You'd look like this too....

You'd look like this too- if you just found out you'd have to fight ALECIA at the next Revolution!!!!


Monday night "gi" at Cindy's. Half the class actually *had* gi's, which was unusual! I was wearing my "steal of the century" Bad Boy gi, and when people started complimenting me on it, I announced smugly to the whole class (to a round of admiring exclamations) that I'd gotten it for ten bucks at the Goodwill just down the road from the school. Leilani was especially interested, as she has herself plus a zillion kids to try to gi up. She has been trying E-bay. I told her to haunt the Goodwill/Value Village (but you have to look in the men's section- or the boys', if you're a small woman- to find the gi's).

I'm used to being pretty informal most of the time at Cindy's with the lineup and all- but since several of us were actually in gi's, she pulled me out of the middle of the line and sent me to the front. "What are you doing? Get over there, you!"

Chase was there! I haven't seen him in months. I didn't have to fight him. Cindy selected George to handle the Chase Beat-down tonight. "Your mouth is bleeding," I told him when he got back in line. "I know," he replied proudly. "Your mouth is bleeding," Cindy told him a minute later. "I Know." "Well don't just stand there, go clean yourself up!" (That's what I'd meant; I guess I should have been clearer.)

Alecia was there, and she brought a new girl. The new girl was tall, but her body had the circumference of a Pepsi can. Seriously, she was possibly the slimmest woman I have ever laid eyes on. I didn't know they even MADE ribcages that narrow. I didn't get a chance to fight her either, but maybe she will be back.

We drilled the same keylock/armbar/kimura thing we'd done the other night; this time I paid special attention to the triangle and armbar options at the end since I felt pretty comfortable with the rest. I'm still clumsy with those last two, partly because I always have to stop and search for the opponent's arm to figure out which one to perform.

Cindy also had a nice little refinement for the keylock- if they don't tap, twist the wrist a bit "like a motorcycle, only in reverse" I tried that too, although at this point I still have to stop and think for a second about which way to twist.

Timed roll with Leilani. Again I stayed mostly on top and made her work defense. She looked really worn out and a little frustrated at the end. I praised her, but next time I should remember to let her get a thing or two so she won't feel so frustrated. I've kind of stopped doing that because she's getting good enough that I feel I don't need to baby her.

I asked her if she was going to do the tournament, and she just laughed. "Why not?" "Because old ladies with a zillion kids have no business doing such things," "How old are you?" "Thirty-eight." "I'm going to be thirty-nine next month." She was shocked. (I still do not look my age, although at this point people are commonly mistaking me for mid-twentyish instead of teenage.) I told her she should do it. She really is shaping up well. She does plan to *be* there, anyway (Eeek, yet another person watching me!).

A little later, she rolled with Alecia (who was going kind of hard on her... I really should remember to let Leilani get a few things on nights that Alecia is here, because Alecia sure won't let her get anything!). A pair of guys rolled right into them and smashed poor Leilani's nose. Don't think it's broken, but it obviously hurt. She was benched. I had commented to her earlier that if Cindy got many more people, she was going to need a bigger space. There was a full class tonight, plus a whole bunch of the kids running around, plus a handful of tweens and teens practicing a little boxing. Plus Meeko, Cindy's dog! We had to take turns rolling, as we are running out of mat space.

Lamont (in his crisp brand new belt!) was rolling with one of the capoeira guys right in front of me, and while Lamont was in side mount, I reached out and started tickling the bottom of his foot! He didn't let it distract him, though.

Then I went with Alecia, who was wearing a white belt. Sandbagger. "We're in your territory now," She smiled. Uh-huh. I expected to get smashed all the same- and yep, for the first half of the match I was lying helplessly on the bottom as always. Once under Alecia, I pretty much have to wait for her to dismount and hope that I get a chance to try to change position while she's slapping the sub on... I have virtually no success trying to get out from under her.

Somehow, halfway through, I did manage to get out somehow (don't even ask me how) and grab her gi, drive into her, and get on top. Halleluja. I spent the second half of the spar mostly in top half guard. Once I was on top, I was afraid to move for fear of ending up on the bottom again, LOL. I think I was also a bit in shock, as I have never before had a chance to view the world from a vantage point ATOP Alecia. Would've loved to get a knee ride (or hey, let's dream big- a sub!) on her. Maybe next time. I should go for gi collar chokes on her, since she's not very used to the gi. Or that nifty rear choke where you grab the pants and bend the opponent's back.

Lamont kept calling coaching advice to her- and I kept hollering at him to shut up, go away, she doesn't need your help! Well, okay, she kinda did, because she was on the bottom (MU-AH HA HA HA HA HA), but I was kinda liking that and wanted her to just stay down there for a little bit. It wouldn't hurt her a bit to spend some time gazing up *MY* nose for a change.

After we were done, I asked if she was going to do the Revolution. "Yes." Gulp. Just no-gi? "Both." At least I won't have to fight her in gi; although she's going to mincemeat those poor white belt girls. What no-gi bracket? "Intermediate." Of course. Weight? "It doesn't really matter." Well, yes, you see, it matters quite a lot to *ME*, as I am trying to discern whether I am going to have to fight you. She finally admitted she is about 140, and doesn't plan to diet down... she'd be a bracket above me, not that that makes me safe. Caught between a rock (Julie/Bianca at 124) and a hard place (Alecia at 140)! If it weren't for Julianca, I would try to cut down to the 124 bracket. Although Alecia is worse than either of them. Heck, I'd have a better chance fighting Julie and Bianca TWO ON ONE than I'd have against Alecia!!!

I told her that if I had to fight her, I wanted her to promise me that she would leave me a shred of dignity and not sub me in the first fifteen seconds. She's not promising anything. In fact, she warned me that I wouldn't recognize her in competition... she gets "very aggressive". Better and better. Unless she is my last fight of the day, I'm giving her a bye. It's a purely strategic decision. Not that I'm scared to fight her and lose (okay, I'm scared to fight her. But I still WOULD)... but Alecia is completely, utterly out of my league. Losing is a 100% certainty, and I'd come out of the ring exhausted (for sure) and injured (entirely probable). It would be foolish to not save my energy and unbroken parts for matches against someone I might actually have a snowflake's chance in hell of beating.

She wants me to bring a gi top from now on when I come to Cindy's, so that I can help her with gi and she can help me with no-gi.


Heel blisters are finally mostly gone. That infected scrape on my wrist is still giving me problems, though. I continue to wrap it for class, but it's still getting too abraded and sweaty to have a chance to heal. Finger seems almost well. Hope I can stay free of any new injuries for the next 3 weeks.