Mar6

Let’s pretend I did that on purpose

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Let’s pretend I did that on purpose

Frequently I’m partnered with the kid, whom I’ll call Billy. (Get it?) Even when I’m not the only female, I get matched with Billy. That’s not my favorite, since I’m unlikely to be attacked by a 6th grader, but I get it. I’m closest in size to him, since I, too am built like an 11-year-old boy.

Anyway, one night he did some move which was apparently cool. I didn’t see it, but Instructor asked if he had done it on purpose. Billy said no. (Points for honesty!) Instructor said he shouldn’t admit when he does something cool by mistake.

Later, Instructor told Billy to really make me work for it, which I appreciated. So Billy put up a fight. Instructor: “Whoa, Betsy. You got your knees up behind his back. Pulling out stuff from class 11.” He turned to Surfer Dude. “Did you see that?”

“Yeah.” Surfer Dude nodded appreciatively.

It’s a good thing I had just learned not to admit when I do something cool by accident.

Happily doing an arm bar. Pics compliments of Mrs. Instructor who kindly sent them to me after a different class. (That’s not Billy.)

In another class, we learned a new-to-me way of doing the headlock escape superbase variation, so I had no muscle memory to carry me through on this one. Instructor sat down in front of me to watch, so of course my mind immediately went blank.

“You can do this. I believe in you,” my partner said. So I did it. The only critique was, “Get your knee up higher.” That is the hardest part. Other than that, I got it done.

Another night, as instructed, my partner came charging at me. I backed up quickly, and utterly incorrectly.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Instructor said. I knew I was doing it wrong. And I knew he was seeing it. Then I made it worse by using the same excuse about screwing up when I know he’s watching. It’s true that I get more nervous when being watched, but I’ve used that line probably three times now.

Suck it up, Betsy. Do the move properly no matter who’s watching.–Me, to myself.

From then on, I made a point to take correction with aplomb, (Wow. What part of my brain did that word pop out of? Apparently not the same part that’s cool with ending sentences with prepositions.) agreeing and thanking Instructor.

But at the moment he corrected my footing he said, “You wouldn’t kick with your feet like that, would you?”

“No,” I said.

“You’d have your feet apart like this, right?”

So I took the proper stance and kicked a little to the right of his head. My partner’s eyes widened. “Whoa,” she said. Instructor didn’t even flinch because he’s that cool. I wasn’t trying to be threatening. I think I was just reassuring myself that I at least know how to kick.

You know, if not walk.

Happily doing the Americana. (Still not a type of coffee.) Note to future me: Nice job on that deep hook with the foot in the background.

In this class above, I’m partnered with Blue Belt’s little sister. She’s in college now, so he bought her lessons so she can defend herself.

Big Brother of the Year award, anyone?

So “Little Sister” is the biggest sweetheart ever. She is also deceptively a beast! In this class, she was instructed to try to roll me over.

Emphasis on “try to,” right? Well she did, several times.

Instructor gave me pointers to avoid this, but she still got me. He said it’s good to know when to let go of the submission, (the Americana, in this case) and put your hands out to catch yourself so you can reset.

In other words, he was teaching me how to fail.

Can do! I successfully failed several times. Woohoo. 🙂

Slightly less happy Americana as I’m about to get rolled. Again. Yay me!

Last night I was with Little Sister again for the super easy punch block stages 1-4 class. “Nice, Betsy. Perfect, as usual,” I heard from Instructor. Also, “Dang. That was one swift motion,” when I grabbed her head, blocked my face, straightened my legs and pulled her down all at once.

She did great, too. Afterward, I thanked her for being there and said I was glad to get to partner with her. She remarked, “You too, and you’re always here. You’re like a staple.”

That made today’s exchange all the more amusing. Instructor’s mass text let people know we’ll be learning new cool stuff tonight.

This is my happy place.

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85 responses »

  2. Great. Now I’m craving a plum and a cup of espresso, and walking around spouting oxymorons left and right (I just now used “successfully failed” in a meeting). This is what I get for reading Betsy mid-afternoon.

    Liked by 3 people

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  6. I can see why this is such a happy place for you – exercise, discipline and community. It’s interesting that your instructor would advise you not to admit you did something by mistake. I would imagine it’s part of the learning process but hey, it does add to the cool factor! 😆

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    • Thanks, Ab. You nailed it. And that community factor looms large because I work from home.

      I think Instructor was sort of being funny. But also sort of maybe not. I imagine if it was an uncool mistake it would be okay to cop to it. 😛

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  7. Yes, knowing how to successfully fail is an important skill. There’s nothing worse than a failed failure, but successful failures are great. So I think we could sum it up by saying that successes are due to long diligent practice and good muscle memory and failures are because your instructor didn’t teach you something.

    maybe I read that wrong … I think I need a latte …

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    • Hahahaha! Oh, Janis. I daydream about that often. It’s really quite silly of me. But also, it’s good to think up scenarios and how I would deal with them. Still, when it came to it, I’d probably be too busy running away, just to be on the safe side, rather than stopping to snap pics.

      Well, then again, if he was unconscious because I choked him out, or writhing in pain from a broken arm, I might pause for a selfie with him. For you, Janis. 😉

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    • Great question, Neil! I do often reflect on how wild it is that this is my life now. I initially signed up for Taekwondo thinking, this will be fun and different. And it was. And so challenging. Then Jiu-Jitsu came along, and it was love at first roll, though I can’t pinpoint why. I don’t know what I expected. I don’t think I looked too far into the future. I was more taking it one step at a time, though the completist in me knew I had to get that TKD black belt. Once you start, you just gotta finish. In JJ, I’m just after the next belt. Then we’ll see what happens. The third belt, blue, could be in my future too. Black takes ten years, and I’ve started too late for that to be practical. I may be content with blue.

