2nd day on our local trip with Roger, we climbed at Black Mountain. Nevermind my raspy voice commentary.. I had once again, gotten sick on this trip.
Kids took a turn at trying the moves on my nemesis of a project, Gypsy's Day Out.
Gypsy's Day Out,v3 @Black Mountain - Emilia
Gypsy's Day Out,v3 @Black Mountain - Liam
Roger finally got it! He was determined and found beta that worked for him. That throw to the top is a hard move to stick. That's where I keep coming off as it's pretty much at my max reach.
And this one is a classic! Tour De France is on Ryan's project list. This boulder is such a sight to see, with clean diagonal lines seemingly there as its decoration. And the sunset and view is super amazing. It was fun for all of us to just hang out there.
Tour de France,v7 @Black Mountain - Ryan's best attempt
Kids once again wiped out on another fun adventure.
We spent 2 days exploring the boulders at Tramway. Roger also once again joined us for climbing shenanigans. Even with a guidebook in hand and GPS coordinates, the boulder areas were hard to find. We spent about half the time hiking around, off the main trail and getting lost. It was exhaustingly fun.
Kids were, for the most part, good sports about it.
After spending hours hiking around, being re-directed by a park ranger, and STILL not finding the boulders we were seeking, the guys dropped the packs for more efficiency, and left the kids and I in this beautiful remote clearing. I laid down for a nap while the kids played around. After a while, the kids became quiet, and the nature around took over. The birds were chirping away in song. There was a light, cooling breeze in the comfortably warm temperature under the shade. I looked up and saw this:
They each were doing their own thing in quiet solitude. It was a very peaceful time and place. At least that's my take on it.. who knows.. maybe they were squishing bugs or drawing circles in the sand. =P
Finally found Shagri-La area, and with it... Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,v7*** @Tramway - Ryan's best attempt
He didn't finish it, it was end of the day, but he has the beta to do the 2nd, crux move.
While the big kids were working the boulder, the little kids were busily working away too. They showed great teamwork, carrying massive logs they found and put them together to form their version of a tram.
Liam's got the look of a hard working tram engineering.. dirt smeared face with a giant smile.
Kids tired, but still pretty happy at the end of the day.
Riding the Tram back down to Palm Springs. Crash pads take a bit of room.
The next day...
The boys getting their last minute screen time before heading off to the "no service zone". haha.
2nd day was better as we were getting more oriented with the area. First objective was Frank's Boulder which had various problems to work on.
All of us worked on a classic Frank's Roof,v3***. It is a burly, short power moves kind of problem with a small dyno catch out of the roof. Ryan and Roger both were able to complete this one. (Did not get the video of Roger's send.)
Frank's Roof,v3*** @Tramway - Ryan's Send
(Note Ryan's over-dramatized finish... hahah)
I could not muster the strength nor mental courage to do the Frank's Roof dyno... and I didn't know it at the time, but I was starting to get sick. =P So downgraded to an easier climb...
The Terminator,v2** @ Tramway - Connie's Flash
After Frank's Boulder, we moved on to Gluttony, a potential V8 problem for Ryan. It's a highly, 4-star rated roof problem. Our favorite kind of problems! All of us worked the few starting moves. I am happy to say I was the first to stick the 1st and 2nd move. Though Ryan was the one that made the best progress.
Gluttony,v8**** @Tramway - Ryan's best attempt
Roger working on his core tension.
Gluttony,v8**** @Tramway - Roger's core tension
The Green Hornet,v5*** was the last boulder climb of the day. Mountain Project calls this one "the best at it's grade at Tram". Ryan picked it specifically for Roger.
Tramway has some good stuff there. No doubt we will be back.
Backtracking... Liam had his belt promotion couple of months ago. Despite Emilia's bad competition experience, the kids are continuing with judo classes. We have adjusted our focus for the kids to prioritize being proficient in judo first.
