Saturday, February 27, 2010

Epic Fail

I posted earlier this month about feeling off...  It has gotten better since then, but today was probably the worst class I've had in a long time.... possibly ever.  I was on the verge of tears at the end of class.  Normally, on my bad days I just feel like I hadn't grappled the way I know I should have... but today I just felt flat out dominated all day.  People who I should be able to control were ALL OVER ME.  I know I was trying to work this triangle thing from inside someone's side control, and to work that, I pretty much have to let someone pass into side control, but once people got there, I couldn't close the triangle, I couldn't escape... I couldn't do anything.  I sat in someone's side control almost every grapple.  It was beyond frustrating!


For some reason, I have latched onto this triangle, and I want to work it into my game SO badly.  If someone gets me into their side control I can almost always get the triangle, I land it at least once or twice every class, but I can never close it.  I've asked Ben about it probably two or three times now, and today after class I think I may have found what I am doing wrong.... so I am going to try to work with it on Monday too.... but this time I am not going to give up side control to try it... I will just try it if I get there.  I can't take another night of being locked up in side control.

I will get this stupid triangle down.  I know the triangle is close-able.  When Ben was showing me somethings about it after class he closed it so super tight it made me do that gaggy thing... Granted, he is a big brown belt guy, but I should be able to do it too if I can get the technique right.

It is now to the point that I have to learn how to close it for my own sanity.  It is driving me crazy!

*sigh*

The one good thing about having had such a bad day is now I am SO fired up for Monday night.  I want to make up for my epic failure on the mat today.... but sadly my biggest gap between classes is Saturday morning to Monday night.

Friday, February 26, 2010

How to Drain Your Cauliflowering Ear - By Georgette Oden

Thanks Georgette for the how to on draining cauliflower ear!


"I used insulin needles. I went to Walgreens at the pharmacy counter and asked for the tiniest gauge needles they had; a sack of 10 syringes with super-teeny needles was like $2.50.

I also bought a box of alcohol pads that happened to have anesthetic in there too. (No harm in being a pain-weenie.)

I carefuly wiped all around the inside and outside of my ear and let the pad sit for a minute or so on the place where the fluid was filled up, so the novacaine could soak in if it was going to. (As it turns out, it doesn't numb your ear, at least not that I could feel. But the needle prick isn't all that painful either.)

Depending where the fluid pocket is, you'll need to play around with where to stick the needle. Pull all your hair back and use bobby pins so you have a very clear view and do this in front of your bathroom mirror. Take all the protective caps off the syringe, needle-end and plunger-end. Work the plunger in and out a little bit so it doesn't stick, and I left the plunger out about .5cc so there was some airspace the fluid could flow into.

You'll want to put the needle in all the way, and have the tip of the needle in the middle of the deepest part of the fluid. The hardest part is actually penetrating your skin (the top layer is tough!) Sometimes, just getting into the ear is enough to get the blood/fluid draining. Sometimes, you need to get the needle in and then pull the plunger back bit by bit.

If nothing at all comes into the chamber when you pull the plunger a bit, you may need to change the angle of the needle relative to the pocket of fluid, or maybe pull the needle out a tiny bit to get less deeply into the pocket, or ick, you may need to change where you pierce the skin entirely.

Sad to say, you'll get a good feel for that particular pocket over the next day or two, and you'll find a place and angle that reliably works. That one "stick site" will become sore but the feeling of relief and the lack of vegetableness of your ear will be worth it.

FYI-- sometimes, the fluid is bloody (even really dark red) and sometimes it's clear-yellow serum. Usually, it starts out with a droplet of blood- then a bunch of serum- then the tail end of that draw will be blood, which actually looks pretty cool as it swirls into the serum. Sorry, I guess I'm twisted.

