inter-club tournament. I joked with myself that I'd have to grab the last two tournaments of the year, how last minute panic would force me on the mat. I felt ashamed of myself, I almost took the resolution off the list.

It's still there.

I'm fighting and it's not the second to last tournament of the year. Let's see what happens.

Fighting & Women

I spend a lot of my time thinking about fighting, and a lot of my time thinking about the women in my life, so it is only natural that every now and again these two themes combine and I begin thinking about women and fighting.

Most women are not attracted to the martial arts, and they are especially not attracted to what I refer to as "functional" martial arts. Functional arts being those that require you to sweat, get hit, and generally learn to fight. I'd love to think that one day women will learn to fight the same as their male counterparts and we will somehow shed this perception that women are weaker, frailer beings and shouldn't know how to fight, shouldn't have to fight.

I train in Judo and Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu, both functional arts, both require me to sweat, struggle, fight. There are two women in my Judo club, none in my BJJ club. Why? Because women almost as a rule do not think about fighting. One day, or a couple hour long, "self defense" classes are rampant spreading a false sense of security and doing little to keep those that take them safe.

I love watching a woman fight. I love watching the speed and agility that women seem to have naturally and I love knowing that at least there is one woman who knows how to defend herself if the need should arise.

I know I've said it before, and I know I'll say it again, but women need to get hit. Women need to know what it's like to have a larger, stronger, resisting opponent doing his or her best to cause them harm and once they know what it's like they need to know what to do about it, and hopefully how to prevent it.

Bushido Kai Friendly Tourney '09 Winter Edition

Yesterday was the Bushido Kai friendly tournament, winter edition.

I lost, again.

It bothers me. It's not I didn't "do better" then last time, it just seems that my better isn't quite enough. However, I enjoyed myself thoroughly and I guess that is the most important part. It's hardly consolation, but I take what I can get.

She Surprises Me Sometimes.

My Missus has been trying to get into the Rochester Police Department for some time now. Her and I have talked about plans, preparations, training, the usual discussions I'm sure any couple would have when one of the members wishes to do something different, and potentially dangerous. I support her, I figure if this is something she wants then I should support her in any way I can.

However, we had an interesting conversation, a surprising conversation the other day and I wonder how it will pan out. She started looking at guns. Whats more she started talking about guns, about learning to shoot as a way to get ahead in her academy training. She asked about martial arts, and expressed a desire to begin training. I honestly was shocked. She had always maintained a no guns, no way mentality and I had despaired in ever changing that view. Even her looking to join the police and carrying a gun did not seem to change her perspective. Now this. Her interest in martial arts is not anything new, she has watched many of my Judo classes, and had commented in the past that she might enjoy it. Yet she had never actually initiated a conversation on the subject. I will admit the thought of her training with me excites me more then the thought of her wanting to learn to shoot. I enjoy Judo, and it's something I want her to enjoy with me.

I thought I had her all figured out, yet she manages to surprise me yet again. It's a good feeling. Let's see if it pans out.

Whistles

I read a blog post yesterday. I can't find it today, I tried looking, checked my history, checked all my usual haunts online and simply can not find it.

It wasn't anything huge or epic or awesome, but it made me think. In fact I was still thinking about it hours later and when I realized that I had to ask myself why. Let me recount the story to the best of my ability.

There was a woman, a nurse if my memory serves me, and she had some ex-boyfriend issues. She asked her friends for advice and one of her friends, the person who's blog I read this on, suggested she get a gun and carry concealed. Her other friends suggested a rape whistle. Several weeks later she was found beaten to death in the parking lot, rape whistle still between her teeth, filled with blood. She blew it till she died and it did her absolutely no good.

I don't know if the story as it was related is true. neither do I care. Details don't matter, but the moral of the story does matter.

A few weeks ago The Missus asked me why I had a sudden interest in guns and I couldn't think of a good answer. I knew why, sorta, but I couldn't articulate what I was thinking, what I was feeling.

I stood outside an IHOP several months ago and watched a man drag his girlfriend out of the restaurant by her hair, spend minutes in the parking lot yelling at her, then hit her and toss her in a car before driving off. I stood there, and watched. I stood there because I had called 911, and the cops were on their way. They arrived minutes too late. Like always.

I ran that night through my mind a number of times, should I have fought, should I have intervened, what if... what if.... what if. At the end of the day I know that my skills might have kept me alive in a fight, he might not have a knife, he might not have a gun, it might have been ok. or it might not.

