Oct 2011
October Newsletter - More Improvements To Come!
10/18/11 09:23
October 2011
The fall semesters at MSU and LCC have brought a bunch of new students to Magic BJJ, in both Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Kid’s Karate (including the children of a LCC student whose mom also signed up for BJJ). It’s nice to see some new faces mixed in, and the fundamentals class on Wednesday has grown back up to a good size.
We are still awaiting Matt’s decisions on establishing a formal code of conduct for Magic BJJ. Matt and Amy have been collecting information, talking to the coaches, and trying to arrive at a best fit for the style of Magic BJJ. We have implemented our new procedures for bowing in and out, as well as for warming up and conducting classes (see below).
In case anyone is wondering why we are making changes, there are two main reasons. First, many martial arts schools have formalized routines at the beginning and end of class that reflect the “martial” aspect of what we do. Second, such routines lend an air of professionalism that new/prospective students find comfortable (i.e., it is something they expect to see). There is no intention of sacrificing the friendly and supportive teaching environment that has been part of Magic BJJ from the beginning.
New Bow-In/Bow-Out Procedure
We have implemented our new bow-in and bow-out procedures. At the beginning of class we will line up by rank (higher ranks to the right), facing the instructor for the class, and taking the position of seiza (formal kneeling). Seiza (say-zah) is accomplished by slowly dropping to the left knee, then to the right knee, and then sitting back on the heels and placing the hands on the thighs. A woman’s knees should be together, a man’s knees should be two fists apart. We will then bow when the instructor announces that we are ready to begin.
Bowing is a sign of respect, and a sign that we are ready to begin. Thus, we bow prior to entering the dojo (this can be a standing bow), we bow when we are ready to begin class, and we bow when we begin working with our partner (especially before rolling or sparring). When we are done with each of these activities we bow again to signal both respect and that we are done.
Matt has emphasized the respectful/alerting aspect of bowing several times. It is not a religious act or an act of worship. This has actually been tested in a U.S. federal court, by Judo competitors who did not wish to bow as is mandatory in Judo competitions. In addition to being a sign of respect, it is a way of saying hello, and acknowledging our willingness to interact with another person. It is important to note that the instructor bows to the class when we begin, just as we are bowing to him or her.
When we bow out at the end of class we will rise (ideally in the reverse manner of entering seiza) and the highest rank will walk up to the instructor and shake his/her hand and then take a position to their right. Likewise, each person will follow that senior student and shake the hand of each person joining the instructor’s line. This way, whatever may have happened during the class, good or bad, we end class with a sign of courtesy to one another. This allows us to leave any bad feelings behind, so we return for the next class ready to go again.
Standardized Warm-Up
In addition to our new bowing procedures, we have for a month or so been following a somewhat standardized procedure for warming up and stretching. The warm-up and stretch is followed by drills that are designed to either follow a standard pattern or to provide a specific warm-up for the techniques being taught that day. We then study and drill those techniques.
While you are drilling it is important to be a good partner. Stay on task, and if you are a higher rank you should help your partner if you can (do not, however, usurp the authority of the instructor). Drilling is NOT the time to demonstrate your ability to block or overcome a technique. That does not help your partner learn the technique, especially if they are learning it for the first time.
Special Visit
On Saturday, September 17th we had a surprise visit from black belt Clint Crabtree of Grand Rapids BJJ, along with Jeff Wenstrom, one of GRBJJ’s purple belts. Clint taught his preferred methods of defending against armlocks, tying it in nicely with what we had been working on here at Magic BJJ. It turned out to be an awesome and free (doubly-awesome) mini black belt seminar for those of us fortunate enough to be there. Clint also shared some funny stories from his high level competition matches.
Recent Tournament
6th Annual Michigan Open 2011 – We had a small group competing at the MI Open this year, but some exciting outcomes nonetheless. Mervin was awesome! He was in a fairly large and very tough division, yet he won all four of his matches en route to the gold medal. His matches were highlighted by a bunch of exciting throws that displayed by his technique, control, and quickness.
