Me And "Ratinho" (He Refereed One Of My Matches At Mundials Last Year And Remembered Me When He Saw Me At This Tournament In Houston!)
Me And Tyler of GOMGI...Great Guy...Great Jiu-Jitsu Player...and My Equipment Sponsor...Best GIs and Gear Around... Take A Look And BUY Sumn! http://www.gomgi.com
Me At A Few Months Old Already Practicing My Shrimp-Out Drill In My Sleep! LOL
Me Getting Surprised Bath Tub Swimmin'...Look At Them Manly Muscled Arms Even For A Kid Of a Few Months! lolWoke up today at 205.2...As I type this, I am 205.6...This is both heartening and disappointing in that I had gotten up to 209.8 over the weekend. (Still have a goal of carrying between 212-218 before Pan Ams.)
Today at lunch time, I went up to Marcus' school (If you are in the Lewisville area or anywhere in the metroplex, make sure you check him out, he is a first class teacher, fighter, and person!!! One of my best friends as well... http://www.marcushicks.com Be sure to catch him fighting in the WEC on Versus Network March 26th!!!) I walked in a little late to a full class doing cardio rounds...The guys there really push themselves hard! Got into my Gi and initially only went to roll with one of Marcus' new Purple Belts and to make it through without my arm fatigue and muscle cramping problem I've been having, but got put into the full mix and first, got thrown to a HUGE guy that trains there..when i say huge, I mean he was 270 and says he is down to 240 but uhhh...can't be...I doubt he's below 260 and dude is YOKED!
We start knee to knee, and I try a side take down but he as so strong he flung me to the side and ended up on top of my knee (what i call 3/4 guard)...I lock down his shoulder and roll him...I locks down my leg but i use my normal half guard pass, and clear to side control...I transition back and forth diggin at his arms, and decide for a paper cutter choke...i dig it in but don't put my head down, and because of his strength he extends his arms and regains half guard...I use the knee inside pass and pass to fifty fifty....start working for a side control arm bar variation and had it set up (which was hard as hell to control him and try to set up the arm with him being as strong as he is) but time expired then...I feel really good to have been able to maintain dominant position and pass guard as easily and fluidly as I did with him as he'd been tossing folks (literally) prior to me rolling with him...If I can adapt my positioning to smaller guys as well as remember the lessons learned with him and guys like Brad at my Coach Allen's then I should be much better off against some folks I would like to beat later in competitions this year.
Next roll I roll with the guy I went to roll with...he is a really good guy, and been looking forward to rolling with him for a while...We start knee to knee, and i went for a thigh pick but decided to sit to guard, as I'd seen him work before and knew his guard passing was pretty decent...I worked to my sides and even went to inverted guard once but held him off and even managed to work a side sweep in...though i let him back to stand as I didn't advance forward when i should have...hesitation is a killer...we work back to knee to knee as he couldn't pass me when standing...Happy that I've worked enough on my hooks and scooting to be able to hold him off...He attempts to come through the middle and I control his lapel, and work him into my closed guard....We hand fight for a bit and I feign working for a sweep to have him give up his hands....He keeps good posture while doing this (because I am not moving my hips out as I should), but even so, he ends up giving me the hand control and placement I need and I shoot the triangle....I felt good abut this, as he was really high but I still got it locked (sometimes having long legs is a great thing...)...He is strong as hell and he kept position for a while, so I had to work my knees in a few times till I caught my shin...once I did I shifted my hips and tightened the triangle...after a bit of squeezing, I went for the triangle arm bar to get him to give up the leg....he does..i scoop it cradle him and squeeze...Tap...
Immediately I get damned foot cramp....right in my instep...I ate breakfast, took a multivitamin and drank half a gallon of water before I showed up so this has to be something else as it started giving me a calf cramp as well...
I get the cramp out, and right before we start again, I get to roll with a really good fighter from this area who is training his ground game at Marcus' gym...We start knee to knee and I go for the take down but can't wrap up so he moves to my side and ends up in my guard... I work the inside hooks in and go to the big boy reversal..I get it and work my grinding half-guard pass...I am a lot heavier than him so this is even more effective...lol...We get stopped b/c ....
Marcus puts his Gi top on and comes out...Aww Damn...
We start with him in my guard, for the first three quarters of the round, I worked his balance and did well with keeping him from passing...He ended up getting me to inverted guard after an ill-advised (I had no arm control at all) sweep attempt from me gone wrong...he folds me up and I immediately roll (as I should have, ) the wrong way(as I shouldn't have!)...I roll directly into his side control...If anyone ever has rolled with Marcus, that is exactly where you DON'T want to be...well I work to get my arms in but here's where my problems start...The arm deadness (can't call it fatigue anymore) starts setting in...he is working for a collar lapel choke..I see it coming and miss grabbing the lapel, so I ready myself for the counter (turning inward, and away from the choke when he moves to set it in) but forget the crucial part...I moved my arm and allowed the cross-face :( bad move...that allowed him to get his head down and finish the choke....I tap, right at the end of the round...Marcus toys with everyone he rolls with, and it's good that I survived that long, and made a number of good things happen, but my little mistakes end up huge with him...have to eliminate them.
I roll again with the purple belt from there, and we start in my guard, where I promptly get the cowboy reversal...(Man I was proud of that one..wanted to smile but couldn't because....) I got the cramp in my damned foot again!!!! worked it out and noticed I couldn't feel my arms...i mean not only were they dead with fatigue but I also couldn't feel my hands up to my elbows...even so, I worked in a few reversals, as well as worked and passed his guard once again with my pass...but when I got there, my arms being the way they were, I paused to think of how to proceed without giving up something crucial...that allowed him to stand...this time I can't work grips and he passes (He passed b/c his passing is good...not solely because of my arms though.)...once he gets there I roll to my side and he did a really smooth transition to mount...i didn't see it coming, nor could I block it as my arms wouldn't move...I went to work to my side and relied so much on my legs that i ended up kicking a hole straight through Marcus' wall!! lol We stop and restart in the middle of the mat, and he tries to work a rear naked as I turn to my knees (could not hold onto his arm even two on one with my arms dead...so couldn't work this properly)...I turn again to my side after breaking the rear naked but end up stuck as I can work my elbows to get my knees through...time was called then...
Had a talk with Marcus after class...We always have some good talks about things...I really appreciate that...as far as what i need to do from here...(oh...the steel hands part in the title refer to compliments I got on my grip and strength from the guys I rolled with, and from Marcus when talking about one time I was using the guy's lapel to sweep...)
For one I have to eliminate these little mistakes I have, but I think I am close to doing so...I am really worried about my arms and the cramping though...I honestly don't know what's going on, and I don't want to think I am getting sick again, but I don't know what to think...I feel it's something more serious and it makes me a lil more frustrated that I didn't and won't get a chance at Kron before Pan Ams...But, hopefully I will just be able to compete at a high level period there. That's all I am hoping for now...Still working on what I want my goal to be to replace that one...have to figure something out that solely depends on me...got to also eliminate the daily stress from work and the other personal issues I have...that task, is even harder to figure out...Not being happy/fulfilled in what you do, and/or your place in life, interpersonal relationships, and your personal development emotionally isn't cool, and it bleeds into everything else in your life....All that shit got to go..dunno if I'mma have to go sit on a mountain top or something but I got to figure it out...(Damn it if my damned arms ain't getting fatigued just typing this :(:(:( )
Thought for the day... People who drag up your past, only do so to drag you DOWN to where they are.
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