Make sure you use an alcohol pad to pinch against the stick site again, and hold it tightly for a minute or so to stop any residual bleeding. Also make sure you bend the needle back (pressing it against the floor or a hard nonscratch surface) and then re-cap it so no one can reuse it."  - 
http://georgetteoden.blogspot.com/2010/02/how-to-drain-your-cauliflowering-ear.html




Thursday, February 25, 2010

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The Good:

Today I pretty much got to Jits all day.  I went to Fabio's afternoon class in Lakeland, and his evening class in Brandon.  I have been out to the Brandon school once before.  It was great to go back... it is nice to roll with people I don't normally get to roll with in an environment where I feel safe.  My friend Jen has to miss every other Friday due to her new work schedule, so she wants to start going out there on Thursday nights to make up for her missed class.  I went with her tonight because she was a little nervous to go alone, but I might just go with her every time.  I had a lot of fun. ... plus, I am not one to turn down a chance to grapple! =)


The Bad:

I had to talk to my instructor about an issue I am having with another student.  I *really* hate to do that.  I have had to do it once before, but for an entirely different reason.  This time it was just generally that I did not know how to handle something myself, which could have resulted in me becoming injured... and that is just one thing that is not okay..  I really didn't know how to handle the situation, so I had to ask what I should do.. and in doing so, I feel like I sailed someone down the river...  But I keep telling myself if they weren't doing it in the first place, I wouldn't have to have sold them down the river.  Either way, it just sucks.


The Ugly:

I hurt someone today.  =(  I am normally super duper careful about people's joints, and if I bonk someone mid grapple with a knee or an elbow, I always make sure to say sorry.  Today, I was grappling someone who tried to take my back from guard, but ended up kind of falling onto his back and had me in a weird side guard.  He still had his legs crossed, so I trianlged my legs around his ankles and pushed down.  I have had that done to me before.. I know it hurts.  But he didn't let go...which is what I wanted him to do, or tap... so I pushed harder, and his ankle popped.  I probably would have just let it go except for the fact that he is kind of a big guy, and he had just been trying to muscle a neck crank.  Which is fine...  I don't want people going easy on me because I am a girl, but at the same time, if you are going to put it on me, I am not going to back out of my submissions because you are too stubborn to tap... or just let go, which is all I wanted in the first place.  ... but I feel bad!  I do NOT want to hurt my team mates.  Ben says all the time to just tap if someone gets you in something.  Be a courteous grappler.  If someone gets you, acknowledge it.... don't challenge someone to break your arm... most people will let go, but if you get in the habit of making people let go of submissions because they don't want to be a jerk and hurt you, it is really going to suck for you when you get someone who won't.  Ben and Fabio both said I did the right thing, but I feel bad...  I don't want to be that guy... I don't want to be the reason someone gets put out grappling for a week or two so they can recover.... I HATE when that happens to me.... and I really hate that I may have done that to someone else.  It bums me out.





Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Most nerve wracking grapple... ever.

We have a Judo Olympian, Brian Germain, who trains Jits at our school.  He is, obviously, a black belt in Judo, but a blue belt in Jiujitsu.

He has a teenage daughter who is roughly my size... my height, but a bit lighter then I am.  She is a brown belt in Judo, and she also wrestles.  She was actually the female state champion earlier this year.

The very first time I grappled Brian a few months ago, he told me he wanted me to grapple his daughter.  He said I would give her a run for her money.  I was pretty much like, Oh okay, whatever, she would school me, but I laughed and said it sounded like fun.

After class, Brian decided to tell me again, in front of every single one of my coaches that he wanted to bring her in, so I could grapple her.  ... Grrreaaaat.  They all agreed it would be a good match up... later they told me I would have no trouble grappling her...they said being that she does Judo, and wrestles she will make mistakes in BJJ ... which I highly doubted, and was 100% certain they were just trying to boost my confidence.

She came tonight.

The second I saw her, my heart leaped up into my throat, and I started sweating.  Yes, yes, I was scared of a teenage girl.  I knew I was going to have to grapple her, and I knew people were going to be watching.  Esp her dad.  I was more nervous then, then I was at my very first competition.  Mostly because my coaches seemed to think I could beat her in a grapple, and I did not want to prove them wrong.

She was the only girl who was there for the drills, so I had to drill with her... Which is totally 100% okay with me... until people started watching us... as in standing there, watching us... not even trying to hide it.  Maybe they were all spacing out and happened to be facing our way, but it really felt like they were staring at us.

And of course my first grapple of the night was with her.

