Friday evening in Bothell

We are stuck within a system that gives all the power to the mind, and just the leftovers to the body. -Daniele Bolelli, On The Warrior’s Path




Friday evening BJJ at GB Bothell.

Worked with a few of the older white belt guys tonight, and they seem nice. There's also a very good blue belt from Edmonds. He did an interesting gi-tail choke on me twice in a row. I said, "Keep doing that until I figure out how to defend it." He did it to me again, and I still can't even see it coming. Once you're in it, turning either way tightens it more, so you're hosed. Note: next time I spar that guy, ask him to keep doing that choke on me.

Review of stuff from the week: armbar from mount (note that you don't *have* to hold the arm as I tend to do; you can post both hands on the chest and as long as you quickly plant your crotch on the guy's shoulder, he can't pull the arm out), keylock from mount,  Failed keylock transition to armbar, Front mount to back mount with choke, Cross collar gi choke from mount, Cross collar gi choke with the 2nd hand on the outside of the gi shoulder. Note that if you put your forehead on the mat for those cross collar chokes, it is supposed to go on the same side that your uppermost arm is.

Spars. I had told everybody that I have a minor rib injury and to not go too heavy. Everybody was fine. Eric still being really muscley, but I don't expect that to improve for a while. At one point we had about 20 seconds left on the clock when we reset from a spar, and after the clap-and-bump he lunged and hit me like a speeding freight train. It hurt a bit, but it was also so over-the-top that I spent the last bit of time trying to defend while laughing my butt off. 

Cindy and I were teasing each other a lot tonight, which is fun, but I need to be mindful to not go too far- because I know she's trying to maintain at least some of the more formal decorum of Gracie Barra Land. I guess I could come off as sounding disrespectful to people who don't know us, and I certainly don't want that. For some reason, when it's largely over-forties on the mat, it seems okay to me to loosen up more. 

Also note: at Sleeper, Jalen and Terry usually cleaned the mats. Here, with the present crew, I need to remember that if I walk out without helping to clean the mats, I'm being kind of a jerk.

This was a very good couple days of hard training, Five classes in two days. Now I am sore, tired, and bruised from head to toe, but it was good stuff.

You want to watch this. It's adorable and funny. Have the sound up.