All right, try to remember that I am still just a novice at the violin, so bear with me and understand that these are the opinions of a novice. That being said, this is meant to inform, not persuade you in any potential purchases.
First and foremost, compared to the cheap bow that came with my cheap violin, this bow is of phenomenal quality. The bow is straight and therefore so is the bow hair. The from is tight and stays in the exact place that you place it. The bow is also beautiful. The mother-of-pearl inlays are gorgeous. The feel is wonderful.
A video of my review:
Some pictures of the details:
This picture is a little deceiving. The balance points were closer than what it looks like. Sorry, I didn't have the ability to actually measure the balance points though.
My Family and I are in the middle of
a PCS move.We’ve recently left Fort
Benning, GA and are excited to be joining the 101st at Fort
Campbell, KY.Though this is a dream
assignment for me, this Permanent Change of Station (PCS) move, more than any of our past moves, has left the
family extremely stressed, our kids have been out of school for more than two
weeks now, we are still living in a hotel, and I start work in less than a
week, joining a unit that is already deployed, meaning that I could
realistically deploy within a month.This move came on short notice, and like any time orders come down,
there isn’t much you can do except execute.More than anything, this move has left me wondering if the Army can do
more to provide temporary housing for PCS-ing families.
There has to be a better way than
the current system.I received my orders
exactly 36 days before my sign out date; 51 days before my report date.This meant that I had to immediately turn in
a 30 day “notice to vacate” to my current land lord, and try to start looking
for suitable houses to move my family to when we got to our next duty
station.Additionally, from my sign out
date, which was non-negotiable, we had 25 days to our report date, also
non-negotiable.
Of course the first calls I made
were pretty standard, setting up our move and terminating our lease.Immediately following that, I called the
housing office of my gaining post.I was
told the wait for housing that would be suitable for our family would be four
to six months from our sign out date.I’m going to re-state that so it can sink in, four to six months from
our sign out date.For obvious reasons,
this is a problem for both me and my family.I can’t move my wife and kids into a hotel for four to six months.Not only is it ridiculously expensive, but
then I have no way of signing my kids up for school as all schools require
families to have a legitimate address. Anyone with a family knows these
frustrations.It is easy to turn to the
internet and start looking for housing, but what we see on the internet is not
usually close to reality.A camera’s
lens and a seller’s pen can make just about anything look like a dream home,
but there is no way of knowing anything about an area that you’ve never been to
until you actually have the opportunity to drive through the neighborhoods and
see the surrounding areas for yourself.It simply isn’t possible to know what will actually work for you and
your family until you get on the ground.Which, of course, means you don’t actually get to take any leave.My entire leave, and I am now using my
Permissive TDY as well, has been spent trying to find a suitable home for my
children, in a decent school district, that we can afford.
This move has left me wondering if
there is more the Army can do to provide temporary housing for families that
are moving.Why should any family have
to wait four to six months from their sign-out date to get a home on post to
live in?I thought we privatized on-post
housing so that it would run more efficiently and be better for families.I know that not every post is like this.I have friends that received on-post housing
upon arrival at other places.For the
posts that don’t have enough housing however, there needs to be a better
way.
I did receive a list from the post
housing office of places that offer “short-term” leases: month-to-month, three
month, and yes, six and twelve month leases (no, I’m not sure why places that
only offer six and twelve month leases were on the list at all).This list wasn’t something that was simply
handed to me however.I had to seek it
out.I actually had to ask for it after
I stumbled on some information somewhere that led me to believe that maybe such
a thing might exist.
I don’t have answers to any of these
questions; only frustrations.I would
like to see a better system to offer more readily available “temporary” housing
for all soldiers when they move from one post to another.The logistics of such a thing are potentially
absurd, but perhaps it is a simple as getting with local apartment complex
companies, and allowing them to build apartment complexes on post or convincing
them to build near post with the understanding that the apartments would be
temporary living arrangements for families until they found a more permanent
address.This would take the cost of
temporarily housing families off the shoulders of the army, and leave it in the
civilian sector.My family isn’t really
suited for apartment life, but if I was in an apartment surrounded by families
going through exactly what I was, I think we could make that work.Additionally, I would be able to send my kids
to school right away, at least on post.
I've seen a lot of pictures on Facebook and Twitter of service members that are trying to anonymously say they don't want to fight in Syria. These folks are driving me crazy for a multitude of reasons. I will include some samples of the photos I've seen as an example of what I am talking about, just in case you haven't seen them (I'm sure you have).
1.
There is NO HONOR in refusing to fight for those that need help. I
don't care if it is your enemy that needs the help. Would Batman watch
Robin use chemical weapons or use any other method to kill Joker? NO!
BECAUSE IT ISN'T RIGHT!!!!!! There is NO HONOR in watching people die!
There is NO HONOR in allowing genocide! There is NO HONOR in refusing
to fight for those that need help. Here's another question for you: Do
you honestly think that every soldier in 1865 agreed with what he was
fighting for? Every Union Soldier? NO! They didn't! Many of them
completely disagreed with why they were fighting. But we can all agree
that they fought for the RIGHT reason, even if they didn't see it.
This
country does not fight for what one man believes in. It fights for
what is good. For what is for the good of the people. But it isn't
just about our people. It's about all people! Can you honestly say
that your rights are more important than anyone else's? I'm sorry, the
rights and beliefs of one man do not out-weigh the good of the many.
Even if your country is tired from war, even if they are fiscally
challenged, you stand up for what is right. Chemical attacks are never
right!
