Competition by the MMA Lady

I'm still smiling after reading this amazing blog post by my friend, so I must share this with everyone.  Please read!  If you have ever competed or you are thinking about competing, this is definitely an insight into the soul of a first time competitor.  I don't think I've ever met someone who can so vividly capture a moment in time like this lady.  I am honored to have shared this experience with her.  We have been to battle together and are forever forged as BJJ sisters.  Happy reading everyone! 

Competition by the MMA Lady

What I Almost Was

I try to spend time talking to the folks at the gym about their jiu jitsu journey, jiu jitsu philosophy, love of the sport and anything else I can get them to tell me.  It's quite interesting to hear their stories.  Jiu jitsu quite literally has really touched people's lives.  It has saved people's lives.  It has forever changed them.  For me it's kind of like this country music song by Eric Church, "What I Almost Was".  That's how I feel about jiu jitsu.  Thank God, I'm not, what I almost was...a sedentary, unhealthy, overweight, almost crippled "old" lady.  I had a great conversation with my blue belt buddy and it kind of sparked an idea.  I think I'm going to do a series of interviews...interview people at all stages of their journey...from white belt to black belt.  I'm really excited to hear what people have to say.  I'm really excited that I even want to do this.  I'm very shy by nature and that's another thing jiu jitsu is changing a little bit at a time.  It's given me courage.  I don't think I've ever felt so inspired and alive.  Before I was slowly dying a little bit at a time.  Sitting in my bed or on my couch, watching television, eating, never moving, never wanting to play with my kids, never wanting to take them anywhere, never wanting to do much of anything.  Jiu jitsu has completely changed all that.  One of my kids told me the other day that I was different now that I train jiu jitsu.  She said that now you want to go and do things and before you never wanted to do anything.  Well I have to tell you that was thrilling to hear and also hard to hear at the same time.  It's just like the song says "thank God I ain't, what I almost was".  Hopefully this hectic schedule of mine will settle down (or maybe it won't and that's okay too) and I will be able to devote some time to this little endeavor of mine.  But for now I'm going to leave you with another idea that has been brewing in my little old mind...jiu jitsu ink...it intrigues me, it fascinates me, I can't stop checking out people's ink, I love it!!  So, for all the world to see, here's my jiu jitsu ink (not the best picture, but it's the only one I've got and it's too late at night to take another one because everyone else in my house is asleep)!  Feel  free to share pictures of your ink.  In the meantime, go forth and train people!!  :)

BJJ Baby Steps and a New Gi

I had one of those nights last week during training were everything fell into place.  I felt progress.  I felt the right balance of push and pull.  I felt myself moving forward one little tiny step.  It was an awesome feeling.  I'm looking forward to many more moments like that in my BJJ journey.

Great news...on Saturday I received my Tatami Zero G Midas from BJJHQ.com to review.  Right out of the package it is pretty stunning.  I haven't washed it yet, but I will this week.  I'm not the typical height or weight, so I'm not going to get into measuring and sizing too much.  I usually order what will fit my weight and then have it altered as needed (this gi is an A2 - the pants I can usually shrink to fit, but the jacket sleeves will most likely need to be shortened).  I will focus more on how comfortable it is and how it holds up during training and rolling.  It feels really lightweight and I'm anxious to see what this "hybrid weave" is all about.  I don't think this gi is going to disappoint.  Stay tuned for my in-depth review. 

Sneak peek right out of the package...it's sweet!!

Good Karma, Free Gear and an I Love BJJ T-Shirt

I think the world decided to cut me some slack.  I'm going to chalk it up to good karma.  It was my turn to have something good happen.  After I had my little pity party last week, I was told by a very wise blue belt buddy not to stop training and not to get down, my day is coming, and it will be well worth the wait and will be much more appreciated. It was just what I needed to hear.  Thank you my friend.  Sometimes words of encouragement come just when we need them.  Then out of the blue I won something.  I "like" a lot of pages on Facebook...lots and lots of BJJ pages.  I didn't pay that much attention when BJJHQ.com had posted that they would be doing a giveaway because I never win anything.  Then it happened, I'm scrolling down my Facebook page checking status updates and I see the following post from BJJHQ.com.  

I think I had to read it about 3 times before I realized that was my name, right there.  I can't tell you how excited I am to get this hoody.  Its super cool and something I would never have splurged on for myself.  Thank you BJJHQ.com - you guys ROCK!!  I was thinking that this was really turning into one of the best weeks ever, how could it get any better??  On Friday I arrived home to a package.  I had ordered an "I Love BJJ" t-shirt (check out their website and Facebook page...very cool stuff).  I couldn't believe that it was here already, I had just ordered it.  I tore it open and to my surprise there was more than a t-shirt in that box.  It had a cool DVD called "The Single Leg" and a couple of really cool "I Love BJJ" stickers.  Plus, the shirt is awesome (see picture below which I took from the I Love BJJ Facebook page). 

 

Then on Saturday, I was scrolling through my Facebook (I know it's a sickness) and I see a post from BJJHQ.com to send them a link if you have a BJJ Blog.  Well, I have a blog, and it's about BJJ...but that little voice in my head tells me "those guys don't want to know about a little old lady who blogs about BJJ...they would never be interested in what you have to say...don't do it."  But my instructors tell me all the time to silence that little voice, so I did.  Before I could lose my nerve, I clicked the e-mail link and typed in the URL to my blog...hit send...done.  Nothing would ever come of that.  Then the unthinkable happened...I got a response back.  They thought it was cool that I trained and that I blogged about it.  Then they asked me if I would be interested in reviewing one of their items (for free and to keep)!!!!  Well I just about jumped out of my skin when I read that, then I high fived my daughter and told her what happened.  I am super excited.  They are deciding what to send me and I can't wait.  Stay tuned, more details to come fellow BJJers!!  Now this old lady has to go get her training on.  :)

Blood, Sweat and a Few Tears!

Just when I am feeling the love and getting my BJJ groove back, it seems everything goes to hell.  Chalk it up to Murphy's Law...karma...the universe playing tricks on me...screw that...it's not funny anymore.  Just when I was coming out of my BJJ funk, and starting to feel progress, everything else sort of goes nuts...my job, my commute, my shoulders (both of them), my knee, my shins, feels like just about everything is out of whack...the universe is out of alignment.  Whatever it is, it SUCKS!!  I don't normally get emotional about not being asked to belt test, but for some reason it just hit me the wrong way tonight.  Don't they see me, don't they see how much I want it, how much I need it, how hard I work and how much I sacrifice.  Don't they see my blood, sweat and tears.  I know, we are never guaranteed anything, and who knows what the criteria is that they use to ask us to test, I would hope it's based on whether we are ready (technically and emotionally), not how many classes we came to and did we make it through the horrendous, grueling warm-ups that seem to suck so much life out of this old lady that I can't even concentrate on the technique of the day and so on and so on.  I do have a blueprint for my training, but at the rate I'm going, it doesn't look like I'm going to reach any of my goals that I set for this year.  I'm going to give myself only a few more hours to sulk and be angry at the world and then I will let it go.  Tomorrow's a new day and a new beginning and maybe the universe will be back in alignment and all will be right. 

This song really kind of says it all about how I'm feeling about my Jiu Jitsu journey right now. It reminds me that we each are traveling through this journey in our own way and at our own speed and to the best of "our" own abilities.  It's not about how fast it takes me to get there, what may or may not be waiting for me on the other side, and it's definitely NOT about that little voice telling me "you'll never make it", it's all about "The Climb".