Thursday training

Thursday morning at Cindy's, I was late because I had to take my kitty to the vet.

Lamont was back, and the Russian blue belt (Nayden), and Angus was there today too. We worked on some of the same escape-from-half-guard stuff from the other day. I was happy that the sequences came back to me quickly, so today I tried the techniques on both sides. It is difficult for me to get the leg spaghetti set up correctly on my retarded side... that needs more practice.

A little timed sparring. The guys were plowing through me today, and I was getting frustrated. I even said the Bad "C" word ("can't") once, and got reprimanded. Lamont kept arm-dragging me to take my back, over and over, and I couldn't seem to do anything to stop him. Angus lunged in on me (after I specifically told him to take it easy) and cracked both of our shins together- that hurt, that'll leave a mark.

I observed a few blog posts ago that getting caught with certain techniques just really bug me because of the humiliation factor.... well, one example is when I'm fighting 100% to stop some big guy from putting me on my back and he just puts me there anyway and climbs on top, with very little apparent effort. Man, that just ticks me off, and some claustophobia starts to kick in as well...and I want to eye-gouge him or belly-kick him or something really violent to get him the F off me, and I can't do a thing (that is BJJ legal)... so the next impulse is to just go limp and cry, which is equally unacceptable. I want to just stop, but I am usually not allowed breaks any more. Today I probably should have insisted on one, and tried to put myself emotionally back together- because there does come a point where I'm so frustrated that the law of negative returns kicks in. I've gotten fairly good at recognizing that point in kung fu, but I'm not so good at recognizing- or enforcing- that boundary in BJJ.

I was told that my hands need to always be doing SOMETHING... no lying across my opponent like a log with no grips on. Also reminded to not try submissions without establishing a good position first- specifically, no choking from the back unless I have hooks in first. Cindy told me that I'm like one of the little kids- I get in too much of a hurry- and it's true.


Kung fu is cancelled tonight, as a University Of Washington football game has that entire end of the city plus the 520 bridge impassable; and we were warned that there would be no parking to be had anywhere on campus for love or money. Could not muster the energy to go to Gracie's, which was an especial bummer since Rodrigo teaches basics in Bellevue on Thursdays.

(pic- Cindy reffing at the July 2010 revolution)