Competition Jitters.

I don't really get jitters much anymore, but I do really start to focus on planning. Rather, I take what I've worked on for the last few months since my last competition and try to condense it into a new plan, taking into account things I've added and looking back on things that work for me, but I've perhaps set aside for a while.

It's a good way to remember lost, but vital techniques and to force yourself to consider all positions, even those you don't want to find yourself in.

To that end, I've basically drafted a game plan which has moves from every position that I might find myself in (for instance, close guard, open guard, under mount, etc.). They are not really ranked from favorite to least favorite, but rather, grouped based on which few seem to work well together.

Something though that I've been focusing on very recently is following Roger Gracie's methods on breaking and passing guard, passing half guard and passing butterfly guard. I like his methodology, because it makes sense to me. It's focused on lateral movement and pressure. I have a natural ability to apply pressure (I'm fat), so adding the lateral movement is a means to make use of my food given talent.

So, I've been following a purple belt's dissection of Roger's game. He can be found here on youtube and he posts a number of videos detailing Roger's approach to passing and ultimately getting to mount. It's a very well done video series. There are other lessons about using your own guard, how to finish from mount and other escapes. All are worth a view, but the one's I'm most focused on are the Passing lessons.

I really like the detail on how to stand, something I've always had a problem with during rolling. In my last two sparring sessions though, I've done nothing but stand in the guard to break it and I've only been swept once, and I specifically tried to cheat on a step in the lessons.

Thankfully, this is the exact sort of game that Ed (my instructor) plays, so he was able to give me specific adjustments that he uses to help his game work better for him. He was also able to analyze what I was doing while I was trying to follow the techniques, and he showed me where I was failing....namely in the lateral movement. You can't be centered on people while in their open guard, because you give them what they want.