November 19, Sensei Coleman

The ballad of the bruised and battered Jujitsuka...

Last sunday Sensei Coleman said "Most of the time you practice technique, but sometimes you practice spirit" for the past few days I have been running on fumes. I have been working long hours, not a lot of sleep. But I have been staying on top of my training, making sure I hit the gym even if it's midnight. For 7 weeks I've lost 5lbs then gained it back. It's very much like jujitsu, it's about spirit, not stopping, not giving up, even though it seems nothing is improving. Today I kept negotiating with myself whether or not to go to class, but attendance is important to me. The way I used to be, I would put things off, then put them off forever. This morning I woke up so sore, my wrist hurts, my shoulders, knee, oh and I broke a toe yesterday, but I figured hey what the hell...let's go to class! ¡Spirit!

1. Striking ( 1-2-Uppercut )
• Jab lead, rotate hip
• Strike Opposite, but not for
• Upper cut like you were clipping with ippon. Keep arm close to your body.

More and more I am beginning to understand the importance of tendon strength in these types of exercises. When I workout now I work out for tendon / joint strength and flexibility. The trainer I work with hasn't implemented any wrist exercises, hit a few wrong uppercuts and you will understand the importance.

2. Harai-Goshi
• Pull uke into you, and raise your hands to about eye level to pull uke off balance and put them on their toes
• Step into uke's opposite foot, cross step between uke's legs
• Pivot and place foot on outside of uke's leg and lift

This throw is very complicated, even laying it out in a drawing is very complicated in thought, though to actually execute is quite simple once you get your body in the appropriate position.

3. Sasae Tsurikomi Ashi
• Holding Kenka Yotsu ( Judo Hold ) move backwards
• Pull on uke's arm bringing their arm into your ear, drop opposite hand into their chest, and up into thier ear, slide to the side placing opposite foot over their ankle

*Note : Keep elbow ( the one driving the lapel up ) out of your ribs, let it slide past. Being a bigger guy sometimes I get in the way of myself. Maybe something to think about when with a bigger guy.

I keep going for this throw. I want to get it right. It's so simple, deceptive. Even when your thrown, the ukemi is challenging because I even think to myself "Hmmm my foot, hey my head is moving, now my shoulders, am I falling? I guess I am...but my foot is still on the ground? Hey that ground is coming up real fast...."

Fight Fight Fight for the ankle block until you get it right.

4. 1-2-Kosotogari
• Jab
• Strike with opposite hand
• Cut across uke with jabbing hand and sweep

*Note : When I uke and am not swept, it's normally because I am being kicked in the shin or the side of the knee ( OUCH! ) When I am kicked in the shin, I ricochet back onto my foot, maybe there is a switch to Deashi Harai?

Somewhere around here, my body didn't want to work and became cement. We did some stuff with kicks or something. But hey it happens. When we bow in I tell myself, "Nothing else matters but this. Your ukemi will be perfect and you will take every technique without complaint or hesitation. Just keep going. Don't stop, can't stop, won't stop."