Updates, but a little late

The winter semester was quite demanding on my time, and I spent most of my down-time being a lazy potato.  Then I had the summer semester — shorter, but no less demanding as it was a completely different subject — and up next is my wedding.  So I haven’t had a lot of time to think about topics to write about; my contributions to my sponsor’s blog have dropped as well.  But let’s look at the goals we set down in January:

• earn my purple, brown, and black belts in BJJ
• research the time and cost for becoming a Registered Massage Therapist (to supplement BA and MA)
• earn my Sport Science diploma, Kinesiology specialization
• obtain my PDP from SFU UBC
  
• graduate from the BPEC program
• continue coaching the NWSS Hyacks
• complete rough draft of paper on BJJ for peer review and editing
• learn how to properly skip rope for cardio
• improve skip rope technique and increase intensity

In six months, what have I crossed off?  Well,

Earn my Sport Science diploma, Kinesiology specialization: I didn’t actually receive my diploma because I had heard that getting your diploma required you to reapply to the BPEC program.  Two pieces of paper seems nice, but I’ll still be able to obtain the Kinesiology specialization with the degree.  However, I did complete all the requirements for the diploma, and posted my well-loved “report card” on my Instagram.

Learn how to properly skip rope for cardio: thanks to some friends I’ve been able to not only start skipping, but maintain it in a decent rhythm.  I’ve also added in the cross-over, though it needs a bit of work.  Perhaps once I get a more properly-sized rope, or get more reps in, I’ll be able to hit the next bullet point about improving technique and intensity.

Next we have some modifications:

Obtain my PDP from SFU UBC: I’ve modified this from SFU to UBC.  SFU has their requirements laid out in a fairly neat and tidy package, but they require a declared minor in a Science type (Math, Physics, Chemisty, etc.) or French.  While re-learning French is a great option to take, at this point in my time at college it will mean at least another year; my competency isn’t enough to challenge an exam.  On the flip side of this PDP coin is UBC.  I actually hadn’t done any research for the Professional Development Program because I (incorrectly) assumed SFU was the only school that offered it.  Imagine my surprise when a Google search turns up eight school in B.C. from the Island to the Okanagan.  UBC does not require a declared minor, but their site is a bit more finicky to navigate and find the requirements.  I do have an “inside track” by way of a friend who recently got a job teaching at the same school I started my fieldwork, and so far UBC has been fairly prompt and decently informative with e-mails.  I’ll have to look in to attending an info session as well.

While I continue to complete my classes in my upcoming third year of the program, I take a long look at one of my more serious goals:

Complete rough draft of paper on BJJ for peer review and editing: My initial thought was to write something more sociology-based even though there is a bigger shortage of peer-reviewed articles based on physiology and psychology for the sport.  I got in contact with a fellow Redditor who was running a poll to collect data for non-research ends; the man is looking to do a full proper study starting in the fall, and I have asked to be a part of this process in any fashion.

Research the time and cost for becoming a Registered Massage Therapist (to supplement BA and MA): To be honest, getting my RMT status may be a bit too much.  The best programs are a full-time four-year process, with a cost equal to a Bachelor’s degree.  Being able to supplement my services with massage therapy is a wonderful idea, but I may have to look at alternate massage certifications.  It stays on the list, but will likely be modified before the year’s end.

Finally, I add a special goal to honour a friend of mine who is taking his learning to the next level:

Make it Raf’s Place to Challenge Him! Co-host of the MMA-comedy podcast “Verbal Tap Cast” (find, subscribe, and rate them on iTunes!), Raf Esparza and I have forged a relationship that consists mostly of trash talking each other and a certain Kevin T. Phillips.  I have vowed to meet with Raf on our field of battle: the mats of North Hollywood (or whatever sub-section of the sprawl known as L.A. Raf resides and/or trains in).  Perhaps Kevin Phillips can make it to town, where I can avenge my loss from our time on Over/Under Kevin.

