I am an out-of-control kneebar ninja. (not)

The next phase of my martial growth would involve turning the large into the small. My understanding of this process is to touch the essence (for example, highly refined and deeply internalized body mechanics or FEELING) of a technique, and then to incrementally condense the external manifestation of the technique while keeping true to its essence. Over time, expansiveness decreases while potency increases. I call this method “Making smaller circles”. - Josh Waitzkin, “The Art Of Learning”


Wednesday- an hour of walking.

Thursday BJJ in Bellevue. 5 minute flow rolls, rotating partners- then 5 minute spars, rotating partners.

I started off with Nelson and got so excited that I forgot we were supposed to be flow rolling, so I bow-and-arrow choked the poor guy instantly.

I got reprimanded for setting up kneebars. This frustrates me. I do not know how to do any attacks below the waist. I am certainly not going to finish them... much less slam them.... and especially not during flow rolling. But it's a huge hole in my game and I feel better about myself if I at least try to set one up once in a while. Carlos gets way too excited when he sees me doing this. It offends me that he seems to think he actually has to worry about me injuring someone with a kneebar. I am very careful and controlled, and very conscientious about the safety of my partners. Seriously, I could roll with raw eggs duct taped all over my gi *and* my partner's gi, and not break any. It distresses me that he thinks I'm an unsafe partner. Meanwhile everybody else is telling me that I'm way too gentle and passive.  I remembered too late that Carlos is scheduled for surgery because his knee is all messed up. He was actually on crutches last week. So this is probably not the best time to be pushing my luck in his presence with kneebars.

I had to roll with him next, and I was expecting him to kneebar-slam me all over the place to teach me a lesson.... but he just commented that I should try sweeps more, especially while flow rolling. I was being really careful to stay off his bad knee. It's so hard to remember when certain people are injured, because they WON'T STAY OFF THE MAT.  But I guess I'm enough of a pot that I probably shouldn't be calling out kettles on that score.