Tis the season!

I haven't updated in awhile due to starting a new job, becoming more and more broke, complaining about being broke, stepping up my training, and the holiday season in general. Let's backtrack!

I was starting to attend the instructor's class in the mornings on Mondays down at Gracie Barra Headquarters. I would drive my two hours to get there, stay the day in OC and train at Ralph Gracie at night. It worked until I started my new job. I also was able to attend 2 of the new Women's Advanced classes before work ate up my schedule. Before those classes I had never rolled with that many girls before, and no girls that were purple and up besides Mackenzie. Two training partners Amanda and Kelly just received their purple belts (and a new friend Angy who I've yet to roll with) and I'm super stoked for them. They both compete (I've actually competed against Kelly at Nationals) and they help my game. I've also gotten to roll with Ana Laura Cordeiro twice and it's an honor. Female black belts in my eyes are holy...seriously. There's a couple videos of a collage from the classes I might post. I'll think about it. In one of them it shows me rolling with Kelly where I do this WEIRD thing for an unknown reason. I always take time to wipe my nose. Like how homie dawgs flick their noses with their thumbs, I find myself releasing my grips so that I can nonchalantly wipe my nose with my finger. I swear I'm not wiping my boogers and I don't necessarily have an itch because that's usually the case, I just do it while rolling and thinking. Like "yeah, I got this." It's really embarrassing that it's shown in the video. /blush.

In other news, I'm all signed up for the Abu Dhabi Pro Trials in Las Vegas on Jan. 29th. I have not fought in a more important competition than this. If I win the gi absolute division I get a fully paid travel package to compete at Abu Dhabi World Cup in April.....Let me write that again. Fully paid airfare, hotel, food, transportation, everything to compete in the United Emirates. You know, where there's man made islands shaped like huge palm trees? Yeah? Fudge, I want it so bad. I signed up to fight no gi in my weight division and absolute along with gi in my weight division and absolute. I'll be fighting only white belts and blue belts. I cannot wait. I've been training strength and conditioning and training hard. After the holidays I will definitely step it up and my work schedule will be more permanent. That will be the only thing I care about until that date. Nothing would mean more to me at this point than winning those trials. EESH.

Finally, I did an interview with Edwin and posted it on On The Mat since I'm a writer for them now. I'm an ass and haven't been writing on there like I should. So here's that link: http://www.onthemat.com/blogs-posts/interview-edwin-young-assasin-najmi

P.S. My zines are on 3 continents, and about 5 states. Sending out more to 3 more states as well. I want this thing spread like herp--wildfire! Get on it!

P.S.S. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!

Arizona, Anaheim, Irvine

Two weeks ago I was sitting at home on a Sunday being lazy and trying to get a photoshoot together when I got a text from my teammate asking me if I wanted to go to Arizona and train at Megaton's since that is his academy when he goes back home on the weekends. I didn't put much thought into it before I decided to watch some more 16 and Pregnant, eat more cookies, finally take a shower, pack my things and get a rise to meet him.

The following morning I met up with Mackenzie Dern to have a private. I can speak volumes of this girl and not that she needs the vouching, but she knows her stuff. We rolled and took turns passing guard and she stopped me whenever she saw an obvious flaw in my game. I learned a nifty grip break, an armbar from 50/50, a simple x guard sweep, two singles, an awesome secret throw, a new way to pass guard and lots of little details. I was actually afraid I wasn't going to remember it all! It was a great experience and I think the best part was when she had me do a technical stand-up and she went "its not surfing!!" Considering who her dad is, that's a very very watered down version of what he would say.

That night I took the beginner's class and ended up making a total buffoon of myself. The warm up at that academy is way different than anything I'd ever done, not to mention tough. I felt like it was my first time on the mat at some army boot camp! I got beat with a stick and my blonde hair came into play with a dummy joke from Megaton-- hey, not the first time. By the time open mat came around I barely had enough energy to roll. A real good juvenile blue belt Isaac kicked my ass and handed it to me. He wins adult divisions and trains hard so I GUESS the ass whooping was understandable.... All around a good trip.

Recently since I'm in between jobs I've been coming (I say coming instead of going because I'm currently sitting in Irvine) to the OC to train at Gracie Barra Headquarters and Ralph Gracie Anaheim. I've trained in the instructor's class twice now in Irvine and I'm surprised I survived. 6-8 black belts on the mat, it's a blessing. Anaheim being my second home continues to provide great training for me and as always a really fun and great group to be around. (Awwwww)

My first zine has been doing okay. I recently sent out some copies to Denver, Missouri, Boston, England, Canada, Brazil and Canada. If you would like to help and distribute to your academy, please email your address! It's free! PullingGuardZine@gmail.com And feedback is always great!

wee-ooo weeeee-oooo

I'm currently sitting, okay laying, in the back of an ambulance. Sounds bad but I'm just working my 12 hours of ride along experience for my EMT program. Lots of downtime. With that downtime I've decided that I really want to go to Portugal for the European Championships. I have no idea how ill get the money but ill figure it out. My arm is healing well. I've been training for about a week now. I actually just ran into the ER doctor who I did my clinical hours under and went to after I hurt my arm. He trains, too so that's awesome. I'll also be taking pictures with my teammate and friend soon. He's my first sponsor and been an asset to my success since I started training. MikMilman.com

Here is some of his work from No Gi Worlds: My teammate Edwin Najmi who placed 2nd in the Adult Feather Blue Belt Division. Next person to interview/write an article about.

Trial and Error..and error...

I've wanted to start my zine for a couple months now. Just to let you understand the importance of my finishing this, I am a starter and rarely a finisher. I am constantly driven by ideas that are usually found to be crazy and when I start them, I need to start them RIGHT THEN AND THERE. The night I figured out that I wanted to write and distribute a zine I was badgering multiple friends to help me think of a name. When they told me, "we'll figure it out" or "I dunno," I pretty much dismissed them out of my project altogether. It's not exactly the best trait to be so impatient but since I'm learning to be positive, I'll say that it's actually a great trait to be driven, a self-starter and so stoked on projects I'm passionate about.

