Blog Feed: This is a training log chronicling my ups and downs as I learn (or try to learn) BJJ under Lotus Club Black Belt, James..
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Keep on Truckin’…
Published on 2012-09-11 15:53:14
Training is going well. I am having a blast training out with the guys at Phantom BJJ. The school has just the right blend of intensity and easy going-ness (that’s right… I made up a word). I look forward to class, and am bummed when I miss one. Bing has brought in a lot of [...]
Phantom BJJ: Monday
Published on 2012-08-21 08:00:00
Great class yesterday.
Phantom BJJ Class: 8/13/2012
Published on 2012-08-14 14:00:00
It started on Facebook.
Imperial Purple Tatami Fightwear Estilo 3.0–Size F2
Published on 2012-08-08 07:00:00
I finished another project last night.
What’s your origin story?
Published on 2012-08-01 14:00:00
A passing comment by a friend on Facebook reminded me of how I found BJJ. I’m a superhero fan and have been for as long as I can remember. I read comic books, watched the cartoons and loved the Christopher Reeves Superman movies almost as much as I loved Star Wars. All of this means [...]
Monday Class–7/30/12 Phantombjj
Published on 2012-08-01 14:00:00
Monday was another big class. James made it back in, and it was good to see him after he’s had a long hiatus. Fortunately for us, he forgot his belt and was the first person to rock the ‘Belt of Shame’, modeled here by Scott Yamamoto, a brown belt at our school. And it’s an [...]
“So I tapped to an anxiety attack…”
Published on 2012-07-25 19:00:30
I was over on Bullshido and read a thread with the title above, “So I tapped to an anxiety attack.” Read the ongoing thread here: http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=117341 The upshot is that a brand new white belt feels pretty down about being pushed beyond the level of exhaustion and tapped out of fear rather than from a technical [...]
Phantom BJJ: Tuesday BJJ Class 7/24/2012
Published on 2012-07-25 17:45:04
This marked the first ever Tuesday class at Phantom BJJ at our new location in Covington, WA. I was a little worried that everyone had forgotten when it got to be about 5:20 pm and I was still the only one there, but within a few minutes after that several others showed up ready to [...]
Phantom BJJ Monday Class
Published on 2012-07-24 18:00:25
Having a great time training in the new home of Phantom BJJ in Covington, WA. We have about 12 or so guys regularly attending each class, and the personality of the school is really beginning to gel. It’s pretty cool to see Bing putting things together. Now that the school is in its own space, [...]
Bad Boy MMA Shorts for $25
Published on 2012-07-08 22:00:15
Bad Boy Shorts sale Bad Boy Brazil Fight Shorts for $25. Bad Boy Shorts $25
Tie Dye Gi #1
Published on 2012-07-08 20:28:48
Took a stab at Tie Dye today for a friend. Turned out a little sloppy, but the spiral on the back came through pretty well. Tie Dying a gi is definitely a different breed of animal than tie dying a t-shirt. The collar presents some challenges, as does the weight of the fabric. I did [...]
Deep Orange and Hot Pink
Published on 2012-06-03 18:56:26
A friend took advantage of an absolutely terrific sale over at Warrior One, and picked up a nice, single weave gi for his daughter, which I dyed hot pink for her. The other is a pearl weave dyed Deep Orange.
Tatami Jiu Jitsu Tee
Published on 2012-06-03 00:00:59
A very comfortable Jiu Jitsu t-shirt, from one of the most legit jiu jitsu brands. Tatami Jiu Jitsu Tee $12 And if it sells out quick, you can always pick up cool jiu jitsu shirts on MAS including 31FIFTY Project, Manto and Arte Suave. Get yours before it’s sold out!
Cthulhu Gi
Published on 2012-05-29 16:38:08
I worked on a new batik gi.
