Tuesday

A warrior is a master at facing conflicts, and conflict is what stands between us and the fulfillment of our desires. Daniele Bolelli, On The Warrior’s Path


MOnday's FOD is the Mantis Bo Form. I also worked some more on the transcript of the Tai Chi long form.

Tuesday: Silken Needle.

Lunchtime BJJ at Gracie Bellevue. I forgot my contacts, so I was working blind. Prof. Carlos was miming his Saturday experience of reffing Little Carlos' match, the one where he got smeared on points. I had been watching the Prof's unhappy face during the match, and the way his hand crept slowly and reluctantly up to signal the opponent's points.... today he was exaggerating it for humor, but it was all the funnier having seen the original.

Armbars from guard (good, reinforcing what we worked on at Cindy's last week), then transitioning to a triangle if the guy pulls his arm out. I need to make sure I don't let my knee turn out when I put my foot on the hip; Prof. Carlos wants me to have the leg tight to the opponent's side. The technique also seems to work better for me when I get a lapel grip for the second hand. Drilled with Kelly.

Spar with Ritchie. Working with Ritchie is always an exercise in humility. He's the teenager who informed me about a year ago (when he was a one or two stripe white) that I needn't worry about the fact that he didn't let go right away when I tapped, even though he "could have torn your arm off". Well, now he's a blue belt, and I admit he's gotten very good (although he plays a bit too rough), good enough to tool me effortlessly. However, he still hasn't learned what a tap means. I was already not having much fun getting worked over by him (and already feeling vulnerable because I was blind), and he was being slow to let go of his subs again. I made a comment about it the first time he did it; then a bit later, I tapped and he didn't let go, so I called "Tap"- still nothing, so I yelled "TAP, TAP TAP TAP!!!!!!" Goddammit. That brought both profs over right away. I told Rodrigo that the kid has a habit of not letting go when you tap, and he said he'd talk to him.


Evening BJJ at Gracie Bellevue. Ambars from guard again, a slightly different drill, and a whole lot of them. T-I-R-E-D. The hip-up into the armbar really is key, though, and if you're going to get lazy with that in the drills, why bother. So I gritted my teeth and whipped them out till the last few reps on my bad side simply could not physically be managed. A few more triangles, too. Very sloppy on my bad side. I'm making more of an effort lately to drill more reps on my bad side.

King Of the Hill from back mount. I was mounting Alison first, and now I have a bad beard burn all over my right temple! I also got to mount Prof Carlos, who stood up and hopped around the mat with me on his back. Yeah, it was funny, but it's sure a long way to fall!

One spar with a blue belt whose name I can't recall.... I got pretty smoked.