Arm Drag

Banana Smoothie

I just experienced simple beauty in a glass



2 x banana
1 x satsuma
1 tbsp pure honey
1 1/2 cup of water

Lovely!

Preventing the Scissor Sweep

http://youtu.be/Wq_-TlAS54E

Enjoying the Xmas holidays for the first time in many years.

Bow and Arrow variant

Back! Wednesday: Sweeps from 1/2 to armbar/triangle

Back on the mats after illness.

Drilled with Bc.

In the new room at school, warm-ups included climbing the ceiling  rope, which was fun but tough.

Drilled sweeps from 1/2 to armbar/triangle. Trap their whizzer, scoot under for right butterfly, etc.

Including keeping right foot under their arm to keep it at distance - very nice sweep this way.

Jh showed me a nice, simple sweep from SC - bridge into them quick away. Nice.

Jh also demonstrated his sweep from full guard which involved him sensing a slight change in my balance. Great!

M's mother made us cakes.

Good to be back.

Update

All being well, I will be back on the mats on Monday

Kurt Osiander Move of the Week - Triangle Detail

Still ill

Norovirus

Seems like I've caught norovirus after venturing outside to purchase Christmas presents in the bustling overfilled city.

I feel like I've been run over by a tank and had my insides filled with spiky soft marbles of pain.

Saturday

Drilled with Ay.

Worked on breaking turtle into RNC.

Nearly went unconscious from RNC. Trembled and took a minute to regain my equilibrium even though I'd tapped.

Rolled with different partners on breaking turtle.

3 times I made the mistake of pulling them backwards over their ankles (nobody was hurt) - I didn't understand what I was doing wrong so couldn't rectify it right away - and got scolded for it by a frustrated instructor B.

Rolled with more determination afterwards.
Took a fist in the nose by mistake.

Good but stressful. A younger me would have quit today, but not this me.

Wednesday

Drilled with Dv.

Jumping guard and base work.

Breaking Jump guard > right hand break guard > combat base > slide leg over > secure with other leg > side control.

Jump guard > grip and drag arm > work for armbar then switch sides to omoplata as you drag down.

Rolled with many. Worked from bottom.

Complimented on aggression.

White to Black - A Shift In Perspective

Simple sweep

Monday

Drilled with Dv.

Throw > foot on hip.

+ as above but both feet on hip > into north south > sprawl > head on chest+pressure > grab gi under arms > snatch up+legs side of head > sit+hooks in > right hand to left collar > grab leg + arch + choke.

Rolled with quite a few guys.

Great session, regardless of the bloodied lip.

Braulio

Drilled with Mi.

Mostly worked on the "check point" while aiming for side control.

Advancing to side control:

Control shoulders or hips!

Zigzag arms > knee deep under butt > pushing through so their knees face open side > base outside hand OR opposite leg if needed -- wait for opening they make
If they bridge, scissor arm underneath (palm UP) and glue them in.

Pushing head: use own shoulder as base OR rotate out and away (Matrix)

LOCK: straighten leg > ankle to their ankle > lift up > easy release > knee in deep

Shin on belly:  head/shoulder tight to chest > pressure to keep their foot towards their butt (tiptoes) > hips down to push leg to floor > straight arm knee to allow transition to side

So much to take in.
Very tough day on the brain!
Opened my eyes further to my inexperience.
That reflection alone is worth it, I hope.

Escape from the Side Control

Scissor Sweep from the Guard

3 Ps

1) Posture
2) Pressures
3) Possibilities

Knee bump escape

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FL8yrrOutM

Wednesday

1 intense session again!

20/10 drills on matador, jumping sides.

Drilled opening turtle into RNC.

Double underhook, collar grips, etc.

Included belt+collar grip > drag forward > hooks in

Belt+collar grip > drag forward > step over head (left leg block head) > roll them out

Tight collar grip > roll over their opposite shoulder > roll them out > hooks in (big friction burn on my eye from this)

Rolled with Dv and others, 5 minutes rounds. Still need to work on escaping mount, although going for elbow+knee escape seemed more successful then upa!

Raw eye but fine

Monday

Initial drills with Ah.

Intense session tonight.

Started with bodyweight exercises (20 of each), then onto throws (10 of each), without much rest between.
Tiring but good.
Included an inverted pressup type exercise using partner as a bench.

Drilled matador > knee on belly > straight arm armbar > kimura > roll out > kimura > regular armbar (I think)

Working repeatedly on the same flow was great for me; I really enjoyed doing it this way.
Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. This makes me happy!

Rolled, switching partners every 1.5 minutes, for the last 15/20 minutes. I had Gr and Lu, which was tiring.

Nearly got Gr in a triangle.

I still suck at sweeps.

Positive aches.

Five Ways to Get Better at BJJ

Source: http://richmondselfdefense.wordpress.com/2011/11/18/five-ways-to-get-better-at-bjj/
*I take no credit for writing this piece*

5.  Learn to flow.

Jiu jitsu is the “gentle art.”  What does this mean?
In a nutshell, it means learning to use your partner’s energy against them, to redirect their force into another direction so as to make them move a little too far, or a little to the left, or a little to the right.  This is how off-balancing and sweeping a larger, stronger opponent is possible.  Easier said than done!