2. You don't get to voice political opinion. Service members are strictly prohibited from voicing political opinion AS service members. It is illegal to go to political rallies in uniform or as a representative of any uniformed service. Service members are there to enforce the policies of elected officials. I'm sorry to say, and I know that it sounds cold, but when you raise that right hand and take the Oath of Enlistment, that you surrender your right to speak out on your political opinion.
"I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend
the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and
domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and
that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and
the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations
and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God." (Title 10, US
Code; Act of 5 May 1960 replacing the wording first adopted in 1789,
with amendment effective 5 October 1962)." (http://www.army.mil/values/oath.html)
Enlisted service members take an oath to "obey the orders of the President of the United States." This oath is not ambiguous. It is very clear. I doubt very highly, that the General Martin E. Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is going to tell President Obama "no" if ordered to conduct direct military action against the Syrian government, or any government for that matter. Some will argue that service members have an obligation to disobey orders that are illegal, but I challenge you to tell me how the order against Syria is illegal. Service members need to be VERY careful about how they proceed.
3. The above photo is illegal! Not only is it illegal for this member of the US Navy to post this photo, but he knows it is illegal. That is why he has so kindly covered his face and removed his name plate from his uniform. If you look at all these photos of service members trying to voice their opinion, take note that they are all trying to remain anonymous, because they KNOW what they are doing is illegal, and punishable under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Yes, they are trying to stand for something that they believe in, but they are going about it incorrectly. I only pray that no young soldiers, unknowingly, leave themselves exposed and feel the wrath of the law because they are trying to follow the leader here.
4. Why did you join then Marine? Every service member joins for a long list of very different reasons than the last. So why did you join? Did you join because you wanted to kill Al Qaeda? If you did, then there are many people that would worry about your ability to lead there sons and daughters in combat. There are probably quite a few doctors out there that would be VERY interested in having a discussion with anyone that said they joined the military because they wanted to kill Al Qaeda or anyone else. I'm sure that's not why most service members join though. It probably has a LOT more to do with serving this great nation, in any way they are called to do it.
I will close with that I think. I am VERY interested to hear other people's opinion, but please, let's not get in a shouting match. Some educated debate would be welcome, but more than anything I challenge you to prove that I am wrong on any of the above four points.
Believe it or not, my oldest son, Noble, who is six, made this video on his sister's LeapPad2. The kids all take lots of videos with that thing and take a rediculous amount of pictures, so my wife was clearing out some of the space on it the other day when she stumbled on this video. It is both hilarious, and quite amazing.
In the video, Noble tells us all about his watch (that he got from the Tooth Fairy by the way) and tells us about some of the functions of it. It was pretty cool to watch my some on this video. Probably just because I am his father, but over all, I think its quite amazing. He was not coached in any way, nor did my wife or I ever even contemplate this idea. He did this completely of his own accord without my wife or I knowing that he was doing it.
Honestly, I'm quite proud of the way he gathers his thoughts on the video and articulates everything that he wants to say on here. I'm simply amazed!
So, for my training on the violin, I have been primarily using the method book, "Essential Elements 2000 for Strings, Violin Book One." I have to say that knowing what I now know, I made an excellent choice. Between the method book itself and all the help I have been getting from forum members at fiddlerman.com, my playing is coming along at a pace that is beyond even what my narcissism thought possible. Of course, I'd still like to be playing much better, and I still have a LONG way to go, but I'm certainly getting there.
One of the things I've really enjoyed so far about the book, is the accompanying software, specifically the Smart Music program that is included with the method book. This software has proved crucial because it includes the first 100 exercises in the book so you can play along with the accompaniment. This is an outstanding added tool to the Essential Elements 2000 series! Most modern method books come with a CD that allows you to play the accompaniment and play along with it, but the Smart Music program included on this CD ROM not only has the sheet music for the exercises, but a cursor that moves along with you as you play. Additionally, the program allows me to slow or speed up an exercise so I can play each one at varying levels until I have mastered it and I am ready to go on. The program also uses your computer's built in microphone, or another microphone if you have one, and shows you if you are playing too slow, too fast, flat, or sharp. At the completion of a n exercise, the program highlights the notes you played correctly in green, and places a note on the sheet in red where you played incorrectly, allowing you to see exactly what mistakes you made, and where you were playing out of tune.
Speaking of playing in tune, the software has a tuner function inclusive, so you can tune your instrument before you start playing your exercises and make sure that you're learning the correct intonation for each place along the fingerboard.
I am really enjoying this method book. I'm approaching the end of book one, and I will make sure to do a full review of the entire book when I am complete, but for now, I will post here a couple of my videos so you can see the progress I've been making as I continue to learn the violin. I'll post the videos in chronological order, starting with the oldest.
I had another tournament today. I'll admit that I did not win, and that stinks, but I pulled some lessons from it. I wasn't submitted, and that is honestly more important to me than winning. If you want to read my full thoughts on why I compete, read my post "Why Compete." As a caveat to that post however, I should add some things to my views on competing. 1) I do NOT compete because I want medals. 2) I do NOT train BJJ because I want to win tournaments. 3) I train BJJ for me. Because I actually do believe that it is useful in a real fight, and for me, there's no telling when or where the day may come when I need BJJ to save my life, or someone else's.
My Frustration:
I'm frustrated today because of the sport side of BJJ. I'm glad it's there, because if affords me the opportunity to compete and prove/disprove my skills against a somewhat equal opponent, but as I've watched the sport evolve more over the course of the last few years, I'm disappointed with what I'm seeing.