As I was walking over to her on the mat, I passed a friend, and I told her I was scared.  She told me I would do fine, but not to give her an inch because she would take it, and choke me out.  So, I sat down in front of her, tried to hide that I was terrified, and when Fabio said go, I went...

It ended up being a really great grapple.  She was really good at defending my chokes.. I assume that came from her Judo, but she gave up her back a lot, and I assume that is one of the down falls of wrestling.  Once I got a feel for her, I relaxed a little and after I submitted her I took down the intensity a notch or two... and ended up having a lot of fun rolling with her.

She said she is going to be back next week, and I am really excited to have another female grappler! ...and so glad that first nerve wracking grapple is out of the way!

Monday, February 22, 2010

Cauliflower ear .... ?

I talked to someone this weekend about cauliflower ear.

He said his got worse when he wore the ear protection because it was constantly rubbing his ear a little bit vs the random banging while grappling... well, wrestling in his case.

Now I don't know what I should do.

I am going to drain the little bit of fluid that is in my ear right now... Or I should say that Allie is going to do it for me.  (Thanks girl!  That's real love right there.  lol)

So, does anyone have any input on cauliflower ear...  Any tips on how to not let my ear get all Randy Couture?

Here is what it looks like right now... It's not bad yet.  I doubt people would even notice unless I pointed it out, but still... I don't want it to get any worse.  I have a weird shaped ear to begin with, so I circled the cauliflower-ing area... hehe  (Warning:  If you click the picture my face gets huge. lol)

Friday, February 19, 2010

Injury updates

My left wrist seems to be fine.  I have not worn my wrist brace to class in about two weeks, and it has given me no trouble.  Yay!

The left side of my rib cage is still sensitive to pressure, and aches when I pull anything with my left arm, but it is manageable.  Not that there is anything I could do about it anyway.... but this is pretty much how it has been since I popped my rib in the first place.  It's always been a little sensitive to pressure, but the generally achiness  comes and goes.

My toe is still broken, or jammed or whatever it is.  It hurts to walk without tape, and it hurts to bend it downward period.... and I can not bend it downward with out physically pushing it down with my hand.  I might go to the doctor just to make sure it's not too mangled.  But, I am able to grapple with it...  I just have to be careful.

And my gi burn is still disgusting.  I have to keep it wrapped up when I grapple because it leaks and bleeds, so it has yet to scab over.  It doesn't hinder my ankle's range of motion anymore...it used to sting when I would turn my ankle..  Obviously it still hurts when someone grabs a hold of it... and it is in a really nice spot for grabbing and holding.  lol   But I don't grapple on Fridays so, I am going to let it get some air and hopefully a scab.

So, all and all, I feel pretty good.

Except for the fact that I think I might be starting to get a little tiny bit of CAULIFLOWER EAR!

Gaaah!!

Ear protection here I come.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Really bummed....

One of my BJJ schools is closing.  =(  It's not final yet, but it looks like we will be finishing out the month, and that will be the end.

I am really sad.  I love training under Ben and Mario.  I will still be seeing Ben at Fabio's, but Mario said he is done with Jiujitsu all together.

The whole thing makes me sad....  I am sad that I won't be Ben's student anymore....  He gave me my first stripe.  I just always thought that he would be the one who gave me the rest of the stripes I may or may not eventually earn.  lol  Don't get me wrong, I love Fabio, and I really feel it is an honor to be one of his students.  He is an fantastic teacher, an awesome person, and I love training under him....  but... I dunno.  I'm just sad.

I'm also sad that Mario is quitting.  I won't see him anymore.  Both of those things make me sad....  Mario said he is burnt out.  He has been doing it a long time, and maybe it has lost the attraction for him.  I can't imagine ever getting to that point, and I am sad he is.... I am going to miss him.

I am just really, really bummed out.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Flying Blind

Last night Allie and I tried to grapple with our eyes closed.  It was really interesting.  We ended up in a lot of positions we'd never been in before... not so much luck with the submissions, but it was a lot of fun.  We are going to try to do it again next time we roll in class, but perhaps nest time, one will have their eyes open and just move, the other will have to react with their eyes closed.  But once we are both up to 100% we'll start going hard to prepare for our next competitions.  She has a bum shoulder, and I have my toe and ribs.