Let's go back to the nurse in the parking lot. She chose to not arm herself, to not be able to defend herself, to accept that if she were attacked the best she could hope for was someone else to willingly intervene on her behalf, and save her. This decision cost her dearly. It cost her her life. Had I been there, would I have intervened? I didn't in the IHOP parking lot and I'm trained to fight, I know how to strike, throw and grapple yet I did not intervene. neither did anyone else in that parking lot that night.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is I have an interest in guns, I want those around me to have an interest in guns, so if something should happen, if I need that weapon it's there. I want to know that those in my life who matter to me don't resort to a whistle. I want to know that if I ever have another chance to get it right.... that I won't stand there scared to fight, that I would do what was needed.

I'm a sheep, all be it a sheep with eyes open, I don't want to be a sheep any more.

After Action Report, or How I Will Get Better

I know it's been a little while since the club tournament but I wanted to put down my thoughts on what I did right, and what I did wrong.

My first match was against Will, I have a fair size advantage against him yet I know he's a better Judo player then me, especially on the ground. I know if I wanted to have a chance I had to stay on my feet. I promptly forgot this game plan and ended up on the ground. Instead of standing up and restarting, which would have been smart, I tried to grapple. Me, versus a collegiate wrestler, not pretty. Advice for the future.... follow the blessed game plan.

My second match was against one of my Sensei. I had an even larger weight advantage on Sensei Mike. I've thrown him in the past and have held my own on the ground. I spoke quickly with Sensei Jeff while I waited to take the mat and he told me roughly the same advice as the previous match. Don't grapple. This time I listened, I stuffed a few good throws and worked for a sweep. Several times we ended up on the ground and I was quick to stand back up and back off. I played till the two minute mark when Sensei sunk in a beautiful throw. I felt him coming in and tried to drop my hips to block the throw and simply wasn't fast enough. next thing I know I was airborne. I was told later the throw occurred in two distinct parts, the first I felt as my feet left the floor, the second was the technical throw, which resulted in me executing a perfect break fall... to bad they don't give out points for that. Advice for the future? Grip fighting is good, combos are good, I need to get faster.

I thought my performance was a huge improvement over Pittsburgh. I would have liked a victory but I guess that's going to have to wait for next time.

As I keep saying, my objective is not to be good.... it's to suck a little less each class.

Judo is Like....

Judo competition is like sex. Your first time is awkward and over far too quickly but once you've had it once you can't get enough.

My club tournament was today. I took third, out of three. I played Will fantastic ex-collegiate wrestler. I lost to him by pin. I then played Sensei Mike, a black-belt. I lost to him by throw but I can definitely say they were both fantastic matches. Sensei Mike got "Throw of the Day" for his match against me, and I got "Projectile of the Day" for my match with him. Not a bad deal.

All in all the tournament was fantastic and I'm now looking to next year and my next tournament.

Meet Me Behind the Playground!!!

I seem to have gotten myself in a bit of trouble.

Nothing much, and certainly nothing I can't handle. It's just annoying.

Let me explain. A new brown belt showed up at my Judo club a little while back and from day one I wasn't a big fan of him. I'd say it was nothing personal but I'm trying to not lie. His demeanor simply grates on me, he's passive aggressive, and comes off as a bully. He seems to feel that his belt should earn him immediate respect, and all below him in rank should do as he says. Fine, I don't necessarily object with that sentiment but I do object to his methods. If you believe that younger belts should mop the mats at the start of class fine, yet it has to be consistent, the message has to come from all the high ranking members and you can't simply hand a kid a mop and expect he's going to know what to do with it. Most young kids have never handled a mop in their life, and forcing them into it certainly won't make them take any pride in the job they are doing and the result is simple, the mats aren't clean. I watched a kid do then entire mat area, the full length of the gymnasium, and NEVER put the mop back in the bucket. It simply doesn't do any good!

Anyway, I digress. This brown belt was running his mouth, saying that in Japan new students would be the ones cleaning the dojo everyday. Which may or may not be true, I neither know nor particularly care as we are not in Japan and I came back at him and said "If were going to emulate Japan their should be more respect and less complaints from the higher ranks." This also may or may not be true, it matters not. He went off on me and said he would get me in randori. Fine, except I had no plans to randori due to my ribs still being sore. So, the end of the class arrives and I take my leave and he has the audacity to not only give me a hard time for leaving, but he calls me names and tells me to not come back on Wednesday. I certainly feel he's out of line yet I'll return Wednesday and most likely have to deal with him then. Oh well. I figure if tossing around a yellow belt makes him feel all that much better let him, no skin off my back.

Ribs...

I prefer them Barbecued. Unless they are my own of course.

I seem to have done something to the ribs on the right side of my chest, specifically the long rib right above the floating ribs. I was in Judo class, grappling. I went to escape an arm bar by rolling over my opponent and as I did so something, my belt maybe, dug into my side and I felt a very sharp pain. After coming to my knees and escaping the arm bar I realized moving, standing, and even breathing hurt. A lot.

