Roy Dean posted this video on his blog the other day and I just couldn't pass up sharing it as well. As Mr. Dean wrote, "Beautiful grappling from Derek Wojcik, in a fusion of wrestling, Judo, BJJ, and Sambo. Excellent control, too. Watch out for this kid, he’s got a bright future!"
When I watched this, I thought of the wrestlers we have training with us. Can you believe that all of their wrestling coaches don't want them to practice Jiu-Jitsu or Judo?
3/8/10
Jiu-Wrestling
3/6/10
The Brotherhood of Jiu-Jitsu
We all have a story to tell about our Jiu-Jitsu journey. The focus of this segment is about the draw to Jiu-Jitsu. What brought you to the hallowed mats within the dojo? What keeps you coming back for more?
All too often we associate Jiu-Jitsu players with young, athletic males, those standout practitioners who seemingly excel with ease. The reality is that we are a quite diverse group of women and men, of all ages and walks of life, with varying motivations and ideas about Jiu-Jitsu.
I would also like to thank all of my students who allow me to capture their journey's to share with others.
3/3/10
No guts, no glory
With the Battle on the Plains, and the advent of Jiu-Jitsu in the State Games approaching, I thought I'd say a few words about competing. Why do I compete? Not for the medals, I keep mine in a closet. Not for the accolades, because honestly, unless they are involved in the sport, no one cares. Not to win, because I have lost many times. Not because I like to fight...well, actually I DO like to fight, but that's not why I compete. I do it because it's a valuable learning tool, and because I hate it. That's right, I would rather stand naked in the street and have someone shoot paint balls at me than compete.
The first time I competed I almost passed out from fear. The adrenaline rush of "fight or flight" was in full effect. To be able to overcome that, I have had to teach myself to remain calm in this "crisis" situation. This kind of learning is invaluable. For me, competition is really the only time that I am able to test my ability to use my training in times of stress. Nothing inside the dojo can approximate it. Every time that I compete, it gets a little easier. I remain more calm, and learn to overcome the involuntary physiological response of my body. Learning to do this now could make all the difference if I am ever confronted with a real self-defense situation.
I envy the people who can compete without fear, but they are few. Most people experience what I have described, at least to some degree. So, if you don't want to compete because you are afraid...that's okay, I understand. But the only way to overcome that, or any other fear, is to face it.
2/28/10
You Will Get Better
I had a recent conversation with one of my students and thought I’d share some of my thoughts. I’m going to take some creative liberties here, but the gist of the conversation was about that all too common feeling that no matter how hard you try, you don’t seem to be getting any better.
I understand that just because I tell/show students how to do things, that doesn't mean they'll be able to do it, or even remember that I told them. That's why we go over things repeatedly and I say the same things over and over. Eventually it will soak in and begin to make sense.
Regarding the triangle choke for the longest time I couldn't figure out which foot to hook over. Something so simple, yet the mechanics of it escaped me. I didn't understand how to shift to one side and always got stacked up and passed. Eventually I did learn how to effectively apply the technique. It wasn’t that my instructor didn’t teach me properly. It was just a matter of how my brain processed the information.
One of the interesting things about Jiu-Jitsu is that we all started at the same place. Sure, the senior students walk around now with their fancy belts and awesome moves, but I remember when they all first started.
Just keep doing what you're doing. Take a look at any senior student and see how good they are. They all started exactly as you did. Secondly, you need to realize that if you put in the hours, you will get as good as they are. When I look back at my first year, I couldn't see past the tip of my nose. My epiphany came when I realized that if I just kept practicing, I would be as good as my teachers someday. And when they continued to get better and surpass their previous level, which motivated me even more. Rather than looking at it like I would never be as good as them, I looked at it as a comfort in knowing that one day I would be even better. It’s inevitable. In fact I think it’s the law of Jiu-Jitsu. I realized that in order for me to improve I needed more mat time. It makes no difference how many months or years you've trained in Jiu-Jitsu. It's all about the hours. Jiu-Jitsu time is like flight time, or flight hours. The more you have, the better you are.
Did I tell you I'm learning how to play the guitar? Talk about frustrating! There is no way I'm going to be able to make my fingers bend and twist the way they need to in order to play all the chords. It's physically impossible for me to do it. Those who can have got to be blessed with an innate ability to play. It's downright insane. I've been practicing for almost five weeks and have missed two lessons. I'm not improving much and have thought about quitting. I’ve skipped practicing on some days, with the thought I'll just practice longer the next day.
