OWIE....giggle giggle....OWIE...giggle giggle

Those are the sounds of 10 year old girls taking over the Dojo for their 1st week of Brazilian Ju Jitsu training. McKenna and her friend Rachel have started their journey down the martial arts road. The girls have both had 2 - 1hr 15 min classes and they are doing great. So far we are early in the basics. Stance, a little footwork, 1 guard pass and how to get guard back. Today we learned our 1st submission.

Here we have McKenna at the start of the most basic guard pass. I've been struggling with both girls getting the concept of keeping their weight on their opponent while passing. They are getting better.



Rachel had her guard passed in this drill and she's bumping her hips trying to get it back, she's got McKenna back in 1/2 guard, 1 more bump to go!



McKenna is striking from guard here, Rachel has pushed McKenna's hand off her chest to the mat. Sniff sniff, can you smell that????



Yup, BOOM...It's a Kimura! (thanks John Madden for the commentary)



These next 2 pics illustrate what happens when overdramatic 10 year olds act like they are getting thrown across a room when they get their hips pushed a bit. The giggles came long and hard after this one!



They goof off, I reign them in. Drill Time!!!



Hips are of great importance in BJJ, here we drill pushing off 1 foot to get our bodies perpendicular to our opponent, opening them up for our many options from guard.



Keep that tushy tight to the wall, good job McKenna!



Back to work! Now Rachel's on top throwing the punches while McKenna sets up the Kimura.



Here we've got the Kimura locked up and we're moving sllloooooowwwwwllly toward the tapout. 1st submissions we move slooooooooow.



But they are still girls, so it's all smiles during the 10 year old classes in the Dojo. Not the tightest Kimura I've ever seen. (come on dad, cut us some slack,it's day 2!)




Wow, what's that flooring?? Is that bamboo?? Why yes it is.