Again?

Three weeks ago missed work due to a stupid cold. Even worse, I missed a night at Jiu-Jitsu.

I have yet another stupid cold. This one is worse, and I predict a mess of lost training. I was at work today, but won't be tomorrow. I'm too sick for martial arts, either. This will likely cost all three of the week's technique classes. That's a pain.

I'm going to go tonight. This is the day when we get the movements all explained and demonstrated. I can't train, but can certainly sit in a chair and watch. If I stayed home, I'd just be sitting in a chair watching TV. This is the by far the worst night of the week to miss.

Wednesday and Thursday will likely be shot, too. Those are drill days and I'll stay home.

We soon go into three weeks of review. I can likely do the necessary drill on this week's techniques during that time.

We won't be returning to this particular material until the summer of 2014. Certainly wouldn't want to have to redo it then. Best to learn it now and move on.

I was really fortunate last year, and managed to push through the White Belt curriculum without any time lost to colds, flu, or such nonsense. No such luck this time around.

Teachers pick up a lot of viruses from work. Schools are breeding grounds. Tons of people packed into overcrowded rooms. That's certainly one aspect of the profession that I won't miss when I retire. That's still months away.

The Hardest Thing

I sometimes get asked what the hardest thing is in martial arts.

The answer might surprise you. Many of the things are very difficult.

The very first thing I learned was Karate's basic punch. I've been working on it for over 30 years, and it still needs work.

The stances need constant monitoring and correction.

Kicking is difficult.

Miss a block and you're screwed.

Grappling is no simpler, and there are many more movements to learn.

None of that is the hardest element.

The hardest part is the uniform. It ain't like any other clothing you've ever experienced.

The easiest way to tell a beginner is by the belt, and I don't mean the colour. It's the knot.

Even belts tied perfectly will often come undone in the midst of training.

I've started tying mine in a manner specific to some grapplers. Most people use the usual, self-undoing variation, but there is another way. I've started doing mine the fancy way, too.

It works really well. My belt hasn't come undone since at Karate, and only rarely when rolling at Jiu-Jitsu.

The knot's difference is hard to detect to an observer, and nobody has asked me about it.

Bet you didn't know there was even an issue.

　

　

How far?

The material I have to learn for my next test is divided into 7 units or chapters. It has been all chapter one since the start of September. There is one more week to complete, and then we go into a few weeks of review.

After that it's on to chapter two. I won't see chapter one again for a year and a half. At about that time I'll be expected to test.

I won't have done some of the techniques in a very long time.

Not really true, as I'll be using them when rolling around, but I won't see them in a formal class setting.

I plan on getting them down pat before we start the next chapter. When we do review again at the end of chapter two, I plan on reviewing everything in every chapter I've covered. I want to do this during each subsequent review period.

When it's all done, I want to be ready to test the very next day. I want it all tight. I want it all solid.

My age definitely works against me. A young guy needn't think about it, but we all only have so many good years. I want to get as far as I can. A Purple Belt is about 5 or 6 years away and is a realistic goal. A Brown Belt is just as far away again.

Will I still be rolling around like this a decade from now? I hope so, but I'll be in my late sixties. A Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt for me is a long shot.

I enjoy the learning itself, and the techniques, and all the sparring around.

The training is currently no problem for an old dude. My body is holding up well, and I can roll with any of them. Nobody seems to avoid the old guy, and some actively seek me out as a partner. I don't see anybody taking it easy on me. I take this as a compliment.

The instructor enjoys rolling with me, too. This is an even bigger compliment. My repertoire is still very limited, but I'm pretty good at making things hard for him. I think I present him with puzzles that he enjoys solving. He always gets me eventually, and then we keep on going.

I wonder how far I can go.

　

　

Gender Balance

Today it was weird at Jiu-Jitsu. Not crazy weird; just a little different.

There were four White Belts guys there. There were also four White Belt girls. The class was exactly gender balanced.

This is unusual. It required every one of the ladies to attend, and for a lot of the guys to be away. Regardless, we were gender balanced.

