Belt Promotion and "Fighting Up"

Having only had my blue belt for half a year, I'm sure there are others who can speak to this subject better than I. However, it's something I find very intriguing.

I felt like I'd put the mat time in and I knew the requirements for the blue belt test like the back of my hand. Yet, I wasn't sure I was ready to be promoted. I'd regularly get destroyed by blue belts and even a few of the white belts consistently tapped me even though I outweighed them by 40-50lbs. Obviously the instructors know best though, so when I was told it was time to test, I didn't argue. I made it through the test without any major mistakes in spite of the nerves making it feel like I was at a tournament in front of thousands. I felt very proud but my first though was, "now I'm in the advanced class with the big fish, Professor is going to see it was a mistake to promote me".

Those first few classes were extremely humbling. Suddenly I was pitted against guys who outweighed me by 40-50lbs and were purple and brown belts. Needless to say, I learned what most folks do as new blue belts: white belts don't know what they don't know, blue belts only know that they don't know anything. All that being said, it was almost like a magic switch had been flipped on my jiu jitsu game. Blue belts could still beat me, but guys that were destroying me before were having a tough time with me only a couple weeks later. White belts who were beating me, now seemed to be letting me work my game with transitions and submissions coming fluidly and often. I've heard the term "fighting up" used to describe this phenomenon. It's the idea that simply being promoted improves your game through positive mental change.

Was this abrupt change merely a mental block being lifted? Was it the confidence my professor had  allowing me to have confidence in myself? Was it small amount of mat time with upper-level belts? My guess is, it was a combination of all three.

I wonder if the next promotion will feel the same? Do they all feel that way. I really hope so.

So tell me, did you guys feel this? What has the promotion experience been for you?

Bugging out about protein

Would you supplement your diet with protein powder or protein bars made with "cricket flour"? I first heard about this a few months ago and recently saw another post about it: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/this-could-be-big-abc-news/eat-protein-bar-made-crickets-202137612.html?vp=1

I hope these guys make a go of it. I realize this is a major culture shock to those of us in the US. I must admit I have my own reservations, but I plan to try these. Between the cheap protein and the environmental implications, this seems to be a win for everyone.

Who knows, maybe there will be cricket supplemented acai bowls at the IBJJF World Championships in a few years. Could we eventually be "growing" our own sustainable protein source in aquariums?  Every apartment could be a farm!

And on this farm I raised a cricket E-I-E-I-O...

Obsession with Jiu Jitsu

If a warrior is to succeed at anything, the success must come gently, with a great deal of effort but with no stress or obsession

-Carlos Castaneda

Almost everything in bjj revolves around balance, including fitting it into your life.

 I would love to be at the gym 3 times a day, every day. I wish my body would hold up to it. I wish it wouldn't interfere with other obligations and relationships. However, at this point in my life that just isn't possible. I have a lot of people I respect and admire in the bjj world; my professor, Jacare Calvacanti, for creating one of the most dominate competition teams in history, the Gracie family for helping bring bjj to the whole world; Marcus Almeida “Buchecha” for showing that big guys can move. You all know those names, but there are others that I respect that you don't know. These are the guys (and ladies) that are balancing a couple kids, a career, bills, and other obligations and yet I still see them on the mats several times a week. Those folks have crazy balance! I'm still trying to find it and it's tougher than hitting a flying armbar. What is the definition of obsession? What signifies crossing that line?

I recently changed my work schedule specifically to allow more time on the mats. I loved my schedule. It gave me a 3 day weekend every week! I'd been doing it for 3 years and it's completely ingrained in me. Since being married, my gym's evenings classes have been difficult to attend. I needed to find a work, wife, jiu jitsu balance. So I sacrificed the work schedule I loved. Is that obsession? Is putting bjj in my top priorities a problem?

I hope not.

The best blog post ever...

Was deleted so this will have to do.

If it doesn't kill you, it makes you stronger.

That's what they say but as a an older jiu jitsu guy, all it does for me is make training more difficult.

I look around my gym and really wish I'd started when I was younger. Thankfully, bjj is a discipline that lends itself to almost all stages of life. I'm not that old, 33, but man do I feel like it the morning after a tough training session. In high school, I remember playing a sport and feeling brand new by the next morning. I'd love to bring that feeling to jiu jitsu.The big thing I've learned is that diet and rest are my best friends. It's a constant balancing act between being smart and being lazy.

All that being said, I feel like the luckiest man alive to be a part of the amazing bjj community. I'll continue to struggle through my issues. I'll tape myself up, I'll show up, and I'll ice everything each night just to do it again.Occasionally I'll write about it and hopefully I'll entertain some folks along the way.

Til next time