So today was my first class as a blue belt. Since the majority of the folks at the gym are white belt, it's a fairly new gym, everyone congratulated me again but I knew people were going to come at me hard. Real hard, since most of the gym is in their early 20's. There are only two working professionals at the gym, including myself. The majority are college students and there are a few amateur MMA fighters who are hoping to go pro that are training there. While their skill in the Gi isn't that high, they are super duper fast and very strong. So they're tough.
We have a tall college student who is a Division 1 scholarship student as a track runner. He's long and lean, and incredibly strong. He only weighs about 170 to my 200, but he is so strong. He's been doing BJJ for only 4 months and always asks me for help and is a good young man, but he is so athletic and strong. When we spar, I feel like all I can do is wait for him to tire out. So I typically get him into guard or half guard, and try to work a sweep that feels like it takes at least 4 minutes. Then towards the end of the roll, I'm usually able to sweep him and submit him. By the time we roll a 2nd time, he's pretty tired from using up all his energy trying to submit me so it's much easier and on avg I sub him about two times. However, today I was pretty tired and he was very energetic and he passed my guard and got into side mount for the first time. The professor saw that and said to me that I can't be like that as a blue belt. This young man will continue to get better, and I have no doubt he will be much better than me very soon since he's so strong, athletic, and is a very eager learner.
The professor then decided to give me a half private right there. He said that I'm much too slow, so that when I'm sparring from my knees that I should be sure not to pull the guy on top of me but stay upright when I'm on my butt and focus on moving to the side. It's like butterfly guard, but with movement. He also said my biggest weakness is that once I make contact that I go straight in, but that I need to go in and out in and out. For example, if I'm doing a knee slice pass and I don't feel it's going well then push back and start over. If I'm in butterfly guard or just sitting on my butt, and the other guy is standing up then I too need to move my hips back so I can get out of any sticky situation or have the potential to get out. However, if I pull him on top of me then I can't do that.
I'm not sure why he thought it was best I do that, but I will drill this every night. I will practice just this move. So here are things I should be working on the next few months:
1. Stay upright when I'm seated in guard so the other guy doesn't pass my guard.
2. Look for opportunities to move in and out, whether on top or bottom. On bottom using my hips to push out and start over, and when on top to kick back or just step back and go right back to pass guard.
3. Guard pass drill we do in class.
4. Work on the Americana/Kimura/Arm lock trap.
We have a tall college student who is a Division 1 scholarship student as a track runner. He's long and lean, and incredibly strong. He only weighs about 170 to my 200, but he is so strong. He's been doing BJJ for only 4 months and always asks me for help and is a good young man, but he is so athletic and strong. When we spar, I feel like all I can do is wait for him to tire out. So I typically get him into guard or half guard, and try to work a sweep that feels like it takes at least 4 minutes. Then towards the end of the roll, I'm usually able to sweep him and submit him. By the time we roll a 2nd time, he's pretty tired from using up all his energy trying to submit me so it's much easier and on avg I sub him about two times. However, today I was pretty tired and he was very energetic and he passed my guard and got into side mount for the first time. The professor saw that and said to me that I can't be like that as a blue belt. This young man will continue to get better, and I have no doubt he will be much better than me very soon since he's so strong, athletic, and is a very eager learner.
The professor then decided to give me a half private right there. He said that I'm much too slow, so that when I'm sparring from my knees that I should be sure not to pull the guy on top of me but stay upright when I'm on my butt and focus on moving to the side. It's like butterfly guard, but with movement. He also said my biggest weakness is that once I make contact that I go straight in, but that I need to go in and out in and out. For example, if I'm doing a knee slice pass and I don't feel it's going well then push back and start over. If I'm in butterfly guard or just sitting on my butt, and the other guy is standing up then I too need to move my hips back so I can get out of any sticky situation or have the potential to get out. However, if I pull him on top of me then I can't do that.
I'm not sure why he thought it was best I do that, but I will drill this every night. I will practice just this move. So here are things I should be working on the next few months:
1. Stay upright when I'm seated in guard so the other guy doesn't pass my guard.
2. Look for opportunities to move in and out, whether on top or bottom. On bottom using my hips to push out and start over, and when on top to kick back or just step back and go right back to pass guard.
3. Guard pass drill we do in class.
4. Work on the Americana/Kimura/Arm lock trap.
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