Jun7

He said it.

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He said it.

One part of last night’s Jiu-Jitsu lesson involved utilizing the triangle choke if your arm bar fails. Instructor emphasized trapping your opponent’s head while doing so. “It’s like a balloon. If you let go, it floats away. You don’t want it to float away because then you have to spend another $50 to get another one for your kid at Disneyland.”

The funny visual aside, I was reminded of the triangle choke class where I kept forgetting to trap my opponent’s head. He’d pop it up and say, “Your balloon is getting away.” Then I realized my partner from that class was standing next to me. I looked at him to find him looking at me, clearly thinking the same thing. We quietly chuckled.

I searched for an appropriate photo. This isn’t it, but I’ll use it anyway because it’s stupid and funny. Thanks, Kelle Pics from Pixabay.

Another nice thing: the guys greeting me by name and with a smile. One such gentleman I hadn’t met, but he still said, “Hello, Betsy,” with a friendly smile. Yes, I know his name now. It’s an uncommon one, so that makes it easier to remember. There are three pairs of people with the same name, and one name being utilized by three people. One of those is Li’l Trejo. Maybe I should just call him that instead to vary things up. Do you think he’d mind?

And now for a bit of throwback from January:

[Savage Teen Girl] was twisting me this and way that before I knew WHAT was happening. She ended with trapping my arm painfully out from my side.

“Whoa. What was that move?” I asked her.

“The Americana.”

“Isn’t that a type of coffee?” was my first thought, which I wisely kept to myself.

I remember asking STG how long she’d been doing Jiu-Jitsu.

“Uuum, I have three stripes,” she responded.

Imagine having three stripes! That’s 60 classes under (and showcased on) one’s belt!

Also from January, “Funny Things Instructor Said” (though the below were not meant to be among the funny things):

I’ve gotten a couple of “Perfect”s, a few “That’s it!”s, a smattering of “Nice job”s, and today a “Well done, Betsy” with an expression of, dare I say, appreciation? Though also, if I’m being honest, surprise… I’m determined to one day graduate to a “I’m proud of you, Betsy.” That’s my new life goal.

What a lovely scarf. Oh, wait, I’m sorry, that’s a belt. And, oh my, are there THREE stripes are on it?
Why, yes, my friend. Yes, there are.

When Instructor announced, “We have a promotion today,” he said, “This person has been showing up consistently… working hard… something else nice that I don’t remember… and it wasn’t that last part… or this last part…”

Then, as he affixed the tape to my belt, he said, “I’m proud of you.”

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55 responses »

      • If it goes away on its own, that’s great! Did your post go through re: this post? All I saw before this was your p.s. about the finger. (That’s sounds funny.)

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      • Hmmm….lots of people with commenting issues these days. I was saying Congrats on the belt stripes!!! It looks like a necktie I would have worn in college in the ‘80’s when I was trying to be New Wave cool. It’s an option should you be invited to an 80’s party.

        Liked by 1 person

      • An 80s party! That’s hilarious. And I will definitely keep it in mind, should the occasion arise. Thank you for putting forth the extra effort to get your comment through, Bijoux!

        Like

  11. Awesome stuff! I myself think I’ll be at the same belt forever (it’s been five years since my last promotion) since my coaches have been shifting in and out of the country, and promotions are more subjective where I am. Continue having fun on your journey, Betsy, and my ribs feel better so I think I’ll be right there with you on the BJJ grind soon!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  13. Wuhoo! Three stripes. I’m proud of you, Betsy!! And really you have earned given that your beloved 11am class was canceled and so you had to work extra hard to show up consistently. Really kicking ass, my friend!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply ↓

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