7.10.10 /BJJ Women's Open Mat /Rape Escape - Self Defense Seminar

Don't hate me. But I didn't go to BJJ last Thursday, and I'm probably not going this week until Sat. ! I know! I know!! Bad Jamie. But I've had a lot of things to do recently and just need to get them done.

The very super sad news is that my bike doesn't work. Well, that's what you get from ordering online, I suppose. Currently the rear brakes are not working and it's possible the gears don't as well. However, I found a really awesome site that I am going to try to use to help me fix these things.

(Update: Fixed my bike yesterday morning! Thanks to www.bicycletutor.com . This site is awesome! Gives you videos, forums. It helped me figure out it was the tension of the levers that needed to be increased and my dad helped me adjust them.)

Ok. Sat my gym, The Grappler's Guide Academy,  held a FREE women's open mat, and then a women's only self defense seminar hosted by Sharon Bonewicz. Sharon has been training in martial arts for over 15 years. After trying different styles she was introduced to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by some friends to compliment her Judo training. She is only the 13th American woman to be awarded her black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in March of 2008. During this journey she realized most women were not interested in learning a martial art for self-defense. Sharon researched and found the perfect solution to compliment her training as a self-defense instructor as well as provide women with an effective program to defend themselves. Sharon received her certification from Defend University in June 2009 and has been teaching the Fight Like A Girl (F.L.A.G.) program ever since. Feel free to contact her with any questions or to host a program at: sbonewicz@gmail.com.

This was pretty awesome! The open mat was at 10am, but I didn't get there till like 12:30. :/ . Being lazy this week, I guess. That and I had stayed up till 4am with my boyfriend Friday night lol. My bad. So Sat morning I got up later than I might had planed. James made me breakfast ^.^ (good thing he doesn't read this, he'd kill me), and I tried to stop grumbling about being awake. Made it out the door, though I realized as I was driving to the gym that I forgot exercise clothes to wear underneath. Luckily, I always keep spare clothes for BJJ in my trunk and this is exactly why!

10am /Women's Open Mat
Ok, for this I didn't get there early enough to roll very much, but I got to roll with some really cool girls. I rolled with a lot of girls who have started very recently, around a year or under. There was also a girl who was a brown belt. She was awesome, and very helpful! One thing she pointed out to me while she had side control and I was bridging: She said I had a lot of strength, and I was bridging really well but not doing anything else so just wasting my energy (which I kind of realized but didn't know what to do about it). So she said as soon as I bridge, to right away stick my knee in and get guard back. I tried it a few times with her and it worked fairly well. Can't wait to try it in a more live setting and especially with a guy.

I did roll with one girl who had someone record it, and it was just us. It was a fun roll. I really hope to see the video and will post it up if I get it.

Alright, work time. Self defense I have more to say for so I will post it after work. I'm not going to BJJ today cause I also have to finish my draft term paper for my class. So next class is Wed.