Emilia has learned quite a bit and her understanding grows with each good and bad experience. Liam, being younger, is still grasping at the concept. He has slowly, but surely been improving, and has improved so much in attitude and skill since his first weeks where laying on the mat was a frequent occurrence.
In order to have a belt promotion, the student needs to gain both sets of 5 character stripes and 5 skill stripes. Then the sensei will recommend for promotion. In order to be promoted, the student also needs to have approvals from both the student's teacher indicating he is doing well in school, as well as the parents, indicating he is behaving at home.
Liam has been looking forward to getting promoted since the day he finally received all his stripes! He has seen 3 promotions now with kids he knows, including Emilia, all get promoted.
Happy kid to be joining the ranks of the yellow/white belts.
With so much going on lately, climbing is the only thing that keeps us sane. It's a constant, bubble of happiness, in the midst of the on-goings of life. I look forward to these family climbing sessions, which luckily suites all of us. We made the trek over to check out another new gym's grand opening at Vital Climbing.
The kids are sort of getting more interested in climbing. They are definitely more interested in creative play with non-toy gym equipment (which is a no no), but for a short period of time, the kiddos, especially Emilia, will have a desire to climb some routes. And if Liam sees Emilia climbing, then he usually wants to climb too. Emilia will walk around to look for climbs that suite her and she'll give it a go. Ryan usual helps her with picking out climbs and spot her. We haven't taught her much technique, but she is naturally starting to figure out her body position and movement.
Game face! She wants that next hold and can see her looking at it, trying to figure out how to get there.
Emilia really tries. The struggle is real. It's awesome seeing her focused and determined as she tries to figure out how to make the moves. And of course, it's disappointing when you can't make that move... but that's part of it, more times than not, it is about failing and not giving up, because it only takes 1 time to get it right.
Ryan giving Emilia tips on using the heel hooks.
Think maybe it is time to start teaching her technique. She definitely has the capability, but needs to get over the fear of heights still and needs to learn how to take a fall.
This green route was an easy one that was well within her capabilities. With coaxing from Ryan, she did it all her own even though she was skittish at the top out.
Creative play with non-toy gym equipment. They got lucky this time around and did not get scolded by anyone. But yes, we usually do not allow them to play on gym equipment.
Ryan shows how it's done. He makes it look easy! I couldn't make it past the first move. No grip on those slopers and Ryan's advice was to use compression and just squeeze the holds. Yeh. Right.
So.. I have to add in his bloopers too. Climbing looks effortless and easy once the moves are figured out, but it does take some figuring.
You may have noticed something interesting about the kids... to be continued in the next post.
In competition, there will be a winner and a loser, but there is no losing (unless you quit), only learning. This was a lesson from a recently kids library book that we picked up and read. The simple point of the story followed the emotions and thoughts of two young siblings' journey into competitive sports as they joined a soccer team. It went through the ups and downs of emotions, thoughts, insecurities, and struggles of the siblings as they learned about perseverance, to work hard to develop in skill, and to understand a bigger, personal concept of competition and winning through the game of soccer. They were guided by their dad to view each challenge and loss as an opportunity to learn, and that true winning is about what you can gain through attitude and perspective. Great simple kid story that was so direct with the message.
When my kids struggle, whether they are frustrated with not being able to do something right, or they want to give up, I remind them that there is no losing, just learning and to find what they can learn from the situation to become better.
The story we read coincidentally came at a great time, a few weeks before Emilia's first jiujitsu competition!!
Let's start at the beginning. Our dojo hosted a local jiujitsu competition and encouraged the kids to participate. It would be good experience in a kid-friendly format and have more kids from our own dojo attend. I thought it was a great short term goal for Emilia to keep focused on as we encouraged her to practice and learn in her BJJ classes.
One of the moms at the dojo made signs for all the kids.
