You want me to put my head where?!

We miss you already.

2012-02-02T12:06:00.002-05:00

We adopted our dog China.

She was an older dog when we got her, and she was abused and starved regularly.

I had a small baby, she was set her in ways, had a hard life and was part pit bull and I didn't think we could trust her.

We took her in because she so badly needed a good home, but she wasn't with out problems. She was terrified of men, and had some food aggression because she had been starved on and off her entire life.. but she grew on me pretty quickly, and before I knew it, she became part of the family.

I think because of her hard life, she was so happy to finally be loved she returned our love 10 fold. She was the happiest dog I've ever known, and acted like a puppy until her hips wouldn't let her jump any more.

When strangers came over, she always positioned herself between the kids and the people she didn't know. I think she might even love my kids as much as I do. She would have died to save them in a heart beat.

And until about a year ago when her arthritis started to set in China was my running partner.

She was the first dog I ever really loved.

Tuesday morning when I woke up, China was acting very strange. Normally every morning China and Vader greet each other by barking and jumping all over each other like idiots. But that morning China didn't stand up when Vader ran over to her.

When I finally got her on her feet she was very wobbly and weak. I was hoping she was just having a bad day with her arthritis so I brought her inside, made a bed for her and let her relax, but the longer the day went on the more wobbly she got. By Wednesday afternoon she could hardly stand or hold her head up, I had to hold it up for her so wouldn't drown when she tried to drink. As it turns out, she had a stroke.

So, I talked to my good friend who is a vet. She said she could come to my house and put her to sleep here so I didn't have to drag her out and she could go to sleep in peace at home.

Last night before the kids went to bed they said good bye to her.

I struggled with my decision to put her to sleep up until the very last second. It wasn't until she was sedated that I realized just how much she had been suffering. She laid down and looked peaceful for the first time since Tuesday morning, and finally stop struggling to hold her head up.

I burred her in the back yard under the shade of her favorite banana tree. It looks dead right now, like it does every winter... but every spring it comes back, more bigger and more beautiful then the year before. She always napped under that tree, and now she will rest there for ever.

I love you China, and I miss you already.

This was our Christmas card a few years ago.

China's last day with us.

I think this officially offends me.

2012-01-22T11:57:00.001-05:00

"I am too girly for Jiu-jitsu."

This is what about 75% of the women I approach about BJJ say to me when I invite them to come train.

Perhaps I am just getting tired of hearing it, but it is starting to sound like,

"I think you are an enormously manly freak, and I don't want you to sweat on me."

I know they are in no way referring to me, or the rest of the girls who train when they say they are too girly, but it is starting to sound like an accusation of a lack of being girly.

Consider this your personal news flash people. I am a girly girl, and I also know how to choke you out.

Just because several time I week I don a gi, train hard and sweat my butt off does not mean I am not also a feminine, dress wearing, nail painting, making up loving, shoe collecting woman just like those of you who think you are too girly for BJJ.

It just means that I stand a chance of defending myself or my children if God forbid I ever need to. It also means that I am stronger and more healthy than I've ever been in my entire life, and because of Jiu-jitsu I am better role model for my own girly daughter. It also means that I have an excellent outlet for stress. On top of that, Jiu-jitsu has helped me learn to to love me for who I am, and has shown me that I am stronger than I ever thought I could be.

Yes, I am a grappler.

Yes, I am a girly girl.

They are not exclusive. You can be both.

My new favorite thing.

2012-01-05T22:12:00.003-05:00

As I have mentioned, Allie is teaching a women's class at Fabio's, and I have the pleasure of helping her out with it. And of course by help, I mean lie on the mat like a helpless animal and let he mount, choke and bar me at will, to instruct the other girls on how to do technique.

I am fully aware that I could be replaced by a grappling dummy and things would go pretty much exactly the same as if I were not there, but I like to feel special by saying I help.

Anyway, my new favorite thing is watching the younger girls start to really take to Jiu-jitsu. I think it excites me more when I see light bulbs going off for them, than when they go off for me.

