Standing guard passes

The personality of those who know how to come in contact with this dimension changes even in everyday life, during the ordinary state of consciousness. It changes the way we move. It changes the way we speak. It changes the way we face life. -Daniele Bolelli, On The Warrior’s Path


Tuesday advanced class at Bellevue.

Standing guard pass: pinch your knees together and drop them on either side of opponent's matward knee. Underhook opponent's top leg and press it to your ear as you lie on top of hir and grab the back of hir collar with that same hand. Your other hand has the pants at the knee (oh boy, yet another opportunity for me to forget to keep hold of the pants!). Flop onto your hip and remove your trapped leg. (If this is difficult, use your pants grip to shove opponent's leg out as far as possible while pulling your lower body the other way. This will wishbone the opponent's legs.) I always want to sprawl low to side control here, but tonight Carlos had us use Shoulder Of Justice and tuck up under opponent's butt, forcing hir into a cheese-curl position. I found- from having this done to me- that it makes me want to roll away from the opponent. If your opponent should be so foolish, take hir back.

Same entry, only now opponent puts up a knee shield. Grab the pants (you now have TWO pants grips) and thrust the leg away as you turn your torso to allow the knee to slide past you. It's all about the torso turn- otherwise you end up fighting your arm to hir leg, and you know who's gonna lose that battle. The end is similar to previous technique.

Lots of drills, then two rolls- with Kevin (who is now a purple belt!) and Ross. Although I was suffering in the intense heat, I was competitive with both of them tonight.

Neither Kevin or I got a tap, although I set up a few submission attempts that were really close (extra brownie points to me for attempting to set up an omoplata, triple brownie points for having the presence of mind to attempt to transition to an armbar when that failed). 

Everything that Ross got on me, he tried a second time and I was able to defend the second attempt. We each got one tap.

I got some good feedback on my WIP- "good" meaning not "Wow, you're Hemingway" but "good" as in "here's a glaring problem for you to repair". I see the problem, but am not quite sure yet how to fix it. It's simmering on my left front brain burner, though.

Finished "Night Circus"- it was pretty good, especially for a debut novel. I have another Rory Miller on reserve at the library. I'm so happy that I finally got a library card. Coincidentally, I was hearing on Mythic Scribes that Barnes & Noble is circling the drain, so I thought I'd better get in there are use up some gift certificates. As much as I'm enjoying my new Kindle- and I really am- there's just nothing like walking into a big B&N with a handful of gift cards and walking out many hours later with a heavy bag. Between the library, the Kindle and my Barnes & Noble spree, I am drowning in good things to read.