Walking me through the maze.

I'm greatly relieved that some of the intense deadline pressure at work has subsided to a dull roar, because I was really missing my daily training regimen. Since getting back on the mats to my prior preferred level (of insanity) I've really been working on hip movement and hip placement. I can't say I am successfully implementing that awareness, but the first step is awareness, they say.

Got a really, really nice roll in for about an hour on Friday evening with Christy, the 3 stripe brown who co-owns the school. She's a stellar training partner because she is so damn good at adjusting the level of difficulty to your readiness... her rolls with me are like leading someone through a darkened maze by walking some distance ahead with a lantern. If I follow properly, she'll stay the right distance away so that I can just barely not catch up, but I always feel it's possible. If I dillydally, go down a side passage, etc, she goes a little faster, and if I still fail to demonstrate proper technique, she magically circles around behind me and shows me the error of my ways. If on the other hand I have followed promptly and exhibited proper technique, she'll gradually lead me away from the common ordinary paths and show me new territory.

The analogy is far from perfect, but it at least captures the emotional content. I don't feel like she's ever rolling with ego involvement-- it's a purely educational journey. I asked between rolls for feedback, and I did get two "you're not making big mistakes"... maybe she didn't say "big" but I can't recall for sure so I assume she wasn't saying I'm mistake-free! I know I wasn't... a number of times, I knew as soon as I started a movement that I was putting my head in the hangman's noose, but if I commented on it (laughing at myself), she'd let it go and continue leading. That's another thing that tells me she's rolling with an educational purpose.

Another nice thing was, she told me she's working on the same thing I'm working on; keeping hips lower. I almost swept her once or twice, and it was because I'm able to ball up a bit underneath her. This of course is partly because she's very tall and I'm very not... but it was nice to see the effect of my mistakes from the assailant's point of view. Christy isn't much lighter than many of my training partners (I think she weighs about 170 at 6'2"?) but I was honest-to-God able to move her with my legs and core in a way that I usually CAN'T move men. A delight, I tell you.

Anyway, alas, my maze did NOT lead to NAGA in Fort Worth this weekend. My ride fell through last minute and I don't want to drive my lovely little old car such a distance alone. So instead, came to Houston with my hubby to pick up his parents (whose cruise docked in Galveston) and stay the night with their family friends. The inlaws will be with me/us for a week. It will be fun having family in town, I love them to death, but the bummer is a week-long ban on training any evening classes. BOOOOOO.

Rightio-- WEC is on now, Ratliff v Cerrone, and I really like what I've seen of Cerrone, so I'm off to watch it.