Today I officially printed 100 copies of Pulling Guard Zine Issue 1 after many set backs small and large. I knew I had to make it something great for people to read and I also knew what I wanted people to know. Romulo being such a great influence on me and others, I could gain readers as well as share the guy I love so much. I initiated my friend Chantel into the process which kick started my drive again. I got the interview done with Romulo on Wednesday, transcribed the video that night while Chantel edited it amazingly for me. Thursday I chose which questions I wanted to put in the final draft, (only used about 30%), put the final touches on everything but the back page on Friday and today I finished it, got the okay from Professor to publish and drove straight to kinkos. Now, having to make half-pages in order is not an easy feat. There are easy ways to do so like numbering them but of course I decided to just switch things around in Word and print it out only to find that I didn't do it right 4 times in a row. By the time that I figured out the order, I realized that in order to be able to fold some double-sided papers in half to create a booklet, I would need to have no less than 2 full papers. 6 pages in the booklet would mean trying to put in a half page and that just would not work. Math IS relevant outside of grade school! Figuring out fonts that were readable (thanks Mom, you were a great editor for that) was difficult because I wanted to use the handwritten fonts I had downloaded. Zines are meant to be drawn, hand-written and cut-and-paste then xeroxed. I put my standards a bit higher by creating it on the computer legibly but still attempted to make it D-I-Y looking at the same time. You'll have to let me know if I succeeded.

When it came to copies I had no idea what it was going to cost me and knew my budget (quite small). I ended up having the guy who worked there put the initial booklet copy for me then I grabbed all different colored paper and went to town. An hour later, copies were done! I had to have a certain stapler that wasn't available to me at home so I checked staples, office depot and office max only to find $30 staplers. No thanks. The copy center at office depot allowed me to use theirs at no cost. My mom helped me staple and fold. Staples were ripping the paper then after almost half, we realized they weren't being stapled in the right place. Do over. Then about 3/4 the way through I said "Why is Benny on the page next to the page with Romulo?....OH MY GOD it's in the wrong order." Do over. An hour later we were done! It may have some holes in the fold, some of them refuse to be stapled and you should watch out for the stray staples that were inaccurately placed. BUT it's done and No-Gi Worlds is tomorrow where I can distribute it.

I've been asked why I am doing this and what I expect to get out of it. I love when people read what I write. It took me awhile to realize that my writing is worth..writing and that it really is what I love doing. Like people listening to a song I wrote, seeing my colored papers scattered throughout the Long Beach Pyramid in the hands of fellow BJJ enthusiasts is what will make this trial and many error process all worth it. I have put more money than I can currently afford into this project and not once have I regretted it so far. Just the fact that I actually finished it is a real fulfilling feeling. So on that note, if you'd like a copy in order to read about my great friend Benny and Professor Romulo Barral feel free to request a copy! It will be so appreciated.

"Just chop it off..."

I figure it's important to note this current, unfortunate, common, expected and somewhat essential step in my journey-- my first injury. How I deal will determine my character and test my love for this sport.
Anyone I've ever trained with will tell you that I am made of rubber. "Armbar? Pffft forget it." Yeah I'm flexible and its been somewhat of a blessing but also a curse and I will explain why in this very long post of storytelling. I signed up for the Los Angeles International Open hoping to get at least two matches. I looked at the competitor list to find two other girls in my division and read "Jennifer Liou." Part of me went "fuck" and the other part of me rubbed my hands together while sporting a menacing grin. Rematch.
Flashback to my first tournament ever, the California Classic last November. My first match went well with an armbar from mount. That had me feeling awesome. My second match was Jenny. She stood out from the other girls competing not only because she wasn't wearing any make-up but also because she was entirely silent and had this look like either she was planning a murder or her participation that day was forced upon her. Or both. I wasn't exactly scared of her but you could tell she was already a very serious competitor. I went onto the mat and once the match started we were fighting for grips. I remembered a move that Romulo's friend visiting from Brazil, Jarrao had just taught me which involved passing my elbow over her extended arm that was gripping my lapel and shooting in for a single. It worked but after surviving her guillotine attempt, I somehow ended up with her on my back. She ended up choking me with my lapel but not before giving me gi burns on the bridge of my nose and hands and shoving her hand in my mouth while I attempted to avoid biting it. The girl was a beast and I compared her to a vengeful daughter out for my blood because I killed her Momma. Surely my first taste of a real competitor among many other firsts that day. I later watched her demolish her opponent in a nogi match with a triangle in less than a minute. Throughout the past year I had entered the same competitions as her but due to her being a featherweight, we never got matched up again.
So now back to this past Sunday, the LA Open, put on by the NABJJF, had only three weight classes for women and I was in the 140 and under division which would put Jenny in my bracket. NBD, (no big deal) I would TCB (take care of business.) I had a by and Jenny won the other girl at the last minute, literally. That girl went off and disappeared. She was eventually DQd and since I wouldn't be fighting the loser first, I'd be going in to fight for first. I had been getting my nerves down by joking around and making Jenny laugh. I was at ease, this would just be a fun match and no pressure. But this was also my rematch. I was mentally prepared considering I knew or at least knew that at white belt level, fighting Jenny is like fending off a rabid dog attack. I would soon find out that nothing had changed.
Normally I start my matches with a swift guard pull before my opponent can even remember what their game plan was but this time I waited and circled a bit. I thought, "fuck it," and swooped in. She immediately angled herself for a pass to my left so I planted my right foot on her torso and rolled her over for a sweep. Two points up. From then on she was attack attack attack and I unfortunately was left in defense mode. She got me in a guillotine while I was passing and my lovely teammate yelled for me to watch out for what I had already gotten into. Ha, good lookin' out! I popped my head out and from then on it was me trying to pin her legs together and pass and her going for triangles, omoplatas, guillotines and armbars. I sloppily (new word?) defended all of them until I was in her closed guard. Really didn't want to be there. I stupidly left my arm out. She tucked it under her armpit while attempting a triangle somewhat, wrapped her arm around mine placing her forearm below my elbow and pulled. Here's where I have the issue. Do I see how far she takes it? Do I wait til she gives up? Do i try to yank it out? Stand up? Oh wait that burns...this could do some damage. So I reluctantly tap. She stops, looks at the ref who doesn't motion anything and she goes again! I tap more this time and the match finally ends. I didn't hurt too much til I stepped off the mat. Then I felt it and curled up in a ball until the medic came over. It ached like a bitch and it hasn't stopped hurting since then despite the splint, ibuprofen, advil, darvocets and norcos I've been given. I had my friend jessi drive me to the er after waiting around, freaking out and indulging in Brazilian bbq. At this point theres no obvious break but possibly a hairline fracture in the radial head and I can't rotate my wrist. This is my first injury and I understand it's not my last but so far I'm losing my sanity and now my job. I'm learning to deal but not very well. I'll come back with a vengeance and perhaps be more prepared to fight for the kill. All part of the game, journey and lessons learned. I'll post pictures when I'm not in my phone.

don't..touch the boobies!!

