Why Compete? What is the Point and Why Take the Risk?

Why Compete?

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 Colaboration BJJ Belt Review

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: 

2013 Origin Pro Comp Gi Review

2013 Origin Pro Comp Gi

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.

This gi can be purchased from the manufacturer directly at:  http://www.originbjj.com/

Memorial Day - 2013

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.

God Bless you all and God Bless America!

Starting to Learn the Violin

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:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dztSJP_r_1U

Enjoy, and please offer constructive criticisms.