Leave Me Alone, Injuries

I have lots of nagging little injuries right now. I hurt my knee several months ago and popped my elbow about a month ago and both are nearly better but still twitchy, if you know what I mean. My right shoulder started giving me trouble two weeks ago. By the end of class, it's usually burning. I've been doing strengthening and stretching exercises for the rotater cuff and am starting to see some improvements. Then, today, when I left class and got in the car, I noticed that the lower, left side of my back is really sore. Just in one, weird, broad spot on the right near my side. I'm icing it as I type.

What is with my body lately?! I know injuries are a part of BJJ, but it seems like I'm getting lots of small injuries. I would think it might be over training, but I've actually cut back recently. I was out for a week for being sick and, even though I'm back in class now, I haven't started jogging again and I've cut my at home work outs way down.

Very mysterious. And annoying.

Other than that, I've really been enjoying the direction of class, lately. In honor of some of the team who are competing at NAGA this weekend (GO STEPH, PHIL AND THOMAS) we've been practicing lots or take-downs. Thankfully, they're take downs I feel like I can actually do. We've also been working a lot of chokes, which are always fun.

There's two that I really want to incorporate into my game. Neither of them have names that I know of. The first one is a choke you do from side control, or directly from North/South. I call it the four fingers, one thumb choke. lol! You get four fingers in under their gi, at their tag. Then, with the arm that's under their neck, you get your thumb in their lapel. Using the arm that was under the neck, you bring your elbow around, over the neck. To finish, you bring your elbow to the mat and pull back with your other arm, keeping your elbow in tight.

I've tried that one a few times, but am too slow and fumbly.

The other is a choke you do from someone's back. I call it the double-pass choke. If you're trying to get a choke from the bck and they're defending, this is a sneaky one. Slide one hand down the same side lapel, then pass it to the opposite hand. Bring it up to the person's shoulder, around the neck. With the original hand, reach around behind the neck and take the lapel back in the original hand. With the hand that is now free, grab the gi at the shoulder, four fingers down. Gi choke like normal from there.

This one, I ALMOST got today, but the person was escaping my hooks by the time I got it and they got out. Dern it! It's sneaky though. They didn't know what I was doing until I almost had it.

I don't have class again until Monday, due to Valentine's Day and NAGA. Hopefully my injuries will heal up a bit between now and then.

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you!!