Yum chilly weather..

Had some good training in the last couple days... one of my favorite training partners is back on the mats in almost-100% condition after a lengthy pause due to back and knee problems, so that makes me very happy. At least until we actually roll and I realize I'm not really much better at passing his damn guard than I ever was. However, I did feel like I was doing some things better-- I just can't recall what they are :\

Been working on a hodge podge of stuff. Open guard, spider, sweeps, butterfly, passing, DLR, and my armbar attacks from side control. Last night I learned an answer to the negative halfguard pass but I will have to drill it a bunch and it's only one or two people who routinely pull it off on me. I need to tighten up my halfguard sweeps for sure.

We have new girls! NEW GIRLS AT THE ACADEMY-- I feel like it should be in lights. Normally we have 1-2 inconsistent whitebelts, me and Rebecca for the blues, Shama's purple, and Christy's brown. But there's two new whitebelt chicks, one of whom did some training in Indiana at some point, so I am hopeful at least one will stick with it. I drilled sidecontrol armbars with the Indiana girl (whose name I do remember, but don't want to call her out here yet) and she is very tight, controlled, and seemed comfortable putting weight and pressure on. Yay.

There's a few tournaments coming up around here but I'm still not terribly motivated to compete. I'm deep in the lab these days and have no desire to tidy my hair and be presentable for guests.

I spent some time working on the party plan for Saturday the 11th and dang, that's a lot of food :) My favorite part of the party, aside from the food, drink, and friends is the gift exchange and I have a great one this year-- having jiu jitsu people at the party makes it much easier to pick something people will crave. At least some people :)

Got some bad news recently... one, a dear friend who helped me get into jiu jitsu and who has always been in my corner was diagnosed with colon cancer (and he's YOUNG! my age!) and possibly stomach cancer. He has a 9 year-old boy and seems very healthy and fit... he's still being courted to come fight on the TUF Bantamweight season next year, and the UFC would like to see him fight Jose Aldo... but he's holding off on a wedding date with his fiancee until they get this cancer thing settled. I am praying for him as hard as I can, and if you do that sort of thing, it would be appreciated.

Second, my aunt Ginny in Virginia fell and broke her hip and leg, and has to be in a rehab hospital for 4 weeks. (She's my dad's younger brother Leonard's wife... the uncle who passed in October was my dad's older brother Louis.) Mitch and I were supposed to stay with them for Christmas, and they're the epicenter of all things holiday and family, so with my uncle being rather affected by senile dementia, I'm not at all sure where we'll go and more importantly, where Christmas will go. They have 5 daughters, all in the same town/area, so I'm sure we'll pull something together... but I worry for my aunt and uncle. I can't imagine it but someday I'll be that old and fragile. (Or perhaps I'll be a female version of Helio? just with fewer children and hopefully better hair.. just KIDDING...)

Anyway shoot some prayers her way as well if you don't mind.

Stephan Kesting puts out nice instructionals. I just ordered two to join the 500gig I have and don't watch... because I'm weird! but anyway, I liked this kesa reversal into armbar, and he's demoing with Jennifer Weintz, no slouch on the mats. Enjoy.



Oh, and more mindcandy... MARCELINHO! No matter how many times I watch this freakin' thing I am amazed anew... *sigh* The backtakes.. the chokes.. the armbars.. his flippyhippy butterfly pass that makes it look like his spine is made of gummibears..



Last, John Frankl just wrote a very insightful piece for Global Training Report titled "Movement vs. Technique-- Why Rickson, B.J. Penn, Marcelo Garcia, and Marco Barbosa are Good at Jiu-Jitsu." I recommend giving it a read.