Friday, April 29, 2011

OK, fine, I signed up.

I wasn't going to compete at the Dallas Open, the next IBJJF tournament in Texas on May 8th, because I've slacked off a bit in the workout department and been eating like a condemned criminal, as I noted.

But thanks to my friend Steve, I was manipulated and guilted into signing up today. I looked on the website (today being the last day to sign up) and there's only 4 women blue belts total! Two plumas (Lana and my teammate Rebecca), a middle-heavy named Misty that I haven't met yet from Nova Uniao, and Yas Soto, a heavyweight who I've been friendly with for years. So, I signed up for middle-heavy and absolute. I want as many matches as I can get for my $97! But I am scared-- though not sure what of. I know that my opponent will not "come at me" intending to hurt me, and I know that jiu jitsu was designed for the smaller opponent to be able to prevail. So what's my big deal?! Just shut up and roll, girl :)

This weekend looks good-- Cleber Luciano, who my husband's academy is now affiliated with, is teaching a seminar on Saturday. He's smaller and a Royler blackbelt so I am eager to see and learn from him. Then Saturday night is a great UFC card (yay GSP!) I'm trying to find ways to fill up the weekend with other stuff so that we can't find time to clean out the garage-- but I know it's better for my car to be able to fit inside it, instead of being outside baking in the sun. So *sigh* I'll try to get some of that done too.

Gotta run-- already late for lunch open mat. Have a good one!!! :) :)

The appalling ignorance of Texas State Rep Leo Berman

This is an email my coworker received from a Texas State Representative (from Tyler, Texas.)

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: District6 Berman DISTRICT6.BERMAN@house.state.tx.us
Date: Thu, Apr 28, 2011 at 9:22 AM
Subject: RE: Sharon Guthrie
To: "___@gmail.com"



Matthew:


If you know anything about the law, Obama is ineligible to be President because his father is a Kenyan citizen. It really doesn't matter if he was born on Mars. LB

* * * * * * * * *

WHAAAAAA??????

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Out of it.

I haven't trained hard in a while and I miss it. By training hard, I mean training 3x a day, doing conditioning at lunch, timed rounds and round robins and shark tanks and such. I had a pile of stuff blow up at work which took me off the mats again (this whole real world thing is the pits... how dare it interfere with my jiu jitsu?) and then wanted to celebrate my third anniversary by taking a little mini-vacation with my husband to a bed & breakfast on the riverwalk in San Antonio. I will post pictures of that trip, and my anniversary gifts, soon. I am back in Austin now, back at my desk, and trying to be back on the mats again tonight.

Sadly, I am back to being FAT again, so I don't plan on competing in Dallas on May 8. However, I'm sufficiently annoyed with being out of shape that I might be able to make weight for Mundials, and if I can, I will compete as well as work it.

I will point out that we REALLY need to get gis, money, tshirts, or whatever other donations you think would be appropriate put together for the Moldova program.

Bobby asked me:
"Anybody out there know anything about starting a website with a "donate" button (and also a way to give money back in case it doesn't get used)?"

Please, comment, tell me what you can.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Sports Day in Moldova coming soon!

I just got an email from Bobby-- they're doing a "sports day" in Moldova in late May, and are hoping to run an adults' absolute as an "appetizer" for future BJJ training, so let's finalize the sending-gis program! I'd rather anyone who is donating send them directly to

Mihaita Tudor
Str Traian 187-189 ap 32
sec 2
Bucuresti, Romania

I recently went through my finances and realized I won't be able to retire ever if I don't increase my savings rate, so I did, and that means I won't have a bunch of money for posting boxes to Romania. However, I will happily donate some money to the sports day award fund.

Here's Bobby's email to me:

Hey Georgette,

As promised, I emailed my former boss at Peace Corps and she forwarded my info to all the volunteers in the country. Unfortunately I only got one response, and it was from a volunteer who knows a guy who is working with kids in MMA but he doesn't have a permanent location or mats or anything. I don't think we'd be able to get a team started there until he at least got a permanent place to train (he's using like an abandoned school right now).

So as far as I know, I have one person who has pledged "30 kg" of gis (thanks Mikkel!). I'm not really sure how that fits into our gi counter but I suppose if I have more than I need then I can make use of the extra ones somehow. He told me that we would get the gis to me late June, so we will plan to head out from Romania in early July to have the kids' and possibly adults' tournament.

