I had a really busy Saturday this weekend working as one of the referees at the BJJ TOUR All Star Tournament in Santa Cruz, CA. It was a great opportunity for me to listen for words in Portuguese since there is a big Brazilian population living in Santa Cruz, and at almost every Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournaments a handful of Portuguese speakers.

Since we had a little time, I got to free talk with Professor Pedro about the busy Saturday using a lot of the vocabulary we learned and covered in the first two lesson Tatami Portuguese 001 and 002. I think we were both surprised how we were able to carry on a conversation, even with a lot of help and corrections from the teacher.

One thing I really wanted to try at the tournament, but was a little embarrassed to do was record a live chat with someone different. I’m going to be honest, I was a little embarrassed and scared to even ask. I’m hoping to gather up a little more courage and speaking experience before the next tournament opportunity where I might bump into native Brazilian Portuguese language speakers. But this feeling, is something I think most language learners experience through the process of learning.

As a matter of fact, I think it’s the process of learning requires yourself to open up and even leave yourself vulnerable to others. This vulnerable feeling can completely prevent the process of learning. I think I might have found myself trapped in that slightly vulnerable place this weekend. However, I look forward to unlocking that self conscious feeling and giving a go at it again in a few weeks. Wish me some Boa Sorte! (Good luck)