Mike and Mark were in much smaller groups, and both did well. Mike won one of his matches by submission (collar choke), but had to settle for the bronze medal. Mark had only one other old guy opponent for a best two out of three falls match. He controlled his opponent throughout both matches, attempting numerous submissions and never falling into danger. However, the referee seemed to prefer the style of his opponent, and Mark had to settle for silver (thanks to such a small group).
Daris stole the show, despite his 4th place finish. In a very large and highly competitive division, he had to compete five times. He won three of those matches, with both the good and the bad highlights of the day. On the good side: he won his first match with a flying triangle choke. If you haven’t seen the video, find it (check out Facebook or ask Matt). On the down side: in his final match he took a nap, compliments of a tough opponent.
Afterward, we all stopped at the Irish pub in Hartland, including teammates Amy L., Nick, Aaron (and Allie), Craig, Liam, and of course Matt. A good time was had by all.
Injuries
Corey recovered quickly from the heel hook he endured at his last tournament, and he was back teaching the submission wrestling class even before he fully recovered. Amy L. is still waiting for the knee brace her doctor’s office never bothered to order!
Promotions
Mike M. received the 4th stripe on his blue belt. Javier received the 3rd stripe on his blue belt, and joins Mike in beginning to eye that coveted purple belt.
Mike G. received the 1st stripe on his white belt.
Things Our Students and Instructors are Doing
Jeff Lopes, who trains no-gi on Mondays, is now a certified kettle bell instructor.
Mark Kelland will be teaching cane and wheelchair self-defense for the Capital Area Center for Independent Living again (from October through March).
Mike Pastori has been out for a while, apparently doing something major for his studies in veterinary medicine. I’m not sure about the details here.
Bill Dillon has enlisted in the Army/National Guard Reserve.
Upcoming Tournaments
5th Annual MI No-Gi Championship – Saturday, December 3rd, 2011 in Dearborn, MI **Black Belt Super Fight: Tyrone Gooden vs. Mark Vives
MI Jiu Jitsu Championship – January 28th, 2012 (Dearborn?)
Pukang Tang Soo Do – Kid’s Karate
For those of you who don’t know, Mike Mahaffey is 5th degree black belt in Pukang Tang Soo Do, and his students in the Kid’s Karate classes are members of the Pukang Tang Soo Do Association. There were quite a few promotions in September, covering several different ranks. A bunch of new kids have joined, and they are doing a really good job.
October Thoughts – What’s the Worst Thing That Can Happen at a Tournament? (by Mark Kelland)
Suppose you’re worried about competing in the next tournament. Ask yourself, “What’s the worst thing that can happen?” At the 2011 MI Open I was not happy about the outcome of my matches. It’s not that I didn’t do some things well, but I didn’t win. So was this a bad experience, or a good learning experience, or something in between? It all depends on your perspective.
On the one hand, I was very disappointed. I thought the outcome was perhaps the worst possible. That led me to consider what might really be a bad outcome, and what could possibly be worse? I came up with four answers for a bad tournament outcome, with each one worse than the last. The fourth possible outcome is really bad. Now that I am aware of it, I am trying to put my feelings and my performance into perspective. Here’s what I came up with.
First, you might lose the tournament. So what? When you get beaten by a superior opponent there is no shame, and it can be a valuable learning experience. Don’t forget, every world championship fight has a loser. One of the two best competitors in the world is labeled a loser for that day. It happens to everyone eventually, and it has happened to them in past as well. If you gave it your best effort, you have every reason to be proud. The winner might not even be better; maybe they just had the best day of their life. Be happy for them!
Second, there is always the possibility of the dreaded injury. Sure it sucks to get hurt in training, but with everyone watching you at the tournament, and with the excitement of maybe winning a tournament, getting hurt there is a double-whammy. Not only are you psychologically wounded by losing, now you are suffering serious physical pain as well. Yeah, that’s pretty bad, but we all know it’s part of the game. Sooner or later we all get hurt, and the fury of competition makes it all the more likely to happen there (especially if you are careful in the gym). So it’s no fun, but it’s part of the game. Take it in stride, because there is something worse.