I don't know why but it just makes me so happy. I was grappling one of the girls on Tuesday and she was grappling so well I almost cried. Seriously. Then she grappled one of the newer adults and totally and completely held her own.

In other news, I haven't been blogging as much because I have no news.

My ankle is healing really well. I'm still wearing a brace to grapple, but I can mostly grapple normally. I have to start out differently, and my base is still off because I can't totally sit on my foot, and when people are passing a certain way, I can't hook their leg but it is slowly, but surely getting better. So, I am pretty happy.

My Christmas and New Year holiday were great.

We spent Christmas with our families and New Years at Disney world.

The drive to my mom and dad's house on Christmas morning.

Micah got some Star Wars Legos. Shocked? Me either.

I'll end the suspense. There is a doll house in that box.

The Family on New Year's Eve.

The whole gang at Disney... and it was a small group this year. =)

Merry Christmas!!

2011-12-24T22:06:00.000-05:00

I hope you all have a safe, and blessed holiday!

Spectator!

2011-12-18T10:25:00.004-05:00

Yesterday Team Fabio Novaes rocked the NAGA Pan-Am. (Really, Naga? The Pan-Ams?)

I made a great contribution to the team by spectating my butt off. I spectated SO much that I can be spotted spectating in pictures all over Facebook.

Most of my spectating happened in the Women's corner of the mat.

And here I am spectating WHILE taking pictures! Clearly, a multi-talented individual.

And my most amazing feat of the day.. Here I spectating while actually standing. Amazing.

This grapple by the way, was awesome. The human fanny pack of doom pictured, is Marcelo Cohen. He trained with Fabio under Marcelo Saporito and now teaches at The Armory in Jupiter, Florida.

Seriously though, I wish I could have made an actual contribution to the team and actually compete, but alas, I could not.

Team Fabio Novaes didn't need much help though. They kicked butt up and down the mat all day! At the last NAGA our team took second in gi and no gi. We lost first in gi by 80 points. The team who won first place, by the way, had 86 members. Our team had 23. I think we brought home more medals this time. And yes, I am shamelessly bragging on my team a little, and I think it is allowed. I sort of love those guys.

I especially wanted to give a huge congratulations to Erica! This was her first competition as a blue belt, and she took home silver and bronze! Awesome job girl! Love you!!

Pardon my failure of a picture. Some annoying official photographer was in my way the entire time. Didn't he know I needed to get a picture of Erica? Jerk! lol Clearly, more important that his official business.

Didi He won second in nogi, and first in gi. This kid keeps his cool like no one else. Way to go Didi!!

Beast mode Jimmy! (Though, I think that is his only mode. Some guys tried to mug him once, but he told them to stop... and they listened. Seriously.)

This is Derrick. He is currently working his lumber jack look. He pulls it off quite nicely, don't you think?

Jimmy. He throws people. Hard.

Erica America!

This guy, who was very nice, got his day ruined by being bracketed with Jimmy and Derrick. Two if the biggest scariest most technical blue belts we have.

Congrats Didi!!

Congrats Jimmy!

Tony - He is the one in black and white. Like Jimmy and Derrick Tony is also, very large, scary and technical.

Erica!

Derrick!

Tony!

Thank you Fabio for all that you do for us! We love you!!

The best part of sitting out...

2011-12-06T13:57:00.002-05:00

I have found a way to go to class while injured and not grapple.

Go to class in jeans. Leave my gi at home.

This way, I still get to at least see the technique without running into that part of my brain that says... "You can just drill." Because when I listen to that part of my brain, I end up grappling... and we all know what happened the last time I was just going to drill.

I've gotten to take advantage of the one perk of being sidelined.

I get to sit on the wall and watch all of my favorite grapplers, grapple... and of course by watch, I mean stare at intently for several minutes... like a creep.

We have also had a horde of interesting new people come in.

I always love to watch new people on their first night, so when the new people coming in are bull riders, or a break dancers it can be even more entertaining.

