tallgeese

12/17 75 min free roll.

First up, congrats! It's the greatest job in the world and you'll love it. I'll impart all sort of sage advice over Christmas You'll be sick of it for sure. However, the one single piece of advice I have passed on again and again to new people is that they should expect to make mistakes. Especially early on. It's part of learning to be a cop. Don't bog yourself down with each and every one. Learn from it and move on. Mistakes are expected, try not to make them the big ones, but they happen. Departments are usually forgiving about this if you don't give them a reason to remember you messing up. Whatever you do, when you do make a mistake, never lie about it. That will get you jammed up WAAAY more than actually making the mistake in the first place. Congrats again.

12/16 1 mile on treadmill bench shoulder press pull ups bis deadlifts abs

Nice work! Grats.

2/15 Drilled collar chokes from guard and chokes set via hip bumps. moved into jumping high guard from counter to choke. Finish with arm bar. 30 min free roll.

I think between the closed foam structure of the mats and the lack of thickness, you'd be in a world of hurt in short order, even doubled. There just isn't enough give.

On a related note, here's a pretty good article I stumbled across a while back that's actually pretty good on the subject of just taking up a BJJ class: http://jiujitsu-360.blogspot.com/2011/12/ten-tips-to-survive-your-first-year-in.html

And testing will vary from school to school as well. Some have a formal test. Some have promotional rites at seminars and such when vips from a group are in. Others just toss you a belt when you're ready. Don't let the informality bother you, belt rank given from legit schools in BJJ is ALWAYS earned and there is never a question. Stripes on belts tend to be given very informally during class.

Been there, done that. The best thing to do is to look at training smarter the higher your numbers get. I wrote a post on another thread that I went into detail about modifying training as you get older. It's probably applicable here as well: http://www.karateforums.com/martial-arts-for-over-50-years-old-a-c-a-seniors-vt39812-10.html Despite the title of the thread, I am nowhere near 50 just yet .

You might want to just get enough jig saw mats, like the ones you can buy at a Wal Mart will even do, and put them together to make 7x7. For that kind of coverage they can't cost much more than tarping and whatever else the recipe is calling for. They'll probably work better too. As for portability, just pop them apart and throw them in a bag and you're good. Might be worth a look. Bear in mind, they won't be the greatest thing for absorbing impact, but will again, be as good if not better than any home brew job. They will be adequate for working ground work as I've been on this kind of floor in a friends garage before. Not horrible. I wouldn't take down on them however. Ever.

No forms to speak of. There are drills you'll be doing your entire career to improve basic and core movements, but not kata as you are thinking of it. For example, jits guys are forever working shirmping movements up and down the mats, circles, reverse, you name it, we're drilling shrimping (or ebi's) our whole career. It's just a movement that you can't get bored of drilling if you're going to last. But there is no preset technique like you're used to in kata. Glad to hear you've got some prospects.

It's becoming more common. However, there are plenty of good lineages out there that are not Gracie schools per say. Everyone can take their lineage back to the the Gracie family that does BJJ, but some have splintered off to their own associations, ect. Check out where each comes from while you're looking at the classes. Depending where you're located, you might have plenty of academies around you. Conversely, there are still a lot of locations where they are few and far between. My home area, in downstate IL, had NO BJJ schools within even remote driving distance when UFC 1 hit. It's slightly better now, but realistically, I think you're looking at a two hour drive to go to a pure BJJ academy from there. On this note, don't be surprised if you find schools out there with brown or even purple belts teaching. This has not been uncommon in the history of BJJ, especially here in the states. There are still areas where you'll see it. Not everywhere has a Chicago with multiple black belt instructors and multiple academies. I was just visiting a Robson Moura affiliate in the central part of the state where a purple belt was the owner/ lead instructor (excellent guy by the way with great skills). It happens and it is not the red flag that you'd expect. Most individuals out of trad arts are initially put off by this, but brown is an advanced rank in BJJ. Purple is getting there. Don't consider it bad news if that's the case where you are. Just see who he's affiliated under and what the ranking procedure is. That's all. Again, glad to hear that you're excited about it. Keep us posted on the hunt or what schools you're looking at.

