Sorry, Ed

Learn to take a beating.  Learn to take it personally; just personally enough for it to drive your desire for improvement.  –Leaahh




I'm making an antlered headdress for the Hunt. Real whitetail sheds, fake ivy, garnets. I tend to heavily favor citrine when it comes to working with stones, but for some reason I'm all over the garnet for this particular venture. It looks like little glittery drops of blood- yet the purplish cast gives it a subtlety that appeals to me, and I expect it will work out to great effect by firelight. I looked up the properties- it's known as the "warrior stone". Heh.

If you ever go to the Puget Sound area, and you have any interest in such things, here's your Mecca- Earthlight Rocks and Minerals. I try to not go in there very often. My credit card begins to whimper in pain as soon as I step over the threshold. Their prices are actually pretty good... I'm enough of a rockhound to know.... I just can't control myself!
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No-gi, GB Belle. Single leg takedowns. Single leg takedowns with guard pass. Takedown spars. Then positional training with rotating partners: from front mount, back mount, Del a Riva, more takedowns.

It was quite an aerobic class, and pick-on-Kitsune-day continued through this class and into the next one. He did the "purple belt, purple belt." thing again. Well, I'd rather have him riding me than giving up and walking away, which he will do on very rare occasions when you're just too inept to bother with any more.

My ribs were doing okay (takedowns notwithstanding), but by the end of warmups for the following
"black belt" class, the room took on the appearance of rotating slowly- and I was beginning to wonder if I was too tired to continue. If we'd done more positional training for the next hour, I think I might have had to bail. However, the next bit turned out to be more brain-straining than body-straining (altho there was some of that too).

Del a Riva guard. Do not sit up- remain on your back. Take your hooking foot and stick the leg out straight so that you are scissoring opponent's far leg. At the same time, switch your grips. Now, take the other foot (the one you thrust against the knee) and bring the leg around in a big circle over your own arm and behind the opponent. Let go of hir ankle and grab the back of the belt. Kick both legs forward. Your hook feet are inside both of hir thighs. Now you have back mount. Don't forget to complete it by getting both hooks situated correctly.  (Carlos: "Keetsune- how many points?" Kitsune: "Uh, four." Carlos: "NONE, because you only have one hook een.")

Next: Del a Riva guard. Same scissoring variation. This time, keep both of the sleeve cuff gips that you already have, and cross the opponent's arms. Use your legs to load hir. Now you have 4 different options on which way to unload. Thrust opponent's X'ed arms the opposite way that you are thrusting hir body. Dumping hir over your head allows you to coninue the roll and finish in front mount. Dumping hir between you legs- if you tip hir body to one side and make sure you have the arms situated correctly- puts you in back mount.

I was a terrible partner to Ed tonight. I needed some help with the techniques, I kicked him in the forehead once while doing that big leg-circle, and then I hurt him by dumping him clumsily over my head. I realized a moment too late that I was rolling right over his face, and scrambled to move my weight, and didn't even notice that I was doing something worse to his ankle at the same time. I apologized all over the place, but I still felt reeeeeeeeeeeeeally bad. I definitely get clumsier when I'm tired- I think I was edging over the line of exhaustion that was beginning to make me an unsafe partner.

Sore and exceedingly exhausted now.

Thursday lunchtime

Physical education is the fundamental discipline of life, but it is actually despised, neglected, and taught intellectually, because the true intent of our schools is to inculcate the virtues of cunning and calculation which will make money...... The establishment is a class of physical barbarians.... they do not know how to transform money into physical enjoyment. They were never taught how to husband plants and animals for food, how to cook, how to make clothes and build houses, how to dance and breathe, how to do yoga for finding one's true center, or how to make love.  -Alan Watts

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Tuesday: walk to work and back.  Still doing well with the soda being cut back to less than half my former habit. The first four days were truly the worst.

I had planned to go straight from work to open mat in Bellevue, but I spent half the night rolling over in bed very carefully and groaning. I appear to have sustained a rib injury rolling with Eric last night. I felt it happen, but it was on/near the breastbone instead of in one of my historically vulnerable trouble spots- it didn't hurt enough to stop the roll, so I ignored it.

