Deborah's Brazilian Jiu Jitsu & Arnis-Eskrima Training

Has anyone trained in Eskrima?  One of my co-workers trained with Grandmaster Babao here in San Diego, and I am going to start training with him.  This will be a whole new path and I am very excited. I am all sugary happy with BJJ training the last couple weeks.  I am in a solid place.  My game has been feeling...smooooooth.  When I spar, I see what I want to do, I move the chess pieces until I achieve the necessary position. Dag

Love, Music, Food... The trifecta that produces everything that is perfect. Solo, these elements function like well-oiled machines, but together they are more powerful than a hurricane. I discovered the importance of music for competition preparation at the Mundials.  I also discovered the importance of allowing my natural instincts for movement to flow.  I trained in classical ballet for many years ago, along with tap, jazz, and a dash of modern dance.  I have always felt calmed by the process of interpreting music through action.  By turning up the music at the Mundials and moving, I stayed in a wonderful state of serenity.  And not the fake serenity that had me repeated relaxing mantras over and over, (think Seinfeld, "serenity now") but real, honest to goodness, focused, calm.  This was the first time I felt like I figured out competition. A couple of weeks ago Megan at Tangled Triangle posted her list of "fight" songs, which was a fantastic ide...

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Forgot to mention, I met Shama Ko again.  I met her once a couple of years ago and it was great to see her again.  Shama is a photographer and has samples of her excellent work on her blog.  I also met Nyjah Easton who I remember seeing the first time I competed at the Pan Ams in...2008? She was a purple belt back then, and I remember her because she had this game face that could make snow fall in the Sahara.  Last week I introduced myself to her and that game face shifted slightly to reveal a wicked cool woman.     Some food notes:  If you are in Long Beach, make a slight detour north to Cypress for some divine Puerto Rican food at Senor Big Ed's.  If you have more time and are still hungry after the Mofongo, venture south to Seal Beach to A Slice of New York for wonderful thin crust, honest to goodness, New York pizza. For anyone competing in LA, Cypress is an inexpensive and centrally located city that has the added bonus of good food. ...

Before I write anything else, I need to write some thank-yous. To my husband-  Thank you for being my cheerleader, mentor, support system, motivator, and all around great person.  You are a loud, giant, inspiration...;> Mom and Dad- Thank you for going to my competitions.  You don't have to go.  You are busy and stressed, but you go.  You make the drive.  You sit in the stands and beam with parental pride even when I get folded into a pretzel by someone else's daughter. Sister, Brother-In-Law, and Nephew- Thank you, also, for going to my competitions.  Both of you are busy with crazy jobs, raising that amazing kid, but you still find time to drive to Long Beach to watch me get folded into a pretzel by someone else's sister.  My darling nephew- I will win one day, I promise, when you are in the stands. To Fabio-  Thank you for seeing the gaping holes in my game and telling me in no uncertain terms to fix it. To the men and women I...

The night before... My division starts at 1230 tomorrow.  I am sitting here in my very glamorous hotel (rather not, it's a Rodeway Inn) laughing at my husband because he just discovered the game "Angry Birds" and has been sucked into the vortex.  I've never played, but I am told the game is like internet crack cocaine. Aaaand, beyond that...I am not nervous.  I have trained.  I have a plan.  I know my game.  I know my combinations.  I have maintained a steady weight of 147-148, so cutting is not an issue.  I am not injured, save for a very minor bit of tendonitis in my right elbow.  I've been to the Pyramid before. We just had dinner at  a Puerto Rican place in Cypress called Senor Big Ed's.  I ate about 1/3 of my dinner and took the rest to go.  No sense in taking chances with the scale.  We might head back tomorrow night so I can really chow down.  Mofongo is a food group right?  Well if not, then it shou...