Training never ends

The training never really ends.  Not just throughout the course of life, but even throughout our day.  But rather than explaining how training relates to the rest of life, it's just easier to look at how it relates to other training.

I go to the gym to spin.  Both to rehab a bad knee & to gain (much needed) stamina for an upcoming test.  So in this way, training in the gym is strongly tied to the dojo for me.  This morning the A/C was completely off.  I realized, but I'm used to it (from dojo) so I didn't give it much thought.  About 10 minutes into my workout, I realize that the whole gym seems to be in slow motion.  Breaks are longer than usual & no one is doing very much.  Also, I notice a change in myself. I normally upshift & downshift regularly to get he most out of my workout; and I do it more by feel than by formula.  At this point, I should have already transitioned to a higher resistance.

Then, several things hit me at once.  Firstly, most people cannot train when their environment has shifted.  They were a lot like bees in the Fall.  Seemingly sleepy & woozy, unable to get a grip.  I have the benefit of having trained in significantly more intense temperatures.  So I understood that the feeling would be different this time.  I just have to keep my posture, control my breathing and push harder than I'm used to.  Or to phrase it more abstractly; in order to control the situation, I would firstly, and wholly need to be in control of myself.

Secondly, I've wondered for weeks why my stamina is increasing regularly on the bike, but barely increased on the mat.  It shouldn't surprise me that the answer was again in my breathing.

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.

A little abstract

It is expected that martial arts would teach you to fight. Or get you into better shape. Or to keep you coordinated. But there's also the part where it teaches you about differing temperaments. To understand different styles and methods to manipulate their results. Executing techniques at a subtle level and in a precise fashion. Then listening very, very closely for a result so as to take the next step.

It's like walking through a series of passageways. One which few people know exists. It has doors and windows that open and close. Sometimes at random and others by your own volition. Some are locked, but most simply appear that way. You’re just trying to get from one side to the other.

So what I’m really trying to say is that martial arts also makes you delusional. Thinking that you’ve experienced adventures which couldn’t possibly be real. :-p

Working with Juniors

I've had many opportunities to work with juniors in the past year or two. In part because of the surplus. In another part, because I have not been ready to test, so my time had to be occupied somehow. Any time on the mat is a chance to learn something new, but I was surprised as to what I learned by working with the juniors.

Since juniors have not typically been able to teach me as much, somewhere along the way I decided that I would be most entertained by playing games with them. Usually, I'll grab their leg as they walk away carelessly after pinning me. Or I often like to squirm out of a ground lock to show them that it wasn't completely working. Always fun, but somewhat linear. They know what I'm doing, expect me to do it and either react accordingly or just get used to saying things like "I should have seen that coming". That game mostly serves the function of telling juniors that I can't be trusted. A lesson that I wish they would learn sooner rather than later.

Recently I developed a new game which does something a little different. As the junior rank began to get better at Ukemi, I started finding it funny to throw them in increasingly wacky angles. Nothing too extreme, but a throw that requires some adaptation. Later, I would lead them away from the expected position only to see/hear/feel their response & then bring it back for them. Not surprisingly, they soon became capable of taking back their positioning once they felt it slipping away. Which is a pretty impressive feat! I'm not convinced that they know that they're doing it as they do it, but it's nice to see it happen nonetheless.

A gentle touch

I've spent the past few years learning that I'm a little too forceful. Often attempting to use force in place of finesse. Often relearning that I can get more out of a situation by being more gentle. The interesting part is that I see it and am motivated to change. On a regular basis, I have to remind myself to slow down. To change things and try again. I control frustration and change my approach.

To see growth in my Ju Jitsu would be exciting on it's own. But the part that amazes me most is how I see it in life. How I am now able to articulate the effects of my actions in a way that I couldn't before. How I consider recourses and solutions in a matter that never seemed like an option. I can see how some people can open doors that seem to be shut. It changes quite a few things. It shows me that I don't just need to get better at a game, I can change the way the game is played.

It almost feels as if I'm an architect with an elaborate plan that is my personality. I know what I want & how to get there, but the magnitude of the task is very large. Every day, I construct and evaluate. Tear down the obstacles. Construct and evaluate. I like that.

Injuries

It's a shame that people outside of those who train in something like this won't be able to understand. But yesterday, I felt as if my injuries (neck muscle & knee) were pretty much healed. I had a chance to stretch and it felt as if I was getting the routine back. Half an hour into the class, I felt like a puppy who has been let out of a cage.