I recently was approved to become a contributing writer for Suite101.com. I'm not sure how low the approval rate is or how high their standards are but apparently I met them by adding a link to this blog on my application. Suite101 is a freelance writing site that allows people to write basically whatever they want. I choose to write what I know and that's my experiences with BJJ. I know that articles on that site are used for answers to those seeking questions on search sites like google so I wrote my first article for a beginner or someone looking for advice on rolling with girls. What better topic to write about than that? Obviously a lot because I was beating a dead horse. BUT I haven't seen any published writing that was more subjective and whatnot. Sure, I wrote about what's already been said but I figured it was a great way to spread the exposure of BJJ and females to places on the intarwebz other than blogs and forums. My intentions were to write an article stating rebuttals to stupid things guys say regarding the issues they have with rolling with girls--mainly the reasons they don't at all. I originally wrote the subheaders as quotes of the excuses I have heard men make and those were "I'm going to hurt them," "I'm going to violate them" and "Losing to a girl is embarrassing." The editor wanted the headers to be more keyword friendly and make them more relevant to what the average person was going to type into the google search box. I changed it even though it made me sound like I was explaining how every guy makes these excuses and so I'm telling them how to deal with it. I wasn't agreeing that "touching the boobies" was an issue, I was trying to expose these "issues" as retarded and dismiss them altogether. So instead of people reading it and taking whatever applied to them into consideration, I was told that readers felt it was sexist, I was creating a problem that mostly didn't exist and that I sounded unknowledgeable and was asked for my "credentials." I'll blame the editor for changing the complete tone of my article but I thoroughly believe it's filled with some good insight. So read this, and take into consideration that no, not every guy is afraid of molesting a training partner and not every guy is going to have a fit about getting submitted by a lady (or they won't admit haha).
Let me know what you think: http://www.suite101.com/content/why-men-should-train-brazilian-jiu-jitsu-with-females-a295319

P.S. To support my lifestyle, I'm selling stuff I own.. soooooooo I'm just gonna leave this right here...you can take it or leave it...
http://shop.ebay.com/skabarbie101/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=25

Autumn Shmautumn

Today is the last official day of summer and in a few hours it will be fall. The season change can be noted by the temperature decreases at night, the shorter days and the dreadful traffic that congregates at any 5 mile radius of a school at 8 in the morning and 3pm in the afternoon. What does this have to do with jiu jitsu? Well usually this means that most of us students and those that use all their vacation days in the summer now have less time to train. There are days in the summer that I felt like training from 5 to well past sunset which would give me plenty of time to get some good work in but with the sun now going down much sooner than 8, it affects my drive to train. Instead of thinking about how many times I can roll and drill a technique, I'm thinking of the homework that's due tomorrow or the less and less amount of sleep I'm going to get before I wake up at the crack of dawn for work the next morning. This is no excuse to not train less or not as hard but it really is a change of pace. Goodbye to long summer days filled with jiu jitsu, beach then more jiu jitsu. Holler to 4 hour long classes, hours of studying, the stress of rushing to training from work and or fitting the class jiu jitsu schedule into yours. /Sigh. On a lighter note, American Nationals are this weekend at Cal State Dominguez Hills in Carson. This will be my first IBJJF competition at blue belt and with 18 girls so far in the absolute division I am so excited. I'm semi-shitting my pants since I've never been in a division that large and I've probably been training less than most of the girls in it but I'm stoked to play my guard. ALSO, speaking of guard, I'm currently working on a zine called Pulling Guard. It's a small DIY magazine. Small meaning about 6 pages and the size of a half sheet of letter paper. It will be xeroxed at a kinkos and handed out at competitions around here with the option of donation. I'm really really excited to get into production with interviews, articles, polls, cute fonts, techniques, product reviews and important information and insight pertaining to today's sport jiu jitsu world. As a sneak peak it will include Romulo Barral (shocker) and a little piece on my friend, coach and new brown belt Benny Dariush. If interested in getting a copy please let me know!

Why didn't I think of this?

I recently read on Sherdog, Hillary's facebook page and a post about a contest based on a project started by Hillary Williams. Just to give you a little insight, when I started jiu jitsu I was posting on a music messageboard that I am a member of (don't judge me) and there is an ongoing thread for jiu jitsu pracitioners. It's a small group and everyone "knows" everyone and so when this username "hillary" started posting, it was made known that she was THEE Hillary Williams. I had no idea who she was and I looked her up. A big competitor and an up and coming female grappler who was already making waves. She had learned Portuguese while also in premed school. She had traveled to Brazil and accomplished so much even as a purple belt. Anyway, she had a lot of great advice to add in our little forum before she stopped posting. I messaged her about being nervous for my first competition back in November and she calmed me down with a cool reply telling me that she still gets nervous and I deserve to be there cause I trained my ass off. Anyway, now a black belt she has made hugeeeeeeee fuckin strides in our sport and here she is again with a great idea. Give her your gis.....so she can send them to the slums in Brazil DUH where kids don't even have gis yet the love for jiu jitsu is very much alive and well in their eyes. So here's her post and I hope it inspires you to send the starter gi you have stored away somewhere.
"On every Jiu Jitsu forum I've been on, once every other month (or so) a thread pops up with "how many gis do you have?" People (myself, unfortunately, included) boast about having 8, 10, and 12 gis. Twelve gis? Really? I train hours and hours a week, but let's be honest. I probably don't need more than four gis, much less 12.

One of the greatest experiences I had on my last Brazil trip was the seminar I taught at a projeto social (community service) gym. We didn't have great mats to roll on, some of the students didn't have gis, and we weren't even indoors--but it was probably my favorite seminar I've taught so far. The students were so enthralled that I came out there just to teach them, and I've never felt like Jiu Jitsu was appreciated as much as it was with those students. For the few hours we were on the mats, no one cared about time, money, problems at home, or anything else. We just did Jiu Jitsu until it was too dark to see.

I was talking to Finfou (Alan do Nascimento) about his projeto in Brazil, in the Cantagalo slum. I met a few students back and forth through Checkmat in Copacabana, but the majority stay in Cantagalo. He told me the students are so dedicated, so hungry to learn, but so many don't train because they don't even have gis.

That's where you come in. I'm not asking you to buy a new gi and ship it out, I'm not asking you to donate your Shoyoroll #7, I'm just asking you to reach out. We all have a "starter gi," and you know what I'm talking about. That gi you used as a white belt and developed a different fashion taste, that gi that shrunk too much in the dryer or the gi that just didn't fit you right, the gi your son grew out of when he turned eight. If you can't donate a gi (understandable), PLEASE talk to your gym, the parents of the kid's programs, or someone you know who might. To you, it means so little. To someone in the projeto, it could mean so much.

I need adult and kid (lots of kids!) gis, hand-me-downs in good condition are absolutely great. My goal is 30-50 gis, and I plan to take them to Brazil with me the next time I go down. If the deal breaker is having to pay the shipping to my gym, well, I'll pay! As well, I hope by now I've earned a reputation of not being someone who would turn around and sell your gis.

