Sorry this is late. I knew I was forgetting to do something.
Warm up, then drilling takedowns. Ten hip throws, ten double legs, and ten single legs. Claire just watched class since she wasn't feeling great, so I partnered with Katie. Our technique for the night was a defense against the single leg and a takedown from there. I'm pretty sure we did another technique before more drilling, but I don't remember what it was. Some more drilling for the tournament, then rolling.
I only rolled four rounds. Two with white belts, one with a blue, and one with Caleb. Caleb put me in some weird positions during our roll. I think one was 50/50 guard, but I've only ever heard of it, so I'm not quite sure.
Another tournament this weekend. This one's a new one, Newbreed. It's another small tournament, so I suspect I'll be against boys again, but that's okay. I got some extra practice with my takedowns (Gi and No-Gi), so I'm hoping I won't make another dumb mistake (in a takedown at least.)
Friday, December 6, 2013
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Tuesday, November 26
I think my body must have realized tomorrow's a holiday, because it's decided to be very lazy. Monday night I was exhausted by my second round of rolling, and last night I was breathing so heavy afterwards you would think I just ran a marathon.
I was happy to see two new blue belts at the front of the line. Obviously, Saturday's test went well (still bummed I couldn't make it...).
Anyway, class started off with some takedowns, which I was glad to see I have made some progress on. Caleb and Josh went over all the details for the newbies, though honestly it was good for all of us. I finally managed to set up the shoulder throw without wobbling and/or tripping and/or falling over. Plus, I successfully completed the shoulder-throw-thingy where you set it up like normal but drop to the ground and roll them instead of throwing them. And that really surprised me. Once everyone had the throws/takedowns, we did a drill where you roll to your partner and throw them (we used the second one). Then they run to the other side of the mat, touch the ground, and repeat the process. We did this until I was so dizzy I was afraid I would fall over.
The night's groundwork consisted of counters to recomposing guard. Both of the ones we learned were super simple, but I'm not sure I will be able to remember them quickly enough when rolling unless I'm already thinking about it or I train it as muscle memory.
Five rounds of rolling to end. First with a white belt who, when I asked, said he hadn't trained BJJ in a year or so, but wrestled fairly often. Needless to say I was surprised (and impressed) when he didn't try to muscle out of anything (except an arm bar) and I could feel him actually trying to set up a real guard pass.
Finished off with a roll with Josh which left me happy and absolutely exhausted. Don't get me wrong, I did terrible. He caught me in a baseball choke from a position I didn't even know you could finish it from. Not to mention he caught me in two or three other submissions during the six minute round. Despite that, I could feel how I have improved even in the last few months. Also, I could see how far I had to go. And that's just to purple belt! This'll be fun.
I was happy to see two new blue belts at the front of the line. Obviously, Saturday's test went well (still bummed I couldn't make it...).
Anyway, class started off with some takedowns, which I was glad to see I have made some progress on. Caleb and Josh went over all the details for the newbies, though honestly it was good for all of us. I finally managed to set up the shoulder throw without wobbling and/or tripping and/or falling over. Plus, I successfully completed the shoulder-throw-thingy where you set it up like normal but drop to the ground and roll them instead of throwing them. And that really surprised me. Once everyone had the throws/takedowns, we did a drill where you roll to your partner and throw them (we used the second one). Then they run to the other side of the mat, touch the ground, and repeat the process. We did this until I was so dizzy I was afraid I would fall over.
The night's groundwork consisted of counters to recomposing guard. Both of the ones we learned were super simple, but I'm not sure I will be able to remember them quickly enough when rolling unless I'm already thinking about it or I train it as muscle memory.
Five rounds of rolling to end. First with a white belt who, when I asked, said he hadn't trained BJJ in a year or so, but wrestled fairly often. Needless to say I was surprised (and impressed) when he didn't try to muscle out of anything (except an arm bar) and I could feel him actually trying to set up a real guard pass.