It's been my experience that most injuries that don't start to hurt badly until later are usually muscular, or something that has swollen. IE, probably not a broken bone (the times I've broken a bone, I knew right away that it was likely broken). The "rib out"- kind of a mixed bag. Sometimes I know right away, especially if it's the site of a previous "rib out". Others took  a day to really start making their presences known. This doesn't really feel like a rib out, though (Lord knows I've had enough of them by now to know)... so I'm hoping it's just some bruising and minor swelling. I think I should take today off, though. I took some ibuprofin. We'll see what it feels like tomorrow.
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Wednesday: walk to work and back.  I'm still hurting enough that I decided I'd better take one more day off. I can't turn around and look into the back seat of my car. Well, I probably could if I *had* to... but I really don't want to.
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Thursday:  Got to BJJ an hour early so as to have plenty of time for a good stretch and warmup before rolling with the rib injury. A few reps each of Hurricane Hands, Little Red Dragon, Black Crane 1 (both sides... ending reap on the nontraditional side needs review), Five Points Of the Star, Spear Hand frag. Injury ached gently, but no sharp stabby pains.

I got punishment pushups today, for drinking water after the warmup without permission to do so. I don't agree with restricting water during training- maybe because I'm in health care- and I just don't deal well with the way some people come in in the morning and crank the heat all the way to max. By the end of the warmup, I'm baking like a potato wrapped in tinfoil, and nothing wipes me out worse than being overheated.

All spars. I was pushy about grabbing the people I wanted to work with. This was not the morning to have Donkey Kong or Hostility Boy bouncing on my rib cage. By the time we were done, though, I was getting down to the dregs and had to go with a couple of people that made me nervous. Nobody hurt me, though- and I don't feel much more sore now than I did before class, so I think with reasonable care I should recover from this one okay.

Muscle

I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that most human problems have their origin in a bad relationship with the body.  -Daniele Bolelli, On The Warrior’s Path




Turtle Drum. I used Ascha, Tiala, the double guiro, egg shaker, housemate's little frog guiro. I took my jian, but it was too crowded in there tonight to play with that. A little muted chanting, but not much.  Some dance- my most recent Form Of the Day was the White Crane fragment, but for some reason it was mostly Leopard Three and Tai Chi (silk reeling, Repulse The Monkey) tonight. A little belly dance. (There's a combo- Leopard and Belly Dance) Then I felt like doing some Snake (more compatible with belly dance), but we were out of time.
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Monday- walk to work and back.
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Monday evening BJJ, GB Bothell. 

Nice to see some older, heavier white belts coming in and working.

Armbar from mount, keylock from mount.

Spars- Will, the 14YO orange belt, is good. Also good to work with. Wrestling skillz (sigh.... I do not do well against these wrestling takedowns).

Eric again. This is proving interesting. I didn't do much better against him than I did on Friday, but I remained calm and relaxed- even moreso than on Friday. I think that even as recently as nine months ago, working with this guy would have made me so frustrated that steam would be shooting out my ears. Now I can keep my cool- and I can also restrain myself from trying to match muscling with muscling. I knew what to expect from him this time. He is very muscle-y, and knows just enough technique to be dangerous. I am playing very defensive. Next time I want to move around more and take a few more chances. I'm anxious that as soon as I stick something out, he's going to slam a sub really hard and injure me. This type tends to slam subs. I need to try to experiment more and yet still protect myself adequately from slammed subs.


I told Bo I'd do it.

Ambivalence

    Fisher had tried to enter the hole in the clouds six or seven times- but kept finding
herself back in her body, the bamboo raft pressing impassively against her
shoulderblades.   –The Hole In the Clouds




Thursday and Friday: Walk to work and back.

Saturday lunchtime BJJ, GB Sea. I only had enough get-up-and-go for the first of the two back-to-back classes.  I also was late again (third time in a row)! I don't have a good excuse for today. I really need to get my act together. Fortunately, I can jump in and function without a stretch out or warm up. The only things I really *need* to stretch out for are things like  flying spinning kicks and vigorous crescent kicks.

Standup: single leg setups.

Opponent has you in hir closed guard. You place hands on hir belt, turn one knee out and the opposite foot (toe loaded) out. Stand up. Opponent slides down your body and takes del a Riva guard with unhooked foot on your hip.

