Got a stripe.

I had both a good and bad night tonight. I got a stripe and that's good. I got one stripe though and that's annoying to me.

Now, it's not the fault of the school. They've seen me for a total of three months and granted me a stripe, when others did not get one. I'm very appreciative. What bothers me is that I've been at this now for over two years. There are people (not at this school) that started after me and they have blue belts that are legitimate.

It just really makes me angry at my first school and the number that they pulled on me. It wasn't a total waste, but it probably only counts for about 5 months of training at a real school. It's a bit discouraging, but I have to put that behind me and just focus on what I've done here. It's a fresh start and I'll just have to focus on the positives...they noticed me and gave me credit for good work....and unlike my last school, where everyone got promoted on a regular schedule, my stripe means something here.

Tonight we worked on something I thought I knew pretty well, the scissor sweep. Of course, they showed more details than I'd ever seen on it before. Thankfully, it integrated quickly into what I'd already done....so it's nice that I'm far enough along to learn what they show very quickly, the first time, and I can spend the rest of the time getting reps to gain memory of it better.

We also worked on the arm bar from mount, and how to best set that up slowly and the triangle set up if they do the hitchhiker escape. I need to get my hips off the ground for triangles.

Rodrigo Vaghi Seminar

What a great seminar. Almost too much to fit in my head.

We started with butterfly guard passes, focusing on killing the hips, getting our head lower than the person, pinching our knees together and then flattening them out. Then the "twitch" to get a two on one leg position, raising then knee closest to the head to use to push the knee out of the way for the pass.

To counter that, we learned to frame the head and arm, avoiding the cross face and either "x" the far leg by reinserting our hook that was cleared or preparing to swim with the underhook if they switched hips.

Next we worked on transitioning to the x-guard from butterfly if they attempted to cross grip our leg and swing it by to pass. That led to a nice x-guard sweep. We also learned how to avoid the x-guard sweep by putting our knee the chest, getting a cross grip with the hand nearest their head and then putting our knee on the mat (twisting in) when the extended the X.

Finally, we worked on back escapes, remembering to keep our core, block our face and neck, straighten a leg then fall immediately to the side....not backwards. We use the leg opposite the direction we fall to frame against the ground so that we can not be pulled back up. We then use the arm closest their feet to brace their top knee and start shrimping towards their feet. The knee grip allows us to ensure that they can not sit back into mount and we end up in their guard.

It was a great time.

Tournament for stripes.

Mid-American is having Rodrigo Vaghi in town, teaching and grade BJJ students out. We had a number of blue belt promotions this morning and one purple belt.

I was expecting to just roll a bit and show technique for stripes. I was, however, mistaken. Instead, we weighed in for a round-robin tournament. It was very good to compete again so soon after my last tourney, because I felt that I could immediately apply lessons learned from there....and I did.

My first match went well, as I started in guard and managed to pass guard twice, using two different passes. I was pretty happy with that situation and won on points.

My second match was a loss, but one that I don't feel bad about. The guy I faced is a stud (Abe Wagner from TUF 10) and won the entire weight class. I shot a weak double leg (I'm staring judo soon....enough of this) and ended up with him on my back. I defended well, at least well enough, and avoided the choke and the arm bar attempt, ending up in his guard. I fought to break his guard, but he was just very strong and harassing, with an active guard that kept me unsettled. I attempted a low posture pass, but he stuffed it and got back up to his knees, pushing me over into my guard, though I never really got to establish closed guard and didn't shrimp fast enough to avoid the pass. He smashed me in side until he got me to move my arm out of position and then he got the Americana on me. I need to protect my arm more.