I am being a little selective in my count. The instructor is male as are both of the Blue Belts who were there to help out, but it's really the White Belt's class.

Martial arts classes almost always have significantly more men than women, and I suspect this is even more true in grappling classes.

My Karate club is pretty balanced. There are ten of us, and four are female.

Neither Jiu-Jitsu nor Karate is better for either gender physically.

In Karate you strive to do the best strikes, kicks, and blocks possible with the body that you have. A big, strong person hitting hard, but with only 75% of their potential is doing less well than a smaller person who hits with less force, but who is performing at 95%.

Jiu-Jitsu is similar. The biggest and strongest people have the hardest time. They are used to generating force through muscle power. In grappling this is a big disadvantage. They are the ones who push too hard when we are rolling around. It just doesn't work. A person with better technique can avoid what the big guy is attempting. The big person then pushes harder, and it still won't work. In no time at all they are exhausted and become easy prey. They have to unlearn their lifelong habits.

In both these martial arts the idea is not to be able to defeat a larger attacker. The way to do this is to work at maximum efficiency.

Efficiency is not a gender determined trait.

Not fair fights

It is quite a fall season for the heavier weight divisions of the UFC, but all the title bouts are very one-sided.

In September the UFC Light Heavyweight Champ Jon Jones defeated Vitor Belafort in the 4th round. Nobody thought the challenger had any sort of chance. The only surprise was that Jones ended it with an armbar. He usually beats his opponents to a pulp.

In October the Middleweight champion Anderson Silva took on Stephan Bonnar. This time it was impossible to claim Bonnar was anything other than a tomato can. Silva is the most dominant champion ever in the UFC, and Bonnar is nothing more than a second tier fighter. He's never had a title fight before, and had already decided to retire when the call came to fight Silva. Silva toyed with him until there were only 20 seconds left in the first round. He then turned it on and crushed Bonnar with ease.

The UFC used to be known for putting on balanced bouts. I don't know what has happened.

It doesn't really get any better for the upcoming Welterweight title fight between George St. Pierre and Carlos Condit. I've seen both fight, and Condit doesn't stand any chance at all. The only interesting element at all is that St. Pierre has been off for over a year and a half due to injury. Has he become an old man? Has he forgotten how to fight? If he hasn't, then Condit is mere cannon fodder.

In December the Heavyweight division has the only interesting big-man fight. It is a rematch between current champion Junior Dos Santos and the man he took the title from, Cain Velasquez. Dos Santos is the favourite, but Velasquez has a good shot.

I think the problem is that with St. Pierre, Silva, and Jones the Champions are just too good. All have already defeated every legitimate contender.

Jon Jones, for example, has had the shortest reign of the three champions just named. Other than the Belafort mismatch, he has had just 4 title fights. In all of them he faced excellent men who were all former champions.

He knocked out Rua, choked out both Jackson and Machida, and earned a unanimous decision over Evens. After breezing through that granite-hard field there is really nobody available to offer a serious challenge.

For Silva and St. Pierre it's even worse.

This isn't happening at Heavyweight, as Dos Santos has only had one title defense so far.

Maybe all the competitive fights will have to come with the lighter weight categories. They have yet to develop dominant champs.

　

Strange lens

I tend to forget stuff. Usually, it's the small items.

Can't even begin to list the number of times I've ended up someplace without my glasses. They aren't needed for driving, but without them reading isn't going to happen.

My old solution, if you can call it that, was to have cheap, drugstore reading glasses scattered liberally about. That way if my real glasses weren't to hand, I could still get by. The problem was that my safety net only worked half of the time. The spares tended to migrate as I moved about.

Yesterday, I was waiting at a restaurant for Helen. My glasses were a coupleof blocks away parked inside my car. There were no spares in my bag.

I did have my iPad with me, and it came to the rescue. The camera is good enough I could point it at the printing, and then stretch the image nice and big.

Granted, I looked like a geek using a tablet device to read a menu. I couldn't use my less noticable phone, as its camera is just not up to the task. Helen's iPhone would be dandy.