Brazilian Jui-Jitsu is a martial art; it is a form of self-defense. I think that tournaments have truly gotten away from this aspect of the sport. Though I think things like points and time-limits are necessary, they greatly inhibit the self-defense aspect of the sport.
Human beings are very competitive. That is why when you step out on to the mat, under the lights, your body floods with adrenaline. Because to your body, the competition is VERY real. Your body doesn't understand that you are, in all actuality, very safe out there. Your body only understands that when you step out on the mat, your mind is driven by something that you want very badly, and your body reacts, appropriately I should add, by entering it's enhanced fight-or-flight state. Every ounce of your energy, every muscle fiber, every drop of sweat from that point on, is used methodically by your body to increase your chances of achieving the one thing at that moment that you want more than anything else.
The sport has evolved in to something different though. The sport isn't about simply providing an arena to test your skills. Tournaments have gone the way of money factories. Though I understand that there is a lot of money to be made by running tournaments, and I do appreciate that they exist, tournaments have helped to create, in my opinion, a caustic attitude in the art. The art has become more about medals and money, than it has about self-defense.
The proof is in what can be seen at so many tournaments. Butt-scooting is one example. Simply closing with your opponent for the sole purpose of pulling guard defeats the very essence of self-defense, and degrades the sport of Jiu-jitsu in the eyes of the world. Sport jiu-jitsu is BORING to watch. It's boring because at the highest levels competitors sit down and grab each others feet. Its boring because we don't have takedowns that are emotionally inspiring. Its just boring.
Now, I know many will argue this point with me, but stalling is another frustrating aspect of sport Jiu-Jitsu. SO many competitors will get up on points, and simply hold their opponent. Now all of you will probably agree that stalling is lame, and should never be tolerated, but don't we encourage it everywhere else. Coaches totally against stalling will shout, "20 seconds, you're up by two, you just have to hold him." From the stand-point of winning, it makes sense, but it my eyes, even if you're only up by one, you don't stall. You NEVER stall. You work to finish the fight. If you are in the mount with 20 seconds left, and you're up by one, you don't put in the grapevine and stabilize, you look to submit. The same is true if you're up by one with a your opponent in your guard. You look for the finish. If its a choke, awesome, there's no danger in that, but if an arm-bar, or triangle present themselves, the failure of either means a certain guard pass, and loss of the match, I will go for it every time. That is my vow. I will not sit on an opponent because I am up on points. If I do, I think that I am failing myself. The same is also true of other sports. If I'm the quarter back in the super bowl, I have the ball, 45 seconds left on the clock, on my own 20, I'm not taking a knee. I'm fighting the fight. If I am the better opponent, than the end results will show it, and I will have both my integrity and my honor. I mean no ill will toward anyone who has won a match or game using these types of tactics, but I will not join you there.
I think the guard-pull and stalling are my biggest frustrations right now with the sport of Jiu-Jitsu. I have to admit though, that I have had thoughts of no longer competing. This is a new thought to me. It doesn't stem from losing, it stems from "sport." It stems from us jiu-jitsuka losing sight of what the point really is. What the point is for me any way. I don't think leaving competition is the right answer however, I think instead that I will continue to compete, but I will have to mentally prepare myself first, to see some of the most boring, dishonest, and dishonorable sportsmanship in the world. I apologize again to my fellow jiu-jitsuka, I feel guilty for feeling this way, but I don't care, because I truly believe that I am not wrong.
Well, I think the title pretty much sums it up. I've been REALLY busy with work stuff (actually, I should be doing some of it right now), so I've been slacking a lot in the department of playing the violin. The good news, is that I managed to just about get another little tune down, and tied it together with the ol' Twinkle, Twinkle. It's not amazing, but I'm certainly going to keep working on it. I've got a group project I'm about to get started on that will help motivate me some more I think.
I'm just curious if any one goes to a gym that does a position of the week/month or a move of the week/month? If not, do you incorporate this kind of mind set in to your personal training/drilling plan?
I've used the position of the month idea before, though not religiously, and I think that it did help me out a little in my training. I think a large part of that help, is simply having something that you can focus on.
I've decided that I am going to re-institute this in to my training. The question is: Which position do I work on for July? I think what I am going to do, is pick one position either top of bottom, and spend extra time in my studies on that one position. In addition to that, I am going to do a technique of the week from that position. So, the idea behind this whole concept is that not only will I be focusing on one specific position for the month, but I each week I will drill one specific move from that position daily. Now, the number's may sound small, but for any of us whom do not do this, we may only get 10 reps on each move that we do in class (if that). So my idea is to get at least 100 reps on one each week. I'm thinking, and you guys can chime in with your thoughts, that this will help me become more likely to recognize the situation when it presents itself, and then execute that technique with little to no thought, and up my percentage of success with that particular move.
If anyone has any additional thoughts on this, I would appreciate your input.
Remember, your support is motivating. Like, Share, Comment, and Follow PLEASE!
So, at many schools of BJJ, like mine, there are different classes that focus on different things. At our school, we have a fundamentals class and an intermediate class that run four and five days a week respectively. We also have an advanced/competitor class that runs once a week. I've seen a trend at my school however and I'm curious about every one's thought process behind which classes they attend. It may have something to do with the times and scheduling conflicts, which are often unavoidable, but I wonder if there is more to it than that.