Competition experience is so different than regular practice at the dojo. When we walked into the gymnasium, there were so many people there - People in the stands, kids in their Gis warming up or playing on the 6 competition mat areas, people going about with a purpose, getting ready for the competitions... the referees, the coaches, photographers, nervous kids, parents, etc. The feeling in the air was that of excitement and nervous anticipation. I could see my kids looking around and observing, taking it all in.
Emilia was simply being Emilia.. which I love! I tried to get her to warm-up, maybe spar with some of the kids that she knows, but she was really just taking in the surroundings, eating some snacks, and practicing her version of "cartwheels". Competition environment? It didn't change how she goes about things.
Emilia's version of "Cartwheels"
The competition was soon starting, and the kids were lined up and sat on the edge of the mat where they would be competing on. Emilia's bracket was the TODDLER DIVISION, AGES 4-5. We did not sign up Liam for this because even though he qualifies in age, Liam just doesn't have the base concept down yet. However, he wanted his Gi on and wanted to be a part of this too.. so we let him sit with the rest of the kids.
Emilia's first match was the 2nd one on the mat. The first match were two kids from her dojo, Henry and Cohen. This is representative of what I expected from kids in the TODDLER division. Well.. okay.. maybe not as much spinning around...
Henry and Cohen's Match
Then Emilia was up. Her match was with an unknown kid, not from our dojo. I had watched the kid during pre-comp practice and was already nervous because the kid seemed more serious and aggressive than the kids Emilia is usually paired up with in class. I was hoping that it would be a good learning experience that would drive her to understand why she goes to practice and learns these skills.
E's Match
The match, actually most of it, turned out to be quite unexpected. Emilia impressed me as I can see her focused determination. Kudos for trying! However, at the end of this video, I stopped filming because I could her her little voice crying. It was just loud enough where I could hear how hurt she was.. combined with gasps of breath in between, I also knew she was trying so hard not to cry. What happened was the boy did an arm bar maneuver on her and the referee did not stop it in time. The arm went into full extension, and hyper-extended the elbow joint. Actually, even when the ref did stop the match, the boy didn't let go. The ref had to pry the kid's hands off of Emilia's arm. I have never had an arm bar done to me before, but from what I hear, it is pretty painful.
Luckily Ryan was there to help check on Emilia. That particular sound of Emilia's cry, one that she rarely ever makes, hits a deep mama instinct. In fact, the mama next to me put her arm around me. No parent wants to see their kid hurt.
At TODDLER bracket, I thought it was ridiculous that someone teaches a kid that's only learned bladder control for 1-2 years, how to do a highly skilled and potentially harmful move, and to use in competition. Emilia has not learned the arm bar move nor how to defend it or how to get out of it.
I was beyond mad and upset, not because she lost, but because she was hurt in such an unprepared and unfair way. I could hear the other kid's dad in the background yelling "Arm bar! Arm bar!" while my brain was processing "Wait... kids do arm bars at this age? Emilia doesn't know arm bar!".
However, Emilia amazed me. This is PROUD MAMA MOMENT... she obviously didn't win, in fact, she was utterly crushed...(had to forfeit her 2nd match). But after we iced her elbow, filled her with the best medicine - candy, and gave into her every request the rest of the day, I asked her what she thought of the day's event and how she felt. She said to me "My arm hurt a lot. I really tried my best, but I didn't know the arm bar. I'll need to learn more and maybe next time I can win a gold necklace. Can we go to the beach?" (Note: She wants the gold medal because it is a pretty necklace!)
That's it. She didn't blame me, nor her instructors, nor the boy, nor the unfair match-up, nor the boy's parents that kept yelling for the arm bar during the match (and again at the sandbagger's 2nd match!), nor the judge (who felt really bad), AND she didn't blame herself (unlike me with lots of guilt). She was happy with her effort, and the rest of the situation, she accepted it as "it just is" and moved on to enjoy a beautiful sunny beach day.
