Monday, November 20, 2017

Shark Girl Faces a Change

It is a turning point for Shark Girl.

I haven’t written in a while. When I was a white belt, everything was new and curious. And being a woman on the mat was challenging. I needed help and support, and you, faithful Internet readers, were there for me. You helped and guided me.

Now, as a purple belt and then some, I have drifted into stasis. My game doesn’t change so rapidly anymore. The huge strides I used to make in a month are now incremental improvements over months and months. I used to practice how to escape; now I work on shifting moves slightly to the left to see if that will help, or moving my center of gravity *here* and seeing what that will do.

Likewise, in being the lone woman at my gym (still), I have fallen into a pattern, a habit if you will. Some of the same problems remain, but after this many years, you either put up or get out, and I have chosen the former. I believe I made the right decision.

So at this point in my jiu jitsu career, change is slow. Glacially slow. And to write about that on a regular basis seemed, well, boring.

Now its global warming time, my friends. My gym just announced that it is closing. I don’t have many options. But one thing is certain: Change is coming, and it is coming fast.



10 comments:

  1. Hello! Just wanted to say I found your blog randomly in 2012 and first of all I read your stories just because they made me smile. I hadn't a clue what jiu jitsu was! Your blog made me curious and encouraged me to try jiu jitsu. I have now been training for a year and a half and I love it! So thank you for making me smile and thank you for writing this as I may not have found jiu jitsu without it. I'm also the only woman at the 2 clubs I train at and can relate to a lot of the things you say!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your post means a lot to me. Thank you so much. I am happy that you found--and love!--jiu jitsu with all its ups and downs!

      Delete
  2. Yeah, change is tough. I hope you manage to find a new gym, but hey, as a purple belt you could go ahead and start your own. If you can't find a local school that fits your training tastes, create your own ideal training environment. That's what I did.:D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am always amazed, Can, at what you have achieved! Starting a gym is not for me, at least not yet. For now, I have figured out a place to keep training at. : )

      Delete
    2. Yay, glad to hear you're keeping it up! Though I still want to train at Shark Girl BJJ one day. ;)

      Delete
    3. Lol! I would be happy just to train with you, slidey! One day I will quietly show up to Artemis. I promise.

      Delete
    4. Ha - for all I know, you already have! Considering you've done a good job of hiding where you're from, what you look like, where you train, etc. ;D #StealthSharkGirl

      Delete
    5. Haha! I would never tell! There have been times I've been tempted to send a "You've been Shark Girl'd" to a gym after I visit. But then . . . I chicken out. : )

      Delete
  3. Good luck wherever you end up training. Please keep writing, I've been following your stories for almost four years now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! I am happy to hear that you are following my journey.

      Delete

Shark Girl Is Ready to Pull the Plug on Her "New" Gym

I need your jiu jitsu therapy again, o vast and all-knowing readers.  About a year Before Covid (BC), my native gym closed down--the one whe...