We had another Parent night at WNYMMA kids’ class. This time it was more of a parent afternoon but like always it was a great success and we had a lot of parent participation.  We had a few promotions and named the champions of the month for last month.

    I enjoy the opportunity to see you parents get to work alongside your children so you can see how hard it is to be able to do the techniques that your children do.  It is also a good time to get to know each other and pass on information among each other.  Also watching you guys roll with your kids makes my heart happy so I am really glad we get to do it.  I also enjoy getting a chance to roll with any of the parents that would like to.  I very rarely get a chance to roll with the members that have kids in the program, so any chance I get to roll with you makes my day.

   My longest running student Vai earned her second tip on her gray belt and is closing in on her yellow belt. She is always solid with her technique and does a pretty good job helping out with some of the younger students.  Another of our students Henry has been training a long time.  He had other tips on his belt, but I have never promoted him. (I actually thought that he was over ranked for his ability when I first met him) I talked with his father recently and we decided that he should be at about three tips and close to testing for Gray White. So, I was finally able to bring him up!  Ezekiel received his second tip and has been really doing a great job in class lately. He has really turned the corner and things are starting to come to him easily. Maddox and Jake both received their third tips. Both have been killing it in class.  Jake at times struggles with learning and not going live all the time.  He has learned a lot since he started and has continued to get better at learning how to learn.  Maddox has really surprised me; he has found a home in our program quickly.  He has even been able to drill with his brother, which at the start of them coming to class would not have happened.  Both young men are a welcome addition to the team, and I hope to see them competing for us in the future. 

    Leading up to parent night I also promoted Mia and Lincoln.  Mia is new to Jiu Jitsu and earned her first tip and Lincoln is a multiple tournament veteran.  Both kids have great heart and have been putting in a ton of extra time on Sundays with me. Lincoln has moments of self-doubt and clowning around but when he is mad, he is one of the best kids I have seen on the mat in a long time.  Our goal is to take the emotion out of it and make him truly great.  Mia is a good striker and good grappler and has the advantage of having a dad and brother that train to help her out.  Both kids have a great future in the sport and train hard as long as they are not partnered together! 

      We had an easy time picking the champion of the month in the first class this month.  Hazel had just recently started with us.  In that short time, she had been class champion a ton of times.  If you need to know how many ask her because she is keeping track!  When she first started, she didn’t believe in herself and struggled with self-doubt performing the techniques in class.  Now while she still gets frustrated and upset when she can’t master a combination or move quickly, she no longer gives up on herself.    Every time I watch that happen in a young person it makes everything; I do to be in class worth it.  Hazel you are great keep training.  

    The second class was difficult like always.  There are so many great kids to choose from it is always tough.  Drake was our choice this month.  Drake is a serious student.  We can judge how serious students are by who their choice of training partner is.  Drake always picks the best kid closest to his size.  Drake and Lincoln and Drake and Russ are always great training partners.  I don’t think I have ever yelled at him for not doing what he is supposed to do.  The third thing that he has exhibited lately as a student is good hand discipline (keeping his hands up before during and after throwing a strike in kickboxing class) Funny story about Drake Matt and I both thought Drakes father was calling him Drago (think Rocky 4) and for a long while that is what I called him.  His serious demeanor invokes the image of a super athlete.  He has also been putting in the extra work with me on Sundays, and we are going to get him to shoot and finish takedowns, to compliment his Jiu-Jitsu on the floor.