So how do you flow?  The quickest way to learn to do this is to remember:  you must lose at the gym in order to win at jiu jitsu.  You have to learn to relax in order to let positions happen.  In the process of doing this, you will be beaten!   Remember that this is part of the process of learning, and that flowing takes time to figure out.  You have to balance the process of trying to execute techniques with trying to let your partner give you enough resistance.  Ultimately, you will have to learn how to use as little energy as possible in order to overcome force.
Relax while you’re training, remember that your goal isn’t to tap out your training partners every class, but rather to learn jiu jitsu, and you will surely improve.

Below is an example of some flow rolling.  Look at the positional exchanges.  Neither guy is overly tense, or especially trying to dominate for more than a few seconds:

4.  Ride the waves.
Every jiu jitsu practitioner goes through peaks and valleys in their quest to understand grappling.   Some days, you feel like the king of the world.  Other days, you feel like a first day white belt.  The interesting thing about this phenomenon is that you can actually use it to your advantage!

How?  When you’re on the top of a wave, you’re able to dominate seemingly anyone, and execute virtually any move you want to try out.  Things are really clicking for you.  This is the time to perfect your offense.
When you’re at the bottom of a wave (a “valley”), use this opportunity to work on your defense.  Let everyone dominate you, but figure out how to get out.  And remember:  even if you’re unable to escape, you are still learning how you’re being dominated!  This is all part of the journey.

3.  Watch other people roll, especially people who are better than you.

You can accomplish this at the gym, especially if there are upper belts rolling constantly at your gym.  At Revolution BJJ, there are generally always brown and black belts rolling every day.  Watch them roll, but also be sure to watch the blue belts.  Sometimes the brown and black belts are doing things that are more confusing than not, whereas the blue and purple belts are generally more easily understood and replicated.
You can also make progress on this one at home, by watching videos of high level guys rolling and competing.  There are hundreds of great videos of BJJ competition on Youtube, from local to international competitions.  Be sure to take advantage of being able to do this one as “homework”, one of the few things you can do on your own!

Highlight videos on youtube are are excellent resource:

2.  Focus on one thing for a set period of time.Jiu jitsu can be overwhelming.  Because of the wonderful underlying structure of the art, it is a never-ending process of change.  New positions and submissions are invented every day.  If you try to become a master of everything, you will surely become a master of nothing.  Note that the word “master” is relative here; you certainly will never understand a position or move as well as you possibly could understand it if you just worked on it a little longer, but you can certainly develop things that you make your own.   At Revolution BJJ, for example, there is a monthly theme for techniques taught in the majority of the BJJ classes.  Themes include passing the guard, the Kimura, armlocks, escapes, and many more.

1.  Keep at it!

I asked one of my brown belts for his advice to new students to jiu jitsu.  In his words, “I don’t know what to say to anyone, other than the 3 most wonderful words I’ve been told since I was a boy – ‘keep at it.’ “

Profound in its simplicity, this elegant- yet elusive- advice is the most important to follow from this list.  It’s probably also the most difficult.  A wise man once said, “A black belt is just a white belt who never quits.”  There is a great deal of truth in this statement.  Remember that if you are training at a good school, and you are dedicated, you are on the path to black belt, and (more importantly) to improving over time by leaps and bounds.  Be patient, and improvements will come.

Saturday

Drilled with Gr.

Worked armbar, kimura, triangle, as per this week's earlier lessons.

Drilled 3 sweeps, including reversal and flower.

Rolled with Bm and got instantly collar choked after he stood in my guard.
I tapped about 5 seconds after we started rolling. Funny.

Good.

Guard Training Model by Stephen Whittier

1. Keep Your Legs Between You
and Your Opponent
I mentioned this before, but it is the
single most "basic" principle of playing
guard, yet one that eludes a lot of students
who are too locked into thinking in terms
of the guard as a series of "moves."

Keep your knees to your chest (unless you
are in the process of stretching your opponent
out) and always maintain an obstruction
between you and your opponent, and you will
always have a guard.

2. Foot Placement
Wherever you put your feet there should
be some pressure on your opponent -- a
transfer of weight when posting on a hip,
bicep, thigh, etc. or pressure with a hook.

This does not mean your whole leg is tense,
just that there is pressure. This is your sensitivity,
your "feelers" to tell what your opponent is doing,
not to mention it's huge for protecting you from leg
locks!

3. Grips
It often happens that whoever gets the dominant
grips first in an exchange wins. The grip game is
huge for gi or no gi (as it is for MMA, but everything
happens a lot quicker there or you get popped!).

However, the grip game is most sophisticated at the
gi level. Always think of what your dominant grips
are, offensively and defensively, as you go through
process of defining your routes. When you get them,
don't hesitate. When you lose a grip exchange, be
ready to BUST A MOVE to intercept your opponent
and immediately re-establish dominant grips.

