Mini Odyssey Week 2 - Kent WA

Week two down, and a bit too fast if you asked me!

Home of James "300" Foster and a lot of big guys. Should really be called "The Hall of Giants"

For those who don't know I spent the week training at Foster BJJ in Kent, WA. It's just outside of Seattle, not that you'd tell the difference, in my opinion I just spent a week in the industrial neighborhood of Seattle, really. But then again all I did was train and didn't get a chance to see much around me. It brings up a point, or rather a topic for discussion, should room be made to venture out and see the area you're staying in? Even if it may cut training down by half? To do the tourist thing or put yourself in your own training camp state of mind, that is really the question. I've been to Seattle before and I've gone out and seen a lot of things, took all sorts of pics and everything. This time around I only got a few pics and they're only of training. I had a cool view of the city and the Space Needle coming in on the bus that in retrospect I should have taken a picture of for this blog, to be better able to share with you what I do and see. On that same note it's probably a good thing I didn't take a selfie at the border customs, as fun as it would have been it might not have gone over well.
On the topic of customs, it actually wasn't too bad getting through. It took a little time, only because I ended up in the line of all the people who weren't from Canada or US and they had to do extra paper work. Other than losing my hat I picked up from Sechelt the only eventful thing was convincing the customs officer that this was the face of a member of the Canadian Navy.

Took this for my brother as I've been wearing his bands shirt as my travel shirt (Phantom, check them out!) This is what I wore through the US customs.

After a long day of traveling and getting supplies, I was finally settled in and ready to start the week of training up to 3 classes (4.5 hours) a day with all the awesome people at Foster BJJ. Again I found myself in the excited yet tired conumdrum. I double checked the bus schedule, of the 2 trips each way a day I'd only be able to catch it once a day, as well as the walking route (a 45 min walk). I always try to be ready and early, giving extra time for traveling routes, it's a trait I had even before the military burned it into my brain. Once I had everything ready I decided to finish and upload the blog post I had been writing with whatever free time I had all day while traveling. Being that I have an older android based tablet, there's no word program, so my entire post was compiled on a series on 'notes' basically one paragraph at a time. I began cutting and pasting the notes into the blog post and suddenly everything went black, the tablet had glitched, it restarted, with absolutely nothing left where the notes were. Having a long day I decided instead of breaking everything in sight, like I wanted to, I would just turn it off and call it a night. Luckily, whe I was in better spirits, I found the blog post had been saved in drafts. Unfortunately, I had already used up a lot of time re-writing it, so the post published last week was actually a mix of the two drafts. Now that alone was time cosuming and tiring, but as my tablet is old and my phone new, I actually ended up using my phone to drop in the pics and do a double check of everything, bouncing back to the tablet to re-write any bigger mistakes or changes, before publishing, it took a long time, I hope you all enjoyed it. I will add the dame is happening with this post as well..getting a newer tablet will be in the list of priorities next year.

At my first class I didn't know what to expect for my first class at Professor, or Coach as his students call him, Foster's gym. I'd only seen pics of it and of the people who trained there. I was excited to see what sort of talent would be on the mats, at a place that has a dozen and half black belts training there. I knew from the pics there were a lot of big guys who trained there but how would they roll? Coach Foster himself rolls like a small guy and unless he wants you feel his strength and weight you almost forget you rolling with a giant. This is more from stories I'd heard from other people, I've only rolled with him once and it was a while back. I was hoping to roll with him again but, just my luck, he was off for the week, next time then. The noon time classes weren't as big as I thought it might be, only half a dozen people, for some reason I expected the class average to be 20 or more, I don't know why I thought that really, but no matter the number the quality on the mats was always top notch. I knew I had my work cut out for me when it came to rolling with the guys and lets sum it up this way, I learnt a lot, and got a lot of time to work my bottom game and defence against a lot of 'A' game techniques.

One of the smaller noon time classes. 

