Inverted Gear Blog
Tag: Valerie Worthington
Meet the Pandas – From Grasshopper to Valhalla – Valerie Worthington, PhD
The Panda Nation is not only comprised of mat savages and sneaky-jiujiterios like Alex da Silva, who we introduced earlier, but it also includes true warrior-scholars. For this edition of Meet the Pandas we talk to Valerie Worthington. Black belt under the Carlson Gracie lineage, certified life coach, PhD in educational psychology, jabbing voice of reason in the BJJ blogosphere. Second degree black belt Valerie ‘Valhalla’ Worthington (47) has been involved with the art since the late nineties, learning under the legendary Carlson Gracie Sr. – amongst others. Known for her highly effective instruction at Princeton BJJ and Groundswell Grappling Concepts, Val is also a prolific writer on the gentle art with two influential books published. More importantly, thanks to...
Ask a Panda: How do I stop overthinking?
Question: Could you do a post on “pulling the trigger” when rolling? The most common feedback I’ve gotten (across multiple gyms) is that I think too much. I especially get told this when I roll with higher belts. For example, after a recent roll, my partner told me that I have good technique, but that he could see in my eyes that I was thinking too much, and thus hesitating to go attempt a move—whether it’s a sweep, attack, etc.So, in spite of knowing various moves/technique, I often find myself hesitating in actually going for the move. One of my coaches observed that I would often let my partner get two or three steps ahead of me before reacting. Luckily,...
Ask a Panda: Significant Others Are People Too
Question: I have been training jiu-jitsu for a while (I am a blue belt), since long before I met my current boyfriend. He is a black belt and runs an academy, and since we have been together, I have taken on an unintended role as a woman in a gym dating the instructor. I help teach kids and do admin work. I watch the gym and open the door when he isn’t there, not teaching adults but making open mats possible. I didn’t start jiu-jitsu because of him and do not continue because of him but because I like jiu-jitsu and want something from it for me. I have not stopped having big dreams of my own; I train as...
Say, Say, Say: Talk It Out
Even after all the time I have spent in the jiu-jitsu world, I still find myself surprised sometimes at the things we do and do not say to our instructors and training partners. Often, we say things that can be unhelpful and do not say things that would be helpful. There are probably numerous reasons for this, including: the inherent status hierarchy, such that people who are lower ranked do not always feel comfortable making their needs known; the fact that so much of our communication in the jiu-jitsu world is non-verbal; and even the fact that effective verbal communication is difficult in any circumstance. Read on for some common areas where we might hit communication snags, as well as...
BJJ Pet Peeves
Training jiu-jitsu makes me happy, and generally being around jiu-jitsu people makes me happy. Of course, sometimes people do silly things, and jiu-jitsu people (present company included) are no exception. Over the years I have borne witness to and, unfortunately, done many such things, and, and when I thought about it, I was able to come up with a pretty long list. I offer them here, in a vaguely chronological order, such that the first ones are more characteristic of newer practitioners and the latter ones of more seasoned practitioners.Of course, these are biased toward the things that give me pique, and I have a blind spot about what I do that is irritating, so if you have other ideas...
Sartorial Choices in Jiu-Jitsu
I have made many changes in my life because of my participation in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I have quit jobs, moved across the U.S. and back, traveled widely, and revised my life priorities. With all this, though, the most unexpected impact jiu-jitsu has had on my life has been the havoc it has wrought with my clothing choices. Due to the domino effect of me being on the mat for a lot of my life, changing my life around so I can spend more of it on the mat, and finding ways to make a living that do not require me to be face-to-face with anyone (thereby increasing the amount of time I can spend on the mat) or that do...
On Suicide in the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Community: One of Those Stories I Wish Nobody Had to Write
I know I am not alone in feeling sad when I hear about someone taking his/her own life; indeed, sad is an understatement. It is extra surreal when I find out the person in question trained. It would be nice if the effects of jiu-jitsu were so magical that people who train never experienced depression, anxiety, or other mental illnesses. Then those of us who are evangelical about it would feel that much more justified.But jiu-jitsu is not magic. I know this because of the too-frequent reports of people in our community acting on their suicidal ideations. I know this because of the work of groups like Submit the Stigma and the more informal but equally well-intentioned efforts of people...
Ask a Panda: Who Has to Move It, Move It?
Question: I am a purple belt with four stripes. The other day I was rolling with a blue belt when two other purple belts, one with no stripes and one with two, collided with us. I asked them to move, but they said two purple belts outrank a purple and a blue, even though I pointed out that I have more stripes than either of them. The instructor agreed with the purple belts, but at the end of the very same class made sure I was higher in the ranking line than they were when we bowed out. What is the correct way to handle these kinds of situations? Does my rank trump two purples with fewer stripes even when...
Why It’s Good to Be Good at Being Bad at Stuff
A few weeks ago, Princeton BJJ hosted a book discussion group about The Art of Learning: An Inner Journey to Optimal Performance by Josh Waitzkin. In the book, Waitzkin, a chess master and Marcelo Garcia black belt, describes his love of learning and his realization that he is good at it, a realization he shares with the reader. The book systematizes the experiences many of us probably have when we try to learn something though may not have had the language to describe. Reading the book made me want to be a better learner. Well, it made me want to want to be a better learner. I do not love learning as much as I love having learned. You know...
Open Communication: What Language Learning and Jiu-Jitsu Have in Common
Every time I turn around, our two beloved Boss Pandas are in yet another far-flung locale, bringing with them good will, jiu-jitsu knowledge, and the latest training gear. This month I am getting to follow suit, at least a little; I am spending five weeks in Cascais, Portugal, just outside of Lisbon, with a side trip to Germany. I am here taking courses toward a counseling master’s degree as part of an overseas program my (U.S.-based) institution offers. So, I am getting some credits done while having an adventure. I still do not have nearly as many frequent flier miles as Hillary and Nelson, but I have already acquired enough on this trip to take me squarely outside my comfort...