Oh, and speaking of competitions.. Other things that happened at NAGA that I forgot to mention...

You know my whole shorts fiasco... Well, there was a vendor at NAGA, Tuf Chik, and they had cute fight shorts for 20 bucks.  They retail for 60...  So, I got a pair, and fought in them.  They were comfortable, and I didn't notice them at all while I was grappling, so that is a win in my book.  Yay.

I also ran into a few of the girls I fought last time.  I didn't have to fight either of them, as they were in the same weight class, and I dropped, but one was very nice.  She sat on the side lines and cheered for me when I fought. The other was kind of stank.  I wished her good luck as she went in for one of her no gi matches and she looked at me like I a moron.  It was nice to see them again though, and I hope I see them next time too.  Perhaps I will be middle weigh again, and get another go at them.  hehe  =)

There was also this little girl, who remembered me from last time.  It was pretty cute.  She ran over to me when I saw her, and she was SO excited to see me again.  It was sweet.  =)  She is probably 7 or 8, and she competes as well, but I have yet to see her fight.  I wish I knew her name... but I am going to look for her next time.

Monday, February 15, 2010

I'm baaack!

NAGA was a blast!!

I made weight!  Woohoo!  I was so happy. I weighed in fully clothed, with jeans on, 134, and low and behold..... No other lightweights show up!  I had to fight middle weight anyway!  It was okay though.  What they ended up doing, was taking the two lightest middle weights, who were 141 and 147, and make us our own division so there was not to big of gap, and one girl was much shorter then I am.  So, it wasn't that big of a deal.  I just really wanted to fight tiny girls!  Oh well... maybe next time.



My first fight, I was determined to do a take down.  So, I tried... and failed so epically I basically took myself down.  Oops!  Oh well!  I know my take downs are garbage, but I wanted to try, so I did.  Fail or not, I tried, and that was my goal.  It helps that I won that fight after a minute and a half by submission.  =)  Guillotine!  That was my go to submission when I was a bigger newbie then I am now.  I also stayed calm the whole fight.  I actually stayed calm every single fight.  I kept my head clear, and didn't get gassed, even a little.  I stayed calm
almost to a fault I think.  In the middle of my first gi fight, we broke apart and instead of scrambling to get on top of her, I just let me come to me.  LOL  Next time, I am going to stay calm AND get in the zone.  I am sure I can accomplish both.  I didn't ever get really nervous or scared though, and that was good.  I didn't psych myself out at all... but again, being too calm I underestimated my last fight of the day.  The girl looked like a push over, and I went in thinking she would be one... but she wasn't.  She was really good, and wiped the floor with me.  But, it was a clean win, and I am fine with having lost.  I truly do not mind losing, when I know that I lost.  If a ref made a bad call... then it's a little annoying.  I found out after ward, the girl who beat me in gi, won second in no-gi intermediate so, she has been grappling over two years.

So, anyway.  I ended up taking gold in no-gi and silver in gi.  I won both of my no-gi fights by submission.  Guillotine, and Triangle.

My second no gi fight, I had the girl in my guard the whole fight, and she was hell bent on jamming her forearm and elbow into my neck.  So, every time, I shucked it off and tried to take her back... but she was the most spastic woman I have grappled in a long time, so I didn't have much success getting on to her back, but about 2 minutes into the grapple, we'd moved our way on the mat toward her coach.  He was right in my ear telling her to swim one arm into my guard.  He kept saying "Next time she makes space, swim that leg!" ... at the top of his lungs. Meanwhile, my coach is shouting, "Triangle next time she puts her arm back there!"  So, I made space...she put her arm in my guard, and I tangled her.   hehe    I watched the fight later, and she had tried to swim an arm into my guard once before, but I was busy getting an elbow in my neck so I didn't notice.

Since my division was only three people, I only had two fights, and got gold.  Yay!

I only had two fights for gi as well, but I lost my second one and took silver.

