Why We Should Take Care of The Physical Self.

So,

It's been a long while since I updated this blog, I'm still training, but I'm also busy pursuing a psychology degree. I've been lifting weights a lot and increasing the amount of calories that I take in everyday. My teammates have notice that I am getting a lot stronger. My next tournament is January 19, and I am pumped because it's a submission only tournament with no points!

I wanted to take some time to explain why it is, I practice the art of Jujitsu or various forms of grappling arts. Quite simply, I grew up around the grappling arts, so it really has become a second nature so to speak, or a first love of some kind.

My history in grappling started off under Sifu Larry HartSell, who just so happened to be one of Bruce Lee's original students. From their, I studied Judo, along with various styles of grappling such as: Shoot Wrestling and Catch Wrestling.

When I first started out, I was in love with it, as I kind of still am, though now my motive behind doing it has changed. It's a joy for me now, I do it because I know it's a gift that could have been very well taken from me.

What I mean is that, there are people who don't have the ability to move their bodies and be physically active. Because of different physical conditions, that in all honesty would love to be able to train as an athlete in any shape or form, yet cannot.

And so, I carry this burden within in me that says that I need to make the most of my physical body. Yet, not taking it for granted at the same time. Which is something I feel so many of us do on a daily basis. I do it as well, I've racked up ours in the gym, not thinking about others who would do anything to be in my position.

    It forces me to not take myself so seriously, and yet gives more focus and purpose at the same time, I've yet to win a match in any tournament, but you know what? I'm okay with that, because I know that just as easy as ability is given, it can be taken away.

I have to remind myself of why I walk this path, and that is because It's a gift and joy, and an honor to represent any ever person that would love to be able to do as I am, but can't. All in all, the point that I'm drawing us to, is that. 1) We should not taken for granted our bodies and physical abilities, and 2) out of the honor for those who cannot, we ought to keep a balanced perspective of ourselves, while still trying to be the best we can be physically, because if you have the means, then there is no reason why one can not take better care of ourselves. 

I hope this inspires and motivates you.

-Brandon

Update 5.21.12.

Training is going great, I’ve gained two pounds. My secret? Protein shakes, increasing calorie intake and lifting weights. I can really feel like I’m getting better, my coaches are always helping find new ways (or modify) ways to do more complicated moves.

There’re two tournaments coming up, one in July and August. I may skip out on the one in July due to the fact that I’m slowly getting ready for school in the fall. I’ll be going to Grace University in the fall to study Psychology and eventually become a counselor of some kind.

So that may limit my training to just saturdays, but should my schedule have openings i’ll do my best to work on a ride to go to the gym. Life is really about to pick up.

-Brandon

Hmmm..

There is something oddly spiritual about jujitsu..

Results from the Tournament.

I took a bronze medal. Though I lost twice again I fought with everything that was in me. During weigh ins my weight was lower than i'd like (122) to be exact, people were very encouraging and clapped as I left the mat. Through everything I'm happy and even proud of myself, I stayed calm, breathing was good and all in all I know I did the best I could.

Now, relax a bit and back in the gym we go to figure out a new game plan and learn.

Last Practice before Tournament Saturday

Tonight's practice was tough,

Made a lot of mistakes but also learned some sweet new movies, during the live grappling I pulled off one choke, but the rest of the night it was me fighting for my life.. I'm really proud though to be rollin with some champions. During the night's practice I watched everybody going after one another and I felt a lot of different mind games going on, negative voices telling me that I had no chance at winning.

Yet I took those thoughts captive, because their not true, I have a fighting chance. I could win and and I very well could loose again. Yet it's about the warrior spirit and stepping into batter with your head held high ready to leave everything you're on the mat.

The only time you ever fail is if you don't try.

Jujitsu For Smaller People

I really enjoyed this video, it really encourages me getting  to Saturday.http://www.ilovebjj.com/9/post/2012/05/jiu-jitsu-for-small-guys-winning-mindset.html

Me Against Me

With the tournament next Saturday, my heart is filled with excitement fear. Even though from the start my purpose for competing again was for fun. But in all honesty I'm asking myself: "Have I trained enough?" Truthfully, no I haven't, my life doesn't really allow me to do so. And with starting college in the fall I'll only be able to train a few times a week.

In all reality it will probably set me back in my journey a bit. Someone asked me recently "What is more important to you?"

... School? I said, the person agreed with me. I've been coming back to the analogy of climbing a mountain, for some the path up the mountain is some what steady, it may take a bit of energy to pull yourself up at times but over all the climb isn't very difficult. For others though the climb takes along time and requires a lot more of physical, mental and even emotional resources just to climb one more inch.

I know I've gotten better, people have told me that, but if I am able to compete next weekend. I want to do my best, stay calm and do what I do in practice every week. People tell me I'm hard to tap out, so even if I don't win a match I want to fight and defend and not get submitted. I don't want to get caught in any chokes.

And most importantly I'd to try and stay focus with all the other noise going on around me. I'll finish next week strong in the gym. Lets do this!

The Time Has Almost Arrived..

May 19th next tournament..

I'm feeling good and will hopefully be fighting in the 126 division. The problem is, there is no one in that
class yet. So hopefully things shape up. Just hoping to calm, control my breathing and have fun!

I asked one of my Coaches how he thought I was doing, and he said:

"Your doing really well man".

That always makes me feel good, plus, I think I may have invented a move of my own that works for me!

