Training off the mat

I've often said that I would walk around with a tinfoil hat if it would make me better at Ju Jitsu.  It seems so extreme that it can only be a joke.  But I remember that I started saying that when I was training for my Sankyu test. In the entire month or two before the test, most days included ibuprofen and ice packs, which was new for me.

Since then, I've been overloaded with work & have not trained as intensely as I would have liked.  I've lost a substantial part of my stamina & strength.  For at least the last year, training has included making due with what I have.  It sounds easy enough, except it has been an exceptional lesson in humility.  Now, I need to ramp up for my Ikyu test. My lessons in humility alone won't get me through it.

A struggle with an injured knee has put a fork in the road.  I can either spend a substantial amount of time training off the mat to rehabilitate the knee, while pushing for stamina.  All the while taking as many classes as my schedule & my knee can handle.  Or I can stop doing Ju Jitsu for a while until this injury subsides.  Which might be as little as a month.

So, I've spent the last seven weeks spinning (on a stationary bike).  I couldn't really stand the idea of it at first.  It seemed like a monotonous exercise with little variation or excitement.  And in the beginning, it was exactly that.  But my lessons in humility did teach me to start from zero.  To focus on my breathing & posture.  To work through the frustration & to keep an eye on the bigger picture.  The past few days have brought some of the most intense workouts I've had in months.  My muscle tone is finally at the point where I can work out enough to push my stamina.  And my knee feels better than it did in months.  Classes still make it sensitive & sore, but spinning brings it back quite nicely.

Switching it up

I was working with an unnamed, rambunctious junior and things were going pretty smoothly. Body throw, ground lock, release. Body throw, ground lock, release. After a few turns, it became routine and neither of us was really thinking about it too much. Neither was resisting and each movement felt like it was done with textbook precision. It's one of those times that you want to show it off and say this is Ju Jitsu!

Then, I thought to myself; I know what would be really funny. I had spotted a weakness in the way that she turns me onto my stomach. My elbow isn't in danger! I can pull it towards me, put my arms up to protect my face and just stick my tongue out at her! A master plan.

Sure enough, as she tries to turn me over, I wait for the weakest moment. Before she knew it; I am again on my back & my arms are protecting my face. I found her weakness & by the time she realized, it was too late. I'm just about to reveal that I'm taunting her by making eye contact, when I feel a heel kick plunge into my stomach! I let out a loud grunt. She had found my weakness & exploited it before I knew what was happening. Very well played.

Immediately after, we both burst out laughing. Sensei Maria had seen the whole thing & we could hear her laughter just as loudly. It had been a good lesson for me and an obvious testament to her ability. My point though, is that it is important to remember that this exchange was not what happens in the absence of Ju Jitsu. It isn't a separate thing that we do when things don't go our way. This is Ju Jitsu.