Twelve months on: What I've learned

It has been about a year now since I started this blog, so I thought it'd be appropriate to take stock of the year gone by. As you know, the start of this blog coincided with my return to learning Brazilian Jiu Jitsu after a two-year hiatus. Mind you, I did not possess much skills then before I stopped, as I have only started going for around a month or so, so whatever I learned before did not really stick after two years of changing nappies and feeding puréed food.


 I have learned (and continue to learn) techniques that looked easy until I tried doing it.


 I have learned that having injuries is annoying and has initially put a huge dent on my ability to train but I have since learned to work around them. From May to December, I actually had more days injured than days I actually came to class. Funnily enough, I get less injured now than when I first started. Maybe it has something to do with being more aware of which positions to avoid being subjected to (knee rides can cause fractured ribs FACT!)


 I have also learned to relax if I find myself at the bottom or getting submitted (which is frequent) and concentrate on my breathing and to try to find a way out(which is less frequent). I'm sure that any low level BJJ player had this thought at some point in their training - "Now, how did that guy in the YouTube video do it again?"


 I have learned that there is no replacement for drilling techniques and positions. Attending beginners classes is worth its weight in gold.


 I have learned that properly applied techniques beats strength anytime but with equally skilled players, the strong or bigger one wins. I have been on both sides of the coin, fortunately or unfortunately.


 The things I have learned in the past twelve months will help shape the way I approach the challenges in front of me and are undoubtedly important in developing my game, but equally important, as well, besides learning the art of BJJ, going back to training afforded me with the opportunity to meet like-minded individuals who share the same passion with me, and a host of other interests, as well - blogging, films, music, drawing, comic books, gi-shopping(lol), etc. This is where training partners became friends. These are friends I will always grateful of, for accompanying me in my journey in learning and appreciating this gentle art we call Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.


 Oss.

Drill to Win (repost)

I am reposting this for those who are not able to access it on my blog.






In the last several classes, we have been drilling techniques in side control – escapes, transitions, and submissions from this position. One good thing with attending the beginners' classes over at Battersea is that most of the techniques taught week after week tend to be chained together, so that the techniques from the previous session is revisited, as the technique is shown.

As beneficial the beginners' classes are to me in solidifying my fundamentals, I would also like to start attending the mixed classes. I imagine it would be like the old Kamon classes where there would be an even amount of time for drilling and rolling, except that there would be more coloured belts to roll with. I promised myself that I'm going to attempt to attend at least two classes a week to further my skills. I have not been too successful with it lately, with this blasted weather making me and my family ill with colds and flu. As if the weather isn't miserable enough...

A bit of good news to finish this off, my good BJJ pal, Elliott has been awarded two stripes by Dante over at Kamon several weeks ago. Together with Gerry and Rob, they are the first ones to earn stripes on their belt. If you remember on my earlier posts, it isn't Kevin's style to award stripes, although I have been told he has given his blessing to this awarding.

Well, truth be told, earning stripes is a sure-fire way to keep one motivated. 

I hope to earn one before the year ends. ;)

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At the moment, I have been typing and posting blogs via my phone. My daughter (who recently celebrated her birthday, by the way), decided in typical 5year-old fashion, to remove the space bar and the letter N on my laptop. This obviously affects the speed of my typing – imagine driving on a road where there are random speed bumps...Meh.

Commitment (repost)

I am reposting this as for some reason, this particular post (and another one) does not show up on the blog. Technology, eh?






In this age of technology, you'd think that Microsoft and Apple would get their  shit together, but no. Friday night, I attempted to download the latest version of iTunes on my laptop. Well, it wouldn't. At least, that's what my computer says. It spewed a bunch of error codes, which took me the whole of the weekends to trawl thru internet forums to find a solution. Turns out to be that I'm not the only one. Microsoft or Windows Vista has trouble with updates and software installations,  that even tech geeks were having problems finding a solution for it up to now.

Now I can't access all my music. Sheesh.

---------------------------------

In the past couple of weeks, I have been diligently attending the beginners' classes over at BJJ School and have augmented it by attending the Friday mixed classes.

I must say, it is a totally different atmosphere (at least for me) in the mixed classes. It seemed more laid back and loose, as compared to the beginners' classes where we were put through our paces - teaching technique followed by drilling, then positional sparring, to be finished by full sparring (most times).

In the mixed classes, where there is a terrific abundance of coloured belts, it would be pretty much of the same format although there is more time spent on sparring. Also, people can just drift in or out during the sessions. On one class, Felipe taught two techniques involving leglocks and calf slicers that just went over my head. Duh. Good thing that there were two other white belts during the class, and sensing our confusion, he decided to teach us three a more basic technique.