My first fight, I am pretty sure the girl was really new. I tried this half guard pull thing that land with you able to get on the back, but it didn't work, and I think I landed in guard, or maybe half guard, and went to guard.  She didn't try to defend any of the chokes I put on.  She would just stand up in my guard, and I would sweep her instead.  Toward the end, I just let her stand up, and tried to finish a choke, but I ran out of time.  It was funny though... I was choking her, and I looked down to make sure she didn't have her chin or a hand in the choke.  She didn't, and she was turning a really nice shade of purple... but I could hear one of my instructors voices in my head loud and clear... "If you can see your choke, you are too far away", so I buried my face in her neck and shoulder, and she started gurgling.  I'm not exactly sure what happened... I think she pushed me off of her and stood up, but the match ended, and I won 10 to 2 with two advantages.  The funniest part was that she BIT ME!  Mid gi choke, she turned her face into my hand and bit me.  It MAY have been an accident, but I felt teeth on the top and bottom of my finger.  You can even hear me say "Did you just bite me?!" on the video.  lol  She slammed me a few seconds later, and you can see me give her a dirty look.  It is pretty funny to watch the expressions you make while you grapple.


My fourth fight is the one I lost.  I thought the girl looked like a push over, so I figured I would work take downs again.  I practice them with sleeves to grab on to so I figured I would have better luck.  But she jumped guard in like 3 seconds and started going for submissions RIGHT away.  She went for a kimura, and while I was trying to defend it, she pushed me over and went to mount.  Fail.  I ended up in her guard again somehow, and being so annoyed that she just pushed me over, I made sure not to let her do it again.  Eventually, she went for an arm bar, and as I escaped she landed a triangle.  I didn't fight it like I should have, once I felt it sunk in I tapped.  I don't know if I could have escaped, but I didn't really even try.... but like I said, I honestly don't mind losing if I feel I actually lost, and that girl wiped the floor with me.  lol

In all honesty, I am glad she did.  I learned not to underestimate anyone, and to go into every fight thinking it is going to be a hard fight.  Not to sound egotistical, but I didn't feel that challenged in my first three fights.  Two of the girls were clearly pretty new to Jiujitsu, and the other fight I had guard the whole fight, and it is not difficult hard to defend from guard.  I am glad I had one hard fight.  It would have been awesome to have one hard fight and win, but lose or win I wanted to be challenged, and I was.  That is an important part of competition... be challenged and see where you fail.  My guard pass failed me this time, so I am going to work on it.  I never passed that girls guard.

All and all, I am very happy with this NAGA.  I did everything I wanted to do.  I made lightweight, won gold, attempted a take down, was challenged, won a fight by submission, and have a new focus.

This is my first no-gi match.  The most epic take down fail, of all take downs.


My second no-gi fight.



My first gi match.


Youtube is being lame right now and not letting me upload my gi fights, but I will put them up when I get them online.

Friday, February 12, 2010

Tomorrow is go time!

I made weight!  Woohoo!

I was 134.8 this morning when I woke up.  I ate and behaved normally all day, but I plan to sleep in sweats just in case my scale is off a bit.  I should be weighing in between 11:00 and noon, and fighting around 1:00.

My toe has not been bothering me much at all today, and I noticed it very little while I was grappling on Wednesday and Thursday.

I do have some epic gi burn on my ankle though... Not quite sure how I got it, but it is by far the worst gi burn I've never had.  My only concern with it is that if I get my right leg caught in half guard it is going to hurt like the dickens to pull my leg out.  And of course I pass guard to the left, so it would be my right leg that would be more likely to get caught.

Other then that, I have the normal pre-competition concerns.  What if I blow it... what if I get hurt... And even though, I know they wouldn't be, I worry I am going to disappoint my coaches.

And this will be the last of my annoying songs that make me want to grapple my face off...

Thursday, February 11, 2010

I promise I will shut up after this....

I know what you are thinking.... Why couldn't she have broken her fingers instead of her toe.

Today was my last class before NAGA, so I can't possibly have anything to say about Jiujitsu again until after this weekend.

