The Fail Flail

The title of this blog is honor of a roll I had with one of the blue belts today. I hadn't grappled this guy in long time and, for some reason, I went completely blank. I felt like a retard.

I think part of the problem is that, sometimes when I roll with a higher belt, they don't move very much and I get intimidated. They're being still, or going slower, to let me try stuff. But them just sitting there intimidates me more, somehow. When they're moving and I'm defending, my mind gets absorbed in the game. Conversely, when I'm presented with an unmoving--seemingly immovable--object, I seem to forget everything I've learned.

Apart from that roll, though, I did alright. My roll with Ben was fun, but at one point he literally had me hoisted up in the air with his hands and ankle-hooks, my back to him. He probably could have just dropped me directly into an rnc, but he allowed me to flail out of it.

On a positive note, in my roll with Mario, I noticed myself moving into north/south and following his move into turtle by attacking from the front or one side without putting my arms all the way in and getting rolled. He was going no gi and, since the only thing I know to do when someone is in turtle is gi chokes or an rnc, I just tried to move him out of it somehow. I ended up getting pretzled for most of the grapple, but at least I was getting into some new-to-me positions. I just don't know what to do from there.

If I get to the positions, one day the submissions will come. At least, that is what I hope!! :)