I think one of my favorite quotes someone has said to me about another grappler was a guy named Paddi. Yes, a guy named Paddi.. with an i. He'd just grappled the aforementioned bull rider.. and, I do mean this in the literal sense. He is a man that rides bulls for a living in a rodeo show. I live in Polk county. It's not that weird here.

"When he grabs a hold of you, he isn't kidding."

It is also interesting when like last night, the newbie is a grown man the size of Texas with close to no body fat.

I was, for the first time ever, glad I did not have to grapple the new men who come in the door. The guy was a dinosaur, and I was pretty sure he could have just held me down with one hand, and I'd have been rendered useless for the duration of the grapple.

I did however, very much enjoy watching some of the guys grapple him. Generally, I am the smaller weaker person of a grapple, (unless it is another woman, as I am kind of giant for a chick.) so I get a lot out of watching our normally bigger guys be the smaller one. I like watching how they handle the size/strength differential... because no matter how good you are, when you are grappling Texas... size does matter.

And of course I've been able to watch lot of the people I normally creep when I sit out.

Doug for example is a really awesome grappler who I consider to be a male version of me, at least in the body type department. He is really tall and lean. Or, "lengthy" as I have been called.

I wasn't kidding when I said he was tall.

I like to watch how he uses his wasp legs powers for good. Doug also happens to be able to make you cry like the little girl I am when he turtles. Sometimes, I forget that when he turtles I am about to lose. Hard. I enjoy watching other people forget that very same thing. lol

One more week of my creeper status and I am going to attempt to drill.

And not surprisingly taking time off is helping a lot. It is still a little painful to sit on my foot in my base, but I can at least do it now, where as before it was too painful to even try. Progress!

Would you like to see my bones?

2011-11-30T23:22:00.004-05:00

I have no broken bones!

This will not be me!

Huzzah!

To be honest though, that was what I was expecting. It did not hurt like broken bones. Putting weight and using it for regular walking isn't much of an issue, and I assume if something in there was broken bearing weight on it would be painful. Motion is what causes pain.. pointing my toes mostly, and pressure on the top outside of my foot is also painful. So. You know sitting in my base is a no no.

However, like I suspected I tore one of the five ligaments somewhere down there, and I have an epic butt ton of inflammation.

There will be no huzzh-ing over this. I am super bummed.

I am to lay off of it for 4-6 weeks. But... I've already been off of it for two... Soooo... Two more and I will attempt to drill.

I will not be stupid about this though. I've learned my lesson and I will treat my foot like the important limb that it is.

Again, this is not me. My feet are way bigger than this, and significantly less cute. I do however, love my feet. They are the things that invoke "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!" my open guard.

These ARE my feet though.

What a boat.

Look at my giant size 10 hooks! Bwhahaha. Yes, I will find the silver lining in having clown feet.

I guess the white blobby area is inflammation. Or at least this is what I am told.

You have now seen my bones...

Carry on.

....Hi, Jimmy. =)

Women's Brazilian Jiu-jitsu in Lakeland, Florida.

2011-11-29T13:06:00.004-05:00

We now have a website!

Women's Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and Self Defense

Where fitness and awesome collide!!

"And we will never change,
The way we are here.
I like that we are kind of strange.
So won't you stay near?"
The Ones With the Light - Joshua Radin

Santa - You better be watching.

2011-11-28T11:12:00.003-05:00

I have not set foot in a gi for a week. In fact I've only been to one class in two weeks... and I know, I know, that one class was the class I further aggravated my ankle, but I have learned my lesson.

I even have to wait an extra few days to get my foot xrayed because of the Holidays... but I'm not complaining.... I am just mentioning it to make sure you know that even though, I really really really just wanna grapple I'm not. I am being patient and taking proper care of my foot. Surely that is worth pointing out to the fat man in a red suit who only exists in the minds of children.

Anyway - I should know what the deal with my foot is by Wednesday.

Ps. I would like to ask that only fictitious fat men watch me. I generally dislike being watched by creepers. Thanks!