To me, yes. It's not worth me taking the off chance of getting cut, possibly badly enough to get killed, when I have a perfectly good and legal option of responding with deadly force from a distance that does not require that possibility of death or great bodily harm. This answer is different for everyone and everyone's threshold and acceptance of risk for the benefit of the attacking individual is different based on a whole host of acceptable reasons. It's a HIGHLY individualized question. All you can really do is find the right answer for you that is legally acceptable.

Actually, the jurisdiction of the incident is looking at criminal charges stemming from the incident. Which is something that I condone. Wholeheartedly. I agree with bushidoman that the post game interviews are very enlightening. It goes to the mindset of these individuals. It's a wake up call for everyone training for self defense as well, welcome to the bad guy you'll likely be dealing with. Someone completely comfortable with the use of violence for next to no reason with little if any more compunction about harming another for, again, very little i f any real reason. Also note, it wasn't above a supposedly educated individual to curb stomp someone while they were on the ground. Suddenly, cross training on the ground doesn't sound so bad, does it? This was a good video clip to look at, largely for the reality check it provides. Thanks, bushidoman.

12/13 75 min free roll. Focused on working in the new material from last weeks seminar. Really starting to hit some of the movements. The whole series fits real well with my game which makes it easier.

12/12 Drilled spider gaurd scissor sweep, followed by taking back from sweep counter. Lastly, we worked on counter the pass out of the spider position. 60 min free roll. I spent time working the material from the Robson seminar on Sat. I found I was able to set up the position we trained that day multiple times and even got one of the sweeps from the set up. Not bad on the first day of trialing it. I've had rougher starts with movements and series.

Or, being the non-traditionalist here , go find someone who will teach the same movements hidden in kata without the use of the kata. I get that you understand what the kata is about now, but if it does not interest you as a training modality then search around for a system that does not utilize it. Kata is not sacrosanct to learning to fight or defend yourself. It was a training modality devised over a hundred years ago. Modern, equally valid, methods exist today that might be more to your mindset. And quite frankly, be more efficient in practicality. Granted, practicality is not the sole reason to study martial arts, but your post would seem to indicate that it might be a concern for you. Just my thoughts on the matter.

First of all, welcome to the forums! As to your questions, the second is the easiest to deal with. No, training in BJJ will in no way corrupt your current art. Jiu jitsu is so radically different than TKD you won't have any contradictory philosophy or methodology. In fact, you've spotted a whole in your response patterns and have already seen a method of dealing with it. That's not corruption, it's making you a more well rounded fighter. The time management question is harder. Only you can determine if you can make the time. All I can say, after years and years in several different arts and training facilities is that you will not be disappointed. It will influence the way you train and think about everything you've done to date. And that's a good thing all around. Check the credentials of the schools near you and give it a trial go. See if you like it enough to restructure your priorities. My guess if that if you liked working with your friend, you'll like being at an academy full time. It will be a bit different than your experiences in trad arts. It's less formal, a more laid back vibe, and more live training. This has all kinds of benefits and is all sorts of addicting. Keep us posted on your findings and ask away with any questions you have.

Story and photos: http://jiujitsusweep.com/articles/antonio-minotauro-nogueira-broken-arm-ufc-140/

12/10 2.5 hour Robson Moura seminar. He spent time drilling over a variant spider guard and a series based off it. Absoulty an amazing time and fantastic experience. Lots of reps thorughout the day to cement stuff. What an awesome way to spend some time on the mats. Robson is a real nice guy as well and a lot of fun to be around. If you everh have the chance attend one.