Now you grab the ankle of the foot that is planted on your hip (let's call it your left hip) and slam the sole to the mat. Hold it there while you ram your right hand between opponent's knees. Drop your left knee to the mat right against opponent's hip. Glue your left shoulder to opponent and put on weight. Keeping your right hand on the mat, crawl it toward opponent's head. Kick your trapped foot free, and complete transition to side control.

Saturday means many reps.

I told Angela that I love working with her, and feel that I always learn a lot when I do. It's important to verbally appreciate your good training partners.

I bought a used GB gi off a dude on Jiu Jitsu Forums. It is almost identical to my old blue GB gi, but there are a couple of minor patch differences. Casey noticed immediately, and asked if I had a new gi. I told him I found a used one, wondering what his reaction was going to be (I don't know if the school is getting kickbacks for selling these gi's, or have quotas, or what- but I figured he'd be annoyed that I hadn't surrendered my credit card). He didn't comment. Prof Carlos noticed too, and said that he was happy to see that my gi was "nice and blue" today. I answered that I was happy he approved.

Black-belt-Lindsey was there, and I was so happy to see him- it's been a while. I jumped on his back and RNC'ed him during a break, and then we rolled around for a few minutes. Blue-belt-Lindsey also jumped on my back and RNC'ed me. I didn't throw her this time- I said, "Didn't you learn your lesson yet??!?" I jumped on Cindy's back and choked her. I did not choke Rodrigo, but I did get a hug from him.
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Dru, when I ran my proposed Hunt role shift past her and Derek: "Kitsune, do you remember when Drake asked me to lead the drumming for the Hunt at Ravenstone and I felt blindsided by it? You said to me, "He wouldn't have asked you if he didn't think you were ready for it." The same applies here, so I'm quoting you to you."

I don't know whether to be more touched by her faith in me, or by the fact that she took my advice so to heart to remember it, follow it, and then years later quote me back to me.

Bo:  "...I was in contact with SilverDrake.  He knew who I was considering.  But did not want to offer his opinion until I chose because he did not want to influence me.  The night that I sent you the original e-mail I contacted him again and asked who it was that he thought was right.  He had chosen you as well.  Yet another reason that I believe spirit is offering this to you."

That's encouraging- and sobering- why was this so obvious to everybody when it never even occurred to me? Dru's and Derek's blessings means even more to me, though. They know the Hunt, and they know *me* better than Bo or SilverDrake do.

The main reason I've been dragging my feet is that I love- passionately love- drumming for the Hunt, and I passionately love leading the drumming for the Hunt. It's the high point of my year, there's nothing like it, and the thought of not doing it makes my soul weep. That part is selfish, but I don't apologize for it. It's also a lot of hard work, and I know that I serve my community well in the job.

I'm sure that assistant Huntmaster/mistressing would have its own fun, challenge, and spiritual growth. Cross-training is always a good thing (for both an individual and the team) for multiple reasons.

I'd like to try it. Who knows, I might like it even better. Or I might not like it, or we might find that I have no aptitude for it. Won't know unless we try, huh? I'm up for the challenge. Geez, it's going to hurt to not be drumming, though.

I've joked to Derek and Dru in the past about how Herald Camp is slowly and insidiously taking over the Hunt. I've really enjoyed (and counted on)  the way the three of us have worked together- both on practical and energetic levels- for years, and I think that's been a really good thing for the Hunt.  Now we're going to have one of us in each of the three major coordination roles. I'm excited about that. I think that could be unbelievably awesome.

Also, the coordinating team is 3/4 women this year. The Hunt started out pretty male-dominated, so that's kinda cool as well. I'll really miss Harry (who is on hiatus this year), but I'm excited to have Cindy (different Cindy) keeping the fire.
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White belts

I would rather get my ass kicked in BJJ than win at anything else. I love it that much.  - Parabellum


Ah, fresh white belts. Panting, straining, stiff-as-a-board white belts.

I still don't have enough technique to beat white belts who are bigger and stronger than I. Two years ago, I would have done my damndest to muscle back, and gotten frustrated when I couldn't prevent the manhandling. Today, I stayed relaxed and for the most part serene, with only a few momentary flashes of frustration.

