Taking responsibility for my own training.

It's time I stopped feeling somewhat sorry for myself and started stepping up to the plate.  What do I mean?  Well, I've always had this vaguely childlike attitude towards my jiu jitsu training.  I want to be taken care of-- brought along-- guided-- almost parented-- by my instructors and coaches.  I've said before I have "daddy" issues and to some degree it's not a joke.  I flourished under a relatively paternal coach in other athletic endeavors throughout my life-- my riding instructors, my track coaches, my racquetball mentor, all the way up to my current trainer and Oly lifting instructor.  They've all, to one degree or another, found what makes me tick and perform best.  I need/prefer/like to have a coach who follows my progress personally, who mixes stern demands with warm praise.  I like to feel like I have their focus, and once I do, I will break my back for words of commendation and approval.

So jiu jitsu used to do that and have that for me.  Of course it's a predominantly male activity, so most of the people who mentored me from the start were guys, and especially at the beginning, I got plenty of focus from them since I was one of a very small number of girls at the academy.  But then our academy started changing-- the head instructor moved out of state, another blackbelt left, a substantial number of the guys who used to give me lots of time and attention have gone elsewhere for training.  Plus, I'm now kind of invisible in the academy, because I'm a fixture.  I think I'm less the pet/mascot/little sister and definitely more the average ordinary bluebelt like any other bluebelt.  This is GREAT in the sense that I am counted an equal (in terms of meriting help or attention; not in skill!) of the guys.  But it sucks because I realize.... there's no one watching my progress and deciding what I need to learn next but me.

So, I decided recently that I will embark on a program of vegetables before dessert.  I will drill at least 20 minutes on something useful before any fun sparring.  I will map out my gameplan (after this oral argument tomorrow!) and begin fleshing out the weak places.  I have NO EXCUSE for the gigantic stack of notes taken in privates and classes and seminars that basically collects DUST and by now is impenetrable gibberish since I haven't reread the contents in months and YEARS since they were written.

That is a box (like an inbox) on my desk at work into which I started depositing notes from classes and so on-- over two years ago-- the box has been filled and emptied (into a desk drawer) 3 times-- the stack in the box is currently 2 1/2" tall and there's probably another 4-5" in the drawer. This is ridiculous. Plus all the instructionals at home (500 gig worth!) I don't need any more classes, I could just live on a desert island (with mats and a partner) for a few years and still have oodles of things to work on.

So that's the plan, minus the island of course.

JoshJitsu's blog pointed out this cool site, by a UK BJJ fighter and strength/conditioning coach named William Wayland. Check out his slidecast on integrating your S&C for BJJ and MMA.

To start your Monday off right, here's a recipe for the version of brownies I first gave to Marcelo Garcia at the seminar in Dallas in 2009.

4 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3 eggs
1 tablepoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup each chopped walnuts, milk chocolate chips, and semisweet choc. chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).

Microwave chocolate squares (not chips) and butter or margarine in large bowl at HIGH for 2 minutes or until butter or margarine is melted.

Stir until chocolate is melted. Stir in sugar. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour, then chips and nuts.

Spread in greased 13 x 9 inch pan. Bake for 35 minutes or until edges pull away from pan sides. (In my oven this is more like 29 minutes so do NOT overbake!)

Coming soon: reviews and reports

I just got back from NYC and have been cramming for my argument before the 5th Circuit on Tuesday.  I haven't had a chance to post about the trip yet, but I will.  Just wanted to say, I am so excited about a number of things that I'll be posting about in the near future!

First, gi reviews.  I have been training in a few gis for the last few months to be able to review them for you, and I'm considering doing a big "comparison" review.  The gis include the Tatami Estilo Classic from BJJHQ, the DOM Fightwear DMX pink gi, the mens' navy Vulkan Ultralight, and two gis from Black Eagle-- the Predator MK II and the Predadora ladies' fit.  I'll do a head-to-head rundown with the Atama Mundial #9.

Second, instructional reviews.  Tony Pacenski's Sao Paulo Pass, the Best of Roy Harris 3-DVD set from Roy Dean, Gracie Bullyproof, Brian Johnson's Basic 12 Curriculum (he's a black belt out in Seattle under John Will), and Emily Kwok (who took silver in the 2011 NoGi World Championships yesterday) and Stephan Kesting's latest, How to Defeat a Bigger, Stronger Opponent. 

Here's a bit from Tony's Sao Paulo Pass...



And this is from Emily and Stephan's new collaboration...



This morning I'm hitting the Austin Women's Open Mat for some fun, then back to the grindstone...

Have a lovely day!

Cookies.

This recipe makes awesomely soft, fluffy, cake-like cookies that are perfect for the fall season. When you rotate the baking sheet halfway through the bake time, gently press down the top of each cookie with your spatula to help flatten them out.

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup solid pack pumpkin puree or cooked, mashed sweet potato
2 1/4 cups all-purpose or whole wheat flour (you won't taste the difference)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-2 cups fresh cranberries
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon orange zest (or 1 Tbsp. orange juice concentrate if you're lazy)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla, egg and pumpkin. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices; stir into mixture until blended. Cut the cranberries in half and stir into mixture along with the orange zest and walnuts. Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheets.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating cookie sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through. When cool, dip the top of each cookie into a powdered sugar-milk glaze and let dry before eating.

