Promoted!

Time has gotten away on me! I can't believe how much time has past since my last post. So much is going on! Before I get to the subject of this post I have to mention how sincerely pissed I am about the snow on the ground here in Edmonton. It's not sufficiently sucky that we have 6 months of frozen terra firma, we are supposed to have another week of this - IT'S MAY!

On to the fun. Rodrigo Munduruca was in town this weekend for a seminar. My instructor had hinted that I was ready for promotion to purple belt a few weeks ago. However, Rod put any thoughts I was having to this end to rest when he mentioned at the beginning of the seminar that he was here only to roll and teach a seminar and, to my slight disappointment, any promotions would have to wait until his next visit. I had a great class - no pressure. I rolled with Rod for about 10 minutes (as you can see from the pictures, he's a big guy!) and he did his best not to squish me, while I tried to offer up my best resistance. I caught him with an omoplata and crusifix which seemed to surprise him...which is a good thing. (I don't know why I'm doing the "surfer" in this picture - not much surfing 'round these parts!).

At the end of class I was called to the front. Rod removed my belt and gave me a shiny new purple one. 

One of my training partners quipped that while the belt was pretty, it did little to make me look any better! Whatever the case, I was delighted and, I must admit, a little frightened. 

Big thanks to Misty Shearer who has guided, supported and assisted me with my progress throughout! I would not be where I am today without her!

The other guy in the picture is Brandon Hammond who was awarded his blue belt! You can't tell by this picture, but Brandon has some of the worst salad  this side of N'Sync. I've never seen anyone spend more time on his hair, yet have it still look fantastically abysmal. Great job Brandon (on the promotion, not the hair).

Thanks also to Kyle Cardinal for always making me feel welcome and being such an amazing teacher! Kyle's also a big dude. For such a monster he rolls like a cat. 

best,

Bryan

bjjstudy@gmail.com

Grapple Girls

Here is a great opportunity for women to meet and train with elite grapplers. From all reports the last camp was a huge success and spaces filled up at an incredible rate. Register soon if you're interested for what promises to be an amazing time.

This time the camp is being held in Toronto, Ontario (an amazing city!) at Mecca MMA from August 23-29th. A tournament on the 22nd will kick things off which will be webcast and feature "non ridiculous weight classes". Additional information can be found here.

Authenticity

I have been following John Will's blog for some time and regularly find inspiration in and resonance with his work. One of his recent entries covered the topic of authenticity in teaching. He writes:  

"I have also, over the years, come to understand the importance of being totally authentic. I am what I say I am – I deliver what I say I can deliver – I am true to myself – and true to my students. Authenticity is very important to me and I believe that people, more than ever, are seeking the authentic experience and become more fully engaged themselves when they are exposed to it."

I strive toward this lofty and important goal when teaching university students. My first exposure to teaching University level students was admittedly a minor disaster. I wandered into my classroom for the first day of classes with a few minutes to spare. Not too many, however - I didn't want to seem over anxious and I knew that "good" professors were never too early lest they had to engage with their students. I wore my very best professorial costume - because that's what I thought professors wore. 

I was never comfortable. Although the students were kind, I was quite dissatisfied with my place at the front of the class. Don't get me wrong, I knew the material. What I didn't know was who I was as an instructor. I was focussing too hard on being a professor, such that me, Bryan, was lost. Taking university classes and being indoctrinated through graduate school provided me with a guise, or mask, that I could don that enabled me to pass myself off as a professor - whatever that meant to me at the time. But, I was never comfortable. 

Two things in my life forced me to take stock. First, my first son, Ayden, was born. Being a father changed me in fantastic ways and forced me to take a look at who I was and was becoming. To do it right, being a supportive and sympathetic father, like being a devoted teacher demands (in my humble opinion) authenticity. I just can't lie to my son - except maybe about the existence of Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny! 

Second, jiu jitsu forced me to confront some very uncomfortable truths about myself. The demands of the art/sport/etc. encouraged a (re)evaluation of my essence and being in the world. The end result is that when I tell people I am a professor, they stare back in disbelief. I don't look like or don't act like the mask I donned not too long ago.

The result being that I'm more genuine to my students and, more importantly, in my everyday being in the world. Now, if only my colleagues would take up jiu jitsu!

Bryan

bjjstudy@gmail.com

Skill is the fighter's devoted lover

Update: (Un)fortunately the newspaper reporter who was to call me to discuss the BJJ study postponed the interview. I'm not sure how I feel about this... On the one side of things, given that I feel that an interview at this time would be premature I was more than a bit relieved. On another, I have just postponed the inevitable. Instead of ripping the bandaid off, I am tugging on it slowly. Nice?!

I just came across this video on Youtube and was inspired.