Short Legs and Triangles do Mix

The dreaded triangle choke. For the person with short legs it's not been a go to move ever. In the past, when the coach says we are going to work triangles, I would cringe inside. You see, I believed that my short legs were not made for triangles. Well, I could not have been more wrong. This week I learned several different kinds of triangles. Not going to say it was easy. Not going to say I mastered them all. But I definitely had some "aha" moments and now I have some new tools in my bag of tricks. As a self proclaimed slow learner in jiu jitsu, it is no wonder it took me five years to see and understand the many nuances of the triangle choke.  My eyes are opened to the infinite possibilities that are just waiting for me to reach out and grab. I'm excited!  What will another five years bring?  I can't wait to find out.  Wishing you all peace, love and great Jiu Jitsu. 

Reclaiming the Mats

In case you were wondering, I'm still alive and well.  Took an unexpected break from jiu jitsu with very, very little training over the past year.  For me, always, the mats were calling me, screaming at even, to come back and train.  I won't lie, it took every ounce of courage I had to walk back on those mats after such a long break.  This self-proclaimed scaredy-cat was shaking in her gi.  To add insult to injury, my gym closed its doors while I was on my break.  So, not only did I have to suck it up and squeeze back into my gi, I had to do it at a new gym.  Thankfully we were a part of the Solis Martial Arts family and there are lots of amazing gyms to choose from.  I've found my new jiu jitsu home at Combat Nation.  Found a great new coach in Anthony Bernabeo.  It's a small place with a big heart.  I have discovered old friends, and I'm making new friends and it's already starting to feel like home.  Anthony has a great teaching style and I'm excited about learning lots of beautiful jiu jitsu from him.  It's interesting, we think we know how our journey is going to go, then life happens and things change and we end up somewhere completly different.  I believe that everything happens for a reason, so I know that this is where I am supposed to be.  I'm slowly, very slowly, getting back in the swing of things.  I don't feel like a complete alien in my body.  And, if you were wondering about Tasmanian Devil Girl, she's doing well too.  Haven't got her back on the mats just yet, but she did go to an open mat and train a little bit with me.  It's a start.  She's anxious to get back to training, but hey, she's a teenager, a senior in high school, with prom and graduation and college on the brain, so training doesn't always take top billing.  But I know she has jiu jitsu in her soul, and the mats are calling to her.

So if any of you have taken an extended break from training, I'd love to hear your experiences about getting back on the mats and back in shape.

Wishing you all peace, love and great Jiu Jitsu!!