I realize this is just one of many projetos, and I realize the task is too grand to be able to get a gi to everyone who is needing them. I hope to help as many as I can and encourage others to do so. Every single person makes a difference. Every single gi will make the life of someone better.

If you'd like to donate, please send your gi to:

Westside MMA RE: Projeto Cantagalo
1021 Jessie Road, Suite N
Little Rock, AR 72202

We write daily about how much Jiu Jitsu has given to us, shouldn't we try to give back?"

"< start rant >"

The importance of training outside of class. Here is a topic that most people don't think about perhaps because they don't need to-- its always available. For some, the idea of having a mat space to work with a training partner on a move, a position, a submission, whatever. On your own time. At your own pace. With the ability to ask questions, experiment and drill is non-existent. GB Encino is no longer my gym due to Romulo leaving. I've been able to train elsewhere with him and although not as strict as the Encino gym, I don't have the freedom to train on any schedule other than what has been created for us. There was open mat, sure but it was rolling that was usually with assigned partners and there wasn't any real time for what I have experienced at other places. I believe the importance of training at your own pace sometimes is passed on so many times. When in school, say a math class, you learn the lesson for the day and you go home and do your homework. Jiu jitsu is full of lessons and techniques to memorize but you can't really do it on your own. You need two to tango, I mean roll. And so you go home and unless you have mats and a roommate who trains as well, you can't go over what you learned. Yes there is live rolling, open mat, and more classes to get that technique real sunk into your brain but how about some mat space and a training partner to drill it, try it with different resistance levels and really adding it into your game? I know I'm not the only one who likes to stop mid-roll and say "what the hell do I do here" or "did that sweep really get you" or "how deep was that choke?" so in order to stop annoying those who want to use sparring time for well, sparring, I'd enjoy a little time with someone to do what I want. We're not all the same, we don't all learn the same, we don't all roll the same, train the same, adapt the same or think the same. /end rant.

P.S. I had my birthday and my mom and sister both love baking so they made me a homemade jiu jitsu ice cream birthday cake. I thought I'd share!

Worst of the West? Clever?

So I'm not much of a complainer but....... ha, okay okay I'm kidding. I'm usually the first to speak my mind about an issue I'm having a hard time tolerating. Ex: "OMG this line is taking forever" or "WHAT THE #$@% ARE YOU DOING!?" while driving. I do complain but I don't make excuses. Last weekend was the Best of the West competition in Anaheim, CA. Another tourney, the NABJJ American something-or-other, was happening in Torrance at the same time and I chose the Anaheim one (even though it's much farther from my house) because my teammate said it was better and I had also heard good things about it. Normally a no-gi only competition, this was the first year they added gi and having only been a blue belt for a week I figured I'd test my skills at a smaller competition. Weigh ins were at OTM and even though an OTM had opened up in the valley right near me, they weren't participating and I had to drive in 405 traffic to get to the redondo location. Apparently we were going to be getting a shirt and mouthguard free at the weigh ins since we were getting it taken care of ahead of time but that wasn't the case. I paid the extra $20 bucks to add no-gi since I decided last minute to enter it and we were on our way home. Next day I got there and it was stuffy as a purgatory. They had cancelled the MMA convention that was going to be happening at the same time and the competition was moved from the Anaheim Convention Center to a small high school gym. They were running late and that was expected. Finally I was called at around 4 when women's was expected to start at 3. Anyway, I go to the mat and check in with them. 5 minutes later they're calling my name over the PA and I went over and clarified that I had been standing there the whole time. "Oh, duh!" the guy said after admitting he was an idiot, pretty much. Don't consider me harsh right now because after I go into more detail you'll fully understand. They start the first match and I notice it's only five minutes so I tell them it's six minutes for blue belt. He ASKS the girls before they start the match if they want it at six and they give him a weird look and say yes. The first match was the two other girls in my bracket and I was the by. Amanda wins over Jill and I'm up next. They try to hand me the red belt when Jill is wearing a black gi and I'm wearing a white gi. I push his hand back and tell him there's no need for it. I make sure it's six minutes and start the match with Jill and won with a cross choke from guard. I go to check the bracket to make sure they get my name right. Turns out I was meant to fight Amanda since she won the first match and Jill was the loser. I guess that works out in the end so I have more matches. I have a break while two other girls fight. Turns out the only weight division that existed was the one I was placed in which was heavier than I would normally fight. The other girls were only able to fight in the open? and the guys that were putting together the bracket put it as the two lightest girls on one side. Kristen won that side. I have my match with Amanda after again having to tell them it's 6 minutes and again having to deny the red belt and lose on points. I get second and they don't have anymore third place medals so Jill gets a second place medal as well. Doesn't concern me, I know, but I'm complaining about how the tournament was being run, remember? So the way the two guys made the open bracket was that I had to fight Hannah who hadn't fought yet. I had just gone so I needed a break. Within that 5 minute resting time Hannah's dad in the stands got up and starts yelling about how his daughter hadn't even fought yet. He then throws the gold medal they gave her since she didn't get put in a weight division and it hits some random guy in the back. Some brazilian dude who was coaching for other people was helping out with the bracket since the guys working the tournament couldn't figure it out. Hannah leaves since her dad was pissed about waiting and the guy running the whole tournament comes over and snatches the bracket out of the Brazilian guy's hands and says "No no no, no one touches the bracket but my staff" and his staff even admits they had no idea what they were doing so they handed it to someone who knew. The brazilian man figures that with whoever was left for the open I would have to fight Amanda again or the girl that Kristen won for third. Only third. My friend Benny stepped in to say that since Amanda and I fought in the final, we should be on separate sides of the bracket. Mr. tournament manager says he's been doing this for 13 years and that's totally not the case. I left considering it was a bunch of idiots yelling at each other and I probably wasn't going to get a fight anyway. Second day I really was considering not coming back but I did because my teammate Edwin was fighting no-gi as well and I was nice enough to carpool with him and drive since he just got his license and would have had to drive 40 miles. He was DQ'd in the final for having a straight ankle lock that I guess was about to turn into a knee bar cause the kid turned funny reacting to the foot lock. Funny that he had done the same thing on the same guy a day earlier in the gi. I also overheard a guy asking a ref about whether such and such was an illegal move and he responded "it depends on the ref, some yes some no." I don't know if that is standard at tournaments but aren't all referees briefed before the tournament to ref the same and have the same standard across the board? Guess not. Anyway, my no-gi matches were two hours late this time (whatever, it happens) Well when they had us in the bullpen some guy basically announced that they messed up our brackets and that they were redoing them as he spoke and the next competition we could enter for free. My bracket was set and I was again the lightest one. First match I got a triangle. Second match was against I am not kidding you, Sasquatch. I admit I messed around a lot and didn't get right to business but I felt like I was fighting a large creature. She neck cranked me and even though it's in the rules as a DQ the ref didn't do anything. She was squashing me, rolling around like a whale trying to pass my guard, pulling my arms and legs every which way, powering through every submission I attempted and rolled me into a ball and I'm pretty sure if a suitcase was nearby she'd be stuffing me into it. I wasn't sure whether I wanted to laugh my ass off or cry really hard while watching the video after. The second place medal I got for that bracket was completely different than the medal I had gotten on Saturday. In fact, it read "US OPEN." They had run out of medals and started handing out whatever they had up their you-know-whats. So it was run by incompetent people and to add some more complaining, there was a rule made that only one coach could be up against the barriers. One very impatient rude woman was in charge of monitoring the barrier and making people sit down. Edwin was about to go up and she asked whether I was coaching. I said no not yet and she said for me to sit down so I did. When I was coaching Edwin and taping his match he had the DQ and I made sure to film it even after the match was technically over just in case there were some misunderstandings that could be settled with proof of video. Angry rude lady then yells at me to sit down. After I said I was coaching she continued to question me asking for my wristband, who I was coaching blah blah blah. Throughout the day she was a nazi and pestering coaches-- not a very pleasant addition to the already frustrating process of the day. So I came out of it with two entirely different medals after winning my first blue belt match ever and my first no-gi match ever and a lotttttttttttt of huffing and puffing. Pictures and video of a rare sighting of big foot:

Highlight I made on the Flip cam program!

Las Vegas Open

Drama-rama

I can't go into details but drama sucks. Hopefully my training hasn't suffered because of it since I'm heading to Vegas tomorrow for the IBJJF Vegas Open. I'm not very happy with IBJJF right now considering they've been the most unorganized I've ever seen them. I believe this is the first year this competition is happening so there aren't very many people in each division and since it's gi and no gi all in one day I'll probably be competing at the crack of dawn or black belts will be at 2 in the morning. Whatever, it's vegas, right? When I originally signed up it was Thursday and the deadline was Saturday. At the time there was no one in my division and very little in a lot of the divisions so I assumed they just hadn't been updating the list frequently. Yes and no. It went to full capacity on Saturday before the intended deadline and there was still no one in there. I made the decision to move up a weight class to medio since there still was no one in leve with me. IBJJF finally got back to me and moved me and then I looked after that was corrected and a girl showed up in my division. Whatever, I'd rather have two other girls than one even if they are heavier than me. Smaller competitions I've been matched with girls in heavier weight classes before, it's not a problem at all. I'm bummed that this tourney is rather small and that it's rather unorganized, I think. I leave early tomorrow morning to head out with my mama and sister and picking up my best friend Jessi in Vegas who's already there visiting family. When the issue came up with having no fights I freaked a little and others kept saying "Whatever, bro, it's Vegas! or DUDE YOU GET A MEDAL WITHOUT DOING ANYTHING. My response was, I'm broke, I don't turn 21 for another half a month, I don't drink and I want to fight. Things are somewhat settled so hopefully I can just get out there with a somewhat empty head and play my game. Stoked to have new music to jam to while warming up including La Roux and Emily Haines. I'll let you know the results, though.

South Bay Open 2010

Yesterday I competed in the South Bay Open. I've been so broke lately I wasn't going to sign up but I decided to do one of those "screw it, I'll add it to my credit card debt" moments and commit. I contemplated losing some weight in order to compete at super feather (I know that sounds like the weight of paper, it's great) and then I realized I might even have to watch that I don't go above 141! I weighed in at 137, always less than I think I will. Go figure. I attended the tournament on Saturday to support my Ralph Gracie and GB Encino teammates so I got a glimpse of how it was being run. Definitely just a small tourney that was probably going to be a lot of competitor's first competition. I wasn't stressed at all considering I had been working on my spider guard and was getting pretty comfortable with sweeps. I'm comfortable enough on top to submit and maintain my control. I had my training partner Mik help me warm up on the available mats that most people walked on with their shoes when waiting in line for weigh ins. Yeah, I notice these things. I warmed up with my headphones in blasting Miley Cyrus' Party in the USA and some Cartel and The Fray. I definitely annoyed people including Mik who asked me to get rid of my headphones. Nope. I basically light rolled with him and drilled some spider guard and sweeps and control. I became more sweaty during the warm-up than I did in my matches! I made my mom stay home for this one since I didn't want too many people there for me causing me to believe it was a bigger deal than it was. Sizing the whole tournament up to mean almost nothing helps my nerves. Mik coached me and Benny from Ralph Gracie stepped in even though I told him I had someone which is a good feeling. I may not be an official member of their gym anymore but I still have a family there. Took a little to get my first match but I stretched and kept warm on the side while waiting. Finally I was up.....first girl I got my grips and pulled guard immediately like planned. I can't stand when girls just dance around for five minutes waiting for who knows what. The more anticipation during the stand up, the more worked up I get during the match; I'd assume it's similar in others' experiences as well. She was floppin' around trying to apply pressure but I was able to control somewhat. Went for a triangle but she kept driving forward and her other arm was still kind of inside my legs. Swept her, went for an arm bar. Felt it pop but she wouldn't tap and rolled so I went with her a couple times and lifted my hips a foot off the ground for the win. Cool. Second girl was bigger, I think the ref said they merged weight classes. Anyway, I pulled guard went for a sweep but was sloppy and didn't get mount so went to side control. I moved around her from north south to the other side and as she went to turn to her knees I took the back and choked her with one of her lapels. Third girl was a little tougher. She had an idea of how to pass but I swept her. Messed it up again and got into half guard. She held onto my leg/foot for dear life which is what I would have done as well. I got it free then she got it again. Got into mount went for ezekiel. She defended so I thought about americana but ended up sticking my left hand deep in her collar and using my forearm to create room for my other hand and got the cross choke. My first gold. It felt good but I know that I could have done way better. It just proves that competition bjj is so much different than most training. At white belt level at least, girls tend to treat it like a race. They scramble a lot, when they get a position they hug for dear life and they do stupid shit like stall instead of passing and attempt americanas while in someone's guard. At least I know that no points were scored on me and none of my positions were from getting lucky. I'm going to go ahead and complain that some pictures were taken of me and I look really stupid and embarrassing. Here's a not so embarrassing one:

Sometimes we need harsh words

I've only been around/in the jiu jitsu world for about a year but it doesn't take this long nor long at all to realize that it's a long-term commitment that will push you, reward you, test you and make you feel things you have never felt before-- and we all know that's not just sore muscles. How many times have you been so frustrated that you feel like a total failure after a day of training? Or how about feeling like you've plateaued and have become bored with the routine of training? What about an injury putting you out of training all together for an extended amount of time and being forced to break up the consistency of your game and learning process? There are so many things that come between a student and a good day of training, a win in a competition, the next stripe...a black belt. A few months ago I jotted down some frustrations that weren't even regarding bjj but after coming across it again I think it can easily be applied. It comes off harsh but it's my reality and a great deal of where I come from and believe others should institute it as well. Too often we settle for less and avoid taking our training and even losses into our own hands. Take responsibility and give credit where/when its due.
"I don't understand people who become passive when shit happens in their lives. Whatever happened to being a go-getter? When one thing doesn't go your way do you give up and say it wasn't meant to be? Do you choose a different path because there's an obstacle? Do you live with a safety net so that when shit gets real you can take yourself out by saying it was out of your hands? No. There's no destined path for why or how events happen in our lives. Most of the time it's your fault, you just can't own up to it. You weren't paying attention, you didn't run fast enough, you didn't wake up early enough. You blame it on something else because you didn't go that extra ounce, inch or mile to get what you wanted so you settle and allow your life to be put into hands other than your own. Life is not about destinies and "meant to be"'s. Life is about choices and sticking to goals, no matter how big or small, through whatever hardship there might be. And I'm not talking about long shots, I'm talking about any situation that would give someone an opportunity to say "Everything happens for a reason." It doesn't. Shit happens and then we settle and make up excuses to relieve ourselves of all responsibility. No, one thing doesn't happen so that someone or something better can come along. Grow up. Yes coincidences occur, but the second you rely on causes that are above you, you're removing your responsibilities and surrendering your own freedoms. So the next time you run into a mishap, try searching for the true problem and continue on rather than taking a detour."

Apparently you can blog from your phone now.

11 months in

So I got my 4th stripe. I've wanted to touch on some subjects but haven't wanted it to be controversial or talk about something I don't have enough knowledge about. Like "that guy" who chimes in on political debates between coworkers and sounds like a total idiot because he really has no sources or research on his positions. You know what I'm talking about. But promotions is a whole 'nother level. I'll go ahead and expand since, like Little Larry said to me, "opinions are like assholes, everyone's got one!" Stripes are just taboo to talk about it seems. Belts are cool to mention but only after you've gotten yours. I understand it's at your Professor's discretion as to whether you're ready and have earned a promotion especially one that grants a new color belt. I've talked about stripes. I've joked about getting my blue belt and I guess it's just not that funny. I don't want to be part of an academy that hands out belts based on attendance and I don't want to be a sandbagger either. By saying that I FEEL I'm ready for a stripe after having my third for nearly 6 months, I am by no means undermining Romulo's ability to determine my rank and progress. To be frank, I believe it had to do with my leaving the academy for the near two months that I was at Ralph Gracie and having to build up my respect from my teammates and instructors again. I was told I finally received my fourth stripe not only because my technique has showed improvement but also my attitude. It's the whole package, the whole image I present to others and the atmosphere I create for myself. I'll clear up some fallacies here by saying that whenever I've talked about getting stripes I don't feel that I should just get them, it's not that I just really want to have a lot of stripes on my belt and it's not like I want to race through the training in order to look better to others. I want the stripes and I want to earn them, I want to be deserving of them. Yeah, I want my blue belt. Hell, I want my black! I want to be AT the blue belt level with the knowledge, not just a pretty color to match my gi. I'll admit I've probably focused too much on the belt and what's on it in the past but feeling singled out, feeling like I'm being put to a test is the frustrating part. "You never know when you're gonna get it." I have a feeling, it was just when I proved that I deserved it. I'm still going to talk about it. I'm still going to express when I feel like I'm not being judged the same way but now I know that 4 stripe white belt is where I'm supposed to be. No complaints. Just appreciation.