As a guy in over 20 now, and far too quickly approaching 40 in a couple of years, I've made some definable changes in how I approach training over the last couple of years. First up, you have to decide if this is going to be a life long thing for you. If the answer is yes, and it should be if you've already spent more time in your life training than not, you've got to look at how to make that happen. Realizing that you can't bang constantly like you used to at 23 is one of those things. The body needs more recovery time as it gets older, you have to give it to them. It also pays to be more careful with diet and such, this starts to play a bigger and bigger role in performance when youthful genetics won't cover over all wrongs anymore. But that's all ancillary, the question you posed is how you train differently. The big thing I've found is you slow down. Yes, I said it. It doesn't hurt as much to admit after some time coming to terms with it. Slowing down your training, as I'm talking about, isn't referring to times per week or losing drive or intensity, but taking physical attributes OUT of daily routines. So, when you're working with your partner you're not strength and speed resisting. You're technically resisting, with as near to perfect movement as you can make. 100% mentally into the effort with as little physical effort as possible. This sharpens your mind, programs the body, and keeps you from destroying joints. It also ensures that your older body can train tomorrow, and continual mat time is key to improvement. Now, I'm not saying you're done with attribute driven workouts altogether. But, they are not your DAILY protocol. I work with more physical intensity leading up to tournaments. Occasionally, I'll work with some mma friends to keep the mindset checked. These are important days, but they are a minority now, not the norm. That's the bid difference. It's also important to look at what you're doing art-wise. A few years back, say 4-5, I was spending a bulk of my time working in mma style gyms. This is constant, hard training, from sparring to conditioning, ect. I was beat up constantly and not recovering as quickly. It's depressing. However, by focusing on BJJ, I've been able to keep up a heavy training schedule, and due to the emphasis on relaxed movement, not have constant heath concerns that take me out of training. It's a fact, we are more susceptible to injury as we age. If we don't account for this, we end up hurt more. More injury is not a badge of honor past 35 or 40, it's a ticket off the mat for extended periods. This is time you're now NOT putting into getting better. It's time to adapt. I did this by moving focus a bit. Now, does that mean I never put the gloves on and bang. Nope, I just said that I do the occasional mma session to keep sharp. I'll also do rounds at training session other than BJJ to up keep the other skill's I've learned along the way. But I've moved my focus to an art and academy where the training methods are less likely to lead to injury. I have also learned to be selective with training partners. If there's someone who rolls/ spars to intense too often I just don't roll with them. Again, there are days I'll get in there with them, but not every day. I don't need the headache and I'm past the need to prove anything. For me, staying healthy and staying training is more important that bragging rights. This does not have as much to do with age as it does the training philosophy of the partners you have to choose from. On a side note, I limit my time with guys a couple of weight classes bigger than me. I float around 170 ish these days with tournament cuts taking me down lower. A good 235 pounder riding a mean knee in belly is a great way for me to lose a rib. Or an internal organ. Is this less than realistic, maybe, but a lot of guys I've needed to scrap with on the job are not the 200 pound plus muscle heads, but drunk guys my size. I don't really know the actual stats, but now that I'm writing this, it's probably worth a look. Realistically, if we want to go that way, that guy is why I'm carrying a gun anyway. Notice I didn't say stop rolling with them, just limit it. Again, the individual has a lot to do with this as well. I roll with LP and MP every chance I get, they out weight class me, but I trust them to not smash me with the mean knee in and such in an effort to sideline me for weeks at a time. Lastly, look at the tactics individuals are using in whatever kind of free training your doing (sparring, rolling, ect.) If their go-to moves are ones you consider highly likely to injure you due to the nature of the move or preexisting conditions you have, don't roll with them or set the ground rules early. I don't like twisting leg locks, or knee bars (or any lower leg attacks really, but I'll tolerate straight locks) so I either: a) don't roll with guys who insist on using them at speed, or b) set ground rules on what can and won't be used prior to the start of the match or the way they'll be applied. This keeps me out of the ACL reconstruction shop. Again, I'll get them into the line up prior to competition, but really I focus on early recognition and defense (and near immediate tap in most cases if they are on) more than anything. So there is my list of changes that I consider really worthwhile if you're looking at maintaining a serious training schedule as you age. I hate to be in a position to have to put so much though into it, but here I am like the rest of the human race . My difference is that I want to train thru the entirety of my life and I can only do that if I'm smarter about training as I get older.

Congrats everyone and well deserved!

Out of the Torres camp. Keep your mats together and taped all. Luckily, according to the article, the chances of it occurring to you is pretty tiny. I'm going to check the tape on my mats personally, I know how much Mr. Murphy has it in for me. http://jiujitsusweep.com/articles/freak-accident-jiu-jitsu/ There's a link to the photos of the injury down the page.

Skynet here we come.

12/8 60 min free roll session.