Finished off with a roll with Josh which left me happy and absolutely exhausted. Don't get me wrong, I did terrible. He caught me in a baseball choke from a position I didn't even know you could finish it from. Not to mention he caught me in two or three other submissions during the six minute round. Despite that, I could feel how I have improved even in the last few months. Also, I could see how far I had to go. And that's just to purple belt! This'll be fun.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Monday, November 18
Sorry I haven't posted lately! The week after the tournament I was too lazy to post, and last week I didn't make it to class at all. In my defense though, the deer we hit driving to class last Monday left a lovely hole in my dad's truck.
Since I knew I wouldn't make class last night either (I had the end of the year party for Tang Soo Do), I went early Monday night for some extra practice with the Gi. Got to do a bunch of drilling with Gina while Caleb helped Matt with his techniques for his test Saturday. (Oh, by the way, there's a blue belt test Saturday.) Anyway, after drilling I got to roll about two rounds with Gina (the timer wasn't turned on so I'm not exactly sure) and one round with Caleb. Honestly, I was pretty satisfied with my rolls. I even got an arm bar!
After that was an hour of school work while kids' class went on. Following that was sword class, which I got to join in on. Actually, I enjoyed that class a lot. Very traditional. Plus, I've been wanting to try sword class for about two years now and my parents finally said yes so...yeah.
Anyway, back to jiu-jitsu. Nice sized class for No-gi. Apparently the theme of this and this past week is/was reestablishing guard, so obviously we worked on that. We actually drilled four different ways to escape side control, three of which ended with them in your guard. When Caleb was explaining the last one he kept saying "roll across your shoulders"...as he rolled over his head. Hehe.
Oh yeah, and my brain just reminded me we worked on escaping mount too. As soon as we started rolling, I realized the sweep we learned was one that Caleb uses on me all the time, so now that I know how to do it, maybe I can figure out how to defend against it.
Rolling was apparently somewhat uneventful since I don't recall much of it. Then again I'm pretty tired right now so it could just be that. Everything seemed to be flowing pretty well, which made me happy. I'm starting to see things (submissions, sweeps, etc.) where I didn't before and it's a pretty awesome feeling.
Since I knew I wouldn't make class last night either (I had the end of the year party for Tang Soo Do), I went early Monday night for some extra practice with the Gi. Got to do a bunch of drilling with Gina while Caleb helped Matt with his techniques for his test Saturday. (Oh, by the way, there's a blue belt test Saturday.) Anyway, after drilling I got to roll about two rounds with Gina (the timer wasn't turned on so I'm not exactly sure) and one round with Caleb. Honestly, I was pretty satisfied with my rolls. I even got an arm bar!
After that was an hour of school work while kids' class went on. Following that was sword class, which I got to join in on. Actually, I enjoyed that class a lot. Very traditional. Plus, I've been wanting to try sword class for about two years now and my parents finally said yes so...yeah.
Anyway, back to jiu-jitsu. Nice sized class for No-gi. Apparently the theme of this and this past week is/was reestablishing guard, so obviously we worked on that. We actually drilled four different ways to escape side control, three of which ended with them in your guard. When Caleb was explaining the last one he kept saying "roll across your shoulders"...as he rolled over his head. Hehe.
Oh yeah, and my brain just reminded me we worked on escaping mount too. As soon as we started rolling, I realized the sweep we learned was one that Caleb uses on me all the time, so now that I know how to do it, maybe I can figure out how to defend against it.
Rolling was apparently somewhat uneventful since I don't recall much of it. Then again I'm pretty tired right now so it could just be that. Everything seemed to be flowing pretty well, which made me happy. I'm starting to see things (submissions, sweeps, etc.) where I didn't before and it's a pretty awesome feeling.
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Copa 2013
Summary:
Drafted to the boys division (again).
1st place in Gi - Won the first round by points and the second by submission.
3rd place in No-Gi - Lost both rounds by submission.
Sooooo, despite my efforts to ensure I fought a girl, I was once again the only one in my division and was moved to the equivalent guys division. There were other girls there; just not in my age and weight classes.
Match #1: Gi
My first match was against another orange belt named Chad. He was basically my size and age. It didn't take long to figure out that triangles were his favorite submission. He jumped straight to guard and tried pulling three different triangles before I could pass. I won the match on points, even though I spent most of the time in his guard.
