Apr1

One about Surfer Dude

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One about Surfer Dude
From August 2022 when I earned my fourth white stripe. Apparently Instructor (left) and Surfer Dude (right) were doing a tough guy pose. Not surprisingly, I appear to have been too happy to look tough.

Before Jiu-Jitsu class formally started one night, two students were trying to do a particular move. They couldn’t remember how it started (the indicator) and were doing the parts they could remember rather clumsily. Doing it incorrectly repeatedly is not a good way to practice. It would’ve been wrong for me to stand by and watch.

“You doing class 20?” I asked.

“Take the back from the guard?” one said.

I nodded.

“Wow, she even knows the numbers,” one said to the other.

I know this number, for a very specific reason, which I’ll tell you in a moment.

“Would you like some help?” I asked.

They agreed, so I break fell (break falled?) onto the mat and did the moves, explaining as I went. Then I suggested they try it with each other, standing nearby to help.

In medias breakfall (Literary types will get my Latin reference.)

It felt awesome to be helpful. People helped me SO much when I was new and horrible. As opposed to what I sometimes am now: old and horrible.

The reason I knew class 20 was because it’s the only class I haven’t hit during my Round Two JJ Journey.

Allow me to explain.

Instructor invited me to join Reflex Development (RD) class, something you do when you’ve hit all the classes once. I’m not sure he knew I was missing a class.

In my Round One journey, he let students watch the instructional video if they were missing a class, demonstrate mastery with an upper belt, consider the class done, and join RD.

So, I watched the vid for class 20 to refresh my memory. Fortunately, it wasn’t a difficult lesson. I demonstrated mastery with Surfer Dude (SD) and stayed for RD. Without me asking, he offered to mark the class as done.

But he never did, so, another day I asked about it.

“Okay, rock, paper, scissors,” he said. “One time.”

I agreed. He won.

“Two out of three?” I asked.

“Alright.”

He won again.

“That’s two,” he said.

Ugh. Class started; I lined up.

After class, he gave me another chance. He won. We tied. We tied. He won. He won, etc.

This guy is a gold medal Olympian at rock, paper, scissors!

Finally, on, like, the twelfth try, I won. It was ridiculous.

But the next day, he STILL hadn’t given me a mark for the class.

“I need to have words with you,” I told him.

He looked nervous. “Good words or bad words?”

“Would I ever have bad words for you?” He relaxed. “However, where’s my x for class 20?”

“You didn’t win rock, paper, scissors,” he said.

“I did. Eventually,” I reminded him.

He finally relented.

“I was going to say, we either do it this way.” I pounded my fist several times onto my upturned palm, rock, paper, scissors style. “Or this way.” I pounded my fist into my other hand in a threatening, “let’s fight” fashion.

“I’m good either way,” he said with a smile.

Fortunately, it didn’t come to that.

Surfer Dude is loads of fun. The highly technical term for this move is “headlock,” btw. 😉

Years ago, when I was left standing alone on the wall, everyone else having partnered up, SD sauntered forward with his chest puffed out in a “you want a piece of me” attitude. It cracked me up, and I no longer cared that all the other men had shunned me.

In a recent class, I was the odd woman out again, so he partnered with me. I picked on him based on something he had said in a previous class. After a moment’s thought, he laughed and said, “That was good. That was really good.”

People who congratulate you when you insult them are the best.

At one point he asked if I could jump and kick the top of the mat up the side of the wall.

I considered it. “Yes, I think so,” I said. (But I wouldn’t need to jump.)

The Wall (Another old pic. Also, sing it with me: “We don’t need no education…”)

The following week, SD taught one night. It was a small class, so I waited for the few other people to file out.

“What’s up?” he asked when I approached the desk.

“I want to show you something,” I said.

His eyes lit up. “Is it Taekwondo?”

“Yes.”

“I didn’t mean to put you on the spot the other night when I asked how high you can kick.”

“No, that’s fine, but I didn’t want you to think I was all talk.” I walked onto the mat. “It doesn’t feel right to do Taekwondo in the Jiu-Jitsu gym, so I’m only doing this once. Stand here, eyes on the top of the mat.”

I did a front kick and crescent kick. My foot was higher than the mat.

“You can kick that high? Wow. I can only kick this high.” He demonstrated. It was… adorable.

Then a student came in looking for his phone. I took my leave before being asked to do anything else.

So, even if I can’t compete with SD’s mind-reading rock, paper, scissors skills, he at least knows I can kick him in the face. 😉

Trivia Time!

Many of you knew last week’s trivia answer was pomegranate. No shame to the one who admitted finding the answer in the comments. 🙂 Today’s question is:

A participant in this French vaulting, rolling, and climbing movement sport is called a traceur.