4. Hip Movement
If leverage is the heart of BJJ, then use of the hips
is the soul. The two work hand-in-hand to create
the postures and levers that make jiu-jitsu work so
efficiently.

Developing good hip movement in all planes
facilitates all the other aspects of the guard.
It means creating defensive space and posture as
well as angles of attack (remember peripheral
offense).

Many times fixing a technical "mistake" in BJJ is
as simple as moving your hips more or earlier.

5. Attacks
The first four were all essential for guard retention,
although also important for attacking. As for the
attacks themselves, these include the constant
pressure to submit, sweep, or reverse an opponent,
or to sit or stand up out of the guard altogether.

Drill all four elements until your arms and legs
work fluidly and in conjunction without thinking,
and just as you have defined your positional
routes, also define your offensive routes and ability
to attack in combination.

Closed to Open Guard

http://youtu.be/Jm6R2F4b3QY

Closed Guard Knee in Trick

http://youtu.be/pydZREBpPkQ

Jason Scully - 3 Berimbolo Situations - BJJ Sweeps Techniques

Rear Mount Strategy

 

Wednesday

Drilled with Bc.

Drilled basics: armbar, kimura, omoplata, triangle.

Sweeps, inc. flower, reverse, omoplata sweep.

Rolled for 1.5 mins, without breaks, with each guy at gym.

Relaxed.

Monday

Rolled and drilled with Gr.

Worked on jumping guard then working into a sweep (arm ankle, etc.)

Drilled some chokes that involved passing their gi round their back, including the "baseball bat". Some were less effective due to my size.

Rolled for the last 15/20 minutes. Tiring.

Saturday

Trained with Gr.

2 throws which went well

Drilled:
Double leg TD into guard or 1/2 guard into sweeps (reaps)
TD into sweep into arm in guillotine

Nice sessions. Good to have some success with the throws.

Mount Escapes - Roy Dean

Once you're able to turn that corner, and be able to reverse

positions, then the game gets a lot more fun

Bridge & Roll:

1. Clasp hands over elbow/arm
2. Pull arm to chest
3. Secure bicep and forearm
4. Push elbow down on knee
5. Foot over & trap ankle
6. Bridge over ankle side
7. End with hands on biceps

5 side control escapes

Drilled and rolled with Bc.

In keeping with the theme of 5, we drilled five escapes from side control, including running man and turtle.

Rolled for 10 minute rounds at the end.

Took it easy due to size difference, but I enjoyed not relying on power. But also spent a lot of time mounted!

*Work on mount escapes*

Relaxed and enjoyed it.

Water the Plant and it Shall Bloom

Consistency is the discipline.

Monday night: 5 subs and 5 sweeps

Worked with DB

Worked 5 basic subs:

1. Armbar
2. Guillotine
3. Triangle
4. Kimura
5. Omoplata

5 basic sweeps, whose names I cannot recall, but included, helicopter, flower, ankle reap, reverse flower...

Was great to just work through the basics, as I am only a fraction aware of how to apply them.

Had some success with sweeps.

Nice relaxing session.

Closed Guard Triple Attack

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EyL3SvaDK8

Closed Guard - Rope Climb

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJi2tZxYUxg&feature=youtu.be

Seminar day

Brilliant day!

2 new blue belts and 1 purple promotion. A happy, positive day.

Drilled sweep or sub from bottom:
Exploding up to sitting, punch arm behind, lean back, armlock OR sweep

Jumping guard into X to sweep

More when I recall it!

Amazing seminar.

Gloves, pads and footwork

Great session with Cuz.

Worked on front and round kicks.
- I still need to fix my left foot's positioning after landing the round kick.

Donned gloves and did some basic combinations + footwork drills.

Great workout.

Wednesday

Drilled throws on crash mat: I skipped most of these as I'm still too cautious about my shoulder.
I freeze up when thrown.

Did a few throws ok though, I guess.
I'll get over it eventually.

Drilled passing guard from standing with Bc:
Scissor kick
Cartwheel
Forward flip

Rolled with several people.

SW was particularly helpful as he gave some simple advice regarding my hand position (control hips>knee in>combat base, etc.) when in someone's closed guard, and a possible sweep setup.

nb. I tended to be more intent on subs from guard instead of progressing position.

Monday night back

Drilled passing guard from standing with Gr.

Knee control > circle right knee > spin around and right leg to side of head

They setup De la Riva > swap hands  (ankle + knee) > control  > sit on their stomach (facing knees) > control knees keeping feet away from floor > step over leg > UH neck > spin to side control same side as UH on neck

Control ankles > push up > stack them up > sit on their butt > slide out to right and topple them as you pass legs into side

Control knees (left tight, right for balance) > push left down > fall to side/left shoulder on chest > right hand simply stops them turning > maintain side control

Basically, lots of guard passing from standing!

Rolled with Mcop and  Ach: 3 mins on, 30 secs off, 3 mins on, rest for  3mins.

Good to be back. I was utterly exhausted!

Back to BJJ!

It'll be my first session back tonight following my vile sickness bug which led into severe flu.

I can't believe it took about 10 days to feel well again, and not being able to train for fear of spreading my germs was even more disempowering.

