Fainting Goat

6/29 - Downtown

Thanks for offering support on my down day last week. It is very much appreciated. :)

So one of the really amazing things about mono is that if you are in a stressful situation a month or two after the worst of the symptoms are over, you turn into a fainting goat. I was about to get changed for class yesterday when I was asked to help someone close to me with a somewhat traumatic event. It wasn't overly serious, but required a fair amount of calm and a lot logistical maneuvering for a good portion of the day. In any case, as soon as everything was handled, I was in desperate need of a nap. A long one. In the middle of the afternoon. Fainting goat. *sigh*

Today we did standing guard passes...one to side-control, one to combat an inverted guard attempt, and the toreando. The first two I hadn't done before and were kindof awkward, but the toreando I'd done a couple of other times. I realized mid-way through that when I supposed to crowd my opponent and really get in their grill as I crouched down that I wasn't. The amount of pressure that I was applying compared to James when he was showing us was noticeable. It never ceases to amaze me how conditioned we are (at least in the U.S.) to not get in someone else's space, and how this effects my approach to grappling.

For rolls, we did 4 people down, everyone else against the wall. Whoever gets a submission or top mount stays down, the other person against the wall. I started as one of the 4 people down and went against Ian and I think I got a choke. Then Daniel, who got mount. Had a roll against Antone...can't remember I think he got a choke. A longish roll against Jason who had me a bad spot (sitting on my head), but I eventually worked my way out and almost got a takedown and pass to mount. Muffed it though and he ended up getting mount. Another longish roll against Manny, I think he eventually threw in the towel and he let me have a choke. It was so humid that my gi was completely soaked through with sweat by the end of class. Blech.

After class I had another longish roll with Antone who was working on inverted guard and of course the bolo. I'm finding that it's fun to defend the berimbolo, even though I'm not having much success. I think I like it so much because I'm not getting crushed. Since he's still honing his technique, it usually unfolds slow enough that I can think my way through it.