March 28th 2008

Learned a technique for passing guard in No Gi tonight: 

1) get a good base and move your right knee right behind your opponents tailbone - step/base your left foot out to the left - push back to make a little space in front of you between your opponents legs 

2) with hips forward and a good base, weave your left arm behind your back and under your opponents right leg while simultaneously weaving your right arm in front of you between his legs

3) 'underhook' his right leg with both arms and lean your bodyweight on the leg pushing forward with your chest

4) keep your left arm/hand gripping his right leg and sweep your right arm around his left leg so that you have a good grip of each thigh

5) drive forward while bringing your palms to grip each other, effectively stacking your opponent

6) pass to one side and gain side control

morale

Jude has returned - YAY!!! And it was brutal - in the best possible way - so much so that I don't even remember the warmup. Lots of calisthenics - followed by specific sparring.

Techniques - there were two. 

The first was a triangle from guard:

1) you have your opponent in your guard

2) grip his gi at the left knee securely with your right hand

3) base your right foot on his left hip

4) push/snake out your hips to your right while securing your left foot in the crook of his right arm/bicep

5) get a grip on his right sleeve with your left hand and pull him forward onto you while snaking your hips back in to your left; slipping your left leg up >> over >> behind his head and securing the triangle - you can now let go of his gi trousers to tighten the triangle.

The second was a sweep from half guard:

1) you have your opponent's right leg in your half guard

2) you grip his gi at the bottom of his left trouser leg securely with your right hand

3) get a grip on his left arm/sleeve with your left hand

4) get your right knee between his body and yours - braced against his chest

5) turn/snake to your right - pressing against his chest with your left leg/knee and with both arms down and to the right (by his left knee) 

6) quickly arc in a large C from right to left effectively pulling his body on top of you with his right arm ending up way out to your left and his left knee still firmly in your grip

7) as you arc and pull him onto your chest continue with the momentum rolling backward all the way over his body and then secure side control or mount if you can get it.

Damn - this stuff gets complicated!

There was a new blue belt girl in class today which is always cool!

I sparred all but one session - and though I was in an amazingly good mood at the beginning of class I felt a bit deflated by the end. I rolled with a brown belt twice, a guy I totally like and respect, and it was a total bummer to realize yet again that I just give up before I've started with the higher belts. I totally am ridiculous to feel bad about it because in addition to complimenting me (I should assume it is honest eh?) he taught/reminded me that when I'm in someone's guard and he has a grip on one of my legs to put up the opposite leg - spoiling his ability to sweep me; and also when he has a grip of my sleeve (?) to hold down his hand with my free hand (and pressure from my body) and pull/rip the sleeve free.

Note to self - go to class well rested, and make the most of it when a higher belt offers to roll with you! Actually - make the most of rolling with everyone - take every opportunity. As my friend says "I'll take whatever you give me!" I did feel like my fitness is coming along - nice! All the spinning and running is paying off.

No Gi

With some prodding from a BJJ buddy I decided to try a No Gi class. I have never been particularly interested in No Gi because there is (as the name implies) the absence of the big protective Gi that makes regular BJJ less awkward as a girl; I wore several layers under my Gi trousers and t-shirt in effort to combat this. (You may wonder why in a No Gi class I was wearing Gi trousers? Well, an acceptable get-up for No Gi training appears to be Gi trousers and t-shirt, and a few others in class were sporting this particular look. I think that before one commits to No Gi and invests $$ in specific No Gi garb, that this is the de rigueur choice for training). Another reason I was not keen on jumping into No Gi is that I have watched some No Gi and it looks messy - sweaty and fast and therefore perhaps more likely for one to get hurt with elbows and knees slipping and flying this way and that. 

There were very few people in class - I think 9 in total - and most of them BIG guys! This did not help my nervousness, but the warmup, lead by Ollie, did. I have found this in competition as well - when I start to get nervous it helps tremendously to just MOVE - run or do calisthenics. I was hoping to get paired up with the friend that had encouraged me to go to the No Gi class and was not looking forward especially to getting paired up with one of these huge guys that had turned up on Good Friday for a tough, rough-n-ready roll. 