I noticed two things today while grappling.  I went with a male white belt today who is roughly my size, and I decided to just try and stay calm, breath, and not let him pass my guard.  I, for the most part, succeeded, and I was kind of shocked at how much I noticed when I tried not to get grappling tunnel vision.  I did a little bit of sitting and waiting to see what he would try next and just reacting to what he did instead of working my own agenda.  I still broke a sweat, and could feel the sweat running down my face while we were grappling, and normally I don't notice how sweaty I am until I am back on the wall, but I wasn't winded at all.  I don't know that I could manage that same calmness at NAGA, but I am going to try.  I could probably grapple all day if I kept that same calm.

I got to grapple Paul again.  I tried to do the same stay calm thing, but it didn't work out for me as much with him.  lol - However, I noticed myself doing something I do a LOT with higher belts...  I will start to go for something, and give up even before I get my hand on gi because I know I won't be able to do whatever it was I thought I should try.  I just get into defensive mode.  Which really is the opposite of what I should be doing, especially when I know someone isn't actually going to hurt me.  I should try, and fail.  I will learn that way.   Ben has told me about 100 times to work what I suck at when I roll with someone who has less training, but work what I am good at when I go with someone with more training.  I also noticed what appears to be mercy while Paul and I were grappling.  lol (I mean, outside the OBVIOUS mercy he shows on the feeble little white belt that is myself.)  I could feel him shift his weight at the last second while I was bracing for impact.  He is big, and super tight, so he could seriously crush me without thinking, but he doesn't... And I really do appreciate that.  =)  I assume it is one of two things....one being that it takes a great deal of effort to go against his natural intuition, or he can just feel my feebleness and instinctively does not crush me.... but either way thanks Mr. Bruiser, sir, for not breaking my ribs.  =)  And, if I did not know any better, I would swear he purposefully messes my up my hair.  It gets more messed up in 5 minutes with Paul, then it does over the span of several grapples.


And now, I have only waiting to do until NAGA!  Wooohooo!!  (Though, really I would love to roll some more before I go. hehe)

And again, sorry for my epic blabbiness... Though, really, if you choose to read all my nonsensical nonsense, then you only have yourself to blame!  hehehe   =)

My new gi!

I've got it nice and broken in with Fabio's patch on the back....  NAGA here I come!  =)


I grappled in it and washed it every day this week. I hate new gi stiffness, and I didn't want to take it to NAGA bright and stiff.  =)


Here it is:

I love it.  Love it, love it, love it!

I 5'9 and 140 pounds so, I ordered an A2 (A2 5'5" - 5'8" 130-160 lbs) even though I am a bit out of the height range, but it fits well, and didn't shrink much at all , if any air drying.  I think an A3 would have been way too big.


It feels really sturdy, well made and functional on top of managing to look feminine and cute.  Looking cute is pretty low on the priority list as far as grappling goes, but it is nice to not feel like I am grappling in a blue potato sack for once. =)  I am a girl, after all.


I read they might be coming out with a white version, and I will definitely get another one if they do.  I don't think you could beat the quality of this gi for the price anywhere else.  


http://www.fenomkimonos.com/

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Phew!

I untaped my toe today to look at it.  It looks SO much better!  Phew!

It feels a bit better too, but take downs are still a pretty big concern.  I suck at them anyway, so throwing a jacked up toe in the mix isn't ideal.  Ben did show us one last night that I think I can pull off.  It's sort of like pulling someone in to butterfly guard, but one hook in, one leg out, and you take the back instead.  You wouldn't get points for it, but it is safe for my foot and if I screw it up, I land with them in my guard or butterfly guard, and I am comfortable with either one of those out comes.

Then again, I could always just do my default take down - panic during the clench and jump guard.  That seems to be my thing.  lol

Oh!  And I am two pounds from lightweight.  I know I can take that off in the next two days, or I could just dehydrate a little... but either way, I feel like I am in the clear weight wise.

Tonight is my last class before NAGA.  My instructors think it is wise to let your body rest for two days before a competition so that is what I will do, but I am going to train as hard as my foot will let me tonight.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

How many times am I going to blog in one day?!

I talked to Fabio and he does not think my toe is broken.  Woohooooo!!!

He thinks I just jammed it pretty bad.  I can live with that.  Fabio also showed me how to tape it properly, and it already feels better.

