SW Portland Martial Arts Blog

Why So Much?

October 20th, 2024

I had a student ask me today if she thought it was better to be amazing at one thing or kinda good at lots of things.
I answered “kinda good at lots of things.” I suspect my attitude is reflected in the way we run the gym. I like lots of different movement arts. I love guest teachers from arts I’ve never tried. I am a generalist.
Even so, I understand the great satisfaction that comes with getting really good at a one skill. I don’t think there’s a right answer to the question of choosing to be a specialist or a generalist, but I do think it is a question worth asking and exploring.
What do you think?

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Teen BJJ

October 14th, 2024

Why do the teenagers get their own Jiu-jitsu class? Why not put them in the kids class or the adult class?
It’s not easy being a teenager. You aren’t a kid anymore but you’re definitely not an adult either. Therefore, it can be awkward and weird to train with the kids because you’re so much bigger and it can be equally weird an awkward to train with the adults because they’re bigger than you (sometimes).
The solution is not a one size (pun intended) fits all. Some of the teenagers stick around in the kids class. Some go straight to adult class. Some take the teenagers class. We encourage students to find the class where they are comfortably uncomfortable – that is, they feel like they are being pushed in their training but not so hard that they feel overwhelmed.
Thus, behold! Our Sunday Noon-1pm teens BJJ class. All students, of all skill levels, ages 13-19 welcome.

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Standard Stable versus Novelty Movements

October 11th, 2024

One of the methodologies of CrossFit is to select movements that are generally applicable to everyday movement. In other words, we want to get strong and competent in ways that are functional for our lives. Most people have to take out the garbage once a week, so we want to be able to lift heavy things. Most folks have to carry groceries, so we want to be able to carry heavy things.
A result of this is there is a standard stable of CrossFit movements. After about 6 months, you’ve probably seen them all.
Another methodology of CrossFit is to challenge students with new movements and games. Thus, we have novelty movements. The standard movements make you strong in a broad way. The novelty movements challenge us to see if that general physicality is paying off. It helps us answer the question: does this stuff work?

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Sharing the Knowledge

October 7th, 2024

Today was a Gi day for the kids. We worked on how to hold the rear mount, and some finishes specific to the Gi from there.
How did we know what to work? We let the kids play and find the gaps. Then, we pick the biggest gap and try and fill it in. The best part? There are and always will be gaps – the learning goes on and on.
What will we work tomorrow? We’ll see what new gaps are revealed.

Posted in grappling, Kids | 0 Comments

Spooky Side Control

October 4th, 2024

For October, we’re focusing on side control. One student, upon hearing this, was slightly shocked. “How basic,” he said. True enough, and we will spend plenty of time on the nuts and bolts of the position.
We will also spend time looking at how to flow from side control to other positions – like mount, rear mount, north-south, and kesa getami. As you may already know, it’s not enough to know one top pin – people who have trained for a while know all sorts of escapes and if you hold on desperately to only one pin, they are more likely to escape.
In addition to transitioning to the “big” top positions, we’ll also look at how to move from side control to increasing positions of control. While you can submit beginners from regular side control, against skill people, more is required.
The lesson I hope to take from this month, as always, is to move, and adapt to the situation at hand. Onward!

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