Sunday, March 1, 2015

A Day of Gratitude

I was thinking today about all of the things I have to be grateful for. Even though it is a cold, rainy day in Santa Monica, it is not snowing (sorry, friends and family to the north!).

My daughter defended her world title yesterday in record time and came out unscathed.

We had many family members come to watch the fight and visit with us afterward. My extended family gets along well enough to come visit, a luxury many people do not have.

Old friends came out to see Ronda win this weekend, guys like Lanny Clark, Jerry Hays, Steve Seck , Blinky Elizalde, Jake Flores and Gary Butts who I have known through so many years and times good and bad, you cannot even imagine.


My lovely daughters all support one another. We have no "family drama" and I am well aware that is a statement many people cannot make.

I have work that I'm excited to do and judo students I'm excited to teach. This week, I will be getting back to both of them.

=======My Day Job ======

7 Generation Games - like push-ups for your brain

=====My Book ======

Winning on the Ground - it's about judo and armbars and stuff

5 comments:

mike ripple said...

I know you have advised her well throughout her life. But the Ronda Rousey conundrum has reached a point of critical mass. Tell her to save those millions and invest them wisely because there is no one left to fight. And...I love the way your daughter "pretends" during her interviews. She claims she would like to test herself against Holy Holm...she is a better striker than Holly holm could ever be and would destroy her in less time than it took to beat Zingano. And Betche Correia...well that fight is just a personal matter and we all know how that would end. Everyone with just half a brain out there knows that the end is near...that your daughter is virtually light years ahead of everyone else and competition against her is just unfair.
The only thing to do now, and I am dead serious, that is fair is to match Ronda against Correia and Holm and Eye in a 25 munute affair...not simultaneously but one after the other. Ronda beats one in 30 secs, then send out the next. 2 girls or 3 girls lined up for 25 minutes. The PPV would be off the charts and Ronda would break the bank. Dana needs to pitch this concept to the commission. We know Ronda could do it because as you have stated before...she was used to fighting multiple girls in single day tourney's many times in her life.
The only thing is that you, Mrs. DeMars would be banned from this event because we all know how nervous you get and do not want you to have a heart attack.

Unknown said...

Dr. De Mars~
I've enjoyed your blog for months, and this is my first posted comment : ) This particular blog post resonated with me for the reason that it was a reminder of the power of reflection. When one reflects on how the dots of life are supernaturally, one can't help but be filled with gratitude--so thank you! On a personal note, have you read The Einstein Syndrome by Dr. Thomas Sowell? -Dr. Mike Canales

Ventus said...

I am one of the guys who followed the sport in times of Pride.

As that ended i drifted away from following or watching MMA at all. UFC had some good fights and a lot of blood and gore, but in Pride it was never about the blood or seeing anyone massacred. It sometimes happened as it must in such a sport, but it was not what made Pride so legendary.
Thats not what Martial Arts are about.

On the 28th, i was watching ms Rousey match live on PPV for the first time in my life. I only came to know her since December in 2014... (long story).

I was glued to the screen for the whole week or more. I never even followed my country football (strangely called soccer in US, for some weird reason, cough, ahem), team on world championships so much.

I kept saying to people that this match was the main event anyway, that this will be special... and now i can smirk all day.
It was better then anything i could have imagined.
After all these years... i was watching the stuff of Pride.

And a true great Championess, as i knew she is.

I anticipated that Cat might do something drastic too, so as the match drew closer i got worried, a lot. Not about miss Ronda losing but... an accident happening. That first charge and seeing them both hitting the ground head first... that was some nerve wrecking stuff, followed by explosion of pure greatness.

I cant imagine how all that felt for you. It must be close to heart attack stuff. It certainly felt like that to me and i only "know" her for a few months.

So im very grateful. That everything went so well for both of fighters, no injuries, no...accidents, for the quick finish so you (and me) can relax, for the display of martial arts greatness i last saw during Pride, for a true great Championess, and a person that makes the world a better place.

And since im at it... im grateful for you and the family being there to look after her and to keep her balanced. And for her team too. They all seem like good guys to me.

I feel like i actually owe more money to all involved. That PPV ticket was extremely cheap, compared to what i got for it.
If i ever run into any of you youll get... at least one of the best meals you ever had. Ill think of something. :)

LEXI said...

He Ms. Demars ,
Im 12 years old. Ronda and your blog has helped me overcome so much. I watched how ronda stuck up for herself and that helped me stick up for myself against bullies. I had bulimia and then i saw ronda got through it. She promoted strong as beautiful. She helped me get healthy.I am now confinent. I do judo and box now , i want to be a bantam weight champion one day! Whenevr something is hard for me i think of ronda and it empowers me. Im have a hard time accademicly sometimes because of my dyslexia but i nevr stop working hard! I am now at the top of my class.


Thank you and ronda for changing my life
Your fan , Lexi

Unknown said...

I don't think it's so much "pretending" as it is respect for her opponent and being humble. Ronda is amazing and I'm sure that she is confident but she isn't one to go around running her mouth about how good she is, her actions speak for themselves. She is an amazing woman, has unparalleled skill and talent, great attitude, great sense of humor, awesome family and supporters... And she's very gorgeous. You did well Mama. Is it weird to be a 30 year old Marine and have a crush on an MMA fighter??? I don't think so, not when it's Ronda "Rowdy" Rousey