We continued the warmup in pairs doing the frog jump over and then crawl through the legs 10 times each (I was dripping!); and then 'pumelling' (exchanging alternate underhooks from a standing 'clinch' position). In effort to find a better explanation of pumelling I found this inspirational clip: Luta Livre -- No Gi Brazilian Submission Wrestling and Vale Tudo

Warmup rolled right into specific sparring from closed guard with no instruction whatsoever. I ended up paired with a guy new-ish to the academy - well, new to the advanced classes, who I had only rolled with once before and though he was very nice he was also very intense. Since I worked with him last he seems to be concentrating on technique instead of strength and speed - he said as much himself. I think that often this happens in the transition from the beginners classes to the advanced. He also had an elbow injury which likely slowed him down even more - fortunately for me. Anyway, he was a pleasure to work with, though I had no idea how to get out of guard without use of collar, sleeves or trousers! I kept grabbing his trousers at the knees as I would in a regular Gi class and heard from behind me somewhere, Ollie, chiding me that the point is to NOT use the Gi! 

I worked with a few other guys and had a pleasant experience with each of them. I didn't wonder, until now actually, how they must feel about rolling with a girl in No Gi - I could be wrong but I think that they were, for better or worse, more mindful of working smart as opposed to working hard. I was at a couple of points acutely aware of how much more exposed I felt without the Gi but for the most part I was just trying to figure out how to do anything I've learned without using the Gi. I really have no idea if I was successful or not - In my opinion No Gi is a much tighter game as it is so easy for your opponent to slip and wriggle out of anything you get him in - I think it will serve my game, Gi or No Gi, well to work on getting tighter.

I took it pretty easy and sat out for a couple of rounds - watching Braulio Estima and Roger Gracie training No Gi on one end of the mat - a definite perk of training at Roger's academy! Even with two years of BJJ behind me I still often wonder what I am looking at when I watch the masters in action - though I may not know what they are doing it is still brilliant fun to watch and maybe even inspirational...

No Gi is definitely faster, and therefore more of a cardio workout than Gi, which I definitely like. I also have to agree that I think learning No Gi will help my Gi training because most of it can be used in Gi - it could be a huge advantage! I would like to learn more No Gi technique and to become more comfortable working without the psychological protection of the Gi jacket; I think it is safe to say I may find myself in the No Gi class again.

***

Tonight I really did not want to go to class. I was tired and have trained in one form or another for the last 4 days straight after a fairly inactive period while I was battling a cold. I just wanted to crawl into bed and fall into early and blissful sleep - but - I figured there will be plenty of time for that this coming 4 day weekend. And it is usually the time you need a class the most when you feel least like it. I've often been soooo glad I went when I forced a reluctant self to get my butt to class. I am glad I went tonight but it was not a euphoric experience - merely enjoyable and provided a sense of dedication and accomplishment - not too shabby.

Ollie warmed us up - I suffered an embarrassing inability to keep up the pace for the 12th set of 10 press-ups - but you know what? I don't really give a damn - I'm a girl AND yes I did girl press-ups but I did them with very good form which is a lot more than I can say for most of my fellow classmates! And I will be able at some point to do regular press-ups - and 12 sets of them! 

Then we did some drills - throws - just the pickup and then one person attacking and the other defending for 3 minutes each, then guard passage.

We learned a new technique! Yay! I guess you would call it a sweep from guard - but a sweep from guard to full back mount - I wonder, do you get 6 points for that? 

So: 

1) you have your opponent in guard and you feed both your hands under his armpits and then, with guard closed, hoist him onto your chest pulling with both your arms and both your legs

2) then you open your guard while holding him tight to your chest with both arms

3) pull your opponent up further on your chest and then triangle his legs at knees or below

4) then snake to one side (Gustavo swears it doesn't matter which side) pull out the arm that is under your opponent, come up on the elbow and then take his back!

We finished with open sparring for the last half hour. I think I only sparred 3 rounds, but it was fun. I wanted to take it easy as my shoulder is bothering me and I didn't want to go to class in the first place!

As the title suggests - 3 *'s - a decent technique, a decent workout, fun with my peeps and a good attitude - room for improvement all around but as I said before I am glad I went.

