This sounds like rolling with Coach Dom or Professor Russ!

With Dom, he is always attacking. I successfully fend them off until I can’t keep up, end up out of position and make a bad decision and I’m tapping. 

Professor Russ is like the Japanese Game Show of open mat: he never rewards your progress but immediately, and extremely punishes your shortcomings!

I really wish you had one that match…. But now you know how we feel rolling with you!

I like all these ideas… let’s get them on the calendar!

I would ask that we learn establishing the pass. Too many times I do all the work to open and pass just for my partner to get in a knee shield or capture one ankle and work back to a full guard. It’s very frustrating (Russ)!!!!

Equanimity: evenness of mind especially under stress

Oss: to push down one’s ego in order to endure hardship

Control by pressure. 

Getting smashed can induce panic if the pressure is correct. If you are being controlled and can’t do anything, there is an utter helplessness that creeps in. That’s what your kids experience when they start and roll with someone like Jacob. But they keep coming back and they find comfort and calm in that same position and they have a path to get out. 

Communication is super important. It’s not uncommon for me to end up in a an unfamiliar position when rolling with an upper belt. If that happens, I say “stop! I’m not sure what to do from here.” 100% of the time my partner has stopped and explained what they were doing, what battle I need to fight, and then we safely resume the roll. 

I just do what it says on the sign in our living room: 

Frame. Breathe. Pray. 

I think Kimmie bought it at a craft fair…. 🤔

“Would Coach Scott ask you to do something you can’t do? Of course not! It is hard to do and I know you can do it because you can do hard things.”

I tell them it’s a great way to build a positive relationship with physical fitness and have some level of competence in self defense. 

Then I usually talk about Russ! I tell them jiujitsu is awesome because it forces you to be physical, but it’s really about the technicality of the sport. Because it is so mentally demanding, you can never judge who is going to beat you up. “Russ is one of our black belts. He’s a pharmacist by day and he looks like it. Genuinely nice guy….doesnt give off any sort of negative or dangerous vibe…  But he could turn you inside out and wear you like a boot and there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING you could do about it.”

Come check out our new class: nogi fundamentals!  I’ll be teaching it on Tuesday and Thursday nights from 6-7. We will be teaching the opposite curriculum of gi fundamentals, so if you stay for Gi fundamentals with Coach Pete from 7-8 you will practice all 6 of the weeks techniques. See you on the mat!