tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29819702448410490702024-03-13T21:43:47.827-07:00Jiu-jitsu SenseiThis blog is to record my many training and teaching experiences in the martial arts. I run my own Can-ryu Jiu-jitsu dojo, but I also do extra curricular training in other martial arts to keep my skills sharp and to add to my knowledge of the arts. My posts include information about martial arts theory and technique, self-defense, and training drills, in addition to my personal anecdotes. Oh, and I'm a woman if that's important to you.Lori O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624273179198028322noreply@blogger.comBlogger374125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2981970244841049070.post-41806777619459039072012-01-12T16:14:00.000-08:002012-01-12T16:16:06.526-08:00First New Post at Our New Blog PageIn case you didn't already know, our blog has moved. Our first new post on the new blog is up, <a href="http://pacificwavejiujitsu.com/blog/how-to-breakfall-naturally">How to Breakfall Naturally</a>. Read it at our new address and follow us there from now on. Thanks for reading!Lori O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624273179198028322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2981970244841049070.post-22424636118688676582012-01-09T16:05:00.000-08:002012-01-09T16:06:38.490-08:00Jiu-jitsu Sensei is Now at PacificWaveJiujitsu.comHello Everyone,<div><br /></div><div>We have now successfully moved Jiu-jitsu Sensei to its new home on our dojo's fancy new website. If you want to keep following our blog posts, check in at our new address here: <a href="http://pacificwavejiujitsu.com/blog/">http://pacificwavejiujitsu.com/blog/</a>. Thanks for reading everyone!</div><div><br /></div><div>Lori</div>Lori O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624273179198028322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2981970244841049070.post-74160559983120300932011-12-18T17:09:00.000-08:002011-12-18T17:12:59.350-08:00Jiu-jitsu Sensei's Martial Arts Blog is Moving!Hello Everyone,<br /><br />Just wanted to let you all know that we are in the process of re-locating this blog over the next couple of weeks. As a result, we have closed commenting on blog posts (so we don't have as much to move). I will post an update after the move with the new URL. Thanks for your continued support!<br /><br />Lori O'ConnellLori O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624273179198028322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2981970244841049070.post-15312384147019630312011-12-15T09:46:00.000-08:002012-01-09T16:04:49.819-08:00Can Older People Do Jiu-jitsu? Just Ask Rick...<div style="text-align: left;">This post has been moved to our new address: <a href="http://pacificwavejiujitsu.com/blog/can-older-people-do-jiu-jitsu-just-ask-rick">http://pacificwavejiujitsu.com/blog/can-older-people-do-jiu-jitsu-just-ask-rick</a>.</div>Lori O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624273179198028322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2981970244841049070.post-5586468323041856642011-12-08T10:26:00.004-08:002012-01-09T16:09:11.178-08:005 Tips for Maintaining Martial Arts Training (Or Any Hobby) as a Parent<div>This post has been moved to our new address: <a href="http://pacificwavejiujitsu.com/blog/5-tips-for-maintaining-martial-arts-training-or-any-hobby-as-a-parent">http://pacificwavejiujitsu.com/blog/5-tips-for-maintaining-martial-arts-training-or-any-hobby-as-a-parent</a>.</div>Lori O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624273179198028322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2981970244841049070.post-7955726853540083192011-12-01T09:38:00.000-08:002012-01-09T16:11:18.181-08:00Celebrating Martial Arts MilestonesThis blog post has moved to our new address: <a href="http://pacificwavejiujitsu.com/blog/celebrating-martial-arts-milestones">http://pacificwavejiujitsu.com/blog/celebrating-martial-arts-milestones</a>Lori O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624273179198028322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2981970244841049070.post-86729363373716792322011-11-24T10:23:00.000-08:002012-01-09T16:12:29.211-08:00Taking Responsibility for Higher Level Learning<div>This blog post has been moved to our new address: <a href="http://pacificwavejiujitsu.com/blog/taking-responsibility-for-higher-level-learning">http://pacificwavejiujitsu.com/blog/taking-responsibility-for-higher-level-learning</a></div>Lori O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624273179198028322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2981970244841049070.post-33609056829096153452011-11-17T14:15:00.000-08:002012-01-09T16:13:38.387-08:00Getting Into & Maintaining the Martial Arts Training Habit<div style="text-align: left;">This blog post has been moved to our new address: <a href="http://pacificwavejiujitsu.com/blog/getting-into-maintaining-the-martial-arts-training-habit">http://pacificwavejiujitsu.com/blog/getting-into-maintaining-the-martial-arts-training-habit</a></div><div></div>Lori O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624273179198028322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2981970244841049070.post-53698957212320887232011-11-09T14:56:00.000-08:002012-01-10T13:21:20.968-08:00How Martial Arts Instructors Can Give More<div>This blog post has been moved to our new address: <a href="http://pacificwavejiujitsu.com/blog/how-martial-arts-instructors-can-give-more">http://pacificwavejiujitsu.com/blog/how-martial-arts-instructors-can-give-more</a></div>Lori