Last Tuesday we took the kids to their first Jiu-Jitsu class at a relatively new school in downtown Snohomish called Bulwark Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Although Enzo didn’t really enjoy it and decided it wasn’t for him (at least for now), Elise and Ava very much did enjoy it and were excited to go back. We ended up attending another class on Thursday and once again the girls loved it, so based on that we decided to sign them up for regular classes. Additionally, based on how much they were enjoying it, and the fact that the school could use some help in the kids class, I decided to sign up as well. It’s been 5 years since I last did a Jiu-Jitsu class, and in some ways it bums me out that I quit after making so much progress, but I’m really excited to be back into it now, especially since this is an activity that I can enjoy not only on my own, but with my kids as well. Regarding the 5 year break that I took, it was during that time that hockey made a grand entrance into our lives and I honestly couldn’t imagine what our lives would be like without it at this point, so I’m perfectly happy with how everything has turned out.
I was a little bit surprised that Enzo didn’t take to it, but I think he may still be a little too young. He was paired up with an older boy who was pretty experienced, and although the boy did his best to teach Enzo, he just didn’t like being taken down to the mat, sat on, held down, etc. He told me he would rather stick with hockey and bike racing for now, and I thought that was totally fine. His next hockey class starts in about two weeks and he’s excited for that. Then when the class ends, bike racing season will begin, so I think he’s in good shape as far as activities go. Since we still have nice Jiu-Jitsu mats at home, I’m planning on working with the girls and teaching them many of the things I learned when I first started, and Enzo definitely wants to join us for that. I’m sure after a while he will become more interested and may end up wanting to join the class at some point in the future.
In all honesty, the one I was most concerned about in terms of enjoying it was Elise. We have been wanting to find a good physical activity for her to get into and so far she’s loving it. I knew Ava would love it because it’s right in her wheelhouse – this type of physical activity comes naturally to her, but the fact that Elise also loved it made me so happy. We ended up getting both of them a gi (Ava chose a white one while Elise wanted a pink one), then went back for our third and fourth classes this week. I’ve been helping out with the kids classes and sticking around for the adult classes afterwards.
I was feeling quite sore after the first class, but it was great training and rolling with people again. Overall I feel like I’m coming back at it with a new mindset. When I first started Jiu-Jitsu back in San Diego, I was in a bit of a hurry to move up. I went to every class possible so that I could test for my blue belt as soon as possible. While I did receive the highest score (at that time) on my blue belt test in our school’s history, I wasn’t doing myself many favors when I ended up at other schools in Seattle. The program I went through in San Diego was based entirely on self defense (it was called Gracie Combatives), but when I got to the schools in Seattle I was training with people who compete in tournaments, and as a blue belt I was a target for them. Consequently people worked me over a lot, and I nearly got my arm broken, so it put a sour taste in my mouth which eventually caused me to quit. This time around I’m in no hurry and am happy to be starting over as a white belt. Even though I have some experience and legitimately earned my blue belt, at this point I’d rather be a good white belt than a weak blue belt.
Overall I’m just glad to have this activity that we can share and enjoy together. Jiu-Jitsu is very much like playing human chess, so it’s just as good for the mind as it is for the body. Each of us will benefit from it in our own way, and I’m excited to share what I do know with the kids at home. Related to that, I’m thankful to have such a supporting wife who was so encouraging not only to the kids, but to me as well, in terms of taking on yet another activity. For now the girls and I will continue going to classes on Tuesday and Thursday nights, and when scheduling conflicts arise (most likely next hockey season) we’ll just figure out a way to make it work.
Speaking of hockey, we were just up in Canada earlier this month for another tournament. This one was called Wickfest and it’s run by Hayley Wickenheiser, a Canadian Olympian and recent Hockey Hall Of Fame inductee. It’s a huge tournament featuring girls hockey only, and this was their tenth consecutive year holding it. They normally run it in Alberta, but for the past few years they have also held it in Vancouver, and our Washington Wild 8U team was the only team from our whole organization to make it in!
