A great practice back

Tonight was my second no gi class back after being cleared to train. My first class back was killer. I'm not use to the training and I'm feeling it both legs. We've worked a lot in the past to classes I've gone to on positional sparring. We do 6x2 min. rounds of positional sparring from guard, the second time was 6x2 min. rounds of positional sparring from side control. After that we did 30% takedown drills. Finally we started standing up and after the takedown. We had 1 min sparring on the ground (iron man style).

I'm really excited that I actually was able to do the whole practice and I'm not feeling any pain. I even did the 30% takedown drill without too much stress on my knee. When we went live starting from standing though I was a little more cautious. I didn't fight takedowns, and I didn't really go for any either. Honestly I'm just so nervous right now about takedowns... I know it will take me a while to get back into everything but some things are just going to take longer for me to get accustomed to again.

Tomorrow is gi class. I can't wait to get back in a gi and see how I am progressing in gi. I always preferred it to no gi but it is a completely different beast.

I'm also getting closer and closer to sitting in a proper guard.... I still can't fully sit back on my heels but I'm getting so close!!!! Wish me luck! Stretching that ligament slowly is difficult..

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A list of Previous Posts pertaining to Women Training BJJ

While I get back into BJJ, blogging, and training up again, I wanted to post a list with links to past posts to topics of women training BJJ as the main topic. Each link will have the original post date, and a quick blurb on what it’s about. Enjoy! I loved writing all of them and hopefully they help in some way!

 

Women’s Training in BJJ

7/19/11- 3 different ways women’s training is changing and evolving. A look at women’s only classes, open mats, and women’s only seminars (Girls in Gis)

Why Training with a Female can Help your Game

6/28/11- Written mostly for fun with the reasons compiled by comments other females and I have gotten while training with guys.

Women in BJJ

6/3/11- Women in BJJ, some of the difficulties women face and how it can seem intimidating.

The Blue Belt Triangle (Part 1)

11/9/10- On getting your blue belt, the slump of females at blue belt, and getting through it to a purple belt.

The new Obstacle for Jiu Jitsu Women

6/3/10- Pregnancy and jiu jitsu. Training BJJ, getting pregnant and trying to train while pregnant.

 

Alright I am off to practice!! wish me luck on teaching munchkins and then no gi class tonight! I cant wait to train and see how I feel!!

Returning to Bjj and blogging

After 6 months of trying to be good and not push it too much with light training I'm excited to be able to start training again on Wednesday! My knee has regained muscle, even though it still has a little bit to go to be the same as my right leg. It doesn't hurt, but the muscles are sore, which I can handle.

I am excited for the next few weeks... I'm hoping I can find that fire again just by being on the mats, not having to baby it every time.

Las Vegas has been kind of a cool vacation for me. I got my first real vacation in over a year. I went to see where they hold the UFC at Mandalay bay, and went to the tattoo shop inside the hard rock hotel. The interesting part was 2 of the tattoo artists at Hart and Huntington did Brazilian jiu jitsu at Lloyd Irvin's school in Vegas. one was a purple belt, riddled with injuries but he has always gone back to training.

One other pretty cool thing happened, women representing Brazilian jiu jitsu actually went hunting through my blog and pulled out a old post I had written about the slump for most women in Bjj. Because there was such an interest in it I will be putting links to some of the old ones in my next post just to bring them to the forefront and make them a little more accessible.


My goal for this year in Bjj? Stripes on my purple belt.


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Cute BJJ video of the Day

Just because I love cute BJJ kids to death here is video of my youngest student Mr. Carter Cope, showing off what dad had been working on with him at home!Carter is a blast in class, always excited to try whatever we are doing and participate as enthusiastically as possible.

Carter has amazing shrimping! Most parenrts actually don’t do as well as him… So there is youre cute BJJ video!!! enjoy!!!

