journeyjjbluebelt

It has been along time since I sparred. I had avoided sparring because of injury and an over competitiveness, actually, a fear of losing. I had played a bad game. What mattered was that I was in the game. I had my butt kicked by a teen, apparently he trained at the dojo through the kid program, a South Beach bouncer, an ex division one college wrestler, and another ex division three college wrestler. I had been arm barred six times and choked a few times. I’m obviously doing something wrong and repeatedly. My goal was to survive, not to take this serious, this was a game, and I was taking it easy by conserving energy. I was getting mounted and my opponent would get up in my arm pits at least four times. There were two arm bars where they sat on my chest. I kept trying to pass the guard without breaking the guard legs. That didn’t work at all. I was getting pinned and smoothered. I tried not to panic and remained calm. When it was over, I wasn’t injured and my ego was less competitive so I would call this a good day.

I did the advanced class before sparring. We did reflex striking defense drills. Professor Gui explained ” It is a miss conception that Jiu Jitsu is only grappling. Stay far. Use the side kick. Hopefully with your back to a wall.” I know going to the floor in a bar sometimes there is broken glass on the floor, and concrete is definitely not my first choice. I lucked out and partner with a judo black belt whose a brown belt in jiu jitsu. Also, he had some boxing skills. We worked on striking defense, something I needed to work on and a throw. We did some unscheduled randori. I was thrown left, right, and center. We both wanted to do some judo. I liked working out with opponents that have skills. That will make my skill level develop quickly. The combination of this class and sparring, I felt that I’m beginning to really learn how to fight, not that I need to learn.
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