Tchau! 

guard passage and more guard passage ... or not

Tonight's class was really fun. I had a good time anyway - it gets 3.5 stars, only because it consisted of a warm up followed by 50 (!) minutes of King-of-the-Hill guard passage and finishing with 30 minutes of sparring. No techniques. As usual with King-of-the-Hill I do not last long with any partner and spend far more time on the wall than on the mat, but as last time, I had fun with it and everyone was being very technical and relaxed - friendly and gentle actually - hey, maybe I should be offended! 

Sparring was good and I worked with many of my favourites. I kept thinking that I should be trying harder after the feedback last week that I give things up too easily. I am not sure what is going on there - I am sure it would behoove me to put some effort into thinking more strategically and building speed and strength to pull off some of those techniques but I do not want to jeopardize having fun by getting down on myself for not being more disciplined. I think it will come and I will do those things, but in a way that compliments my enjoyment of the sport instead of making it a means of self torment.

After class I sparred with a couple people (made up for all that down time on the wall earlier in class) and got tapped repeatedly by my first partner - it wasn't disheartening - I seem to really be just getting pure enjoyment out of BJJ these days - it is a most welcome relief after months of feeling plain crummy about it. My second partner was more of a teaching session than sparring and I got a lot out of it - not that I can relay it all here but principally, what I brought away from it was a few things: (1) I should be aware of what I've got on my opponent and not give it up if it is good - think about what to do next while I've got a good position (the more techniques I get down solid the easier this will become); (2) when working for side control from my opponents half guard, base out with my free leg and push my hips forward to release my trapped leg; and (3) finally an answer to what I asked Gustavo about last time but couldn't remember (or at least more detail on a related series of moves): when my opponent has broken my guard I put my left foot on her right hip, hold her right lapel with my left hand, hold her left sleeve with my right hand, push her left leg out to the side (not directly away from me but to the left) and sweep her over to the left ending in mount position.

Though I promised my brother I was going to start today to do the resistance and cardio he's laid out for me, I am going to work it in gradually; starting tomorrow! I will do a spinning class and the resistance series he's given me. I'll get to being a complete workout fanatic - but in baby steps thank-you-very-much. I imagine it will help my jiu jitsu - better endurance, more strength and speed. Perhaps at some point I should work some flexibility into the game plan.

**** - Introducing the Star Rating System

I probably should not have gone to class last night; I've got a cold, and though I've had it since last Thursday or Friday and so am probably past the contagious stage, I was coughing a bit and had to leave the mat to blow my nose. I actually seemed to get more congested as the class went on and this morning the sore throat had returned. All of this, of course, is to assuage my feelings of guilt for missing tonight's class. However I am convinced that it is best for all to get better before getting back on the mat. 

All of that said, Tuesday night's class was really good - I would say a four out of five stars. I think it is funny to assign a star system to BJJ classes but it may also be a good way to take quick stock. I think for me the criteria is based as much, if not more, on my level of mental and emotional well being as on what I take away from the class technically and physically. Last nights class was fun, I learned something and I got a good workout. Four stars is fantastic. As of right now this is my rating system (which is subject to change at any time without notice):

Five stars is over the moon - great instruction, fun, a feeling of confidence, some retention of new techniques and/or evidence of using technique in sparring, a vigorous workout - in short, a class that elevates me and has me walking on the clouds.

Four stars is fantastic - all of the above but not quite at the same pitch.

Three stars is good/satisfactory - some of the above but not all 

Two stars is sub-par - for whatever reason leaving class with a feeling that I didn't get out of it what I wanted or was in some way disappointed with myself on some level (mental, emotional or physical)

One star is frustration to the point of not being able to take anything of value from the class.

So why did last night's class get four stars? Well, as I said I think it has more to do with me and my mindset than anything - so I guess I was in good form mentally last night. Here is a description of the class from my point of view to help flush out the rating system: 

We didn't learn any new techniques. Ollie* warmed us up for a grueling 10-15 minutes (he obviously subscribes to the Jude philosophy of physical training - hallelujah!) and then Gustavo lead us in the following drills with a partner:

1 minute - arm bar drill from guard - alternating sides

1 minute "rest" while partner does the drill

2 minutes - from spider-type guard to triangle - alternating sides

2 minutes "rest" while partner does the drill

1 minute - jump to standing from in guard - leaning on partners chest and bringing both legs up simultaneously (I couldn't do this very well - pulled it off once)

1 minute "rest" while partner does the drill

Then we did guard passage King of the Hill. As usual I did not spend too much time on the mat but the line moved quickly and I was having fun with it and enjoyed working with everyone. I asked Ollie to tell me what I was doing wrong and he told me that my technique was good but that I was lacking confidence - that I stopped twice though in both instances he said he did not have the submission/sweep. I think I can work on that!