Comfort food-- chicken n' dumplings

It's getting chilly and that makes me feel like having homey comfort food. This recipe serves 6 to 8 hungry people.

For tender dumplings, the dough should be gently mixed right before the dumplings are dropped onto the stew.

5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 large onion, chopped fine
1 teaspoon salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup dry sherry (don't use cooking sherry, it's too salty)
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
4 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

Dumplings

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups heavy cream

Instructions

1. For the stew: Bring broth to simmer in Dutch oven over high heat. Add chicken and return to simmer. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until chicken is just cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate and tent loosely with aluminum foil. Transfer broth to heavy heat-resistant pitcher or bowl.

2. Return empty Dutch oven to medium-high heat and melt butter. Add carrots, onion, and salt and cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Stir in sherry, scraping up browned bits. Stir in reserved broth, cream, thyme, bay leaves, and pepper and bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until stew thickens, about 20 minutes.

3. For the dumplings: Stir flour, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Stir in cream until just incorporated (dough will be very thick and shaggy, don't overstir).

4. To finish: Discard bay leaves and return stew to rapid simmer. Shred reserved chicken and add to stew along with any accumulated juices, frozen peas, and 3 tablespoons parsley. Using 2 large soup spoons or small ice cream scoop, drop golf ball-sized dumplings onto stew about 1/4 inch apart (you should have 16 to 18 dumplings).

Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until dumplings have doubled in size, 15 to 18 minutes.

Garnish with remaining parsley. Serve.

[note: I would like to experiment with step 4 by putting the oven at 300 degrees, I think, and putting the simmering stew in the oven as soon as the dumplings are added. I'd like my dumplings to have a brown top!]

Make Ahead: Follow recipe through step 2, refrigerating stew and chicken in separate airtight containers up to 24 hours ahead. When ready to proceed, warm stew in Dutch oven and proceed with step 3.

Attn European readers: need visa for European Cup in Portugal.....

From Bobby McMasters, our correspondent in Romania! Read this and please get back to me if you can help!

"Hey Georgette,

First of all, I hope all is well with you. I'm straight chillin' here in Romania, bracing myself for the winter.

Second of all, I wanted to ask you to forward a message to your readers:

My first BJJ student, long-time friend and training partner, Sandu, is trying to make it out to the European Cup in Portugal this January. The trip out there, including the entrance fee should be paid for, so I am not asking for money. What we need, however, is a visa. Those of you who have seen my mini-documentary understand what these guys are up against within their own country, so you might be able to guess what they face internationally as well.

What we need:
A short-stay European visa of any variety. As I said before, we don't need money. We need someone from the EU (preferably from Portugal) to do whatever paperwork is necessary for your country to get our guy into the Schengen zone so he can compete. Sandu has a visa for Romania but as all Europeans know, Romania isn't in the Schengen zone, so he can't cross into Hungary and thus enter into the Schengen zone. Romanians are allowed to cross this zone but Moldovans are not.

Many Moldovans, up to 25% of the population in fact, work abroad, and many times illegally. Obviously there is a huge incentive from other countries to keep illegal Moldovans out of their countries, so sometimes even if one has all the necessary paperwork, they are regularly denied legal entrance into Schengen participant states. Here's one story from my own experience:

I got married here in Romania almost a year and a half ago. Three of my Moldovan friends planned to come out for the party, and they took the necessary steps to secure a 10-day visa for Romania. While I was on the train, headed to the destination, I got a call from one of my friends.

"Robert! We have a problem at the border!"
"What's up?"
"You need to tell the border guard that we're going to your wedding".
"Alright, well you have all your paperwork in order, right"?
"Of course. Here talk to this guy".

My friend puts the Romanian customs officer/border guard on the phone with me and the conversation goes like this...
"Hello, I have three Moldovans here and they claim that they are going to your wedding".
"That's right", I say
"What are their names?"
I give their names, no problem. The guard then asks, "I see that they have a 10-day visa, can you assure that they have a place to stay and that they will be back in Moldova after ten days"?
"Of course".
"Where will they be staying"?
"With me, in a hotel".
"What hotel"?
I give him the name of the hotel.
"I see that you are getting married on Tuesday. This is very strange. In Romania, we get married on the weekend, so why is this?"
I continue to answer inane questions for another 20 minutes or so, until the border guard agrees to let them in after they give him 2 liters of their wine as a (presumable) bribe.

In any case, this is one of many stories I have about things that come up on a regular basis. It's ironic because I've been regularly passing over the same border ILLEGALLY for almost 2 years now and rarely have run into a problem. It's just my passport that lets them think that I am not here to work illegally since I'm American and not Moldovan. Oh, the irony.

SO, to make a long story short, Sandu is not the guy you have to worry about. He will come back to Romania, and then Moldova. He will not stay in your country and take your jobs. I promise. Let me know if you can help out, and I will do what I can to help with what I can. I would do it all myself but as a US citizen, I can't really do much. Help be a part of making it work for the first Moldovan to ever compete in the European Open.

Thanks for your time!
-b"