I often attend the fundamentals class throughout the week, and will attend the intermediate class on Fridays. Occasionally, I will stay after the fundamentals class during the week to get an extra Intermediate day in. For the most part however, I am a fundamentals kind of guy. Now, it's important to understand that unlike many gyms, our gym has a curriculum that it sticks to pretty religiously. The Fundamentals class consists of about 25 lessons, each containing 3-5 techniques, while the Intermediate class is about 30 lessons with about the same number of techniques. One major advantage to the intermediate class, is that they do roll a lot more than the fundamentals class, but the fundamentals class isn't really designed for that.
So the question comes, at what point do I start transitioning to focus more on the intermediate class. Of course, many of buddies try to get me to stay more often for the intermediate class, and many of them don't attend the fundamentals class anymore. I'm just not sure why. Both today and yesterday, we went over some things in class that I'm very familiar with, and could talk you through pretty easily (I've been through the entire curriculum several times), but I found myself wondering why, after seeing them so many times before have I not mastered these techniques, and why have I not included them in my game? I think the answer is really pretty simple, despite seeing them every few weeks, I still don't have enough reps on them to make their execution automatic and almost subconscious.
I think this is why I will still be attending the fundamentals class for a while. I personally, would rather master the fundamentals curriculum before adding too many techniques to a library that can't yet handle them all (my brain) and end up confusing some of the finer details. At the same time however, I do think it's important to see more things. I think that exposure in a sport like this is very important. Until you are faced with something new, you will never recognize the need to learn about it. So should I instead be flooding my brain with a million different techniques? Do I need to turn my focus 100% to the Berimbolo just because its all the rage right now on the BJJ scene? Or is it more important that I base my Jiu Jitsu in fundamentals. In techniques that are tried and true?
I think the answer to the dilemma, is the later. I think that more people in the sport should recognize that you have to have a strong foundation in order to progress. Otherwise, all of your Jiu Jitsu will be weak. I know a lot of schools still teach sporadic techniques without any form of curriculum, students come to class, get taught whatever techniques their instructor wants to teach them that day, and they roll. I think the problem with not having structure like this though, is that you may NEVER practice those techniques again. Unless it is something that you really liked, that you had a knack for right off the bat, you are almost immediately going to forget it. Certainly by the following week, and your instructor is certainly not going to remember every technique that he taught you.
So, as a family man, my ability to train is often limited by family obligations. I would like to train a lot more, but I think that for now I'm alright just training the fundamentals, because like I said, I haven't mastered them yet. Maybe I never will master them, but the more reps I get on them, the closer I will get to mastering them. And they are all good techniques both for self-defense and competition.
Happy rolling, remember, your support is motivating!
Back in high school wrestling I used to always make weight at one weight class, but I almost always ended up wrestling up a weight class (I wasn't that good, and that was the only way I was always going to have a slot on the Varsity Team). I never really had to struggle with cutting weight like some of the real small kids did though. I had NO problem making weight at 172 (and wrestling at 189), and I remember distinctly how much some of the other guys had to put themselves through just to make weight at 103, 112, and some of the other weight classes.
Now that I'm an adult, and involved in grappling again, I've started to see the real value in being the big guy in a smaller weight bracket. A year ago, I was weighing about 225. My Jiu Jitsu, and other motivating factors, has brought me down to a walk around weight now of about 195. Obviously, losing those thirty pounds has really helped out my health, and helped me get better in my Jiu Jitsu as well. But I've found myself in between weight classes. Typical cutoffs are 190 and 205. Now, weighing 195 (NOT at all "cut") going against guys that are walking around at 225 and cutting to 205, makes for a pretty tough fight.
I've got a tournament on Saturday, and I'm trying to cut to 181 lbs. I have to tell you though, that I didn't realize that the weight class required me to get to 181 until yesterday. So basically, while I had been working on it, I wasn't quite prepared for the extra 8 lbs that I suddenly needed to lose. DISASTER was my immediate reaction. I thought about giving up on the cut, but instead I've decided to re double my efforts. So, we will see on Saturday morning whether or not I make the weight.
So you might be wondering how I'm going to lose that much weight, that quickly. Well, the truth is, that it will not be a permanent weight loss by ANY MEANS. And it will not be the healthiest of weight losses either. Basically, at this point, the plan is to dehydrate myself to the point that I make weight. I'm spending a lot of time outside in the heat, doing lots of cardio, continuing to train, eating VERY little, drinking VERY little, and taking salt-water baths. Basically all the things that make you sweat and pull the water out of your body. The good news is that up until this point, I have been very well hydrated. I make it a point to drink AT LEAST 1.5 gallons of WATER a day. Right now, I'm down to about a quart per day, and if I have to tomorrow, I will completely stop taking in liquids.
Obviously, this is NOT what you would consider a typical weight loss scenario. In fact, it's pretty hard on the body, very difficult to maintain, and can be down right dangerous. It's VERY important that if you've never cut weight like this before (I have done it a couple times before), that you don't try to do more than you can handle. It is possible that you could literally kill yourself in the process. So no, I don't advise doing it this way. If I had been paying better attention to the weight classes for this specific tournament I would have done this smarter, and actually tried to lose the weight in a more healthy manner. I have a tournament coming up in august actually that will require a similar weight, so for that one, I will take my time and do it right. Basically, starting now.
Well, that's all, I just wanted to write quickly about cutting weight because my mood is not currently very good, and I needed to do some venting. If I can offer any advice, it is this: Pay close attention to the weight classes in tournaments you plan on competing in. But it sure will be nice to be one of the bigger guys in the weight class.