I did one grapple with Allie who was hyper aware of my foot, as was I, and it was fine.  I was scared to  use my foot to hook though.  After the roll, Allie let me try my favorite sweep with no resistance, and I could do it  with out pain just fine.  But during the grapple, I couldn't being myself to hook.  lol  I was too scared.

I have two classes between now and my cut off day.  I plan on grappling tonight, but going lightly, and asking Ben and Mario only put me with the less spastic grapplers.  Then tomorrow night see how my toe feels and grapple as hard as I think I can with out hurting myself.  

*sigh*

Perhaps this NAGA was just not meant to be.

Last night my toe really didn't seem like that big of a deal.

This morning was another story.  I can hardly walk, I don't see how I could possibly grapple, especially on a competition level with my foot all jacked up.

I am going to see Fabio this afternoon to see what he thinks about it.

Broken toe.

I broke my toe tonight.

I can live with it, but I is there anything in particular I should do with it?

Tape it to my other toe, ice and elevate.

That pretty much covers it right?

Monday, February 8, 2010

Alright, listen up body.

I run this show.  Not you.  (yeah, yeah, I know that sounds insane, and my body will do whatever it wants, but yelling at it makes me feel better.  lol)

You make light weight, and you will do it by Friday night.

Ugh!

I gained .2 more pounds.

It seems impossible, but it is what it is, and I will do what I have to to make light weight.

I didn't come this far just to fight middleweight... I have passed the point of no return, and I will make my goal.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Nemesis, why do you taunt me so?

Friday morning I was down to 137.

Two pounds from light weight.

Saturday morning I was up to 138.4.  I knew I'.d eaten a little crapper then I should have, so I expected it.

So on Saturday I stuck to my meal plan, and grappled like a mad woman.

I had to take the kids to a birthday party.. I passed on the cake, soda and root beet floats.  I only snacked on the raw veggies, and had a salad for dinner.

I went out after dinner to a local sports bar to watch the fight, and I ordered celery, humus and water.

This morning, I weighed 139.6.

How on earth I gained over a pound in a day where I ate basically nothing but raw vegetables is beyond me.

I  now have 6 days to lose 5 pounds.

It is so not going to happen.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

No-gi doesn't mean naked!

I have to take my kids with me on Saturday mornings if I want to get to class, so of course, I do.

Normally it goes pretty well, and this morning it was going about the same as usual.  Zaile randomly inquires about my general well being.  She gets a little concerned when she sees people sitting on me, or twist my body into unnatural positions.   Micah, aside from his random whining, doesn't give me too much trouble.

So, my second or third grapple this morning was with Mario, one of my instructors.  About half way through, while being rolled over Mario's shoulder I caught sight of Zaile.  She was standing on the edge of the mat, stark naked, waving her clothes through the air like pom-poms.

I'm not quite sure how much time was left for that roll, but I had to get up and run my naked kid out of the room and re-dress her.

Thankfully she kept her clothes on for the rest of class.

So, I went no-gi today, and Zaile went naked.  Nice.  =)

Other highlights from class -

We had seven grapples!  WOOHOO!  We almost never have that many.  I grappled everyone who showed up this morning.  We had a small class, and two people sat out of the grappling.  It was nice to roll with so many different people on the same morning.  We have a 120 pound 15 year old to a 230-ish guy...  Nice range of bodies to roll with.

I went no-gi this morning.  I washed my gi last night, and for some reason it did not rinse off well in the washer.  I could literally flake detergent off of it.. and I wasn't about to get all sweaty in it.  Detergent irritates my fingers if I get it on me while I am doing laundry.

I did not realize just how much gi I grab when I grapple until I tried not to do it.  Going no gi, I didn't want to be a jerk and collar choke someone when I had no collar for them to return the favor... So, I tried not to grab sleeves and pants... (Except for when I rolled with my instructors.  I asked if it was okay that I used their gis, and of course they said it was fine.)  Anyway, it was almost impossible to NOT grab gi.  It has been a really long time since I've gone no gi.  It was kind of fun... and freeing.  lol  Less sweaty, less controllable, more feeling.  hehe

Friday, February 5, 2010

Who wants to hear an annoying story?

