Jits on This: Back in the Day

I remember always wanting to learn a martial art. Be a ninja. Hop and buildings and shit. Be John Mclane. Find out I’m a robot. Learn Kung Fu from some old Asian dude just like the Karate kid. But nnnoooo I had to want to draw a ninja, draw John Mclane, draw people fighting instead of actually learning how.

I was showed how to throw some basic punches last week. I thought I knew how but I guess I was doing it all wrong even though it worked when I was a kid play fighting with my brothers avoiding the dangerous lava floor. My back foot puts out a cigarette and there’s the power shot. I’m left handed so everyone always gets confused. They want me to switch my stance all the time when we do double leg takedowns, haymaker punch block series, so on and so forth. I think that is retarded. Do they not expect to run into southpaws at some point? Might as learn how to while you’re still learning. Some of the guys don’t care, they know what they doing and my stance doesn’t confuse them, which is nice because from switching my stance all the time it confuses me too. So I decided a few days ago to stay southpaw.

I can see myself in a few new students. That was me. And it still kind of is, I didn’t know which way the pants went, how to tie the belt correctly until I was shown, and I was shown really fast. They are excited. Their faces show they want to learn as much as they can. Partnering up with them is cool, because it still feels like I’m new, and I’m definitely still learning. Someone always knows more than you so they’ll help you out, and someone always knows more than them and they’ll need some tips to improve their technique as well.

I’m drawing for the Gracies. I never thought I’d say that. I see Rorion in the back sometimes doing paperwork. I never thought I’d see him. I still haven’t had the opportunity to talk to him, he is mostly there during the afternoon classes and the weekend class, all the times I’m not there. The drawing is a giant poster that will be hung in the academy. My left hand is creating it right now. There was nothing on the paper before I touched it, and I knew nothing about jiu-jitsu until the GI was worn and classes attended. They are both art, one is not martial but it’s all the same. In drawing I never stop learning and I still say I’m still learning how to draw, even though people say I’m really good. In jiu-jitsu I will never stop learning and if my drawing hand gets chopped in half I won’t be totally sad because at least I can still learn another art.

You can read the first two Jits on This blogs on my MMAopinion blog, and that’s where this one will end up as well, along over here too.