Who would like to hear how stupid I am?

2011-11-21T23:50:00.001-05:00

So.... I went to class tonight.

My ankle was feeling good from having laid off it.... but my plan was just to drill. I even got a nice fancy ankle brace that kept my ankle firmly in place.... metal rods and everything. Wooo!

.... So grappling time.

I grappled.

This is what comes up when you image search 'stupid'.

The amzingness of the wrap that kept my ankle firmly in place resulted in my toes getting caught in gi pants because I couldn't turn my foot down, and as the person was breaking their hips to come around into side control. My foot somehow got trapped awkwardly and bam... hip bone connected squarely with my heel while toes still stuck.

If there was any question to whether or not my ankle was severely injured or not.... it is now without question seriously injured.

Even Fabio told me to take time off... and Fabio has never suggested that before.

Even when I came in with my ribs so injured I could not move my arm, he asked me if I was going to try and grapple.

I am really bummed, but I have no one to blame but my stupid self.

...Well, me and my awesome ankle brace.

High Ankle Sprain

2011-11-18T11:46:00.002-05:00

I talked to Fabio about my ankle. He thinks it is a high sprain. I know Fabio isn't a doctor, but honestly, I'm positive he knows more about Jiu-jitsu related injuries than my doctor.

If like me, you had no idea what a high ankle sprain is, your can horrify yourself by reading about it here: Core Performance - High Ankle Sprain It is basically where you stretch or tear the ligament that holds your tibia and fibula together. They are more sever than your basic ankle sprain, and about 50% of people who get this type of sprain often have recurring sprains, and 40% have long term ankle instability and pain.

Needless to say I am pretty bummed.

However, I am going to do the thing I was dreading.

No, not die.

Rest.

I am for sure going to take time off until Monday night. It will end up being about 4 days, and that feels like a lot. Monday I will go, and only drill ankle safe things... but in reality there aren't a lot of things I can work. Sitting down into my base is far and away the most painful, and almost everything requires you to get into your base at some point.

I guess the silver lining is if I am not grappling, I will not annoyingly and constantly be swept to the left due to my leaning tower of Pisa base. lol

If I am in no better shape after a week of rest then I will go to the doctor.

-insert hissy fit here-

The coolest 12 year old ever!

2011-11-13T08:37:00.006-05:00

Flash back to being 12.

It is your birthday... You get to have a sleep over with all your best friends.

I imagine my 12 year old self would plan a pretty amazing party full of cake, chocolate, caffeinated beverages, NKOTB, Lisa Frank party favors and SeaQuest DVS.

Wow... Really 12 year old self.. This is who you swooned over?!

Yeah, I realize this is titled 'The coolest 12 year old ever', but I wasn't referring to myself.... clearly.

The coolest 12 year old ever, happens to be one of the young girls who attends the Women's BJJ class.

She had a birthday party sleep over and I am sure it was filled with things equally as awesome as my party in the 90s would have been filled with, except current... and since I am not hip to the 12 year old girl scene, I have no idea with those things would be.. Justin Bieber? Who knows.

One thing her party had that mine sadly would never even have considered was Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. Her sleep over ended with 2 hours of Saturday morning grappling. How freaking cool is that?! She also requested a gi for her birthday. So proud! lol Very soon both of the 12 year olds in the class will be rocking Fenoms. Wooo!

http://www.fenomkimonos.com/

To be totally honest, I'm not an enormous fan of 12 year old girls. (Except the two in the BJJ class. They are kind of exceptional, and I love them both.) I was kind of dreading it. I thought it would be a morning caulk full of giggling, refusal to do 'gross' things and/or pay attention, and lots of life threatening injuries.

I drank extra coffee, and braced for impact.

But as it turned out.. It was really fun!

There was lots of giggling as I suspected, but surprisingly they all paid attention, executed drills, and grappled without complaint.