I need another pair of no-gi shorts.  I hate the ones I have, and have been looking for some for the past few months.  However, it is winter, and no one seems to have ANYTHING but pants...or shorts with 900 pockets and zippers.  With NAGA around the corner, I splurged on a pair of 60 dollar fight shorts, and ordered them just in the nick of time to receive them before this weekend.  Shipping said 7-10 days.  They actually got here in 4 days.

WOOHOOO!! ..... No.

The shorts are really cute, feel really sturdy and the material is nice and breathable feeling.  I really like them a lot.  The problem.... they run small... as in tiny.

I wear a size 3 right now, and the size chart said if I am a 3 or 4, order a three.  I ordered a 5 just to be on the safe side, also thinking I am going to put some of this weight I am dropping back on.... and they fit, but they are low rise, which means I bend over, and viola, muffin top.  And I may just find myself bent over while grappling, so they are not going to work.  I can pull them up an inch or so to solve the muffin top issue, but then they aren't so cute in the crotch area.

With NAGA in 8 days (OMG! 8 days?!)  I don't have time to send them back and exchange them for a larger size, and if I just reorder they may not even get here in time.

I decided just to return them, and order another pair, which means I will pay for shipping twice, but might get them in time,. or hope and pray I can find some shorts I can work with before the weekend.

So, on my way to the post office to return the shorts, I swing by the store... and bam.. New shipment of athletic shorts... Cute athletic shorts that well for no-gi.  And they cost less then I spent on shipping for the shorts I ordered online.

Oh well.  At least I have shorts to fight in now.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

What the...!?

So, I feel better this morning... less mopey.... I say as I sit here crying while I watch Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs with the kids.  Oh hormones, how I loathe you. I really do feel better though.  =)

But, physically I feel run over.

I don't know why.  It's not like I rolled that hard last night.

We did a little self defense, and I got kneed in the shin a few times, so my shin is all purple and lumpy this morning... and I got a slightly crushed in one of my grapples, (okay, I got seriously crushed, my sternum popped, but that isn't as bad as it sounds.  It has done that from time to time since my second pregnancy, but still. Ouch. It was not on purpose, he just came down directly on top of me, and I was flat on my back when he landed.) but I didn't think it was all that bad.

This morning though, the whole left side of my rib cage aches and I have bruises on my stomach, chest and back.  I almost never get bruised on my stomach... Honestly, I don't see how it could have been related to what we did last night, but there is nothing else I do that would bruise me up like this.

I don't mind... bruises and soreness go hand in hand with Jiujitsu, but normally I can at least figure out where my bruises came from.  So, unless someone is beating me in my sleep, I have no idea what happened.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Off

Pardon me, I am going to mope tonight.

Feeling this way is really out of character for me.  I am generally a happy person, and I am happy about who I am... but right now, I am totally and completely doubting my game... and since Jiujitsu is such a major portion of my life, it is throwing me completely out of whack.

I love Jiujitsu.  Love it.  Hands down, no questions asked one of my favorite things, ever.

But lately, I have been completely and totally doubting my game.  I feel off every single time I grapple... like I am doing everything wrong, or doing the wrong things.  I used to leave class feeling great, not so much about the way I grappled, but because I grappled.  Now I leave class almost sad.

It's not like I feel like I am sucking or that I am getting dominated.  I just feel ... off.

I wish I could put my finger on what it is exactly that is putting me in this funk, and get over it.

I want to go back to feeling good after class.... even if I got tapped 20 times every grapple, I would leave class happy.  That feeling is the reason I fell in love with Jiujitsu, and I miss it.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Yes!

I am down to 138.9

I am into the 130s.  Phew!

12 more days, 4 more pounds.

Eep.

I know I can dehydrate the rest off, but I really, really do not want to. I wouldn't really even considering doing it, except for the fact that I have been busting my butt for the past month, and I don't want it to be all for nothing.

And BTW - My teammate, Jimmy, who competed in Abu Dhabi won his division, and his first match in absolute.   He lost his second by two points.

Awesome job Jimmy!  I knew he would do well.  Jimmy is awesome.