Monkey tails

Inducing a certain state of mind is sufficient to control those who don’t know any other way than reacting to stimuli. -Daniele Bolelli, On The Warrior’s Path




Lunchtime BJJ at Gracie Seattle.

Triangles, omoplatas from guard (Grab one sleeve cuff, one wrist, place foot on opponent's hip on sleeve cuff side, Spin body inward, release grips and grab belt, sit up, grab far underhook, omoplata), and sweep (opponent is standing, you have sleeve cuff. Scoot close to non-sleeve-side leg, wrap your free arm around the back of the leg, pass the sleeve cuff to THAT hand, grab lapel on same side, pull guy over).

A little positional sparring (guard pass vs sweep).

Then Mira had us all take off our belts and tuck them into the back of our pants so that they hung down like monkey tails. We chased each other around the gym trying to rip off each other's tails. I went for Brandon, the biggest guy in the place (you don't necessarily have to fight them, you just have to be quick- I came close to diving between his legs to get his tail)- then Mira sneaked up behind me and pickpocketed my tail while I was facing off Brandon.

King of the hill, guard pass vs sweep or submit.

I had to leave at 1. I still haven't had a chance to roll with Mira, and I really want to.


Archery. My precision has improved some (ie, my shots are mostly grouped close together), my accuracy has improved less (still shooting too low and too far to the left). If there had been a second bullseye just to the left of the deer's head on my target, I would have well-feathered that one. I tried a slightly closer target this time; I think that was a wise move for working on aim. I had my contacts in, so that may well have played a factor in my aim (everything is very different with my contacts in; all different adjustments to make).

I had to comment that if civilization collapses and I find myself forced to hunt for food with bow to avoid starvation, I'd better be hunting mammoth.

Getting better with form, and with pulling the string all the way back. Still having issues with the arrow slipping off my finger while I'm trying to aim or (worse) just before I loose. I've been tilting the bow pretty far to try to compensate, but I also find myself unproductively bending over and/or hunching my shoulders in reaction to that.

My string-drawing fingers (one of which is the broken one) were the limiting factor today, they got swollen and sore before anything else got too tired.


Thursday Kung Fu.

Since we were outside in the grass, we first drilled the knife defense where you sort of "slide into home plate" and kick out the attacker's knee.

Then body drops. I really wanted to make these into hip throws. I eventually started turning them out competantly, but when we switched to my stupid side, it went all to hell in a handbasket.

Tiger Versus Crane (this is the Form Of the Day). SK wants me to do a left knee-up before the box kick in the ending sequence. I have not been doing it that way. He also comments that I continue to pause during the wind-up for that one gnarly jump that I have historically struggled with so much. When I repped the form again and specifically tried to eliminate the pause, he informed me that okay, the pause was gone, but I had pulled my elbows in and micro-fu'd the technique. Dang it. Need more work on that one. And I already worked so hard and so long on that a few semesters ago... still not right. Chaining together those two final kicks is working well, though. Also, the Tiger kicks continue to feel like they could knock over a full cement truck.

One and two step Sparring, first with JM and then with SK. Still trying to stop kicks with my hands, grrrrrrr. Need to break that habit! Also still reacting poorly to crescent kicks and other big circley kicks coming in. They are just mentally intimidating.

Unfortunately, JM and SK do not react as pleasingly to my sticky-hands games as Nemesis does... they consider it a bridge, so according to the rules of engagement, they are free to clobber me- and they proceed to do so. They don't let me just hang out and chop at them from there the way Nemesis does.

I did a few minutes of no-gi BJJ with JM (well, I snuck up behind her and RNC'ed her). Her breathing was TERRIBLE (huff, puff, wheeze), as I informed her, but her BJJ is good.