I've known for a long time that this was possible. I've use my iPad to record documents photographically several times, but this was the first time I've done it "live".

I could imagine going to Vancouver solo for Karate sometime and forgetting my glasses.

Bet I'd have my iPad.

Small Group

Attendance at Jiu-Jitsu today was low. It happens. Sometimes the place is packed, and sometimes it isn't. Tonight it wasn't.

At the White Belt class there were only seven of us. This total included the instructor, and two Blue Belt assistants.

The training was grand, but when the class ended there were only three of us left for the Blue Belt class, including the instructor.

No problem, we just forged ahead. It was a little tricky, as I'm working at the lowest level of Blue Belt, and they are both at one level above me.

I was presented with a mini-review of my material and a short drill with the other student as my partner.

After that, they worked on their material. I scooted off to the side and played my techniques over and over solo. This isn't an ideal situation, but it works for me. I always need lots of drill to get things down pat.

With about half an hour left, we got back together and rolled in five-minute rounds. First it was me and Sterling, then I rolled with Shawn. After that, Sterling and Shawn had at it. Then we did the cycle all over again.

By the end we were all sweaty, and had gotten a lot of good practise. It was fun.

I'm glad the attendance was so light, at least for the one evening.

I like the big groups, too, but this was a nice change of pace.

　

and fun

Things are looking bright for the Karate Club. We need to be able to pay the gym fees. We also have to pay membership for the Japan Karate Association and Karate BC.

It isn't a lot of money, but we were down to only three people, including myself. No way we could make it work.

Posters went up and seemed to get a response. A bunch of folks showed up to try.

It isn't my intention to sell them a bill of goods, so I told them not to pay until they've had two trial lessons.

What has been the result? Our three increased to five with the return of two old friends, and we also have five brand new beginners.

It looks like we number ten souls. That will work.

It also makes for a nice learning environment. Tonight for part of the class I had the old folks paired up with the new ones to teach them a technique. Both groups enjoyed it.

There is also a chance we can move to a no-fee area at the high school. This would not only eliminate any tightness of money, it would allow lower fees. The space might become available due in part to our providing training to school district students. Six of our members are students. I hope this works out.

Our plan is to charge as little as possible, while providing quality training.

And have fun....don't forget the fun.

Gems

Last night was a pretty good open-mat session. Those are times when anybody can show up and roll around.

Two White Belts, Juan and Tobias, showed up and practised together for most of the time. I rolled a bit with Juan. He's fun. Although new to Jiu-Jitsu he's messed about with MMA quite a bit. He is full of surprises and does everything just a little bit different.

Colin and Sterling were there and worked on Hapkido technique for their upcoming exams.

Most of the time Shawn and I just rolled around a lot. He's the instructor. Understandably, he is much more skilled than I am. I think I do a pretty good job of making things difficult for him. It is my natural tendency to fight defensively. He lets me get stuff sometimes, as the goal isn't to "win".

Today it is Saturday, and there is another open-mat session. I hope just as many show up. It is always worthwhile, but strangely only certain folks ever come.

Even when attendance is crappy, the time is worthwhile. A week ago only Shawn, Tobias and I showed up. Tobias casually asked a question about takedowns other than the very few the White Belts learn. We ended up getting specialized private lesson just about that. Shawn taught from his non-Jiu-Jitsu repertoire and we did tons of Judo-esque drills. I think I got twice as much out of Tobias's question than he did.

There have been 11 open-mat sessions since they were first introduced at the club. I've been to all and consider them the gems of the training week.

　

　

　

Advanced Class

Our Jiu-Jitsu school has tons of White Belts, heaps of kids, and a thriving women's self-defense program.

It is shallow in the advanced-student department. There are currently 8 of us who wear Blue Belts. "Not bad," you might say.

One of the 8 is out of town for a couple of months. Another is about to leave permanently. The rest all average about half-time training due to school, work, and other reasons. I'm the only one who attends regularly.