Third, you do really well but get robbed by the judges or referee. This one hurts! After all your hard training, all the bumps and bruises, maybe an injury or two along the way, struggling through weight loss if you have to, etc., you finally get to the tournament and do really well. The hard work pays off, but suddenly your opponent’s hand is raised! This happened to me at my most recent tournament, and for a couple of days I thought it was the worst possible outcome. Sure, I knew it wouldn’t have happened if I had totally dominated my opponent, but my opponent was good. I dominated him, but not totally, and his defense was very, very good. I did more than enough to win (and I am being objective here), he did nothing but stall, but he was given the win in both matches by a referee who had an agenda (‘nuff said).
So, as I thought about whether or not I should be satisfied with my performance, it still sucked. It’s easy to say that both my coach and I know I really won the tournament, but darn it, I wanted that gold medal! And then it hit me. There was something even worse than being robbed, something worse than the whole package of being beaten, injured, and robbed.
The worst possible outcome of a tournament is to lose your desire to train! If you let it get to you, there is always the chance that you will walk away from something you love. Of course, if you really love it you’ll suck it up and get back in the gym. Getting back in the gym is probably the best way to deal with this worst possible outcome. I’m not suggesting that you don’t let it sting at all; very few of us are enlightened masters. Nonetheless, don’t let it get to you so bad that you let your training suffer.
It’s easy to get motivated after losing to a superior opponent. Perhaps he/she exposed some weakness in your game, and it can be a very valuable learning experience. An injury can lead to a layoff, which allows all the routine aches and pains to heal up. You will likely come back rested, healthy, and stronger than when you got hurt, especially if you rehab carefully. Even getting the short end of a decision can motivate you to try making sure it never goes to the judges/referee again. But if you give up, you lose everything! That is the worst thing that can happen at a tournament.
Leave your ego at the door!
©2011 by Magic BJJ
Newsletter written by Mark Kelland
The fall semesters at MSU and LCC have brought a bunch of new students to Magic BJJ, in both Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Kid’s Karate (including the children of a LCC student whose mom also signed up for BJJ). It’s nice to see some new faces mixed in, and the fundamentals class on Wednesday has grown back up to a good size.
We are still awaiting Matt’s decisions on establishing a formal code of conduct for Magic BJJ. Matt and Amy have been collecting information, talking to the coaches, and trying to arrive at a best fit for the style of Magic BJJ. We have implemented our new procedures for bowing in and out, as well as for warming up and conducting classes (see below).
In case anyone is wondering why we are making changes, there are two main reasons. First, many martial arts schools have formalized routines at the beginning and end of class that reflect the “martial” aspect of what we do. Second, such routines lend an air of professionalism that new/prospective students find comfortable (i.e., it is something they expect to see). There is no intention of sacrificing the friendly and supportive teaching environment that has been part of Magic BJJ from the beginning.
New Bow-In/Bow-Out Procedure
We have implemented our new bow-in and bow-out procedures. At the beginning of class we will line up by rank (higher ranks to the right), facing the instructor for the class, and taking the position of seiza (formal kneeling). Seiza (say-zah) is accomplished by slowly dropping to the left knee, then to the right knee, and then sitting back on the heels and placing the hands on the thighs. A woman’s knees should be together, a man’s knees should be two fists apart. We will then bow when the instructor announces that we are ready to begin.
Bowing is a sign of respect, and a sign that we are ready to begin. Thus, we bow prior to entering the dojo (this can be a standing bow), we bow when we are ready to begin class, and we bow when we begin working with our partner (especially before rolling or sparring). When we are done with each of these activities we bow again to signal both respect and that we are done.
Matt has emphasized the respectful/alerting aspect of bowing several times. It is not a religious act or an act of worship. This has actually been tested in a U.S. federal court, by Judo competitors who did not wish to bow as is mandatory in Judo competitions. In addition to being a sign of respect, it is a way of saying hello, and acknowledging our willingness to interact with another person. It is important to note that the instructor bows to the class when we begin, just as we are bowing to him or her.
