Martial Arts in Linda Vista
Plus, New Food Truck in LV, Kearny High Essay Winner, SDPD Report, and Upcoming Community Events
Many of us spent the pandemic months locked away in our homes, unable to take advantage of our usual neighborhood indoor athletic facilities. It became very easy to gain weight or lose our muscle tone during that period. However, there’s no longer any legitimate excuse to avoid getting out there to exercise and achieve a healthy level of physical fitness. As vaccination rates increase, gyms and other sports venues have opened up county-wide. Hence, we now have a number of opportunities to resume our old training regimens, or take on new ones. If you are serious about taking on a new physical training regimen challenge, the Casper Jiu Jitsu Academy—conveniently located in downtown Linda Vista, next door to Skateworld—may be the place to visit.
Casper Jiu Jitsu Academy, which has been located in Linda Vista since September 2019, offers training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. As indicated on its web site, the Academy is dedicated to “enriching the lives of its members by providing the best Jiu Jitsu experiences possible through a clean, safe and positive atmosphere” and creates “an environment where members feel supported in their Jiu Jitsu journey, personal growth, and healthy lifestyle balance on and off the mats.” According to Wikipedia, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu “revolves around the concept that a smaller, weaker person can successfully defend themselves against a bigger, stronger, heavier opponent by using leverage and weight distribution, taking the fight to the ground and using a number of holds and submissions to defeat them.”
Casper Jiu Jitsu Academy is owned and operated by Ron Casper. According to the Academy’s web site, Casper possesses quite an impressive list of credentials, including a first degree Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. In competition, he has been awarded 3 World titles and 4 National titles. He also has broad athletic experience in football, track, and Muay Thai/Boxing, as well as an extensive background in strength training and conditioning. He maintains a physique that lets you know he places a value on being physically fit.
According to one of the Academy’s instructors—Ashley Rodriguez—the Academy has students ranging in age from 13 and up, with their oldest student being 54. Students come from all over the neighborhood, including the University of San Diego. For those people wanting to check things out at the Academy, Ms. Rodriguez mentioned that the first class is always free, with adult monthly memberships priced at $150.00 and 100.00 for kids. There are also special military and family rates. For those dedicated individuals willing to train on a regular basis, she remarked that it can take 1 to 2 years to earn a blue belt, and 10 to 12 years to achieve Black Belt status.
But as emphasized by Ms. Rodriguez, Jiu Jitsu is not just about the physical realm. “Jiu Jitsu can change your life,” she said. “Every day you learn so much, and much of what you learn can be applied to life. Our students learn in a controlled environment how to handle themselves in certain situations…While learning about self-defense and staying alive, you will work on self-confidence, critical thinking, mental health, weight loss, and be part of a community. Our students are always learning, always asking questions, and seeking extra help.”
If you are looking for that opportunity to take on an interesting physical challenge, or if you are looking for a unique learning environment, head on over to the Casper Jiu Jitsu Academy. All levels of experience are welcome.
Casper Jiu Jitsu Academy
6913 Linda Vista Road San Diego, CA 92111
619-900-4633
info@casperbjj.com
https://casperbjj.com
Dogs and Aguas
Linda Vista, Rejoice! A New Food Truck is Here!
The corner of Ulric St and Linda Vista Road is becoming quite a food hot spot! Recently, we wrote about the new sushi place, Sushi Yorimichi at that same location. But that’s not all. On a recent drive up the street we happened to observe a new food truck positioned in front of Linda Liquor. It is called Dogs and Aguas and features interesting versions of hot dogs, hamburgers, Philly cheese steak, and other sandwiches. Various specialty fries are also featured prominently on their menu. The second part of their name refers to the Michelaguas they sell. More on this later.
So, in the spirit of exploring new Linda Vista eateries, and accompanied by our trusty carnivore sidekick, we decided to do lunch at this food truck. The writing on the food truck bragged about offering TJ style hot dogs, which sounded intriguing to our hungry carnivore. In speaking with the person taking orders, she indicated the food truck had only been there about a week and this was their only location. Everything was arranged very neatly and it looked sparkling clean. I asked if there were any vegetarian offerings and she indicated they had a vegetarian hot dog. Since we have not had success with vegetarian hot dogs, we decided to just go with a few varieties of fries. My husband chose parmesan garlic fries, and I took the chili cheese fries (minus the chili) with lots of melted cheese. Our carnivore chose a Sonoran hot dog (which the person behind the counter mentioned was one of their most popular items). The hot dog was bacon wrapped with pinto beans, Mexican crema, and pico. The dog was $7 and the specialty fries we chose were $5. See picture below. We were also given complementary michelaguas which is a type of fruit drink. We got Jamica (hibiscus) and although I had never tasted it before, I found it very refreshing on a hot day. These aguas featured flavors such as jamica, pepino, sandia, and clamato. In looking up the meaning of michelaguas, it seems these drinks are made primarily with fresh cold water and are non-alcoholic. They are made from one or more fruits, flowers, or seeds blended with sugar and water. They are different from fruit juices and horchata, and are very light and cooling since they are mostly water.
