11:50a to 1:30p

11:50-12:10p: Stretched. A visitor from Brazil who wore a white belt on Monday now has a brown belt. I thought something was up. He had his way with many blue belts earlier this week. Apparently he forgot his belt and Saulo made him wear a white belt. Ha! Oldest guy on the mats again today. Ryan, one of the visiting white belts from Tuesday's class was back.

12:10-12:30p: Warm ups / standard drills. Tiring.

12:30-12:40p: Professor Leo asked what we wanted to do. Ritchie (Blue Belt) said side control escapes. Learned three techniques. Traditional, underhook to hip switch to elevator, and roll away. I'm terrible at all three. In fact, side control and mount escapes are probably my weakest points. I simply don't have the core/upper body strength to create and maintain enough space to hip escape or roll out. Frustrating actually.

12:40-12:50p: Side control defense. Four positions. Hard to describe. Professor Leo called out positions and we transitioned back and forth. No problem when the opponent isn't resisting.

12:50-1p: Side control escape / defense drills. Bottom guy tries to escape. Top guy tries to maintain side control. Horrendous showing. I couldn't recover guard a single time with any of my opponents. Even when I know they were giving me a little space to work with, I was worthless. Quite demoralizing really. At one point I worked with JJ (150lbs Blue Belt). He escaped and recovered guard effortlessly. I have 70lbs on him! I couldn't even come close to recovering guard. No matter how he transitioned on top. He told me to use more of my weight and center on his chest. Won't my 220lbs squish him? He said yes...but that's the point. Hmm...that's the third time since coming to this school that I've been told to use my weight as a weapon when on top (twice by different Professors).

1-1:30p: Rolls. 8 minute rounds. Sat out first roll. Odd number. Professor Leo called me over for the second roll. We didn't really roll. He just talked me through some things. Horrible showing (again). I don't know what to do when someone isn't really trying. Feels awkward. At one point, when trying to pass his guard, he asked if I knew what I was doing. I said, "No." He encouraged me to start thinking about jiu jitsu. I've been thinking. My thinking goes something like this: "Hmm...well the three guard pass techniques that I know didn't work, so what else can I do? Muscle? Heck no. He's 6'3" 250lbs. Improvise? Ok...better than nothing. How about this? Didn't work... Try this? No... Hmm... I'm at a loss." So, I felt like telling him that I am thinking, but I'm thinking like a 3month white belt who ran out of ideas. But I just kept my mouth shut and tried to absorb the lesson.

Last roll was with visiting white belt Ryan. I probably have 50-60lbs on this kid. We spent 7 of the 8 minutes with me on top trying to pass his guard. He had me in half guard most of that time. I don't know what was wrong with me, but I couldn't pass it. I could tell I was making him very uncomfortable, but he hung in there and fought on. Every time I passed, he'd recover half guard. Then full guard. Then I'd pass (briefly) and he'd recover half guard. At one point I went for an arm attack from side control and he hip escaped out and I pulled him into my guard. Overall, it was a good roll; although, I really need to figure out how to pass half guard and maintain side control. Not to discount Ryan's excellent guard and escape to guard recovery game though. Good stuff. Wish I had half those skills.

Overall Thoughts: Today was discouraging. I know the side control escape and maintenance techniques. But I just can't seem to execute. Much much smaller opponents are having their way with me. I know I'm just a newbie, but when 150lb blue belts tell me I'm not using my weight and then when I do can still escape - yet I can't escape their side control...it's frustrating. No worries. Just need to keep at it.