O God,
whose love restores
the brokenhearted of this world:
pour out your love,
we beseech you,
upon those who feel
lonely, abandoned, or unloved.
Strengthen their hope
to meet the days ahead;
give them the courage
to form life-giving friendships;
and bless them with the joy
of your eternal peace.
Amen.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
Relief from Suffering
We invoke your name, O God. We aspire to learn your way so as to be present where there is darkness, suffering, oppression, and despair, so that we may bring light, hope, relief, and liberation to those places.
We are determined not to forget about or abandon those who are in desperate situations. We will do our best to establish contact with them when they cannot find a way out of their suffering and when their cries for help, justice, equality, and human rights are not heard.
We know that hell can be found in many places on earth and we do not want to contribute to making more hells on earth. Rather we want to help unmake the hells that already exist. We will practice to realize the qualities of perseverance and stability that belong to the earth so that, like the earth, we can always be supportive and faithful to those who need us.
We are determined not to forget about or abandon those who are in desperate situations. We will do our best to establish contact with them when they cannot find a way out of their suffering and when their cries for help, justice, equality, and human rights are not heard.
We know that hell can be found in many places on earth and we do not want to contribute to making more hells on earth. Rather we want to help unmake the hells that already exist. We will practice to realize the qualities of perseverance and stability that belong to the earth so that, like the earth, we can always be supportive and faithful to those who need us.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Change Us, Day by Day
Our Father, you called us and saved us in order to make us like your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Change us, day by day, by the work of your Holy Spirit so that we may grow more like him in all that we think and say and do, to his glory. Amen.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Prayer for the Homeless
O God, as Naomi and Ruth journeyed from one land to another seeking a home, we ask your blessing upon all who are homeless in this world. You promised to your chosen people a land flowing with milk and honey; so inspire us to desire the accomplishment of your will that we may work for the settlement of those who are homeless in a place of peace, protection, and nurture, flowing with opportunity, blessing, and hope. Amen.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
The "Ah Hah!" Moment
Have you ever been working on a technique over and over again but for some reason you just can't quite get it? Then your instructor walks up to you and says, "Do you have a question?" or "Is there something I can help you with in your technique". Then you explain that you've been working on a technique and you know it works because you've seen many people use it effectively but for some reason you just can't seem to get it right.
After you show him what you've been doing. He grabs your training partner and then show's you the littlest and simplest detail you could have ever imagined but that "little" detail just made you go "Ah hah!!, Why didn't I think of that?". The simplest thing that he just showed you, now made your technique go from not being as effective to being extremely effective.
This is a scenario that is very common and it's what I call "Invisible Grappling". It's the details and movements that take your techniques to the next level but for some reason they aren't very obvious. How about I give you some examples:
Shoulder Walking - The movement where you move your shoulders backwards one shoulder at a time is what I call "shoulder walking". A very common scenario where you will see shoulder walking used effectively is when you are being stacked in your guard. When your opponent starts to stack you before he gets your legs over your face, quickly walk your shoulders backwards as you make your hips heavy. This will make it much harder for them to stack you because you are basically going in the same direction your opponent is taking you. You can also place your hands on your thighs and push on your legs as you shoulder walk backwards to increase the pressure against your opponent. Some scenarios where you can effectively use "shoulder walking" are:
When you are getting stacked when attempting an armbar from the guard.
When you are getting stacked when attempting a triangle choke from the guard.
You are getting stacked when your opponent attempts a double under the leg pass.
Face Control - If your opponent can not move his/her face then they will not be able to move their body. If their head is stuck looking in a particular direction and they can't move it, you will have a lot of control over them. Let's give some examples.
Lets say you have your opponent in side control with your arm under their head and your shoulder pressuring into their face (Shoulder of Justice) forcing them to look away from you. When you do this, they lose the ability to turn their head. They will not be able to turn into you because they can't turn their face.
If you have the mount with your arm under their head while applying shoulder pressure forcing their head to turn to one direction preventing them from turning it, they will have a hard time bucking and turning to escape.
