Feelin Old But Damn Good

Above pictures from the cardio/strength work after training...(100 push ups, 35pull ups((10 with hard grip)), 50 bag sit ups, 3 min jump squats, 150 sprawls, 3 min six inches, and assorted Jiu-Jitsu specific drills like get ups, shrimp drills with belt resistance, guard butt scoot drills, bear crawls etc). The other guy in one of the pictures with me is a REAL tough fighter and good friend from the school, who is a fellow old guy! lol

There was a different air in the gym tonight...People really seem keyed up about competing as a general rule across the board ...There are a couple big tournaments coming up here in town soon, as well as the Pan-Ams as well as a big NAGA event here in May... I warmed up with push ups, pull ups, and some butt scoot drills, shrimp drills, and rolling drills to keep my arms in..also did some bridging and stretching exercises weighted before class...Went into class weighing 206.8!!!!

The warm ups tonight were all based around pommeling and some nice trip and transition take downs from the clinch...Having a little problem with the step-through take down but my transition to the outside leg trip was ok...

Coach Allen broke everyone up into Gi, No-Gi and beginner/advanced ... In my group we worked on the Bow-and-Arrow chokes from different positions and different variations...a guy who just started training at our school (a champion at the Pan Ams last year!!), who's specialty this is, gave us some pointers and some real good innovative ways to finish the choke from just about every position...

Rolling time came (I did 50 more push ups, 2 min of jump squats, 25 bag sit ups, and 25 sprawls in the break between)...And my first match I worked in guard with one of our really good blue belts who outweighs me by about 20 lbs.....i managed to get my favorite under/over pass twice and worked to good control both times...worked in one of the bow and arrow chokes we learned tonight that i hadn't seen so i felt good about that one (it's going in the tool box) .....also worked to my partner's back as well which I've been working on...didn't work on submissions till the last minute where i set up three triangles...

Second round i rolled with another blue who outweighed me but is probably purple material now..got the same pass but the reverse way, and also worked in my guard, and allowed him to partially pass so I could work a pass escape Coach Allen and Marcus have been showing me and trying to get me to do (some reason I just have been freezing on it)...not only did I do it, but I transitioned it to a triangle then to a loop choke fluidly...Feels great when something just clicks!!!! Also feels good when the instructor is watching, and u do something he's been trying to get u to do for al ong time...that happened with three different techniques on that rolll!!!

rolled twice more and worked straight submissions...and honestly felt like I was ON...Don't know why but I'm glad I didn't roll like I felt.

Had and still have a LOT on my mind...Work sucks ass, and still worrying about how/if I will be able to pull off the Portugal trip with the back-out I talked about in a previous post...As well as that, just personal things weighing me down...Glad for a short time I could tune that out and not get choked out or hurt b/c my mind was elsewhere...


Weight Update: Going to bed at 205.2!!!