Nogi: So I don't hate it.

For the longest time, I've hated nogi. I simply deplored it. It was too fast, slippery, disorganized and just plain not enjoyable for me.

I've come to realize that was less a function of nogi itself and more a function of my inability.

I rolled nogi today, for the first time in over a year. I had no plans to, but showed up at an odd class, because I had to move things around today. When I realized that's what we'd be doing, I was disgusted.

Then I began to roll. While I certainly had issues with wanting to get grips that weren't to be had, I really had a great time. My escapes worked fine, my half guard game was key, I finally finished an RNC and felt like I knew what was going on most of the time.

So, I guess what I've realized is that nogi wasn't too fast, slippery, or disorganized for me. Rather, I was too slow, lacked the control and more importantly the knowledge to make it work for me. I relied on the gi to slow things down for me.

So, maybe....maybe I'm ready to give it another chance.