As for mama, I learned as well. I spent the next week researching the culture of jiujitsu, learning about the different dojos and their teaching philosophies. Many dojos, non-Gracie affiliated, are geared towards sport jiujitsu, which is winning competitions versus a more practical nature of self defense in a nurturing environment. The dojo we go to is more focused on character development, which is why Emilia has not learned arm bars and chokes yet. This puts the kids at a disadvantage for competitions. That should have been stressed and made aware to the parents! However, apparently the topic of teaching young kids technical and potentially dangerous moves of joint locks and choke holds are highly debated, even though it is common in sport jiujitsu.
My kid's journey and experiences will be her own, no matter how much I try to control the situation and protect her, life is life. It will be unfair and unexpected. Situations like this only help prepare her better to face the unknown future. Somewhere, somehow... my little girl already inherently has the right attitude and perspective. She takes a loss as an opportunity to learn. In fact, she was mimicking the arm bar move at home the other day, solely learned from watching and observing because again, she hasn't been taught. Her heart, her mentality, her attitude.. is pure gold. She doesn't need to win one. She knows how to approach life, at 6 years of age, more than most people. Way to go baby girl!
Our 3rd day climbing at Hueco, 2nd day with a guide, we parked and hiked in towards the Mescalaro Canyon from the Pond parking. This day was a perfect day. Weather in the 70s with no winds!
Warm up climbs were on the Kid's Stuff boulder, southeast of the Warm Up Roof boulder.
Various warm up climbs on Kid's Stuff boulder are Tiger Beat V1, Juvenile Offender V0, Jiffy Lube V0+, Young Guns V4, and Greasy Kid Stuff V4.
--> NOT YET UPDATED ...INSERT FAST MOTION VIDEO
The Sakurada clan scattered along Kid's Stuff.
Next on the list today was to hit Roger's project climb, Dragonfly V5, located on Hardman Rock boulder, South Dragon's Den. Dragonfly was much harder than expected. It is quite finger intensive with some big moves, and the foot holds are small along the rail. Once you reach the arete, the scare factor (at least for me) kicks in. I didn't make it that far. Ryan was the only one that completed it on his second try. Unfortunately I didn't video that one. On his first try, he just missed the critical heel hook position and came off.
After Dragonfly, we went to scout a future project for Ryan, UltraMega V8. Located on Backdoor/Homeboy boulder, between Dragon's Den and the Dark Heart.
Ryan figured out the sequence and moves for the first 1/3rd of the climb easily on the first try.
It took me a handful of tries just to figure out the starting move.
The video above highlights what actually happens when we "work" a challenging climb. It's about figuring out how to do each movement.. strength, body position, push/pull of certain muscles, twisting, etc. The beta that works for one person may not work for another. Rock climbing is like a puzzle, and the fun aspect of it is figuring out the puzzle with friends - working together, trying different moves, and laughing at each other too. Pure natural fun in the simplest form!
No video proof, but I have a photo proof that I finally made the first move at least twice out of my many attempts!
While the adults were playing down low in the cave, the kiddos were climbing and playing on the rocks above the cave.
It is so dusty and dry in Hueco, dessert environment, Emilia and I had to keep our hair tied so it wouldn't get too tangled.
I did a pretty decent job on her french braids!
Liam finds a climb to climb on.
Emilia mimics how to be a good spotter, except for the sticks in her hands...
After thoroughly exhausted by UltraMega, we moved onto climbs in The Dark Heart, at the Something Different boulders. Ryan and Brandon worked on Something Different V8. Roger and I worked on the Swirl Wall V3.
Roger on Swirl Wall V3.
The height was my nemesis again as I failed to go higher up, but isn't this wall so unique and pretty?!
Roger handles it smoothly! See how precise and controlled his movements are..
Ryan on Something Different V8.
The kids amazingly had an abundance of energy as they continued climbing and playing well into this later afternoon.
