Doing it before its too late

I'm 29, and I have really never been in a fight in my entire life. Let me recall a quote from my fictional hero, Tyler Durden, from Fight Club. "What do you really know about yourself if you have never been in a fight?" I am there...

Let me put it into perspective and turn back the hands of time. I am 26, my wife and I are at our whits end with each other. We go to marriage counseling and I find that my issue is that I am becoming an introvert and she is getting the brunt of my anguish. NEVER anything physical, but I can be a real asshole when it comes to my mouth. So the doctor prescribes me a life outside of my house. I am told to find something that I am passionate about or have always wanted to try. Try to interact and make friends when you feel comfortable enough in the new settings. I tell my wife later that night that I really want to try Jiu Jitsu, she of course says go for it. I do a little research, and on a Tuesday night in September I sounder into a little old-school dojo, the sign says Sho-Rei-Shobu-Kan, I didn't even know how to pronounce it. I probably didn't know how to pronounce it for at least a month.

I instantly fell in love with the Jiu Jitsu program. I began my training jumping right in with both feet. After 3 years and 2 belt promotions I am happy to say I have stayed dedicated to the training. Now back to present day...

When I began training I had told myself that I wanted to try an MMA amateur fight before I was 30. My birthday is in October, so, as of this post I have 3 months to get it done. I have reached out to a local promoter to book a fight in August in my hometown of Lincoln, NE. Things do look promising for this to happen on his end, but I am starting to hit some roadblocks.

The Physical: I have terrible allergies, and with two little kids around the house, allergens are coming in from all over the place. The allergies have gotten so bad that I went to the doctor and found out that not only do I have a Sinus infection, I also have an ear infection. If you have never had an ear infection, you are blessed. I have had one before and it literally crippled my for a week. The pain in horrible and the feeling of your head sitting about a foot away from your body doesn't go away for a few days once the medicine does its magic. I was just lucky enough to get it diagnosed early. This "crap," however, has rendered my off limits for training. I physically can not train feeling like this. So, I feel that I am getting flabby and weak, even though I look the same in the mirror. The plus side is that my arms, ankles, and neck don't constantly ache like they usually do during the week.

The Mental: My kids seem like they too are always sick or struggling with their allergies. I suddenly have this enormous feel that we have some kind of debilitating mold growing in our house that is causing our illnesses. So I have to pony up the money to bring in a professional mold tester to give it to me straight. Here is the doozie---My grandmother is losing her fight with diabetes. She could go at any moment, she was hospitalized this week. I am not going to go into details, but this time could be the last time she visits a hospital, that is how serious it is. She is 87, so she has lived a full and happy life. The thing that is really hanging me up though is the fact that I have become so busy with my life that I have forgotten to set aside time for her. She literally lives a mile and a half a way from my front door, there is no excuse for me to not see her or phone her at least once a week. We have used a very legitimate excuse though, our illnesses. I will not allow myself to get her sick and die because I couldn't just call her from home and explain that I am sick. Her immune system is shot and I really think that any minor cold could end her.

So with so many factors against me, I am at a crossroads. Do I ditch the fight and not be selfish about getting a fight before 30? Or, to I re-evaluate my priorities, get them straightened out and do this because at 29 I realize that life can be short, seize the moment, do these thing before it is too late. I think when a person endures the worst and sees the task at hand to the end, that person reaps all the benefits of life.

The fight goes on...

Roseberry's Jiu Jitsu

Jiu Jitsu in Olympics? No time like the future.

Some amazing sporting news came to light yesterday. The 2016 Olympics will be held in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Of course there is no surprise that it is intriguing that the possibility of having Jiu Jitsu become an organized sporting competition within the hallowed grounds of the Olympics is somehow more attainable in my eyes. There are roughly 5-6 years to get the nod for the sport to see the Olympic floor. With the exposure Jiu jitsu has seen within the last 2-3 years being on television, showcased by the UFC and other MMA organizations, there may be a positive light that is being shined on the sport. ADCC in Barcelona, Spain this year had great viewer turnout around the world, it was broadcast live (semi-live) this year on the Internet. People are willing to pay to view the best JJ competitors in the world, so why not have this for free on the great sporting event that happens every 4 years? I am not one to stir the pot, and I believe that this is pure speculation, but there are many out there who feel that Judo is the main reason for keeping Jiu Jitsu out of the Olympics. I have seen on numerous sites that there is a worry that Jiu Jitsu would take top Judo practitioners away from Judo, the sport that is widely considered the top martial art throughout Asia. I have also seen criticism by some that say that Jiu Jitsu on the highest level can be very boring to watch. I guess my rebuttal to that would be, have you sat through an Olympic sailing event? That is probably the best part of the Olympic games if you don't like what is on at the time, switch to another channel carrying a different competition or wait an hour. Not every sport translates well with everyone. We can't all be Kobe Bryant and smoke Finland in basketball. Sure a sport like basketball is going to get most of the attention, but if you are able to get a GSP representing Canada, or a Dean Lister representing the USA, within the Jiu Jitsu community these names register. These names even register to the casual fan at this point. Think about it, GSP is 28 now, in 2016 Georges will be 35. For St. Pierre I would believe winning a gold medal in Jiu Jitsu would be the icing on the cake that in one of the most illustrious carriers in MMA. I know this is a bit of a long read, but just some food for thought. Keep your fingers crossed and your ears open, the age of Olympic Jiu Jitsu could be coming!

Training during Cold Season

It is amazing that anyone gets anything done now a days with all the hype behind H1N1 and all the other nasty crap that we endure through our immune system this year. I recently was sidelined for an entire week with a severe ear infection, my first. I actually went in to see the doc thinking that I, in fact had the Swine Flu. I was relieved, yet puzzled when she checked my ears and asked me if my ear hurt. I couldn't believe the pain my body was feeling was from an ear infection.

On top of trying everything to stay healthy and active, sinus infection after sinus infection is beginning to weigh me down, literally. I have set a goal of dropping down to around an even 200lbs by the end of the year. This now seems like a huge deal because of the fact that I just can't push myself during training like I want to. I honestly can't wait to get that first freeze and kill all the spores in the air for the year. I have found that I actually perform better and can really get after things athletically during the winter months.

So, for anyone who is out there with the same affliction, training during the cold/sinus season, I feel your pain. Keep with it and you will be ok!

Samaya's day at JJ

Jiu Jitsu through the eyes of a 4 year-old. *note the camera (if you were wondering about the clarity.)