Gi Girls

Nike+ GPS Quick Review

2011-08-31T06:35:00.001-07:00

So. Some updates really quickly. I missed 1 week of Jitz last week on account of some car issues. Going tonight to both Beginner and Advanced classes and preparing to work my ass off. My two focuses are energy and technique.

I have been keeping up using the NTC app. I like to do at least a 30 minute routine and sometimes 45. I’m trying to switch it up each week and not do the same routines. My brother is letting me borrow a medicine ball which a lot of the exercises require and I do not own yet. I tried it on last night and damn was it heavy. It was a basketball lunge move (not quite sure if that’s the official name they used).

Besides this, my brother emailed me an invite to a game of tag using Nike’s GPS app. I love the idea of it. The two main issues I’ve noticed so far are:

You must have it physically on your body; it doesn’t connect to the Nike+ shoes. This is all well and good for those who didn’t spend $150 on the shoes, but for those of us who did I’d rather it just sync with that. For one, our treadmill allows you to plug your MP3 player in. Now I have to use headphones while running on my treadmill. And it’s in a basement, which makes it kinda creepy when you’re home alone (my back faces the door).
It is not compatible with headphones that have the built in volume controls in. I was using these headphones just fine with the normal Nike+ app. It allowed me to adjust volume and pause/start the workout with the button. This is really great because it’s kind of hard to access that as you are running on the phone especially when it’s in an armband.

Other than that, I am still in testing phase. My brother hasn’t run yet for the game. Well, he tried but didn’t realize the phone had to be on you so he did a whole run with it connected to the treadmill. I also started a game with a friend who hasn’t responded yet.

I’ll have more opinions soon, but for $2 bucks it’s worth it to me so far. It’s extremely worth it if you haven’t bought Nike+ shoes or the hardware for your ipod/iphone yet because it’s $2 as compared to a whole lot more you’re spending. Of course the catch is it’s only for iphones and ipod touch.

Nike Training Coach Review

2011-08-18T21:54:00.000-07:00

So, I recently became the owner of a shiny new iPhone 4 (I previously owned a 3G once upon a time but it's been a while), and one of the very first Apps I knew I wanted was the Nike Training Coach App from Nike Women. This app is only available for the iPhone, and that has frustrated me for a while as I was using an Android on Virgin Mobile. They really should be nice and put it up on the Android market, but of course that will never happen because Nike is flat out in bed with Apple (duh, Nike+).

Now that I have an iPhone again, however, I'm perfectly ok with that. I've always been a huge fan of Apple anyhow.

Well, I can say for sure that this App is everything I knew it would be. You start off with this screen:

You can go through the different types of workouts there are in "Get Workouts". It starts off asking you to choose a goal: Get Lean, Get Toned, Get Strong, and Get Focused. Then you can choose 3 levels after that - Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. I choose to do today Get Toned/Beginner/45 min which requires dumbbells (NTC suggests 5-8lbs but I don't own that so I used 5 lbs). The NTC app has preset times for each one.

The list actually goes down farther than the screen shot, but you get the idea. When you click on an exercise, it gives still images with instructions and also has a video example by clicking a video icon in the right hand corner of the screen. I watched all the videos pre-workout, but when I finally started the workout I saw that you are also able to watch the videos as you are doing the routine and it automatically pauses the workout for you. This is good because I have a bad memory, heh.

The workout was pretty hard. Right now all I do is running and training at the gym so I'm starting off as a beginner with this stuff. Still, I was determined to do each exercise for the full 45 minutes even if I was doing them slow towards the end. Each exercise is given a specific time frame; generally it was 1-2 minutes. A few, like High Knee Runs in Place, were 30 seconds. I found the Flutter Kicks pretty hard in this group of exercises, as well as pushups and the hip up. I guess my abs and arms need some strength training! Well, all of me kinda needs some strength training and muscle. Whole point of trying this app out!

You can also set music while you do the workout. A voice will direct you during the whole thing, telling you each workout when you start it, how long the duration is, and what you are supposed to do. It will also count down the time at intervals depending on which exercise, and sometimes say "encouraging" things like "check your form", "keep it up", or "almost done".

Once you complete the workout you can share it on Twitter and Facebook, and the app logs all your times and workouts. You can check back on them in the My Workouts section. There is also a Progress screen and a Rewards screen. You get "Reward Badges" for completing specific goals NTC sets, and sometimes there are some rewards for them. Mostly, the rewards seem to be more exercises (LOL). The 60 minute one says something about a smoothie shake. I'll find out tomorrow, once I do another routine.

All in all, it's a really good app and could definitely help those who need guidance and organization in order to maintain an exercise routine!

8.15.11 / Beginner and Advanced

2011-08-15T21:20:00.000-07:00

Did both classes today, though was a little late to the beginner class. Beginner class we went over armbar drills again, and also a take down...

Well, I was trying to find the name of the throw but I'm not having very much success with that. I thought it was called something with Ochi but I'm not sure. I'm going to message my instructor on FB tomorrow and ask him. I've decided that I might try to post the names of at least 1 technique we learned and a video example of it so that I can start learning the names and associating it with the technique. This way also having the video means that I can come back on here and see the move again, which is half of the point of this blog. Try to remember things.