There is a Gracie Jiu-Jitsu rule that sets 16 as the minimum age for a Blue Belt to be awarded. A couple of months ago our instructor invited into the advanced class a student who has more than completed the training requirements for Blue Belt, but who is only 15.

This has been a success both for the group and for the young man.

The instructor has just extended this to 3 other skilled young gentlemen who are in the 14-15 year age range.

A win-win situation. They are all excited to be semi-promoted, and to start learning new material. For the rest of the group, it provides more training partners and a better class energy. I imagine that as they hit age 16 they will turn Blue one at a time.

There are also a couple of adult White Belts that the instructor is trying to motivate into working towards completion of pre-Christmas Blue Belt exams.

A good thing about a healthy advanced class is that it is the pool where the instructor can fish about for teaching assistants.

Currently, there are 4 classes on Tuesday, 3 on Wednesday, 5 on Thursday, 2 on Friday and one on Saturday. That’s a lot of time on the mat our instructor. He also cannot afford to be away. His family is about to go on vacation for a month. He has to stay here.

That’s dedication.

　

Cold

I'm kinda pissed. It's this cold. It arrived just in time to mess up a long weekend. I could handle that, but it's still not gone and there are three nights in a row of Jiu-Jitsu.

I could drug away my symptoms and go train, but that isn't really fair to my training partners. They'd be wallowing in my cloud of germs.

If I can't train this week, I'll miss all the Blue Belt classes pertaining to, "Straight armlock defense." This will not return until the 60 week cycle has rolled all the way around again.

I think I'll go, but not roll around with anybody. That way I can partake of the lesson, and just not practise the skills. I can do the physical training later when I'm well. It also won't tire me clear to the bone trying to do it whilst ill.

I doubt I'll get official credit for the classes, but that doesn't really matter. There is weirdness in that to complete the Blue Belt course one must complete all sixty techniques three times each, which takes 180 classes. One also must attend a minimum of 100 instructor-led classes. This inconsistency means I can miss getting credit for a few as being instructor-led and still get by.

I like loopholes.

It is my opinion that for it to take 60 weeks to earn a strip on a Blue Belt is arduous enough. It would be worse to be unable to test at that time due to unnecessary missing of classes.

I might have to miss one here and there due to school commitments. Stupid job. We're also going away for a while at Christmas and likely also at Spring Break. I know Jiu-Jitsu is shutting down for two weeks in December so only Spring Break might be a problem. If I miss a technique that week, I'll make it up somehow either from fellow students who attend, or from the online material at Gracieuniversity.com.

Summer could be a problem. Sometimes they shut down regular classes, but this is not a policy. If I'm in town I hope the lessons continue. If we go on a trip I hope they don't, or that I can make them up.

Anyway you look at it; I don't want any more colds. I don't even want to think about the flu.

Germs

I woke up Saturday morning with a stupid cold. Don't know if I caught it at work, or at the gym, but that doesn't matter. It's bad enough I've done very little all weekend.

Saturday morning Jiu-Jitsu was cancelled for the holiday, so I didn't have to agonize over going or not going. I did have to teach at Karate for an hour in the afternoon, but that was no sweat.

No bike and no running, and it's Monday already. I'm glad that it's Canadian Thanksgiving, so I get to spend another day in my puffy chair recovering.

I've gone over the videos of my next technique at Jiu-Jitsu. Does this count as training?

I've also been watching a string of UFC bouts on Netflix. I've always enjoyed these kinds of fights, but even more now that I can better understand the subtleties in the grappling aspect of the game.

Most fighters seem to have chosen boxing for their punches, Muay Thai for their kicks, and Jiu-Jitsu for grappling. This is well enough, but it leaves holes in their game.

Often they can't land their power kicks fast enough. Why not learn to kick like a Taekwondo guy as well? Less power but more speed. Why not learn Karate movement and hands? Get in and out faster. Why not spend some time doing Judo? Most of these guys have no throws at all.

Just my two cents.

It's fun to watch when germ infested.

Unequal Colours

People always wonder about the belt rank thing. Just what does it mean?

To get my Shotokan Karate Black Belt it took me a little over four years. Some do it faster, but most don't.

