Hello! Hobby Quest & Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Lacking purpose in life, I have decided to do a bunch of things until I decide one of them is great. Then I will have a purpose in life. This is the story of the first thing, BJJ.

I found my gym just by googling. I had thought of Carpe Diem as a big chain because I often see it in Google Maps, but it turns out it's basically only in Tokyo, and about ten years old. I'm at the Jiyugaoka branch, which is about 20 minutes from our apartment. They puslibh a magazine called Freedom Hill, which is a kanji joke, and are about five years old.

Basic background: BJJ is a grappling martial art. You can score points by getting controlling positions like side control (when you lie across someone's torso and flatten their shoulders) or back-take (when you sit behind them, control their torso, and put your feet between their legs). You can win outright with a submission, such as a choke or joint lock. It's both very physical and very technical.

I have a tiny amount of experience with BJJ from over ten years ago, when I still lived in Virginia, but I'm extremely amateur. Every day at class I've learned some new way to be painfully disabled by someone two thirds my size. The more experienced students tell me this will mostly stop after a year or two. It's great.

There's two main things I like about BJJ as a sport.
First, it's exciting. The pace is very stop-and-go. Sometimes you'll be locked in tight with nobody able to make progress, both grapplers carefully testing - am I strong enough to pull his arm this way? Does he have a strong enough base to resist being flipped that way? And sometimes, it's a desparate scramble - the grappler in a stronger position releases a grip and attacks, the weaker takes the opportunity to scramble and try to get out before the attack lands.
Second, it's rewarding, both of study and exercise. I weigh about 100kg and lift frequently, and it's a definite advantage that my arms are about as strong as some opponents' legs. But this isn't a free win - I don't have a single victory, so far, against anyone with over a year of experience, including a handful where my opponent weighs maybe 60kgs. There's just so much to study and practice. Just one example: a few weeks ago, someone choked me by squeezing my shoulder into my neck with his legs. I had no idea what was happening. He explained: "You'll get used to it. You just have to know, when they're holding one arm and you feel the pressure come off your opposite hip, that's a triangle!" I don't doubt it.

Yesterday, I had a breakthrough. A key point of BJJ is how to "pass the guard." Which means, generally, how to get past someone's legs, which they use to protect themselves. I figured out a way to pass by lying on my opponent's legs. I was able to leverage this into side control, back take, and a choke. And the teacher Daisuke gave me a stripe! On my very white belt. Progress.

I'll be sticking with BJJ for a while, which may cut into my time for other hobbies. This is fine. It's good hobby.