Arm Drag to Attacks from Sitting Guard:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7INVorqqsWM

Closed Guard Submission Basic Armbar (GGBJJ)

Simple but nice!

Half guard pass defence

Turtle armbar attack and choke

Flu=week off training

I can't justify giving my germs to my training partners, so I've taken to bed festering instead.

In the meantime:

Feeling slightly better today.

Arm Bar From Guard Modifications - BJJ Weekly #075

I'm going to start posting interesting videos here to help consolidate some of the BJJ ideas and information that I attempt to process on a day to day basis.

Hopefully this will help with my learning.

Vicente Junior - Arm Bar From Guard Modifications - BJJ Weekly #075

Result:

Missed Monday lesson due to sickness. Training Wednesday  & Thursday instead, if my cold has subsided enough!

Saturday

Trained with Cz.

Drilled some throws. I'm still so tentative with throws because of my shoulder injury. I will pass this hurdle of timidness.

Scissors
Sweeps:
Guard > lapel+wrist > foot on hip > bring knee in across their chest > scissor bottom leg + push through  > side control

Guard > lapel+wrist > foot on hip > bring knee in across their chest > foot on knee + bow body to push knee away > rainbow arc leg movement to sweep them over > side control

- Armbar
Guard > lapel+wrist > foot on hip > bring knee in across their chest > extend leg up under shoulder > scoot to side keeping arm in > armbar

- Triangle
Guard > lapel+wrist > foot on hip > bring knee in across their chest = knee OVER their arm > extend leg up (as armbar but over their arm) > angle body  =  triangle

Good.

Wednesday

Drilled with Ak.

Drilled armbars a little.

Sweep from guard:
Left hand on their right sleeve > grab knee on right side > stamp down with left leg (same leg as sleeve) > sweep

Sweep from guard/standing:
Left hand on their right sleeve > they stand + pass sleeve to right hand + feet into their hips as they stand > right foot behind their knee > left hand grab their ankle > force forward = sweep

Insomnia.

Monday

Drilled with Gr.

*vague*
Mounted > pull their arms to floor at side > Kimura setup > Same side foot in hip > Push back for space > Same leg over back to pressure

Same as above but > flatten them by stretching legs + arm behind knee > roll them over you > s mount/triangle

Rolled side control and turtle.

I suck, but I aren't losing.

Saturday

Grouped with IL

Throws from the wall:
Double UH>reap with right and turn them
and
Avoid right and turn them around

Stripping their grip from wrist>drag wrist
Jumping to guard>push wrist between legs>snake behind knee>roll them>out into side>pin arm as you roll out>snake arm behind head>grab collar with other hand>loop collar hand over>sprawl to choke

Wet noodle vs spaz is a tricky balancing act

Flowing Wednesday

Started with some throwing drills on the crash mat with Bc.

*vaguely*
Drilled flowing from Armbar > take other arm > legs over  grab leg > sweep > On top leg behind neck > hold ankle > roll into Triangle > they get out > take arm again and roll them > Armbar > step out above head > foot behind their neck > sweep... or something!

It was very complicated to my unseeing eyes, but at a few points I briefly glimpsed how it all flowed together -- how one could domino through the positions. Beautiful!

Rolled:
Tonight I tried to be as pliant as possible, in an attempt to absorb what they were doing to me without my resisting too much.

Managed to sweep Dc when he was mounted. He complimented me then promptly swept me into a triangle.

Slow and flow.

5 miles

Walked nearly 5 miles today, then went to BJJ.

Super tired!
Felt good to be so exhausted. My hands had the gripping power of a toddler.

Drilled a few throws on the crash mat, including a tentative suplex.

Drilled the 4 side control moves; sweeps, etc.

Sweaty. Toe ached a little.

Toe

Had my big toe taped since the weekend, as it may be broken.

I gather that a broken toe can be worked around with ease, so I aren't too concerned.

Looking forward to training tonight!

Fundamentals

With Cuz and Lil.

NR was late, hungover and brought his baby. She was cute.
Oh well.

BJJ.

Flowing side control from left to right side, ending in sub.

Turtle choke:
Sprawl > they turtle > take neck > stand over their neck > sit > left leg over their back (not sure!)

Sprawl to turtle > side > arm in far side under and hold wrist with near hand > slide nearest leg through and past their head *keep good base of 3* = choke

Smashed big toe hard on Lil's knee.

Amazingly hot outside, and BJJ was great.

Wednesday

Drilled armbar and triangle setups with Bk.

Rolled with Sh and Gj.
Sh really panics, but I'm sure it will pass.
Gj is confident.

Had the chance to roll with Jh (purple belt) and I best describe it as follows:

A piece of tissue paper being handled by a tarantula.

It was great seeing how much control he had, and even better to feel it first hand, as opposed to just watching.

Great!

Monday

Drilled mostly with AD and NR, both of whom were really helpful and insightful.

1/2 G - keep head to chest (safely out of way) - nudge yourself down - clasp their butt - budge them up as you move down - pop out under arm - take back or SC.