O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624273179198028322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2981970244841049070.post-9263521028250735012011-11-03T13:10:00.000-07:002012-01-09T16:23:34.949-08:006 Favourite Movie Fight Scenes for InspirationThis blog post has been moved to our new address: <a href="http://pacificwavejiujitsu.com/blog/6-favourite-movie-fight-scenes-for-inspiration">http://pacificwavejiujitsu.com/blog/6-favourite-movie-fight-scenes-for-inspiration</a>Lori O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624273179198028322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2981970244841049070.post-25177771980592370462011-10-27T13:49:00.000-07:002012-01-09T16:25:59.989-08:00Dealing with Less-than-Ideal UkesThis blog post has been moved to our new address: <a href="http://pacificwavejiujitsu.com/blog/dealing-with-less-than-ideal-ukes">http://pacificwavejiujitsu.com/blog/dealing-with-less-than-ideal-ukes</a>Lori O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624273179198028322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2981970244841049070.post-27520113254050965212011-10-19T13:00:00.000-07:002012-01-09T16:31:26.884-08:00The Role of Pain, Frustration & Violence in the Martial ArtsThis blog post has been moved to our new address: <a href="http://pacificwavejiujitsu.com/blog/the-role-of-pain-frustration-violence-in-the-martial-arts">http://pacificwavejiujitsu.com/blog/the-role-of-pain-frustration-violence-in-the-martial-arts</a>Lori O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624273179198028322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2981970244841049070.post-6934363213642182742011-10-12T12:17:00.000-07:002012-01-09T16:33:52.772-08:003 Different Takes on the Sensei-Student RelationshipThis blog post has been moved to our new address: <a href="http://pacificwavejiujitsu.com/blog/3-different-takes-on-the-sensei-student-relationship">http://pacificwavejiujitsu.com/blog/3-different-takes-on-the-sensei-student-relationship</a>Lori O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624273179198028322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2981970244841049070.post-83864238902393472242011-10-04T14:06:00.000-07:002012-01-09T16:35:01.965-08:0010 Things You Can Do Outside the Dojo to Become a Better Martial ArtistThis blog post has been moved to our new address: <a href="http://pacificwavejiujitsu.com/blog/10-things-you-can-do-outside-the-dojo-to-become-a-better-martial-artist">http://pacificwavejiujitsu.com/blog/10-things-you-can-do-outside-the-dojo-to-become-a-better-martial-artist</a>Lori O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624273179198028322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2981970244841049070.post-69205216802431155652011-09-26T16:21:00.000-07:002011-09-26T16:25:53.207-07:00Ip Man the Movie & Wing Chun for Martial InspirationBack in July, I wrote a post about my <a href="http://jiu-jitsusensei.blogspot.com/2011/07/top-5-martial-arts-related-movies.html">top 5 martial arts related movies</a>, not just based on the fights alone, but the movies as complete works. A few people mentioned that Ip Man should really have been on my list, but I hadn't seen it. I finally managed to rectify this over the weekend and I must say, this movie would have made my top 5 list for sure. Check out the trailer:<br /><br /><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1AJxXQ7xojE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br /><br />Not only was the story well told, it was also well acted, not that cheesy-I-can-put-up-with-this-for-the-awesome-fights kind of acting. And the fights are indeed excellent! They did a great job of representing the style of Wing Chun and even made the Japanese's fighting style look, well, Japanese, with Karate style striking (though I would have liked to see a bit more Jiu-jitsu, naturally).<br /><br />This movie made me remember way back in university when I did some Wing Chun training for a period of about 6 months. Its fluid striking and blocking blends hard and soft martial art principles and can be quite practically applied. One of my favourite drills was chi sao, a "sticky hands" drill that allows you to practice feeling your attacker's energy, so you can block, redirect and counter. Here is a video explaining the principles of this (you'll have to excuse the poor sound quality, but it really is a good video):<br /><br /><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_Y66ptlRrOc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br /><br />Anyway, Ip Man was a great source of inspiration for me, making me want to play with more flow drills. Have you seen it? What did you think? Out of curiosity, are there any Wing Chun practioners out there who have seen it? If so, do you think it stayed relatively true to the style?Lori O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624273179198028322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2981970244841049070.post-26919798213749559392011-09-19T15:40:00.000-07:002012-01-09T16:36:02.800-08:00Solutions to 6 Common Martial Arts Training HurdlesThis blog post has been moved to our new address: <a href="http://pacificwavejiujitsu.com/blog/solutions-to-6-common-martial-arts-training-hurdles">http://pacificwavejiujitsu.com/blog/solutions-to-6-common-martial-arts-training-hurdles</a>Lori