I have left this too long

So I have realized a few things. I'm not updating like I should be on here and I'm extremely frustrated with being injured. Im so frustrated with it that I have actually been avoiding the gym except to teach the little kids class.. I feel bad about it but after almost 5 months of not being able to train I'm kind of starting to crack. I gained 15 lbs. Started eating like poop and have been throwing myself a pity party when I have no right to be. Yea I'm injured and not able to train like I want... No I'm not allowed to go to my old Bjj coaches seminar in November when he's here. But I need to stop being a Debbie downer. So here is what I have been doing

2 weeks ago I decided to start working out like crazy, this way when I was released to train I'd be in as good of shape as possible and hopefully close to my original weight... I've never been 140 till now and it's not exactly easy to het back in shape when I'm still not cleared to wok out on all machines/ exercises. One of the personal trainers at my gym is an mma guy and he trades me doing his mma fit class for me teaching grappling moves at the end to anyone interested

I have decided the little kids in my Bjj clas need to learn Portuguese too.. They know numbers 1-5 so far and are learning the positions in Portuguese. The easiest time to learn another language is as a young child and I am taking advantage of that. It will also make me work on my Portuguese (Brazilian friends beware)

I'm hoping to get a really good black belt interview lined up. I have someone in mind and will be emailing them shortly...

Finally my coach doesn't know this but tomorrow I am releasing myself to train Bjj. I will only do techniques, and slowly, but I need to start again. I'm really struggling with not being able to train. I need to do whatever possible to work on creating a new game, since I'm not sure how the ACL injury will effect me.

That's really all for now... Im going to be writing a kind of personal post here tomorrow about something I don't talk about often (actually at all on here) the content of my blog will not be changing it is just a one time thing.

I apologize again for not updating I promise I am out of this funk

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The Answer to no Physical Therapy

So the answer to not being able to go to physical therapy? Work with what I had been given, work out at the gym, stretch… and the assistance of an old high school friend. An old high school swim team teammate, Paul, has been following me and my injury since it happened. He’s an athletic trainer, saw on my facebook  that I no longer can afford my physical therapy, and actually emailed me a full progression for post ACL surgery therapy. I’m on track with what I’ve been sent. Things are working better, my leg is straightening well and I’ve started ‘running’ on the elliptical, it’s slow, but i can do it without pain. I usually stretch, run 10-15 min on it and lift. I’m sore when I do lower body but it’s more to do with the Atrophy that has happened in my muscles, not the actual acl graft. It’s kind of crazy, my favorite stretch is when someone encourages my leg to hyper extend at the knee. Both of my knees use to go past 180 degrees. Honestly it feels amazing, an honestly good stretch

As for being able to lift weights, I am ecstatic, it feels great to be able to do physical  activity, even if it’s only weight training. From the looks of my training regimen at week 12 I’m allowed to start back slowly in sports specific training. Slow easy techniques… no rubber guard-esque technique, yet. I have to wear the knee brace but I can definitely handle that as long as I get to do bjj again!!!

Darn you curve balls…

So I’ve been religiously going to physical therapy. It’s been going great, and not only that I had been cleared to do light weight lifting on lower body. Unfortunately I was blindsided by a new fun fact. I apparently have a $40 copay, I was never informed of. Every time I got to PT I have to pay $40…. My insurance says it’s the PT office’s fault, and the PT place claims it’s my insurances fault. So until they stop battling, I can’t go to the PT I need. With all the bills I’ve accrued from being injured, on top of the bills I have normally, I’m easily struggling.. My PT office is trying to help… They have found a way for me to get some assistance for my bills, which believe me, is nice. I have a home program for now. It’s nice to be able to at least work on some stuff, but until this gets under control I’m on my own for therapy. Stupid curve balls. Oh well life goes on and I need to try and keep working to make this all work out…

Sorry I’m not one for complaining, especially not on her but shit has just sucked this past year. And it’s seeming to get worse. Ok! on my way to work out! I need an endorphin rush!