A new mountain...

Reminders Are Always Around

2009-03-11T15:09:00.000-07:00

It is easy to get caught up in our lives. It can be a great thing!
Living your life.
Being present.
Making conscious choices.
All things we strive to do...but every once in a while, little reminders are thrown in our face.
Maybe you haven't had a break in quite sometime and someone mentions taking a vacation, but you think there's no need...you don't have time. Then a couple of days later, you end up sick in bed.
DING DING DING...You WIN!!! ENFORCED VACATION at your own lovely casa for an undetermined number of days and nights!

Maybe you get a call with news that someone died. DING DING DING! You get reminded about life and how tenuous it can be.

Each of these are just more signs along the pathway of our journey. When driving, you always have to make those constant little re-adjustments of the wheel to keep you centered on the road...

Improvement and Competition

2009-02-28T11:48:00.000-08:00

One of the fastest ways to improve your grappling or BJJ game is to compete. Competition is a great way to learn about your game. You get to go with people you don't know...people outside of your academy or gym that don't know you or your game and you don't know them or their game. You get to find out what is working and what isn't working, It's like a quick little road map to guide you in what you need to work on. It's a whole different experience from training at the academy and I recommend everyone do it at least once. Maybe you'll hate it and never do it again. Maybe you'll benefit from the experience and continue to do it. You also get to see other gyms, meet other people that share your same interest, make new friends and become a part of the larger BJJ/Grappling community!

Oh, and how convenient (shameless plug...but it doesn't change what I just said about competition) ...March 7 and 8, 2009 is the BJMUTA Classic Tournament in Valencia, CA.
No-Gi on Saturday, Gi on Sunday.
Double elimination for a great price.
Check the website and call the gym to register!
www.bjmuta.com
661-775-0365

Women's Grappling Camp 2009

2009-02-22T21:59:00.001-08:00

has now come to it's conclusion :(
I think (and hope that) everyone that attended got what they needed from it. It was an amazing experience for me and (I hope) for everyone that attended. Sounds like I'm "hopeful"....lol.
What does this mean now? I suppose it's time to decompress, think a bit about the future (or at least some future plans) and the beginning of a new journey...another mountain to climb...here we go...

Being "ready" for life...

2009-02-01T07:56:00.001-08:00

Work hard, work hard at what you love, and more hard work...opportunity comes. Be ready and willing to take it when it does. "Ready" is a result of hard work.

Search

2009-01-23T09:32:00.000-08:00

Do we ever know what it is we are looking for? Do we ever find it? Does the search ever end? Always something new...
How could life ever get boring? Maybe exhausting, stressful, challenging, demanding...perhaps EVERCHANGING...but boring?!?!? Boring...OHMYGOD, that's like soooooooo high school.

Success is...

2008-12-31T07:58:00.000-08:00

having the opportunity to live your life to your fullest potential.

having the courage to take opportunities that arise.

overcoming fear and having the willingness to change by taking steps forward...often into an unknown abyss.

Back in the States

2008-12-30T19:06:00.000-08:00

Returned from Switzerland.
Won the silver medal at the FILA World Championships.
Ate a ton of pastries and croissants in Paris. Mmmmm.....stuffed.
Chocolate is yummy.

Thanksgiving Weekend Tournament

2008-11-25T20:51:00.000-08:00

November 29 and 30, 2008 in Valencia, CA
Saturday - No-Gi
Sunday - Gi
Men, Women, Kids!!!
2 lb. Turkey allowance
www.bjmuta.com for details.

Competition

2008-11-03T21:45:00.000-08:00

Competition is just another aspect of grappling. Many people train but never compete and that is fine. Competing isn't for everyone. I strongly encourage people to try it at least once. I think it's the best tool to help you improve quickly. It's like a shortcut to help you find your weaknesses.

Today's Fortune

2008-11-03T21:44:00.000-08:00

Each day is just another chance to get better.

Waking up

2008-10-29T19:27:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up and was still in a dream...remembering it...trying to make it last...holding on to the experience.
Haven't had that in a while...waking up...ready to make the most of the day...thinking about this day and every day as one moment passing...one life...one day...each one it's own group of individual moments. Each day, one day. This life, one life. One chance to learn as much as possible. Remembering how much fun it is to learn...to be a student...the joy of learning just to learn.

FloFitness Blog now up!

2008-10-17T13:03:00.000-07:00

check it out...
FLOFITNESS BLOG

Some days...

2008-10-15T08:47:00.000-07:00

Everyday is a different and new day. When you wake up, it's another chance for you to make choices and have individual and unique moments in your life that only exist for you :)

It just sucks when you wake up feeling like crap :0
Well, at least it's unique and individual crap ;)

Common Sense

2008-10-10T08:47:00.000-07:00

If you are reading this and don't have health insurance, you need to get health insurance. Go do it now. Blue Cross, Kaiser, Aetna, blah blah...whatever. You just need to have something. If you don't think you can afford it, how do you think you can afford a 5, 10, or 20 thousand dollar hospital/doctor bill?

Back on the horse...

2008-10-03T09:57:00.000-07:00

I hear from a lot of people that they have to stop training for a while for whatever reason: money, injury, frustration, life...etc. Sometimes the hardest thing is going back...taking that first step to get back on the mat knowing that it's not only going to be somewhat difficult and painful (to both the body and the mind) but also that it can signify some sort of (re)-commitment to something bigger than just going to a jiu-jitsu class.
And so it is with me and this blog. I transferred it over and posted training tips for a while on www.elitefts.com. But after a while, didn't really feel like I had much to say. So that eventually turned into an internet hiatus. I'm not sure that I have much to say now either, but here I am, back on the "mat" after some time off. Will I just be back for a few classes/posts and disappear again? Or am I back for a while?
Any questions, comments, thoughts, etc. are all welcome. The dialogue has begun.
Let's see where it takes us...