And now, the new list:

• earn my purple, brown, and black belts in BJJ
• research the time and cost for becoming a Registered Massage Therapist (to supplement BA and MA)
• obtain my PDP from SFU UBC
  
• graduate from the BPEC program
• continue coaching the NWSS Hyacks
• complete rough draft of paper on BJJ for peer review and editing
• improve skip rope technique and increase intensity
• meet with, challenge, and defeat Raf Esparza of Verbal Tap “fame”
  • knee-bar or heel-hook Kevin if he’s in town

How are your goals progressing?  Let’s chat about them!

–Kiyoshi “The Prototype”
Your #1 Canadian eh?
Respect the Technique, Triangle Army

 

CBJJF 2016 B.C. BJJ Provincial Championships

The 2016 B.C. BJJ Provincials went down at BCIT on Saturday February the 6th.  I competed in both Gi and No-Gi divisions, Master’s 1 Middleweight division; the Gi division had seven of us, and the No-Gi had five.

My first Gi match went well, I won on points and advanced to the quarterfinals.  My next match was against my eternal rival Clay.  We battle for the entire six minutes, where he won on points 7-4; his ability to retain me in half-guard was as impressive as it was frustrating.  I battled my final match for third place, and again lost on points; my strength faded against his, and I’m sure he knew it when pressing his advantage.  I am pleased that Clay took first placed, and subbed everyone else but me.  Our battles over the past year have seen some great evolution in both of our games.

Then it was on to No-Gi, where two people had dropped out, leaving us with a three-man division.  I was at the bottom of the bracket, and watched in interest as a North Van guy and a Prime BJJ — now renamed BOA BJJ — guy battled it out.  I faced the North Van guy first, and hit my biggest point spread to win the match 24-0; I had a lot of success with guard passing by utilizing a strong club followed up with a backstep pass.  Then it was onto the Prime guy, who had some good wrestling.  He scored first with a decent double-leg takedown, but then I hit a sweep, pass, and mount to put the score at 9-2.  We battled from there, he was a tenacious fellow for sure, but in the end I secured the victory when the buzzer rang.

My coach and teammate Clint Cooper had a rematch with Alex Zieske of RDC — Clint had unfortunately twisted his knee in their last match at the Vancouver IO in December — and secured a tight knee-bar almost right away.  Clint also coached two of his new adult students in their first tournament matches, and while it didn’t go their way, they had a lot of fun and would do it again.

–Kiyoshi “The Prototype”
Your #1 Canadian eh?
Respect the Technique, Triangle Army

2015’s Year of the Sheep: In Review

We may remember that 2014 was good.  But 2015? Yowzah.

Sheep!  I could go the obvious route about sheep and flocking and yadda-yadda-yadda, but then I’d feel a little sheepish about it.  Ba-DUM-tish!

Once more (with feeling) these are just some of the important days, notes, and highlights in my year.

-January: After reviewing the requirements for entry into the Bachelor of Physical Education and Coaching (BPEC) program, I arranged with former Professor Gord Sturrock to become an assistant coach for the Hyacks’ Wrestling Team out of New Westminster Secondary School.  I helped out with their first tournament of the season: the Western Canada Age Class 2015 Championship, where they all wrestled to a podium finish.  I attended Battlefield Fight League’s 34th card featuring a hefty line-up of friends and training partners: Jeremy Kennedy, Shawn Albrecht, Micah Brakefield, and Christiaan Allaart.  Christiaan’s opponent would no-show to the weigh-ins, forcing him from the card.  Micah would lose to Ash Mashreghi via questionable stoppage, but it was an exciting fight nonetheless.  Shawn would win a unanimous decision and put him as the #1 contender in the Featherweight division.  Jeremy would win a unanimous decision (including a 50-43 score) to claim the Featherweight title belt.  My seat-mates were Sterling Redlack and Stu Deleurme – invited down from Kelowna by BFL to honour Cam’s passing – and Matt Dwyer – former BFL Middleweight champ and current UFC fighter.

