Category: jiu-jitsu & judo

It’s been around a total of ten months that I have been practicing jiu jitsu. I have been going about 4-5 times a week. Things have been going pretty good with it. I have done around 7 months in a row since I hurt my knee in my last update.

Since the last time I blogged about it I feel like I have learned a fair amount. I find that I have to do stuff over and over again to learn. It takes a while for it to sink in. Since the last time I have learned a few new chokes and joint locks. And then probably what I learned more of was just the movement and the little positioning details.

You notice that you learn when the new white belts come into class without experience. It’s hard to see what you learned. But since they have little experience it’s often easy to submit them. And that feels good for a change since I am the one usually tapping out. So at the moment I have two stripes on my white belt.

My teacher said something funny along the lines that if the old Ian walked in the door you would be able to kick his ass. I think he said that after I was discouraged about this big strong guy with less experience made me tap out.

For awhile I was thinking that I must get a blue belt at least. I wrote in on my wall to visualize then decided that wasn’t best. I still want to get better and get a new belt of course, but more importantly I want to have fun learning jiujitsu. That’s my focus. To enjoy the process. Have fun.

I remember my teacher saying something cool to another student – who is at a similar level to me. He said to him “see it as more of a game and less of a fight.” Another student in my class – a purple belt said he liked jiu jitsu because it has depth. My teacher said something like that too. It’s not a fixed or dead martial art it’s evolving and growing. There is always something to learn.

I got hurt about three weeks ago. I hurt my knee, so I haven’t been going. I’ll be taking a month off as well. I didn’t see a doctor, but I am guessing I tore my meniscus. I am thinking it is a minor tear as I am slowly feeling better. Small tears usually heal fine without surgery. So we are resting and out of the jiu jitsu game for now.

It’s hard to see your progress as I was continually sparring with people with far more experience. I did get a chance to see my progress though when I sparred with someone with less experience. I remember there was this big dude who was new that was around 6 feet or so and weighed probably fifty more pounds than me.

I was able to submit him with an arm bar one time, not get submitted myself and generally dominate the rest of the match. So I guess it’s true what they say about it that the more skilled (and in this case weaker) can dominate the lesser skilled (and stronger).

Other progress has been I got my first triangle choke submission on someone. Other than that I have been getting pretty beat up, so this break will be good and when I go back I am going to approach it differently.

I had been getting too many injuries and some things didn’t heal and just got re-injured, so I have got to step back. I figure it is limiting me, so then I should limit it. My idea is that I am going to continue going 3 or 4 days a week, but not spar every class. Perhaps just spar one day a week or only when I am comfortable with it and then just do the technique the other times.

But that’s starting next month in March if my knee is better. Right now we are icing it still and starting to get more mobility back.