When we bow out at the end of class we will rise (ideally in the reverse manner of entering seiza) and the highest rank will walk up to the instructor and shake his/her hand and then take a position to their right. Likewise, each person will follow that senior student and shake the hand of each person joining the instructor’s line. This way, whatever may have happened during the class, good or bad, we end class with a sign of courtesy to one another. This allows us to leave any bad feelings behind, so we return for the next class ready to go again.
Standardized Warm-Up
In addition to our new bowing procedures, we have for a month or so been following a somewhat standardized procedure for warming up and stretching. The warm-up and stretch is followed by drills that are designed to either follow a standard pattern or to provide a specific warm-up for the techniques being taught that day. We then study and drill those techniques.
While you are drilling it is important to be a good partner. Stay on task, and if you are a higher rank you should help your partner if you can (do not, however, usurp the authority of the instructor). Drilling is NOT the time to demonstrate your ability to block or overcome a technique. That does not help your partner learn the technique, especially if they are learning it for the first time.
Special Visit
On Saturday, September 17th we had a surprise visit from black belt Clint Crabtree of Grand Rapids BJJ, along with Jeff Wenstrom, one of GRBJJ’s purple belts. Clint taught his preferred methods of defending against armlocks, tying it in nicely with what we had been working on here at Magic BJJ. It turned out to be an awesome and free (doubly-awesome) mini black belt seminar for those of us fortunate enough to be there. Clint also shared some funny stories from his high level competition matches.
Recent Tournament
6th Annual Michigan Open 2011 – We had a small group competing at the MI Open this year, but some exciting outcomes nonetheless. Mervin was awesome! He was in a fairly large and very tough division, yet he won all four of his matches en route to the gold medal. His matches were highlighted by a bunch of exciting throws that displayed by his technique, control, and quickness.
Mike and Mark were in much smaller groups, and both did well. Mike won one of his matches by submission (collar choke), but had to settle for the bronze medal. Mark had only one other old guy opponent for a best two out of three falls match. He controlled his opponent throughout both matches, attempting numerous submissions and never falling into danger. However, the referee seemed to prefer the style of his opponent, and Mark had to settle for silver (thanks to such a small group).
Daris stole the show, despite his 4th place finish. In a very large and highly competitive division, he had to compete five times. He won three of those matches, with both the good and the bad highlights of the day. On the good side: he won his first match with a flying triangle choke. If you haven’t seen the video, find it (check out Facebook or ask Matt). On the down side: in his final match he took a nap, compliments of a tough opponent.
Afterward, we all stopped at the Irish pub in Hartland, including teammates Amy L., Nick, Aaron (and Allie), Craig, Liam, and of course Matt. A good time was had by all.
Injuries
Corey recovered quickly from the heel hook he endured at his last tournament, and he was back teaching the submission wrestling class even before he fully recovered. Amy L. is still waiting for the knee brace her doctor’s office never bothered to order!
Promotions
Mike M. received the 4th stripe on his blue belt. Javier received the 3rd stripe on his blue belt, and joins Mike in beginning to eye that coveted purple belt.
Mike G. received the 1st stripe on his white belt.
Things Our Students and Instructors are Doing
Jeff Lopes, who trains no-gi on Mondays, is now a certified kettle bell instructor.
Mark Kelland will be teaching cane and wheelchair self-defense for the Capital Area Center for Independent Living again (from October through March).
Mike Pastori has been out for a while, apparently doing something major for his studies in veterinary medicine. I’m not sure about the details here.
Bill Dillon has enlisted in the Army/National Guard Reserve.
Upcoming Tournaments
5th Annual MI No-Gi Championship – Saturday, December 3rd, 2011 in Dearborn, MI **Black Belt Super Fight: Tyrone Gooden vs. Mark Vives
MI Jiu Jitsu Championship – January 28th, 2012 (Dearborn?)