Seminar Update

2008-03-14T01:01:00.000-07:00

I had to cancel the Livermore seminar at the last moment. I got the flu that's going around and my ear got clogged. No plane trip, no seminar. I apologize to everyone.

I'll let you know when we reschedule!

Keep Training!

BJJ Seminar!

2008-02-21T21:48:00.000-08:00

March 8 in Livermore, CA

Click HERE for details.

NEW DR. SMOOTHIE PRODUCT!!!

2008-02-20T15:17:00.000-08:00

Dr. Smoothie had a new product called Amino Recovery! Check out Dr. Smoothie's website.

One more step

2008-01-10T12:35:00.001-08:00

One more step...one more step...just keep moving forward.

Every time you train...

2008-01-04T23:01:00.000-08:00

try to learn something new. Depending on where you are in your grappling journey, sometimes it may be a new move you've never seen. Other times it may be learning to place your foot two inches to the left and suddenly the move works. It may be something big or very very small (but very important). You can learn something every time you get on the mat and train.

NOTE TO ED: Imagine being a young (per)son rolling with a woman that's old enough to be your...MOM!!! GULP!!!! :D

HERE WE GO....It's never too late.

2008-01-03T18:23:00.000-08:00

Okay...so I received a request for training tips! Okay...so...HERE WE GO!!!!
Let's see how this new identity works out for our little blog...
Be sure to let me know here or shoot me an e-mail. Questions, comments...e-mail me.

I just saw a thread on a forum asking if people were 37 and if they had thought of quitting BJJ.

Guess what? I turned 40 a few weeks ago. I started BJJ when I was 33. So, it would seem that it is never too late. This last year was a busy competition year for me. The high points being making it to the finals of ADCC and representing the USA at the FILA World Championships in Turkey. Again...two more reasons that it seems to me that it is NEVER too late. You want to do something in your life...what's stopping you?

She's 84; He's 25 (VIDEO)

2008-01-01T14:48:00.000-08:00

Check this out...

http://share.youthwant.com.tw/flvplayer/shareplayer.swf?m=33001858

So, the Identity Crisis part...
What should this blog be? Daily workouts? Philosophical musings on Life and BJJ? Suggestions?
I started keeping a training long on Elite FTS's site. You can find it here: www.elitefts.com
So, I'm trying to figure out what this blog should be....suggestions? Beuller? Beuller? Anyone?

Workout #111

2007-12-20T21:26:00.001-08:00

50 of each
Pullups
Pushups
Situps
Squats

Workout #134

2007-12-18T21:24:00.000-08:00

21-15-9
Box Jumps
Double Kettlebell Clean and Press
Kettlebell Swings
Pullups

NOW IT CAN BE TOLD!!!!!

2007-12-17T19:06:00.000-08:00

UPDATE:
I competed this last Saturday and took the silver at the No Gi Mundials. It was the first time that this tournament has been held. I'm glad it's the last tournament for the year and I have some time to rest.
Since late September, I had a cold and then some strange symptoms that never went away in addition to being tired all the time. I was finally diagnosed with Epstein Barr Virus after Thanksgiving.
For those that don't know (which included me until I got it), almost everyone has it. I've read between 70 and 95% of the population has it. If you have ever had "MONO", you have the virus. Most people get it as a kid. But not everyone that has EBV gets Mono. Just most. The main "symptom" of EBV is Mono. The virus never goes away. It just goes dormant. For some people, they will have Mono once and never have to deal with it again. For others, it can be a long and (literally) exhausting journey. (DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor. If you want more info, google it) I'm hoping mine will be the former and that it will just be a part of the end of the year 2007.
So, I think it definitely affected my performance this weekend. I was not able to get to where I wanted to be in the weeks prior with my conditioning and that had a huge effect on my performance both mentally and physically. I usually taper off and rest for a couple of days before competition to give my body a chance to recover from the hard training. When you are in great condition, you can go as hard as you want and not worry about gassing. This time, I didn't get to train as hard leading up because of the exhaustion and yet the muscles were even more tired than if I had trained hard!!!
On top of that, I had to make weight, which again, is never usually much of a problem if I can train the way I want and know. But this time it was a struggle.
There are always things that need attention and can make you lose focus. Hopefully, the distraction can be made into a positive distraction or be used re-focus in a better way prior to competition.
I tried to stay as close as I could to my usual gameplan and made adjustments when necessary. I made weight and went in and fought. My body had some unusual reactions to the stress of competition. It was difficult and I hadn't experienced it before. Even now, two days later, some parts of my body are in a lot of pain...like having done the worst workout of my life and having no energy on top of it. It feels like every ounce of life or energy has been sucked out of me.
Would it have been wiser to not have competed because of my condition (or lack of condition)? (pun intended) Who knows? I guess that takes us back to the question of why someone competes. That question always rears it's head.
But now I will rest a bit and maybe do more relaxation and meditation. I've noticed that my body has been carrying a lot more tension in the past few months. I try to notice it and relax but it keeps sneaking up on me.
And more research on EBV...
If you have had experience with EBV and want to share, please do!
felicia@feliciaoh.com