Tournaments

May

July

And August.

Good thing I'm eating heathy and working out a ton. Win, loose or draw. I'm gonna give my all.

Sometimes

In Jujitsu, I feel like a one armed man in a ass kicking contest.

Jujitsu- Worship or Gift?

(This article may or may not get me in trouble, but I am willing to take the risk.)

Sometime ago I saw a T-shirt design that said “I Worship Jiu-jitsu”; at first I laughed at the idea of someone actually worshiping the very art. But as I allowed myself the time to think about this statement, I wondered if there might be some truth behind this statement, rather than it being a joke. Yet as I’ve been around looked around the grappling community, there’re people that are flat out obsessed with the art. It’s hard to not think about it, even as I was going for a ride I found myself dreaming about doing a butterfly sweep on someone than choking them to win a gold medal. Jiu-Jitsu is a great sport, and it has great health benefits for me. If you don’t get a lot of physical contact with people, Jiu-Jitsu is a great way to have that area filled in your life, you even can feel better about yourself mentally and emotionally after a hard work out on the mats, but is this very are meant to be “Worshiped”, as in the form of a deity? In my estimation, I don’t think so. Yet I think it is a gift passed down from the Japanese, Brazilians and onto today’s No-Gi experts. For me, as one with Cerebral Palsy, the ability for me to put down my canes every week, crawl unto the mats and perfect the art of choking someone is a gift. The ability to train my body to do different things involved with grappling is a gift, not something to be idolized. I can see people getting pissed off right now, because you might feel like I’m trying to take something from you, but relax and don’t wet your pants. I only want people in the grappling community to take a few steps back and maybe take a breather for a second. Have you become so obsessed with this beautiful art that you very quickly and even blindly start taking it for granted? I think of other physically challenged people who are wheel chair bound almost 24/7, and how they must love to be able to get out from their confines and do just basics of what we do everyday on the mats. Thinking in this way, it makes one slow their roll pretty quickly. It humbles me to know that I have such a low form of C.P. It humbles me that I get show up every week and grapple, because I could not be able too, I could have been born with something far worse. I am thankful for the gift that I have each and every week. Is it wrong to want to progress at this craft and have the honor of being deemed a champion? By no means, but we all need to come back down to earth and be thankful for our bodies and being able to train every day. Let us show and treat each other with respect, dignity and honor. And may are eyes be opened to this gift, and may we see it as such.

-Brandon/The CP Grappler         

PIcs from Eddie Bravo Seminar

Quick thoughts

Showing up to class is 90% percent of the battle!

Work on stretching- butterfly stretch is improving, knees almost touch ground.

Stamina-rockin

Eddie Bravo Seminar Saturday.

Eyeing july competition

Thoughts on Attitude and Respect.

Sorry for the lack of updates,

I've been finishing up some things for a second book I have coming out in the next few months or so. Beyond that, working on two other books as well. Training on the other hand is going great, i've been able to do up the pace to two days a week on the mat. I feel like I'm really improving, give or take some areas of improvement, which we all have.

I am thankful for the 134 views this blog has got of the months its been going, hope it continues to grow. That said, I'd like to talk about the areas of humility and attitude. I've noticed quite the change in myself over the past few months, in that the frustration that had been a thorn in my side isn't there so much anymore. Not to say that it would never arise ever again, but that I've been able to smile a lot more, and have fun.

A few weeks ago I was "rolling" with my coach, and in a matter of seconds he got me in a nasty choke.
I had two options: 1) I could have gotten angry, which I felt come on.. Or 2) I could have composed myself and learned from my mistake and add a new tool to the bag of tricks.. I chose the second option of course. I've found that by keeping myself grounded in humility, thinks become a lot easier.

Even you walk around in life thinking you know everything, your gonna get knocked on your ass. Trust me, I know from experience. I always stay humbled knowing that those who have gone before me in the grappling realm haven't had the luxury that most Martial Arts gyms have these days. The Gracie family, competed in grappling matches of tile flooring, british catch wrestlers would also do the same, if not have very thin, and I mean thin layers of mating, which was even much at all.

Now in todays Dojo's the mats are much thicker and forgiving, we can even go as far as saying that we have prevented health care against skin infections that you can get off wrestling mats and the like. Back in the early Catch wrestling days, people actual died due to basic skin infections, quite sad if you ask me.

Now, we have things like "Defense wipes and Defense Soap" which are awesome products. Anyway, as I was saying, I don't know all there is to know about grappling, and as I've mentioned before, I've lost several steps along the way, but I'm slowly getting them back. And for me, it's simply stepping out on the mat each and every week, regardless of the pounding that I take, I just keep coming back and coming back, because it's worth it to me.... So many people wanna argue over where things came from and what system is better.. But why can't we just shut up and grapple, because we enjoy it? And learn to encourage one another?

I miss the good old days, a lot actually.    

Headed to class!

But... I wanted to show you guys another fellow CP Grappler.:

Never to Old

Man,

what a great night of practice. I really feel like everything just clicked for me tonight. Real quick though I'd like to tell you about an inspiration of mine. He goes by the name: Guru Dan Inosanto, he was one of Bruce Lee's original students. The reason he inspires me is because even though he is 70's he is still thriving and growing as a martial artist.

He I think in his early 60's got his black belt in Jujitsu, so that for me is an kick in the rear to keep going towards the goal, no matter how old I get, because your never to old.