Demo-boy

Yesterday was interesting. I had a dentist appointment, and so was running a little late. It could have been a car day, but I decided that if I were a few minutes late for the White Belt class it wasn't the end of the world. After the dentist, I rode home on the bike.

Grabbed a bite. No panic if I should be a few minutes late for the White Belt class. Packed my gym bag. No need to rush.

Drove half an hour to the gym. No panic.

Still managed to get there a moment or two before the 5:30 start time and headed to the changeroom.

The mat was packed. Just about every White Belts was present.

So I was changing, and Sterling exploded in saying the class couldn't start until I was on the mat, and then he vanished again. Strange, but I hurried.

Was he kidding? Why would they need me?

Class started and it was instantly clear. The instructor was away and Sterling was teaching the class. He needed somebody to demonstrate on. There was only one other Blue Belt there. Madeline is often used as the demo partner, but she wouldn't be a good choice with Sterling teaching.

He is about twice her size, and it would just look bizarre for Sterling to demonstrate defending himself against such a tiny attacker. He did use her for a demo where she didn't portray an evil attacker, but wanted me for the much better size match.

Sterling taught a fine class, and I didn’t screw up at all.

Funny that it was the first time ever that I didn’t arrive plenty early. Strange that Stirling should be teaching on exactly that night, and that none of the other large Blue Belts were present.

I’ve been used in demos a few times, but this night I was used more than all those other times combined.

　

　

　

Split-Levels

It is very hard to teach martial arts well.

Image a group of students. Typically, each is at a different level, and requires different instruction to prepare them for their next exam.

In Karate there are 9 levels below Black Belt, but even that is an illusion. Two new Green Belts are pretty equal, but if one is not new, but rather about to test for Blue they are not.

It's actually easier to teach a room full of beginners than it is to teach a room full of different levels. One can't even modify the curriculum to make things easier. The exam requirements are incredibly specific, and the tests come about every three months.

Our Jiu-Jitsu instructor has an even nastier problem. The White Belt class functions beautifully. The techniques come like clockwork and everybody is about the same.

In the Blue Belt class he has two groups of students. The first is a bunch of rookies, and the other is working on the next level up. Each evening he has to teach totally different and very complicated material to each bunch within a one-hour class.

What makes it even harder is he is teaching himself the higher level techniques as he goes. It's all new to him.

I have no idea how he does it.

Some nights I'm the only low-level Blue there. When that happens he focuses on the higher stuff. I'm happy enough to join in when I can, and review my own stuff when I can't.

So far it's all working. The goal would be for the current low Blues to be ready to test for their first stripe in a year and a half, and that the higher group of Blues to test for their second stripe.

A complication is that the lower group will be getting occasional additions as White Belts earn Blue Belts.

If it all works, things will get even harder. There will be the lower Blues, a new crop of Blue-with-one-stripe, and a top group of Blue-with-two-stripes starting the three-stripe material.

I wonder how they do it at the Headquarters school. There the advanced class could potentially contain five levels of Blue Belts, with five levels of Purple Belts, alongside five levels of Brown. They, at least, have several instructors to call on.

　

30 Days is Easy

I've stolen an idea at work. There is a TED thing by a guy called Matt Cutts. He has filled his life with 30 day challenges.

They are something done every day for a month. Some examples are; take a photo, walk to work, draw daily, eat a new food each day....and almost anything else.

The idea is that it is enough time to give each thing a fair shake, but short enough that they can be completed.

I've did this with my kids last year and it was a huge success. There is a ton of enthusiasm in this year's group, too.

I do one alongside the kids in support. Don't know what I'll do this year.

I think this is a great idea, and not just for kids. It seems to have done wonders for Matt Cutts.

I've met tons of people who praise me for riding my bike to work. They should try it for a month. Some think it's cool that I run in the summer. They should try running for a month, or even going for long walks.

You have no idea how many people have told me that they've always wanted to try martial arts. They haven't.

It's like anything else. It all seems too big and intimidating. Does trying something for 30 days seem as bad?

Matt Cutts has done many, many challenges. Most ended on day 30, but a number have become part of his life.

