Including the gis I bought for my kids? I couldn’t possibly count that high. 

I’m trying to find a good time to take the family to visit my sister. She lives in Kane ‘Ohe. It’s a 14 minute drive from her house to Kailua… where Marcelo’s new place is…. Every time we mention it my family rolls their eyes and asks, “You’d take your family to Hawaii and spend all your time at jiujitsu still?!?!” No. Just the evenings. And yes. Yes I would. 

There are quite a few nogi players I’d like to learn from: Keith Krikorian, Andrew Tackett, Josef Chen, Helena Crevar, and the almighty Craig Jones. 

I think JFlo would be my number one right now. I love to talk smack about judo… but that man is unreal. His set ups, posture breaks, trips, and throws are insane. It usually looks like his opponent is in a zero gravity environment while he moves and tosses them and he does it effortlessly.

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.