My third match went well, though also a loss. I attempted a few sweeps, but eventually pulled guard. I tried my flower sweep twice, a pendulum, he was too locked in posture for a hip over, nothing seemed to be working. I went to open guard and ended up in De La Riva, which is too loose for me....but it worked, so maybe I just need to get over it. I got the sweep from there. Somehow, or another, he ended up in knee on belly on me without getting any pass points and our time ran out. 2 to 2. Sudden death overtime. So, I attempted a drop Seoinage which didn't work and ended back up in my guard. I rolled to an omaplata which I just could not turn into anything, either the finish or the sweep, and he ended up passing guard. I need to work the mechanics of that betters, so that I don't waste the opportunity again.

My final match was probably my favorite (though I like the 3rd very well too, from a technical stand point). I shot a double, again, that went no where and the guy swarmed me like a pack of wild dogs. He was all over me. I turtled to weather the storm. He pulled me over and I turtled again, avoiding the hooks. Finally, I was able to Granby Roll to guard. I held him there for some time, looking for collar chokes. He stood in my guard and I went to spider guard and tried a sickle sweep from them, which unsettled him so he dove back into my closed guard. He left his arm on my chest, so I arm dragged it across and trapped it there, looking for a pendulum type sweep. He changed his base to defend it, so I started creeping around to his back, finally taking his back and keeping it when he rolled over to his back. I worked a clock choke but he started to spin hard, so I moved to mount and started a collar choke again. Once his hands got high, I shot my knees up his arm pits and found that one of his arms was just dangling in front of me....Americana from mount.

Most importantly, Rodrigo and Ed both watched my matches and had good things to say, so I'm on my way to ranking with them.

Monday Night Class

Had a great technique class today, though it was seriously hot. The thermometer said over 95 degrees for at least a few minutes in there.

We worked triangles for a long time and got to see a few set ups, which was good since I failed my triangle attempt at my last competition.

We also worked on the entry to the arm triangle from mount and a sneaky secondary attack, in the form of an ezekiel choke. Very nice.

We also worked a nice little flow drill to feel some transitions. We started mount and pushed the arm for an Americana, slid up to S-Mount on the defense, worked the arm bar, allowed the roll out and set up the triangle, allowed them to sit out and switched to the omoplata and then finished with a toe hold. It was nice.

Finally, I got to roll with Matt for a while and work on my half guard passing. He's so good at getting under you for the sweep.

Cornhusker State Games

I had a great day today, winning a silver medal in the Jiu Jitsu tournament at the state games.

I won and lost, and while losing is not fun it is educational and something I needed to do. To this point, I'd been undefeated and really need a loss so that I could stop dwelling on losing as being the worst thing that could happen.

I was able to execute a game plan, to some extent. I finally got a finish in a competition, a bow and arrow choke, in a match that I had to work from being down in points to get the victory.

Things change, things stay the same.

So, in honor of the change in schools, I've reinstated the Thursday night BJJ gathering at my house. Call it show and tell. We get together, perhaps roll and I share the most recent techniques I've seen or have interest in.

We work together, everyone gets a say. It's good because we have a few new people to lean on for solid new techniques.

Anyway, I'm going to be competing a week from today...or yesterday (it's really early) in the Cornhusker State Games. I'm usually very much about going for a take down, but I'm concerned. Not about getting taken down, but about the mental aspect of being out of my comfort zone.

I've gotten very comfortable with guard and getting sweeps. A sweep is something that I can build off, psychologically. That gives me momentum in the match. Sure, a take down does too....but is my take down game safer than pulling guard? That's a good question.

While I get to practice guard all the time, my take downs are suspect and rarely used. Also, if I do get the take down, that starts me at a point in my game that is....well, not weak, but less certain. Maintaining top pressure, passing guard, not getting reversed or trapped in a half-guard game. I think I have tools there too....but honestly not the types of tools that excite me.

So, that's the big question. Do I pull guard? Tough call. I mean, the result would ultimately be the same as a take down, if I get the sweep....except that the bulk of my sweeps land me in mount or KOB position....much more dominant than a take down, which at best nets you side control (normally) or being stuck in their guard....

I think I'll discuss that with the "show and tell" group this week.