Gym bag?!

How did I go from uber nerd, to gym bag girl?!

I've become semi-obsessed with Jiu-Jitsu... and by obsessed, I just mean really, really excited. I LOVE it! I look forward to class so much.. and I'm even a little excited about learning how to get punched in the face. lol... Scared, but also excited.

And it is affecting the way I do everything. For example, I wear a wallet chain... and when I was putting my pants on yesterday, I was like... "Hey, I shouldn't wear this.. It's like a handle on my butt for someone to get a hold of.” Then the nerdy side of my brain was like… “I could just get some sort of quick release clip…” and then “But then they would have a chain to choke me with…” …and yes, I do have conversations with myself in side my head on a semi-regular basis… and yes, I know that means I have either lost or am losing my mind, but whatever. At least I always have someone to talk to. lol

I am sure my family and friends will very quickly get irritated with my non-stop jiu-jitsu talk, and I’m sure I have chased off anyone who ever considered reading my non-sense blog, but I’m really excited, so I don’t care… and I think a part of the reason I am so excited about it is because the two trainers are freaking amazing. Brian is my favorite though, and I that is probably because I have worked with him the most, and he makes me really comfortable…well… I should say I am more comfortable with him then any of the other guys. He is, like I said, amazing and could kill me with his bare hand before I even knew what was going on, and there for completely intimidating, but he doesn’t make me feel stupid or like I am irritating him. Plus, he tells me that I am doing well, when I know I am not… but it makes me feel better about my epic crappiness. He is a very visual teacher too, and that is how my brain works… So, it helps me a lot. And he applies things to real life situations. For example when I was grappling with him Saturday... (And by grappling with him, I mean flailing like a fish under him) he grabbed me by the throat, and showed me how that is no different than other positions... it’s just more intimidating, but I should do the same things he was showing me earlier. That was a really valuable lesson. God forbid I ever find myself in that kind situation, but I know now how to react to something like that did happen.

Anyway, it also is helping me to get into better shape. I’m a girl, so I’m always wanting to be in better shape, but now it’s like I want to be stronger, and more fit.. Not just so I feel better about myself, but because I want to be better at Jiu-jitsu… and that motivates me SO much more then, oh man, I want to not look like a whale in my tight jeans. Because let’s face it… Chocolate trumps tight jeans, but Jiu-Jitsu totally trumps chocolate.

As if right now my major issues are:
1. I am HYPER aware of the way I smell. I want to not stink, and am uncomfortable sticking people’s heads in my arm pits and between my legs…. And sadly that is where I need to stick heads if I want to pin anyone anywhere. I’ve got to man up, and jam heads where I feel they don’t belong.

2. I need to worry less about putting my body on people. I mean the guys I’ve worked with thus far I am comfortable with, but I just am uncomfortable LAYING down on top of someone. I feel the need to keep some space between my chest and theirs. …which is fail for Jiu-Jitsu. I NEED to put my weight on them… not to mention the space gives lots of opportunity for whoever I am grappling to get their wedges in.

3. I have to work on remembering what I know while grappling. I tend to forget everything in the heat of the moment… then afterward, I’m thinking, I should have done this, or I should have done that. It’s like when someone says something, and you think of something funny to say back like 5 minutes after they’ve left. It’s irritating.

If I can accomplish those things, I think I will be at least semi-less sucky… and also, if I can get to the point where I don’t feel like I have been run over by a truck at the end of class that will be good too. Sadly, I think I am going to just have to be perpetually bruised for however long I keep this up…which I foresee being a long time. Though maybe my soft fleshy girl body will get used to the abuse and I’ll stop looking like a battered woman.

Oh, and I need to work on my flexiblity. Bendy is good.