By the end of today, I think we were all tired. Hueco has so many interesting climbs to explore... but the fingers are raw and the muscles are fatigued. One more day of exploration! Still not enough...
Day 1 of our guided tour started at the East Spur and finish at the East Mountain. Our guide, Brandon, was seriously the best guide ever. With a calm disposition and extensive knowledge of the climbs, he provided helpful beta, an extra spotter, and extra crash pad.
Day 1, again had severe wind advisory, with some of the weather sites stating gusts were up to 60+mph. Having a guide was definitely valuable since Brandon knew of areas that were more protected from the winds.
From the parking lot of the campgrounds, we hiked in through the Tabloid Pass in the direction of East Spur.
For warm-up, Brandon brought us to an area of wind-protected boulders (Not definitive on the exact boulder.. but I think it's The Beehives?) with a bunch of easy climbs, several V0s, V1s, a V3, and also an overhung V6. The kids were just as excited as us to get climbing.
Here are Emilia and Liam both climbing a V0.
Even the easy rated V0/V1 climbs felt a level more difficult than the V0/V1 ratings at the gym.
Here I am working the V3, all good except for the top out. Still sketched by big movement at the height of the top out.
Ryan and Roger have no problem with the top out. Ryan's send:
E just hanging out.
Next we continued across the Tabloid Pass and to the East Spur Maze (southeast). We re-warmed up on some easy routes on the 10ft Wall --> Clumsy Plumber, V0 and Udder Destruction, V1 and a few climbs on Dihedral Rock --> The Flexin' Texan, V1 and worked the main focus climb here, Jigsaw, V5.
Roger working the crimpy start of Jigsaw.
Check out Ryan's half crimp!
While we climbed, the kids were playing really well of imaginative play with the surroundings. At times they were taking food orders and "cooking" for us with the dirt, rocks, sticks. Other times, they took our shoes and lined them up, and proceeded to sell shoes. Here, they were playing superheros and wanted me to take photos of their superhero poses. Notice their "aprons" are on from their previous "cooking" play. =)
Our fingers could only handle working Jigsaw for a finite amount of tries. Crimps are hard on the finger joints. We moved on to scope out one of Ryan's potential future projects, Javelina V8, on the northwest section of the East Spur, on The Bomb Boulder.
Ryan's first go on Javelina and makes great progress!
Javelina is also one of the projects Brandon is working on.
Hueco Tanks park closes at 6pm. That is, all cars that plan on coming (campers) or going (day visitors) need to be in or out of the park by 6pm. The gate does not re-open until 8am the next morning. We had just enough time to hike over and check out one more climb for the day. A hike away, was my objective project of this trip, Moonshine Roof, V4, located near the middle-southern part of East Mountain.
By this time of the day, the winds were howling and our fingers were tender. It took a couple of tries to figure out the start of Moonshine Roof, as it is not an easy start. There is a small nub to place your left foot, and then a toe hook for the right foot that was better suited for taller people. The first move is a power core move to a nice jug, but quite reachy. I surprisingly had no problems with the start or the roof portion to the surf board. The moves out of the surf board though was again reachy and I couldn't figure out short person beta to continue on. =P
Roger though, crushed it! It was the end of the day, we were tired, but he gave it max effort. With mad gusting of winds, Roger even did the full top out.
Check out Roger's send of Moonshine Roof.
Perfect way to end the first of the guided days...
I grew up as an only child, and my parents taught me that in my culture, cousins are just like brothers and sisters, and family always is fa...
About
Ryan and Connie officially began our journey in life together (wedded bliss) on August 1, 2009. This blog chronicles our journey through whatever life throws at us.
On February 27, 2010, we welcomed a new addition to the family: Emilia Ying-Zhi. She tipped the scales at 7 lbs 2 oz, and measured in at 19-3/4".
Liam Noboru joined the family on October 20, 2011. His fighting weight is 7 lbs 4 oz with a length of 19-1/2".
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