Next time you get the north south position place a lot of pressure down on your opponent's head with your body pinning it to look sideways and not only will it become very uncomfortable for them but they will have a much harder time escaping.
Head Control - When you think of head control, what do you think of? You probably just think about grabbing your opponents head or neck and pulling it down so you can get control of it. What details do you think of to make it better? How can you increase the control of your opponent's head? First you don't want to grab your opponent's neck. That's not head control. That's "neck" control. When you control closer to your opponent's neck they will have more of an ability produce force against you and possibly still be able to posture up. The neck has a large amount of muscles in that area. The more muscles in the area you grab the more force your opponent can produce.
So what do I want you to do? I want you to control right on the back of your opponent's head where there isn't hardly any muscle. When you control by this area you'll will make it much harder for them to posture up. Here are some examples of how you can use this concept effectively.
When you're in the clinch with your opponent from standing. Don't grab the back of their neck, grab the back of their head. Take notice the extra amount of leverage you will gain.
When you are going for an armbar on the bottom, take the leg that is across your opponent's neck and angle it out towards the back of your opponent's head while you place pressure down. Take notice of how it's much harder for you opponent to posture up and even try to stack you. To compare, you can also place your leg across the back of their neck so you can see how they can posture better and possibly also stack you. This is also one of the reason why you "should not" cross your ankles when going for an armbar from the guard. They isn't any head control.
When you work to establish head control of your opponent in an attempt to break your opponent's posture when their in your guard don't grab the back of their neck. Grab behind their head where there isn't much muscle. You'll pull their head down much easier.
This are just a few concepts of "Invisible Grappling". As you gain more experience you may notice little details that you can use to improve upon what you already know. Always be aware that because you "think" you know something well it doesn't necessarily mean that you can't make it better. There's a reason why you hear others say that it's usually the "little details" that make the biggest difference.
After you show him what you've been doing. He grabs your training partner and then show's you the littlest and simplest detail you could have ever imagined but that "little" detail just made you go "Ah hah!!, Why didn't I think of that?". The simplest thing that he just showed you, now made your technique go from not being as effective to being extremely effective.
This is a scenario that is very common and it's what I call "Invisible Grappling". It's the details and movements that take your techniques to the next level but for some reason they aren't very obvious. How about I give you some examples:
Shoulder Walking - The movement where you move your shoulders backwards one shoulder at a time is what I call "shoulder walking". A very common scenario where you will see shoulder walking used effectively is when you are being stacked in your guard. When your opponent starts to stack you before he gets your legs over your face, quickly walk your shoulders backwards as you make your hips heavy. This will make it much harder for them to stack you because you are basically going in the same direction your opponent is taking you. You can also place your hands on your thighs and push on your legs as you shoulder walk backwards to increase the pressure against your opponent. Some scenarios where you can effectively use "shoulder walking" are:
When you are getting stacked when attempting an armbar from the guard.
When you are getting stacked when attempting a triangle choke from the guard.
You are getting stacked when your opponent attempts a double under the leg pass.
Face Control - If your opponent can not move his/her face then they will not be able to move their body. If their head is stuck looking in a particular direction and they can't move it, you will have a lot of control over them. Let's give some examples.
Lets say you have your opponent in side control with your arm under their head and your shoulder pressuring into their face (Shoulder of Justice) forcing them to look away from you. When you do this, they lose the ability to turn their head. They will not be able to turn into you because they can't turn their face.
If you have the mount with your arm under their head while applying shoulder pressure forcing their head to turn to one direction preventing them from turning it, they will have a hard time bucking and turning to escape.
Next time you get the north south position place a lot of pressure down on your opponent's head with your body pinning it to look sideways and not only will it become very uncomfortable for them but they will have a much harder time escaping.
Head Control - When you think of head control, what do you think of? You probably just think about grabbing your opponents head or neck and pulling it down so you can get control of it. What details do you think of to make it better? How can you increase the control of your opponent's head? First you don't want to grab your opponent's neck. That's not head control. That's "neck" control. When you control closer to your opponent's neck they will have more of an ability produce force against you and possibly still be able to posture up. The neck has a large amount of muscles in that area. The more muscles in the area you grab the more force your opponent can produce.