It really makes me happy that I get to help introduce these girls to BJJ at such a young age. I truly they hope they stick with it... BJJ has a sneaky way of changing your life for the better, and I would love to see it work its magic on these girls.

I snapped a few pictures from the class, but then my battery died. Boo.

Stretching, or worship?!

Me and the birthday girl!

I feel like some sort of swooning redemption is necessary as I admitted I once swooned over the likes of KNOTB. I was introduced to some new eye candy last night in the form of Henry Cavill as Theseus... and my mom always told me to share...

And btw, Immortals... Good, not great. Some nice visuals though.. special effects.. and uh.. otherwise. lol

My Cankle!

2011-11-08T09:30:00.001-05:00

It is getting much better! Yay!

Congratulations, Fabio!!

2011-11-06T08:52:00.004-05:00

Fabio competed in the World No-gi this weekend and took home gold!! One of my fellow teammates, Mark also competed and won gold as well!!

Congratulations Fabio and Mark!

And as always, I am proud to be part of the team! Not just because of the medals and team titles, but because Team Fabio Novaes BJJ is chock full of outstanding human beings who feel honored to train along side.

Where champions are made!

It's pouting time...

2011-11-03T20:23:00.001-04:00

In the past two weeks I've gotten a few too many injuries to not complain. lol

At the Miami Open I broke my nose... and have continued to get kneed, elbowed and just generally smashed in the nose. Granted a lot of the nose smashing is my own doing, and even when it isn't I am the moron choosing to grapple with a busted face, so it is no one's fault but my own.

Pardon my post grapple hair.

Then last week, I re-tweaked my left ankle. I got uppa'd (spelling? Ooh-pah-ed) from mount to guard and it got rolled funny.

Ice, Ice Baby!

The very next day I did God knows what to my right hand. I smashed the meaty part of my hand so bad the swelling and bruising bled down into my wrist.. to the point compartment syndrome was looking like a possibility.

The bruising is mostly in my wrist... the swelling was in my hand where the crushing happened.

A few days after that, we drilled half guard sweeps that cause you to roll over your own hand. If you don't have your hand flat against the other person's body, it gets crushed. ...So I crushed my other hand.

Then today I jacked my other ankle up. I had a triangle set up, and the person tried to stack me to escape, so I just took him over, planning to finish the triangle from mount... not realizing how close to the wall we were.... We went over. his back hit the wall causing an abrupt stop to our roll... in exactly the right place to smash my ankle into my own knee where I had the triangle locked. Horrible noises. It sounded WAY worse than it was, but it hurts.

None of these issues would bother me, nor would I mention them except for the fact that I have all of them at once! Gimpy grips... gimpy hooks, and I can't use my face for much of anything, nor can I escape triangles/some armbars without pain.

Not to mention the general day to day annoyances of being injured.

Frustrating!!

Good Luck Fabio!

2011-11-03T11:47:00.002-04:00

Fabio is competing in the No-Gi Championship this weekend!

Good luck Fabio!!

There goes my hero; watch him as he goes.

There goes my hero; he's ordinary.

Halloween Poll?

2011-10-31T09:06:00.004-04:00

Did or do you plan to wear your gi as your costume?

I did not...but based on the Facebook pictures I am seeing, a lot of you did. =) I love dressing up, so I always jump at the chance to do it.

I dressed up in neon vomit... Err, I mean in 80s attire. And earlier this year we took the kids to Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, and I was a fairy. Zaile wanted to be a fairy, and she asked me to be one too.... And then we got Allie in on it as well.

If you didn't wear your gi, what did you wear or plan to wear? ... and don't say you didn't dress up. It will make me sad on the inside.

Costumes are fun.

It wasn't me, it was the one armed man!

2011-10-30T11:32:00.003-04:00

I had to grapple someone with a shoulder injury recently.

At Fabio's, like most places I am sure,we are not wise enough to take time off when we hurt our selves. We stupidly power through the pain risking further injury because, you know, taking a week off to heal up is just a poor use of time. lol So, people with shoulder or elbow injuries often tuck the offending arm in the belts and grapple one handed.

