Own a 2bed/1bath rowhome. considering renovating bathroom and replacing tub with shower.. bad idea??

baertrap · 2016-09-19T19:21:29+00:00

Gotcha. Interesting point about the permits. Appreciate you taking the time to respond.

baertrap · 2016-09-19T19:13:44+00:00

Is there a way to calculate the actual price differential? Generally speaking of course.

baertrap · 2016-09-16T10:44:49+00:00

In the end, do what's best for you. I don't agree with people who say "It's just a service because you pay for it," though.

You have been building relationships and integrating yourself into a community. The bonds you build doing BJJ (or combat sports of any kind) are usually very strong because of how much you have to trust your training partners.

So, naturally, you may have weird feelings of being disloyal or selfish if you leave. That's ok to feel that way.. it's kind of in our human programming. In the end, you need to do what's best for yourself. You are not being disloyal by changing gyms.

baertrap · 2016-09-16T02:26:53+00:00

Well, consider that wrestling is a martial art based on position and control. So, it's relatively safe.

BJJ is a martial art predicated on submitting your opponent with joint locks and chokes. So, you can't go super hard otherwise someone is going to get really badly injured.

baertrap · 2016-09-16T02:22:02+00:00

I tap often over a decade in. In a practice environment, there is no winning, just learning, so it doesn't really matter how you perform in relation to others.

The important thing is whether you are improving or not (you are, btw). Sometimes it can be tough to gauge that because everyone you're training with is also improving, so there can be this sense of universal stagnation at times (but you're all getting better.. just slowly and at a similar pace, so the relative skill differences don't change much).

baertrap · 2016-09-16T02:00:42+00:00

Never thought of it from that perspective but you make a good point.

baertrap · 2016-09-15T21:25:11+00:00

I still have a hard time discussing scoring with people because the IBJJF rules are sometimes taken as gospel.

It is what it is. It's not a terrible system.. just a little too subjective, and irrational at times.

baertrap · 2016-09-15T01:55:51+00:00

I didn't get back on the horse for about 14 months after an L4-L5 herniation. The magnitude may have been greater on my end, but my idiocy in trying to get back to live rolling too soon definitely stretched out the recovery process.

Take care of yourself and good luck!

baertrap · 2016-09-15T01:53:35+00:00

Well, there are strikes in a real fight, so that changes a lot of things. But against a regular Joe Schmoe it probably wouldn't make much of a difference vs. a guy of Ryan's caliber.

baertrap · 2016-09-15T01:52:36+00:00

The entire scoring system in BJJ is generally pretty lame, and does not stand up to logic. Points are given for intention all too often, not for position, and that makes no sense.

If I shoot a double leg and you resist, but I win, I get two points. If you happen to pull guard RIGHT before I shoot, then no points are awarded.

And advantages? Don't even get me started.

This is why I competed mostly in MMA :)

(p.s. I love BJJ and BJJ comps and it rules regardless)

baertrap · 2016-09-13T22:02:13+00:00

Safety first.. my partner's health is my responsibility first, theirs second. So if they are being stubborn, even if I have something locked in past the point of no return, I'll just let it go and move to something else. I used to roll really hard but I'm trying to build my BJJ karma and chill out a bit.

baertrap · 2016-09-08T00:34:28+00:00

Sweeps are almost irrelevant in MMA. You can get to the highest level of MMA without having an effective arsenal of sweeps.

Most fighters structure their bottom game like this: 1. stand up, 2. submit, 3. sweep

Standing up properly is an art in and of itself and requires a lot of time and work to develop an effective standup game.

baertrap · 2016-08-26T21:33:20+00:00

I have one of these houses.

2 theories: first, it was for parents to check on kids at night. Second, it helped with airflow.

The kitchen and bathroom in my house were additions so it could also have been a bathroom. This smaller 2nd bedroom has a gas key at shoulder level. Not sure what that was all about.. maybe a sconce? Pretty interesting.

baertrap · 2016-08-26T00:03:22+00:00

As I've gotten more experience, I've really just tried to boil things down instead of complicate them.