1/2 G- belt+knee - shrimp - foot in - move back under - plant other foot - lift them back + sweep with UH foot - move to side or rear mount* nb. moving to side THEN proceeding to mount=more points in comp.

Rolling thoughts: I tried to work on positional progression instead of subbing with LK, though I had a RNC offered to me by a tired GR.

No aches today!

*Updates*

It's great being back!

Had a few sessions with Cuz, and really got into the weekly classes again.

3 per week until I can physically do more.

Wednesday's S+C based session was shattering but amazing.
The focus and the immersion is reward in itself.
The aches that follow are medals of persistence.

Saturday
A lot of the usual crowd were away watching ADCC - lucky them!

Ankle pick into TD
Ankle pick - they slip out - knee to hips - roll out into side control - into armbar

Was an ok session and I accidentally got my first legitimate submission (if that makes sense), with a collar choke from the mount.

I like this and hope my body adjusts well

First day back & Workshop

2 hour BJJ workship with PH.

*First day back rolling since my shoulder injury*

It was amazing.

Simple throwing drills - chaining 2 together - push, step, reap > push step, they step, feet into them, drag collar down hook inside foot behind their heel, drop inside their guard

Side mount to s-mount feign armbar to choke

Friction burn on finger and stiff neck=worth it

30 mins Cuz

Great, fast intense Cuz session

Shoulder throw (Ippon seoi nage) - slide R arm to back (from collar) - L arm grip elbow - pop into them and face out - push them to break balance as you slide arm to their belt

Erm! Just watch this:

Work on splits

1 year from now you will be able to do the splits! 9th September 2012

The Importance of Drilling

The Importance of Drilling in BJJ from BJJ Hacks on Vimeo.

Cuz

Seat belt from kneeling - sit on calfs, head push against their head, arms over/under

Standing side clinch to throw (BJJ style)

Box splits

Ground to standing via kick

Plank

Pressup

Loved it!

Kicks and stretches with Cuz

After a short break, had a great sweaty session with Cuz.

Mainly focused on kicks, suppleness, and stance.

Skipping!
Box splits
Kicking pads/baseball bat - need to stop spinning after landing kick -- my suppleness is poor, too.

Painful but good.

4 weeks til shoulder is healed

Cuz Training

Another great session.

Super sweaty from the word go.

Drilled:

• Escaping headlock - posture+leg inside their legs, arm to elbow joint of furthest arm, control neck wrist, posture up into their armpit/shoulder to break lock, step round and kimora
• Bear hugged from behind escape - posture down, feed hand through, hold own wrist and their wrist, step round (knee to block) into kimora or take back
• Strangled or collar hold (basic) - footwork, swoop head down and out. Subtle!

Jogging into sprawl.

Butterfly guard crunches with Cuz on top.

Back and front break falls.

Neck exercises - 30 of each!

Sitting with base into standing (kicking with left foot at opponent!)

Ended with a roll. Managed to advance 2 positions; matador into side control, and full mount.

Great but tiring!

Mixed Cuz Session

Had a great session today with Cuz.

He showed me a few subs:

1. Elbows on their chest, plum clinch and crank neck
2. Taking back idea -- *from mount* -- Pull arm from above, chest on arm forcing it down to their ear, reach behind their neck and grab their arm, pull it then use your chest to roll them - Think: ROLLING PIN.

Worked on a few armbar varations.

Then we rolled.
It was great, simply because the whole feeling of working against and with another human is so good. I love it.

I even affectively shrimped out of a bad position! A first for me.

Shoulder feels 75%.

Judo & Kicks

Trained with Cuz.

Kicking pads.
Leg flexibility.
Box splits!

Hamstring suppleness.

Collar choke.

Great!

Watched MA docu.

Day after Judo (Wednesday)

Did Judo with Cuz yesterday (Wednesday).

We primarily focused on S+C.
I struggled on crunches, and had to give up after 45.
I will beat that score!

I love the S+C side as it really pushes me.

Also worked on the Ippon Seoinage (One Arm Shoulder Throw):

WEDNESDAY EVENING

Watched BJJ.
Fun as always!
Sm did some funny WWE jump from the window onto BM.

I need to get fitter.

Judo + exercises

Another session with Cuz.

It consisted mainly of bodyweight exercises - it was amazing!

I sweated and grunted like a beast.
Felt like puking, but it was worth it.

Feel alive.

MONDAY NIGHT
Sat in on BJJ and JKD.
JKD was very interesting. Lots of good striking teaching.
BJJ was great as per usual.


Funny: B and SM rolling, and SM tying his Gi drawstring around B's ankle.

Lucio "Lagarto" Rodrigues

Attended the Lagarto seminar today with Cuz.

Both being injured meant we couldn't put in as much effort as we'd like, but overall it was a positive experience.

It was good to get used to that type of atmosphere.

Lo get his purple belt and thanked his dad and Si.

Worth it.

Judo and Nephews

Judo for 1 hour again today with Cuz.

He said I appeared much more confident. I gripped with intent.

Drilled basic leg sweep and pulling them onto my back in prep for throwing.