As there were loads of higher belts, there is no dearth with sparring with blues, purples and browns, though I was kept busy enough sparring with the lighter coloured ones. One thing I very much like with sparring with different coloured belts is that each roll is terrific for learning and a good grounding experience with regards to seeing how I am progressing. It provides me with a valuable insight on my improvement, or lack thereof, as a BJJ player. With people that you train with regularly, this can be difficult at times, as you pit yourself with someone who is also improving, unless one's rate of progression is faster than the other person. I guess in these instances, an outsider, or someone who hasn't seen or trained with you for a while, might notice the improvement.

I told myself at the start of the year that I am going to make more of a commitment to training BJJ. I have set myself goals – really small ones, like, getting off work on time, getting to class, training at least twice a week, etc. I have had a chat with my wife about this, as well, as I needed her on board with this and supporting me, which she has always been, in her own little way (Thanks, hon).

My body is also adjusting to the increased demands brought about by training. Good nutrition and enough rest should take care of it (and painkillers and liniment).The key here is to resist the urge to overdo it, as injuries would only set you back, as I have learned last year.

Time spent away from my family is time that cannot be taken back. I need to make it count.

Light rolling, anyone?

One valuable lesson learned in tonight's mixed class - the true definition of light rolling.

Myself and Keith, regularly drill and train together over at the BJJ School for several months now. On some occasions, when we feel a bit knackered or are nursing a bit of injury, we'd say, "Let's do some light rolling, bro." And then, we'd proceed to do just that - or what we think what light rolling meant.

The first time I rolled with Bong, on our first ever open mat, Bong said, "Let's do some light rolling as we wait for the others to turn up." I nearly took his eye out by accident (as I would always tell the judge if I was ever hauled in court).

Tonight, as myself and Keith were doing some "light rolling", one of the higher belts spoke to us the danger of rolling hard - as we were doing apparently! He also said that higher belts would not be too keen to roll with us if we go hard every rolling session - as injuries arise especially when noobs (like us) goes balls-to-the-wall. This means that we potentially lose valuable input from them if we just continue to roll like we do.

I think was what happening is that we were reacting to the bio feedback we get with each other during rolling and if we perceive a certain force against us, we naturally respond with an equal or slightly bigger amount of force to "counter" the force exerted against us. So that's why what starts of as a light roll transforms itself into a more intensive one.

Point well taken and as I have had the experience rolling with higher belts (a blue and a brown) during the class tonight, I saw what light rolling truly is. It is an amazing learning experience.

Pinoy BJJ Group Meet II

The 18th of March marked the day when our small group met formally for the second time since we founded it. This time, I hosted it and we held it at the BJJ School in Battersea (Battersea Youth Centre), where I train.

The usual suspects turned up - Jon, Dio, Jodi, Bong and myself. I managed to coax my regular training mate, Keith, and our old training partner, Elliott - both members of the Chili Brotherhood (wassup spice-loving homies), to come and join our little group to boost our numbers. We tried inviting some of the higher belts we knew from BJJ School and other schools but I guess they were busy...you, know, Mum's day and all that...

Anyways, I believe that the meet was successful, despite the fact that the pinoys themselves were late - a first-hand experience of the term "Filipino time" that both Keith and Elliott unfortunately learned. Did you know that in the Philippines, common custom is when you hold a party or anything that involves visitors, you actually tell them a 2-hour advanced start time as they hardly arrive on time - or shall we say, they would arrive just in time for the real start. This is one of the embarrassing traits that we try to erase to show respect to our colleagues. In all honesty, I was at the Clapham Junction train station 40 minutes early but train delays and closure of the nearest station exit caused some problems for the rest of the group. Enough of the excuses.

We did several rounds of rolling with different partners and I like to believe that I have shown some improvement since the last time we met. As always, both Jon and Dio were very supportive of us lower belts and both Bong and Elliott showed us a thing or two of their favourite moves. Good luck to Elliott as he prepares for competition in June. I hope he does not go against one of the BJJ School guys - I wouldn't know who to cheer for!

I hope that we can schedule another meet around summer and hoping that our numbers will increase. Sometimes I think that the higher belts are not too keen on coming to the open mat as they might think that there isn't much to gain rolling with lower belts. I really hope that this is not the case - the one of the main reasons we founded the group is to use it as a venue to know other Filipinos practicing the art and use it to share our collective knowledge with others in a fun and supportive environment. That is why we greatly appreciate the participation of both Keith and Elliott, as despite not belonging to the group in the strictest sense, their willingness to show support and share their time and skill with us embodies the true spirit of why the group was founded in the first place.