After class I was given a ride back to the hotel by another student, I didn't have to ask it, and I never did all week, most times I was offered a ride before even leaving the club, and always I was very grateful for the hospitality. It never ceases to amaze me how much the jiu-jitsu community looks after one another. Everytime I go somewhere there's always someone who makes you to feel at home and helps you out in anyway he, or she, can. I was thinking about this point the other day as I was reading the Christian Graugart's BJJ Globetrotter book, near the end he addresses this welcoming attitude in the community and has a great theory about it. He states that within minutes of meeting one another you're going to have each other's asses in your face, that's part of the game, you're used to that close interaction with other jiu-jitsu members so that initial ice breaker is really non-existant. I'd like to add that if you meet someone at a party and they also practice jiu-jitsu you instantly have a topic to talk about for the entire time, if they don't practice martial arts there's usually awkward "so, what DO you do then?" as you try to find common ground. Jiu-jitsu is the common ground ice breaker in itself.
I get back to the hotel and begin my routine after class: shower, stretch, dehydrate and refuel. I think that routine is what kept me going all week, looking after myself and forcing myself to make sure I had properly stretched and rehydrated. I'm usually really good on keeping hydrated, drinking 3-5 liters of water a day as it is, but with this higher than normal active schedule I was constantly drinking water, as much as 7 liters a day. And stretching was a must, I couldn't let anything get cramped up and made sure to look into any kinks soreness to make sure I was doing ok. I know there are a lot of people out there who can make it by on half the stretching, or less, that I do, and that's fine for them, for me, I find I get knotted up pretty easy so stretching, both before and after class, is more important in my routine. Knowing your body and looking after it is key, especially on the road. I brought along a stretching belt and some sort of massaging ball I forget the name of, it's in the shape of two lacrosse balls put together, works great for getting knots out and really working my hips and lower back. Together they take very little room and were key for keeping in proper condition throughout the week.
After my rejuvenation routine I would make notes about each class, I spoke about this before the importance of writing down everything, this week with the busy schedule, and sheer amount of awesomeness being thrown my way, I didn't always have time to write everything down in time, but always, after each class, I would make notes on the name or brief description of each technique covered so that I could go back and write a more in depth note later. I find this helps a lot, it's like making point notes for public speaking, for those who have ever done any public speaking or presentation courses, to help remember it and go over it more in depth. And I really do find it helps dissect the technique and learn it better.
After a few hours of down time, usually spent entirely doing my routine and note taking, it would be time for the evening classes. It was more of same high quality instruction with high quality students. Most were extremely athletic, some were very calm rolling while others felt like they were showing the new guy their best game. I kept to my light game of defence, working on some techniques shown during class that I figured with more training will definitely help out my game. After a class of high intensity rolling I was thinking about all the places I've been to and the different intensities of rolling. This something that always comes up and I've had this discussion several times with various people, I was even asked at one point about where I thought club's rolling was compared to other clubs. I could only really say "It's been pretty much what I expected, high quality guys with some really aggressive games" Comparing clubs is always an awkward conversation because everyone rolls differently, not just within each club but also with other people from other clubs. Some places are more competition based, some more self-defence, some more just for fun. Each place attracts different people too. At my club I am not a small person, but at Foster's I definitely felt small. Comparing in all in perspective but i have made some obseravtions.  I've rolled with my share of white belts and across the board 99% of them always have that 'still learning to roll without making it a deathmatch but ultimately it's still a deathmatch' technique to them. I've ran into a few that were calm and chill, and that triggers the spidey-sense "What experience do they have behind this white belt?" I always wonder that no matter the colour of the belt with but at least when they go 'all white belt spazzy' you pretty much know what to expect. A lot of over exertion. I rolled with a few this week that were cool and calm, after rolling with one a blue belt told me "Watch out for that guy, he doesn't roll like a white belt" to which I responded "Indeed, always fear the white belt with the calm game for what tricks he's hiding" We both laughed, but I maintain it's true.
Blue belts I've found can be completely different across the board, from someone still using a lot of strength but with better fundamentals to someone who's got a smooth game plan down and rolls more like a senior belt. Some are very athletic and roll like it's a gold medal match while others keep it light and chill all the time. I always try to keep within my calm and fun game plan, after all there's no sense in turning it up at school you're visiting, you're more likely to get hurt or maybe even flare up some ego issues. I have no ego on the mats, I see every game as an opportunity to learn and I have no problem tapping. And I did a lot of tapping this past week. Actually, when I'm rolling and being crushed, just working on my defence, and I hear and see them really working it, breathing hard and sweating away, to get their dominant position or submission, I take it as a compliment, having made them work that hard.  Blue belts I would say are the most different from one school to another.
As for higher belts I've found they're usually very smooth and sometimes play with me, turning up the game when ever they want but generally keeping it light. I have nothing to gain trying to go hard on a higher belt in a club I'm visiting, you earn more respect by respect each others game. In fact while rolling with some higher belts this past week I noticed there was a certain sweep that kept happening and I had no defence for it. After rolling with a black belt I asked him about it, in about 2 minutes he just reshaped my guard game. Had I had a more aggressive game I might have missed that piece of information. Keep it playful, you learn more.

After a No gi class with Big Rick (Green Later shirt) guy's a legend!

At the end of the week, on the last day of training no less, I woke up feeling absolutely mauled. There was no way I could make the last classes of training without a likelihood of hurting myself. After 18 hrs of training that week I was competly beat. I was looking forward one particular class they had that included strikes that day, as a person who started training in the Japanese art first I've always be partial to strikes and having a strong foundation in self defence, so I was really looking forward to see how that class was taught, another time I guess.
I wish I had more to write about, and had more pictures, but really that's all I did, train and rest. My experience at Foster BJJ was awesome, I would like to try and list all the amazing people there that made me feel at home but there's so many I'll just leave it at thanks you everyone at Foster BJJ and of course thank you to Coach Foster himself for letting me come and train there! I learned so much and look forward to working several key techniques into my game as well as revisiting the club in the future, there is a seminar next month and I plan on making the trip for the weekend. Now off to see Professor Keith "The Rhino" Owen and his Ultimate Karate and BJJ in Meridian, Idaho, where I am now as I write this. I'm currently dealing with being sick on the road, and have missed a few classes, look forward to an update on that, it's something commonly overlooked. Until then, keep on rolling!

Waiting for the early morning Taxi to the airport, off to Meridian Idaho!