Double Dutch

My plans to do a double training today along with a double bike ride were thoroughly thwarted when I, instead, decided to forget my wallet at home. I had no cash and no metro card, but luckily I had a month-old power bar in my backpack that I could eat for lunch.

While I did not get to train at AU today, I did end up making it to Nova MMA to train with Noah Booth and Todd Margolis. We reviewed some really technical details that go into the surfing mount. I always love hearing how different blackbelts verbalize the most basic of movements because it's always different.

Tomorrow I bike again, and then train at Dalla's.

My coach in Switzerland recently told me (via Facebook, where else?) that he's probably coming to the no-gi mundials in November. I was planning to take it easy until gi mundials next June, but now that I think of it, why not travel to Cali a couple more times? I can't really say no.

On a more personal note, my uncle was recently admitted to Jefferson Hospital for dialysis. This procedure will continue until he is able to undergo a kidney transplant in August. My dad is donating one of his, so I will be taking some time off to go back to Pennsylvania and to help out with the family. My family isn't the praying type, but if you all could please send your positive thoughts/wishes/mindwaves out to my uncle and dad, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks!

Blogodemic!

I thought “tagging” was an occurrence reserved for Facebook and photo storage websites.  Apparently not.  It looks like I’ve been tagged by Leo Dalla blue belt chica, Grappledunk.  I will oblige her, but in the interest of the rest of the sphere, I will cover my mouth and spare you the contagination.

What is your current obsession? Brazilian jiu jitsu, going on culinary adventures, and Tom Robbins novels.

What is your weirdest obsession?  Tom Robbins novels

Coffee or tea? Tea 90%, but quality coffee is soooo delicious.

What was the last really exiting thing you bought and the next exciting thing you plan to buy? A box of 36 rolls of athletic tape, to be followed up by a pair of wrestling shoes.

What are you listening to right now? At this immediate moment – Snow Patrol, “Tiny Little Fractures”

What is your favorite ice cream flavor?   Cookie dough

What do you think of the person(s) who tagged you? I’ve just met Grappledunk recent, but hear she’s out-swam Leo Dalla!

Which language do you want to learn? Brazilian Portuguese

What is your favorite color? Green

What is your favorite piece of clothing in your own wardrobe? My flowered sundress that I wore yesterday and which merited an exclamation from a complete stranger, “Oh you’re dress is wonderful!”

What is your worst habit? Jiu jitsu

If you had $1,000 now, what would you spend it on? A television

Describe your personal style? Total Bad Ass

What is your favorite fruit? Avocado

What inspires you? Nature, the earth, humanity, the sun… eh tree hugger.

Do you collect something? Friends

What are you most proud of? Purple belt

Cats or dogs? Dogs, big ones.

What’s your biggest fashion mistake? Now that I have a Jew-fro, I’ve taken to wearing my hair in two pig tails right on the top of my head (it’s too short to wear in any other manner except fro).

p.s. Congratulations to all the BJJU people who competed and will be competing this weekend in Grapplers Quest!  I don’t have all the results yet, but I heard we did pretty awesome yesterday.

p.p.s. Congrats also to Jared for wining his super fight last weekend at the Diamond State Games!!!!!! 

I miss you guys!!

If you can't go pro, you might as well go varsity...

Day one – you try to keep up with the warm ups and you die and you die again, and just when you think the “warm ups” are over, the instructor calls out, “ten burpies!” or, “one-two-sprawl!” The techniques are foreign, awkward, and intentionally uncomfortable. Maybe you get squished by an over-zealous white belt who is excited to finally have seniority over someone. When you spar, you feel like a seal playing whoopsie daisy with a killer whale. How can everyone else possibly keep going, unfazed, when clearly the air has turned into fire, burning your lungs?

Ah yes, those were the days – back when no one expected you to win and more importantly you didn’t expect yourself to win. The smallest victories (“Ha! Closed guard!”) produced infinite satisfaction.

Nowadays, I still try to focus on the small victories, whether it’s control of a lapel, a successful knee escape, just the right hip angle. Still, the victory is less victorious. This is why I love teaching – there’s always someone out there experiencing the newbie delight, and it’s better than ice cream.

Last night I went to my first American Wrestling Club practice. There were four wrestlers there, all around the 135-150lbs range. We warmed up by alternating basic take downs with progressively stronger defense. Then we trained for about 30 minutes straight – one-minute goes with the third person rotating in every two minutes. The coach, Mark Cody, was on vacation this week so we didn’t do any specific techniques or drilling. The AU wrestlers that I met were fantastic, right gentlemen. They were extremely respectful, especially Tanner and Bubby.

I’ve always loved the wrestling classes at BJJU – Eddie Silverman is a great instructor and phenomenal wrestler – but nothing beats training with Div-1 wrestlers round after round after round. I just hope I’m not wasting too much of their time with my JV high school techniques! Last night felt like the first night of sparring jiu jitsu again: no one expecting anything special and the simple ankle pick meaning everything in the world.

Focus for next week: sprawl reflex and keeping my elbows in on my shot.

South Arlington - More Legit

When you're driving on the D.C. Beltway (inner loop), look to your right. You'll see a chick in pigtails with her windows down rocking out to whatever is on the radio, be it Sublime, Marley, Kelly Clarkson, Flo Rider, etc... And though everyone else is eternally pissed off that they made the mistake (again!) of getting on the road during rush hour, nothing seems to phase this one. That girl, she doesn't care if you're cringing to her unpracticed pitchy rendition of "You Spin My Head Round," yeah, that's me.

Another observation: Northern Virginia's various malls make the KoP mall look like a small acorn next to a wildly flourishing wall of ivy -- crazy and only controlled by the limits of the building to which it clings. The Main Line is to Arlington as the Buchanan estate is to Gatsby's mansion.

I've started training under Leo Dalla at the Sport and Health Club in Crystal City. It's only two miles from my house and about three miles from my work, but so far I have managed to make the trip around an hour long in both directions because of poor planning and my tendency to walk a half mile in the wrong direction before turning around and walking a half mile in another wrong direction. The trip will improve, especially when I begin riding my bicycle. So far the classes are GREAT (of course) and the people are wonderful and friendly.

I'm only going to be able to train at Dalla's two to three days a week, so on a hunch and a recommendation from Eddie (BJJU wrestling instructor), I sent an email to the head coach over at American University. I tried to avoid mentioning the fact that I'm female, but I guess my name gave it away. In any case, he invited me to come train with their team! They have several wrestlers in the 125 and 135 divisions, which is perfect for me, plus they are Div 1! Now, although the coach seemed very open and accepting, I'm keeping in mind that the other wrestlers might not be so kind or willing to help me learn. I'm going to double my caution to protect from injury and I'll give it two to three weeks to see if I mesh well with the group.

One last thing for all you out there watching this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T1RMuoQnKo) and laughing at my new home, in my defense, I live in SOUTH Arlington! That gives me more street cred.


... and the Starbucks and the Starbucks ...