Now, if only you guys would try our adobo, kare-kare, and dinuguan...

Good days, bad days

There are days that I feel that I feel that I "know" BJJ, and there are days that I feel I don't . This past several sessions fall on the latter category. Thinking about it too much would only bum me out, so I don't. I am enjoying it despite the frustrations of getting smashed at sparring or knowing that you could escape into a better position but is too gassed to effect it. Yes, I know - cardio is still an issue but I am slowly getting there. ;)

Sometimes, I am tempted to analyse why am I crappy at BJJ, but most times, I just tell myself, "Knowledge and skill would come soon enough." If you remember recently, I have made small goals for myself, mostly focusing on establishing the commitment to set time for BJJ. I would like to say that I am getting AT LEAST two sessions a week now, and I have been granting myself a third session most weeks. Balancing work, family and BJJ is often difficult, even in the best of times.

On a more positive note, the second Pinoy BJJ Group Open Mat is this Sunday at the Battersea Youth Centre. Aside from the original pinoy grapplers from the first open mat in Hertfordshire, we are lucky to be joined by some of my regular training partners from the Kamon Croydon crew, Elliott, Keith, and possibly blue belt Steve (owner of the nasty Steve-o-tine). I have also been informed that brown belt Paul has confirmed his attendance. Bong has certainly worked his charms in securing this one (Thanks, brother).

I hope someone brings a camera for posterity.

Commitment

In this age of technology, you'd think that Microsoft and Apple would get their  shit together, but no. Friday night, I attempted to download the latest version of iTunes on my laptop. Well, it wouldn't. At least, that's what my computer says. It spewed a bunch of error codes, which took me the whole of the weekends to trawl thru internet forums to find a solution. Turns out to be that I'm not the only one. Microsoft or Windows Vista has trouble with updates and software installations,  that even tech geeks were having problems finding a solution for it up to now.

Now I can't access all my music. Sheesh.

---------------------------------

In the past couple of weeks, I have been diligently attending the beginners' classes over at BJJ School and have augmented it by attending the Friday mixed classes.

I must say, it is a totally different atmosphere (at least for me) in the mixed classes. It seemed more laid back and loose, as compared to the beginners' classes where we were put through our paces - teaching technique followed by drilling, then positional sparring, to be finished by full sparring (most times).

In the mixed classes, where there is a terrific abundance of coloured belts, it would be pretty much of the same format although there is more time spent on sparring. Also, people can just drift in or out during the sessions. On one class, Felipe taught two techniques involving leglocks and calf slicers that just went over my head. Duh. Good thing that there were two other white belts during the class, and sensing our confusion, he decided to teach us three a more basic technique.

As there were loads of higher belts, there is no dearth with sparring with blues, purples and browns, though I was kept busy enough sparring with the lighter coloured ones. One thing I very much like with sparring with different coloured belts is that each roll is terrific for learning and a good grounding experience with regards to seeing how I am progressing. It provides me with a valuable insight on my improvement, or lack thereof, as a BJJ player. With people that you train with regularly, this can be difficult at times, as you pit yourself with someone who is also improving, unless one's rate of progression is faster than the other person. I guess in these instances, an outsider, or someone who hasn't seen or trained with you for a while, might notice the improvement.

I told myself at the start of the year that I am going to make more of a commitment to training BJJ. I have set myself goals – really small ones, like, getting off work on time, getting to class, training at least twice a week, etc. I have had a chat with my wife about this, as well, as I needed her on board with this and supporting me, which she has always been, in her own little way (Thanks, hon).

My body is also adjusting to the increased demands brought about by training. Good nutrition and enough rest should take care of it (and painkillers and liniment).The key here is to resist the urge to overdo it, as injuries would only set you back, as I have learned last year.

Time spent away from my family is time that cannot be taken back. I need to make it count.

Drill to win

In the last several classes, we have been drilling techniques in side control – escapes, transitions, and submissions from this position. One good thing with attending the beginners' classes over at Battersea is that most of the techniques taught week after week tend to be chained together, so that the techniques from the previous session is revisited, as the technique is shown.