-February: Keri and I moved from our place off of 240th and into a newer place on the Haney Bypass.  We moved the big objects during my study break, and got the rest during the month.  With cement floors and ceilings – plus underground parking – it is an upgrade in layout, noise (the lack thereof mainly), and time saved by not scraping frost.  The stairs don’t go down to the parkade, which is a touch annoying, but that’s a mild complaint honestly.  The Hyacks went to the BC Provincials at the Abbotsford Agricultural Rec Centre at the end of the month, and several team members made the top eight to get onto the podium.  I also attended a tournament, the 2nd Marcus Soares Invitational Championships, my first of the year.  I opted in for Gi and No-Gi, feeling decently confident in my stand-up.  Since this tournament only awarded points for submission attempts, I probably would have been safer to jump guard ASAP, but I wanted to test myself.  I lost both of my rounds, but hit an amazing lumberjack sweep in my No-Gi match.  Then I proposed to Keri.  My friend James from Caliber Media was there to help with pictures of the moment.  She said yes.

-March: WarPath hosted their first card in about two years.  I am sad to report that it was not up to their usual standards, plagued by delays and a lineup that was not finalized until the night of the event.  Of note, my friend and former opponent Creigh Sullivan won via dominant fashion, securing a triangle choke in the first round. Battlefield’s 35th card occurred on the 28th, featuring well-known talent such as Nick Ghaeni, Jamie Siraj, Matt Baker, and my friend and former teammate Christian Tremayne.  It was a great night to watch the local talent grow, as well as see their corners evolve.  Notably in attendance were UFC bantamweight veteran Sarah Kaufmann, and ONE FC featherweight Champion Bibiano Fernandes.  Christian won with crisp boxing and slick transitions, getting the Unanimous Decision.  Keri and I celebrated our 2-year anniversary with some lovely relaxation.

-April: Keri celebrated her birthday in conjunction with the Easter Long Weekend, which made for quite a time for all.  Apparently people know us as fans of Doctor Who, as many of her gifts were Doctor-themed.  The final weeks of my classes finished, and then exams.  During that period I had enough stress to lower my immune system and catch a cold and a low-grade fever.  Despite that, I managed to pass all of my classes and up my GPA.  One more course to register and pass, and then I am accepted into my Bachelor’s program.  Keri scheduled an interview at the end of the month at Ridge Meadows Hospital, and her professionalism and knowledge made her a sure-fire hire.

-May: Keri began her training and orientation for her job, traveling to Royal Columbian, Surrey Memorial, and Ridge Meadows.  Then she got an e-mail from ARH asking if she was still available for shifts on the Maternity ward.  While the timing could have been better, it does mean that she could pick up casual shifts from both hospitals and thus have a decent amount of hours.  My summer semester started, and a day earlier than I had previously believed.  Fortunately I caught my erroneous belief before the start, so I managed to appear prepared. The end of the month meant Proving Grounds VI in Bellevue, a tournament I was quite eager for.  It was the same weekend as the IBJJF Mundials which saw a lot of my friends and teammates compete.  Unfortunately I came up short in my tournament thanks to a call that should not have been made.  The experience soured the day for me, but the evening was able to pull it back thanks to Battlefield 36.  It was BFL’s 5th Anniversary. and the card featured five title fights: three amateur titles, one inaugural kickboxing title, and one pro title.  My friend and former teammate/coach Christiaan Allaart would suffer a loss via guillotine choke in the first round, going unconscious and making him unable to claim the Featherweight title.  Christiaan would also retire from MMA following his fight, leaving him able to concentrate on his family and his job teaching BJJ.  Friend and former teammate Christian Tremayne would weather a hard first and second round before going on to win the final three rounds to win the vacant Lightweight belt via unanimous decision, 48-47.  Friend and former co-worker Tylor Nicholson would be unable to continue the inaugural kickboxing bout due to receiving unintentional illegal blows; that coming after his opponent missed weight by 5 pounds.  Chris Anderson would defend his Middleweight title via KO in the second round; Ash Mashreghi would claim the vacant pro Middleweight title via RNC in the third round.