Remember, your support is motivating!
Update as of 16 JUNE.
I made weight. It was a good feeling to make the weight. What I didn't talk about earlier, was how to recover from something like this quick enough that you have a little energy during the actual competition. Of course, adrenalin helps a lot, but it's not enough by itself.
What I did was eat a small "Balance" bar every hour. I think these have a VERY good mix of nutrition and the calories come from a variety of places. The calories come from a pretty even mix of fats, proteins, and carbs, so your body gets everything that it needs. Also, by eating bars, one at a time, over the course of several hours, you get small, easily digestible meals that your body can use without the feeling of a brick in your stomach.
To rehydrate I drank LOTS of water, and a little bit of watered down powerade. I drank about a gallon between 7:00 and 12:00. So I was ready to go when it was time. Good luck to all those cutting for ANY competition.
So after almost ten years of marriage, my wife and I have finally done it! We finally sat down and figured out a budget. All this time, we've literally been living paycheck to paycheck. We felt so strapped for cash, that we were actually afraid to sit down and create a budget. We've had our investments that automatically come out of my pay, but we've never really sat down to figure out how much money we have coming in vs. going out. Well, we finally did it, and it's flat out astonishing.
I can't believe I didn't do this years ago. More importantly, I can't believe how much money I've thrown away over the years. To tell the truth, I don't even want to know. I do know that it is FAR more than I would have imagined we were throwing away. We didn't even realize how badly we were doing! So, to share the lesson, I'd like to talk briefly about what we did.
So, I created a quick and simple Excel spreadsheet that does the math for me, though I bet there are even easier ways to do it. But I added up our income vs. the bills (including estimates for gas, groceries, etc.) What I realized immediately, was that we were using a HUGE amount of what was left over, like it didn't matter. And I mean this number was literally SHOCKING to me! I can't believe how quickly money goes away, just by using the debit card and not really tracking WHERE the money was going. We had a huge problem.
Here's how we fixed the issue. We gave ourselves an allowance. We now go to the ATM after every paycheck, and draw out the cash we are going to use for spending money. We get x amount of dollars per paycheck to use however we see fit. I think this is important, or you're defeating the purpose of creating a budget, and trying to gain financial health. You have to pay yourself as well! Otherwise, what is the point in getting a pay increase, or anything else, if you don't get to enjoy ANY of it. But we were able to give ourselves a pretty reasonable allowance.
So what is the point of the allowance? Well, it's for everything else! All the times we stop by the gas station to grab a drink, a snack, or anything else. Every time we go out to lunch, go to the movies, or anything else, that money all comes from our allowance. So even by creating an allowance for myself, I now find myself paying even MORE attention to what I'm spending my money on, and looking for the best deals. Instead of losing change, I am now keeping it in my pocket so I don't have to break any bills if I don't have to. My frugality has increased ten-fold.
Anyway, I don't think I will be able to convince you of the importance of creating a budget for yourself. Nobody was able to convince me of it. It wasn't until I actually sat down and did it, that I realized how important it really was. It's RIDICULOUS how much money we were throwing away. How much you ask? Well, I won't give specifics, but if I stick to my new budget, I will be saving enough money, to realistically pay cash for a Corvette, in just a few years. That's how much money we were throwing away! RIDICULOUS!!!
In closing, do yourself a favor, and go create a budget if you haven't. I thought I didn't need it. Actually my wife and I were afraid to sit down and make a budget. But now I am SO glad that we did. We REALLY should have done this earlier!!!!
After getting my Blue Belt, I did some reflection on what it took to become a blue belt. As I was reflecting, I think I asked my self: "Self, what would you compare to the journey from day-one white belt to blue belt?" Well, as a father, I decided that the best way to describe the transition, is like that of an infant to a toddler.
When you start out in this new world of Jiu-Jitsu, as a white belt, its like being born in to the new bright world. There are all kinds of exciting things that go on around you. At first, you're mostly oblivious to it all and sleep through most of what you see and hear, unable to really process it, and focusing on simply staying alive. You're literally bottle fed, one sitting at a time, and that's all you can handle.
Soon though, you start to really open your eyes to the world. You look around and you see all these new, exciting things. You wish you could do some of those things; play with them. But still at this point, all you can really do is watch. You can't roll over yet; you can't even control your hands enough to find your mouth, so feeding yourself, is still out of the question, and you're absolutely reliant on your bottle feedings.
Within a couple of weeks or months, you really start to "figure things out" and "master" your body. You can find your mouth with ease (the ability to feed yourself (careful you don't feed yourself the wrong thing)), you can even roll over. This opens a whole new world for you. you learn to roll over both ways, and eventually, with lots of encouragement, you get figure out how to crawl. This is probably the most significant accomplish of a your life (for a white belt, this might be figuring out that one move that finally starts to click for you). The significance of learning to crawl, if you think about it, is that this is something you "discovered." No around you crawls. They all walk, or do even more incredible things. Without anyone ever showing you how, you've learned to crawl and opened yet another door of exploration in your journey.
Finally, with lots of trial and error, and relatively quickly after figuring out how to crawl, you get your blur belt; you learn to walk. For me, this was a huge accomplishment. I've had to move around a lot, so training in one place long enough to get my blue belt (seems like you always have to start over after a break), took me about seven years. I hope that this current adventure will not take nearly as long, and I can't wait to see where it takes me, but for now, I'm pretty happy with walking. I've got to tell you though, I've got my sights set on bigger and better things.
