Rodrigo Pagani Seminar

Professor Rodrigo Pagani gave a 2.5hr seminar last night at UNIJJ.  Rodrigo heads RJJA Brazil from his academy in Niteroi.  He hosted the Rio Camp last summer.  We worked on a kimura/arm bar defense and escape, mount escape (upa variation), curu curu guard/sweeps, magretti choke, and roletti choke.  We drilled each position plus positional sparring.  Finished the seminar with some training.

I've seen the curu curu and magretti/roletti chokes before.  In Brazil and at Pagani's last seminar at UNIJJ about six months ago.  But each time I see them I learn more.  A lot more.  The kimura/arm bar defense and escape was new to me.  Instead of holding onto my belt for dear life and hoping my opponent gives up, I'll implement the basic techniques shown last night (feet flat, head up, bridge, walk head out from underneath, then protect against the arm bar).

Post-seminar training was tough.  Exhausted and sore from the triathlon on Sunday, I was not going to train.  But the team is heading into Pans and a couple guys needed a big guy to spar with so I caved.  It was a challenge.  For sure.  Did remarkably well against an experienced 180lb Master Purple and held my own against a very tough 230lb Adult Blue (who is on a Gold medal terror lately).  I felt like puking after class.  But I'm glad I stuck it out to the end.