-June: The first Saturday was a taste test at Austin Gourmet, a wedding catering company.  We selected a 3-bean salad, southwestern potato salad, spinach and feta cannelloni in a white sauce, and a beef lasagna.  All of it was amazing, filling, and not greasy.  While eating, we chatted about the general layout of the Old Mill Boathouse, and got some experienced input on where the head table should go.  The staff at Austin Gourmet were very pleasant to deal with, and we recommend them to anyone looking for a caterer.  The next Saturday was the CBJJF 3rd Annual Provincial BJJ Championships, hosted in Abbotsford at the Events Centre.  I volunteered with the set-up and the scorekeeping, plus I competed in Gi and No-Gi; medalling in both.  The following Monday I attended a seminar hosted by top Featherweight competitor Gianni Grippo, learning about a berimbolo set-up.  Friend, roommate, and teammate Jordan and I would complete the Grouse Grind for the first time in many years.  It is quite different now with a lot more completed staircases and fewer rocks to scale.

-July: After a few false bookings, I booked and completed my Standard First Aid & CPR level C + AED certification; a prerequisite not only to graduate from my program but also to start my fieldwork courses in the fall.  The two-day course was a lot easier than the provided First Aid Reference Guide suggested, but there are skills that I want to continue to practice.  Keri and I went to lunch with my cousin Courtney, finally allowing the two of them to meet face to face instead of relying on stories from me.  Professor Cobrinha returned to town for a two-day seminar, concentrating on the double-under guard pass and utilizing a Kimura grip in a variety of ways.  My cousin Mike came down from Kelowna to participate as well, which was fun.  That same weekend I attended Battlefield Fight League’s 37th card, which was aired on the Fight Network.  My teammate and friend Shawn Albrecht fought but fell prey to a superior stand-up game despite his control of the ground game.  UFC Bantamweight fighter Sarah Kaufmann was in town to coach her teammate and fellow professional fighter Ryan Janes to a successful and exciting Middleweight title defence.  A day later my parents arrived in town for a quick vacation, allowing for an impromptu reunion of sorts followed by a family engagement party.

-August: Longtime friend Jordan tied the knot in a wonderful, simple, and fun Hawaiian-themed ceremony; myself and longtime friend Niv were the groomsmen, along with fellow Edmontonian Jan.  Friend and training partner Matt Kwan would host an open mat at his new academy On Guard BJJ, and receive his well-deserved and long-awaited brown belt.  I volunteered at the Katana BJJ Roots BJJ Challenge III, and ended up competing rather spur-of-the-moment.  I had enough warning to invite my cousin Courtney to come watch, it helped that the tournament was at the Richmond Oval.  I took gold after two good matches, and I got another two takedowns.   I would make my way up to Kelowna to attend a Rafa Mendes seminar – thus completing a third seminar by one of the best BJJ Featherweights in the world – and managed to get in a couple of training sessions with the beasts at RDC Jiu-Jitsu.  While there, I went (or tried) wakeboarding, and then had a blast on a huge tube — until it flipped and launched me into the air.  Apparently my body made a very unmistakeably loud noise when it hit the water.  But, no injuries to report from that!  Amanda and I (and everyone else) pulled a surprise engagement party for Keri (and for me, but one of us had to be in on it).  Finally, Keri and I managed to sneak off for a week-long trip to Alberta to visit my parents and test-drive some Subarus.  We managed to avoid the massive windstorm as well.

-September: I finished the last round of my Twinrix Immunization, bringing me up to date on Hep A/B, MMR, and Tetanus.  Another Fall semester started with an unexpected fire alarm, an expected Violent Intruder Drill, and Fieldwork Orientation.  Amanda and Ben had their engagement party, which was a fun mingling experience with mini pumpkin pies!  Just as my school schedule became normal, Keri and I jetted off to Florida/a quick Bahaman cruise (BOAT DAY!) for my good friends Jeff and Claire and their wedding!  Yay!  I helped Jordan get his first sponsorship with Just Saiyan, a company that has a collection of shirts and rashguards featuring costumes from DragonBall Z.  Jordan picked up Vegeta and Frieza, Keri grabbed a Vegeta (which can double as child Gohan on Namek), and I grabbed a Goku.