Hope you guys appreciate the analogy. If not, I enjoyed it, so I guess that's all that matters.
For this, I'm just curious what everyone else thinks. Should the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) require athletes to qualify for the Mundials? If so, what would be a good standard to meet in order to "qualify?"
I was having this conversation with a friend of mine as we were watching the Mundials this evening at his house (I owe him a huge thanks for having my family and I over). We were thinking that you would get a more realistic definition of "world champ" if the IBJJF required athletes to participate in certain qualifying rounds.
Currently, there is no requirement, and anyone can compete in the "World Championship." Now, for people who live in far-off lands, don't have IBJJF competitions in their country at all, or simply can't afford to compete more than once a year, this is perfect. It allows anyone and everyone, regardless of their record, to take a shot at the title. There is a certain aspect of purity involved in running the competition this way. It's the very definition of the American dream, coming from nowhere, and making something of yourself through nothing more than merit.
Some might argue however, that this isn't reason enough to allow everyone in to the competition. Should people have to qualify? With the Mundials occurring in southern California (a dense population of jiu-jitsuka), anyone in the area can compete. There is a certain fairness factor here that is violated for the guys who are truly great, have competed time and again, travel the country to go to multiple competitions, and have to fly from all over the country just to get to the competition. I have a friend in my gym that competed this year. He did phenomenal. But he competes regularly in competitions up and down the east coast, and spends, literally, thousands of dollars every year just to compete. The trip to the worlds alone cost him a lot of money, while the "locals" may ONLY pay the entrance fee. Obviously, the IBJJF has nothing to do with how much it does or doesn't cost a competitor to travel, but they can eliminate those who have not "earned the right" to compete in the worlds, don't suffer from jet lag, and treat the Mundials as nothing more than another tournament. If I were a top competitor from Europe for example, and came here only to get injured by someone who has never competed and doesn't even fully understand the rules, I would be furious.
Lets take the rule set as it currently applies, and apply it to the UFC. Let's pretend for one second that there is no requirement to be "asked" to fight in the Octagon. Let's pretend that UFC 200, is going to be an open format tournament, and anyone can compete. Is it fair for the Pros to have to fight their way through people who have never fought, just so they can make there way back in to the group of elite mixed martial artists where they belong? I'm not so sure that it is. Though the rule set is awesome for the dreamer that simply hasn't been discovered yet, I think this is the wrong format for him to be discovered.
So I guess you understand my stand-point on this debate. I'm curious what others think about this. Please, comment and let me know, ESPECIALLY if you agree with how the rule set is currently. I'd really like to hear the other side as well. It's possible that I just don't understand it. Or maybe I'm just jealous of all the other blue belts that live in southern California and only have to drive an hour to compete at the worlds. I'm pretty sure I would be there, but I also compete in other tournaments, and would still respect the tournament if it wasn't open to guys like me, who have not earned the right to be there.
Many people in martial arts and BJJ
often ask this question. What is the point in competing?If I train, learn as much as I can, and make
improvements, what's the point in competing?Outside the realm of martial arts, the same questions can be asked.
Runners, weight lifters, and people in their work places may all ask these
questions and find similar answers as to why not to compete.
I will tell you that in most things
in life, competition can be healthy. Consider this analogy: An incredibly
bright and gifted student goes on to med school. The student goes on to be the
leading MD in his field, and completely rids the world of the ailment he has
spent so many years working to cure. Now what?You see, you can be the best at something, but unless you are faced with
challenges appropriate to your skill set, then you may as well have no skills
at all. But competition can go deeper.
Competition as a Training Aid
First and foremost, I see competition
as the greatest training aide there is. For the runner, races provide
motivation to train. The upcoming race, which the runner has paid out of pocket
to enter, will give the runner a reason to train more consistently and harder
than he has ever trained before. For the martial artist, the same is true.
Inside the average person has a real desire to do well. When you have a pending
competition, you are less likely to skip your training sessions. In martial
arts, you also have training partners that rely on you for their own training
and most people also have a huge problem with letting other people down.
Competition teaches us lessons. A
famous practitioner of BJJ once said that you either win, or you learn. I think
this is very true. The caveat to that is that you actually have to look for the
lessons, and reflect on them to some degree. I have lost far more matches than
I care to admit, and I can tell you there is a difference between losing and
learning. If I was paying attention to what tripped me up, if I thought about
it after the match, then I would have something to focus on in my future
training. If I wasn't paying attention, if I let the loss get to me, then all I
really did was lose.
Competition as a Reality
Check
Aside from motivation, and
learning,competition gives us a
realistic look at how we compare to our peers. There is no mistaking results.
Sure, a ref can make a bad call, we can all have bad days, or just get caught
in something that we didn't expect.At
the end of the day however, whether or not you wear a medal around your neck is
based primarily on your own individual skills and is a pretty concrete set of
data that shows us where we stack up against our peers.
Additionally, competition is the
closest thing to a real fight that we can safely see. A lot of guys in martial
arts gyms figure that they get enough live sparring with their training
partners. The reality however is that things are different in the ring. In
competition, unlike in the training environment, adrenalin is present. Peoples’
desire to do well, to win, causes the body to actually produce and release
adrenalin into the system. What that means is that you will be facing someone
who isn't going to let go when things get a little uncomfortable. And neither
are you. What you will learn in competition is that you can take a lot more
than you thought you could, and so can other people. This is what makes
competition so important, because ultimately, many martial artists train as a
means of self protection. I will tell you that if you have never competed, than
you don't know what a real fight will be like when both you and your attacker
have adrenaline running through your veins. And no, they do not cancel each
other out, adrenaline simply enhances both of you, in ways that are very
difficult to explain to someone that has not experienced it.
