Stupid Revelation of the Day...

So since I started BJJ, I've been wondering why I haven't been brusied
like all the other jiujitsukas talk about, That is, aside from a nasty
blue mark I got practicing ukemis when I pinned my own arm to the
ground with my knee... Still don't know how I did that.

Well, I was sitting at my desk this morning and noticed my left
forearm looked blotchy. I looked over to my right...same thing. Then
it hit me. I'm Black. My skin is dark. Unless a bruise is pretty
severe (like the one I got jumping over a row of chairs a few months
back...I gracefully tripped and got my leg wedged between two chairs)
it's not going to be super obvious. I took at some more spots and lo
and behold...bruises on my arms, one hand, thighs and a calve.

Feeling like I'm making progress...

This sport is really something. One second I feel like I'm progressing, the next, like I  shouldn't even be setting foot in the gym, so I have to focus on progress in any form it comes. Tonight...mark it...was the first night I came home and felt completely normal. Not like I'd been thrown into a washing machine or kicked down the street by a soccer team, but just normal. Bruised a bit, but I'm not exhausted. I could go for a few more rounds (after a break). Admittedly, I still got lightheaded after class, but I made it off the mats.

 

Weird situation tonight. I got an arm pinned under me (not mine) and wasn't sure what to do with it...so I kept it pinned. I can't say it did anything. Maybe there was a way for me to take advantage of the situation, but I couldn't see what it would have been.

 

Replace.

 

Next class that's what I'm focusing on. Replacing the guard. Nothing else. I rolled with a blue belt and it seemed to just happen, or rather I at least knew to try. Next was with a purple and I totally stopped even considering it as a possibility. He called me out on it. So...Wednesday...replace.

Mmm...post BJJ grapefruit...

Of course, class was great. Whenever I freak out the most, that's when I have the best classes. There were only two of us there, and the extra instructional time was nice. We went over a move called "over and under" and man...the details. They're all centered around making sure you have control and don't leave any room for escape...or maybe that's the case with most finer details and I just had an epiphany...hmm. Anyway, the ones I had problems with are...

 

 

1) Keep your shoulder tight under his knee

2) Make sure your arm is wrapped all the way "over" the opposite leg, almost gripping the back of the knee.

3) SWITCH...YOUR...HIPS (it felt like my balance was off so I had some issues with this...hence the caps)

4) Free your trapped leg with an outward, whipping motion. This also gives you momentum to drive it under the close knee

5) Gain control of the upperbody  (knee deep in armpit) then adjust the legs.

 

After that, we moved on to some rolling, then open mat. I worked with one of the blue belts that stayed behind after the advanced class. I learned...

 

1) Aim for mobility. I have a tendency to start a roll on my knees. It is a bit easier to move/react with one knee elevated.

2) Grabbing the middle of the belt to start a roll can leave you open to a variety of attacks.

3) In armbars, I have a tendency to let go of the arm for a split second when adjusting my body.

4) I also use too much of my upper body to power myself around.

Still Nervous.

I'm sitting here, nervous again before class. At this point it's just
annoying. The fear's gone, but I still have these butterflies. I hope
they'll pass once and for all soon.

FINALLY pulled off a triangle submission...

...it was an interesting experience. I felt little jiujitu paths being created in my brain. Snuggly. Some of the details (like hip movement) that had continued to elude me just made sense once I genuinely understood what kind of pain I was trying to cause. This "need to understand" has plagued me in the learning process all my life, but it has its benefits. In return for my triangle though, I got about three americanas. Not a nice tradeoff.

Once again, the smaller people give me issues. We went over the escape from half guard again, and while the blue belt I drilled with last time was a pretty big guy, this time, I drilled with one of the smaller ladies, and it felt COMPLETELY different. After Stephanie's rib injury and Allie's post on being crushed by larger opponents, I was a little worried while drilling that I'd cause damage. Maintaining pressure on a 200lb male is completely different than keeping it on a 100lb female.

Starting week 2 of the 100 pushup plan and it's going well. Also, I've made peace with longer warmups. They're longer, harder, and that's just what they are.

Dating and BJJ

So I have an online dating profile up...after I was sure I wanted to stick with BJJ, I added it to my list of interests. Anyone who's tried dating online know that, assuming you're reasonably attractive, your hobbies can make or break a guy's interest in you. You study massage? You're probably getting a lot of hits. Cat collecting? Not so many.

Anyway, a couple months back, I noticed that after updating my interests section, I started getting contacted by guys who were fans of the WWE (some that looked like they'd done some guest appearances)...not BJJ guys that happened to like WWE, but guys that watched wrestling on TV. I guess that's a big deal for a guy though...a woman that maybe, just maybe shares an interest, even if it's a somewhat distantly related one, in what they're passionate about. It really struck me as funny.