Friday

The key to pursuing excellence is to embrace an organic, long-term learning process, and not to live in a shell of static, safe mediocrity. The hermit crab is a colorful example of a creature that lives by this aspect of the growth process (albeit without our psychological baggage). As the crab gets bigger, it needs to find a more spacious shell. So the slow, lumbering creature goes on a quest for a new home. If an appropriate new shell is not found quickly, a terribly delicate moment of truth arises. A soft creature that is used to the protection of built-in armor must now go out into the world, exposed to predators in all its mushy vulnerability. That learning phase in between shells is where our growth can spring from. Someone stuck with an entity theory of intelligence is like an anorexic hermit crab, starving itself so that it doesn’t grow to have to find a new shell. Josh Waitzkin, “The Art Of Learning”

Friday's FOD was the long Tai Chi open-hands form. I actually groaned when I pulled the stone out of the bowl. I am officially sick of this form for the time being. Saturday's FOD: the Chen Jian form.

Lunchtime BJJ at Gracie Seattle. Prof. Carlos seemed to be bent on keeping our pulses up; lots of running, fast double and single leg drills, shoulder throws. JB had to stop a few times because she was on the verge of either passing out or puking.
Rolls with JB and Marc.

Friday evening BJJ at Sleeper. Same whizzer and back-of-the-neck grip we've been doing for 2 weeks; this time to a triangle. If they don't tap to the triangle, you can underhook the thigh to create more of an angle (note that you have to "follow the fingers"…. I was wanting to go to the wrong side a few times). One you have that thigh, you can also flip the person over to get one of a few different types of armbars.

Although triangles remain something that I just don't feel very comfortable with, I was appreciating how much easier it was to set one up and adjust it on someone of Cindy's size than on most people I work with. Maybe if I had a chance to drill these enough on a small person, I could try for them in comps (against other small people) even if they don't seem very realistic on a day to day basis (on huge men).

We also did that same initial setup and had the opponent pull the arm out- whereupon we switched to an arm drag and take-the-back. I always seem to have a little trouble getting out from under with acceptable speed and dexterity. Once out, though, I can get on the back and gets hooks in very quickly ("skipping about 8 steps").

Spars with Cindy and George. Cindy let me get an armbar on her, and she hardly ever lets me tap her out, so I must have been doing okay on that one. I really need to figure out what do do when I'm sitting and she's standing, though- I can grab an ankle and put a foot on her hip, but I can't seem to get an x-guard, and she won't let me get the other ankle or hip- I can't seem to do anything useful before she spins and then just sits on me. George *almost* let me get an RNC, too… I was sure I had him (I even had to check once to make sure he wasn't out), I still don't know how he escaped.

We talked a little about my tournament "energy drain" phenomenon, and she agrees with Lindsey that it's probably a mental thing.