12:15-12:35p: Mount maintenance technique. Learned a few new tricks to keep hips tight and weight balanced during straight and side bridge attempts. I'm still not keeping myself low/tight enough and need to use abs to suck my hips down.
12:35-12:50p: Slick gi choke from mount. Apparently Professor Kadu learned it the hard way from Saulo (i.e., multiple submissions). Palm down cross grip with elbow firmly pressed into sternum (it should make opponent very uncomfortable). Walk posting hand over and around head. Insert thumb into collar behind ear and take a good grip. Wrap hand around and drive elbow into other side of sternum (hands are now in cross choke). Turn thumbs up and drive forward with head to ground. Nice. Now if only I can maintain mount long enough to try it out!
12:50-1:05p: Mount maintenance / escape drills. Top person tries to maintain mount without grabbing (fists and palms only). Bottom person tries to escape. My first partner (new white belt) escaped fairly easily. Then again, I escaped his mount to recover guard without too much trouble either.
Got a purple belt for my second partner. He started on top. He's probably 60lbs lighter than me, but he had me so squished I literally couldn't move. Literally. Purple belt called over Professor Kadu and they tried to talk me through the escape (flatten one leg, bridge enough to angle hip, bridge again to create enough space to work arm under chest to post against hip and create more space, bridge again while posting against opponent's hip, hip escape, etc...etc...etc...). Of course I *know* to do everything they were telling me to do (It's in Saulo's book), I just couldn't. I was squished and couldn't create any space whatsoever. I tried to explain that I wasn't strong enough. They both disagreed and said it isn't a matter of strength. Hmm... If it's not strength and I can't move AT ALL even though I feel like I have a good understanding of what I'm supposed to be doing, what technique am I missing? I thanked the Professor and said I'll keep practicing. After Professor Kadu left, the purple belt told me that I really just need to fight more. Said I should imagine that he took mount and will submit me if I wait too long. If I'm submitted, it's all over. So I have limited time and MUST give all that I have to escape mount.
Hmm...my lower back and hamstring muscles were already cramping from the technique portion and on the verge of injury via pull... Maybe I'm a wimp, but my body was telling me I need to develop some more coordination and build a bit more muscle memory before exerting 100% during a drill lest I hurt myself. I'm not sure if people who have been in tip-top physical shape for years understand what happens to someone when they sit on their arse for 15 years and do not do ANY exercise whatsoever. I just need to keep working the muscles and practicing. Over time, I'll get better. Just not gonna happen during a 15 minute drill.
1:05-1:30p: Rolls. 7 minutes each. Started with Eric. Eric comes from a family of wrestlers and has an extensive grappling background. I'd seen him around the gym before, but only during kids class and self defense. His two boys are taking the classes. Today was his 5th class. Eric is strong and fit. Forced me to play defense the entire roll. He set up a good arm bar, but gave me plenty of time to set up the arm bar escape. Time ran out. Eric was breathing a lot harder than me after the roll. I suppose that makes sense since he was on attack most of the roll and I was simply going with the flow and waiting for opportunities to improve my position without making silly mistakes.
Second roll wasn't really a roll. Professor Kadu matched Eric and I with Chris (Blue Belt) for sweep / pass the guard drills. Chris started with me in his closed guard. I broke his guard and after a bit of back and forth, eventually passed to side control. Eric came into my closed guard. He knew a couple guard break techniques but didn't quite have control of my hips. I saw an opportunity to shoot a triangle and took it. He postured up immediately and I never really had a chance to lock it in. He stacked it and I rolled over to take him down via elevator. Since I gave up my back, the exercise was over and Chris stepped into Eric's guard. Eric did a great job maintaining open guard with the Blue Belt. Chris briefly passed a few different times but Eric was able to insert a knee and fend it off. It will be interesting to see Eric progress. He's a natural athlete and his grappling background seems to be helping (as opposed to hindering) his transition to BJJ. I overheard Professor Kadu comment after class that he didn't seem to have the bad habits most rasslers bring into BJJ. Hope he sticks with it.
Last roll was with JJ (Blue Belt). JJ worked me over pretty good - pulled, spread, swept, smashed, etc., the entire roll. I think he only submitted me once (arm bar from seated mount), but that's not the point. He had my number the entire roll and I really couldn't muster anything that resembled competent jiu jitsu.
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