As beneficial the beginners' classes are to me in solidifying my fundamentals, I would also like to start attending the mixed classes. I imagine it would be like the old Kamon classes where there would be an even amount of time for drilling and rolling, except that there would be more coloured belts to roll with. I promised myself that I'm going to attempt to attend at least two classes a week to further my skills. I have not been too successful with it lately, with this blasted weather making me and my family ill with colds and flu. As if the weather isn't miserable enough...

A bit of good news to finish this off, my good BJJ pal, Elliott has been awarded two stripes by Dante over at Kamon several weeks ago. Together with Gerry and Rob, they are the first ones to earn stripes on their belt. If you remember on my earlier posts, it isn't Kevin's style to award stripes, although I have been told he has given his blessing to this awarding.

Well, truth be told, earning stripes is a sure-fire way to keep one motivated. 

I hope to earn one before the year ends. ;)

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At the moment, I have been typing and posting blogs via my phone. My daughter (who recently celebrated her birthday, by the way), decided in typical 5year-old fashion, to remove the space bar and the letter N on my laptop. This obviously affects the speed of my typing – imagine driving on a road where there are random speed bumps...Meh.

New beginnings

Last week, I made a conscious decision to seek another BJJ school to continue my quest to learn and understand Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Two schools came to my mind – Gracie Barra London Bridge (ECBJJ) helmed by Eduardo Carriello and BJJ School headed by Leao Texeira and Felipe Alvez de Souza. Both are established schools and appear to provide excellent tuition to their students. I have been to ECBJJ last December to attend the Braulio Estima seminar (amazing, by the way) and liked the atmosphere there as they seem to be a good bunch. My only gripe is that the classes start quite late in the evening and from my experience over at Carlson’s, by the time I get home, shower, eat, wind down and get ready for bed, it’d be in the early hours of the following day.

So on Monday, I went to BJJ School in Battersea to try out their free week. Keith was kind enough to accompany me there for the beginners’ class. Keith was also school-hunting, and has been to several different schools in the past several weeks. To be honest, I actually went to Battersea on Sunday to do a recon of the place and check transport options and such. I am one of those people who get anxious with new places and meeting new people, so if I can, I try to address and eliminate these issues one-by-one, if I can.

I must say, the school is very decent and the people are very welcoming. Leoni Munslow and Felipe de Souza themselves were there and were warm and hospitable.  I need to add that Ed Brown, a BJJ School brown belt and owner of the Ed Brown Functional Fitness, has invited me several times to come train and I am pleased to have finally taken up his offer.

The beginners’ class was like Ronseal – it exactly does what it says on the tin. Despite having a smattering of blues in the class, it was a class geared for beginners. The instructor would show one technique (two at most, but interconnected) and we’d drill it until we got it. Then it was positional sparring using the technique, then a quick couple of rounds of general sparring. That is a very effective way to make full use of an hour’s time, in my opinion. I went back on Wednesday to attend James Carey’s class. Same format albeit with a quick warm up at the start of the class.

The good thing with going to BJJ School is that the beginners’ classes start early, which means that I can get home early and allow me to spend time with my family. There is an advanced class after the beginners’ class that fellow Kamon BJJ crew Little Steve attends but I feel that it is too complex for me at the moment. I am able to tweak my work hours so I could leave earlier on those days and just stay a bit later on the other days to make up the time.

Keith was also pleased with the class time and the general level of instruction that he decided to join the BJJ School full-time.

As for me, you could see the new logo on this blog...

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I would like to thank Master Kevin Chan, Dante, purple belt Steve, Galvatron, and the rest of the Kamon BJJ Croydon crew for welcoming me into the school last year. It is sad to leave and seek another school, especially as you have made me feel part of the group and have shared your knowledge, time, and energy with me, as we journey into the world of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The BJJ world is small and close-knit, and I am sure we will meet each other in the near future and you can continue to submit and tap me out. ;)

2011 Recap (It’s mid-January, but what the hell...)

This year in May marked my return to training in BJJ – new school, training partners, and friends. A social network account made it also possible  for me to set up the Pinoy Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Group in the UK with Bong Abad of Gawakoto fame and its counterpart in North America together with the famous Joe Rico of that 90’s seminal thrash metal band Sacrifice.

This re-uptake of this worthwhile but physically demanding sport has caused me to suffer injuries and be sidelined for some time as well (3-4 months in total) – from a fractured rib to the reoccurrence of a chronic rotator cuff injury. This time away from training has also been compounded by the times when I am unable to come to class because of work commitments that have taken priority.

The toll this has taken on my training has made me more aware of how de-skilled you can quickly become when you spend time off the mats – this includes sports-specific cardio.

