It has been so long since I've been on Blogger that I completely forget that I actually had a blog, per se. I suppose I've been so used to writing things through our church website (www.victoryworshipcenter.com) or through my facebook account (www.facebook.com/ekpastor) that I haven't touched this site in a while. It's pretty interesting actually, because it seems like blogger is the one place where I can post "unofficial" things about life, liberty, and the pursuit of all things that interest me. In fact, it wasn't until a friend of mine sent me a link via facebook about an African-American woman who's been taking BJJ that I stumbled back across blogger. At any rate, it's good to be back!
I suppose that since this is an "unofficial" blog (i.e.: not linked to anything relating to VWC or to my facebook account that many "Victorians" visit, I should write something non-related to kids, ministry, or the like. It's not as if, as a pastor, I write things through a tainted lens, thoroughly and scrupulously scrubbed with holy water and liquid soap in other places. In fact, as a pastor, I feel that I'm pretty transparent about my life. I generally try to come off as "un-pastorly" as possible. By this, I don't mean that I act like every average joe on primetime television. I just try to appear as real as possible. I think this comes from my old youth pastor, who generally used the same approach. He never tried to pass himself off through religiosity or the like... he was just himself. But I digress! I'm discussing religion and politics in my "unofficial" blog...
Since a thread on BJJ brought me back to blogger, I should state something about BJJ here. For the uninformed ("What is BJJ? What are you talking about?"), BJJ is short for "Brazilian Jiu Jitsu." ("You mean like karate?") Not exactly. BJJ came from the Gracie family, and is descended from Japanese Judo... ("Wait... It's not JiuJitsu?") No, everything back in the early days was called Jiu Jitsu. Judo wasn't known as Judo back then. ("Oh! So Judo is Jiu Jistsu?") Um... Have you ever watch UFC and seen someone "tap out?" ("Yeah!") That's BJJ. ("Oh! Okay!")
At any rate, I've been in BJJ basically since last June (2009). It's something I've thoroughly enjoyed, become somewhat obsessed with, and something that's pretty much uniquely me. It's caused me to lose weight, become battered and scarred, and generally reshaped my physical life. It's one of those constant things that shifts around my schedule and competes for my time (BJJ or movie? BJJ or family time? BJJ or sleep in late on Saturdays? BJJ Fundamentals on Monday Nights or stay home and not go through the rigorous warm-ups that seem to only happen on Monday Night!?) Any way you cut it, BJJ has been one of the best decisions I've made for health and physical fitness in a long time. I'm collecting the lumps to prove it!
I've joined gyms over the years. I've lifted weights, ran laps, and sweated off many lbs. only to regain them one corn chip or pizza slice at a time. However, gyms and weights mean one thing: HARD WORK! I've never liked to go to the gym. It's something that we do as a discipline in order to try to measure up to some sort of arbitrary standard that's set by the media. In fact, gyms as a whole are a pretty amazing concept. Think of it! Where else do millions of people pay good, hard earned money in our current economy to run on a treadmill that goes to nowhere, and to lift really heavy metal objects repeatedly!? In theory, you could get just as good or even a better workout by simply going out into your backyard with a shovel and 5 gallon bucket, digging a 10x10x3 foot hole and moving the dirt from one side of your yard to the other than by paying a monthly fee to sweat in a building with other like-minded individuals. But of course, you wouldn't get the complimentary towel...
It's been a while since I've blogged, so please excuse my temporary ramblings....
At any rate, the point I'm trying to make is that BJJ, while strenuous at times, isn't as "work-centric" as a gym. In fact, I find that I'm hardly going to the gym at all anymore. It's not that I don't need to, it's just that I hate to. Why would I go to the gym to work out (which is work) when I can simply go to BJJ and enjoy the physical activity there? I've lost weight and gotten into the best shape I've been in for a long time doing something enjoyable, rather than forcing myself to grind out rep after rep and run a little bit faster for the next 5 min. on the walk to nowhere (i.e.: treadmill)
Of course, with all that said, I'm about to start some P90X in the morning with my Bro.-In-Law. The reason? I'm gassing out in BJJ. The more I roll (that means grapple with) the higher belts/younger guys in the class, the quicker I become tired. In other words, my working out is becoming something to supplement my play time. I'm also trying to drop another 25lbs. because I'd like to compete one day. Right now, I'm 195lbs. at 5'6" and while I'm pretty solid, there are much bigger opponents at 195 than 175. So P90X it is!
I'll try to remember about this blogger thing and keep you posted as I go. Next time, I'll try to add some more of my ideas on BJJ and cover something specific, rather than simply go on and on about nothing. Until then, God bless!
-B
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