journeyjjbluebelt

December 23, 2011, was the last morning fundamental class of 2011.  During the class, Professor Pedro talked about fight strategy.  Professor Pedro brought up an example of boxers and power.  You never see a middle weight champion boxer challenge a heavyweight champion boxer.  Why?  It would not be an interesting fight because an average heavyweight boxer could easily defeat the best middle weight champion boxer due to the strength of the punches.    It would be a bad strategy for a small to middle size person to get in a boxing match with a heavy sized person.  So, what do you do?  Distance  control.   Stay out of range.  Pizon.  Wait for the clinch. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is about the slow fight.

Most of this week, I was at Disneyworld with my family.  I tried to put Jiu Jitsu aside for a few days.  I could literally talk about Jiu Jitsu all the time. I noticed that I could be a bit fanatical about it.  I planned to relax and start the new year with a renewed commitment to the study.

My weekly blue belt program will be one sparring class, one throwing class, and two fundamental classes.  I asked Professor Jimmy what we blue belts should be working on as far as training, and he said ” Just reflex.   Beyond purple up to black, it will be reflex and timing.”  I was expecting him to say you need to work on escapes, kimoras, chokes etc.  Just reflex.

I asked brown belt, Chris, if he had any tips for blue belts.  Note, Chris had made it into the third round of the last Helio Gracie Challenge Event, at Valente Brother’s Headquarters, on October 1, 2011.  The Helio Gracie Challenge is an annual event held in honor of Helio Gracie’s birthday on October 1.   Chris didn’t have any advise.  He said,  ” The blue belt is really like you tried out for the team and you made it.”

Headquarters will reopen on January 2, 2012.