Briefly drilled standing up from floor (leg and arm posted, swing leg behind and stand - keep hand up and leg up for def.)

Nephews sleeping over. They played Mario Kart and sang the star music.

Lagarto on Sunday!

Physio

Yesterday's (Tuesday) physio went well.

Had a massage on my traps and acupuncture, which really loosened up the tight muscle.

Needled (jk) Gm about Marley and Me.

Felt great, but dizzy.

Shoulder still aches this morning, but it's definitely getting better.

Gm said it could take 6-8 weeks in total until I can roll again!

Heal, please.

Judo

Judo again with Cuz.

Side break fall - be sure to bring forearm back to face area.

Front break fall - only did it briefly.

Footwork - back leg forward first!

Backward roll - need lots of work on this.

Kettlebell work=great! Note to self: buy a kettlebell.

Shoulder wasn't too painful.

Judo Cuz

9.30am Judo with Cuz.

Drilled:

Turning + throw on elastic (ball at sis)

Side to side + sweep (and skimming hand)

Back break fall on mat - legs up and down.

Bows

I sweated!

Very enjoyable.

Judo and Docs

RECAP

Yesterday day's Judo chat was good. Talked about the compass points.

Pulling them into you.
Pushing them out.
Footwork.

Last night's (Wednesday) sit in BJJ lesson was great. Just watching the guys roll and have fun really boosted my moral.

TODAY

Judo soon again with Cuz, then Dr's appointment.

Shoulder is healing nicely.

Post-Physio

Physio yesterday (Tuesday) was good.

She told me that I'd already done most of her work for her because I'd been icing, Ibuprofen'ing, and doing ROM exercises.

She did some ultrasound, massaged the area, chatted some, then booked me in for next week.

She was very kind and pleasant.

AFTERNOON

Spent some time with Cuz. He showed me some basics, including the compass concept.

I look forward to learning how to throw people.


TONIGHT


This evening I'll be sitting in on my BJJ class.

I'll do this reguarly now until my shoulder heals.

Saturday watching

Got a nice call from Cuz early this morning inviting me to go and watch his BJJ lesson.

Washed and dressed.

Cuz picked me up and off we went.

Was great to be in the BJJ environment.

I miss it.

A few asked me how I was, which was nice.

Cuz's knee twinged, but he enjoyed himself.


Heal time!

Shoulder update #3

Shoulder not as a stiff and painful this morning.

Physiotherapy date is 5th July at 2.50pm!

Looking forward to getting an official rehab routine to follow.

Still icing up every 2 hours.

Contacted Mc and he was very nice about my absence and told me to rest up.

Heal faster!

Shoulder update #2

The pain has decreased somewhat.

I have better ROM.

Icing and Ibuprofen regularly.

Doing simple ROM exercises for about 5 mins per day at the moment.

It doesn't feel as bad as my first shoulder injury.

Still no call from the physio.

Friday & Physio

I went to the hospital yesterday and they referred me to an physiotherapist.

We're guessing at least 1 month until we truly see what damage, if any, has been done.

In the meantime, I've started the ice/ibuprofen/gel treatment that I used on my injured shoulder previously.

Interestingly enough, my shoulder feels a little less painful this morning.


I assume this is because I applied ice/ibuprofen/gel sooner rather than later.
I hope this is just a minor derailment.

Give. Health. Need. To. Roll.

Shoulder update #1

I'm heading to A&E in an hour.

I need a MRI or ultrasound, that's for sure.

I have limited ROM and the pain is intense.

I hope it's just heavy bruising.

Shoulder it

*CRUNCH* was the sound my shoulder made when I landed on it, after sailing through the air following an awkward throw.

I type this with a bag of frozen mince on my shoulder.

10 minutes into the lesson and I was forced to sit out.

1.5 hours later, and I was still watching.

Depressing memories of my last ligament injury (on the same damn shoulder) came flooding back.

Stupid. Shoulder. Stupid. Me.

AC and/or Rotator hurt the most. Grr!

Dsu massaged it and it felt slightly better. But there's no denying I had awful ROM, and would have been a fool to try and train through the pain.

LN lent me some freeze spray. I guess it helped a little.
LN also showed me some nice chokes and neck workouts before class.

I hope I just bruised my muscle, as I can't stand the idea of another handful of months lost to a pathetic shoulder injury.

Fingers RNC'd (crossed) that I get back on the mats soon and this is just bruising!

Frustrated.

Monday 1.5 #3

Partnered mainly with D2.

He was super helpful and generally a nice, soft spoken guy.

Drilled:

1. knee on chest
2. feed left hand to collar
3. right hand to collar behind left
4. loop right hand over head
5. choke

Many knee on chest drills that I cannot remember now. Typical!

Was great.

Sparred with D2 and D1. D1 was actually helpful this time.

Great!

Bruised and have a slight black eye today.

J gave some brief backward roll instructions at the end of class, but I had to leave due to transport.

Bus to meet E at train station.

Land of the Giants

Saturday morning tiredness consumed me when I arrived today.

It was soon replaced with sweat and eagerness.

