Cardio beats a RNC

[Michael Tzadok]

Most of the rest of the class was a further yawn. At one point the instructor talked about how to handle anger with your students. Which lead to a class wide argument about what was appropriate to get angry about and whether one should ever get angry with one's students. Nothing there really interesting.

Then the instructor went on about guaranteeing promotion to protect a student's self esteem. I would have kept my mouth shut, but he asked if anyone had a different opinion. Yep I sure do. Most of the class was shocked when I made the case for BJJ belt promotion being about actual fighting ability. They were far more shocked when I said it didn't matter how young a kid was when they started, they weren't getting a black belt before 19 with early 20's being more likely.

JKN and GN got into an argument after class as to whether Ninjutsu is BS. GN is still convinced that Booj is the greatest evar and that JKN has simply succumb to BJJ propaganda. JKN pointed out that GN refused to take part in my RNC lesson, and essentially told GN to take the Gracie challenge with me. Thankfully GN turned down the Gong Sao I had just been volunteered for, and made some noises about having nothing to prove to anyone.

JKN wanted my advice after that about the course. I gave him the unsolicited advice of not doing challenge matches and for sure not volunteering others for them. Then I told him to finish the course. Most BJJ clubs in this country need all the instructors they can get, even if it is just someone to be there for open mats for insurance reasons. That he will be able to add BJJ to his cert in a year(there is a mandatory 1yr wait between style additions) and if he totally throws himself into his BJJ training that is about how long it will take to get his blue belt and be legally qualified.

[DCS]

BJJ wins again.

[Michael Tzadok]

Alright first break so I can fill in a few things. Sorry if they are not humorous.

DFW called it quits today. Came in to tell GBA that, and to work on the paperwork of officially withdrawing. Apparently getting choked unconscious in 4 seconds flat caused him to rethink all the KM stuff he had been told on choke defense, and then that lead him to rethink everything else he had been taught in KM. So he is officially and permanently out.

Psych instructor then droned on for three straight hours repeating himself and rambling dropping occasional nuggets of wisdom. Not that what he is saying isn't good solid stuff, but with a psych degree, it is all really basic and he isn't having class interaction so nothing funny, and just a lot of me struggling to pay attention.

During the first minutes of the break JKN went over to talk with the psych teacher. He basically wanted confirmation that he is currently training in a psychologically unhealthy environment. Psych teacher totally agreed with him.

He then came over to me. He apparently looked up the Gracies in Action videos and some Andre Galvao vids, and has decided to finish out the course then take up BJJ. Totally sensible in my opinion. I didn't see that one coming.

[BKR]

After a brief intermission, class is once again resuming. Will post updates as they come available.

Please do we can use some serious humor around here.

[Michael Tzadok]

After a brief intermission, class is once again resuming. Will post updates as they come available.

[Raycetpfl]

Ha! It is a small world. Was it at some competition or a gong sau of some kind. Furey smacked too much of a selfpromoting type from the start.

I forget the details. I do remember laughing during the story because that shits funny to me.

[ksennin]

One of my teachers broke his arm.

Ha! It is a small world. Was it at some competition or a gong sau of some kind. Furey smacked too much of a selfpromoting type from the start.

[BKR]

One of my teachers broke his arm.

Kids, don't try this at home...

[Raycetpfl]

I picked up that wall exercise ages ago from some Matt Furey promo and it really worked.

One of my teachers broke his arm.

[ksennin]

Have them go to a wall,stand about 2 foot or so away, lean backwards and walk themselves on their hands to the ground and then walk their hands back up.

I picked up that wall exercise ages ago from some Matt Furey promo and it really worked.

[MrBeaj]

Perhaps, then, the delineation should be "national/official/olympic/professional" vs "commercial?"

Similar: USGA US Open was this weekend. While it's "open," you still have to qualify (or have an exemption (i.e. be a pro)).

