Defense

Advanced Class tonight with Gustavo and Ollie. Warm up was followed by king of the hill takedowns first and then guard passage - so it was a fairly inactive class for me until about 8:30 when we started sparring. 

It could be my mind playing tricks on me but I imagine that many of the guys are not as willing to roll with girls when it gets close to competition time - they want to roll with guys who are going to test them and toughen them for the big day...maybe, maybe not. At any rate I have to get those thoughts cleared from my head and work with the people I choose to work with instead of making excuses or waiting for someone, anyone, to ask me to spar. 

I worked with a partner I often work with and it is the same story over, and over, and over again: she dominates initially and gets side control, or more often side control in my half guard; then she gets loose while setting up a choke and I escape and get to my knees and then she gets my back and tries to choke me and I escape and turn into her guard or end up escaping and getting side control, only to get swept and then the cycle starts again. I haven't gotten tapped by her lately - that I can remember anyway - but it is still frustrating to get stuck in the same series of moves over and over. I dream of having an offensive game one day!