The bottom line is this. I will not stop practicing. I want to learn so bad that I will continue to suffer through this tough time. People tell me that I will get better, but I just can't see it right now. I love music and listen to my favorite songs all the time. I dream of being able to play many of the songs that I so love to listen to.
2/27/10
John Roseberry - Shihan to Celebrate his 75th birthday
Many people would say that a martial-arts, national treasure has, for years, lived a quiet and unassuming life in Lincoln, Nebraska. Unlike many would-be grand masters, John Roseberry has humbly sought answers on the floor of his dojo, and has trained and taught Asian martial arts for the past fifty-five years. He has never sought fame, fortune and has consistently shunned the limelight.
I spent a lot of time thinking about this post and what I would say about Shihan's upcoming 75th birthday celebration. Keeping true to Shihan's humble approach to life and not being one to revel in the spotlight, I will keep this simple.
Who: John Roseberry - Shihan
What: 75th Birthday Party
When: Monday, March 8, 2010
Time: 7:40 PM
Where: Sho-Rei-Shobu-Kan Dojo
We are celebrating Shihan’s 75th birthday with cake and refreshments at the dojo. Sensei Pitts is supplying carrot cake. People are welcome to bring other refreshments, goodies and birthday cards. We will also present Shihan with a gift from the students.
Spread the word so students and teachers know and have an opportunity to make a conscious decision to attend. I hope we can promote this in a way that attendance for this event shows Shihan how much he is loved by his students.
2/26/10
Hell hath no fury like a woman Jiu-Jitsu fighter
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When was the last time you saw a, (spoken in a hushed voice) thirty-something mother, take the plunge and dive into the world of Jiu-Jitsu? For those of you who don't know Gina, she is one of only a handful of women who have braved the gauntlet of male students to venture onto the mats of our Jiu-Jitsu class.
Our class continues to grow, so it might be easy to miss some of the female students. If you want a lesson in how to use technique rather than strength or how to leave your ego on the edge of the mat, grapple with one of the women..jpg)
Gina began her martial journey at thirty-five when she started learning Karate. She earned her black belt last June. She is an avid competitor as well, winning gold medals repeatedly in sparring competitions at the Cornhusker State Games. She has also medaled in the Kata competitions.
She has been a regular student in our dojo's sparring class since its early beginnings. Gina has studied some Judo and dabbled in almost every other discipline offered at Roseberry’s Martial Arts Center. She did a short stint helping out with teaching the A+ Positive Kids Power class at the dojo (for 3-7 yr olds).
Gina began learning Jiu-Jitsu near the beginning of 2009. She caught the bug early and has remained a regular student since. Last June, Gina was interviewed on Athena Medusa about her Jiu-Jitsu journey..jpg)
We captured some great open mat footage of Gina yesterday, so I put together a couple of videos. I think there's some real value in watching yourself grapple. Of course, we are always the most critical of ourselves. Gina expressed some of her thoughts about her performance after watching the videos, but admits that it is a wonderful tool and an awesome learning experience. She talked about how she was able to see so many things in both the videos that she didn't even realize she was doing, and so many things that she should have been doing.
2/21/10
Random thoughts, common sense information, and advice for the average Jiu-Jitsu fighter
Contrary to what your significant other might think: Cauliflower Ear is a badge of honor; Getting cross-faced is not a look you get on your face when you’re upset; Snap, crackle and pop are not the cute little dudes on a Rice Krispies box; A gi is not an outfit, get-up, or pajamas.
We know if you have ever trained in BJJ and for how long. If you’re the new guy, it’s probably not a good idea to say you have trained for about a year if you really haven’t.
If you tap out a black belt, go buy yourself a lottery ticket. You've already beaten the odds.
Here’s how to not get tapped out. Don’t do whatever it was that got you tapped out in the first place.
More advice for not getting tapped out. If you had done what you were supposed to do to protect yourself, you wouldn’t be tapping.
Even better advice. Tapping is for sissies.
When you know everything you need to know about Jiu-Jitsu, you won’t have to waste anymore of your time going to class.
It’s not a secret technique if someone told you about it.
No, you can’t use your belt to choke out your opponent. Well, you can technically, but don’t.
If you’ve never suffered an injury, you’re not a Jiu-Jitsu fighter.
It’s okay if you don’t remember how you got all of your cuts, bruises, scrapes, scratches and that blood on the front of your gi.
Stay away from any Jiu-Jitsu fighter with the nickname, Sasquatch, Hulk, Shrek, Goliath, or with the word “Big” before his name.
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