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In ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging, less is often more. Jiu jitsu is the same. You need just enough strength to move yourself. Just enough confidence to maintain your posture and position. And just enough instruction to assist in understanding. Too many words can obscure the truth, rather than reveal it. See the shape of a technique. And the space around it.
As a way of saying thank you to the foundational members, each will receive an Academy shirt, with additional shirts available for purchase at $25. They look tight! Be sure to represent liberally around town and spread the word…
Also, a joint Aikido/Brazilian Jiu jitsu class will be taking place on February 15th with our friends at High Desert Aikido. Sensei Gordon and I will meet this Friday to discuss the format, but it should show the similarities between these arts that I’ve always felt were closely connected.
Due to popular demand, a Saturday afternoon open mat time will begin in February. Tentative time is 3 p.m. No instruction, but guys and gals can roll, drill, or just look pretty/cool, or pretty cool on the mat!
Finally, I will be implementing a stripe system for ranking, and awarding them in April. Will it be one stripe, or two? I know someone that’s getting four stripes on their blue belt!
Hit a minor speedbump with the E-Journal of Jujutsu (EJJ). The first issue of the journal itself is complete, however the e-commerce system for distribution of the journal has turned out to be more complicated than originally anticipated. But, applying jiu jitsu off the mat, I am quickly learning to adapt and work around the obstacle.
Performance Menu is doing a rather meaty interview of me for their next issue, with a tie in to the EJJ. Since the new issue will be distributed February 1, my new goal is to have a member signup and distribution system in place by January 25th, with the subscription enabled second issue of the EJJ ready for distribution on April 1. Roy Harris, Bruce Bookman, Daniel Camarillo, and Brad Hirakawa are all featured contributors, as well as Alicia Anthony’s famous photos detailing the Aikido Bridge Seminar currently taking place at Jiai Aikido in San Diego.
Performance Menu publisher Robb Wolf was a founding member of Crossfit, before embarking on his own journey as head instructor of Norcal Strength and Conditioning. His credentials are impressive, and his understanding of what combat athletes require in both nutrition and S & C is unsurpassed. If you’re serious about your athletic training, PMenu may be just what you’re looking for.
Here’s something a little different, a part of my past, a song I wrote a few years ago.
Music and martial arts, I don’t really see that much difference between them.
Timing, technique, sensitivity, and self expression.
May your Monday go a bit more smoothly…
The following are DVD’s that I personally recommend and own:
Obviously, I own several of Mr. Harris’ instructional videos, and am featured in many of them, so forgive my obvious bias!
BJJ 101 (Volume 1 revised, on DVD) gives you the fundamentals to build a solid game on top of. Some want flashy techniques in their instructions, but Mr. Harris goes a different route: more conceptual, with high percentage techniques.
BJJ 201 builds on top of this and geared for intermediate practitioners. BJJ Over 40 gives strategies and tips for our wiser brothers and focuses on timing and defensive postures. Armlocks Volume 1 gave me my first breakthrough with a single technique, and imparted to me the importance of mechanics.
Kenny Florian’s BJJ Seminar is also excellent, and 101 submissions will get you motivated to flow. I have a lot of other DVD and tapes, but for those just starting out, this is a nice path.
Just wanted to say thank you to Charles, Wendie, Big Al, Serge, Mars, Eric, Rick, Alex, Dan Cam, Ian Starr and Paul Pedrazzi for commenting and adding to the discussion. The purpose of the blogs is to share a perspective, a point of view, a level of awareness through a personal discipline. It is important to share reactions and thoughts to that perspective. Add to it. Further the vision.
Never read just one book on a subject, or listen to the words of just one teacher. Loyally dedicate yourself to your training partners and master, of course, but also look at instructional DVD’s of other reputable practitioners, books, tournament footage, etc. Even multiple blogs. Commit to your study, but admire the alternatives and glean the best aspects. Be unattached to training dogma. Utilize the knowledge, but don’t identify with that body of knowledge entirely. You are more than your art, or lineage, or ceremonial training methods. Be open, and the power of those insights and methods can be yours to work with. Close your fist too tightly, and what you attempt to hold onto will blind you to the evolution of truth, martial or otherwise.
Years ago, when I started hanging out on internet forums again (i.e. I had a job in front of a computer), I got into it a few times online. What I mean is, I allowed online participants to actually upset me in the real world, over some disrespect (or perceived disrespect) to one of my teachers. Maybe I had too much testosterone at the time, but I actually almost issued a challenge for a tournament match I was so riled by his remarks. Such passion and devotion by the young purple belt!
Seeking counsel, I called my martial arts mentor, John Tessier, who has trained for over 50 years, with some of the best in the world. He set me straight this way:
“You know Roy, it’s all vanity. We all want to be special, and feel like ‘Our sensei is the best’ or we have the special techniques. But it’s vanity, that’s all.”
And it was. They had the special knowledge. But I did too. And why was I getting so worked up over another person’s opinion? My own vanity. Was he saying I wasn’t as special as he was and that my Sensei wasn’t the best? How could that be, when I knew the opposite was true. I was the most special. And each of my instructors have clearly been the best.
I laugh at it now. I laugh at myself at that time, and the level of vanity in this subculture of martial arts. You can see it everywhere. Observe for yourself. Observe with yourself. And laugh.
I watched Jackass 2 last night. Not recommended for gentle readers or sensitive viewers. But in the words of Rama, it’s good to know the street.
I feel, as a martial artist, that it’s important to know what kids are seeing and emulating. Money and fame are strong motivators for people to do horrific acts. And at times, even that wasn’t a strong enough lure to keep the parties motivated. The masochistic streaks found in this movie were as wide as I-5 on the highway to hell. I think the movie itself was a toll road. $3.99 at Blockbuster.