Match #2: Gi
I was completely exhausted after my first match, but thankfully I had a bit of a break before round two. When I found out I might have a second match, I began hoping and praying it would be a girl this time. Lo and behold, it was another boy. A yellow belt thank goodness, but a boy nevertheless.
During the second half of this match, Caleb was competing, so Eric and Jonathan coached me instead. I got a deep collar grip right off the bat and pulled guard. After some grip fighting, guard passing, and sweeps (Still not sure how I managed to pull one off by the way), I finally managed to get my other hand in for the collar choke. Honestly, I was freaking out on the inside because Caleb helped me with this choke last month and although I had never successfully completed it during sparring, I knew my position was right. I didn't know how much time I had though, so when my hand slipped under his chin, I pulled my elbows to the mat and my knees to my chest. And it worked!
Match #1: No-Gi
Since my division had no changes from Gi to No-Gi, we went first (despite being the last round of Gi). I nearly had a heart attack when I walked back into the gym to hear them calling my name. This time, I was against Eli (the yellow belt) first. So, as you know, takedowns aren't exactly my strong point. He wasn't trying anything though, so I decided to go for something. I had decided what takedowns I wanted to look for ahead of time, but, of course, my mind went blank. So I tried the first takedown that came to mind, and did it wrong, despite the fact that I might have actually succeeded if I had tried my absolute favorite. And I would have gotten extra points. Urgg! Anyway, I went for a double leg, but too slowly because I was unsure, and left my back and neck wide open. So he did the logical thing: took my back and submitted me. I didn't do too terrible at defending once he was there, but I think I probably should've tapped a bit sooner.
Match #2: No-Gi
I had just enough time to swallow the lump in my throat before my final match began. Looking back, I'm honestly not sure how it happened, but I somehow jumped into a guillotine. Although after how short round one was, I wasn't about to let that be the end of it. By some miracle, I remembered enough of the defense to make it out alive. I got caught in a triangle when I broke his guard. I might have actually escaped, but my nose and mouth got covered and I had no choice but to tap. I felt really bad about it, but between the fatigue, the lack of oxygen, and the disappointment, I couldn't quite hold back a few tears.
Highlights
Things to work on:
Very, very sore today; especially my neck. Can't say I'm surprised though. Hopefully I'll be rested up enough for class tomorrow.
Drafted to the boys division (again).
1st place in Gi - Won the first round by points and the second by submission.
3rd place in No-Gi - Lost both rounds by submission.
Sooooo, despite my efforts to ensure I fought a girl, I was once again the only one in my division and was moved to the equivalent guys division. There were other girls there; just not in my age and weight classes.
Match #1: Gi
My first match was against another orange belt named Chad. He was basically my size and age. It didn't take long to figure out that triangles were his favorite submission. He jumped straight to guard and tried pulling three different triangles before I could pass. I won the match on points, even though I spent most of the time in his guard.
Match #2: Gi
I was completely exhausted after my first match, but thankfully I had a bit of a break before round two. When I found out I might have a second match, I began hoping and praying it would be a girl this time. Lo and behold, it was another boy. A yellow belt thank goodness, but a boy nevertheless.
During the second half of this match, Caleb was competing, so Eric and Jonathan coached me instead. I got a deep collar grip right off the bat and pulled guard. After some grip fighting, guard passing, and sweeps (Still not sure how I managed to pull one off by the way), I finally managed to get my other hand in for the collar choke. Honestly, I was freaking out on the inside because Caleb helped me with this choke last month and although I had never successfully completed it during sparring, I knew my position was right. I didn't know how much time I had though, so when my hand slipped under his chin, I pulled my elbows to the mat and my knees to my chest. And it worked!
Match #1: No-Gi
Since my division had no changes from Gi to No-Gi, we went first (despite being the last round of Gi). I nearly had a heart attack when I walked back into the gym to hear them calling my name. This time, I was against Eli (the yellow belt) first. So, as you know, takedowns aren't exactly my strong point. He wasn't trying anything though, so I decided to go for something. I had decided what takedowns I wanted to look for ahead of time, but, of course, my mind went blank. So I tried the first takedown that came to mind, and did it wrong, despite the fact that I might have actually succeeded if I had tried my absolute favorite. And I would have gotten extra points. Urgg! Anyway, I went for a double leg, but too slowly because I was unsure, and left my back and neck wide open. So he did the logical thing: took my back and submitted me. I didn't do too terrible at defending once he was there, but I think I probably should've tapped a bit sooner.