2 projects: Gray on gray batik Prana Flow and Dark Green
Published on 2012-05-06 11:19:37
I completed a couple of projects. The batik is for me. I’m also offering a custom dye service for $60 for a limited time with your supplied gi, or $150 for a high quality pearl weave gi custom dyed in your choice of color. The gi I offer is the same as the dark green [...]
Question for You
Published on 2012-04-04 17:21:39
Here’s a question that was posed by Prof. Giva Santana: Question: You rather be that blue belt that everyone gives you compliments and says you should be a purple? Or would you rather be that purple belt that no one says it, but thinks you shouldn’t be it? I was just wandering…. What do you [...]
What’s Shaking?
Published on 2012-04-04 17:10:50
Still training regularly and having fun.
Phantom BJJ Group
Published on 2012-03-28 22:10:38
Good times lately. I’ve been watching several food documentaries, and while I’m sure that people have their opinions on food, I’ve decided to give a vegetarian diet a try for a while. I don’t have any real moral compunction about eating animals. I like steak and chicken and don’t overthink our place at the top [...]
Monday Class and vids from the Revolution
Published on 2012-03-19 21:35:04
Congratulations to both Coach Bing and Kenji. Bing had a couple of great matches and earned a silver medal. Kenji, only a little more than three months of BJJ under his white belt, won a great first match. He lost his second one on points, but time ran out with him in solid control of [...]
Monday Class 3/12/12
Published on 2012-03-13 11:10:32
Large class. Phantom BJJ is growing every week, which is great to see. I ran class with Scott Y, which is always fun. When I do the warm-ups, I’m trying to mix in some different drills to keep things interesting. I have a copy of Stephan Kesting’s Grappling Drills DVDs which, honestly, sat on a [...]
Rousey vs Tate: The Armbar Felt Round the World
Published on 2012-03-05 16:30:00
Man, oh man! Did you guys see that fight on Saturday night? Holy cow. Now, I want to say that I want to like Rousey in the worst way. But her palpable arrogance is making it very difficult. The point of this post, however, is to talk about the armbar. I just want to mention [...]
Monday Class and Hot Chocolate Gi
Published on 2012-02-29 14:00:00
Monday’s class was good. Small group, but solid. I got a gi burn on my eye again from rolling with Scott, which is bothersome. I end up going to work and looking like I’ve got pink eye or something. We worked some spider guard and de la riva sweeps. Good stuff. Still not feeling 100% [...]
Phantom BJJ Website
Published on 2012-02-27 09:55:48
I made it to all three classes last week and feel pretty good. I’m looking forward to tonight’s class, as well. Haven’t had a lot of time to post, though. I put together a website for my friend, Bing Crook. Since Phantom BJJ in Maple Valley is so new, Bing hasn’t had a chance to [...]
Monday Class 2/20/2012
Published on 2012-02-22 16:20:24
Went back to class on Monday. It’s been a rough couple months. I had the pneumonia, and then felt better, so I tried to get back to class a little too soon. As a result, I didn’t give myself enough time to heal and ended up sliding back into another bout of bronchitis. So, two [...]
Hakai Vengeance – Rip Stop Gi
Published on 2012-02-12 23:13:11
Got a new gi. Dyed it pewter. I think it turned out pretty well. I like this color. It’s not as… overt… as a bright orange or green. It’s a little more subdued. But still unique. The actual color is somewhere in the area of a greenish-gray. I posted a short review of this gi [...]
I’m really feeling much better… I think I’ll go for a walk.
Published on 2012-02-08 22:19:38
Really fun class tonight. Small group. Nine, including me. with several white belts. I covered class with Scott Y. tonight. Bingo had to fulfill his civic duty. After warm-ups, we worked a couple of basic techniques. I showed the guys a sweep I like, the basic tripod sweep. The following video is very similar to [...]
Monday Class – On the Mend
Published on 2012-02-08 17:00:56
Had a great time at class on Monday. I made it through the entire class, but took it a little easy during sparring. While I’m over the pneumonia for the most part, there’s a lingering cough that the doc said might last for up to a month. And while my wind just isn’t there, the [...]