-October: We celebrated my 31st birthday in a low-key style: watching the UFC 192 card with friends.  I started getting back to the weights to push my weight solidly into the Middleweight bracket, with the assistance of Twin 1: Jack.  The entire household went to the advance voting polls to cast our votes for the Federal election, an action that over 800,000 Canadians joined in on.  My Fieldwork site was a voting station, and they didn’t seem terribly busy during the scant moments I was inside to notice them — but that doesn’t mean they weren’t getting a good turnout.  Battlefield Fight League held their 39th card, “Halloween Hell”, at the Hard Rock Casino.  Friend and sometimes-teammate Stu Deleurme fought for the first time since Cam passed away; Stu unfortunately lost via first round TKO.  Mr. Kitty unfortunately passed away, but it appeared to be painless for her.  She will always be loved, and missed dearly.

-November: Keri and I went to visit the Shar Peis that Sonja breeds, and enjoyed being once again in a pile of dogs.  We had a sleepover with one of the gorgeous dogs, and soon realized that separating a grown adult from her pack was not the easiest task in the world; especially compared to raising a puppy.  It was a good lesson to learn, but at least we enjoyed a night of having a dog sleep on the bed with us.  I did my first solo stint as a wrestling coach at a takedown tournament.  It was a great way to give our youngest team member some competition experience before War On The Floor; a big thanks to the Pinetree wrestlers for ignoring the 25kg difference in weight and giving him several matches.  My fieldwork at Maple Creek wrapped up, and I was gifted one of their shirts.  More than 10 years after graduating high school I’m finally starting to feel school pride.  Finally, I got my seasonal flu shot, continuing the trend I started in the summer.

-December: The month started out with my last tournament of the year: the 1st Annual Vancouver International Open.  I competed in Gi and No-Gi, and volunteered all day.  My Gi division didn’t go as planned, but I managed a better show in No-Gi, taking Gold.  My cousin Courtney came out to watch, and we had a little family reunion with our cousin/my teammate Mike.  The first official tournament of the wrestling season kicked off right as I had to write my big Anatomy & Physiology final, but the timing worked so the Hyacks had a coach with them all day.  I solo coached four of my wrestlers at War On The Floor, two of them were second-year veterans and two of them were new.  None of them have any big holes in their games to deal with, just small things to be corrected in practice and with more experience.  Back on the dog front, we puppy-sat the gorgeous little Muji while Sonja tended to the newest litter of puppies.  This gave her the opportunity to work somewhat less impeded while giving Muji lots of love and attention.  Keri and I had multiple Christmas dinners with family and friends, including some haggis!  ‘Twas delicious actually.  Finally, I felt my first earthquake on the 29th, a 4.9 on the Richter scale.  It was a bit underwhelming, but perhaps this building is a bit more earthquake-ready as compared to older places.

What a year it’s been!  I know some of what 2016 will bring, but I’m looking forward to all of it!  How was your 2015?  Any big highlights — or small ones — that you’d like to share?

–Kiyoshi “The Prototype”
Your #1 Canadian eh?
Respect the Technique, Triangle Army

CBJJF Vancouver International Open

Saturday December 5th was the launch of the inaugural Vancouver International Open tournament, hosted by the CBJJF at the UBC War Memorial Gym.  They had close to 700 competitors, and a schedule that would have doors open at 7:45AM and the final matches start around 8PM.  A long day for all of the staff and volunteers, but we got through it with few incidents.  I had a few jobs as the day progressed: I started at the weigh-in table, moved to score-keeping and semi-impromptu ring coordination, and ended with Gi/No-Gi checks combined with a bouncer-style position to ensure a specific area remain open to those with a media or coaching pass.

I registered for Gi and No-Gi, Master 1 Middleweight for both.  The Gi division started as six of us, but had a late addition from the Master 2 bracket when half (a.k.a. one) of the opponents didn’t show up.  There ended up being three of us from Genesis, but fairly well separated by other matches.  My own match didn’t go very well, my long-time opponent Clay from Gravity BJJ pulled me down into a tight triangle choke in the opening seconds while I was busy setting up for a single-leg attack.  He was rewarded with the tap and moved on to face my teammate Rich.  At this point I was starving, so I grabbed some lunch from the volunteer’s food table and sat down with my cousin Courtney who had arrived in time watch my quick match.