Match #2: No-Gi
I had just enough time to swallow the lump in my throat before my final match began. Looking back, I'm honestly not sure how it happened, but I somehow jumped into a guillotine. Although after how short round one was, I wasn't about to let that be the end of it. By some miracle, I remembered enough of the defense to make it out alive. I got caught in a triangle when I broke his guard. I might have actually escaped, but my nose and mouth got covered and I had no choice but to tap. I felt really bad about it, but between the fatigue, the lack of oxygen, and the disappointment, I couldn't quite hold back a few tears.
Highlights
- I successfully completed a cross choke.
- I tried a takedown. It may not have gone as planned, but at least I tried.
Things to work on:
- Guard passing
- Double leg takedowns
- Defense against triangles (especially in No-Gi)
Very, very sore today; especially my neck. Can't say I'm surprised though. Hopefully I'll be rested up enough for class tomorrow.
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Monday, October 28
Monday's class was big again. Wow! This might actually become the new class size! After warm-up, we drilled two ways to do a basic double leg. The first required too much strength to be an effective takedown for smaller people (like me), so I personally preferred the second. We then proceeded to drill a basic triangle from guard and a guard pass. I always appreciate working on guard passes in class because it seems that that is one of the weakest parts of my game. I usually have about as much trouble breaking the guard open as passing it. For some reason, I tend to gravitate towards standing guard breaks and passes (which is what we drilled tonight). I'm honestly not sure why though, because whenever I spend much time in the guard, my legs get exhausted just holding up the extra weight. Then they feel about as useful as limp noodles.
Sadly, I didn't get much rolling in tonight. Five rounds total, but I had to sit out two in a row due to lack of training partner. Two rolls with newer(ish) white belts and one good roll with Caleb to finish up.
One of the Tang Soo Do guys from Hebron was trying class for the first time last night. He seemed to really enjoy it. I think I'll wait awhile to roll with him though and see how hard he goes. (He's a little scary to spar with since he's stronger than he realizes and is still learning control. Just being cautious here.)
Preparing for a tournament this weekend. Of course, this would be the one week that I just can't be at class Tuesday night. Oh well. I'm planning on calling the organizers Friday to make sure there are some other girls signed up for my division. My luck, I would show up and have no one to compete against.
Sadly, I didn't get much rolling in tonight. Five rounds total, but I had to sit out two in a row due to lack of training partner. Two rolls with newer(ish) white belts and one good roll with Caleb to finish up.
One of the Tang Soo Do guys from Hebron was trying class for the first time last night. He seemed to really enjoy it. I think I'll wait awhile to roll with him though and see how hard he goes. (He's a little scary to spar with since he's stronger than he realizes and is still learning control. Just being cautious here.)
Preparing for a tournament this weekend. Of course, this would be the one week that I just can't be at class Tuesday night. Oh well. I'm planning on calling the organizers Friday to make sure there are some other girls signed up for my division. My luck, I would show up and have no one to compete against.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Tuesday, October 22
Since Caleb was cross-training with a master instructor, class didn't start until eight last night as opposed to the usual seven thirty. Most everyone showed up normal time to warm-up and work some drills. I decided to take advantage of the time to attend at least half of the Christmas demo practice at my Tang Soo Do school. (Oh my goodness. I can't believe Christmas is close enough for me to type!) I ended up arriving to class just a few minutes before Caleb.
Obviously, we didn't have as much time as usual for drilling, so we mainly focused on one collar choke. It was actually one that I don't think I have done before, or if I have, it was a little different. It was a good choke for little people like me because it required no strength to complete. We also briefly practiced the arm bar from said choke.