O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624273179198028322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2981970244841049070.post-80535390222389357682011-09-12T15:38:00.000-07:002011-09-12T16:04:07.658-07:00Warrior Movie Giveaway!I don't know what this movie is going to be like. I've been disappointed by MMA movies before (I prefer not to discuss how I suggested going to see Red Belt with some of my students). But who knows? Perhaps <span style="font-style:italic;">Warrior</span>, a new MMA movie with an all-star cast, will break the mould. <br /><br />Anyway, the promotions company for <span style="font-style:italic;">Warrior</span> offered to do a giveaway of a Warrior Fan Prize Pack for my blog's readers. This prize includes: Lionsgate Action-Packed DVD Pack, <span style="font-style:italic;">The Men of Warrior</span> coffee table book, <span style="font-style:italic;">Warrior</span> t-shirt, and a <span style="font-style:italic;">Warrior</span> one-sheet. To enter this contest, simply write a comment for this blog post. One commenter will be chosen at random to receive the giveaway. This giveaway is only valid for people who live in either Canada or the United States.<br /><br />Here is the description I was provided for this movie (I will reserve judgement until I see the movie for myself): Haunted by a tragic past, ex-Marine Tommy Conlon (Hardy) returns home for the first time in 14 years to enlist the help of his father (Nick Nolte) to train for SPARTA, the biggest winner-takes-all event in mixed martial arts history. A former wrestling prodigy, Tommy blazes a path toward the championship while his brother, Brendan (Edgerton), an ex-fighter-turned teacher, returns to the ring in a desperate bid to save his family from financial ruin. But when Brendan's unlikely underdog rise sets him on a collision course with the unstoppable Tommy, the two brothers must finally confront each other and the forces that pulled them apart, facing off in the most soaring, soul-stirring, and unforgettable climax that must be seen to be believed.<br /> <br />A rousing ode to redemption, reconciliation and the power of the human spirit, "Warrior" is also a moving testament to the enduring bonds of family.<br /><br />Here is the trailer for the movie if you're curious:<br /><br /><iframe width="560" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/54vrgCP5nlc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Lori O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624273179198028322noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2981970244841049070.post-49307680486906718882011-09-07T11:29:00.000-07:002012-01-09T16:37:45.933-08:00What's Your Excuse?: 7 People Who Will Inspire You to Overcome ItThis blog post has been moved to our new address: <a href="http://pacificwavejiujitsu.com/blog/whats-your-excuse-7-people-who-will-inspire-you-to-overcome-it">http://pacificwavejiujitsu.com/blog/whats-your-excuse-7-people-who-will-inspire-you-to-overcome-it</a>Lori O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624273179198028322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2981970244841049070.post-72056438496359164812011-09-01T14:08:00.001-07:002011-09-01T15:27:45.422-07:00Enter the Dojo: An Introduction to Ameri-Do-TeI recently happened upon a commercial video for a dojo down in New Mexico, teaching the style of Ameri-Do-Te. Here is that video:
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<br /></div><div>If you haven't guessed already, this is spoof. Actually, it's a trailer for a spoof video series, a mockumentary if you will, about Master Ken and what he teaches in his "perfect" martial art, Ameri-Do-Te, a made-up style that takes self-defense/combat concepts to ridiculous extremes. Watch episodes 1 and 2 below to see what I mean:</div><div>
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<br /></div><div>I quite enjoyed the humour of these videos being an instructor of a self-defense oriented martial arts style. I've even had a few requests for "groin grab sparring" from students in jest. That being said, I noticed in the YouTube comments that a number of people thought this was a real martial arts school, criticizing its operations. What a sad state of affairs that there are enough McDojos out there that people could think that this spoof is for real! Ah, well. It is what it is. You just have to find the humour in these things. I hope you find these videos as entertaining as I did! If you want to watch another full-feature martial arts mockumentary, check out <a href="http://youtu.be/zf5JSHlKEak">The Foot Fist Way</a>.</div>Lori O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624273179198028322noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2981970244841049070.post-20513234967843598812011-08-24T13:22:00.000-07:002012-01-09T16:38:56.761-08:00The Purpose of Meditation in the Martial Arts<div>This blog post has been moved to our new address: <a href="http://pacificwavejiujitsu.com/blog/the-purpose-of-meditation-in-the-martial-arts">http://pacificwavejiujitsu.com/blog/the-purpose-of-meditation-in-the-martial-arts</a></div>Lori O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624273179198028322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2981970244841049070.post-21926240674312063472011-08-16T12:49:00.000-07:002011-08-16T14:31:04.835-07:00New Self-Defense Fitness ClassesAt our <a href="http://www.westcoastjj.com/home.html">Vancouver area martial arts school</a>, we pride ourselves in offering a full schedule of adult Can-ryu Jiu-jitsu classes, which offer students a wide range of self-defense skills, including striking, throwing/takedowns, breakfalls, joint locks, sparring, ground techniques and more. Our standard classes start by introducing the most practical, easy-to-learn defensive skills with strong emphasis on gross motor skills while also providing foundations for higher level learning that is developed as a student progresses.<div>
