Monday Redux

Wednesday's practice was just as rough, if not moreso, than Monday's. Ah Monday, that day of the week were the guantlet was done in one minute intervals soon to be replaced by Wednesday's zealous two minute intervals. I think I only managed to collect one new blister, while keeping the others reasonably controlled. This time the groups were segmented into Gi and no-gi. And as fate would have it that would put me in with all the middle weights and light heavyweights. I was in for two minutes against a very strong, cool, personal trainer. He's not particularly emotive; I guess stolid would be the term, the kind of guy who might be a dick, who might be mistaken for being an arrogant dick while he's really just stoic, you just don't know (he's always been careful never to do any serious harm to me).

I did alright circumstances pending. He tapped me out once, but I was able to launch a few counter offensives via gi, which can be a great tool to mitigate size and strength differences. At one moment he tried to stack me, and to my surpirse I didn't just roll out of it, I rolled out and popped to standing in a fluid motion. Next time I'll have to try to take advantage of that, or at least roll through in a way that sets up a submission.

There was a switching around of a few people between groups and I found myself in the smaller (by weight) no gi group. The fighters who I consider to be more dangerous than the larger fellas (not to take anything away from them). I got a submission and a take down, but one thing I learned last night is that I have a long way to go before I have a consistently effective take down. I simply got trapped in the guillotine one too many times (I escaped a couple times but was submitted once). I was the last person through the gauntlet though, and boy it was ugly. I ran on fume and two legs because I arms were dead dead dead. I couldn't feel my biceps, and my elbows are STILL killing me (we drilled arm bars in the beginner class before hand).

Final note: I need to start working on my no-gi hip throw. It really looked pathetic!