Hint: I wouldn’t have known this, but when I saw the answer, I thought, “Oh, yeah, of course.” You might know it without realizing it too.

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66 responses »

  5. My knowledge. of Jiu-Jitsu is pretty limited, but I suspect you’re the odd woman out, because they’re scared of you kicking their butts! I loved your line: “So, even if I can’t compete with SD’s mind-reading rock, paper, scissors skills, he at least knows I can kick him in the face.” What a great skill to have. Ha, ha. Love it.

    Liked by 1 person

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      • Positives: 1. I see if I can do the techniques on men. 2. I don’t worry about being compared to other women.
        Negatives: Sometimes I get a little squashed.
        Neutral: It’s remarkable that these guys don’t mind a girl showing them up, (when the situation occasionally warrants it) and I think that’s really cool. It’s definitely a leave your ego at the door sort of place.

        Liked by 1 person

  6. Great, Betsy. It’s really food to have someone nice you train with, and you help each other out. That headlock sure looks effective. It’s good that you got past the whole rock-paper-scissors deal without having to use Parkour. 😊

    Liked by 2 people

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  9. You are such a stud (the female version of such)! Surfer dude looks scared! Can’t blame him. And I I suck at trivia. Plus I saw that Beth was right but I didn’t want to lie and have to go back to confession. By the way, you just keep playing the rock, they won’t expect it, then after three or four rounds, switch it up, be a paper, they’ll freak out, but only once, then go back to the rock! Knock them out! Hugs,C

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Hmm. I guess that would make me a mare? 🙂
      And as much fun as it would be to think otherwise, I highly doubt there has ever been or will ever be an occasion where I would actually scare SD. 😛
      EXCELLENT advice on rock, paper, scissors! I’ll keep that in mind should I need to challenge him again. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

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  11. I had to ask the Google but I was a little surprised by the answer. It’s kind of a popular thing on YouTube these days and we have a toddler here who is a natural, lol 😁

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      • Nope, I chose the right photo. Looks like you’re teaching SD a thing or two with that headlock, and your expression suggests you’re pretty darned serious about it. Even though we readers know Betsy better than that 😉

        Liked by 1 person

      • Way to flaunt the rules, Dave! I respect that.
        SD’s expression shows he’s pretty darn NOT serious about it! Haha. Yeah. I’m all talk, it’s true. 😛
        But then, if someone attacked one of my daughters, something on him would break for sure. Or he’d be unconscious at my feet. One or the other.

        Liked by 1 person

  13. Wow! Your first commenter got the answer right. I had no clue and I’m fairly competent in French . . . Thanks to my NEOhio education 🤣

    Congrats on showing SD what you can do. I hope he’s afraid.

    Liked by 1 person

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  14. I’ve been traveling the last couple of days doing, not exactly parkour like they do running around and such, but more of a car based version of that – it can be fun to pass a big rig on the right a 85 mph while making a very tight turn. Lucky for me that the highway patrol didn’t notice.

    and I’ve been thinking about something here – if you can kick them in the head … is the rock-paper-scissors just being polite? I mean if I knew you could kick my in the head at anytime, I’d be very agreeable to whatever you wanted … maybe that’s just me.

    Liked by 1 person

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  16. No idea what the answer is to your question. I am going to share a nerdier version of ‘rock paper scissors’ though. Have you heard of “rock, paper, scissors, lizard, Spock”? The rules are hilarious, adding a new dimension to the old saying.

    Liked by 1 person

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  17. You may LOOK too happy to be tough, but I think that’s part of your awesome devious plan: Look friendly but give hell when needed! And as for the class mugshot against the wall, I love how everyone looks “business” in the the chest area (arms crossed) but looks “party” above the neck. I try hard not to let American football into my house, but every once in a while some gets in, and I don’t like it when the football player “mug shots” look angry. I judge them much more favorably when they’re smiling. You can be badass and nice at the same time, guys! Just look at Betsy! As for the trivia question, is it parkour?

    Liked by 1 person

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    • “Look friendly but give hell when needed”–I love that. Apt description, which I would amend to “Am” friendly, for reals! But, oh buddy, just give me a reason….. 😛 As you can plainly tell, we were instructed to pose that way. He must have given us permission to smile, though. He’ll often take pictures looking tough, but he’s a puppy dog. If you ever meet one of those American football players, be sure to tell them “Just look at Betsy!” I’m sure they’ll know precisely what you mean. 😉 And finally, indeed, my highly intelligent friend! Parkour is the answer!

      Liked by 1 person

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