little ninja`s update and rib injuries

My boys started in the Little Ninja`s program a little over a month ago. (scroll through the blog and you`ll see pictures from their first classes)

Tonight, both Noel and Ben earned the first yellow stripe to their belts. At their age and this stage in the game, I`m sure that although they think it`s cool, they don`t have a grasp of the big picture. Will they still be excited about going to classes a year from now? I sure hope so! I can`t think of anything that could have a better impact on their lives than growing up with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

In the month since they`ve started, they`ve learned the concepts of escaping mount, the upa, side control, gaining mount from side, spider guard, breaking grips, having a solid base and defending the face and best of all, learning the meaning of respect and the benefits of the instructors "mat chats" at the beginning of every class.


In other news...I think I might have sprained my ribcage. I know that sounds bizarre, but after explaining how I`m feeling and how I hurt myself, one of the club chiropractors explained what he thought it could be. It happened on Saturday. We were doing 6 ten minute rounds of randori. (sparring) My training partner was attempting to move to mount and I shrimped out to defend and took an accidental knee to the back of my ribcage. It snuffed the wind right out of me causing me to bark like a dog. I figured it would likely just be a nasty bruise and kept training after a short break.

I took two days off and returned to the mat last night. Just doing front rolls and shrimping on the mat during warmups felt like both sides of my ribcage (on my back) were bruised up. What`s worse is when I sneeze, it feels like my core is about to explode. Time to book an appointment for an adjustment. I`m not going to stop training, but I`ll just have to take it easy until this heals up and feels normal again.

So...is everyone watching the Ultimate Fighter on Spike? I love the series...it never gets old. I got into MMA after the video for UFC 2 came out, but it wasn`t until the original season of the Ultimate Fighter that I became hooked on the sport. This should be a good season. Wednesday nights at 10. Don`t miss it!