My RDC teammate/cousin Mike had arrived as well, so we had a small family gathering of cousins until I returned to my volunteering duties.  The tournament was running behind as the day progressed, at the worst being about an hour behind schedule, but started getting back on track as the No-Gi division started.  Clay and I faced off once again, this time we battle for several minutes until a scramble gave me the opportunity to sink in a Rear Naked Choke at the expense of securing the position.  The gambit paid off and I was rewarded with the tap.

As always I was decked out in crisp new Gi from Triangle Athletics, and my go-to shorts and long-sleeve rashguard.  I haven’t worn the rashguard in a while, keeping to short sleeves while wrestling, but putting it on felt like coming home again; familiar, comfortable, and wondering why I didn’t wear it sooner.

Many of my Genesis teammates competed as well, and several of them made it to a podium finish.  Some of them competed in No-Gi for their first time with no prior training and had a lot of fun.  It will likely be my last tournament until February of 2016, and in the meantime I’ll be busy studying, enjoying time off, and starting yet another semester.

–Kiyoshi “The Prototype”
Your #1 Canadian eh?
Respect the Technique, Triangle Army

Fitness!

Being a very undersized Middleweight competitor (up to 181.5lbs with the gi on), I have two choices: cut the few pounds to be a Lightweight (168lbs) either each time or permanently, or gain weight — preferably muscle.  So I decided on option 2: muscle.

Getting another membership and finding the time to get there just wasn’t feasible, along with the fact that I didn’t have a workout plan.

Problem 1: a gym.  Answer 1: Douglas College.  Students get access to the weight room and other facilities during their posted hours.

Problem 2: finding time.  Answer 2: Before, after, or between classes.  Certainly makes it worth the drive when I can do something on campus that is longer than a single class a day.

Problem 3: a workout plan.  Answer 3: Jack-Attack!  My boy Jack, a wrestler on the SFU team and a classmate of mine, was already doing sessions at the gym.  He, like I, was on campus five days a week.  It was only natural that we join forces to be gym-boys together.

Boom, problem solved!  Now I just have to actually gain weight.  The bonus side of things: we’re doing some anaerobic cardio as well, something that is a must for wrestling and BJJ.  We’ll get stronger, we’ll get more endurance when the pressure is on, and we’ll look good doing so.

–Kiyoshi “The Prototype”
Your #1 Canadian eh?
Respect the Technique, Triangle Army.

Katana BJJ Roots Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Challenge III

Saturday August 8th was the 3rd Roots BJJ Challenge, hosted by Katana BJJ.  Originally I wasn’t going to compete, deciding that I wanted to work my game a little more between tournaments.  They changed venues, from the Fridge Gymnasium to the Richmond Olympic Oval.  This move immediately solved the parking issues, even if it did mean paying about $1/hour.  The space inside meant they could run four mats instead of their usual three, and they had a good sized bull-pen area and a clear entrance/exit for the paramedic.

I volunteered for most of the day, being the scorekeeper  for Mat 4.  I got to see a few great matches and watch some teammates and friends compete right in front of me, which is always a bonus of being front row.  I also decide to compete, joining my usual Master’s 1 Middleweight division.  I was a comfortable and relaxed 168 pounds with my gi on, and the third man in my three-man bracket.  Yo Sik and Joshua went first, with Joshua falling prey to a triangle/armbar combination.  After they rested, I faced Joshua and won 10-0 after trying and failing to secure two submission attempts on him.  After another rest, I faced Yo Sik in the Gold medal match, and got myself on the scoreboard thanks to a great single-leg that led to a scramble which ended with the 4-point rear-mount secured. Yo Sik managed to slip out before I could go for any submission, and I stopped his great scrambles and kept him off of the scoreboard.

I had fun in both matches, and so did my opponents.  As it turned out, it was Joshua’s first ever competition, and I’m certain that he took the experience well and will be a force to be reckoned with soon enough.

My cousin Courtenay managed to make it out to watch me compete and record my matches, and she had a lot of fun.  I want to sit down with her and provide some commentary on the positions, scoring, and why we do the things we do.

Maybe the key to success for me is zero prep for two weeks, just something to consider.  For now, back to the academy to train!

–Kiyoshi “The Prototype”
Your #1 Canadian eh?
Respect the Technique, Triangle Army

BC Day!