For me, it’s education, just like watching World’s Wildest Streefights (Volumes One or Two). Monkey see, monkey do. Learn the streetfight patterns. Learn what the young idiotas of this country are mimicking.
I’m thankful that I can pass on a discipline that uses the energies of the body in a more positive way. Honor the temple of your consciousness. Don’t vandalize it.
The following in an excerpt from a talk by Dr. Frederick Lenz on the nature of power. I find it highly illuminating:
Intelligent martial arts is not getting in battles and winning them. Intelligent martial arts is avoiding battles because battles use up energy, and you can get hurt no matter how good you are and that wasn’t what you had on your agenda today.
Simply because you were going some place today and you were going to have a great picnic and you didn’t intend to get in a battle with somebody, if you get in a battle and even win, you never get to have your nice picnic. That was somebody else’s idea.
So the intelligent use of power is to apprehend those who would trip you up, to slide around them and go do what you want to do. Naturally, if there is no way out and confrontation and battle is inevitable, one can use power and strategy, balance and wisdom and enlightenment to win, of course.
But the best battle is the battle that’s never fought. The best war is the war that’s won without battle.
Seems like BJJ Blogs are all the rage these days. Here are two of my favorites, Feliciah Oh’s blog, and my friend Andre Anderson’s.
Years ago I was at one of Mr. Harris’ weekend seminars at the school, and a brown belt from another San Diego academy was there. At the time, I was a purple belt, and the closest brown belt in our organization was future KOTC Champion Matt Stansell. I remember thinking, “Wow, that guy’s a BROWN BELT!”, and listened intently as I overheard him talking to another seminar attendee about the journey:
“It’s not just how much time you’re on the mat. It’s how much you’re thinking about it, and how much it’s in your consciousness.”
That made a lot of sense to me. Watching is practicing. Mitori Keiko. Writing down the day’s techniques is practicing. Observing class. Creating combinations in your mind is practicing. Of course, this has to be tempered with the physical expression of the art, but it’s not limited to that.
Man becomes what he puts his mind on. Study on this.
Click here to get a rough idea of what the Academy shirts are going to look like.
I had a private lesson with a new student on Saturday. TJ has a background in Aikido, and wanted to take the private as a general preparatory overview for class. Having trained with Chiba Sensei in San Diego for several years, his ukemi was excellent, and he was already way ahead of the curve. I went over more movement exercises, showing him how to round out your body and be a ball, rather than a block, to overcome the friction of the ground.
Then I showed more conceptual aspects of BJJ: A straight armlock from the guard (which he did very nicely), followed by a little exposition on mechanics, how important they were, and how blocking critical mechanics are the key to reversals. Then we linked triangle with armlock, so he could see how one attack leads to another, acting as the distraction and off balancing your opponent, putting them one step behind. I also covered “empty corners” in a sweep from the armlock, so TJ could feel how much easier it is to direct your energy where your partner has no base.
Finally, we covered variations of escaping sidemount, tying it together with the fundamental movement of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, the snake move. TJ asked what he should be focusing on most intently. I recommended focusing on basics and positional escapes. And as I’ve thought about it more, I can put it even more succinctly:
Students should always be focused on how to move themselves, not their partner. Learn to control your body, your movements, your timing, and not only is it difficult for others to control you, you will be able to control them. Through you. It begins with self control.
A misogi is a ritualized cleansing or purification. I did a misogi yesterday, prepping for the New Year, getting the house back in order after Christmas guests and tightening things up for 2007. It’s going to be a big year, it seems like it’s the year I’ve been preparing for since I started training at 16.
Of course I have certain goals I’m hoping to accomplish. 50 students by the end of 2007. A certain number of subscribers for the EJJ. And definitely goals for launching one more unnamed online project by the end of March. This is the year I’m focusing on business, and my physical conditioning as well. Seeing Kip on Friday opened up a new world of healing modalities. I noticed that he was voted Best Alternative Health Care Practitioner in Central Oregon when I walked into his office. He was very good, and I was impressed. Black belt level skills.
I’m also looking forward to a few of my friends coming up and checking out what Bend is all about. Richard North will be rolling up in Spring with some of his students and a few friends from the Harris Academy. Brad has discussed flying up here with Mr. Harris and testing for his black belt after a seminar, so my students can see what that’s all about. Al Lowrimore might shoot up before then. Any of my friends that want to smell the pine scented air of Bend are welcome.
No class today, tomorrow we’ll be hitting the mats enthusiastically. New faces, new bodies, new outlook on 2007. Hold on to yourself, we’re just about to launch…
I’m meeting with Kip Roseman, of the Roseman Clinic here in Bend at 10:30. It will be my first real acupuncture session, although I’ve had a few needles in me before. Kip has been training with me and is a very sharp guy. I look forward to him curing me of all ills, utterly and completely.
Chiropractic has always been the major health modality that kept me training. More so than massage. Massage is great, and I respond well to it, but if I was going to output money on non-training related matters, it’s to have my neck and upper back put in place over getting a good rubdown. Over the years, though, I’ve realized the two really go hand in hand.
Rolfing was another modality I tried. Not the full 10 sessions, just 4, on my legs, hips, and back. He was a small man, but he could hurt me. No oil or lubrication in the rolfing. Just skin on skin contact, knuckle to fascia, with a lot of deep breathing to get through the pain. Not for everyone, but I feel it definitely helped.
Now that I teach full time, a regular bodywork regime is critical. Shiatsu, chiropractic, and now acupuncture are in the monthly queue. It’s the other side of training. If you make it through a couple years of BJJ, your body will have definitely paid some kind of price. We all owe it to ourselves to rest and heal. Sometimes it goes faster with a little help from our friends.