Pan Ams, Bruno Mamute, Ralph Gracie, Mundials, GB

So I haven't updated in quite some time and any chance I felt a spark of inspiration to update, I lost it due to the lack of knowing how to write without telling every single detail, every personal response and reaction and how to avoid including names of people that don't actually matter. Last time I made a post I was pumped for Pan Ams and was out and about testing my techniques at other academies. Professor Romulo was in Abu Dhabi at the time and not having him there to coach me was a huge bummer but I ended up placing 3rd out of the 12 in my bracket. That might not seem like a lot of people in one division but compared to the 4-6 I usually get, 12 was awesome. I got there alone since I had slept over a friends house to beat the work traffic I would have had to get through coming from L.A. By the time I got in and got dressed I was already being called and didn't even have time to warm-up. I was the second match of the whole tournament! I had my mom and some people from my academy to back me and Professor Alberto showed in time to coach me as well. My first match was against a girl from Alliance. She pulled guard, I passed and she turned on her side as I went for the mount. I reached under her to grab the opposite lapel and she tapped after I pulled only a little. To be honest, it surprised me that she would tap to that so I didn't let go right away. I get so full of nerves and adrenaline still that most of the time I'm not even all there because it feels like it all happens so fast. I just shook this girl's hand and now I'm getting my hand raised-- I'll take it! I had some time before I had to fight again so I walked around and found Bruno Mamute who would later coach my next two matches. Second match was against a tougher girl. I won by points (I don't remember the exact score but I was up by a lot) and I had her in a triangle two times but couldn't finish her. At least I knew what to work on! I was pretty stoked and high on life after winning that and paid attention to the bracket. Got a little ahead of myself since I saw I was going to medal even if I lost this match so it got in my head. Third girl was fast and strong. We went all over the place to her having my back then having her in my guard to me mounting at one point. She got me 15 to 7 and it sucked but I was satisfied because I fought hard. Getting my picture taken on the podium at Pan Ams felt awesome and although it wasn't where I had planned to stand, I was ready to train hard and get better in time for Worlds. The whole competition after my day was like a big festival for me. Met a lot of cool people, saw some monumental fights, advanced my portuguese some and overstayed my welcome. Okay, at least I hope not. The next day it was back to work, literally but I was too pumped on my whole weekend that it didn't really matter how many patients I had to do physical therapy on, how many times I had to call the insurance companies or the stress of having to answer phones, schedule appointments and perform an ultrasound on someone's back all at the same time. Just a day later I was back to training and down in OC checking out Bruno Paulista's Ralph Gracie academy. I came in when the kid's class was still in progress. I had never seen so many kids on one mat before let alone that many parents actively watching and hanging out with one another. The academy layout itself is very home-like with couches and a flat screen, a coffee table scattered with graciemags and coloring books, a staircase right out of the set of Full House, a huge mat, Bruno's pup chillin behind the desk and a whole upstairs equipped with another big mat, weights and cardio machines and another flat screen. When I took the advanced class (I was allowed to participate even though I had 3 stripes and the requirements were 4) I was paired up with a female which was a delightful change and a large reason I was there in the first place. We worked on kimura defenses and did specific training in guard and rolled after. Met a lot of people and felt really welcome. After the class I stayed longer than I had wanted to since I had work in the AM and ended up taking on the responsibility of Bruno's phone calls while he went to Brazil for ten days. He was stressing about last minute plans and whatnot so I figured helping him out like that would be no problem--ten days isn't long. Unfortunately, the trip lasted longer than anyone wanted it to. Just a week after he was in Brazil he got in a car accident that threatened to take his life. After getting multiple calls and voicemails on my phone from Said, one of Bruno's students, I got worried and snuck out of work to call him back. Turns out he was calling Bruno's phone and it was being forwarded to me without him realizing it and the news he broke to me was horrible. I won't go into all of the details that followed but he came out of a coma and was recovering slowly. In that amount of time I was already driving down to the OC once a week and training and helping out at the academy, which didn't leave much time to train at my own academy, Legacy. Without having girls to train with and no little guys who knew how to train with a girl, Ralph Gracie felt like it would help me a lot more. I never intended to change gyms but with my time being occupied and then finding great training partners while there, I made the switch. A lot of black belts and students stepped up to teach and assist at the academy while Bruno was away which was admirable to say the least. Regarding my own training, it was hard to drive down and only train 2 times a week especially with Worlds creeping up fast. Also, with not many people who knew my game, I thought it would be tough to find someone to coach me but Benny and Sean stepped up willingly and it was a relief. To further my game even more, I took a trip to San Francisco. I trained at Ralph Gracie Dublin and at Ralph Gracie San Francisco and let me tell you, the training is not taken lightly up there. I was very fortunate to have Ralph help me directly. Now let me foreshadow a little here and tell you that I have a stupid fear of getting swept while passing guard by standing so that's what Ralph helped me with. And he even threw in a pass involving using the other person's gi to trap their arm and pass without standing. I'm extremely grateful for everyone that allowed that trip to happen and all the training partners and professors I came across in that duration. By the time I got back to LA it was already 4 days before my match at Worlds. I was dealing with unfortunate personal issues and my head wasn't screwed in right, so I wasn't exactly going in with a focused mindset. Day of the matches I had three coaches and much support. While in the bullpen I was greeted by my man Kenny. His big hug and encouraging words of "rip her fuckin' head off" really helped. Too bad it wasn't enough. Nervous as shit, my first (and only) match was against a GB girl. She pulled guard and although I avoided being swept and even got half guard at one point AND took her down (kind of?I didn't get points) I lost by an advantage. Wasn't exactly the best sportsman given that I slammed my hands on the mat and mouthed a "FUCK!" after time ran out, I still congratulated my opponent before rushing off to cry. I can tell you that crying does help. It may not be the best way to deal or the proudest way to lose but it was much needed in order for me to accept that although I was going above and beyond to try and prepare for this competition, I didn't do my best and I wasn't the best. It happens, I'm over it and to those that did win my division they earned it. I felt like I had a lot on my shoulders and much to prove after leaving Romulo (even though I was always and will always be his girl) and that made me feel like a failure. Boo-hoo, I'll stop talking about my girlish tendencies. The following days would pretty much conclude what I was already feeling-- that driving all that way to Anaheim and not be able to train as often as I need to, would ultimately take a toll on my performance and progress. I love the friends I've made and the people who helped me but I decided that by making Legacy, now Gracie Barra Encino, my main squeeze, I could get back on track. I still plan on training with the girls and guys that made my training possible the past two months, who allowed me to barge into their classes and beat all of them up in rolling (haaaaaaaa), who let me tease and punch them for little to no reason, who coached and taught me, who gave me places to stay, who gave me support and advice for my life decisions and comforting me when I was down. I'll still be around (sorry, you're somewhat still stuck with me). Regarding Bruno, the best news I've heard in forever came today-- he's out of the hospital and fully on his way to recovery. We're hoping he'll be back in the OC by August but really, I'm and we are all glad he's just okay and back to his old, stubborn, funny, charming self. A lot of tough choices were made since the last time I posted and it wasn't exactly the best time for my life or jiu jitsu but I think it was all needed in order for me to realize where I belong, who I can really trust and how things just are at this point in my life. I'll update more often so hopefully they aren't as long as this one. Here are some pictures that go along with this rant:

Gracie Barra Cerritos and Gracie Barra Santa Ana

Last week I had the pleasure of going down to Gracie Barra Cerritos and participating in the advanced class with Professor Alexandre "Dande" Santos. I know some people might think that training at another academy is pointless or even disrespectful to your own academy perhaps, but my mentality is that rolling with people other than my training partners can be beneficial. I'm currently the only female at my academy that trains in all of the classes. Besides Professor Romulo's wife and the few ladies that stream in and never stay, I have no one my size and strength to compare myself to. With the competition around the corner I figured I'd take my game and try it elsewhere and gain some or any confidence to bring onto the mat with me. I took my chances not knowing whether any girls were going to be in attendance and luckily there was a blue belt female present that was even smaller than me. After I was given a Gracie Barra gi to wear (at my academy it is not mandatory to have a GB gi) I bowed in and entered the class not even knowing the female was there until after the warm-up. I'm pretty sure she was just small enough to hide behind the pole. I was paired up with her and we worked on techniques. We learned the fireman takedown along with a counter if the person does have their grip on our collar. We worked on getting an armbar from the back and rolled. I went against the girl blue belt and 4 other blue belt guys. I can't tell you how happy I was that every guy I rolled with was either about my size and even if they were bigger, they had better technique than I. The overall feel was real nurturing and I felt that as a guest I was treated really well. As far as the teaching goes, attention to detail and support were paid attention to and when coaching Dande made me feel like everything I was doing was right, but he would add how I could do or make it better and the best way to advance my position. Definitely looking forward to going back. Thank you Dande and thank you training partners :).

