Day 40: Equilibrium

December has been a cruel month for my training blog, especially now that my laptop has decided that it will no longer boot Windows. I was able to boot Knoppix from CD, but that is the subject of some other, much geekier blog.

I definitely feel like I am improving. My dedication is paying off, and I am starting to see things a bit differently and start to work my offensive game the tiniest bit. An interesting lesson came from Ernie (a newly minted black belt), regarding sensitivity. The actual content of the lesson regarded armdrag to the back from spider guard, but the concept involved is as general and fundamental to jiu-jitsu as can be. When you are gripping both of uke's sleeves, he may try to pull one arm back. You must be sensitive to this action and release the sleeve he pulls back, immediately transferring your grip to behind his opposite elbow for the armdrag. What I realized after my drilling was done was that this lesson can be extended to many positions (all of them, I would assume). When you feel your opponent moving to improve his position, you can often counter his movement with your own technique.

This really struck home as I was sparring with Omar, who is close to my level in that he is slightly smaller but more skilled. I had him mounted, and I felt that he was going to try to upa and roll me off. He did not have my arm trapped sufficiently, and I anticipated the roll, came up a bit, and spun immediately into the armbar that he so graciously turned his body to give me. It was so natural that I was shocked, I felt as if someone else was piloting me from behind my eyes. But as far as I know there wasn't. It was me.

I am definitely making some progress, and have been assiduous about making it to training. I'm trying to work my bottom game a bit, and I also am looking for a go-to submission from mount.