I'd like to get into photography, and get back into fine art. I could use daily practise on my advanced Katas. I should dress better.

How about stopping something negative in your life? Could you do that for a month? Drop certain foods, or smoking, or drinking. It's only 30 days. Maybe it could stick, too. Why not try being a vegetarian?

Introverted? For a month go up to somebody and ask them how their weekend was. Last year one girl did this. It scared her, but she learned the knack in no time.

One picky eater managed to eat a new food every day. A lot of them she hated, and most of the rest she didn't mind but wouldn't try again. She found about a dozen she actually liked. She no longer resists trying new things.

The big surprise last year was the number of kids that came up and asked if they were allowed to do more than one.

That doesn't usually happen with homework.

　

　

Keep Calm and Carry On

This fine sushi restaurant is packed. I've stopped on my way home to pick up some treats.

 

I've just come from open mat time. I was drilling myself on the Blue Belt mount techniques. I like to go over things many times. Tobias was there, and asked for a hand with some of his material. By my showing him and doing the drills for a half hour or so he gets credit for a class he is missing.

 

We did that, and then rolled for maybe ten minutes. By the end he was bright pink. All White Belts find it had to relax and conserve energy. He noticed, and said, "You don't look tired at all."

 

It's funny to have to work at relaxing, but it's true.

 

 

Necks and Wings

My stupid cold cost me a week of Jiu-Jitsu training, but I was back at it tonight.

Somehow I'm going to have to do some work on my own to make up the gap. I can do that, as long as I don't miss any bigger chunks of training.

Tonight we were working on a thing called an arm triangle. It's a nasty method of choking somebody. It turns out there is something about me that makes me very, very hard to choke this way. It was a real problem. We all worked away to find out what was going wrong. My neck meant that we had to figure out a more perfect way to do it. Once we found it, everybody learned the better method. We all got better because of my tricky neck. That was cool.

When I got home, things managed to get even better. Helen had made me a big heap of barbecued chicken wings. I was expecting to have to cook them myself, and I was really too tired to want to do that. She saved me, and they are so delicious.

Chokes, a tricky neck, and chicken wings.

A good evening indeed.

Cam

The closer I get to retirement, the more creative I am feeling. Likely this is caused by my anticipation of time to do creative things.

Anyhow, I like making slightly unusual videos. Time-lapse stuff is really fun.

I also have a camera that can strap onto bikes, or cars, or the human body and can take a fair amount of abuse. It is called a Gopro.

I've made some bike and car videos, but want to do something more original.

I'm going to strap the camera to either my chest or head, and wear it to Jiu-Jitsu. Just what does it look like to roll around? I wish I knew. Only a small part of the sensory input used is visual. The camera records only the visual.

There might be nothing worth seeing from so close up. It would have to be worn a number of times before anything interesting ends up getting captured.

Of course, the instructor might not like the idea. Things like this are his call.

Playing with a chest cam could be nasty. A lot of the time it will end up between the two competitors, being ground into each with intense pressure. The cam itself is a small, hard, rectangular device. I don't think it could injure anybody, but it will be uncomfortable.

A little editing, and then off it goes to Youtube.

　

Sicko

It's been a lousy martial arts week for me. I usually go to Jiu-Jitsu five times and teach Karate twice.

Monday evening I could feel a cold coming on, but didn't let that interfere with Karate. Sometimes colds are nothing.

Waking up Tuesday I knew it was going to be nasty. Dragged myself through the workday, but knew I shouldn't train. It's the night when the techniques for the week are demonstrated and explained. I went in civies, sat in a chair, and watched. Not as good as doing it, but much better than nothing.

Wednesday and Thursday I was home from work, and stayed away from Jiu-Jitsu, too.

Friday? Back at work, but I shouldn't have been. Stayed home from training.

Tomorrow, I won't be at Jiu-Jitsu. Can't miss Karate as I'm the instructor, but that's easy. It isn't draining like training is.

So, I'll have made it to both Karate classes, but will have not trained at all in Jiu-Jitsu. I watched once.

I wonder if I've made progress. Don't answer. It's rhetorical.