Pukang Tang Soo Do – Kid’s Karate
For those of you who don’t know, Mike Mahaffey is 5th degree black belt in Pukang Tang Soo Do, and his students in the Kid’s Karate classes are members of the Pukang Tang Soo Do Association. There were quite a few promotions in September, covering several different ranks. A bunch of new kids have joined, and they are doing a really good job.
October Thoughts – What’s the Worst Thing That Can Happen at a Tournament? (by Mark Kelland)
Suppose you’re worried about competing in the next tournament. Ask yourself, “What’s the worst thing that can happen?” At the 2011 MI Open I was not happy about the outcome of my matches. It’s not that I didn’t do some things well, but I didn’t win. So was this a bad experience, or a good learning experience, or something in between? It all depends on your perspective.
On the one hand, I was very disappointed. I thought the outcome was perhaps the worst possible. That led me to consider what might really be a bad outcome, and what could possibly be worse? I came up with four answers for a bad tournament outcome, with each one worse than the last. The fourth possible outcome is really bad. Now that I am aware of it, I am trying to put my feelings and my performance into perspective. Here’s what I came up with.
First, you might lose the tournament. So what? When you get beaten by a superior opponent there is no shame, and it can be a valuable learning experience. Don’t forget, every world championship fight has a loser. One of the two best competitors in the world is labeled a loser for that day. It happens to everyone eventually, and it has happened to them in past as well. If you gave it your best effort, you have every reason to be proud. The winner might not even be better; maybe they just had the best day of their life. Be happy for them!
Second, there is always the possibility of the dreaded injury. Sure it sucks to get hurt in training, but with everyone watching you at the tournament, and with the excitement of maybe winning a tournament, getting hurt there is a double-whammy. Not only are you psychologically wounded by losing, now you are suffering serious physical pain as well. Yeah, that’s pretty bad, but we all know it’s part of the game. Sooner or later we all get hurt, and the fury of competition makes it all the more likely to happen there (especially if you are careful in the gym). So it’s no fun, but it’s part of the game. Take it in stride, because there is something worse.
Third, you do really well but get robbed by the judges or referee. This one hurts! After all your hard training, all the bumps and bruises, maybe an injury or two along the way, struggling through weight loss if you have to, etc., you finally get to the tournament and do really well. The hard work pays off, but suddenly your opponent’s hand is raised! This happened to me at my most recent tournament, and for a couple of days I thought it was the worst possible outcome. Sure, I knew it wouldn’t have happened if I had totally dominated my opponent, but my opponent was good. I dominated him, but not totally, and his defense was very, very good. I did more than enough to win (and I am being objective here), he did nothing but stall, but he was given the win in both matches by a referee who had an agenda (‘nuff said).
So, as I thought about whether or not I should be satisfied with my performance, it still sucked. It’s easy to say that both my coach and I know I really won the tournament, but darn it, I wanted that gold medal! And then it hit me. There was something even worse than being robbed, something worse than the whole package of being beaten, injured, and robbed.
The worst possible outcome of a tournament is to lose your desire to train! If you let it get to you, there is always the chance that you will walk away from something you love. Of course, if you really love it you’ll suck it up and get back in the gym. Getting back in the gym is probably the best way to deal with this worst possible outcome. I’m not suggesting that you don’t let it sting at all; very few of us are enlightened masters. Nonetheless, don’t let it get to you so bad that you let your training suffer.
It’s easy to get motivated after losing to a superior opponent. Perhaps he/she exposed some weakness in your game, and it can be a very valuable learning experience. An injury can lead to a layoff, which allows all the routine aches and pains to heal up. You will likely come back rested, healthy, and stronger than when you got hurt, especially if you rehab carefully. Even getting the short end of a decision can motivate you to try making sure it never goes to the judges/referee again. But if you give up, you lose everything! That is the worst thing that can happen at a tournament.
Leave your ego at the door!
©2011 by Magic BJJ
Newsletter written by Mark Kelland