absorbing stuff

I'm pretty slow on the uptake at times. I need to see, do, feel, do again, analyse and do yet again, before a technique has any chance of sticking in my brain. I feel old and retarded some days. I'm not sure if that is accurate, as I keep on hearing people say I'm the one to ask when it comes to a technique, or a specific thing which belongs to a technique. Not sure what's going on there, because I sure know I forget so much stuff...

In any case, I guess with going on four years of getting squashed and submitted by all and sundry, SOME stuff is finally sinking in. Talk about learning the hard way...

Every so often, I have a breakthrough of some sort. My most recent breakthroughs were:

• working on Z-guard and learning some attacks from there
• finding more effective ways to exert pressure
• guard passing
• being more pro-active instead of expecting defeat, and therefore getting good positions
• better use of legs in open guard, leading to better guard retention, more success in reclaiming guard and overall making my hips more mobile.

The interesting part is that they are all related. They all feed into each other.

Consequently, I'm finding myself a lot less on the bottom, and attacking much more. That's a lot more fun! There are armbars to be had, which is hitherto unknown territory (excepting the odd one from guard in the old days). There are arm wraps, leading to multiple nasty things, there are knee rides (more armbars!), and all manner of chokes. I feel like discovering a new world :-)

At the same time, I'm finding that some of my standard defenses no longer work. I guess that's due to the fact that the others aren't wasting their training time, either. They are on to my defensive game. So now I'll have to think of better defenses and escapes. But that's where the fun is, in the constant change.

Did I mention I'm having a good time?

I can't wait for the Royler seminar on the weekend. I hope it'll be all on principles and "simple" techniques.