Something I’ve learned in the last five years is that really and truly, no one in jiu jitsu cares about your body. Because of that, you have to be your own bodyguard. In some ways, I was “lucky” that when I started jiu jitsu, my physical difficulties were visible – I was overweight, huffing and […]
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Tag: Perceptions
BJJ: When are Belt Demotions Okay?
At their heart, belt demotions signify that someone’s previous rank was believed too generous, and they are no longer recognized at that rank. Unfortunately, they can also have political motivation, and very often they are a trope in BJJ Soap Operas, as they generate lots of High Drama. BELT DEMOTIONS BY INSTRUCTORS Standards Based “BJJ […]
BJJ: Anxieties
One consistent I have found in jiu jitsu is that everyone has fears. In Korea, many foreigners feared having no English instruction. Other common fears may include: Being the only woman Looking stupid Getting hurt Changing academies Forgetting everything Looking like a white belt (when you are not) In Korea, I adjusted. I am comfortable […]
BJJ: 3 Negative Thinking Traps
My inspiration for this post was this tweet: @jiujiubjj Any tips aside from just going to get your head back in the game after a long absence? — Katrina (@xanister) September 15, 2014 This can be true for anyone doing any kind of sport, going to school, exercising, learning a language, etc. It’s easy for […]
BJJ: Are You a Ron Weasley? Also, Tournament Results!
Remember in the Harry Potter movies how Hermione would study really hard, then get great grades, then review the test questions, beat herself up over the one wrong answer? That’s my friend Amanda. She prepped so hard for the US Grappling tournament in Raleigh, then right after she won her matches, she would immediately review […]
BJJ: Dealing with Negative Self Talk
Whenever I see things on Facebook, I immediately relate it back to jiu jitsu. Call it the curse of single-mindedness. I tend to be all about the power of positive self talk. I believe in being kind to yourself, not being too rough on yourself for sucking, and changing negative phrases, such as “I don’t […]
BJJ: F*ck ’em if they can’t take a joke!
There was a big to-do recently over on http://womensmma.com – they posted about a now-removed Youtube video in which Dean Lister demonstrated a move on a female partner and with his body, made it look like she was giving him a hand job. WHAT HAPPENED Dean Lister was giving a seminar. The team’s coach asked […]
BJJ: Pissing Off Your Training Partner
Overall, I’m slow to anger in jiu jitsu. I did get angry at one guy who, despite me telling him to SLOW DOWN repeatedly during rolling, kept whipping his feet super quickly by my black eye. That made me angry. So did the guy who I felt like I had to actually FIGHT when we […]
BJJ: One Up-manship
Sylvie from 8limbs.us, my favorite non-BJJ blogger, wrote a great article called Brain Science: Why Sparring Gets Out of Control – Neurology and Muay Thai. The article is about mis-perception of contact strength. The idea is that we underestimate how much force and strength we are actually using, and when we attempt to match the […]
BJJ: What’s Your Excuse?
A while back I wrote an article called “Reasons vs Excuses.” In it, I posted the “No Excuses Mom” picture along with my confusion as to why it was considered aggressive. One thing I love about the folks who post on this blog, and those who respond to my articles on Facebook, is that they […]