I’ve started having another of those shifts in thinking in the past month about Jiu Jitsu. There have been many, and they are always super simple things that just open up a whole new world of “ah hah!”
I came to the realization that if I believe that I can execute a move, I can do it. This has been especially applicable to things such as; going after arm bars from guard, and positional escapes.
First Week of Training
What made the difference was realizing that people were escaping from my side control using the same movements that I know how to do – but that I never actually commit to doing. Maybe I’ve spent so many years being smashed that I just don’t believe in my ability to get out from under someone once they have gotten past my guard. That realization is starting to shift my thinking. It works for people I spar against, so why wouldn’t a move work if I go after it – believing it will work?
Always improving, always trying to broaden my mind to see the bigger picture. It is a very mental game as well as a physical one – and both my body and my mind must be strong and work in harmony in order for me to be my very best every day.
Oh, in other news: my instructor, Shawn Hammonds, gave me my 3rd stripe on my purple belt this week! I guess you could say things are getting pretty serious!
Training Jiu Jitsu exposes a lot of our inner ego to those around us. It comes out in various way depending on what is buried in our psyche.
The classic version we have of an ego issue in Jiu Jitsu is of the new meat head who goes ham and tries to hurt people, avoids people who can beat him, and freaks out if he gets caught in anything. I consider this to be the active aggressive ego – and I think most people start out with a little bit of this in their system. It’s natural to try to protect yourself from failure or looking incompetent. The sincere student will train and improve, learning that failure is the path to improvement. The rest… well they generally don’t stick around too long
The more passive aggressive mat ego comes out as you start progressing more. This is the person known as “the coacher” during rolls. It is the responsibility of the upper level student to help the lower level improve, but while keeping the proper mindset. Meaning: is the mid-roll instruction being made to help the person improve, or to make the information giver feel better/take a break/etc? Giving instruction mid-roll stops the flow of the match, and sparring time is not instruction time (at least not at our school). I make it a rule for myself that I don’t coach someone I am rolling with unless they are brand spanking new or are visibly frustrated. I have no problems fielding questions after class, but I leave the mid-roll coaching to the actual class instructor.
The trap I catch myself in is not seeking out enough higher level belts who can beat the tar out of me when sparring. I have spent so many years just getting beat on that sometimes it’s nice to just have some fun and turn the tables on someone less experienced than I am. And that is a privilege that I have earned! I just need to make sure that it is not all fun and games and I am still working on learning through failure – that got me this far, and it seems to be working!
I’m sure there are plenty more forms of ego on the mat, and honestly, it’s good to have a healthy ego! Without one you would have no sense of purpose or driving force to improve – so it all comes back to balance. Is that ego acting for your best interest or is it hindering you? This is a hard question to ask yourself and no one but yourself can distinguish the answer. I have a history of self-sabotage and I am ready to be done and over with it! It just takes constant double checking to make sure everything is lined up in the direction it needs to go.
I have a busy year coming up and I need to make sure that my training is on point! I have a few minor boo boos that are annoying me, but I have time for them to heal up before the new year starts. Check out my Upcoming Travel and Events page to see! It’s all going to be super exciting! This was more of a brain dump writing session for me today. If you made it to the end, I applaud you!
I have written up a list of who is competing on which mat, and their approximate start time. Please keep in mind that the times update in real time on this website.
I have had matches start an hour before the original start time, and up to 2 hours after. It really just depends on how quickly the matches before yours go. I have included the match number first so that you can track how quickly the matches are going on each individual mat. I wrote a blog post a while ago about how to help streamline your competition experience, check it out here.
Make sure to check your weight on the test scale in the bullpen area before going to the official weigh ins. There will be a lot of us there, so if you have a question just ask. The instructors and senior students will be doing their best to coach every match, but if they don’t make it to yours, know that they are doing their best.
Here is part of a rather candid video with our head instructor, Shawn Hammonds, from training this morning. I missed the first part, but the rest of it is still good.
Jason Mattherly, Madison Sperry and Kenny Cross don’t have anyone in their divisions (they scared off all opponents), so they will wait until the open class divisions later in the evening.
For blue belts and up, after collecting your medal at the podium, make sure to sign up for the open weight class immediately. The sign up is usually right next to the podium. Only two from each team will be allowed to compete in the open, but give Shawn options so he can select the chosen ones from the list. He can’t add you if you don’t sign up, and sign up is usually due right after you get your medal.
It is a long day, but if you are able to stick around until the team awards at the end, absolutely do so! You don’t wanna miss being a part of the big team photo on the podium!
That all said, here are all the matches in order for each mat. Use the times as a general guideline – I find the match numbers more useful myself.
Mat 1
#4 – 10:06 – Bryan Tidwell – Black Adult Feather
#6 – 10:30 – Eric Ingram – Black Adult Middle
#7 – 10:42 – Chad Hardy – Black Adult Middle
#14 – 11:57 – Javier Arroyo – Black Master 1 Middle
#15 – 12:05 – Matthew Maskovyak – Black Master 2 Super Heavy
Last week something happened that got me all kinds of riled up. I still don’t even get why someone would try to do this, but they did. This is the tale.
The Nashville IBJJF Open is coming up this weekend and everyone is doing their final prep work and weight cuts. I am one of those people who check the registration list several times a day to see if any new ladies have signed up in my division. For the longest time it was just myself, and one of my team mates. I signed up for master 1 and she signed up for adult – so we could share the love with as many people as possible in the open weight class divisions.