Two days later I made my way down to Santa Ana to attend Professor Ulpiano Malachias' advanced class. I attempted to make it down for the fundamentals class at 5 but unfortunately leaving at 3 o clock was not the best idea and no, I would NOT beat the rush hour traffic. Cause of course rush hour traffic anywhere in or around Los Angeles starts around 2 and ends around 7 if you're lucky-- especially on the 5 freeway. After a rough 2 and a half hours of butt-numbing monotonous stop-and-go bumper-to-bumper sleep-inducing road congestion, I landed at my destination. I walked into the academy and heard "Legacy" as if I had just earned my first nickname. Jeff, Ulpiano's star purple belt greeted me behind the desk and after exchanging some words realized we had been on the same mat before at Legacy Pasadena for Braulio Estima's seminar. I think the best dude, besides the professor of course, was Mick, the suuhhhhhthern speaking, generous, outgoing, hard-working blue belt who became my partner for technique. We learned a throw, a choke from mount and its different variations. Luckily a girl walked in and became my rolling partner. Ulpiano had me work on passing her guard and although she was my size and stature that girl was strong. He coached me and had me work on pushing her leg down to the mat and getting my knee through while pressing my chest to hers-- a technique I was familiar with but needed some tuning up. After rolling a little I felt my big toe collapse under my weight. Being part monkey I use my toes like opposable thumbs and twist and turn on them and this time it stung. I've never had any type of serious injury so I sat while Ulpiano worked with Crystal investigating the damage. He asked me what was wrong, grabbed my toe to see if it was broken I'm assuming and told me it was no problem. All of Ulpiano's students are tough, even his girls. If you ever wanted to learn how to have the heart of a lion, go to this academy. Professor keeps it serious and doesn't allow whining or bitching. And that's something I do a lot. Later he taught me some nice guard passes, a sneaky submission from side control (which I've yet to use but will) and a triangle defense that I really need to work on before I can feel confident using. The students at GB Santa Ana are tough, persistent and serious about their training. I think I can take from the visit, a feeling of confidence not necessarily in my technique but in my drive and perseverance. If you want it bad enough, you'll get it with hard work. Obrigada Mick, Jeff, Crystal, Professor Ulpiano and the others I was able to hang and joke around with, see you again real soon.

I think I'll start a BJJ blog

The idea of starting a brazilian jiu jitsu blog is like assuming you know something about bjj worth reading. I'm currently a white belt at Legacy MMA in Encino, CA under Alberto Crane and Romulo Barral. I am by no means a prodigy, an athletic superstar, a technical genius or a champion of any kind. This blog is intended to give insight, and very detailed insight at that, into my life as a female jiu jitsu enthusiast. That includes reading about my frustrations, issues with the sport (which may be common or maybe exclusive to my experiences or even just as a female), random epiphanies that none of my teammates want to listen to anymore, venting/ranting (I'll keep it to a minimum), my reviews or random shit, my visits to other gyms, my competition triumphs and losses and just my overall journey in the wonderful jiu jitsu world. I figured the first post should at least include how I came up on the sport and how it went from an interest to what is now a lifestyle for me.
I started jiu jitsu nearly a year and a half after I first became aware it existed. Although my first encounter was a great, educational one, it took me awhile to get off my lazy ass and have enough initiative to get into a gym and onto a mat. I was first introduced to bjj by an amazing guy from Maryland named Kenny. He and I became acquaintances through a music scene and in 2008, first met when I picked him up from a snazzy apartment in Hollywood. We had talked before and when he mentioned he would be out my way I offered to hang out with him and show him around. I remember being mad at him for not knowing exact directions to where I could pick him up which resulted in me blocking a whole gated entrance and having to maneuver my car into and out of traffic just for some guy I was hoping wasn't a total asshole. As soon as he got in my car and extended his hand with a smile, I was relieved. I had known he was out in CA for some martial art competition he referred to as "Pan Ams" but I dismissed it as some dude bro afterschool high school type extracurricular activity competition..thing. We drove down to Carson since, although he had already competed the day before, wanted to go down and support his teammates. I didn't have anything specific on the agenda so I obliged, interested in figuring out what the hell it was that would make him fly to the other side of the country to compete. When we got there, I just followed him around since I didn't know anyone but him, barely. First I noticed the massive amounts of people and then once we were inside the large gym, the lining of mats with barriers covered with people rooting and yelling and what I later realized was coaching. We were there for hours and I was introduced to some of Kenny's teammates, he pointed out some monumental people to which I had no idea about and I asked a million and one questions. Let's see, I learned about points, the belt system, if there was a reason for the different colored gis, what this dark substance was that everyone was eating, who these foreign people that were yelling some other language, what the other language was and where these people were from and why there were so many, and where the hell all the girls were. We checked the bracket and were able to catch one of Felicia Oh's match which was exciting. After that, I was hooked. I figured that wrestling with my jackass guy friends in 9th and 10th grade was enough experience to start and my creepy (suiting word) flexibility would be of use, finally. After that weekend I researched some gyms closest to me but wasn't ready to make the commitment for some stupid reason I can't remember. Probably had to do with the fact I was too shy and scared to walk into any gym and ask "Where do I sign up!?" I think I even added one academy on myspace, leaving a message in the add request that I was planning on stopping by to check it out sometime as if that was some constellation or step towards doing the damn thing! It eventually just got put on the back burner so to speak, and literally a bullet on my list of things to do and accomplish. In fact, it was in between getting good grades that college semester and becoming a criminal investigator so you can imagine the importance I ended up placing on it. Finally, a friend of mine had shown interest in joining a gym and I figured we'd look into gyms together. Again, I lagged hard and he joined one and left me in the dust so I knew it was time for me to start. I knew there was a gym near my work next to the subway I always went to for lunch. I lagged some more before going in since I wanted a friend to go with me. One day in July my friend Jessi and I were doing our usual swimming, eating, making plans for the night summer routine when I decided to check the online schedule and rush her out the door with me to make sure we didn't miss the last jiu jitsu class of the night. Got there, filled out a paper, went back the next day at noon and I haven't quit (or lost interest!) since then.
I'm 8 months into it and my drive to get better and more involved becomes stronger every time I train. Four days from now I'll be competing in the same event that established my interest in what is now a huge priority in my life. I don't think anyone who knows me would have expected me to be so attached and passionate about not only jiu jitsu but any sport for that matter considering I've never played a sport in my life (unless you count peewee basketball in the 3rd grade or that week of cheerleading tryouts in 11th grade which nearly killed me.) The only hobbies or activities I picked up were girl scouts until I was 18 (I know, right? most girls realized how "uncool" is was at the age of 11 but hell, I stuck around!) and playing trumpet after being in band for two years in middle school. Two things that, besides the physical aspects in girl scout troop competitions and learning to breathe from my diaphragm, have nothing to do with jiu jitsu. Since that first class I've started and continued to train religiously, obtained three stripes on my white belt, visited and trained in other gyms, some in other states, competed three times, picked up some portuguese, made plans to go to Brazil, gained much more strength and endurance, sacrificed acrylic nails, become what looks like a beaten mistress with all my bruises, forfeited my femininity (okay, kidding) and created reasonable long term and short term goals that have helped me live a happier and healthier life.
For those competing in Pan Ams this year, good luck and I'll see you on the mats. For those attending to support me, thank you and I love you and for those at all interested, the tournament will take place on April 08th, 09th, 10th and 11th in University California Irvine, Irvine - California.
100 Bren event center,
University California Irvine
Irvine, California 92697