You'd think grappling someone with one less arm would be advantageous... but it isn't. At least not when it is the arm on your go to side. I had nothing to get a hold of, and no arm to tuck neatly at my side when in side control. ..which left me very little control.

It is good practice though. It makes you think outside the box.

Fabio actually has us do that sometimes on purpose. One person will have to tuck both their hands in their belt.... the result is generally a cruddy grapple, but a cruddy grapple in which you learn you can do amazing things with your legs if you have to rely only on them. Either way though, I don't like to be the one with two arms grappling the no armed, or one armed man. I like having handles.

What I learned at the Miami Open.

2011-10-23T22:01:00.009-04:00

This time around I didn't get out a competition what I normally do. Normally, I see where the big holes in my game are, and what areas I need to focus on.

However, this time, I learned the value of what it is to be a good sport and good competitor. I saw very clearly the opposite sides of the spectrum.

This may end up being a very long post, but it is what it is. I'll just explain what happened.

My first fight started out well for me, I swept the girl three times, but was never able to establish a top position so I didn't receive any points. At one point I had a gi choke sunk in, but she was defending, I didn't want to just crush her face, and I saw an opening for a sweep, so I took it instead. Then she ended up back in my guard, and to prevent me from sweeping her again, she went for a can opener type guard pass... holding my arms down by my biceps. I tried to go for an armbar, but hesitated since I wasn't sure if I could secure her arm with mine trapped down. I didn't get the armbar, and we ended up in a scramble. She tried to take my back. I don't mean this in a cocky way, but at that point I didn't feel extremely threatened and was mostly just focusing on not letting her in hooks in. I turned my head to see where her legs were, and I left my self open for a choke and she took it. I don't mean to take away from her choke at all... she saw it, went for it and got it. Good for her.

We ended up exchanging numbers. She seems like a really nice lady, I like her a lot, and was happy to meet her.

Fast forward eight.... Yes, eight emotional hours, to absolute. I was on the fence about doing it all day.. and the further it got pushed back, and the more tired I got the less and less I wanted to do it. I mentally defeated myself in spite all of the encouragement I had, I finally decided I wasn't going to do it. Not two seconds after I finally said, I wasn't doing it, one of the girls ran up and said, "Your up!" ... I got instantly pumped, handed my phone to Allie and ran to ring one.

The girl jumped guard and ended up wrapping my head up with my gi and grinding her forearm into my nose. It hurt like a mother... and then I heard a crack. It scared me (and hurt) so bad I almost tapped. But my fear turned to insta rage, and I didn't. To escape the face crush, I had to break her grip which tightened the grip on my face temporarily... but like I said, I had the insta rage, so I stuck it out.... then there was a second crack... and then a third.... I'm pretty sure I cursed under my breath, and I finally got my nose out of the way... only to leave her crushing my eye socket. Though once I got my nose out of the way the rest was a little easier.

Once I got my face out, I was able to get her guard broken, leg pined and was 90% of the way out.... just in short of time being called. If I had another 10 seconds I could have passed and secured side control for points, but alas... no points were scored and she won because I had to work out of the 'choke' she had.

The thing that bothers me about it is that never once was she even remotely close to choking me. It was just forearm to face the entire time. I wouldn't begrudge her if she had the choke, and was trying to finish it, or didn't realize she had my face... but she knew it was my face, and she never had the choke or anything close to my neck. To me, that is not Jiu-jitsu... Your opinion my differ, and that is fine.... I'm just stating mine. I feel like when people have to rely on things like that, it means they don't have technique. Or maybe, they would rather do that because it is easier route to victory.

