Roxy taught class at Groundslam

Yesterday, Katsumura-san went to Nagoya to do some research and studying at Alive dojo. (Suzuki-san! :D) It was my honor to be asked to teach the Wednesday morning beginners/intermediate level MMA class.

It’s a real challenge, actually, because people of all levels come- we have people who just started, who’s movements are still awkward, and then people like Arai-san, who can spar full-on MMA.

I realized how hard it is for Steve and Katsumura-san to create good classes that satisfy everybody. What do I do for English groups, I thought, where the levels are different? Well, I have the same goal and basic structure I want to teach, and then I adjust to the student. So the key is to find something simple with room to expand. So for example, if I teach the triangle technique, I’ll teach the basic set up to the beginner. But for the more advanced guy, maybe I’ll have him do a unique finish at the end, or switch to something else like omoplata at the end WITH resistance, or maybe I’ll have that guy do the triangle from some other entry, like from a take-down or if someone is passing, he has to pop his or her hips up and work on speed like that, as opposed to the set up from full guard.

Yesterday, I had Arai-san and Kaki-san do shrimps and forward crawls and reverse shrimps to warm up…but that’s boring by itself, so we had a race. XD See who could reach the other wall faster. I won the shrimp race and Arai-san won the reverse shrimp race. We also did shrimping drills where the opponent is standing and walking forward, and then guy laying down has to use his feet to push on the legs and arms to shrimp away. They’d never done it before, so it was a great sensitivity drill.

Then I had them do side-rolls! They’d never even heard of them. lol That’s the point, because I knew Arai-san would have no problem, but he just had to get used to it. In that time, the more beginner guy learned the actual technique. I learned them, and that other drill at the AACC. Abe-san has some great, interesting warm-up drills…I borrowed them. m._.m I made them try and do side-rolls using the wall, where you walk over with your feet and roll over your shoulders! It was hard, but they got it! 😀

We did distancing drills, striking, and light sparring. Oddly enough, it’s very unlike me, but we didn’t do much grappling. Arai-san and I both wanted to work more on the distancing drill Katsumura-san had us do, and I took the other fellow step by step, and by the end, IT WAS SO HARD TO HIT HIM, it was unbelievable. He’s tall and skinny, and Arai-san had trouble, too.

I’m happy about that. XD Kind of. Well, he learned what I was teaching, weeeee.

So it was a success, and I’m honored I was asked by Katsumura-san, who is coming back today.

I went to work after that. 🙂 Workin for a living! My boss has been putting in a lot of over-time lately. I hope he doesn’t get burned out. I just want to take a minute and praise my boss. He tries hard to be flexible and understanding of the teacher’s needs. For example, if a teacher is supposed to work from 4 PM to 9:15 PM, but then suddenly a request for a lesson comes in at 8:30 AM, the boss COULD make the teacher come in, teach 8:30-9:15 AM, but then they’d be free and have nothing to do (and not get paid) until 4 PM. Instead of that, my boss gets out of HIS bed early, comes in and teaches that lesson, and then goes elsewhere until HIS shift starts at 1. Who else does that? And I think so many people don’t notice. Of course, he can’t please everybody.

Anyway! Training this morning! 😀 Happy days.…