American readers: Happy Independence Day! Non-American readers: Happy weekend! Jiu Jiu’s Note: Big news in my household: we are NOT moving this fall. My husband’s orders were rescinded, as the band he was going to move to is shutting down. Most likely in response to this amendment which would ban military bands from playing any […]
Health: Physical Therapy
I went and saw a physical therapist this week. Once on Tuesday, and once today. My hips suck, according to professional opinion. I have problems with my hips, specifically related to moving things outward. Here is a picture of me with my legs stretched as far as they go. This was even me laying on […]
BJJ: This Pain is WRONG
After heading back to jiu jitsu three times in the span of a week, I got broken. My hips were absolutely killing me. Husband has this AM/PM beginner yoga dvd and literally me just sitting cross legged was TOO PAINFUL. I eased into it, then experienced GREAT PAIN just changing which leg was on top/bottom. […]
BJJ: The Lies Our Instructor Tells Us
“Tomorrow will be an easy class.” “We’re only doing 1 more round.” “You can work on an easier thing tomorrow.” Lies! Lies! Lies! (I say with mock accusation). The whole day was HIIT training – pick a position. Go hard for 30 seconds. Rest for 30 seconds, then switch (top to bottom). Go hard for […]
BJJ Book: The Combat Codes
A review of The Combat Codes by Alexander Darwin, published by Insight Forge Press in 2015, ISBN 978-1517765064. You can see this review at Amazon, and GoodReads. Rated 4 stars out of 5. Murray Pearson is sick of buying broken kids from the slave Circles. He’s sick of training them to become skilled combatants, only […]
BJJ: The dangers of “I’ll Do Jiu Jitsu When…”
I have been caught in a terrible trap. Stop me if you’ve heard this before: I’ll do jiu jitsu when I’ve lost more weight. I’ll do jiu jitsu once I’m in better shape. I’ll do jiu jitsu after I move. Ah those conditional clauses. I’ve found that they tend to be wonderfully convenient, best-intentions, excuses. […]
Women’s Open Mats
Today was the first day I have put on a gi in around 4 months. I split with my gym back in October, and between the holidays, foot dragging, and general avoidance, I just haven’t done any jiu jitsu. My friend and old teammate invited me to a women’s open mat hosted in Leesburg, VA. […]
BJJ: Is Your Gym Like a Bad Boyfriend?
*Please change the pronouns to your preferred gender. Realizing you are at a Bad Gym sucks. What sucks even more is when you don’t realize you’re at a Bad Gym. I think some warning signs for “Are You Dating an Abusive Dude” articles are applicable here. YOU FEEL ISOLATED It’s totally normal to join a […]
BJJ: Reflections on 5 years in Jiu-Jitsu
This summer I hit my 5-year BJJ anniversary. Hitting five years into something is a lot different than a 1-year anniversary, in that there is more to reflect on. Things I am proud of: 1. My coach believes in me. He had enough faith in me that he let me start teaching beginners! How cool […]
BJJ: Should I Quit Jiu-Jitsu Part 1 – I’m not good
Welcome back! I recently had a comment on my blog that I wanted to address: I just started Bjj […] I’m almost in my third month. I can’t seem to get a submission, though I get caught plenty. I don”t get it. I have some strength, so flexibility, and I try my best to listen […]