Merry Christmas!!

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

Spectator!

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...

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?

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.

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.

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?

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

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!

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