I really need to just suck it up and play guard over, and over.. get passed over, and over.. and keep coming back for more. Instead it seems like I'm working my passing. What makes me laugh is that people always say by working on your guard, you can see what you need to do to pass-- but rarely (it seems) does working on your pass carry benefits for your guard.
I've been training so much lately that I can't keep the rolls separate in my mind, but the last couple I had today are still fresh. I keep trying to do the standing open guard pass that Daniel showed me, but I'm getting hung up in butterfly hooks and DLR hooks. It's also hard to tell when their grip is something you can ignore for the moment and when you need to stop the presses and strip it before progressing. I was (nicely) told today that I'm too timid and lacking in confidence with my movements. I can see this. What intrigued me was that this person went on to contrast my approach to him (bigger, also a blue belt) with my approach to whitebelts and new blues or smaller people (he said I'm much more aggressive and experimental with them). I didn't realize people examine my rolling to that degree. I kind of watch people with one eye on them and one eye on another rolling pair. Maybe I should be paying closer attention.
Sleepy. 2 hours open mat at lunch and really got a good sweat going. Unfortunately my gi is in my trunk, all wet and stewy in the heat. Blech. I think I'm going to catch a quick nap and head back for more rolls.
6 comments:
but...but you ARE good :)
I never struggle with finding people who will do a guard-passing drill with me. I usually tell them that the condition is as soons as you do pass, we reset. People love that. It feels safe and it helps them as much as it helps me.
he Part Time Grappler has left a new comment on your post "It's all about the guard.":
but...but you ARE good :)
I never struggle with finding people who will do a guard-passing drill with me. I usually tell them that the condition is as soons as you do pass, we reset. People love that. It feels safe and it helps them as much as it helps me.
I'm claustrophobic, so shortly after I joined I realized that if I was ever going to make it in BJJ, I'd have to get used to being on the bottom. So, shortly after I started training, I just began pulling guard.
I still get passed like crazy, but I'm a lot better than I used to be.
Funny, I know lots of people with the same approach to guard fighting. Wonder where I went astray? Instead I have a near-pathological dislike for fighting off my back. I own the patent on the "buttah guard" (aka a guard you pass like a hot knife through butter.)
Fighting starts standing and it's best done from the top.
Guard is the best place to be when you HAVE to be on the bottom.
When you are fighting, always go for the top. When you are at the academy, devote a lot of time to developing your bottom game (survival, escapes, half guard, guards...etc.) not so that you can pull guard, but rather for the days when you get PUT on your back.
However, if you like to play guard, play guard. Life is just too short to not to do what we like :)
I said the same sort of thing to my instructor and he told me that I shouldn't worry about it. For a long while, I might play mostly guard. Then I might start playing mostly half-guard. Then I might really start liking turtling. But he said I will progress naturally and that, while challenging myself is good, I should also not stress too much about trying to force things. I still feel like it's kind of "cheap" for me to sit in my guard. Not cheap for other people (I get passed all the time too) but cheap for myself. I am like you. I like to push myself.
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