So what do I want you to do? I want you to control right on the back of your opponent's head where there isn't hardly any muscle. When you control by this area you'll will make it much harder for them to posture up. Here are some examples of how you can use this concept effectively.
When you're in the clinch with your opponent from standing. Don't grab the back of their neck, grab the back of their head. Take notice the extra amount of leverage you will gain.
When you are going for an armbar on the bottom, take the leg that is across your opponent's neck and angle it out towards the back of your opponent's head while you place pressure down. Take notice of how it's much harder for you opponent to posture up and even try to stack you. To compare, you can also place your leg across the back of their neck so you can see how they can posture better and possibly also stack you. This is also one of the reason why you "should not" cross your ankles when going for an armbar from the guard. They isn't any head control.
When you work to establish head control of your opponent in an attempt to break your opponent's posture when their in your guard don't grab the back of their neck. Grab behind their head where there isn't much muscle. You'll pull their head down much easier.
This are just a few concepts of "Invisible Grappling". As you gain more experience you may notice little details that you can use to improve upon what you already know. Always be aware that because you "think" you know something well it doesn't necessarily mean that you can't make it better. There's a reason why you hear others say that it's usually the "little details" that make the biggest difference.
Everything I need to know about life, I learned from Noah's Ark ..
One : Don't miss the boat.
Two : Remember that we are all in the same boat.
Three : Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.
Four : Stay fit. When you're 600 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.
Five : Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.
Six : Build your future on high ground.
Seven : For safety sake, travel in pairs.
Eight : Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with t he cheetahs.
Nine : When you're stressed, float a while.
Ten : Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
NOW, wasn't that nice? Pass it along and make someone else smile, too
Two : Remember that we are all in the same boat.
Three : Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.
Four : Stay fit. When you're 600 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.
Five : Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.
Six : Build your future on high ground.
Seven : For safety sake, travel in pairs.
Eight : Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with t he cheetahs.
Nine : When you're stressed, float a while.
Ten : Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
NOW, wasn't that nice? Pass it along and make someone else smile, too
Effectively Taking Notes to Improve Your Training Part 1:
Effectively Taking Notes to Improve Your Training Part 1:
Author: Jason Scully
People take notes for many different reasons. You take notes in school so you can study, you jot down notes when you need to remember what to pick up at the store, and you may take notes when you have an idea that you want to try out or check on. I know I do in these situations, so I have some questions for you.
Do you bring a notebook into class with you when you train? If so, what do you do with it in class?
Do you have a notebook that you write in at home after training? If so, what kind of notes do you write down when you get home?
Do you have a specific way you take notes? Is there a system?
Do you review your notes that you take? Does it help you remember techniques or make you better? Do you even do anything with them?
For the first 2 years of my training I wrote down every single technique that I learned. I would go home and then type out every single detail that I could remember. I would categorize the movements, date them, and I even made a color key so I knew right away what type of category each technique fell under. Around the 2 year mark I compiled about 400 Brazilian Jiu Jitsu techniques that I learned in class. I was a true collector of techniques. I wanted to make sure I didn't miss anything.
Now am I saying you should do what I did? Definitely not! Why? Because I took all of that time to write down all of these techniques and I must have only reviewed them only 10 times max. I realized that just because I wrote down everything I learned didn't mean that I was going to remember everything. Another thing I realized was that the task was very monotonous and didn't have any real significance in regards to what I needed to get better at in my grappling.
It turned into the equivalence of collecting baseball cards but instead I was just collecting techniques. Once I realized that this approach wasn't really benefiting me, I didn't stop taking notes but I decided to change my approach so that if I was going to take notes it was going to be in a way that would actually help me get better.
Here is what I did:
I stopped writing down every technique that I learned
I only focused on things I was having trouble with. If you focus on actual problems you are facing then it will be more likely that you'll remember what you learned and it will help you improve your actual game right away.
