AndIDonTLikeBubbleGumYou are on the archive wiki. The new wiki is here. Nothing much new to report, but I'll do so anyway. On Monday Gen and I decided to have a talk with Mike, since she's also decided to resign - although a month later than me. So now the office is appraised of the fact that they're going to have a new admin staffer. I'm kind of looking forward to it, since it'll be the first time I actually get to be vaguely in on a recruitment selection process and to train a replacement (if they find one in time). Other people's CVs? fascinate me. Tonight I'm off to my second Jitsu session of the week (yes, I'm aware that it's only Wednesday) since I'm meeting up with one Davis Cook. Davis is a brown-belt, which is instructor level in TJF (The Jitsu Foundation), and he's going back to dearest S'arf Efrika in about three weeks time where he intends to set up the first TJF club in the area. Now, you've got to realise that Jujitsu is not like Judo. In Judo, well, judo is judo is judo. If you're a blue-belt in one club / style, then you're a blue belt in any other club that calls itself a judo club. Or that is what I'm lead to believe. Judo is in essence a sport. Jujitsu is the uglier cousin of Judo, and in it there are a hell of a variety of styles. If you're a blue-belt in one style, you'll become a white belt (or what ever lowest grade that style assigns) when you change styles. Hence, you see, the significance for me of staying within TJF. Plus I also get to be in the cool and yet terrifying position of being the 'senior grade' at a club, the student whom the instructor will habitually demonstrate on and whom the new students will use as their 'lead'. While I'm looking forward to it, it's also a lot of pressure to be under when I know that will not have been doing jitsu for long enough to even pretend I'm competent, let alone of the level an 'assistant instructor' should be. (Which is officially blue belt level, which takes minimum of two and a half years to get to…) To an extent, this muscle injury of mine has been a blessing as well as a curse. It's meant that instead of forging on ahead with the syllabus for orange belt, I've spent a fair bit of time back with the novices, either supporting the instructor or working on my own basic techniques. And to my delight I've been learning! Friday was especially great since we had one of the Dans (black belt or above) come along and he was teaching us some interesting 'twists' on stuff we already know. I really love training under different instructor, it gives you so much more perspective, and you learn such different things each time! I guess that's why I'm intending to cross-class (i.e. take up another Martial Art) since while I know Jitsu will probably always be my core style, I don't think that having one instructor only will give me enough diversity in learning. Especially, if I'm going to have to spend another three to six months going over the yellow and orange belt syllabus again and again. Also, I kind of like the idea of knowing a bit of Kung-fu, which is a good striking style to complement Jitsu as a defensive style. Just to make certain that I can whoop-ass and chew bubble-gum. Comment: Kung fu (by ToothpasteDealer? on 2005-07-29 13:47:01)If you're going to do it as a second martial art, I recommend wing chun kung fu.
www.kamonwingchun.com I also know a place in Cape Town that's pretty good. wing chun 2 nights, tai chi 2 nights, 7 star praying mantis 2 nights. it's where constantia road and main road meet, so it'd be close enough to you. anyway, we can discuss this tomorrow oh, and I went to a BJJ class a month or 2 ago. much better than the ju jitsu I did in Cape town, but a bit expensive (£10 a lesson..wtf) and it'd be my 4th planned martial art session a week... too much! |