Gratitude

Last nights class was great fun! Great warmup - hard core abs and press-ups - thanks Ollie! Then we did king of the hill (guard passage) for awhile. It seemed like everyone that started in guard stayed there for the duration while white and blue belts went around in quick succession. I was having fun with it and had the epiphany that it is great that those of us with less skills do this - eventually we will get good at passing guard! Duh! Twice I tried to pass Gustavo's guard - I took the opportunity to ask him about a move I've often seen other's do but have never been shown - to pass guard: 

1) grab both lapels high with both hands and push your fists (each holding it's respective lapel) into your opponents armpits

2) put your forehead on your opponents sternum and push with your arms, moving your hips back, in the direction of your feet

3) your opponent will likely move his legs up your back in effort to keep you down/break your posture - as soon as he does, put your knee behind his tailbone, posture up and break his guard - you are now in open guard and better able to pass

Later Roger taught an escape from half back mount:

1) your opponent is on your back his right hook in deep and his right arm around your neck in preparation for a choke

2) you first protect against the submission (in this case the choke) by placing your left hand on his bicep and bracing the left elbow tightly against your left thigh (so he can't get the other hook in)

3) reach up with your right hand and grab his gi at the shoulder (his right shoulder), while basing up with your left leg

4) pull his right arm and shoulder to your left turning your torso and head to the left and keeping your left arm/elbow tight against your thigh

5) now your opponent cannot finish the choke because he is off balance (clinging to your side like a koala bear) and he will fall off mount if he lets go to reach for the choke

6) continue to pull his right arm and shoulder to your left while pushing forward with your right shoulder and left leg, pop your head up onto his chest and find yourself in a half guard side-control position!

After lessons we had open sparring - I rolled every session and was the only girl in class so got to work with lots of guys I don't normally work with. I am glad to be getting out of the limiting habit of mostly only rolling with the other girls. I guess I went through a phase where I was a bit afraid to work with people I wasn't used to working with and afraid to work with guys - but really the level of almost everyone in the advanced class is really good and, as far as I can tell, they are there to practice technique - not work out their aggression or display their superior strength or to kick some girly ass! I have really really enjoyed working with the guys lately and think it is improving my game to open myself up to working with a greater variety of people. I even pulled off (almost) the technique Roger taught us in one of my sparring sessions with a really good blue belt - it felt like he was letting me - either that or I was doing a good job of it. To give myself some credit - my defense has probably gone up a level which enables me to increase my confidence in working with a greater variety of sparring partners.

After class a bunch of us went to the pub down the street to have a birthday drink with Joanna. It was good fun. I talked a bit with Goran Reljic - UFC fighter who trains BJJ at RGA when he is in London and will be fighting in UFC 84 on May 24th in Las Vegas - with he and Roger Gracie in attendance I felt a bit a part of an elite crowd - for that and all the fun had joking around with the others it was a very memorable evening and reminds me how grateful I am to be able to take part in this sport at this time with these people.