Everything I wrote down in training was in the form of a question or I would have a question at least related to everything I wrote down. Why? Because if I wrote it down in question form, then I would be well prepared to ask that question to someone who may know the answer and it will help them relay the information easier back to me.
I realized that the one important aspect of my training that I wasn't taking notes on was my rolling. So after each training session I would go home and I would write down questions that related to that nights rolling. The reason I started doing this was because during rolling you experience issues that you really are having trouble with. These are areas that affect what you are actually trying to do, so these are the things you should focus on more then anything. Examples of the types of things I would write down after rolling would be.
How can I stop my opponent from turning their hip down on me in half guard?
What can I do to open my opponent's closed guard if I'm having trouble?
When I'm in the guard I keep getting caught in a triangle choke. How can I prevent this?
How can I stop my partner from getting the guard back when I have them in side control position?
I went for a hug choke but for some reason I couldn't get it. What was I doing wrong?
How can I stop from getting mounted?
After I would write down the question, I would reflect on what happened in regards to that question I asked. The reason I would do this is for a couple of reasons actually. It will help me try to figure out what I might have been doing wrong myself and it will also help me tell my instructor what I felt happening during the situation so he can better assist me in fixing the problem.
For example if I had the question "What can I do to open my opponent's closed guard?" I would write down what I remembered happening such as:
He kept pulling down on my head.
I couldn't open my training partners guard by using my elbows.
When I tried to put my knee under my partner's butt I would lose my balance.
Additional Tips
To make this even better you should take advantage of your breaks between rolling. When you are done rolling each time go straight to your notebook and jot down one issue you want to address that happened during that rolling session. Whether it was a problem you had that your opponent was causing or a problem you had that you couldn't quite figure out to do yourself. If you roll four times during one training session then you should have four different issues to address. Or you can mark off a particular issue if it happens again in a different rolling session with an asterisk, which is noting that particular issue as a primary focus that you need to address. You don't have to think of a question to write during this time. Just write down something to help you remember the issue.
Then when you go home take each issue that you wrote down and create a question for each one. You now should have four questions related to your training in regards to what happened during your live rolling sessions. These questions will be more important then any technique that you decide to write down because they are issues that you really had trouble with. They happened while you were going against a resisting opponent.
The goal is to improve upon your current game as much as possible. Expand it and make it better.
As you train more and more you should have a list of questions in your notebook related to your current issues. Some questions may come up frequently and those particular questions you should mark down as "very important". Those should be the areas you address more then others because you want to prevent yourself from experiencing the same problems over and over again.
Remember also to note your experiences in regards to the situation you created the question about so you have some information to feed to your instructor when you approach him. If you have readily prepared questions and experiences corresponding to that question you will help your instructor a lot in regards to them being able to help you even more.
Now that you are building a list of questions in regards to your game, what can you do with those questions?
After class pull out your notebook then look at the your questions (along with your experiences related to the questions) and ask your instructor at least one question. This question is very important because it's a real problem you had. Usually one or two questions max is good because other students usually have questions also.
Use these question so you can be prepared if you decide to take a private lesson with someone. To have a set list of questions when you attend a private lesson is a great courtesy to both you and your instructor you're meeting with. It will make the lesson much more productive, it will run smoother, and you'll get a lot more out of it.
You can even use these questions to ask fellow grapplers on the internet and see what they can come up with or what experiences they have in relation to your issue.
The main point is to have actual questions that related to real problems you're having in your training. Don't waste your rolling time. That is the time where you should actually be taking notes. After each training session you should have a minimum of two questions created related to what happened when you were rolling with your partners. You may not get a chance to address each question right away and your list of questions my build up faster then they are checked off as "addressed" but at least you know exactly what it is that you need to work on and what it is you should ask for help on.
Author: Jason Scully
People take notes for many different reasons. You take notes in school so you can study, you jot down notes when you need to remember what to pick up at the store, and you may take notes when you have an idea that you want to try out or check on. I know I do in these situations, so I have some questions for you.
Do you bring a notebook into class with you when you train? If so, what do you do with it in class?