My fries were a very generous serving and shared by our sidekick. Plenty for both. They were crispy and nice size and had an amazing amount of cheese, which enabled me to get my protein along with lots of carbs. My husband really liked the parmesan garlic fries and said they reminded him of sitting and snacking at a Padres baseball game. How good is that?
If you have read our sidekick’s reviews before, you won’t be surprised to hear that he pronounced his Sonora hot dog “amazing”. Or was it “awesome?” I guess both. He said that with all the veggies on it, he almost felt like it was a healthy choice for him. There was just the right amount of crema and as you can see from the picture, it was a more than adequate serving. Condiments are served on the side. He said it reminded him of Sonora. Of course, he has never been there, but he is taking a Mexican history course at USD so maybe that counts for something. He said he surely will go there again, and thought the value was good for the money.
The people were very nice and helpful when we inquired about different menu items. I hope this corner proves profitable for them and we encourage people to give it a try. We think you will really like it.
Dogs and Aguas
6952 Linda Vista Rd San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 667-4472
Open: 11:00 am to 8:00 pm
Kearny High Student Wins Laptop in Essay Competition
By Nicole Phakdy
Ella Perry of Kearny High recently received a free Lenovo laptop from the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) by being one of 40 San Diego County high school student to win the annual MTS and Reyes Coca Cola Laptop Scholarship Essay Contest. Since I attend Kearny High School, the Linda Vista Update asked me to interview Ms Perry and get her thoughts on writing the essay. The essay prompt involved explaining the change from the current payment system used by the MTS (the Compass Card), to an app called PRONTO which includes features such as fare-capping, instant money deposit, multi-card family options and online balance tracking). With this app you can add money to your account through your mobile phone. Here is the interview:
—I know the pandemic definitely took a toll on many teenagers’ mental health and motivation. What motivated you to enter this contest?
“I enjoy writing, and if I get paid to write that's even better. Plus, during the pandemic, technology has become extremely important so I thought an extra laptop would be helpful for school work.”
—Were there any teachers that motivated you?
“My English teacher actually had a lot of scholarship resources and I asked her about the MTS essay contest and she motivated me to apply and so I did.”
—Knowing you are a stellar writer, hence you won the contest, but have you entered other writing contests?
“Yes, a few months ago I entered a national $10k essay contest. The prompt was about where you felt connected in a time of social isolation during the pandemic.”
—Have you ridden the trolley or bus?
“No, I have not, but I know it's super helpful when traveling to the baseball stadium to avoid parking.”
—As we enter our senior year, do you wish to enter new contests within the next year?
“I wish to apply to as many scholarships as possible. I want to go into mechanical engineering, so any amount I can have under my belt would be super helpful for college and my future.”
—How will this experience help you in the future?
“This experience helped me build up my writing skills as well as my ability to communicate my point. This essay had questions you had to answer, and you had to format the essay in a way that not only made sense, but flowed in an order that answered every question.”
***
The Linda Vista Update wishes to thank Ms. Perry for taking the time to answer our reporter’s questions, and we wish her good luck on her upcoming senior year at Kearny High School.
Upcoming Community Events
—San Diego Loyal SC: The San Diego Loyal Soccer Club will play its next home game at 4:00 pm on July 3. The game will be played at the University of San Diego’s Torero Stadium. The Loyal will be playing the Sacramento Republic. Get ticket information here:https://www.sdloyal.com/singletickets
—Friday Teen Nights: The Linda Vista Recreation Center will be hosting Friday Teen Nights from July 9 to August 27. See the below poster for details.
— Movie Night. The Linda Vista Recreation Center will be hosting a Movie Night on July 16. See the poster below for details.
SDPD Warns of Rise in Crime
The San Diego Police Department, recently issued a news release regarding an upsurge in violent crime in San Diego. A link to the news release is here. Take a look. Fortunately, the violent crime incidents listed in the news release are not located anywhere near Linda Vista.
Subscribe to the Linda Vista Update
If you haven’t already done so, please subscribe to the Linda Vista Update. Just click on the below “Subscribe now” button. Once you do so, you will be on automatic distribution for all future posts. Join our growing readership.
The Linda Vista Update publishes informative, interesting, and fun news about Linda Vista and its neighboring communities.