This year, in 2012, I have made several goals that I plan to achieve, some of them are BJJ-related. Amongst other things, I plan to not focus too much of my time and energy on work and take some back to spend more time with my family and in pursuing BJJ. Training in BJJ is my only “me” time (except playing COD on XBox and PS3). I very hardly go out to pubs and clubs anymore and given the choice, I would prefer staying at home with my family.

Following on that, I plan to attend class on a more regular basis, and train around injuries. I feel more confident now with the sport and with that comes the ability to be more aware of your body movements so as not to put too much strain on your injuries – that is, unless you have got a sparring partner who’s into “Biff-jitsu”.

It would also be nice (and beneficial to me) to find time outside the class to just roll with my BJJ friends. There are a lot of things to consider, of course, as availability and location is a huge factor. With the uncertainty of Kamon BJJ Croydon’s future in 2012, it becomes more apparent to me that a decision has to be made if I want to continue pursuing this endeavour.

There's no "I" in TEAM

Tonight’s session marked the end of the Wednesday classes with Kevin. It was a situation that was saddening to me, at least, as I won’t be seeing some of the guys who can only come on Wednesdays. Like I mentioned in my previous post, Dante will still facilitate the Thursday classes, though he is hoping that he could get a discount from the Croydon Martial Arts Academy to make it financially viable.

On this last session, we did a lot of positional/technical sparring – guard passes, side control escapes, mounts, and sweeps. I felt that I did well today – oh, yes, I still did get submitted (a nasty “Steve-o-tine” from 3B himself) and several more from various partners throughout the session. The reason I was pleased with myself is that I felt I made them work for it and have managed to escape some compromising positions. I was even attempting my own submissions (“attempting” being the operative word, as I never got to be successful with them, haha). I feel like I am making progress. Slowly but surely.

Towards the end, Kevin spoke with us about the Croydon school’s future plans.  Nothing was set in stone yet, but I (we) are hoping that we can relocate by the beginning of next year. Some of us guys have made plans to continue meeting up on Wednesdays to drill and spar. Kevin gave us his blessings to train on other schools, notably BJJ School (Leao Teixeira) in Battersea and other schools within the Gracie Barra umbrella.

That is certainly an option for me, and I know these schools provide high quality instructions that I would benefit from, but my initial loyalty remains with Kamon BJJ. Not only for the skills that I have learned these past few months, but more importantly (for me), the friendliness and camaraderie I experienced from the Croydon crew. Elliott, Keith, Steve B (3B), Big Steve (Galvatron), Purple Belt Steve, Dante, and the rest of the guys, are people who genuinely want you to learn BJJ. There is no competition, one-upmanship, nastiness with them. They bring in what they learned, saw, practiced to the mats and demonstrate/teach it to others without hesitation. They will let you know what you did wrong during sparring and on many occasions, show you how you could do it better the next time. Unless you’re a total douchebag, there is no other way but to reciprocate the help that has been shown to you. That’s being part of the team.

I am sure other schools have the same level of camaraderie as above, but this is what I’ve experienced, and I will be eternally be grateful to these people. I hope Kamon BJJ in Croydon (or Crystal Palace) will still survive and flourish. If not, I hope we are still able to meet up regularly to train – or better yet, go to the same school.

Here ya go, Santa. That’s my wish this Christmas.

Important point to note:

Fellow Pinoy BJJ Group member, Diosa Atienza won Silver in last weekend’s English Open. Her little daughter, Jodi, won Gold in her division. I am sure that hubby and dad, Jonathan, had a big hand in training them to near perfection! Congratulations, guys. You do us proud!

So, do you wanna be a BJJ player?

Training with Kevin today. For the last week or so, we've been drilling escapes from various positions, e.g., side control, guard, half guard, triangle... The common theme amongst all of these is PATIENCE. It's not about rushing to get out, but to think methodically and move slowly but purposefully. This is Kevin's thing. He admits that in the past, he used to be a very aggressive player, and then he rolled with someone who withstood all his aggression and methodically tapped him out several times. For him, it was an awakening and then proceeded to change his game into what we've come to know and hopefully, learn.
I seem to have benefitted a lot in today's training. It appeared (to me, at least), that he spent some time watching me drill and roll, and gave me pointers throughout the class. What was invaluable to me, as well, is the time I get to chat with him during sparring breaks - I do one-on and one-off sparring at the moment to allow my shoulder to rest, as I wanted to train consistently, rather than be off due to injury again.
We did discuss about the Croydon school closing down BUT with the intention of opening one up in Crystal Palace! If that wasn't good news, I don't know what is. To be honest, when I started asking Pinoy BJJ brother, Jon, about the possibility of going to BJJ School in Battersea, I was welcomed with open guard, eh, open arms, I mean... I have also spoken with Kevin about this, in a very tangential and roundabout manner, and states that Felipe is one of his teachers, so no issue with that, in case I do decide to move there. But it seems that I don't need to do that, fingers crossed.
Towards the end of the class, Kevin gave a speech about investing time and energy in drilling and rolling. He said that if you are the sort of person who only train once or twice a week, your progress will be very slow - unless you just like wearing a gi and talking about UFC/MMA. I thought he was talking about me LOL!!
Seriously, that woke me up a bit. I do want to progress in BJJ. I may not reach black belt level, but as long as I could impart my knowledge and skills to my children, I will have fulfilled my goal. And that is my legacy.