Do you have a notebook that you write in at home after training? If so, what kind of notes do you write down when you get home?
Do you have a specific way you take notes? Is there a system?
Do you review your notes that you take? Does it help you remember techniques or make you better? Do you even do anything with them?
For the first 2 years of my training I wrote down every single technique that I learned. I would go home and then type out every single detail that I could remember. I would categorize the movements, date them, and I even made a color key so I knew right away what type of category each technique fell under. Around the 2 year mark I compiled about 400 Brazilian Jiu Jitsu techniques that I learned in class. I was a true collector of techniques. I wanted to make sure I didn't miss anything.
Now am I saying you should do what I did? Definitely not! Why? Because I took all of that time to write down all of these techniques and I must have only reviewed them only 10 times max. I realized that just because I wrote down everything I learned didn't mean that I was going to remember everything. Another thing I realized was that the task was very monotonous and didn't have any real significance in regards to what I needed to get better at in my grappling.
It turned into the equivalence of collecting baseball cards but instead I was just collecting techniques. Once I realized that this approach wasn't really benefiting me, I didn't stop taking notes but I decided to change my approach so that if I was going to take notes it was going to be in a way that would actually help me get better.
Here is what I did:
I stopped writing down every technique that I learned
I only focused on things I was having trouble with. If you focus on actual problems you are facing then it will be more likely that you'll remember what you learned and it will help you improve your actual game right away.
Everything I wrote down in training was in the form of a question or I would have a question at least related to everything I wrote down. Why? Because if I wrote it down in question form, then I would be well prepared to ask that question to someone who may know the answer and it will help them relay the information easier back to me.
I realized that the one important aspect of my training that I wasn't taking notes on was my rolling. So after each training session I would go home and I would write down questions that related to that nights rolling. The reason I started doing this was because during rolling you experience issues that you really are having trouble with. These are areas that affect what you are actually trying to do, so these are the things you should focus on more then anything. Examples of the types of things I would write down after rolling would be.
How can I stop my opponent from turning their hip down on me in half guard?
What can I do to open my opponent's closed guard if I'm having trouble?
When I'm in the guard I keep getting caught in a triangle choke. How can I prevent this?
How can I stop my partner from getting the guard back when I have them in side control position?
I went for a hug choke but for some reason I couldn't get it. What was I doing wrong?
How can I stop from getting mounted?
After I would write down the question, I would reflect on what happened in regards to that question I asked. The reason I would do this is for a couple of reasons actually. It will help me try to figure out what I might have been doing wrong myself and it will also help me tell my instructor what I felt happening during the situation so he can better assist me in fixing the problem.
For example if I had the question "What can I do to open my opponent's closed guard?" I would write down what I remembered happening such as:
He kept pulling down on my head.
I couldn't open my training partners guard by using my elbows.
When I tried to put my knee under my partner's butt I would lose my balance.
Additional Tips
To make this even better you should take advantage of your breaks between rolling. When you are done rolling each time go straight to your notebook and jot down one issue you want to address that happened during that rolling session. Whether it was a problem you had that your opponent was causing or a problem you had that you couldn't quite figure out to do yourself. If you roll four times during one training session then you should have four different issues to address. Or you can mark off a particular issue if it happens again in a different rolling session with an asterisk, which is noting that particular issue as a primary focus that you need to address. You don't have to think of a question to write during this time. Just write down something to help you remember the issue.
Then when you go home take each issue that you wrote down and create a question for each one. You now should have four questions related to your training in regards to what happened during your live rolling sessions. These questions will be more important then any technique that you decide to write down because they are issues that you really had trouble with. They happened while you were going against a resisting opponent.
The goal is to improve upon your current game as much as possible. Expand it and make it better.
As you train more and more you should have a list of questions in your notebook related to your current issues. Some questions may come up frequently and those particular questions you should mark down as "very important". Those should be the areas you address more then others because you want to prevent yourself from experiencing the same problems over and over again.
Remember also to note your experiences in regards to the situation you created the question about so you have some information to feed to your instructor when you approach him. If you have readily prepared questions and experiences corresponding to that question you will help your instructor a lot in regards to them being able to help you even more.