Best Prank Ever: Bubba Gracie
Published on 2012-02-02 15:21:08
Direct Link Here: http://youtu.be/o8g8iJdjtOs Very well done prank by Rener Gracie.
Wednesday Class–On the Mend
Published on 2012-02-02 14:00:00
I made it to class last night and felt… okay. Last week, by the time Friday rolled around, I finally admitted to myself that I was getting worse, not better. I was planning on going to the doctor on Saturday if I didn’t feel better, but Friday morning, when I began coughing up a charming [...]
Taking the Back from Half Guard
Published on 2012-01-30 12:37:58
A new video from Coach Foster.
I think I’ll be back at class Wednesday
Published on 2012-01-30 08:00:00
Will need to take it easy. While I’m definitely on the mend and the doctor says I’m fine to return to normal activities, I didn’t tell him that normal for me involves sparring. But he also advised me to listen to my body and don’t overdo things. Yes. I went to the doctor. Probably about [...]
This is getting really old
Published on 2012-01-26 12:39:16
I’m really excited to be training regularly again. I had been diligently making two classes per week and was looking to bump that up to a routing of three classes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Then the Snow Storm came, followed by the freezing rain and down went our power. And now, after all of [...]
Pictures from the Ice/Snow Storm
Published on 2012-01-23 10:16:41
The following pictures are all from my neighborhood either at my house or within a short walking distance. I posted just a couple before, but I wanted to keep them all in one post. A close up of the tree in our front yard. The front of my house. The tree on the right is [...]
Snow wasn’t the real issue….
Published on 2012-01-22 13:53:07
We knew that a storm was brewing in the Seattle area last week, but as the media machine began ramping up on Tuesday, the school district delayed classes and then ended up cancelling school altogether. Ultimately, Tuesday was a mild day. We had some snow, but the roads were clear and all was well. Wednesday [...]
And the beat goes on….
Published on 2011-04-29 20:12:20
Got held up at work today, so I wasn’t able to make it to class. Still, looking forward to helping out tomorrow at a small, inter-school tournament. Hoping to get some work in reffing. Saw this on the internet and think it’s great. Walter
Wednesday Class and ScriptFrenzy Update
Published on 2011-04-21 14:34:46
BJJ was good last night. I am SO out of shape, but we started with light rolling to get warmed up and Ethan showed us a couple of sweeps from half-guard, for when the opponent switches his hips and is facing back towards the legs. I was pretty exhaus
Script Frenzy
Published on 2011-04-10 21:57:32
52 pages as of today. While works been crazy and some minor medical stuff has been going on at home, I have, amazingly reached the halfway point in my script. I’ve promised myself NOT to edit the script until the first draft is complete, but I&
Friday Training and Scriptfrenzy update
Published on 2011-04-04 12:51:41
Friday was fun. I made it to class, was feeling a little nauseous with about 10 minutes left. I tried to sit out and was… encouraged to go one more. Big Rick went “light” with me. I add the quotes around the word “ligh
Tatami Fightwear Pin-Up Gi
Published on 2011-03-30 20:49:47
Dayum. This gi is really, really cool. Evan Mannweiler’s design was the overall winner of the Crazy Ass Gi Contest a few months back, and it’s now being manufactured in a limited run. So, check it out. I ordered mine. Click on the
Monday Training and Scriptfrenzy Update
Published on 2011-03-30 20:43:27
Made it to class on Monday. Was my first day to train in two weeks. I’m pretty much over the sinus/head cold, but I felt weak and very lethargic. Now, a couple days later, my hips flexors, thighs and calves are KILLING ME. I’m so
ScriptFrenzy.org
Published on 2011-03-23 19:35:37
First, Pan Ams, baby! Coming up. I’m going to figure out a way to hook my computer up to my projector and will be watching the matches on a 110″ screen. Does it get better? Yeah, but not much. I write that just after I knock back
