Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Felled by the Flu

I was doing so well!! So well!! I had been doing daily doubles (7 am class and the 6:30 pm class) three times a week, and really progressing.  I even gave a big guy such a run for his money defending his guard pass that I got walloped on the head during his smash pass and was out with a jacked up neck for a few days.  During the jacked up neck healing phase, I came down with the flu and am just now feeling better.  I missed Women's Open Mat because of it.  LAME!!

Here's the great part:  I feel like I've finally passed whatever BJJ block I was going through.  During the last class I was able to go to on Friday morning, right before the head wallop, I realized how interchangeable the butterfly hook sweep and scissor sweep are.  I was getting my grips for the hook sweep on a monster of a guy -- he's just under 6 feet and about 240 pounds -- and realized that a better option than flipping him with my leg was to push isolate his left arm, push back his left knee, and knock him over that way.  I didn't do it (remember?  Wallop.  Smash.) because I wasn't thinking quickly enough, but I did see it.

I'm really excited that I'm feeling better the last few hours.  I feel like tomorrow is another two a day, coming my way.  And maybe I'll nail that scissor sweep.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Drilling Pays Off

I went a little training crazy this week.  I actually had time and energy to make it to the 7 am class AND 6:30 pm classes on Wednesday and Friday.  On the days I didn't train, I ran.

Wednesday morning it was just me, another student, and the instructor.  We were both white belts, and the other guy was pretty new, so we worked side control for him.  For me, we worked the arm-across sweep from closed guard.  I have a really good closed guard, but I only have the hip bump from closed guard.  I have NO open guard yet.  None.

For those of you who don't know, the arm-across from closed guard is when you get your opponent down close to you, with his arm across your chest and isolated.  From there, you post up, swing down and grab the pants, open your guard, and kick your legs up into the armpit to get them to go over.  I'm sure I'm not describing it properly.  It's a really effective sweep, if you do it right.  I never do it right.  We drilled it over and over and over.  So much that I thought I was going to vomit, but by the end of class I felt like I understood it.

Apparently I did understand it, because during sparring on Friday I got my opponent in my closed guard and got his arm across.  I was looking at it, nervous to try, when Tim yelled "Veronica, grab the pants and go!!"  And I did.  AND IT WORKED!!!

I couldn't believe it.  Something happened this week, and I finally feel like I get it.  I realized that I'm not playing defense, I'm defending to stay alive and get to play offense.  I know offense!! What!?!?

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Two a Day

I made it to Robot TWICE today to train!! That's right!! I feel great.

I've spent a lot of the last month trying to figure out how to take care of myself and train.  It's been good. I've started running in the morning and I've managed to fit in BJJ training 3x a week.  I'm going to be able to train in the morning now because Robot made morning class MWF now, and I LOVE the new morning instructor.

I learned SO much this morning.  Arun (my morning instructor) let us pick a move that we have a hard time with, and drill it over and over and over.  I picked my arm across sweep from closed guard.  I have great attacks from closed guard, a hip bump sweep, and sometimes I can get an arm across and take the back.  But I honestly have NO SWEEPS from closed guard.  None.  And I end up being exhausted from trying to keep my guard and attack.

After working with Arun all morning, I realized what I had been doing wrong and finally and really and truly understood the closed guard arm across sweep.  We changed up how I get my grips, how I pop up and take the back hook, and then worked on my posting.  It turns out I wasn't posting high enough and just wasn't understanding the swivel that I need to do with my legs, and I was stopping my own momentum by landing flat on my back.  It's hard to explain.  I'll work on explaining it.

Needless to say, I'm baaaaAAAaaaaack!!