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Congratulations to !ittle Steve and Lanky Rob on getting their blue belts tonight. No bells and whistles, no fanfare, no belt-whipping. Just wear your blue belt the next time you come to class, Kevin says. Typical Kevin - practical, efficient, direct to the point. Like his jiu jitsu.

Creonte?

I was at a work-related conference last Friday, when I got word from fellow Kamon BJJ brother, Keith, that Kevin is pulling out of the Wednesday classes by the end of the month. The numbers are just too low for him to sufficiently maintain the rent of the school. I do understand his point, and he has his businessman's hat on when he made his decision. He loves to teach and impart his knowledge to us, but at the end of the day, it is a business and it has to remain viable for it to continue. I bet he has been losing money on the Croydon school ( he still has the Portsmouth school and the Isle of Wight, I believe) for several months, which forced his hand in making this decision.
The Thursday classes run by Dante, BJJ brown belt and Judo blackbelt, will still run and we are hoping that he will be able to take over the Wednesday classes, as well.
This news bummed me out for the rest of the day. I really enjoy going to the school and met a lot of wonderful people there. I take a huge stock on camaraderie , friendliness, and being able to help and support each other. Also, another big part in sustaining my attendance in BJJ is it's convenience. It's just a 20-30 minute drive from where I live and probably the same distance from work, as well. In my old school, it took me around 2 hours to get there using public transport during rush hour. I don't need that extra stress, to be honest. Nothwithstanding, the transport/petrol money you have to take into consideration on top of your monthly mat dues.

Is it time to start looking out for a new school? I hope not.

Priorities

I have been back in training for a couple of weeks now ( well, on-and-off, really) and have been noticing the numbers dwindling a bit. When I started in May, there was about 15 of us battling for space on the mats, but as the year wore on, the numbers declined. There were the odd days where we would get new people that boosted the numbers but they never stayed that long, for whatever reason they may have. Truly, with the exception of myself and Lanky Rob, the rest of the group at the moment all came from Kevin's Wing Chun school in Croydon. Myself and a couple of the regulars (heh, look at me calling myself a regular, haha)started noticing this and have become a topic of conversation several times. We thought that the school had a great location - Central Croydon, right up near the High Street, and there, to our collective knowledge, no other BJJ school within a 10-mile radius ( well, there is Zenith BJJ, but that doesn't count, as it appears to cater to a specialised few). We then thought that it needed advertising more, maybe flyers, posters, banners, etc. I also asked Kevin the other week about car stickers just to further rep the school. The others say that the numbers would swell up eventually, with people on holidays, etc. That was in August - it's now November, and the numbers are lower than ever.

It might have be due to the current state of the economy. BJJ and I guess, a lot of hobbies, are the the first to go when austerity measures are made. For a lot of people, it just isn't that high up in the priorities scale. I find it interesting when BJJ players are asked what would stop them from training. A lot of them say "Death", or "Nothing - BJJ forever!". While I applaud their dedication and commitment to the art, and probably envious of them, as well, I can't help but think about these people's other priorities in life that seem to pale in comparison with BJJ. I am probably as dedicated to learning the art as much as the next brother on the mat, but truth be told, my family and work come first. If I have the last £50 on my pocket and I have to choose between food on the table and BJJ - well, I'd be at home watching YouTube BJJ videos while my loving wife prepares a nice dinner for us.

Brotherhood

Woke up this morning and felt like a 100 year-old man – muscles and joints aching and a sore body reminds me that I finally went back on training and I wasn’t wishful thinking again.

A surge of excitement came over me as I drove to the gym and as soon as I opened the door to the gym, I was greeted by the familiar environment and even more familiar and friendly faces I have come to know – Dante, Elliott, Gerry, Little Steve, and soon after, Keith and Guy.

