Tonight's Class

Today was one of those rare classes where you feel everything has come together perfectly. During free roll I was stringing together Loop chokes to triangles to omoplatas to sweeps to triangle to armbar and back to triangle. Over and over and over again. It didn't matter that everyone in my class outweighs me by at LEAST 20-25lbs. Some of them outweigh me by 60-100lbs. But I pretty much caught everyone multiple times with the same series of transitions and submissions. I could feel some of them take their frustrations out on me with their weight and strength, (cue multiple headbutts and the beginnings of a black eye in addition to getting cross faced by a 235 lb monster for 3 minutes...ssaank you berry much) but I felt like I had an answer to everything.

I'm not positive but I am pretty sure that the noticeable jump in techinique is a direct result of rolling with Steve over and over again this past weekend. I mean, the man just crushes me and not just with his weight like some of the bigger guys in my class try to do, but he just completely outclasses me with pure skill. Rolling with him makes my brain think faster so that it becomes instinct. Quicker/Faster Transitions. Combinations. Submissions. Positioning. Scrambles. Its like a tornado meeting a volcano. Cept I am a very tiny itsy bitsy tornado and he is the volcano that closed down european airways for several months.

Anyways, I feel great. My body feels bruised and battered but mentally I feel like I've taken a jump in my game after having been stagnant for quite some time. I'm beginning to see and understand the importance of the little bump and pull to initiate all my attacks/sweeps. All you need is that split second when their weight is pushing backwards or pushing forwards and you can capitilize to continue to make your opponent defend. At that point I can move quickly through my series of sweeps and submissions.

Note to self: COMMIT to each submission and sweep even when you are thinking of your second or third attack. Only if your oppoent feels genuinely threatened will they react in the way that leaves them open and more vulnerable to your next attack. And eventually...Check Mate. Kings to me.