Lots of rolling to finish up. With the tournaments and blue belt test coming up, 3-stripe white belts and up started standing. I haven't practiced stand-up in months, so I was a little anxious to see how I did. Somehow, my brain switched gears and allowed me to look like I actually knew what I was doing. However, it took a lot of will power to prevent myself from reverting back to a high Tang Soo Do fighting stance.
I rolled with the white belt wrestler again tonight. It would seem he is still learning how this whole jiu-jitsu thing works. I look forward to the day when he realizes that once my arms are out of the triangle, squeezing my head as hard as possible will not cause me to tap; it'll just annoy me. (Or make me teeny bit mad. RAWR!!!)
Sore in multiple places today. Thankful for a bit of rest.
Obviously, we didn't have as much time as usual for drilling, so we mainly focused on one collar choke. It was actually one that I don't think I have done before, or if I have, it was a little different. It was a good choke for little people like me because it required no strength to complete. We also briefly practiced the arm bar from said choke.
Lots of rolling to finish up. With the tournaments and blue belt test coming up, 3-stripe white belts and up started standing. I haven't practiced stand-up in months, so I was a little anxious to see how I did. Somehow, my brain switched gears and allowed me to look like I actually knew what I was doing. However, it took a lot of will power to prevent myself from reverting back to a high Tang Soo Do fighting stance.
I rolled with the white belt wrestler again tonight. It would seem he is still learning how this whole jiu-jitsu thing works. I look forward to the day when he realizes that once my arms are out of the triangle, squeezing my head as hard as possible will not cause me to tap; it'll just annoy me. (Or make me teeny bit mad. RAWR!!!)
Sore in multiple places today. Thankful for a bit of rest.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
I'm an Orange Belt!!!!
Arrived a little late to class last night, but just in time to get promoted! I had a sneaky suspicion going in since Caleb tested me on a few things last week and Mom came in behind me instead of leaving to run errands. When he pulled out the tape, I thought he might just be giving out stripes, but after Jarod got a stripe on his belt, Caleb sent me to one side of the mat and everyone else to the other. Uh oh. This could be...(Bad? Fun?)..interesting. He dropped my orange belt at the far side of the mat. "Okay. You have to butt-scoot all the way to the belt if you want it." And by that, he meant the one where you pick up your hands and feet and waddle on your hips. It took just long enough to get a good burning sensation in my legs and abs. The belt is not my actual orange belt (it's on back-order), but it was really cool to see a new color around my waist. Looks like we'll be seeing a lot more color here shortly as we have two guys ready to test for blue around December, and two more sometime in the spring.
Anyway, moving on to class. Tonight was bigger than normal; eight students plus Caleb! Paired up with Jarod to work a spider guard entry, a sweep, and a basic triangle. Four rounds of rolling after that. Jarod and I rolled a bit lighter than normal since his calf cramped up pretty badly during drilling. Rolling with Caleb was awesome as usual. For the last minute he said he would go full purple belt. Heehee. It was pretty funny/awesome how quickly he submitted me.
On the ride home, I noticed the beautiful calluses that have begun to form on the top knuckle of each of my fingers. It seems they get a little tougher every time we work spider guard or something similar. I might need to start taping them up again.
Anyway, moving on to class. Tonight was bigger than normal; eight students plus Caleb! Paired up with Jarod to work a spider guard entry, a sweep, and a basic triangle. Four rounds of rolling after that. Jarod and I rolled a bit lighter than normal since his calf cramped up pretty badly during drilling. Rolling with Caleb was awesome as usual. For the last minute he said he would go full purple belt. Heehee. It was pretty funny/awesome how quickly he submitted me.
On the ride home, I noticed the beautiful calluses that have begun to form on the top knuckle of each of my fingers. It seems they get a little tougher every time we work spider guard or something similar. I might need to start taping them up again.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Monday, October 7
Felt really good last night! Quick warm-up and straight into drilling. We are working guard passes this week for the most part, so obviously we drilled one. The particular pass we were doing, however, involved driving your elbow into your opponent's sternum, which caused a bunch of partner-switching to avoid awkwardness. Caleb also had us work on a new transition from the kimura from the top. If they defend by grabbing their other hand, you bring both legs to their back and roll them to a position where you can complete it from the bottom of guard. I think I might have been missing a step in the middle as when I rolled, I always felt like I was smashing my face against the mat. Either way, I made it successfully from point A to point B.
