Walter: Part II

11/22 - Morning

James taught class while Walter walked around the gym. We went over the same arm-bar from last night, so nothing new. It clicked better today, and I avoided the dumb side like the plague. It's a very simple concept, which is probably why I like it.

Technique was relatively short, which left about 45min for rolling. Antone was first, as apparently it's a thing for us to pair up on Fridays for technique (which is pretty much the only day he can come to class). He passed my guard with ease as per usual, but I had some success fending off the bolo attempts. I've been trying to roll through as they roll and have had mixed success. Overall I was pretty happy well with how it went.

Roll with Dennis, my last one with him as a blue belt. His knee got all wonky earlier in the week so he wanted to flow today. We did kinda flow, and I was trying to let him finish the movements that he's practicing for his test but I think that threw him off more than if I had just kept moving. It's funny what you get used to.

Roll with Walter. Last time he was here, he made a point of saying that everyone was too timid with him. No one came forward...pretty much everyone pulled guard. I kept that in mind, and have been thinking about how I was going to approach this roll for awhile. No elaborate plan, but I wanted to make sure that I was moving forward and on the offensive (as much as I could be anyway). We bump fists, and I immediately go to pass his butterfly guard. I attack his neck, his arms, pretty much anything I can get a hold of. I pretend that he isn't a 3rd degree black belt that outweighs me by at least 50lb. He let me work a bit, way more than I expected. I wasn't going a 100%, but probably around 90%, which is more intense than usual. I tried to get that stupid shoulder lock from bottom-side control but he shrugged his arm out after I got the position. He got on top side-control and finished with a straight arm-bar. At another point he had my guard seriously stacked and I was close to tapping, but stuck with it and survived. He didn't try to kill me with pressure in top side-control which was really quite nice. Fun roll, was happy with how I did.

Rolled with Jason, and I was mostly able to keep space and not get in too many terrible positions. I was dragging a little bit, but I didn't think he landed a submission.

James didn't let me work as much today, probably b/c of all the smack talk that's been going back and forth between us on fb. He got me in the crucifix at one point, and I thought was being all clever by scooching down to get a bend in my arms and prepare for a back roll escape...as soon as I back rolled, he did something and was all over my back. I got dominated, but I still think I did ok.

After class, Antone and I did 3min of my trying to pass his guard and 3min of him passing my guard. I had very little success in either scenario. I tried all standing passes, and did mix up which foot I had forward to see if that would throw him off. I could see that he was cogitating about how to do movements from the other side, but it didn't flummox him for too long. He gave me some great advice on open guard for a standing opponent. I have a bad habit of trying to control both of their sleeves instead of one sleeve and one leg. I leave both of their legs free quite a bit, which is one of the reasons why it's so easy to pass my guard. He also showed me hand positioning for transitioning from DLR to RDLR. I've been trying to kindof shoot to an X guard when my DLR is no longer feasible, but I don't have enough control and end up losing everything.

I feel like I'm a bit on auto-pilot as far as jiu jitsu goes. Two weeks of seven classes is taking its toll. My body is generally tired and sore, but not in a debilitating way. I seem to have plenty of energy for the rolls, and don't feel like I'm gassed or heavily exerting. It's weird...my mind thinks that I should be tired, but if I resolve to buck up and get more intense with a roll my body has the energy for it and I'm fine. My mind tells my body to do it and the body obliges. I hope this lasts through the seminar tonight. I know that I'm going to sleep like the dead afterwards.

Cannot wait to see James get his black belt tonight!!!!