Today is B.C. Day, a Stat holiday.  It has been quite the weekend for me, and now I finish it off with an open mat hosted by On Guard BJJ in Port Coquitlam by my friend and training partner Matt Kwan.  Enjoy your extra day!

–Kiyoshi “The Prototype”
Your #1 Canadian eh?
Respect the Technique, Triangle Army

An Over/Under Segment

This past week I did an interview/challenge with Verbal Tap Podcast hosts Raf Esparza and Kevin T Phillips for the “Over/Under Kevin” segment.

The segment consists of Kevin and a chosen guest selecting who they think will win each bout on the upcoming UFC PPV card.  In this particular case it’s regarding August 1st’s UFC 190: Rousey vs. Correira, and the guest was none other than myself.  It all started with a call-out directed at Kevin, which resulted in Raf reaching out to me and getting the ball rolling.  Without spoiling what is to come, check out Verbal Tap Episode 127 here, and don’t forget to subscribe and rate them on iTunes!

–Kiyoshi “The Prototype”
Your #1 Canadian eh?
Respect the Technique, Triangle Army.

First Aid

Well, I spent my weekend gaining my Standard First Aid certificate with CPR-C and AED training for school purposes.  It was a 2-day course put on by St. John’s Ambulance, and I had a great instructor.  Having an active certification is a prerequisite to graduate from my program, and also required before I start my fieldwork courses.  All I have to do is submit my proof – a.k.a.  my certificate – in person to the Sport Science Department office and I will be good to go!

It feels good to have current First Aid knowledge, and a great resource book on hand to reference.  Given all of the training that I do, I cannot say for certain which of my teammates are trained as well; knowing that I am relieves a large burden.  My next step is the purchase of a proper First Aid kit and a few other accessories, especially the ever-versatile triangle bandages.

–Kiyoshi “The Prototype”
Your #1 Canadian eh?
Respect the Technique, Triangle Army

Volunteering

I mentioned in my B.C Provincials recap that Keri and I volunteered at the tournament.  It is a unique experience to be on the other side of the fence, coordinating the athletes to mats, keeping score, or even weighing the competitors in and checking their uniforms for irregularities.  I also assisted in the setup the night before; laying down mats that I would later be competing on.

As it was our first time volunteering, neither of us wanted to take on heavy duties.  We didn’t want to mess up anything for the competitors.  Keri was a ring coordinator and sometimes a scorekeeper; I stuck to scorekeeping duties the entire day, which allowed me to jump in and out when I needed to compete.  I was pretty nervous when the day first started, even though they were Mitey Mites and wouldn’t know if I messed up or now.  Fortunately I had a fantastic referee who made eye contact for awarding points and giving clear signals for everything.  He took the edge off, and the day started very smoothly.  Together with the ring coordinator, we – and everyone else of course – had the teens and women’s divisions going by noon.  Pretty good for a 9AM start time.

The day kept going smoothly, and it wasn’t until I had finished my gi division that mistakes started to creep in.  Fortunately, the mistakes were correctly quickly, in part to the experience of the ref, and in part to the fact that I’ve known the ref for the better part of a decade – he ref’d my first match.  Around 4PM there was a noticeable lull as a few of the Absolute divisions were finishing up; most of those athletes were also in No-Gi.  My No-Gi division was free of Absolute participants, so I ran to collect the division, a referee, and a scorekeeper and got it moving.  I figured it would be easier to get it done now, rather than in the middle of all of the No-Gi divisions.

Around 5:30PM, I realized that I could not brain anymore.  It had been a long day already, plus competing, with barely any breaks.  I packed it in to the main coordinator, and pulled Keri out as well.  I did manage to pass my duties off to longtime friend Matt Kwan who was waiting for his No-Gi division to be called, so at least someone would still have a scorekeeper.  Then it was all of the food to recharge and watching Fabricio Werdum use some Jiu-Jitsu to win the belt.

I am pleased to have volunteered and give something back to the community; I will be volunteering at future events, and if Keri is available, I’m sure she will be as well.

–Kiyoshi “The Prototype”
Your #1 Canadian eh?
Respect the Technique, Triangle Army