Well, it’s been a few days since I last had anything to say. Tonight, however, I have a little bit to say.
These last two weeks I’ve been working on improving some of my sutemi waza. This is always a difficult thing to do when you consider that I’m the highest ranked person participating in my club! So, the solution I’ve come up with is to use YouTube to help me get better.
What I do is video myself and my usual uke. I perform a series of throws, sometimes just one throw over and over again, other times a couple of different throws. Then I ask several rather reliable individuals to evaluate me. I do this through the JudoForum or by instant messaging.
It seems to work out. Now, I don’t always like the responses I get, but that’s what learning and becoming better gets you. If you ask people you trust to give honest feedback, expect honest, perhaps even brutally so, feedback. Once you get that feedback, apply it!
If you’re wondering what they are, I’ve put the YouTube videos below. (Oldest to newest, starting 12 April 2010 and running until 22 April 2010.)
Now, the other thing I’ve been working on is developing a kind of guide like the Gracies use in their Gracie Combatives program. This includes the lesson plans and the note taking section. I think that is one of the best developments they’ve done for martial arts. Say what you will about their marketing and legal strategies, they’ve got a great product for a great price!
It’s a difficult thing to create and I’m having a hard time with it, but it’ll work out in the end. Oh, and great thanks to Kristan for hopping on the bandwagon to help create the artwork for one of my other projects. She rocks!
25 April 2010
20 April 2010
Roswell Judo Club Students
I don’t often write about my club. Usually I just write about things that have interested me or that I’m studying for judo or the Gracie program. Today, though, I’m going to write about my club.
Tonight’s practice had five of my club members practicing. I shot video, like I tend to do. But I watched it, which I’m not really in the habit of doing, and certainly not immediately. As I watched it dawned on me that I am really blessed to have such amazing students.
Five students isn’t a lot of students, but when Rolando and I were working on the Nage no Kata, which is atrocious, they all sat and watched intently. How often do you find four novices, I mean absolute beginners, willing to really sit and watch what one elite athlete said was, “boring as watching flies f***.” (Direct quote, and no, I won’t say who! But it was hilarious to hear that…)
After the brief attempt at kata, which while atrocious isn’t bad when one considers I haven’t practiced the full set since gaining Shodan in 2005 and having a partner who’s never done the full set, they all got back to work with zero grumbling and worked hard! We didn’t concentrate on anything competitive, just basic nage waza. They’re not perfect, but they keep working at them trying to make them better.
I just want to say this to the world and, most especially, my students: I have got some of the best students any instructor could ever ask for. These are the people for whom I do judo.
Tonight’s practice had five of my club members practicing. I shot video, like I tend to do. But I watched it, which I’m not really in the habit of doing, and certainly not immediately. As I watched it dawned on me that I am really blessed to have such amazing students.
Five students isn’t a lot of students, but when Rolando and I were working on the Nage no Kata, which is atrocious, they all sat and watched intently. How often do you find four novices, I mean absolute beginners, willing to really sit and watch what one elite athlete said was, “boring as watching flies f***.” (Direct quote, and no, I won’t say who! But it was hilarious to hear that…)
After the brief attempt at kata, which while atrocious isn’t bad when one considers I haven’t practiced the full set since gaining Shodan in 2005 and having a partner who’s never done the full set, they all got back to work with zero grumbling and worked hard! We didn’t concentrate on anything competitive, just basic nage waza. They’re not perfect, but they keep working at them trying to make them better.
I just want to say this to the world and, most especially, my students: I have got some of the best students any instructor could ever ask for. These are the people for whom I do judo.
12 April 2010
Tournament Success
Roswell, New Mexico is right out in the middle of nowhere. We are three hours from the three major towns in New Mexico (Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Las Cruces). New Mexico, if we’re lucky, holds two tournaments a year, both in Albuquerque. El Paso, maybe, holds one tournament a year. All these factors and a few others make it easy to see why the Roswell Judo Club doesn’t go to tournament.
All that being said, however, we finally took one to tournament. We took Alana Brumbaugh to the Southwest Championships held by Synergy Martial Arts at the Rio Rancho High School on the 27th of March. It was a wonderful experience for both her and me (as the coach).
For those of you who are unaware of judo tournaments and matches, a brief explanation is in order. First, tournaments are divided into divisions like Juniors, Seniors, and Masters. These divisions are age brackets. Further dividing these divisions are sex, weights, and ranks, if there are enough competitors to justify dividing them. Typically Senior Women’s divisions, especially in New Mexico, are not divided at all.
The matches are timed with a maximum length of time for competing but can be shortened for a number of reasons, including an Ippon throw, submission (tap out), unconsciousness (through a choking technique), penalties, or medical reasons. Senior Women’s matches are set for three minutes duration.
Alana had three matches. Her potential time on the mat for competition was nine minutes, but she didn’t need all of them! Watch the matches in the video below!
She did a great job with her matches and I was spectacularly proud of her effort and work.
I would like to thank Synergy Martial Arts for holding this tournament. I wish the scheduled Referee clinic had been held, but limited interest is limited interest I suppose.
All that being said, however, we finally took one to tournament. We took Alana Brumbaugh to the Southwest Championships held by Synergy Martial Arts at the Rio Rancho High School on the 27th of March. It was a wonderful experience for both her and me (as the coach).
For those of you who are unaware of judo tournaments and matches, a brief explanation is in order. First, tournaments are divided into divisions like Juniors, Seniors, and Masters. These divisions are age brackets. Further dividing these divisions are sex, weights, and ranks, if there are enough competitors to justify dividing them. Typically Senior Women’s divisions, especially in New Mexico, are not divided at all.
The matches are timed with a maximum length of time for competing but can be shortened for a number of reasons, including an Ippon throw, submission (tap out), unconsciousness (through a choking technique), penalties, or medical reasons. Senior Women’s matches are set for three minutes duration.
Alana had three matches. Her potential time on the mat for competition was nine minutes, but she didn’t need all of them! Watch the matches in the video below!
She did a great job with her matches and I was spectacularly proud of her effort and work.
I would like to thank Synergy Martial Arts for holding this tournament. I wish the scheduled Referee clinic had been held, but limited interest is limited interest I suppose.
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