I could have done something similar in my division, but I didn't. I would rather lose a match then win by something underhanded or questionable. More than gold, I want Fabio to be proud of me. I want to have a good time, I want my competitors to have a good time. Yes, I want to win, but I want to be able to look my competitors in the eye when I am done and be proud of myself. If I break a nose for no good reason... that is nothing I would be proud of. I think it is different if you have a submission locked in and someone is refusing to tap... and I am sure some people might think that is what happened to me... I should have tapped to the forearm in my face... but again, this is just my opinion, and even clear headed right now I feel like I made the right choice. I didn't want to reward her for what I feel was poor grappling etiquette and bad technique... Am I in pain? Yes. Do I think she will remember? Maybe not. But if people continue to refuse to let her win that way, maybe she will stop doing it, and rely more on her actual Jiu-jitsu...which she did have; she wasn't without skill.

However, I realize the driving force behind competition is winning, and a lot of people are more than happy to do whatever it takes to get that done... and that is okay. I just don't think its something to be proud of or something I personally am willing to do. (I want to live in a world where we slide down rainbows and eat fluffy clouds and sunshine for breakfast too...) Or maybe I am just not cut out for the competition circuit. It is what it is... however, I will continue to compete.. and maybe one day my Jiu-jitsu will be good enough to over come the brute force some people bring to the table.

Another match I saw a person grind their knee into the neck of the person they were grappling. It was basically knee on belly, but replace the belly with neck. While the fight was going on, the person who had the knee in their neck... their coach was trying to keep them calm and walk them through the match. He was saying things like, "They are getting tired.. You've got this!" or "It is just brute force! Use your technique!" He was clearly just trying to encourage his student, trying to keep them focused and get them through the match. At one point they had to move back to center, and when they got up, the person who was grinding their knee into the other persons neck, got up and started talking trash to the other persons coach. Finally when everything was said and done, the knee grinder won. No points were scored, but they were awarded the win for their aggression. When they had their hand raised, they cursed at the other coach, ripped off their gi top and jumped up and down around the ring, beating their chest and screaming obscenities. Honestly, it was the most poor display of sportsmanship that I have ever seen at a competition.

Meanwhile the other matches for blue belt absolute were going on, and I was talking to a lot of the other girls fighting... I met a girl from Sweden. She came alone, and made a vacation out of it. She was a really awesome lady, and I really enjoyed talking to her. We also exchanged information.

Turns out the girl from Sweden was in the finals with the face crusher, and another dirty grappler. So I warned her of the other girls tactics. She thanked me, and ended up facing off against face crusher for gold, and won. I pleased me to no end, a nice girl with good technique won the day.

So, in the end I came home with a bronze medal a broken nose, two new friends.... and a clear picture of how I want to compete, and what I want to be known for. (You know if I am ever known for anything... lol) And truly, a sense of who I want to be and how I want to repesent when I compete.

This competitions also had a lot of firsts for me.

My first competition as a blue belt.
My first IBJJF competition.
My first competition I went into without an existing injury.
The first time I got injured in a competition.
The first time I cried at a competition. (Twice no less. What a baby! lol)
The first time I did absolute.
The first time I lost all of my matches.... however, no points were scored on me. ... I mean aside from that one submission. =)

Okay, Gerard Butler...

2011-10-20T11:04:00.003-04:00

I know I mentioned it a little while ago, but this is your last chance... I'd really appreciate it if you could come to the Miami Open and shout lines from 300 at me. I really think it would help me get in the zone. =)

Front kick for the win? Yes. Yes indeed.

T Minus 10 Days!

2011-10-12T00:11:00.003-04:00

10 days until the Miami Open, and honestly I feel great about it. I'd be lying if I didn't randomly get butterflies so bad I might just throw up, but over all I am feeling good to go.

And like I always do, I try find songs that make me feel like I can throw cars, rip off limbs, and leap tall buildings to help me get in the zone.

This song doesn't so much get me in THAT particular zone, but it gets my brain in the right place. Thinking positive thoughts. I got some really great advice recently... "don't picture bad outcomes, only good ones... this energizes the same motor receptors in your brain as actually DOING it does, so it really does further ingrain the right synapses into your mind..."

This song helps me do that. Oddly, I don't really like the song, and I very much dislike Nikki Minaj, but this song put my brain a positive focus. A calm, collected, I will mess up your day kind of mood.