Finally, someone else signed up in my weight class, but in the adult division. So I just moved back to the adult division for the match up. Another lady signed up to make us three. We all know and have fought with one another before and it amazes me how hard we can work to kill each other while still being friendly.
It was looking like it would just be us three when a fourth lady signed up the day before the registration deadline, and I was super excited (one of the guys at the gym said I was like a kid at Christmas) until one of my team mates commented. “What her? Didn’t she get her brown belt last month?”
A quick look at her accounts and confirmed that she had indeed been promoted the previous month. My rage set in as I debated on what I should do. I decided to give the benefit of the doubt and waited until after the athlete correction deadline – just in case it was a paperwork or registration mistake. With that deadline past, I sent an email to the IBJJF along with screen shots and photos. Here was my closing statement:
“I hate accusations but if this is true, it is disrespectful to the other opponents in the division as well as her team, coach, and the spirit of Jiu Jitsu. If I am wrong in this accusation, I will personally apologize to “_______” and to you all for making you invest time in looking into this.”
A day later, I received a short reply thanking me for my email and to let me know they were looking into the matter. I also then heard from one of the other ladies in the division who had noticed the same thing I had. Her team head was looking into it as well.
So she ended up getting pulled from the competition. I don’t know what happened at that end of the discussion, but I don’t really care to dig into it.
Here’s what I don’t get…
There aren’t an overwhelming surplus of ladies in my area that are above blue belt. I think we have three female black belts within a 2 hour driving radius. It is a small, close knit community with good camaraderie and sportsmanship all around. I don’t understand how someone could think that we wouldn’t notice that someone was cheating. Whatever the intention, mis-representing your belt rank is cheating.
I fought a brown belt when I was a blue belt, but it was an open division and there were no shadow games going on. I will stress that I don’t care what actual belt rank someone is; I will fight whoever wants to slap hands with me. However, someone who cheats in this way, does not deserve a match.
I also can’t get over how someone would go back and put on their old belt when they spent all that time, sweat, blood, and tears to earn that new rank. It is just a piece of cloth, but the value is priceless because of what I have spent to earn it.
In case you couldn’t tell, I purposefully left the name, and team affiliation out of this post. It has been dealt with and I don’t see the point of spreading internet filth. Think of this as a “Big Sister is always watching” cautionary tale.
I’ve spent a good amount of time and money in 2018 investing in getting my financial legs under me. I went back to massage school and completed the required coursework in order to reactivate my massage therapy license in the state of Tennessee. It was a long and drawn out process, as with most things that go through a government office, but I am now working minimal hours and being paid more than I was at my previous full time position.
I currently work just two evenings a week (Sunday and Monday) at a spa near my house. My manager has told me that they would give me any and all hours that I want, but my current schedule frees me up for training and travel – while still paying all my living expenses. So I’m disinclined to commit to more hours right now.
It is an ideal lifestyle since most competitions are on Friday and/or Saturday, which means that I don’t have to take any time off from work in order to make it just about anywhere in the world and back in time to clock in. They are also very flexible with time off if I request it in advance. Monday morning, and the rest of the days of the week I am able to train my little heart out, and then get huge discounts on a bi-weekly massage for myself.
Thanks to this new freedom, I am hitting the 2019 competition circuit hard. (scroll down for summary)
In January, I will be flying out from Nashville on a Tuesday (the 8th) to compete at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam in Abu Dhabi on January 10-12. I will fly from there to Lisbon for the IBJJF European Championships where I would be competing on the 16th or 17th, flying home on the 18th, and then back to work on the 20th (Sunday). I will miss two work days.
Also in January I will go to the U.S. National Pro in Miami, Florida. This competition is on a Saturday so I can fly there and be back Sunday morning without missing any work. Plus I have a friend to visit in Miami and flights are currently super cheap.
I will work that Sun/Mon (27th and 28th), and then leave on Tuesday for Mexico City where I will visit with friends and compete at the Mexico National Pro that Saturday (Feb 2). I have to go out early and adjust to the altitude a bit. Past experience has taught me that it’s a good three days before I start to feel normal at that altitude. I could fly back and make it work right after the competition, but I want to have a little fun and the training is good there – so I have that weekend off work and will hang for a few extra days.
February 23 and 24 is the South American Continental Pro in Bogota, Columbia. It is a similar altitude to Mexico City, so I will be flying there again on a Tuesday to adjust to the altitude and have that weekend off work. I have never been to Columbia and hope to make some new friends and train a bit while I am there. I am considering flying to Peru and visiting Machu Picchu as well.
TL/DR
Jan 10-17 – Abu Dhabi Grand Slam and European Championship – 2 days off work
Jan 26 – US National Pro – no days off work needed
Feb 2 – Mexico National Pro – 2 days off work
Feb 23-24 – South America Continental Pro – 2 days off work
In March the Pan Am Championships will be held in Los Angeles, CA and I will most likely be able to do that event without taking off any time from work. April will be the Abu Dhabi World Pro and I will take off a couple days for that. The World Championships will be at the end of May and I am not sure if I will take off work to stay for the whole event or not.
In an ideal world, I will be able to fly out to DC for training camp with my TLI team mates in the weeks leading up to the World Championships. I would have to fly in on a Tuesday morning and fly back home Sunday in time for work. I will know by the beginning of the year how feasible this would be.
In the Meanwhile:
The only scheduled training sessions that I am missing out on are Monday evenings. All other days I have the entire day free for training, and I also do some extra massage work on team mates after classes. It is an ideal scenario, made possible by knuckling down this year and making things happen. Special thanks to my parents who loaned me the money for my state required continuing education! I am going to make it worth the investment!
Coach's Killer 