Went to the Bothell pod for the first time. Got lost- late for two classes in the same day, that's a record. There's a girl there! Panting, straining, stiff as a board... but seems gung-ho and eager to learn.

Same comb-over escape from front mount to replacing full guard as this morning.

Upa escape from front mount- this time beginning with opponent gripping cross-collar. You clasp hir elbow to your chest.

Headlock escape on the ground. Turn slightly into opponent and pull that elbow down to ribs/mat. Hook top leg over hir top leg. Roll toward opponent and get on knees, driving forward to make hir headlock-gripping arm difficult to maintain. If you can keep the arm, armlock behind opponent's back. If s/he pulls arm under hir, sash-grip under one armpit and over one shoulder and hike your knee up so that it's pressed against hir back, high up. Pull hir into back mount.

Two points!

The world would never have been the same had any of the Western prophets been struck by the same intuition that myth attributes to Bodhidharma. Probably, the entire Western culture would be drastically different. No rivalry between spirit and body. No tug-of-war between the soul yearning for Heaven and the body restraining it on Earth. Rather than wasting our energies quarreling with our bodies and with the natural world, we could let spirituality and sensuality dance cheek to cheek.  -Daniele Bolelli, On The Warrior’s Path


Wednesday lunchtime BJJ, GB Sea.  Got trapped behind that dang train again, and walked in right during the bow-in. Got reprimanded in front of entire class. Embarrassing.

Front mount, upa escape while holding opponent's belt.  Noticing that it's difficult to trap opponent's posting leg when you are working with a petite and short-legged opponent such as Angela. Angela also says that I need "More hip, more hip, more hip."

Opponent has front mout. You gable grip hands, turn slightly on your side, press palms to opponent's thigh. Extend matward leg to the side, pushing opponent's leg out with it. Cross your other leg over top and place sole on mat to trap opponent's foot. Shrimp. Pull your outside leg out from under opponent. Turn in. Take half gaurd. Pinch knees together but do not lockhalf guard. Get underhook. Push opponent's far knee with hand. Pull your remaining leg out and replace full guard.

Angela wants me to push and shrimp more at the very beginning, but I found that this placed her center of gravity very low on my hips and it became very difficult for me to cross my leg over.

Positional training from front mount. Noticing that I expend a lot of strength and energy if I try to fight my way out of front mount. I tend to wait till they move for a sub, then try to escape then. Another thing: As usual I can't give Angela as much of a challenge as I would like to, but as far as positional training goes, it is probably more helpful to her if I give her some variety and refrain from pushing my Plan A over and over. Today I tried to do some different things, even if I felt I was more inept at some of them.

During one of the breaks, I came up behind Lindsey and RNC'ed her. She did not defend vigorously, and I was about to start goading her when someone called me away. Right before we lined up to bow out, Lindsey came up behind me and RNC'ed me in turn. I calmly hauled down on her elbow (using the susequent small motions of her body to zero in on her center of gravity) moved my hips into position, and launched a perfectly pristine shoulder throw. Everyone paused to admire. Carlos signalled two points for me. Cindy signalled DQ (for "mean").

O....M.....G.......

 

 

 

There is no jiu jitsu in this.

 

So, one of the things that the Hunt coordinators have been doing for the last lo these many years is that each coordinator has a backup. Someone who is sort of apprenticing the role, and assisting the coordinator. After the backup has been backing up for several years, it usually turns into more of a partnership. Dru and I have definitely got a great partnership- to the point that I had her run the show last year while I  acted as *her* backup.

As Silverdrake stepped down and his backup Beau took over as Huntmaster last year, Beau did not have a backup. It made me a little nervous. It's a big job, and if anything happened to Beau or he ran into difficulties, we'd be rather screwed. Sharon made it clear that she wants him to establish a backup this year, and I heartily agree, and I think so does he.

I came home to a shock of an e-mail tonight. There was a lot said and some of it is not appropriate to share, but the conclusion was:

"..... what I do know is that I believe the Hunt's Spirit wants you in this role and so do I. I have had many in consideration for this part but you are the right person. I believe that you are our Hunt Mistress. "

I don't know how to react to this.