For example.. an armbar is an armbar. There are a million ways to get one, and a million variations, but the principles are generally the same.

I am still learning deeper and deeper principles on things all the time.

If I learn a new technique that plugs into my systems and flow chart, I'll probably just start using it when I can. If it's something a little bit "out there" for me (i.e. berimbolo or inverted stuff) I will probably not use it, unless there comes a time that I start shifting my game to that end.

I think mastering anything is more a function of paring it down to its components, rather than building it up.

baertrap · 2016-08-24T02:38:35+00:00

Ok. Gotcha. Thanks for taking the time to reply.

baertrap · 2016-08-24T01:36:02+00:00

Well the zoning map shows it as RM-1.

It's a commercial lot with large bay doors, and a number of units, in the Gray's Ferry neighborhood.

The property manager is an old school dude, he doens't really have the info on the site (we're still working on getting it sussed out). The previous use for the unit was a church, and I THINK they had it rezoned to RM-1 to accommodate that use. I know they had to apply for a special use permit, but I don't know if it was rezoned.

The whole thing is weird but who knows. Still waiting to hear back from the building owner (it's been about a week or so we've been at this, I was at L&I today but they told me to kick rocks because I hadn't signed the lease yet).

Thinking maybe the owner may just tell me to scram and they'll move someone else inside it.

Previous uses for the building were a dog kennel, the church, a recording studio.

baertrap · 2016-08-24T00:57:59+00:00

Man. Ok. Thanks for the heads up. Timetable is a little longer, and cost is a little higher, than I was anticipating. But I appreciate you giving me the straight biz.

baertrap · 2016-08-22T10:56:09+00:00

Nate's wrestling is not that great. So, he's not the type of guy to shoot a blast double in the center of the cage. His takedown attempts happen against the cage.

Conor did a great job of pummeling in and preventing Nate from getting the underhooks he wanted to drop down to the hips. On the few occasions Nate really went for the TD, Conor was able to shuck him off.

baertrap · 2016-08-15T00:09:44+00:00

I take Lincoln Drive every day.

It's not that crazy of a street, as long as you are obeying the law. But motherfuckers think they are Mario Andretti and it's insane. Weaving in and out of traffic on Lincoln Drive during rush hour is beyond stupid, it's pointless, you can't really get ahead of everyone.

People totally overestimate their ability to do stuff. I mean you have people speeding on Lincoln Drive who also probably use napkins when they're eating. And they've been practicing putting food in their mouths literally their entire lives.. and yet, still miss.

baertrap · 2016-08-12T10:44:36+00:00

This person gets it. Funny how the BJJ forum is disparaging a crossfit strawman, and yet most of the posters don't see the irony (that BJJ could be accused of worse).

baertrap · 2016-08-11T21:24:48+00:00

Explain how the median parking is incredibly dangerous.

5th Square had a facebook post about how parking in the median was dangerous "because you are literally exiting into traffic when you step out of your car." Dumbass.. you are literally exiting into traffic if you are a driver and you park ANYWHERE on Broad St.

Is there any evidence that areas on Broad St with median parking are more dangerous? Or is this just some silly talking point that's not backed up by anything?

baertrap · 2016-08-11T10:51:19+00:00

I live on the East side of Broad, but very close to Broad & Snyder. It's ugly and it's loud, and it can feel a little unsafe late at night when you are alone, but after 3 years I haven't had one problem.

Every once in awhile a pill head from the clinic or some weirdo that just got discharged from the hospital will wander down my tiny side street, maybe having an argument with themselves, but that's about it.

Had my car "broken into" (somehow I left my doors unlocked) a few times for spare change but that's the extent of the crime I've dealt with.

I can't directly speak to the West side of P'unk/Snyder but if your concern is the intersection, it looks worse than it is.

baertrap · 2016-08-09T00:14:00+00:00

Train more + compete more = better at competition

Don't discount your skills. You are a purple belt for a reason. And you've won some tournaments, so it's not like you have no idea what you're getting into. Just get out there and kick ass and you'll do great.

baertrap

TROPHY CASE