5:15-7:00p

5:15-5:30p: Brief stretches and light roll with one of the instructors (brown belt). His ability to create space and escape side control blows my mind. I must have 50lbs on him. He has zero problem creating all the space he needs to escape. Can't wait to have skills like that.

5:30-5:45p: Warm-up/standard drills. Could only complete 65% of push-ups from knees and 50% or so of core exercises (significant back cramping).

5:45-5:55p: Instructor taught the class the side control escape he used on me prior to class. Worked the escape with a partner a few times.

5:55-6:10p: Pass the guard. Don't think I had a successful pass. Gave a couple guys a hard time from bottom, but they eventually passed. Last pass attempt was with the Professor. He let me work a bit, but eventually swept me.

6:10-6:30p: Technique. Worked a couple different triangle escapes. Then armbar escapes. Good for the bag-o-tricks. Hopefully I can remember them.

6:30-7p: Rolls. First roll with a familiar white belt. Roughly my size. A bit more experience. I was in his guard and he trapped an arm. Almost had the kimura, but not quite. After a minute or so of thinking of a way to escape, the only thing I could come up with was a roll out that gave him side control. Ended up escaping that back to guard. Swept him to mount and then he immediately reversed (umpa) back to my guard. Time ran out.

Second roll was with a four-stripe white belt I hadn't met before. Apparently he works out in the mornings. He's tall (6'2" or 6'3") and really strong. Biceps twice my size. We had a good roll. I almost had a couple gi chokes. I thought I was close with one gi choke, but I left and arm exposed and he managed to arm bar when I least expected it. He also caught me with two gi chokes. Basically took my gi off and wrapped it around my neck.

Third roll was with the white belt I submitted 5 times in 2 rolls last week. I have at least 80lbs on him. Tried not to use my weight. He started in my guard. He spent most of the roll trying to pass guard. I started a number of armbar, triangle, kimura submission attempts, but backed off. Also had a couple sweeps, but didn't push through. All because had I pulled them off it would be mostly because of my size/strength advantage and not necessarily because he was making too many mistakes. He had a couple good sweep attempts that would have worked had I been anywhere near his weight class. I could feel he had the right position/angle, but I was simply too heavy. Ended up trying to pass a half butterfly guard. He defended well and almost had me in an omoplata, but didn't have the angle to finish. We worked on the finish after time ran out.