Best night, ever.

2011-10-11T01:19:00.006-04:00

Okay, maybe not ever... but definitely one of the best.

It was one of the most fun nights I've ever had at Fabio Novaes BJJ!

I got thrown about 40 times and got utterly destroyed by everyone I grappled, but it was all in good fun, and in spite of the ass beatings and throws, I've never felt more like part of the team.

And yes... I am competing in the Open still... as a blue belt.

I had no idea I would be until about a week ago... hence my insanity, self doubt, and general terror.

However, I'm over it.. I'm going to go, do the best that I can do, and that will just have to be enough. =)

If I lose, I lose.

If I win.

All the better for me!

One funny thing happened though... After my first grapple, my belt came off.. and I stood there looking for it for a good five or six seconds before I realized... I couldn't find it, because I was looking for a white belt. =)

... I also feel it necessary to say... I under no circumstances feel like I should be wearing a blue belt... However, I am over joyed that Fabio thinks I should be.

Confidence II

2011-10-07T22:41:00.001-04:00

Yes. I am a basket case.

Confidence

2011-10-06T07:36:00.001-04:00

Sometimes a picture is enough.

How to kill Zombies!

2011-10-03T13:35:00.001-04:00

Like many bloggers I keep track of how many hits my blog gets, and how people find it. And like many other bloggers have done I am going to go over some of the more interesting and popular searches...

"Ringworm" - I am sure that is a result of my rage inducing case of ringworm, and that one time I thought I had ringworm and did not. ~ How to Cure Ringworm (One in search variation in particular that I liked was, 'angry ringworm'. I feel you buddy.)

"Jiujitsunita" - Seems like a pretty obvious one. You found the right place.

"Cauliflower Ear" - Why people want to purposefully do this to themselves is beyond me. I have gone over this before, people. Don't do it. Your mother will thank you. ~ How not to look like an idiot.

"Fabio Novaes" - This one comes up a lot in may variations... Fabio Novaes Lakeland, Fabio Novaes BJJ. Fabio Novaes is the most amazing BJJ instructor ever to walk the planet... Yeah, that last one came up the most. lol But really, in my opinion he is... ~ Fabio Novaes Brazilian Jiu-jitsu

"Rage Face" - Perhaps you were looking for this? ...

"I totaled my car and it was my fault" - Me too friend, me too... Not fun.

"Six guys and one girl" - No.. Just no.

"How to tie my long hair up everyday fat face" - I never did find a way to get my hair out of my face and still hide the face fatness. If you figure it out, let me know. lol This may help though... ~ Find the right hair style for your face

"BJJ hair for women" - This one comes up a lot in various forms. Check out Meg's blog, she has a great record of BJJ hair for women. ~ MegJitsu - BJJ Hair for Women

But the greatest of these...

"How to kill Zombies" - The fact that my blog came up via this search pleases me to no end. The only thing is, I don't know why my blog came up with this search. Maybe I have given this instruction in some form or another. In which case, disregard the information you've found. I have an excellent zombie apocalypse plan, but I have not openly shared this plan with anyone. The only other thing I can assume is that maybe Google thinks Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is a great way to kill zombies... but anyone who knows anything about Zombies would know that BJJ would be a terrible way to kill a zombie.

Firstly,grappling would SURELY get you bitten, and then you would just be another zombie for someone else to kill only adding to the zombie epidemic.

Secondly, how exactly would you kill a zombie with BJJ? They are already dead so a choke would be pointless. I suppose breaking their arms and legs would render them to be a useless nonthreatening zombie, but that is a lot of risk and effort for minimal reward.

Thirdly, and dare I say most importantly, who would want to grapple a zombie? Forget the bite risk, you think it is bad to grapple that stinky kid who never showers and doesn't wash his gi?... What do you think it would be like to grapple THIS guy:

That is just a drippy stinking mess I wouldn't want to touch with a 10 foot pole.

Braaaaaaaaaaains.....