Full class for fundamentals so I shared partnership with BigD and BigL.

Comparing heights they both made me look like a toddler!
Not a problem. Still good fun.

I felt like this:

Drilled the sweeps from CG into Armbar: knee in upper chest. leg to sweep or place on hip to swap into Armbar after feigning sweep.

Also drilled sweeping into mount+choke.

Great fun today. I could have gone for another hour.

The seminar with PH was cancelled due to people being away on holiday.

After another month, I think I'll look into increasing the number of classes I attend.
eg. 2 more BJJ and Sub wrestling/MMA, maybe.

Brain has been ok.

Nephews are visiting.

Wednesday 1.5 #2

Another great session.

Entered the class tired, but left feeling great.

Drilled choking from the sweeping from bottom, choking from the bottom (3 positions)

1. Deep on collar
2. Shrimp butt out
3. Knee into chest
4. Pass their pant ankle to your left hand
5. Roll them over

As above to 3:

1. Pull collar across neck
2. Snake hand over back of head
3. Pull in

This sounds so wishy washy, but it's all I can recall.

Patience. Description will come along with knowledge and experience.
One cannot pain what one cannot see.

My lack of detail doesn't reflect how enjoyable it is. It's great!

Rolled with St, and he was really friendly, helpful and nice. His shoulder is messed up, too. He needs surgery.

Rolled with Dv and get my first face burn. Dv pulled my Gi across my face.

nb. be more aware of position of knees when kneeling for sparring, as Dv knocked me over cos I was too high and had my knees too close together  Make a good base.

Gristly knot in neck is still there. Need to keep my eye on it.

Brain has been ok.

Monday 1.5 #2

Rolled with Lu.

He smelled of spice or hash. It wasn't horrible, but slightly off-putting.

Drilled armbar > pushing them to their side.

As per usual: I don't recall it all!

I mainly drilled the armbar.
I don't think Lu was confident in his explanations, so it was slightly awkward.

Eventually learned a rudimentary armbar.

Rolled.
Watched.
Enjoyed.

I foresee these slow moving, inching forward classes for a long time. I learn each time, so it's fine.

Injuries:
Knee scab rubbed off, but all three mat burns (feet and knee) are slowly healing. Fully taped is good.

Mind isn't too bad today.

I get a replacement phone tomorrow after smashing mine in frustration.

Saturday Morning Fun

Tubigrip and dressing on knee: check
Tape around feet: check

Today's fundamentals class was great.

My partner was IL, my old school friend, so it was even easier to pick things up.
Plus, we're about the same height.

Drilled:

1. Partner stood up, holding check+wrist
2. Break their grip
3. Hook their left foot/ankle with left arm
4. Pass my left collar to my left hand
5. Leg into armpit
6. Take them down

Also:

1. Partner arms around my arms and chest
2. Drop a level
3. Lift arms slightly
4. Hold his upper hand
5. Slide other hand through gap in bicep
6. Step around  and armlock OR ->
7. Step around with same foot + grab his knees at same time
8. Lift him up and to side
9. Drop him
10. Turn in to knee closest
11. Control

We may have done more stuff, but it eludes me right now.

Still not even close to having good defence, so the holes in my memory aren't a big concern.

It often feels like I am relearning my left and right multiple times per class.

Nk and IL were super helpful.

At the end of the class we did crunches, press-ups, stars and squats.

I didn't even get to finish, I was so slow.
I did about 5 squats, then stopped as everybody was waiting. Ouch.
I had to resort to doing kneeling press-ups after managing about 5 normal press-ups!

Time will improve my lack of conditioning.

I repeat: Great class.

Mind still hurts more than body.

I wish my was neurotypical sometimes.

Knees and feet held up ok.

Cut up update

The mats burns are coming along fine. 


Spray Plaster seems to be working wonders, especially on the knees. 


The burns on my toes are taking longer, but I expected that. 


Class tomorrow (Saturday) morning, so lots of tape and due attention will be needed. 


Brain hurts more than body today.

Wednesday 1.5 #1

Another 1.5 hour class.

This time I went in with crazy mat burns on feet and knees.

Drilled initially with Fem. Went well.

As per usual, I don't explain this with much clarity due to my inexperience:

Worked on Matador Guard Pass into knee on chest, kneeling over head into armbar, and flipping over them and planting feet either side of head.

Fem kindly wrapped my feet (surgical tape)

The clarity will come with more experience!

Finished off the night with sparring. Avoided Quiet Guy this time, and didn't get hurt/triangled.

Stopped rolling 10 minutes before end because feet burns were taking a pounding.

Instead, I sat and watched the group roll, and it was amazing to see.

Having started the class feeling pretty low and battered, I actually felt less pained and more energetic after the 1.5 hours of class.

BJJ does good things to a person.

I could tell I was minutely more aware of what they were doing as they sparred than I was when I first joined.

Tiny step towards excellence.

Today (Thursday):

Spray on plaster, antiseptic cream: GO!

2 days off to heal.

Wednesday AM: Achey Breaky

*My two gis, rash guard and belt arrived yesterday*

Plasters and burn cream still being used on mat burns.

Neck still bruised.

Still going to the 1.5 hour class tonight? Of course.

I slept ok, but had a horrible soul crushing dream. My heart aches more than my body.

Stupid brain.

Urge

Despite today's previous post being somewhat downbeat, as the day is progressing my urge to roll is slowly growing.

As every minute passes, my muscles ache less, and I feel more alive and determined to roll tomorrow.

Ice on neck, I move on.

Addiction is a routine I welcome in this case

Sore neck

Managed 2 hours of sleep since yesterday.

Anyway.
I have ice on my jaw at the moment, as it hurts like hell.

The pain is almost like tonsillitis, but since I have no tonsils, I believe the pain is from getting multiple super-triangled by quiet guy last night.

I must learn to tap sooner.

Bus time situation may be resolved thanks to family help

*update following Monday's bus incident*

The change in routine due to the bus time change, subsequent taxi ride, and numerous mat burns, led me to get 0 sleep.

I feel like a husk.

This is never good.

I hope I manage to get some sleep soon.

In the meantime, I've had a warm bath, cleaned my mat burns, applied antiseptic cream, and covered them up with loose plasters.

Sleep soon, please.

Apart from the chaos, I still loved last night's lengthy BJJ class.

Monday 1.5 hours & bus problems #1

Monday night's 1.5 hour lesson (written on Tuesday morning 1am):

Serious fatigue post-class. Felt like I'd sprinted a marathon. Body wanted to quit, but I wouldn't allow it.

Drilled the previous exercises

*2 New drills*

1st

1. Partner: high mounted on me
2. Lift/walk my butt over his left calf
3. Slide elbow down their right thigh to keep leg out/down
4. S grip near my belt line to secure
5. Bridge more
6. Walk/hop legs left and towards their head
7. Roll them over
8. Mount them

2nd

1. Mounted
2. Feet clasped
3. Feel his feet out, under/over with my feet to break feet lock
4. Hook my feet under his legs/shins to lever
5. Hands on his lower hips
6. Bench press him off
7. Mount him

Rolled with 3 guys:

1. Biggie, who was nice, but maybe too gentle.
2. Then rolled with the quiet guy who pretty much destroyed me -  armbar armbar armbar. He either enjoyed going OTT on me or just didn't think to hold back. Oh well, I suppose there's always one whe doesn't cut the new guy any slack. Fair enough.
3. Skinny guy, who was ok, but I kept leaving my arms in. Triangle spam.

I probably spazzed again, though I did get side control and escape a few triangles.

Loved it!

Lots of friction burns!

Taxi home due to misreading the bus timetable.

Now have to rethink what classes I can attend due to the changes to the bus times. Ouch.

Lost my 1.5 hour classes, but can replace them with the earlier 1 hour classes and add the Sub Wrestling at a later date.

The bus time issue is more stressful and upsetting than my aching bones and mat burnt skin.

No surprises there.

nb. my memory may be wrong concerning what we drilled, but I'm sure recalling these things will improve as I become more aware of what is actually going on with my limbs

The morning after the first day before

**following yesterday afternoon's dizziness and high stress levels**

For the first time in ages I went to sleep at a logical hour last night (~11pm)

Today, I woke at 7am with bones, limbs and brain aching like I'd been rolling with the devil himself.

The pain is well earned, and therefore more bearable.

In fact, I don't mind physical pain.

Bruised medals.

My heart and mind, on the other hand, still ache.

Most of my true pain and confusion comes from inside.

I am going to learn to deal with my inner failings during this journey, I hope.

First day of BJJ: Post-Lesson

I'm home and very sweaty.

We did 2 or 3 drills. I can hardly remember!

It seems like a blur already, but this is vaguely what I recall*:

Drill 1

1. Started with partner in CG > Drilled shaking someone off from standing > R hand chest, L hand hip, left leg forward to break guard OR  > holding inner thigh (elbows in), use it to stand (on left leg) pushing back and out > R hand on their knee + jiggle them down to break guard then 2.
2. Holding below knees to control and swing them to the side to allow stepping into side control/knee on chest

Drill 2

1. RNC: scuttling to the right to flip them over (moving right shoulder towards floor) OR holding their arm and  lifting them onto your back then tossing them over R shoulder

Rolled with Rn

Lack of clarity is understandable!

I probably spazzed.

No egos and lots of respect.

Recognised IL from Middle School. He didn't recognise me. Will say hello next time.

I loved it.

Signed for 3 BJJ classes per week (Saturday+any 2 in week).
Will increase to include Sub Wrestling when I am ready.

*I think I have mixed the 2 or 3 drills up so this makes little to no sense

First day of BJJ: Pre-Lesson

Today looks to be the hottest this year, and the day of my first BJJ class


Last night I was stricken by insomnia at about 2am, and didn't manage to sleep properly for the rest of the night/morning.


Maybe my subconscious was analysing the approaching BJJ lesson.

BJJ

(FUNDAMENTALS)

10:00-11:00am

Nervous but hopeful.
I will learn and progress.