I had a really good night of rolling. We went five rounds, which is a little longer than we usually have time for. For once, I actually felt like I was getting somewhere in my rolls. My guard passing needs a lot of work, but I think my defense is getting stronger. Plus, I even managed to get in a few good submission chains! I feel like my rolls are starting to flow more, like I finally know enough to figure out what my position is and what my options are. It's a good feeling.
Normally, I would have had class again tonight. However, today was my sister's birthday (Happy Birthday Bella!), so we went out to dinner instead. I have to admit, it felt pretty strange to be eating frozen yogurt while class was going on. I'll be back next week though.
I had a really good night of rolling. We went five rounds, which is a little longer than we usually have time for. For once, I actually felt like I was getting somewhere in my rolls. My guard passing needs a lot of work, but I think my defense is getting stronger. Plus, I even managed to get in a few good submission chains! I feel like my rolls are starting to flow more, like I finally know enough to figure out what my position is and what my options are. It's a good feeling.
Normally, I would have had class again tonight. However, today was my sister's birthday (Happy Birthday Bella!), so we went out to dinner instead. I have to admit, it felt pretty strange to be eating frozen yogurt while class was going on. I'll be back next week though.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Tuesday, October 1
Small class last night. Quick warm up, then we went straight into drilling. The theme for the next two weeks is guard: closed this week and open next week. I paired up with Jarod and we drilled a pass to the back, a basic arm bar, and a lapel choke. For some reason, my body is convinced that my legs should cross when doing this arm bar. I'm not sure how I let that slip for so long. I really liked the choke. Now if I can only remember it...
I rolled five rounds, including two with Jarod and one with the new kid. I was excited about rolling with Jarod because the last time we rolled was last winter and he destroyed me. He took the summer off and before that was out with a hip injury, so I haven't had a chance to work with him again. Plus, he's my size, and it's kind of nice to have someone smaller to roll with.
Rolling with the new kid, I finally understood what other BJJ bloggers mean when they talk about wrestlers coming in and trying to pin you. I probably took his back four times. Plus he kept leaving his arms out giving me arm bars galore. I think he'll learn pretty quick though, because by the end our round he was at least keeping his elbows in.
Overall good class last night. A little sore all over today. My wrist is mostly better; still doesn't appreciate pushups though. (In case you are wondering, I got swept during drilling Monday and was not expecting it so, of course, I stuck my arms out to catch myself. Dumb, I know. I sprained my right wrist last summer though, so it's a bit more sensitive than the left.) Also, I would not be surprised if my nose is bruised tomorrow. During our first round, Jarod went for an arm bar and raked his leg across my face in the process. When I woke up this morning one side of the base was red, and it's a little sore to the touch. I'll keep you posted.
Lastly, great news from Monday morning! *said sarcastically* I need full braces! Blech. Looks like I'll be learning to roll with a mouthpiece in.
I rolled five rounds, including two with Jarod and one with the new kid. I was excited about rolling with Jarod because the last time we rolled was last winter and he destroyed me. He took the summer off and before that was out with a hip injury, so I haven't had a chance to work with him again. Plus, he's my size, and it's kind of nice to have someone smaller to roll with.
Rolling with the new kid, I finally understood what other BJJ bloggers mean when they talk about wrestlers coming in and trying to pin you. I probably took his back four times. Plus he kept leaving his arms out giving me arm bars galore. I think he'll learn pretty quick though, because by the end our round he was at least keeping his elbows in.
Overall good class last night. A little sore all over today. My wrist is mostly better; still doesn't appreciate pushups though. (In case you are wondering, I got swept during drilling Monday and was not expecting it so, of course, I stuck my arms out to catch myself. Dumb, I know. I sprained my right wrist last summer though, so it's a bit more sensitive than the left.) Also, I would not be surprised if my nose is bruised tomorrow. During our first round, Jarod went for an arm bar and raked his leg across my face in the process. When I woke up this morning one side of the base was red, and it's a little sore to the touch. I'll keep you posted.
Lastly, great news from Monday morning! *said sarcastically* I need full braces! Blech. Looks like I'll be learning to roll with a mouthpiece in.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Position, Transition, Submission
Last night my dad found a new, quicker way to get to class which meant I was actually early for once! Woohoo! Of course then we proceeded to ride down the road a couple minutes before turning around which made me late. Oh well. Class hadn’t started yet anyway as we had a new kid who was trying it out. I say kid, but this guy was actually older than me so...yeah.
Class started out with the normal warm-up (running, skipping, stretching, etc.), but strangely we skipped rolls. The theme for this week is knee on belly; submissions, transitions, escapes, etc. (We worked on it last night at no-gi class too. I meant to post about that yesterday, but I still have to get used to this whole blogging thing. Baby steps.) I have to admit I was pretty excited when I found out that we were focusing on it since this is a position I am not at all comfortable with. Caleb actually had his friend, Josh, come to help teach since apparently this is one of his favorite positions to use in tournaments. After checking our grips and foot position, Josh showed us a transition to get from one side to the other. We proceeded to drill that along with two submissions: a baseball choke and a triangle choke. The baseball choke was pretty simple, but I kept getting my foot stuck on the triangle. Hmm... I will have to convince my sister to let me practice that one on her.
Class started out with the normal warm-up (running, skipping, stretching, etc.), but strangely we skipped rolls. The theme for this week is knee on belly; submissions, transitions, escapes, etc. (We worked on it last night at no-gi class too. I meant to post about that yesterday, but I still have to get used to this whole blogging thing. Baby steps.) I have to admit I was pretty excited when I found out that we were focusing on it since this is a position I am not at all comfortable with. Caleb actually had his friend, Josh, come to help teach since apparently this is one of his favorite positions to use in tournaments. After checking our grips and foot position, Josh showed us a transition to get from one side to the other. We proceeded to drill that along with two submissions: a baseball choke and a triangle choke. The baseball choke was pretty simple, but I kept getting my foot stuck on the triangle. Hmm... I will have to convince my sister to let me practice that one on her.
As for sparring, I rolled with Jonathan, Josh, and Dennis. I am glad I got the chance to roll with Josh since 1) he is a purple belt, 2) Caleb likes to brag on him, and 3) I wanted to see how I did compared with the last time we rolled a couple of months ago. I think I have improved some considering this time I wasn’t totally lost when he stood up in my open guard. I definitely have a long way to go though.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Hi Everyone!
I thought I would start this blog off with a proper introduction. My name is Sydney, and I have been training in martial arts for six and a half years. Up until a couple years ago, it was just Tang Soo Do. When I got my black belt though, I found out about this awesome thing called cross-training. First, it was Hapkido, which, by the way, I still train in on occasion. Then last fall, my friend/instructor, Caleb, invited me to come train with him at his Jiu-jitsu school. Let's just say I fell in love with the sport. I have been training for over a year now and am a yellow belt with one stripe.
Now understand that I am not one of those people who goes to six classes a week and squeezes BJJ into every second of spare time. Between school and my other martial arts, I don't have a ton of extra time on my hands; and it doesn't help that it's an hour round trip to class. I do enjoy it a lot though, and I try to get all that I can out of my two practices each week. I hope writing about practice might help me remember some stuff better. And hey! If someone actually learns something from this blog, then that's even better.
Oh, and one more thing. I'm Type A and kinda a perfectionist so if my posts start getting boring (or are boring from the start) I would really appreciate it if someone commented and let me know. Thanks!
Now understand that I am not one of those people who goes to six classes a week and squeezes BJJ into every second of spare time. Between school and my other martial arts, I don't have a ton of extra time on my hands; and it doesn't help that it's an hour round trip to class. I do enjoy it a lot though, and I try to get all that I can out of my two practices each week. I hope writing about practice might help me remember some stuff better. And hey! If someone actually learns something from this blog, then that's even better.
Oh, and one more thing. I'm Type A and kinda a perfectionist so if my posts start getting boring (or are boring from the start) I would really appreciate it if someone commented and let me know. Thanks!
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