more Peruvian neckties

Waaa, I don't seem to keep up with this. There is so much going on around me at present, that I sometimes don't have the necessary drive to update this blog. I continue to attend 5 BJJ classes most weeks plus open mat, so I'm getting the time in on the mat. But I seem to struggle to keep my blog and other notes up to date.

Of course, if I weren't spending so much time designing crazy-ass gis, I would have more time :-) ... As if I needed another addiction...

Anyway....

I won't bother going into Thursday's open mat or Friday's class. Other than to say we rounds from standing on Friday. And I've finally decided that my best course of action is to put aside my pride, forget about fancy takedowns and just bloody well pull guard. Because I like guard. It's the place from where I seem to be able to dish out most trouble to my opponents. And I avoid the likelihood of a botched takedown and someone sprawling on me. One severely bruised knee was enough.

So, on Saturday, we did more drilling of the Peruvian necktie. As last time, I seem to get it fairly right most of the time, and I was able to help my partner with it a lot.

After that, the newer guys worked on some of their syllabus stuff (grading next Saturday). I had a round from standing with the only blue belt who came to class. He's a biggish fellow. I managed to strip his grips a couple of times and got the grips I wanted and pulled guard. Straight to closed guard, where I managed to break him down nicely. He did his goto move (and for some unknown reason I always forget and fall for it!!)), which is pin one of my hands to the floor and feed it under me while he does a low smashing pass to the other side. I did fight it for a fair while and he resorted to strength. Until he got the pass. The instructor gave him a bollocking for that :-) I cunningly used that moment of inattention to hip out and regain guard and started attacking him again with chokes and an armlock. However, don't remember how, but he passed again and finally got side control, went to north south finished me with one of his favourite moves, a head-arm choke.

I received a big compliment for using good technique and keeping the attacks up from every position and for defending well. And the start of the round, getting him into my game. He was told that he has great technique, but wasn't using it, and only got out of my subs and succeeded with his because he muscled his way though. It must be difficult though, as he is very strong as well as 30kgs heavier than I. The temptation would always be there. I think there are lessons for me as well. For starters, there is a guy smaller and lighter than I who comes to classes. I can outmuscle him, but I don't want to. Anyway, it was nice to get some positive feedback about where I'm at, espcially so close to the next comp.