I can’t help but savour the moment as I’m getting myself kitted out – rashie, knee braces, gi, and belt. It feels like slipping into your favourite robe but also, it’s like preparing yourself for battle, knowing that at the end of the class, you are going to be sore, maybe a bit bruised and bloodied. Still, you wilfully step onto the mats to join those who had the same thoughts as you. Together, you learn, share, pit each other’s skills against each other, and say, “Well done, brother!” afterwards.

I’m at home here. Feels good to be back.

The mystical bond of brotherhood makes all men brothers - Thomas Carlyle

So much drama...

Clearly, “touching wood” doesn’t do much for luck, as I was set back from training for a further two weeks since I posted this.

Like I said before, I have been getting a lot of drama from my shoulder preventing me from being back on the mats. The shoulder is relatively better but in these last two weeks, it was my work that has been giving me a lot of drama. Circumstances in the past days has put a massive dent on our manpower and environmental resources and also evoked a lot of negative emotions from the people that I work with. I can’t delve much deeper into this but it has taken a lot of my time and energy to help get things back in order.

Good thing I'm bald, else I'd have a couple more gray hairs because of this.

Pinoy Open Mat

October 16^th marked the first time the Pinoy BJJ Group met up for an open mat session. Myself, Bong, Diosa, Jonathan, and youngest member, Jodi, met up at Hitchin Combat Club in Hertfordshire. Nearly didn’t happen, as the original venue in South London became unavailable earlier in the week. Fortunately, Bong came to the rescue and used his contacts to secure another one in record time. I tell you, this Bong guy is a saviour - must be a superhero in disguise, hmmm...

After a slightly panicky situation when we couldn’t figure out how to open the front door (Hub? What hub?!), we managed to get access to the building. The gym is very nice – wall-to-wall matting, heavy bags, changing rooms, and a fully kitted boxing ring complete with a timer.

As we were early, Bong decided to have a light rolling to warm ourselves up. As I was a bit rusty with my rolling skills, my body’s definition of rolling seemed to be off a bit, as I nearly took out Bong’s eye in the first minute. Good thing that the rest of the group turned up soon afterwards, as I was getting creamed by a half-blind BJJ player with skillz...

Talking about skillz, Jonathan and Diosa, both blue belts under Leao Teixeira (Escola de JJ), have so much of it and ran the session like a clinic – guard passing, sweeps, reversals, etc., and lot of drilling with techniques, as well. Both Diosa and Jonathan clearly earned their belts and are very good teachers. Bong, who has recently earned two stripes in his belt earlier in the week, has also been giving me useful tips. As the newest BJJ player in the group, I was like a sponge and was soaking it all in. There were only four of us on the mats but the support I was getting was more than enough.

Towards the end of the session, we did several rounds of rolling. This showed me how far I still had to go. They could have submitted me anytime they wished, but they chose to flow...

Knackered, we headed off to the nearest Nando’s for food, rest, recuperation, and the all-important chismis (chatting/gossiping). Filipinos love to chat as much as they like their food.

Facebook has received its share of knocks about how it takes over people’s lives and that, but thru this social networking site, I have come to meet and personally know people who share a common passion. I’m pleased to say that they are not JUST my Facebook friends anymore.

The journey in BJJ is long and fraught with obstacles, but having people like them to help out along the way makes the trek worthwhile.

Bigger, stronger?

Met up over the weekend with Elliott and Keith to watch the IBJJF London Open 2011 in Crystal Palace. We saw a couple of BJJ luminaries, e.g., Roger Gracie, Pippa Granger, Felipe de Souza, Dan Strauss (Raspberry Ape), etc., who came to support their school.

One of our fellow Filipino BJJ players, Diosa, (Escola de Jiu Jitsu under Leao Teixeira) came to compete at the Blue belt female featherweight category. She came in with her hubby, Jon (another blue belt), and lovely daughter, Jodi. My source tells me that although she tore through the comps when she was a white belt (she received her blue belt within a year of starting BJJ), this was her first comp as a blue belt.  It was a tough fight and although she gained positional dominance several times during her match, she succumbed to an armbar late in the game. Well, her opponent went to win the Gold anyways, so no shame in losing there. And she got a Bronze for her effort. Also a t-shirt. ;)

Looking at the athletes – male and female, competing at this level, I noticed their physiques and saw how fit and muscled they are. Seeing pictures from the recent ADCC 2011, I noticed the same. A lot of these athletes supplement their BJJ training with a lot of cardiovascular training and weight-training to be able to compete at the highest levels of the sport.

