Think Before Answering

The last class that I'll have with James for a week or so b/c he's going to visit his family for a week. 

Today we started off with with conditions, working as pairs at five different stations. I was dreading this on a Monday, but it wasn't as bad as I thought. I'm still getting over whatever illness I had, and mornings are pretty bad. Once I'm horizontal for an hour or so I feel better.

Technique was arm-drags from seated guard, other person on their knees. A couple of notes on the arm-drag that will help me be more successful: Once you get perpendicular to them, expand your chest into their side and let go of the arm. When doing arm-drags lately I've been holding onto the arm far too long, which is an invitation for them to pull me back down into guard. Also, push on the opposite knee or hip (if you can) and really pull them down and into the space you're vacating. Don't climb up to them, pull them down. 

We also worked the head and arm choke if they try to reguard in the midst of taking their back. I really like James' approach to the head and arm. Hips as flat as possible, gable grip hands, shoot head low and forward and then look around the corner.

Rolls with Nate, Jason (b), Tyrone and Aaron. I maintained guard better with Nate than normal. During the technique portion, James mentioned how the knees should be up and apart. I've been doing better about not letting them get collapsed, but I still get caught like a fair amount. It was fresh in my head when I rolled with Nate, so when I was feeding my feet around in open guard I tried to keep my knees up regardless of where my foot was going. He did pass my guard and was really, really high up in a reverse kesa gatame. I should have rolled him in the other direction but didn't think of it at the time. He went for multiple rolling back attacks and I was able to get his back in the process once or twice. He nailed it the last time.

Jason kicked my ass. He had a tight arm-bar, and I escaped it right into a triangle that he finished quickly. Never saw it coming. 

I worked guard quite a bit with Tyrone. He stuffed my triangle and arm-bar attempts, but I threw them up fast and furious anyway. At one point he was standing in my DLR and I hit the sweep where you get a super deep hook, pull them into you and dump them off to the side. I've drilled it a fair amount, but never hit it during a roll, so that felt good.

Aaron was a bit limp noodly. I worked top positions and back-mount for awhile and then let him work from top side-control. 

After class, James asked me if I wanted to do the gauntlet when it was time for my purple. At our school, gauntlet means belt whipping. Like an idiot, I said yes. Dammit.