Pretty much everything you mentioned has a commercial element. Never saw a "free" tournament in my life. What's wrong with the old elite-pro-amateur-recreational scale? Everything seems to fit nicely in those boxes, especially the martial arts. Most are recreational, a few are pro/am and a select few are then elite by definition. Olympics, Tokyo pd, national teams are elite because they are hard to entry. US Open, easier and open to amateurs under certain rules. The US Open is a path from amateur golf to professional, potentially elite status such as the Masters. Bjj is pretty open as far as the barrier to elite status but I do agree with Michael Tzadok that age is the limiting factor. Not so much a Bjj thing, but the increasing scale of difficulty and shrinking window of opportunity.

Everyone has only a tiny little window of life through which they could be an elite at anything. SEAL, fencer, master at kendo, BJJ champion. I think this is why bullshido masters are so numerous. People love to pretend they hit that window, and no product out there in the market is as tuned for that customer than martial arts schools. IF you didn't become the elite fighter or ninja warrior you could have been at 20, there are schools out there ready to take your money to convince you it's still possible at 50, when it's not.

[Michael Tzadok]

You are taking your experience with BJJ and trying to apply it across all martial arts and it just doesn't cut it. Take fencing, which is about as much on the sport side as it is possible to get with martial arts: guys that are on national teams come from local salles and you can practice with them. Salle Seguin here in town has produced a couple of national team members. Getting in on the actual national team practices is another matter entirely. Same with kendo: my friend Kyle Lee is the Canadian team captain and practices regularly at Chinook Kendo Club in Calgary. I can go practice with him any time in Calgary and he comes here every year for our seminar, but I'm not getting in on the national team practices unless I'm a member, prospect or coach.

Here is the email of the minister of culture and sport. [email protected], his name is Shlomo Saba. Feel free to write to him and tell him how wrong he is about the delineation between Sport and Martial Art. Personally I'm over arguing it.

[submessenger]

You are taking your experience with BJJ and trying to apply it across all martial arts and it just doesn't cut it. Take fencing, which is about as much on the sport side as it is possible to get with martial arts: guys that are on national teams come from local salles and you can practice with them. Salle Seguin here in town has produced a couple of national team members. Getting in on the actual national team practices is another matter entirely. Same with kendo: my friend Kyle Lee is the Canadian team captain and practices regularly at Chinook Kendo Club in Calgary. I can go practice with him any time in Calgary and he comes here every year for our seminar, but I'm not getting in on the national team practices unless I'm a member, prospect or coach.

Perhaps, then, the delineation should be "national/official/olympic/professional" vs "commercial?"

Similar: USGA US Open was this weekend. While it's "open," you still have to qualify (or have an exemption (i.e. be a pro)).

[NeilG]

Nothing currently.

That would be the cross over Martial Arts that we had talked about. Some can in the more sportive clubs lean closer to "sport" than "martial art". My guess is when someone there is no longer competitive that they are also invited to move on. However, in BJJ at least, which is all I have to worry about for my test, anyone can go and train at Alliance Sao Paulo, or ATOS San Diego, and if you really want to try and hang with the competition guys there, you are more than welcome to try. If you keep coming back eventually you might even win a few competitions.

You are taking your experience with BJJ and trying to apply it across all martial arts and it just doesn't cut it. Take fencing, which is about as much on the sport side as it is possible to get with martial arts: guys that are on national teams come from local salles and you can practice with them. Salle Seguin here in town has produced a couple of national team members. Getting in on the actual national team practices is another matter entirely. Same with kendo: my friend Kyle Lee is the Canadian team captain and practices regularly at Chinook Kendo Club in Calgary. I can go practice with him any time in Calgary and he comes here every year for our seminar, but I'm not getting in on the national team practices unless I'm a member, prospect or coach.

[Michael Tzadok]

I have no idea what you are smoking. Try going to Keishicho (Tokyo metropolitan police) and getting into the top-tier judo or kendo practice there. Let me know how you get on.

Nothing currently.

That would be the cross over Martial Arts that we had talked about. Some can in the more sportive clubs lean closer to "sport" than "martial art". My guess is when someone there is no longer competitive that they are also invited to move on. However, in BJJ at least, which is all I have to worry about for my test, anyone can go and train at Alliance Sao Paulo, or ATOS San Diego, and if you really want to try and hang with the competition guys there, you are more than welcome to try. If you keep coming back eventually you might even win a few competitions.