Enough Already

I am tired of being quarantined to my house. I really want to train tonight, but I still have fever and a cough and still feel like garbage...so that's a no go.

I was having a nice little argument with myself about maybe going and just drilling. We all know how "just drilling" goes for me. I just drill and then I just do one grapple and then just one more until I grappled five times. lol

It's frustrating because I am leaving for a cruise in one week. I've already missed half a week. If I don't train this week, not only will I turn into an actual tub of lard, but I will miss out on two and half weeks of BJJ.

No, I'm not addicted. I just need a little fix, that's all! ;)

I'm sure my teammates wouldn't appreciate me coming back early and giving them my cooties. And my brain is also telling me inconvenient things like, "You'll get better faster and be able to train sooner if you rest."

Maybe I'll be awesome and wear one of those hospital masks and just go watch. And then just drill. And then just grapple. With the mask on. I would be so cool.

P.S. This is why you shouldn't blog at 4:30 in the morning when you're doped up on o.t.c. cold medicine.

Someone Made a Highlights Reel of Fabio's Pan Ams!! :)

I still haven't seen the all of his fights in their entirety, but it's so cool to see Fabio actually "going". In class, he is always so relaxed. It's really cool to see what the top of the top looks like!!

M.I.A.

Been out of class for half a week being sick. Haven't done anything except lay in bed or on the couch and eat. Apart from being paranoid about getting fat, it's been kind of nice. This was the first Saturday morning in a long time that I didn't get up and go grapple. I missed it, but my body is thanking me right now. Hopefully I'll be feeling better and be back on the mat by Monday.

Little Things Mean A Lot

Yesterday afternoon, Fabio showed us the choke he used to win 1st place in his division at the Pan Ams. Amusingly enough, the thing I took away from the session that I think I will use the most was not the submission, but a little detail about retaining mount.

Before, whenever I was in mount and grapevining someone's legs, I would have to switch my leg positions, coming up to a high mount before trying something like a kimura or a straight armbar. If I tried to keep grapevining while I applied the submission, I'd get swept and lose it. Fabio showed us a little trick yesterday that allows me to keep protecting mount while I am applying the submissions. [By the way, in case you are a brown belt and also happen to be my instructor, I HAVE seen this before. But I am blond and so it takes a while for these things to sink in. lol!]

While you are attacking the arm, straighten out the your grapevined leg on the SAME side as your opponents isolated arm. This prevents them from rolling and thus sweeping you. Simple. Easy. Effective. Why the heck did I not remember this?!?! ;)

At first, being the genius that I am, I wondered if it would actually prevent someone from rolling. It didn't look like it would work. So, Steph and I took turns trying to sweep each other while the person was doing the "reaper stretch" (yes, I'm giving this common move that probably already has a name another, more retarded name). To my delight, I could not sweep Stephanie, nor could she sweep me.

The real test came during rolling in the evening class. I got into mount and decided not to use my arms for a while and to try to retain the position just using my weight pressure and this grapevining technique. For once in my life, I actually had a slight weight advantage on my male opponent (like 15 lbs), but I this guy has long legs and is flexible and pretty good at wriggling them out of things. The technique worked beautifully. Yay!!

It's funny because I was talking to some other guys at our school about Fabio and the "little things" that make the difference between a technique working and not working. One guy retold a story about how a certain technique required you to place your foot flat on the mat. It wasn't turned in a weird way, the leg wasn't angled oddly.Just put your foot flat on the mat. And yet, somehow, Fabio managed to be able to put his foot flat on the mat better than my friend. My friend said, "I know he's a black belt, but seriously. How can someone put their foot flat on the mat better than another person?!?!" lol

Hopefully all this little mount detail will stay in my memory this time!

Bluebeltitis

For those of you who don't know, I have recently been inflicted with a very common, potentially joint threatening illness called bluebeltitis. Brought on by a recent belt promotion, this disease affects the brain of its victims, causing them to think they are more awesome than they are, and to act pridefully and not tap in situations when they would otherwise admit defeat and move on.

Last night, I took some steps in the direction of conquering this disease. I rolled with two white belt men last night that I don't normally roll with and who--shockingly-- have a significant weight advantage on me. Now, until recently, I would have just sat in my guard and played a conservative game, not wanting to give anything up lest I get my guard passed.

Not last night, buddy! I went for it. Played more of my normal game. And...got submitted. Twice. Both with americanas.

Surprisingly, it didn't bother me as much as I thought it would. The guys I went with last night didn't point and laugh at me. My coach didn't announce to the whole class that I am an impostor and he didn't snatch back my belt. My friends didn't shun me. I did not die. ;)

In fact, I actually learned some things from those grapples. I got submitted by a blue belt with the same thing those two other guys got me with, so I am obviously setting myself up for these somehow. Also, I figured out how to kind of roll into an inverted guard from this one position when people are passing my guard that I wouldn't have noticed if I'd been all locked up and tight. After class, I talked strategy with another friend of mine about what to do when guys pin my arms down when they're in my guard and I feel like I have a better strategy now on how to deal with that.

Am I cured from bluebeltitis? Not entirely. I still have to talk myself into not playing a safe game. But I do feel like the new submission therapy is helping. Hopefully I will have the pride americana'd out of me in no time.

Congratultions!!

Congrats to everyone who went out and fought at the Pan Ams!! Whether you win or lose, it takes a lot of guts to step out on those mats. I'm sure just being there and seeing all those awesome fights helps you grow.

Want to say a special congratulations to Fabio Novaes, who won his division!!! We are all so proud of you and thankful to be a part of your school! Also, a big congratulations to Paul Kimbrel, who won both his division in brown belts and also took absolute! Several others from our school went and all competed well. I feel privileged to be a part of such talented team!!

Go Fabio Novaes BJJ!!

Hey...this stuff actually works!

Today, our Summerlin crew took a little field trip to a sister-school in Apollo Beach. I had SO much fun. I had met several of the guys there a few times before, but I got to roll with a lot of new people, which is always exciting.

One thing that stuck out to me today was a grapple I had with a guy that is relatively new to BJJ. I'm not sure how long he had been training. Only a few months I think. He was bigger than me and, when I went to sit down with him, my instructor told me to show him what kind of rolling of a blue belt can do.

Greeeeeat. Since THAT doesn't make me feel pressure! lol

I had no idea what to expect. In fact, I was worried that I would disappoint my instructor by not being able to do anything against this guy. But when we started rolling, I was shocked to see that I could move alright. For the first time I felt like I was able to "put it on" someone bigger and stronger than me.

I left the grapple feeling exhilarated. I was thinking, "Hey, this stuff actually works!!"

Then I rolled with Dana, one of the purple belt instructors at the school. The confidence I had just built up was rapidly deflated! LOL I felt like a newbie all over again, even though it was a fun roll.

Learned a lot. Had a lot of fun. So, overall, great day!