During the little break at the hour mark I asked Gustavo for some advice - whenever someone has broken my guard, my inclination is to turn on my right side and brace my left knee/shin against my opponents chest and it never works well for me. Gustavo said that what I was doing makes it too easy for my opponent to just push my left knee to the mat and gain side control and that what I should do instead is to put my left foot on my opponents right hip, my right hand in his right collar (cross grip) and (I'm a little fuzzy here) grip his/her right cuff in my left hand and control his/her left arm with my right leg/foot. To be honest I forget now the latter half of what he told me - but most importantly to keep my left foot on his/her right hip and control the torso and other limbs as needed - a much more active position. The guy I asked to be my partner while getting this instruction from Gustavo offered for me to drill this a little and I declined - perhaps if I had I would remember now - Note to self!

For the last half hour of class we did open sparring. I did four rounds and sat our two or three (I was feeling snotty and tired) but really enjoyed the sessions I did take part in. It was a small-ish class and as I don't often go on Tuesdays it was not the usual cast of characters (though still all faces were familiar - I think some of these guys must live at the academy!) - it was really good, on many levels, to roll with new people and people I don't often work with. I was really a nice class and I left feeling much better for having done it, with a new optimism and glad to have gotten a good workout - I just hope I didn't infect anyone!

*I've decided to only use names of the instructors and the assistants in effort to respect people's privacy - I hope none of you mind being anonymous!

Introduction

I promised a BJJ friend I would do this: create my very own Jiu-Jitsu blog to track and explore The BJJ Effect as it pertains to me. Never having done martial arts before (except for a series of Judo classes when I was 10) I am not sure how the BJJ Effect differs to that of other martial arts - but perhaps it is the BJJ Effect in action that makes it such that I have no interest in other martial arts (as a practice at least). I found BJJ quite randomly; I had been working out consistently at a gym near my work in Novato, California and two things occurred to me: 1) I was bored and wanted something to make working out fun again, and 2) I wanted whatever that was to be closer to my home for ease of getting in my workouts on the weekends. An ex-boyfriend had encouraged me to try martial arts (he trained at the United Studios of Self Defense) but I never got as far as setting foot in the Dojo. But now it had become appealing and I thought I would see what it had in it for me. A good friend is a Kempo practitioner and teacher so I considered that as well as Tae Kwon Do. I had every intention of trying out a few places before making my mind up, however my first visit to a school called Practical Martial Arts was positive enough to end the search early. PMA taught classes in essentially Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (though they undoubtedly borrow from many disciplines as they have the utmost integrity and would not bill themselves as teaching the techniques of mixed martial arts blended with traditions and principles of the past without doing just that). Initially, as is true today, the cornerstone of my commitment to BJJ is that it is a great workout - and I really enjoyed the cardio element of the standup portions of the class, I went along with the groundwork because it was just part of the program. In truth I was intimidated by the groundwork and therefore found myself fascinated by it and eventually (after about 2 months) got myself to go to classes that focussed on BJJ. My teacher was very engaging and encouraging and I found that soon I was getting to every class I could ... the BJJ Effect! This all started in Early March of 2006; four months later I decided to move to London, England; little did I know that arguably the best BJJ fighter in the world today had an academy there. I moved to London on the 4th of July and enrolled at the Roger Gracie Academy on the 13th of July. I got my blue belt from Roger Gracie on June 4th 2007. Though morale waxes and wanes I think I am in it to win it; and as one can have mastery in BJJ, but that BJJ can never be mastered, means I will be doing this for awhile. In the writing of this introduction to my personal BJJ odyssey I realize it is my 2-year anniversary in the sport and a perfect time to renew my commitment to it. I will endeavour to log what I have learned about BJJ (techniques) and myself after each lesson. Tchau for now.