It didn't mean I was a master or anything like that. It meant I'd done enough to be accepted as a raw beginner. A Black Belt in Japan is a beginner.

I'm training now in Jiu-Jitsu with a similar intensity. I recently earned a Blue Belt. With the same amount of Karate training I was a Yellow Belt. By the time my Blue Belt gets a fancy stripe added it will be about a year from now. By that time in Karate, I'd passed through Orange, and gotten my Green.

In Karate, my third year earned me a Blue Belt, a Purple and the lowest of three levels of Brown Belt.

My third year in Jiu-Jitsu might get me a second stripe on my Blue Belt.

A fourth year in Karate, and I'd moved through the two levels of Brown Belts and was about to get my Black Belt.

A fourth year in Jiu-Jitsu and I might have a third stripe on my Blue.

Perhaps this is an unfair comparison. Here we have to deal with a long-distance type of situation in our training. If we could train at the main school in LA the progress could be twice as fast.

Let's say my early skill level as a Karate Black Belt would be equivalent to somewhere between a three-striped Jiu-Jitsu Blue Belt, and a single-striped Purple.

How does this all compare to other arts? Judo levels mean about the same as Karate ones. Taekwondo Black Belts tend to be a little quicker to earn by maybe a year.

It's all just different standards. Japan and Korea consider Black Belt to mean beginner, while Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu considers it to mean that one has mastered the skill.

Neither system is better than the other, but it is nice to understand what it all means.

　

Revealing outfits

This summer my wife laughed at me.

In Jiu-Jitsu we sometimes wear a garment called a rash guard. This is a tight  fitting stretchy material top. They can have either long or short sleeves. My prying myself in is what Helen found so amusing.

I prefer the type called compression fit, and they are even tighter.

I tried on quite a few this summer.

My wife equated this to fashions foisted onto women. You know; clingy shirts, pantyhose, Lululemon leggings and such.

I must admit that I've never worn anything even slighty similar.

Picked up a few and wear them to train. I'd feel darn silly wearing one to saunter around town.

It is possible to purchase matching pants, but I don't think any are in my future.

Long, lovely fall...

The weather has been glorious for all of September, and the first week of October seems like it's going to be the same.

This makes my weekend runs pretty painless, and my early morning ride to work a joy.

It can't last forever. Soon it will be seriously dark when I head off to work, and the temperature is slowly inching its way down.

Once the bad weather kicks in and stays things can get nasty. Imagine a month of riding through the dark at near freezing temperatures, through driving rain. Such is the joy of Canada's pacific coast in late fall and winter.

I've done it for the last four winters. It is something I won't miss at all after I retire. This will be my last ugly season of bike riding.

I hate the dark almost as much as the wet and cold. Luckily, it hasn't really snowed for the last four winters and I haven't had to deal with that. On those days the plan is to use the car. I ride to be healthy, not to get squished by either somebody's out of control auto, or my own slip-sliding bike.

If the weekends are crappy, I don't get out and run. I know people who like ugly-weather runs. They are crazy.

Uncertain

I am quite confused.

The new class started at Karate on Saturday. Two beginners showed up to try. That isn't enough. We won't be able to pay the bills, even assuming that both sign up and pay.

What to do? I was starting to panic about the situation. Me, with the returning folks, plus two beginners still won't cover the gym fees. None are made of money. Raise membership cost? Try for more new people? Scrub the whole thing? Look for a cheaper location?

Today it was our Monday class in town. The two from Saturday didn't come back, but four different ones did. I gave them their trial class, and they said they liked it. One of them knows the people who had attended on Saturday and he said they didn't come back because the class was too small. He's going to tell them that it got bigger.

If all of tonight's four continue, and if the two from Saturday return, we are doing just fine. However, six possible beginners are not yet committed. About half said they can't make it to Saturdays until soccer is done.

What does this all mean? I have no idea. Do we have a viable club, or do we not? I guess I cannot know until the fees start coming in.

Is it any wonder I hate the administration of a Karate club?