What I'd really LIKE to do is go out to the village in late May, for when they have the "sports day" and hold an adults' "absolute weight class" tournament and give away maybe a little cash and a t-shirt and a certificate just to help spark interest. My former student who is training out here in Bucharest with me right now will be in the village for the summer so he will be able to help me with the tournament (his participation in organizational things is really key since the long-term success of the program is pretty much in his hands).

I think our gi counter still stands at:

No kids gis
No adult gis
No new gis

Ok, I'll be in touch. Take care,
-b

So please tell me if you're mailing gis, what size and how many, and I'll make sure to get that to Bobby. Thank you so much! That's the first step-- then maybe we'll have some international travelers heading that way this summer to do some training! How awesome would that be!

And a treat:



And another:

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Women's Grapple Camp-- Tampa, May 6-7

Registration for Tampa Mini-Camp is open...

On May 6-7, 2011, WomensGrappling.org will be holding their next weekend mini-camp at Gracie Tampa in Tampa, FL, USA. It will include two full days of training and discussions, plus an optional Thursday night social event and Sunday open mat/troubleshooting session.

Get to train with amazing lady grapplers like Val Worthington, Felicia Oh and Emily Kwok as well as Lily Pagle, BJJ blackbelt with a second-degree blackbelt in judo. Cost is only $299 for the weekend. We have made arrangements with a nearby hotel for rooms at a great rate, too, so the weekend won’t break the bank.

Registration for the Tampa camp is now open. This makes the perfect Mothers' Day gift! Hope you can make it!

Wednesday, April 06, 2011

Might be a little easier...

Two very long days in the office. Today, also in the office, but shorter. Tomorrow, big oral argument in Houston. Sadly, not much time on the mats.

Enough time to see this and share with you though...

Monday, April 04, 2011

Eyecandy for you...



Thanks Mike for pointing me this way... and thanks for keeping the streets of Brooklyn safe! (Thanks also to all the ladies and gentlemen in blue, brown, or whatever color your uniforms are, keeping us safe here in the US and representing our interests abroad...)

I'm so frickin' slammed at work today through Thursday, I might not be able to train at all (well, of course I'll do competition class tomorrow night.)

BTW-- NO THANKS AT ALL to the asshole in Florida who thought it was a good idea to burn the Koran. I'm sure the families of the UN workers who were killed are overjoyed that you have shown what meanies the Afghanis are...

Friday, April 01, 2011

Please help Roy Dean...

Roy Dean is offering his ENTIRE INSTRUCTIONAL SET if you donate $250 to research combating muscular dystrophy... or his new one, the White Belt Bible, is yours for a $50 donation. (Here's a review of the White Belt Bible and I must say, it sounds like good stuff for higher belts too! Par for the course for Professor Dean...)

This is what he has to say about the project... Check it out!

"As a jiu jitsu player, I sometimes take for granted the complex movements
that are required for this art. Our ability to connect with other people on
the mat is a marvelous gift. Now imagine if that were taken away, and you
were essentially trapped in your body as your muscles weaken over time.
This is muscular dystrophy.

Last year, the Muscular Dystrophy Association threw me behind bars to raise
money to find a cure. With your help, we were able to raise over $10,000 in
10 days. This broke local and state fundraising records, and I even got a
shout out from Jerry Lewis himself on the telethon.

This year, if you make a $50 donation, you'll be the first to receive my
latest DVD, "The White Belt Bible". And a generous $250 donation will get
you my entire DVD collection.

This won't last for long, so tell all your friends about it. Together we
can make a difference.

Click here to contribute to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Many thanks,

Roy Dean"

My Pan footage ... *cringe*

No, 20-0 was not some elaborate April Fools' joke... haha.. me vs. Jennifer Recinos (and I'm encouraged to add, not only did she win gold at the Pan, but she also won the Abu Dhabi Pro trial in Las Vegas.)

Here's what her school website said : "Jennifer Recinos – GOLD, at least 3 submissions in the division, and then 3 wins including one sub in the absolute before a heartbreaker of a loss to a much bigger opponent in which she only lost by 2 points."

Since there were only 16 of us in the division, that means 4 matches total, so I am proud I didn't get submitted.  That's the only silver lining I can find :) :) :)  Besides the fact that she was very kind and sweet. :)



Because Mike asked, I'll add other footage of her:

As a whitebelt

At the Vegas Abu Dhabi Pro trial this year:


And randomness... one of Saulo's losses, to Roleta, super sweet sweep... thanks Shakia...