Why Compete?
So all of these reasons are why I
would tell you that competing is a good thing.Yes, there is greater risk involved.But in my eyes, the benefits that can be gained from competitions far
outweigh the risks associated with it.You will learn more about yourself, your technique, and your peers than
you ever will in the same gym you go to everyday.If you have the opportunity you should
compete on a regular basis.
Modern Flow / Kataaro / Meerkatsu Collaboration BJJ Belt Review
I've had my blue belt for exactly one month today, and I felt that it was fitting to do a review of my belt. There is a countless number of brands out there that all make belts, and when it comes time to start shopping there simply isn't any way to try before you buy. Of course, when you get promoted, your professor will wrap a belt around your waist, and many will simply stick with that belt until it falls off. It is common however, for the belt you receive to be cheap, the wrong size, or even a borrowed belt from someone else in the gym. Whatever the reason, many start shopping for belts. When I started shopping for my Blue Belt, I was inundated with all the different brands and I had NO idea which brand to go with. I knew the brand I had worn for my White Belt (Koral), but I had more motivation to find a belt that would truly last a lifetime. I want to be able to pass my belt on to my kids when they get their first Blue Belt. Hundreds of years ago, a father would pass on his sword. Well, needless to say, I don't have a sword to pass on to my kids, the closest thing I have, is my BJJ Belt. Now, on to the review of this Belt.
This belt is a collaborative effort between three completely separate entities. The idea for the belt came from Modern Flow. A US based company that specializes in BJJ gear. They have a selection of various items for sale, but wanted to offer quality belts to their customers. The belt's craftsmanship comes from another US based company, Kataaro. And the embroidery on the belt was designed by a UK based artist known simply as Meerkatsu.
Craftsmanship
This, as I mentioned before, was paramount in my search for a belt. I needed to know that I would be buying a belt that would last not only until I earn my Purple Belt, but would survive several more years worth of training when my children each get their turn at wearing a Blue Belt if they decide to stick with BJJ. Here I think I hit gold. This belt looks and feels like quality craftsmanship. You will see in the pictures below that the stitching is evenly spaced, the stitching is straight, and the there are no flaws in any of the craftsmanship.
The embroidery was a concern of mine when I first ordered this belt. I really like Meerkatsu's artwork, and the series that he did for Modern Flow (chess pieces) is especially meaningful to my son and I. I was concerned however that the embroidery was just going to easily come off the belt after treating it rough, as is the way of the Jiu Jitsuka. After seeing the belt however, I saw the the embroidery was not simply an embroidered patch sewn on to the belt, but actually embroidered through the belt in a very precise fashion. The stitching on the embroidery may eventually wear and burst, but I think that this will not happen for years and years without deliberate attempts to damage the beautiful Rook that adorns the end of my belt.
Another mention to the quality of craftsmanship on this belt is the fact that the black ranking sleeve, though not sewn on with contrast stitching, is stitched to the belt itself along the same stitching lines as the rest of the belt. That is, the sleeve is not simply wrapped around the belt and tacked on, but is actually reinforced along the entire width and length of the sleeve.
Color
You should be able to see the color in the pictures below, but I find that's a brilliant royal blue. I actually took the pictures without a flash, because if I used the flash, the shine on the belt gave it a metallic look. Very cool in the picture, but not practical for this review. I think the color is perfect for current trends, but I would be fine with it being the traditional, paler blue as well. The black ranking sleeve is sewn on with black stitching, not contrast stitching.
Thickness & Width
The belt is somewhat thinner than my old belt at 0.5 cm, but in no way feels it. The belt actually has a very robust feeling to it, and is almost lacking in that there may be too little flexibility.
The width of the belt measures at a seemingly wide 4.5 cm. It is almost a full cm wider than my previous belt.
The combination of the robust inflexibility and the extreme wideness of this belt are definitely a negative while this belt is new. It has taken some work to get the belt to a point that it will even think about staying tied. I found myself tugging on the ends of the belt every chance I got during training to try to keep it tied. My previous belt never required thought after leaving the locker room. Actually, with a traditional wrap and tie, the belt is actually somewhat difficult to even wrap around the body and cross in the back. If you know other ways to tie your belt, you will quickly default to these slightly less traditional methods, as it is almost necessary to go with the wrap around method that does not include crossing the belt behind you. Since I have been wearing this belt, I have learned all the other methods of keeping the knot secure so it will not come untied.
On a positive note, the rigidity and wideness of the belt reassure me that my overall goal of finding a belt that will last was in fact successful.
Value
At $59.00 from either www.moderflowbrand.com or www.kataaro.com, this belt is hands down one of the most expensive belts on the market. Again, like most products, they are worth a little more due to the fact that they are made here in the USA by Americans. Additionally, it is nice to have the opportunity to have a quality belt customized. If you order the belt directly from Kataaro, you will have multiple embroidery options in addition to the Meerkatsu artwork. You can have a name embroidered on your belt in several different English scripts as well as kanji.
This brings me to another positive in the value of the belt. You are in fact buying a piece of functional art work when you buy this belt. I hope that the artwork will last as long as I think it will.
So is it worth the money, so far, my vote is yes. It's something that I will train in, compete in, and perhaps, if they stick with it (and I get promoted) pass on to my kids.