<br /></div><div>Having taught these types of classes for 5 years now, and we do our best to make these classes accessible to anyone and have people of all ages (even a 65-year-old!), fitness, levels and physical abilities. That being said, some people have different comfort levels in terms of what we do, or are not necessarily looking to learn a comprehensive martial art, but still want a place where they can develop and maintain their defensive skills as well as their fitness levels. It is for this reason that we developed our new <a href="http://www.westcoastjj.com/selfdefense_fitness.html">Self-Defense Fitness classes</a>.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Using the simplest, most effective self-defense techniques in Can-ryu Jiu-jitsu, we've created a program that improves students' cardio, strength, coordination, balance, flexibility, etc, AND teaches students how to apply them for personal protection should the need arise. Unlike our regular Jiu-jitsu classes, these one-hour classes leave out higher impact activities such as breakfalls, throws, joint locks and sparring making it accessible to everyone. It's designed to be a solution for people looking for a lower-impact martial arts fitness option. It also can appeal to people who don't like the idea of being thrown or having their joints locked up, whether they're getting over an injury or just a little intimidated at the prospect.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>I never really liked the idea of cardio kickboxing or boxercise classes, finding that these types of classes were more about getting fit with only a minor association with the martial arts, and little to no application as to how to use the martial techniques taught. That's why I wanted to make this class different. Around 1/2-2/3 of the class would be spent on fitness and circuit training with practical striking drills with the remaining time spent on the practical applications of the techniques. This class will not require uniforms and will have no belt system. The only equipment required would be a groin protector.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>I am hoping that this class will help broaden our reach by offering a more simplified training option that addresses different people's needs. It would also serve as an ongoing training option for women who do our 2-hour <a href="http://www.westcoastjj.com/selfdefense_fitness.html">women's self defense class</a>. Additionally, I hope it will also serve to attract curiosity in our regular Jiu-jitsu classes from people who develop a desire to progress further. At the same time, it would also serve our regular Jiu-jitsu students should they want a different format class to help improve fitness levels or give them a training option while recovering from injury. </div><div>
<br /></div><div>What do you think?</div>Lori O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624273179198028322noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2981970244841049070.post-36943293035888490052011-08-09T13:00:00.000-07:002012-01-09T16:41:06.470-08:00Need for Speed: 3 Principles that Shouldn't Be Sacrificed to Go FasterThis blog post has been moved to our new address: <a href="http://pacificwavejiujitsu.com/blog/need-for-speed-3-principles-that-shouldnt-be-sacrificed-to-go-faster">http://pacificwavejiujitsu.com/blog/need-for-speed-3-principles-that-shouldnt-be-sacrificed-to-go-faster</a>Lori O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624273179198028322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2981970244841049070.post-66277835000502376172011-08-04T13:10:00.000-07:002012-01-09T16:42:12.308-08:006 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Martial Arts Conferences<div style="text-align: left;">This blog post has been moved to our new address: <a href="http://pacificwavejiujitsu.com/blog/6-tips-for-getting-the-most-out-of-martial-arts-conferences">http://pacificwavejiujitsu.com/blog/6-tips-for-getting-the-most-out-of-martial-arts-conferences</a></div>Lori O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624273179198028322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2981970244841049070.post-78181816624444777072011-07-27T16:52:00.000-07:002012-01-09T16:43:22.583-08:00Pressure Point of the Day: Lateral FemoralThis blog has been moved to our new address: <a href="http://pacificwavejiujitsu.com/blog/pressure-point-of-the-day-lateral-femoral">http://pacificwavejiujitsu.com/blog/pressure-point-of-the-day-lateral-femoral</a>Lori O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624273179198028322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2981970244841049070.post-66792389944827072152011-07-19T15:32:00.000-07:002012-01-09T16:46:06.822-08:00My Top 5 Martial Arts Related MoviesThis blog post has been moved to our new address: <a href="http://pacificwavejiujitsu.com/blog/my-top-5-martial-arts-related-movies">http://pacificwavejiujitsu.com/blog/my-top-5-martial-arts-related-movies</a>Lori O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14624273179198028322noreply@blogger.com0