Where Would I Be...?

I remember my 1st class like it was yesterday. I went into class, 240 pounds of ass and guts, stinking like Newports after eating a box of cookies, thinking I was hot stuff. Guess what? I got my ass handed to me by a girl. It was shameful. I couldn't even have pride...I was too tired for pride. I just wanted out of there.

Good thing I've never been much of a quitter otherwise I would have handed my gi in that day and said, "Screw you guys" (in my best Eric Cartman voice). Something else came to me as I was getting my butt kicked all over the mat. I realized if I didn't change, I would be dead, or a stroke victim, or a heart attack victim...you get what I'm saying. Furthermore, I realized quick that this ass whoopin' I was being handed was less about health and wellness and more about who I am psychologically, emotionally and more important, spiritually.

In one 8 minute sparring session I made one of the best decisions of my life...to come back tomorrow, take my lumps and like it. Tomorrow turned into 5 years. I am hoping 5 years turns into 10 and so on and so forth. The lumps lessen with time and like grows into love.

I originally set out in this post to write about how BJJ opened me up to other avenues to express life through movement but it seems like I'm on some other shit today. I may get to that another day.

Today I urge any newcomers to BJJ to make the decision to show up tomorrow, take your lumps and like it. It will eventually turn into love, passion, dedication, committment. It will enrich all your relationships. It will help you focus. It will keep you grounded. You will make friends all around the world without even knowing them. I'm not going to speak for everyone but that's powerful to me.

So where would I be...?

I'm not really sure but I'm loving where I am these days.

Horrible Hip Syndrome (HHS)

I don't know if any of you fully know my story. Last year I had a disc replacement surgery in my low back and have spent the majority of my time since dedicated to getting back on the mat and retuning to form. It would be an understatment to say thus far its been difficult. I have made some strides with my cardio and technique and managed to lose about 30 pounds in the process but being my worst critic, it is impossible for me to look at anything I've done as a smashing success.

Perhaps BJJ came easy to me early on.

Perhaps my training partners were big ole softees.

Perhaps I'm not really making the progress I initially thought I made.

Nope...It's none of that. I suffer from a disease alot of grapplers with low back pain suffer from: Horrible Hip Syndrome aka HHS.

When I was a wee lad studying Physical Therapy, I had a professor once tell me, "everything in you body is connected to everything else". I understood physiologically that all your body's systems rely on one another but it never really rang true with me until I had this surgery and it makes even more sense whenever I am stuck under Felipe's side control.

HHS consists of the following symptoms:
1. inability to disassociate ones hips from their trunk
2. inability to create space for the escape
3. mild depression
4. (ASSITS)Acute Silent Stimulus Induced Tourette's Syndrome (usually charaterized by the uttering in ones mind "Fuck, not this shit again")

There are a few treatments out there for HHS:
1. a rigorus stretching routine focusing on spinal rotation and hip opening
2. improving ones guard defense
3. proaction over reaction

If you are suffering from this awful disease please see you local instructor for more tips on how to remedy this. What I have come to learn thus far is that HHS is very treatable but it will take alot of patience and dedication.