As always the tournaments are so much fun for everyone, players and families alike. It’s a great bonding experience for everyone, and so much fun to watch the kids take on new competition. Our team won the first 3 games convincingly, then went up against a very tough team in game 4 and we lost pretty badly. Every team we faced was Canadian, so it’s great for the girls to face international competition like that. Ava has proved herself to be the main defensive specialist on the team and plays a very physical brand of hockey. As I like to put it, she’s the closest thing to an enforcer you’re going to see in 8U girls hockey, and I mean that as a complement. She’s big, fast, and intimidating out there. While she generally prefers staying back and stopping the other team in their tracks, she still managed to get her first tournament goal in the third game. It was a beautiful shot and I was so excited that I turned to a mom next to me (whose daughter played for the other team) and said “That’s my daughter!”. She was like, “woohoo”.
I had made a deal with Ava before that game that if she scored a goal she could push me into the swimming pool afterwards. We had already been swimming once that day and I wasn’t exactly hoping to go again, but I had to follow through with my promise. Obviously she got a big kick out of it, and I’m all about giving fun motivation like that. I know you have to be careful with how you incentivize kids, but something like pushing me in the pool or dumping a glass of ice water over my head is funny and memorable, so I’m fine with it.
Not only was I proud of Ava, but Jessica and I were both so proud of Elise and Enzo for how they conducted themselves throughout the weekend. It’s not easy to go and support their sister the whole time, but they’re so good and always find a way to have fun with the other kids. Their good attitudes and maturity when the spotlight wasn’t on them was really impressive, and honestly Ava could benefit from learning a bit of that. She’s going to have to as they get further into activities of their own. Overall it was a great weekend, and I even found time to take Enzo to The Hockey Shop in Surrey, where we fitted him for his very own red hockey helmet. He’s been wearing Ava’s old helmet so far (which I covered with black and red tape because he didn’t want to wear a pink helmet), but since he wants to stick with hockey I promised him we’d get something he liked. The selection in Canada is so much better than what we have around us, so he got to pick out a bright red helmet and white facemask that fit him perfectly. I love how he’s only 5 years old and already wears an adult size small helmet!
There’s only about a month left in Ava’s hockey season, and we’ll be capping it off with one more trip to Canada near the end of March. Grandpa Rick will be coming out from Iowa to join us, so that should be a great time. Also our friends the Palmer’s will be coming up for a day trip to cheer Ava on. It’s been a great year, and I’ve really enjoyed helping out as an assistant coach, but we’re ready for a little break after this. In addition to Jiu-Jitsu, Ava is looking forward to the bike racing season this Spring/Summer. A lot of people have their kids specialize in one sport these days, but it’s not good for their bodies and leads to injuries that wouldn’t happen if they were more well rounded athletically. Between hockey, martial arts, and bike racing, we feel good about the mixture of activities for our kids, and love seeing them enjoying themselves year around.
In addition to all this activity, the girls have been making so much progress with mom at home on reading tutoring. It’s been nearly two months now and the improvement is really impressive. I know I’m beginning to sound like a broken record on this topic, but I’m so impressed with how Jessica has taken this on. Her dedication is the sole reason why it’s working out so well. Ava and Elise are both moving up through levels at a nice pace, and more importantly, they’re enjoying it. We still have a way to go to get caught up to where we want to be, but based on this new trajectory I have no concerns.
Jessica has not only been busy with tutoring, but has also been working a lot more over the past couple weeks due to Valentine’s Day. It’s always busy this time of year after a very slow January, so she has been taking advantage of that as much as possible. Lately it seems like one of us is always working, but that allows for a lot of good solo time with the kids, and before long we’ll be on our first big family vacation.
Before I go I want to take a moment to pay my respects to a close family friend who is no longer with us. Paul Harper has been a good friend of my mom, Uncle Jim, Aunt Brenda, and other family members for longer than I’ve been alive. I’ve known him my entire life and although I didn’t know him like they did, I always loved and respected him. When I was a little kid I thought he was the coolest guy simply because he drove such a cool Porsche. I remember going to his 40th birthday party when I was a bit older, but it was when I started really getting into music in my teenage years that my appreciation for him reached a new level. Not only was Paul an accomplished jazz pianist, but he ran his own recording studio and worked with many of my heroes from the Seattle music scene. I had the chance to visit with him recently while holding a birthday party at the house. Jim invited him to join us because he lived close to me, and I’m so glad he ended up coming. It ended up being the last time I would see him, but he was the exact same guy I had looked up to as a kid. Full of life and laughter. Hearing that he had passed away from liver cancer was very sad and shocking, but I’m thankful to have known him, and will certainly never forget him. He touched the lives of multiple family members in a very positive way and for that we will always be thankful.
Here’s a few recent photos to ensure you go out with a smile.
