The Martial Arts Thread

Wizardhawk_sl said:

Only reason I was asking is because, as some of you know, i'm not the biggest guy around and I find that people tend to assume i'm incapable of lifting objects that weigh more than 6 ounces/etc. so dunno if they'd just laugh me out of there, in a sense.

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Wizardhawk, self conscious?

If you go to a gym to sign up, and the instructor laughs at you, it's because he doesn't want to stay in business and doesn't want money.

Look up some places near your area, go to a class, they'll usually offer you a free lesson. No one's going to laugh at you, and they might not expect (my instructor let me) you to free roll on the first night. You certainly shouldn't do any actually striking sparring on the first night.

Quite literally the legend of modern Juduka and BJJ is:
Some small frail guy (Kano Jigoro, and Helio Gracie, respectively) attempts to learn Japanese Ju Jitsu and finds the moves require to much physical strength, so he goes and modifies the techniques to suite his weaker stature.

A big school will have people of all different sizes, and quite likely someone of similar build to you. I'm not saying master X Martial Art and you can beat down 300 lbs'rs, but the concept is technique over physical prowess.



So who here has been choked out?

I've been fully choked out once, it was intentional - I actually requested my former professor do it, wanted to know what it was like.

He overheard me talking about it and said he recommended we experience it at some point, so he went around and put it us all out. He started with me but he didn't hold it for long enough just as I started blacking out he released and I never went under. So he went around and demonstrated on everyone else and than me again (since I said I didn't go out). The second time, at some point through it I forgot I was even being choked, everything was tingling. I heard some people trying to talk to me, I could kind of see bloby silhouettes, felt like a dream. So I remember trying to get up thinking I was about to do some training, all the sudden the room started spinning rapidly and I started getting hot flashes or something, I remember thinking "well shit there's nothing I can do about this". - Just being content that I was going to die and it wasn't my responsibility to answer the people talking to me. Then I just came to, it's was pretty crazy kinda like a drug experience, but I don't regret experiencing it at least once (granted I appreciate the danger). Since then I've come close but I have a pretty good understanding of how far I can tolerate a choke.

Captain Suave_sl said:

I competed at the IBJJF Pan Ams when I was a white belt. In front of 2,000 people I got choked out by an ezekiel from inside my own closed guard. =(

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Two weeks ago I almost got a Blue belt with the same choke in his guard. It's funny because some other blue belt keeps insisting on explaining to me that I can't submit people inside their guards even though there's Youtube videos, and techniques specific to submitting from inside someone's guard, the Professor even teaches them. I just nod and smile though, everyone's got their opinions and usually the blue belts have good advice anyway, it's just when people talk in absolutes, and yet there's a hundreds of little variations on every move, and still evolving methods which often defy normal practices.

I'm very interested in practicing some wrist locks, it seems like they're legal in a lot of tournaments. I want to do another one sometime end of Dec/sometime in Jan if I can find one in NY around that time (next I see is in early Dec not enough time to prep). Going to try to cut to 169 I think, maybe 159.

Wizardhawk_sl said:

South Florida, Broward County. I guess the big one in the area that trains for UFC and whatnot is American Top Team. Also, yes, I might be a bit self conscious. It's annoying being treated like a 12 year old by people that i'm actually stronger and in better shape than them just because i've got a small frame.

Ideally I want to eventually get to about 170-175.

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Oh I can appreciate an image complex, my query is why you have an image complex but not a "Maybe I should rethink posting this" complex when it comes to all of your previous escapades.

Grumpus_sl said:

Technically you can submit someone from inside there own guard but it is risky especially with a choke since your arms would be stretched out to reach there neck which could get you arm barred easily.

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True, I'd say there's at least some risk in being countered/escaping with many submissions, especially when extended so far; just not the point the blue belt was making.

Erronius_sl said:

Can't you just skip the training and buy a belt somewhere?

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Yeah sure if you want, go ahead. Tell them you trained under Renato Laranja.

Amazon.com: Fuji BJJ Belts: Sports Outdoors


Relevant:

So I got double promoted over the course of the past weeks, not sure if the Professor is correcting my skill placement, or the Gogoplata attempt I had on someone or what.

Hoss_sl said:

Is there any chance the professor has his eye on a really nice Christmas gift for his wife?

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I pay the same price regardless, and I'm locked in for a year.


Anyway I'm competing in another Tournament in a bit over two weeks, I don't think I'll be able to water cut for it since it's a 3 hr drive and I probably won't take the day before off, so the next two weeks are going to really suck.

I missed cut by a lbs and 1/2 I should've run a mile before weighing in, but I was so beat from the drive and sure I'd finished the cut, just said fuck it and rolled at the higher weight. Subsequently got rocked by harder competition than expected.

Tap a blue belt, Spend 30 minutes straight, rolling with a big heavyset fairly new white belt put 10-12 sub attempts on him only to lose in the end.


Humility, no ego.

Think I'm going on Hiatus from Muay Thai for a while, my jobs been stressing me to shit. I'm finding it difficult to even get to Jiu Jitsu as it is, rolling is very cathartic for me but having to wade through instruction and be a solid training partner is to difficult when I'm so anxious so sometimes I've been just letting myself distress completely and not do anything, which is kind of upsetting that I can't get my mind in the right place--it just doesn't seem feasible for me to handle my career and two distinctly different and challenging Martial Arts at the same time, I think I'd be better focusing my effort on rolling as I feel like I'm not representing my school like I should, and Jiu Jitsu brings me the most joy of the two. I hope my Kru understands, I really do enjoy Muay Thai and honestly it's probably the more legit of the two Martial Arts in terms of winning a fight, but I just want to focus and calm myself right now.