Walking to the Cage MMA Documentary
Published on 2011-03-11 16:03:40
Today’s supposed to be a training day, but my son’s playing drums at his school’s talent show. So, I’ll be supporting him and his buddies (even though they desperately need a singer ). But consider the following in lieu of
15 Fighters You Should Know
Published on 2011-03-06 23:06:18
“MMA Spot’s David McKinney and J.A. Yount combed through hundreds of fighters to pinpoint 15 of the best fighters that many people have not heard of, but should know.” And guess who’s number two? Giva “The Arm Collecto
Sunday Morning Class
Published on 2011-03-06 20:32:59
Todd, one of the three black belts at my school, began running a series of morning classes many months ago. Todd’s a funny guy, and I’m glad I finally got off my lazy ass and made it to his class this morning. I had thought that it wa
I am still alive
Published on 2011-03-06 12:17:11
Just sayin’. I realized that this blog is more about personal accountability and keeping my own commitment to make time for training than anything else. While I still train, my attendance has dropped. So, I intend to start posting regularly
Gi Design Contest Winners Announced
Published on 2010-10-16 10:34:37
The contest is over and the winners have been announced. I would wear the winning gi and hope that it goes into production. It’s cool. Very, very cool. Winners also announced for “Funniest” and “Craziest” gi designs. S
The 1st Annual Seattle Open
Published on 2010-10-05 16:19:51
Rodrigo Lopes hosted the first Seattle Open BJJ tournament at the brand new location of Seattle Gracie Barra. I was able to ref some of the matches, which is a lot of fun. I haven’t done a lot of reffing so far, but it’s something I&#
Crazy Ass BJJ Gi Challenge – Vote for your Favorite
Published on 2010-09-29 21:09:15
Alright guys. I did my part and now it’s time for you to do yours. Go to the Tatami Fightwear facebook page and vote for your favorite. There are three categories. All you have to do is “like” the ones you like the best
Purple Belts and Green Lantern Gis
Published on 2010-09-19 10:18:28
I was promoted to purple belt two weeks ago, and still can’t really believe it. I don’t really know what to say about it other than that it didn’t improve my game at all. I’m still working on the same stuff I was as a blue belt. But tha
Design Your Own Crazy-Ass Gi
Published on 2010-08-23 09:33:43
Our friend, Meerkatsu, over in the UK has this crazy-ass idea. Since BJJ is all about the flair, and people who train in BJJ are obviously intelligent, creative people with questionable taste, why not have a contest in which everyone submits their
Gi Dye: Jet Black (actually more of a dark blue) Lucky Gi
Published on 2010-08-15 20:26:10
Griff asked me to dye a gi for him. Griff is a purple belt who trains up in Ballard at Ballard BJJ, a Gracie Barra affiliate run by black belt Micah Reyes. He had a white Lucky brand gi that he wanted black and, after the requisite discla
Friday Class
Published on 2010-08-13 21:45:48
Just really quick, met G-Stamp today. That was great. Oh, and my temporary crown came out while rolling with Jaime. He freaked out, even after I told him that it wasn’t a real tooth. I think that’s kind of hilarious! And I
Tough class
Published on 2010-08-11 22:29:56
I was tired all day, mentally and physically. Not sure what was going on, but I woke up feeling dehydrated and hung over. And no, I didn’t tie one on last night. I didn’t have any gas all night, was weak and lethargic… and aft
It’s good to be a blue belt
Published on 2010-08-09 22:18:24
A while back, there was a lot of discussion about rank and belts. Coming back from another bout of back suckage, I’m beginning to feel better, and sparring at closer to full speed (which for me is still pretty slow). Sunday, I spa
GI Review: Tatami Fightwear’s Zero G Competition Gi
Published on 2010-08-07 12:02:00
Brits, for some reason, seem to be among the most prolific BJJ bloggers around. Between Seymour over at Meerkatsu, Matt with Grappling Dummy and Scramble, and Can and his Slideyfoot blog, it’s easy to keep up with what’s going on over in th