Stretching, Botox, Respect and Love.

Let me tell you, stretching hurts, a lot. However, I’ve been working on stretching my right hip out as much as possible and it has allowed me to move my leg up a lot higher and faster up some ones back when laying on my back. We have a move called the rubber guard and that pretty much means that you pull your leg all the way up to your opponents shoulder, then you start working it across the face and so on.

Example Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUDqbU2jwxg

Now from the video, some of the other maneuvers require the use of both arms, i.e. my right arm, which is my weakest point of my body, I have such a hard time weaving my arm through tight areas, it’s almost Un-nerving. Where I just have to remember to relax and breath.

I am real thankful for my instructor though, Derek, because he’s hell bent on working with me and modifying movies that fit my body, which I honestly haven’t received from a lot of my instructors in the past, besides a few.

When I was very young, Botox injections just came out, (I mentioned this in another post) I remember that besides the pain, my arm was able to move so much more than it is now. What freaked me out was when I discovered from and old friend that it basically was a form of toxin or poison. Which I’d rather not put in my body.

I know of other friends with Cerebral Palsy that still have it done, I just don’t know that I’d like to back down that road again. That said, I really need to stretch my right arm. Even if your not faced with many physical trials, be thankful that you have limbs, you them for good, learn to love people. I think it’s so important when I’m in practice to shake hands with people, look them in the eye, and encourage them. Part of me wants the tradition back in martial arts, and I think it is very well happening, however slow or painful it way be.

So… Yeah, love people, be thankful for the body you have, use it, train it, and condition it. You get one body, respect it. It was given to you.

And, I’d also like to leave you with a one other video from Erik Paulson, talking about respect.

Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lHwLiNaQfY

-Brandon/THECPWARRIOR     

A tired update

I’m not quite sure how to start this entry off…

My body is tired, we rolled for a hour straight tonight, if not more tonight. There is another tournament these weekend, the Cornhusker state games, so in my mind I was apart of helping every one get ready for battle. We did everything based on how matches are scored. Must say though, I got out pointed at ton, got a couple double leg take downs, one throw and a few tap outs. Beyond that, it was me getting tapped out.

I felt myself getting mad early on, every week I get caught in some of the same holds. Weight is always an issue, I’m almost always the smallest one there and as a said last week, most everyone is much stronger.

I can only get better, I will humble myself and learn from those who are better than me.

In the words of DH Lawrence:

I never saw a wild thing

sorry for itself.

A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough

without ever having felt sorry for itself.

  

Until next- I am going to bed… So very tired.

-Brandon/theCPWARRIOR

Motivation

You ever hear of the little engine that could?

That’s what I feel like sometimes, or the phrase: Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t. Some weeks I feel like I’m climbing up the mountain and others I’m quickly losing grip and falling back down.

This week we reviewed the same sweep as I mentioned in the previous entry, the actual name for it is the Homer Simpson Pass, and last week I was nailing it left and right. And tonight it just wasn’t happening for me. No matter how much time I spend in the gym with weights, it always seems that there is always someone, bigger, stronger, faster… Better. And it’s true, there always is. I’m not trying to beat myself down.

My instructors voice rings in my head: Being a white belt is all about survival. And so I keep chugging on, like that little engine. And even when the tank feels empty, will all I got I keep chugging.

I smile and force myself to remember this is practice, and on opposite ends I try to kill the pride inside me. Humility always weighs over pride. I don’t care who you’re, pride will eventually kill the heart if you let it master you. I try and remember that one-day, one day I’ll be teaching people. Kids who will be in my position, and I’ll be there to guide them and give wisdom I can. If it be here or some other place in time.

My main goal is to learn to work with my body, stretch my right arm and hand more, force it to move where I want it too. Erik Paulson once said that you should always train like your training for a fight. That has never left me, so with every session in the weight room or on the mat, I’m visioning a person in front of me, and all time and energy put into practice might pay off with gold in my hands. You may never compete in Martial Arts, or it might even be a different sport or no sports at all. The point is then to keep your self-motivated. As the saying goes, without vision we die. Rest assure though, I want me some gold.

So, are you motivated? What motivates you?

-Brandon/TheCPWarrior

Do you have joy?

I’m sitting here trying to re-hydrate from tonight’s practice. Want to know a secret? Coconut Juice, it’s great and re-hydrates the body faster than a lot of other sports drinks in my opinion.

Tonight was awesome, for three reasons:

1) I ordered some grip socks from Combat Sports that work very well, if you have really sensitive feet, these are an awesome way to go. The protect most of the top surface of the foot, as well as providing your feet with extra grip when attempting to bridge off your back.

Most people have sensitive skin to began with when it comes to the feet, so taking this extra precaution is a very wise step. Though I must say that these new grip socks need to be battle tested in the washer. But here is a link if you’re so interested:

http://www.combatsports.com/Combat-Sports-Grappling-Socks/productinfo/GSOCK/

2) Coach Derek taught some new sweeps off the back, what that means is that, if some one is on top of you. You have the option of fighting and defending, not just laying there, letting the person on top of you eat you alive. I caught on to these sweeps pretty fast, even executed them during free rolling in made me happy

3) Which leads me to the third reason and point of this entry… Joy. I mentioned in a previous entry to smile, even when getting submitted, it’s working. As I said, I managed to pull of the sweeps that coach Derek taught, it made me happy, it gave me joy. It made me excited for the next time I step out on the mat. Ironically, what helps me in keeping joy in my process and journey through 10^th Planet, is bowing before I go onto the mat, as a sign of humility and respect. Truthfully, this is not done any more in a lot of Martial Arts, though a class may pay respects to one another after class is over, this is slowly on the out skirts of practice. It’s very important to be humble and care for the people your interacting with.

Lastly, I want to encourage my viewers (which seems to be a good amount) and readers, to find something pure that makes you happy. Try and notice what it does to your heart, and learn to love people,

You are loved.

-Brandon/TheCPGrappler