This made me wonder:

Wasn’t Brazilian Jiu Jitsu developed to demonstrate how a smaller, relatively weaker person can beat a bigger and stronger opponent thru the use of technique and leverage? And wasn’t that the reason why the Gracie family chose Royce over Rickson to demonstrate this mantra?

Food for thought.

Onwards and upwards

Touch wood, I should be back in training tomorrow.

I had some issues with my left shoulder that took me off six (!) weeks’ worth of training. If I didn’t go off training, I would have been a blue belt already (I keed, I keed...).

Seriously, being off the mats will have a huge impact on my BJJ skills and rolling cardio. But, either that or a possible worse injury (torn instead of strained RC muscles) and longer time off mats... No brainer, really.

Anyways, I haven’t really been slack with BJJ-inspired things to do. The BJJ group that I co-founded with Bong Abad, CEO of Gawakoto Fightwear, the Pinoy BJJ Group UK has been taking off quite nicely. We have chatted with other like-minded BJJ players and decided to have an open mat session this October. Joe, another friend who lives across the pond, has created the Pinoy BJJ Group of North America, and should be taking off eventually.

Furthermore, the group has developed a logo that looks siiick!

This design, courtesy of our resident graphic artist and comic book illustrator Bong, will eventually feature in our t-shirt and rashguard. The t-shirt printing hit a little snag but the rashguards are a go, done in partnership with Mad Dog Cage Ring Mats.  The rashguard features the group's logo, a carabao, a Filipino symbol that depicts hard work and a sense of industry. I am hard-working, really. No, really.

Also, on the right-hand sleeve, there is some Baybayin - an ancient pre-Spanish writing system in the Philippines. The word is "Dumog", the filipino word for Grappling.

Did I tell you that there are Gi patches, as well?

Nice, 'no?

The path of least resistance

Back in training after being off for two weeks.

I admit I was feeling a bit anxious about it. In the past, if I have been off for a week or so, my cardio suffers and my skills (little as they may be) appear non-existent. It would be easy to forgo training this week as I am on leave from work until Monday but I shall be facing the same situation next week, and I would have been out for three weeks!

So, with this dread sitting at the bottom of my stomach, I decided to suck it up and drive my way to the gym. I made a conscious decision to come in a bit earlier as there were several road works along the way and I didn’t want to stress myself more than I already am.

Good thing that Elliot and Guy were already there and Elliot asked me to show him the Kimura from North-South position. I hope I did justice to it as he had the look of confusion on his face LOL. He then showed me Spider Guard position and how to maintain control, both from top and bottom.

There were only a few of us as Kevin took the class – in a way better as there was more space for everyone. It also meant that Kevin will be able to see our individual progress, both in BJJ in general and in today’s techniques, as there were less to monitor on the mats.

As part of the continuing Open Guard techniques, Kevin demonstrated Spider Guard how to maintain control from top. I believe the key here is to keep your elbows inside and not allowing your opponent to control your arms/position via his legs.

He then showed us an open guard passing technique, which involves stacking and keeping your weight on your opponent. This technique relies on  sensitivity and feel. It is not explosive and more of like a slow grinding move as you get into side control position.

Another technique he showed us was a reversal from bottom open guard (push-pull), which is something that Purple Belt Steve taught a while ago. Kevin showed us a variation, though, when if you can’t get an ankle pick. This entails switching the foot that was on your opponent’s hip and using your other leg to sweep his farthest leg. I and Elliot spent some time on this to get the details correct. Again, the key here is to keep your opponent’s  leg pinned on the mat with your leg/shin after the reversal to enable you to control his position as you come up to establish side control.

In all his teachings, Kevin has always emphasised the concept of the technique, rather than a specific technique. Sensitivity and tactileness is a good foundation to have as it allows you to move and adapt your position in relation to your opponent. This makes strength less of a factor as you are not strong arming your way into postion and you move towards the path of least resistance.

Sparring with Guy twice. It felt more like rolling and flowing to me as I wasn’t expending too much energy and I was able to move between positions with relative ease. I even tried a couple of submission techniques ;).

Maybe it was the weather. Or my partners today. Or being on holiday. But it appeared that I was more relaxed today. And less  tired. I felt like I knew what I was doing and was more conscious of my actions and positions. I felt like I know BJJ.

In saying that, I’m sure I’ll get smashed again tomorrow night...

Oh, well.