Here's a quick video where I talk about some of the features of the belt:
I recently (about three weeks) received the Origin Pro Comp Gi. Since receiving I have worn it about two times per week, and washed it once a week. I wanted to take the opportunity to do a quick review of the gi for anyone who is considering making this purchase. I will cover the fit, function, craftsmanship, and value of the gi.
Fit
The fit of the gi initially felt very long! I talk about this in my video: http://youtu.be/NVfepJ8jRsw. In addition to that short video however, I should say that it is also somewhat of a slender fit. I think I talk about this in the video as well. If you have any questions that aren't answered in my video, please just let me know and I will try to address them here, or make another video.
Function
As for the function of this particular gi, I have found no issues what so ever as of yet. There are the concerns with length that I mentioned in my video, but the overall function is perfect. Honestly, this is one of my favorite gis that I have owned or seen in a gym or in a tournament.
The pants of course deserve a separate mention. Because the pants are fit more appropriately to the individual buyer, the problems associated with gi pants that don't fit well seem to be non-existent. It's relatively common for guys to blow out the stitching in the crotch area because the pants don't fit correctly and the sport of BJJ is very demanding on flexibility. So, usually what ends up happening, is the pants over-sized pants end up falling down slightly, then the tight stitching in the crotch is blown when they are stretched beyond their capacity. This doesn't seem to be the case with the Origin pants. Because they are fitted so well, and reinforced with a very functional belt closure system, there is little to no risk of the pants falling down and be stretched in a way they are not meant to be. As far as function goes, these pants maximize any scoring system you can think of.
The belt. Wow is all I can really say about the belt. If you're like me, you are concerned that a belt with a buckle is going to be something that you are going to be able to feel when you are training and competing, and you just don't want that to take up any of your mental energy when you are trying to maximize training or get the win. Don't worry, after you buckle it up in the locker room, that is the last time you will think about the belt at all. If anything, you will be thinking something along the lines of "hmmm, my belt hasn't come un-tied yet," or "I should probably check my pants after this roll to make sure they're not falling down." the truth is that the very fact that you don't notice the belt or buckle after you've buckled your pants, or that you aren't worried about your pants falling down, speaks volumes to the functionality of the belt closure system. It is no longer something that you are going to have to address several times in the gym, because the system as completely eliminated the need for concern. The ONLY draw back, is that the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) is not likely to accept the pants in sanctioned IBJJF tournaments. This is truly unfortunate however, as the belts are truly "progressive."
Craftsmanship
Again, I have not seen any flaws develop here. There are some occasional imperfections in the stitching here and there, but this is completely expected, normal, and doesn't in any way concern me as far as the quality of craftsmanship is concerned. At first glance and three weeks in to training with the gi, the craftsmanship appears to be top notch. So far I have nothing negative to say, I will keep everyone up to date as/if problems arise
.
Value
As for the cost of the gi, $224.00 shipped, there are immediate questions about the value of the gi. I'll admit I was VERY hesitant to order this gi at that cost when I was pre-ordering and there were no reviews to be found anywhere on the internet (thus here I am trying to help out the average consumer). I found mixed reviews about Origins previous year's gi, but I was totally sucked in to the belt closure system and really wanted to try out the system.
Additionally, I think that we all have to remember that these gis are actually made here in the USA. They are not ordered from a Chinese manufacturer with American labels, these are actually cut, assembled, and stitched in the US by Americans. That alone, and it's impact on the local economy is worth paying at least an extra $25.00 in my book. I also really like how you can get on Origins YouTube channel and see the actual people working on your gi. You can see a large part of the whole process and know that you are getting a genuinely American product from genuine Americans
So is it worth it, well, that's up to you and your pocket book, but so far, I say yes! I think the price of the gi is just about right. Obviously I would like to pay less for it, but there isn't anything that I wouldn't say that about.
Conclusion
I hope this review has been helpful. I should say that I am NOT in any way paid by Origin or any of its affiliates. I am not getting paid nor am I receiving any sort of compensation for this review. It is my honest feelings toward the product that it is excellent. Again, I hope this review has been helpful for those who are interested in this gi.
For many, Memorial Day is little more than a day off of work and a day to get some good deals at all the local retailers. We Americans often forget why we celebrate this and many other holidays.
For many of my friends, other veterans, and me, there is a much deeper meaning to holidays like this one. For those of us who have served, or know others who have, today is filled with memories of the friends and loved ones we have lost; those who answered the call, and never returned home. With the explosion of social media in recent years, you can't forget if you want to because your "home" page is flooded with pictures of all the men and women who have sacrificed their lives so that we didn't have to; so that we could enjoy our freedoms. They died so that the average American could enjoy a day off, go shopping, and have an excuse to drink some beer and eat some barbecue.
I certainly don't intend to bring anyone down . I think that however you celebrate this holiday and those like it, that the men and women who gave their lives would want you to celebrate it anyway you felt worthy. I only ask that if you read this, that you will take even one second to say a silent thank you to those that can't partake in the festivities, and offer a word of thanks to the families and friends they left behind, who truly feel the pain that is associated with this holiday.
Yep, that's right. I'm 32 years old, I've wanted to play since I was a kid, it just never happened. So, I decided to start Learning. I'm teaching myself, which is always a scary endeavor with something like this, I know, but I've studied music for years, so I thought I would give it a whirl. I'm also trying to teach my two oldest kids how to play as we go along. So, after about two weeks, here are the results:
