Friday, October 24, 2008

Open mat at Gracie 10/24

First I helped Scott (using the term very loosely) for his gi tournament tomorrow-- he said he wanted to practice grip fighting. Being the whitebelt that I am, I subjected him to random and pointless grips that accomplished very little besides making him constantly disentangle my hands from fabric all over his arms, legs and neck. Because I was thinking of grips, I was not thinking of base, passing, protecting my neck or anything else. When I was swept, choked and joint locked enough to get my mind off the grips, he taught me how to bait an armbar from knee-on-belly (watch for them to use their hand to push against your knee-- dive your hipside arm in that hole deeply, up to the bicep if you can, step over their head with your headside leg while keeping pressure on the belly with your other knee, and you're in position for the armbar.

Richard told me to meet Justin, a resident wrestling/takedown god, and invited me to watch his Saturday privates with Justin. What a sweetie.

I rolled with Phil for my first time ever. Of course he completely owned me. Again I am frustrated at my ... everything! takedowns! guard passing! base! posture! position! But it was fun nonetheless and I didn't give up.

I also rolled with a slender guy in no-gi who took it easy on me-- I got him twice with an Americana from mount; one armbar. He could have done better I'm sure but was being sweet and letting me work for stuff.

Sadly, no rolling at all tomorrow on my horizon... a day off! shocking!

I'll be back on the mat Sunday morning :)

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