It's now Monday, five days later and it still hurts. I'm going to go to Judo tonight and hope that I don't re-injure myself. Oh well. My first semi-serious Judo injury. Yay!

Silver in the Steel City!

Yep, that's right I took second in my division in the PA Open. Out of two. I fought a 275 orange belt. He was just a little bit faster, more aggressive and skilled then me. But it was enough. He pinned me the first round after I gave up a pin and a submission. We were playing double elimination and due to the fact he was the only other competitor in my weight class I fought him again loosing a handful of seconds into the round from an Osoto-Gari. I didn't even see it coming.

Overall I thought the tournament was well run, a little discombobulated with a wide variance in the quality of the judging but overall it was well attended and well run. I would gladly drive to Pittsburgh again next year.

As a personal reflection, I need to loose some weight, a lot of weight. I need to improve my ground game especially my pin escapes. I've known this for a month or two now but I really need to focus on it. I may see if one of the Sensei in my club can work with me and really focus on escapes, once I got caught in the pin the first round I panicked and I need to not do that. My standing game.... I need a standing game. I know throws yet I find it hard to execute them in both practice and competition. But most importantly I need to get used to the higher intensity of competition play and the only way to do that is to go out and fight in another tournament.

Overall, I thought it was an amazing experience and I'm looking forward to my next fight.

Fighting in the Steel City!

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

-Theodore Roosevelt

I'm heading to my first Judo competition, the Pennsylvania Open in Pittsburgh. I received my USJA (United States Judo Association) membership last night and the quote above was on the back. I liked it, liked it a lot.

I don't have any huge expectations. I've competed before, I ran track, I threw shot put and discus in High School yet never before have I wanted to compete. I find myself waking up in the night these past few days nervous, excited and thinking about fighting. I should say playing, Judo is a sport, you play Judo but hell at the end of the day I fight. Play seems far too tame a word to describe several hundred pounds of muscle and sinew, two trained athletes trying their level best to slam their opponent to the mat with considerable force or barring that, a choke, or lock on the ground.

I don't expect to win, yet I expect to learn, to play, to have a hell of a time in the Steel City and hopefully get it all on video.

How do you say Birthday in Judo?

My Judo club, the Bushido Kai Judo Club has a birthday tradition. It comes in two flavors.

One, if your a black belt you get to throw everyone in class once. Not bad eh?

However, if your not a black belt, and I certainly am not, you get thrown by everyone in class once. Trust me, it's much less fun.

Ok, I'm not being entirely honest, it's good clean fun. But when you are staring at a line of thirty some people you start to reconsider if this was such a good idea.

Well, I got through the birthday "celebration" intact. I was tired, sore and like a fool had not properly hydrated but I got through it.

Frankly, I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

Back in the Saddle Again

On this past Monday night I returned to Bushido Kai Judo Club. It's not a big deal, I had only been out a week, maybe week and a half but it still felt good going back.

I enjoy Judo, and how I came to practice is an interesting story in and of itself.

I began my martial journey at a young age, strip mall Karate. Not a bad school, not great, but I lacked the understanding of what I was doing, add to that I did not enjoy Kata, preferring to spar. However, at this point it did not tip me off that maybe I should be looking elsewhere....

Some years later I had the good fortune of meeting up with a gentleman while attending Onondaga Community College, Tony introduced me to Kung-Fu. With that prompting and a renewed interest in the martial arts I began looking for a Kung-Fu school. In Syracuse that left me with two options. Syracuse Wing Chun, and Syracuse Kung-Fu. I chose Syracue Wing Chun almost arbitrarilly. Two and a half years later, my training having been sporadic, I came to the same conclusion that I had come to in Karate all those years previous. I hated forms, I needed to be sparring. I began looking elsewhere in Syracuse, eventually finding a Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu school in Liverpool. Shortly there after, I had a falling out with Syracuse Martial Arts and left for greener pastures.

I spent a few months with Ken Kronenburg at Tai Kai Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu. Finally I had found something that fit, the training was hard, I felt good about what I was learning and we sparred, alot. I would still be with him except I had to return to Rochester for school, and decided to stay in Rochester.

This brings me to Bushido Kai. There are several Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu schools is Rochester. However, Bushido Kai being a not for profit club the training is incredibly cheap. Given a strained budget and a desire to keep training in an alive manner Judo seemed the best option. With a year under my belt, I've never regretted the decision. Though, with a full time job on the horizon maybe I'll pay a visit to one of the local Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu schools.... only time will tell.