November 21, 2009 - Sunday

Good Sunday class. Went fine nothing to note, things are pretty quiet as we head for the Thanksgiving holiday.

* did a FLAG seminar yesterday afternoon. Only 2 women were there, but it went well. This is building slowly and as much as I enjoy it and am glad to help these women get ready to resist a sexual assault, It isn't feasible to do it for this small of a group, it just takes too much time and effort to justify it.

November 20, 2009 - Saturday

I di the Saturday BJJ class for the first time in a long time. John had me go through several X-Guard posistions, 1-5. It was amazing to me how so many of the people in the class didn't seem to to be familiar with them. These are the fundamentals of the position, and the easy ones to execute. For as often as Zak taught the X-Guard psoition, he had a bad habit of teaching the advanced versions that he used, which require too much flexibility and practice for most people, particularly when they could be having success with easier, more fundamentally sound techniques. The training was decent nothing special but I enjoyed it.

November 18, 2009 - Thursday.

Did a lunch class at the Westin and open mat and Judo at Maxercise. Classes ahave been fin but the implosion of the BJJ program continues. Zak, tim and Brian have left to follow Regis sice John has cut ties with Regis They are going to open a competing club. They don't all realize it yet (though I am sure Regis does) but they will all soon be trying to burn the other sides club down as that will gove them the best chance to succeed. The three who left are the best competitors and will take many of the better competitors, but, most of the students have such limited experience with different instructors they don't realize what barely competant instructors the ones leaving are. Regis is fantastic but, he won't be around much. The three who will be teaching are very limited ans aren't prepared to lead a club. Its a shame it working this way. they would all be good secondary instructors but no one has taught them to teach and they don't seem to have an instinct for it. I think they will continue on with the momentum of the students who leave, but, they don't seem geared to be a club that will grow. Not sure honestly how Maxercise will do, honestly, but they are in a good position to survive, better actually than they were before the split. My main if not only goal will remain protecting and nurturing the Judo club. Both sides have great risks and limited upside right now, but they could turn the corner. I will have to wait and watch the developments. sucks because they are all my friends but, I have to take care of my guys and myself first. Interesting though that John and I have been more in touch with each other than in quite a while.

November 16, 2009 - Tuesday

Lunch class at the Westin. We did some half guard work. Trained with Marty and John. They are bad match ups for me but nice guys and fun to train with them.

November 15, 2009 - Monday

Did the Monday class to support John. Intersting that the classes seem better geared for the students and more since Zak and Brian have withdrawn from teaching. They are good/excellent competitors, but are actually rather limited instructors. Neither has enough experience as an instructor and tend to focus too much just on what they are good at doing. Just as importantly neither has learned how to lead and inspire a class, those are the bioggest reasons I haven;t been going to BJJ for awhile except to train... I found their classes tedious.

Covered som X guard  for the class.

Judo was good. We did some Uchi mata and then X Guard as well.

Looks like Lex will be moving under the Philly Judo banner which is good. I like him and he is a good competitor and willing fighter.

November 14, 2009 - Sunday

Small sunday class covered Some Harai Goshi fits and throws. then released them to Tokui Waza. Randori ran long as it has tended to lately and re did some brreviated Ne Waza and sets.