Now that you are building a list of questions in regards to your game, what can you do with those questions?
After class pull out your notebook then look at the your questions (along with your experiences related to the questions) and ask your instructor at least one question. This question is very important because it's a real problem you had. Usually one or two questions max is good because other students usually have questions also.
Use these question so you can be prepared if you decide to take a private lesson with someone. To have a set list of questions when you attend a private lesson is a great courtesy to both you and your instructor you're meeting with. It will make the lesson much more productive, it will run smoother, and you'll get a lot more out of it.
You can even use these questions to ask fellow grapplers on the internet and see what they can come up with or what experiences they have in relation to your issue.
The main point is to have actual questions that related to real problems you're having in your training. Don't waste your rolling time. That is the time where you should actually be taking notes. After each training session you should have a minimum of two questions created related to what happened when you were rolling with your partners. You may not get a chance to address each question right away and your list of questions my build up faster then they are checked off as "addressed" but at least you know exactly what it is that you need to work on and what it is you should ask for help on.
Joy in Giving
Lord, I thank You for Your blessings. Whether in plenty or with little, I want to be a cheerful giver. I desire to give from a full heart that serves, no reluctantly or with complaining. I long to see Your money used in ways that will bless others—through my tithing at church, giving to mission organizations, or helping the needy. I choose to give at whatever level I can—and I ask You to bless it.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
On this day, God wants you to know...
... that faith is exactly what it takes to get through uncertainty. Faith is not necessary when you know how things are going to work out, - that's knowledge. It's in the time of unknowing that having faith is what sees you through to the other side. Faith is what gives... you strength. Faith is that light in your heart that keeps on shining even when it's all darkness outside. Now is the time to keep that faith alive!
One More.. by Joshua D.M. Johnson
I sit by myself and reflect on the past,
I know that with time that this too shall pass.
There is a whole in my heart I fear will never be filled,
My life plays out in my mind and I am riddled with guilt.
Why do we make the decisions we make?
Does anyone realize what is really at stake?
One bad choice and the world can turn inside out,
How do you live with yourself and not have any doubt?
It's a question I ask, but I never hear a reply,
In the end we all go and we all soon will die,
Ashes to Ashes and Dust to Dust,
We must learn to adapt, we must learn to adjust,
Cause when you down deep we are all really the same,
And those fingers you point there is really no one to blame,
Peek in the mirror and take a glance at yourself,
Do you really think this life is all about wealth?
Things of this earth don't mean spit in the end,
At the end of the day do you have any friends?
Will emotions of joy follow your name?
Or will your life be just one in the same?
Now is the time to really stand out,
Get rid of the fear, Banish the Doubt,
For when things go awry you can only recall,
How short this life is and indeed you will fall.
You are foolish to think anything else,
And you must do what I say and take a look at yourself,
The strength that you have it must come from within,
Believe in yourself and indeed you will win!
I know that with time that this too shall pass.
There is a whole in my heart I fear will never be filled,
My life plays out in my mind and I am riddled with guilt.
Why do we make the decisions we make?
Does anyone realize what is really at stake?
One bad choice and the world can turn inside out,
How do you live with yourself and not have any doubt?
It's a question I ask, but I never hear a reply,
In the end we all go and we all soon will die,
Ashes to Ashes and Dust to Dust,
We must learn to adapt, we must learn to adjust,
Cause when you down deep we are all really the same,
And those fingers you point there is really no one to blame,
Peek in the mirror and take a glance at yourself,
Do you really think this life is all about wealth?
Things of this earth don't mean spit in the end,
At the end of the day do you have any friends?
Will emotions of joy follow your name?
Or will your life be just one in the same?
Now is the time to really stand out,
Get rid of the fear, Banish the Doubt,
For when things go awry you can only recall,
How short this life is and indeed you will fall.
You are foolish to think anything else,
And you must do what I say and take a look at yourself,
The strength that you have it must come from within,
Believe in yourself and indeed you will win!
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