      I strayed far from your original question. Did I suspect I’d love it very much or even this much? No, no I did not! But I’m so glad I do! 🙂

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  15. Photoshop yourself out of the first picture and your opponent looks like she’s simply enjoying a quick nap on the mat. Two photos later I’m wondering how you’re about to get rolled when it looks like you have things completely under (over) control? Finally, Little Sister’s compliment, “You’re like a staple” had me picturing office supplies instead of your commitment to classes. Maybe it’s your new superhero persona, Betsy. “The Stapler”!

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    • 1. Yes. Total nap. I see it. 🙂
      2. See how my knee is off the ground? I’m supposed to be able to stay heavy on her so she can’t buck me off. Notice her feet? She’s bridging me off by lifting her hips. I’m about to roll away from the camera.
      3. Yes, The Stapler. Beware, papers! You’re about to be stuck together. Dun-dun-duuuuhhhhh!!!
      😉

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  16. Keep it playful, huh? Seems like that’s good advice, but begs the question why it must be stated in such large letters. There is a possibility that someone will get serious? I dunno, this all seems odd, but BS-free, to me.

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    • Definitely BS-free! I imagine that’s a good reminder to those in the kids’ class. Also, it helps allay egos probably. The other side says Keep it Real, also in big letters, which is likely more for the sake of artfully filling the allotted space than being about yelling a command. The words on the walls change up every now and then, which is, in itself, playful. 🙂

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  19. And through failure we learn even more! 😀 Betsy, great energy in your writing and I’m trying to hang in there with all the terms. I did like your usage of ‘aplomb’ – works a treat here. I enjoy looking at the photos and notice you are always smiling during your practice! Is this to put your partner off their guard so you can tackle them to the floor? “(I bet tackle is not the correct word, though!) 😀

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    • Hi, Annika! It’s becoming clear I need to work in more $5 words in these posts! They seem to be more popular and entertaining than the rest of it! ;P

      Apologies for all the jargon. And now I have to laugh because you said “off their guard,” which would be appropriate to say in class, though it would have a different meaning.

      I think I smile a lot in class because I’m enjoying myself. Last class, I got to partner with Surfer Dude, and we even had some laughs. Fun times. 🙂 Thanks for reading!

      Liked by 1 person

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    • I liked how you said that, Annika! After all, isn’t there a famous saying that says that 80% of success is showing up? I never quite understood the Yoda-ism of “there is no try.” I get that there’s no spoon, but no trying? Try, and either great aplomb! 🤓

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      • Wouldn’t it be cool if I was just being funny?! But no, it’s been far too long since I’ve seen the Matrix to have remembered that scene. Even watching that clip, I didn’t remember having seen it. :/ Also, wow Keanu looks young there.

        “No, your other left” feels like it’s from about 20 things. What’s the original? Please forgive my horrible lack of knowledge. I am so ashamed!

        Liked by 1 person

      • He DOES look young, last movie I saw with him was John Wick (4). But he still looks… timeless.

        In going with the subject of your post, I’m going to go with “let’s go with being funny on purpose.” So there 🤓

        I’m going to search for the original, but I used it as another quote from The Matrix (near the end, when Keanu was searching for a “out” and was getting directions and turned in on the “wrong” left, meaning, right 🤪). A bunch of us at work used a few quotes, including these two, incessantly and they became a thing for … a bunch of people I used to work with 😁 so don’t feel bad about not remembering some obscure quotes. It’s really not you, it’s THEM !

        Liked by 1 person

      • Are you the one who was telling me I need to see John Wick? Recently, a Jiu-Jitsu friend said I need to watch it too, for the JJ and also the Mustangs. I love both! But he warned it was very bloody violent. What’s your take?

        That’s fun that you and your coworkers would quote stuff together. Hubby and I do that too. I remember once thoroughly confusing my visiting mother. He and I went back and forth a few times. She finally threw her arms up and said, “What on earth are you two talking about?!” 😛

        Liked by 2 people

      • I think the first one was great, and it teaches people not to mess with puppies, which is an all around great lesson to be had 😁 As a bit of trivia, Keanu was feverish irl, temperature well over 100f when he did the club scene. Just worth knowing when you see it.

        Methinks that’s a sign of a spectacular marriage!

        I love “inside” stuff: jokes, sayings, names, signals. That’s why I’m loving the Ilsa thing 🙃 I had a few coworkers who were more friends: we saw movies together, went to dinner together (hubby was an honorary member of the gang), so we had a lot of “inside” stuff going on. It’s one of the ver few things I miss about work (those people). Ah, the good old days of the red lab coat.

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      • Okay, I just ordered John Wick from the library. Let’s see what the hubbub is all about, shall we? Feverish during the club scene–got it! Will pay special attention. Also, wow! Like Gene Kelly in the famous dance street scene in Singing in the Rain.

        It sounds like you no longer hang out with your old coworkers. That’s kinda sad. And, you got me. Red lab coat? Is that another reference I shamefully don’t know but ought to? 😦

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      • Okay, John Wick 1. Good action, a bit cheesy. The part where he shot the guy through the roof of the car as the guy rolled over it was new and creative, so props for that. Is John Wick 2 worth it?

        Liked by 1 person

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