Jiu Jistu – My First Blue Stripe
Thursday, June 25th, 2009I am happy to announce that today is the two month-iversary of my Jiu Jitsu training. It’s been really great and everything is coming along pretty smoothly.
Earlier this week, our instructor told three of us that the forth guy was going to go through his blue belt test on Wednesday. It was going to be a surprise for the guy, so I was pretty excited.
He has been working really hard for about a year now…coming to all the classes and then some. He’s a pretty tough fella and he knows his stuff. Our instructor wanted us to keep the occasion quiet because there is sort of a routine or tradition that you follow when someone achieves the next belt level.
When we got to class on Wednesday night, there was a buzz in the air. The soon-to-be blue belt didn’t know what was going on, but the rest of us did. We were all happy for him and were thrilled to be part of the process. The class was a bit more formal than it usually is.
It’s hard to explain, but I’ll give it a shot. Basically, we all warmed up by rolling for three minute rounds. I am guessing there were about five or six of them. Then, the guy who was going through the test rolled with each of us for about a half hour’s worth of two minute rounds. I am not sure about exactly how long it was, but it was long enough to really wear him out. I felt bad, because he was so whooped for most of the matches, but I knew that he would be a better man for it. He did a great job and was rewarded his blue belt. We all congratulated him. It was a great night of exercise and learning for all of us.
But wait…not only did one of our guys get his blue belt, the three of us also got a blue stripe. Now, one guy has his blue belt, one guy has a white belt with two blue stripes and two of us have our white belt with one blue stripe.
Jiu Jitsu white belt with one blue stripe
I am pretty proud of myself for getting that blue stripe because I have been putting a lot of time and effort into learning this martial art. I haven’t missed a class and have been pretty much going for an extra session each week. A lot of times, it’s those extra sessions that really help.
What’s really cool is what our instructor told us after the physical part of classes was over. He made it very clear that each of us was making good progress and that we each had our own style of doing what we do. It’s like anything else in the world; you learn how something is done and then you tweak it so it works best for you. That’s probably why I like this stuff so much…it’s not rigid like other martial arts. This is something that is more internal to each person and is something that can be adjusted to fit just right. There is a certain feel to it.
Another thing that I really appreciated that our instructor said was that we were working out in “our” club. It’s a small club and one that work’s well because of that. We all get along really well and learn from each other. It’s a good feeling.
Just one thing I want to add here…if you have ever had any interest in learning this terribly satisfying exercise and self defense skill, please let me know and I would be happy to bring you along to a class. You might just get hooked like I did. It’s cardio, flexibility and strength training all wrapped up in one. I’m sure I can make a long list of its benefits, but what fun would that be? You will just have to see for yourself.
