The most exclusive and prestigious nogi grappling tournament in the world is on next weekend! And yes, I'll be getting the webcast here at the house. (Local jits people, c'mon over! 6-8 hours a day of live streaming video!)
You can read more about the runup at Gracie Magazine's blog.
I'm especially interested in watching a few people... Marcelo Garcia, because as a smaller person his domination of the big 'uns makes me smile... Hillary Williams, a purple belt from Arkansas (and full time med student) who refs all my NAGA matches... (here's one of Hillary's interviews...) and Michelle Nicolini, teeny tiny but amazing...
I hope I'm starting to train smarter these days. As I've mentioned, I train 7 days a week, often more than once a day. But often it feels like those nightmares where you're running in slow motion-- I don't perceive myself to be making progress. Lately I'm realizing it's because I don't take/make the time to drill the moves I'm learning outside of class, so it's basically in one ear and out the other. As a result I'm making a concerted effort to drill even if it's only doing it ten times here, ten times there.
Phil taught a near-private class last week on turning a sidemount escape into sweeps and subs (still from the bottom) which is occupying my mind a lot... there's also Donald's series from knee on belly, and the seoi nage... Mark put in some time working on my double leg too. So I feel like a rubber band. Sometimes I stretch out further and further, just absorbing new techniques as fast as they come at me (though probably not digesting them, just holding them like a chipmunk with full cheeks). Then I shrink back down and start chewing, letting the new nuts flow on by without a nibble.
Just found out that my buddy Mark, who trains with Faixa Preta near Dallas, will be training with Eddie Bravo this afternoon and then going on to watch UFC there live tonight. Nice! Which reminds me, today after class I need to be making some foodies to bring to the UFC watching thing at a friend's...
Have a good day, ya'll!
5 comments:
Georgette said..."I hope I'm starting to train smarter these days...But often it feels like those nightmares where you're running in slow motion-- I don't perceive myself to be making progress. Lately I'm realizing it's because I don't take/make the time to drill the moves I'm learning outside of class, so it's basically in one ear and out the other. As a result I'm making a concerted effort to drill even if it's only doing it ten times here, ten times there."
I fought in my first torneo yesterday...with the blue belts (I am 2 stripe white belt). I won, but it was an empty victory because, in the final, the blue belt instructor for the Kids class was my opponent and he had a nasty armbar on me...we hit the wall of the gym and the ref stopped us...put us back in the middle of the ring and I eventually won on points. But for the wall, I would have tapped...plain and simple. At home, I was sitting and wondering why the instructor was always so much smoother than me at times...and what came to my mind was EXACTLY what you said above...EXACTLY!!!
Thanks Georgette...I know I am not alone!
Paraguay Mike (greater than 40 y/o and still fighting)
PS: My 5 y/o son won first place in his size group of BJJ and my 10 y/o daughter took second....against all BOYS!!! GO FIGHT GIRLS!
Georgette, I have no idea how you can physically train seven days a week, I only train three times a week and am often times physically exhausted. I imagine it takes quite the mental toll as well. How do you find time to visualize, and how do you make sure your body doesn't break down?
Hey Georgette! I've been enjoying your blog. Quick correction, Michelle Nicolini isn't competing, she lost at the Brazilian Trials. She's one of my fav's, I so wish she'd made it!
Jenn-- you're so right! Brain fart. I will say I am looking forward to Ryan's performance and seeing how the 50/50 works :)
Jeff-- Not sure what to tell you, except that I have the benefit of stored calories padding my derriere. LOL-- but really, I'm not sure what's up. I am rarely injured beyond the usual tweaks and strains. I do take time off when my body or mind tells me to. I don't feel exhausted. I am probably just obsessive and addicted. I know it's time to skip a class (or a day, or two) when I'm not absolutely dying to get on the mats. My usual mindset is so eagerly-anticipating that anything approaching apathy on my part is carefully heeded.
I would probably get better faster if I spent more time visualizing but I don't have time. I work fulltime as an attorney and most days I train 6-8 hours. It's so much fun, though, that I would rather actually be doing it than visualizing it, even if that choice slows down my actualized progress.
I am lucky to train where I train (the Relson Gracie school here, under Phil Cardella) in part because it's an enormous brain trust with lots and lots of different games to play with and in part because it's very reasonably priced, and they have classes 3x/day, 7 days/week, 364 days a year. Perfect for an addict like me.
Mike-- CONGRATS!!! you rock, way to rep for us mature peeps :)
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