Squish

The place that I go to for Jiu-Jitsu is interesting. It is an authorized Gracie Academy.

The place is run by a long-time Hapkido 4th Dan Black Belt. He teaches a lovely Hapkido class right before it is Jiu-Jitsu time. About half of the Jiu-Jitsu people are also in Hapkido.

In case you don't know, Hapkido is very similar to Jiu-Jitsu. Tons of take-downs, pins, locks, throws; that type of thing. The students doing this Korean art wear a rainbow of belt colours similar to Karate.

In the Jiu-Jitsu class, there are currently only two colours. Most wear White. A few, including the instructor, wear Blue. As a result, lots of people there have two ranks; Hapkido and Jiu-Jitsu.

The only two students about my size are both Blue Belts. One of these is also a Hapkido Black Belt. Neither is present all that often.

Usually, I get partnered with somebody smaller. Usually, this doesn't matter. Once in a while, it does.

Jiu-Jitsu, like Hapkido, Judo and Wrestling is mostly a grappling art. This means a lot of the time one is on the ground, either on top of a partner or underneath. When on top a basic tenant is to squish the person below. Body weight is pressed down onto the sucker on the bottom. Most people have inherent trouble doing this. It just seems so mean.

Imaging a guy like me, built to haul around 180 pounds, on his back, with a hundred pound person on top who doesn't apply much weight trying to hold him down. Sometimes I feel nothing, and have to keep saying, "weight off your knees. Bear down." Even when they do, it doesn't do much.

Now imagine me on top. One thing I took away from wrestling is an automatic ability to squish people. Even by holding back a bit, the person on the bottom breathes funny.

Last night the technique was particularly size specific. The instructor quickly paired people by mass and we stayed together all night. One of the big Blue Belts was there. We were put together. He was the Black Belt guy.

It was like getting a private lesson all night. I got to apply my full mass, and to receive all of his.

At the end of the class, the instructor took the three Blue Belt students, and put them under 3 of the beginners. I was on top of my Black Belt. In front of the class, we had to use the evening's mix of technique to keep the Blue Belt down. They could only use the escapes we'd been working on. The goal was to keep them down for 30 seconds.

When time was called, mine was still in place.