During my search for the take down tonight, however, I did run across one we did at some point since I started back. It's called the "Ippon Seoi Nage". It happens to be from the Grappler's Guide, which is my instructor Jason Scully's forum and resource on grappling. It's funny, cause it was under the suggested links to the right of the one I was watching on an Ochi Gari take down. It's not instructional, but it's pretty neat to watch and you can see the take down good enough.

Ok, I'm mad tired and have to get up at 5:30 am in order to run 1 mile before work tomorrow so I will finish the post later!

2011-08-14T20:10:00.001-07:00

8.10.11 / Beginner and Advanced Class

2011-08-11T09:47:00.001-07:00

We didn’t really go over anything new in class that was much different than what we’ve been doing the past few weeks. We did lots of drills; kimura, armbar, oma plata, triangle, ect. Advanced we did some drills on standup with not getting caught in a single leg take down and how to pull your leg away and the idea of “scrambling” which our instructor has really been trying to sink into us lately (or at least since I started training again). I learned 3 specific things about myself yesterday. First, I desperately need to start doing sit-ups on a regular basis outside of class (ie when I was doing the kimura drill). Second, I similarly need to work on my leg strength (ie when I was doing the take down drill being the person trying to lift the leg). Third, I need to work on my commitment abilities. Basically I need to commit more to the actions I’m doing to try something, instead of half committing or half being afraid to do it. But that was always something I’ve had an issue with, and also part of the reason I wanted to do BJJ in the first place. It was something that was different and hard for me, something that I was not –naturally- good at or had any experience in and that WAS the point. But since I started not just in actual techniques but altogether with the whole experience I’ve been mostly just half way with how much I put into it. I think I might want to change that.

Nike+ Goal Update / Jitz Training Tonight

2011-08-10T06:15:00.001-07:00

So I still have 18.6 miles to go by 8/16. Crazyness.

Tonight I plan on going to beginner and regular class 7-9pm. Looking forward to it.

Nike+ Goals

2011-08-09T05:37:00.001-07:00

So I have yet to finish any Nike+ goal I’ve ever set, but this time I am determined! I have until 8/16 and I need to:

Run 20 more miles
Run 4 more times
Run 4 more times 9’ or under.

Plan on doing 3 miles tonight hopefully.

Goals

2011-08-08T20:43:00.000-07:00

Ok, so my instructor gave me a few things to work on whenever I roll, and I've decided I want to try to add some of my own as well. Repetition is the key, right?

Oh, that and showing up ;-). Didn't go to training tonight cause I had a family thing, but I ran instead so it makes up for it a bit.

Specifically, my instructor told me to work on Deep Half Guard whenever I get a half guard position, and honestly, I think that would really work for me if I start trying it. I get in a decent half guard position most of the time, but stop there. And of course if you're not doing anything then someone is just gonna pass or submit you.

Also, I want to work on shots and just a plain single leg takedown. That's it from stand up. If I happen to be in a position to try something else, of course I'm gonna go for it. But that's all I'm going to try on my own.

Let's see...oh, right. I need to improve my game from guard, so I'm going to pick 1 sweep and 1 attack but still working on those.

And of course, I already decided my favorite submissions are chokes. I don't know why. They are just the most fun and I like them. I've really been working chokes from when I get someone in turtle position or have their back. I really really want to try working more on bow and arrow. I seem to only get halfway in a live rolling situation when trying it.

I don't go again until Wed, so I think tomorrow I'm going to spend some time after work just combing youtube for good videos on the above.

Soooo.

1. deep half guard
2. shots/ single leg takedown
3. need to find a sweep/attack from having guard

New Fight Chix Shirt

2011-08-05T16:29:00.001-07:00

8.4.11 / Stripe Promotion

2011-08-04T17:08:00.000-07:00

So I received 2 stripe promotions yesterday during Wed's class. So happy about it. It's crazy to think I started 3 years ago. I have so many issues going to training consistently, and I'd be lying if I didn't say it has a lot to do with my ADD. But I've been going 2 times a week now for around 4 weeks. I know if I stop going one week, I'll mostly stop for longer than I intended so my goal right now above else is to not stop, ha.

Wanna get that blue belt! ;-)

8.02.11 / Jitz

2011-08-02T05:56:00.001-07:00

Ok, so I’ve pretty much have given up on ever figuring out how to sign on to my original Jiu Jitsu blog, www.jamiekaren.blogspot.com, so I just made a new one. Actually, this maybe works better because I like the url better.

I started the blog mostly to keep track of what I do in training and to help me remember things. And, of course, for fun.

Since I’ve been training consistently recently I wanted to start it up again.

Start off with what I wanna focus on:

Knee cuts
Blocking knee cuts
Stand up/grips (will list specific take downs later but I suck at names)
Deep Half Guard
Clock choke/bow and arrow choke
Sitting out from turtle
Butterfly guard

Ok, so there’s probably like a MILLION things that I will add later. Baby steps. Baby steps.