Po Lil Tink Tink

Win In The Gym
Po Lil Tink Tink After Workin' Out

Strength and Courage

Weight: 203.6

(Update: Yep, the toe is broken! :( Second one on my right foot. Same one that was dislocated and broken last year! The one that you use for balance and pushing off when walking/running/etc!...The one I'd use if I was in guard or working passes! Damn this sucks! Hurts like a $%&*@#!)
I've said for some time, that if, in preparation for a big tournament, I was not hurt in some way, that things weren't normal. That said, tonight's practice was pretty good. I've learned to like the feeling when I've had a good training session. Normally that means everything is sore, a few bumps and bruises, and some fatigue, but it's also a feeling of accomplishment. Coach Allen is fond of saying, sometimes your are the hammer, and sometimes you are the nail. Even when you are the nail, there is often much learned and gained. Tonight, we worked on X-Guard set up from butterfly guard. This is something I normally don't use as a staple in my game. I use it opportunistically, but then one of the set ups we learned is a problem because of the length of my legs. I can adapt it but the hip switch required to get my leg around to trap my opponent's leg puts me at risk of a pass. So I will drill it a bit more as the other set up where I pass the opponent's arm over, I do pretty well. After we went through the drilling(this is of course after calisthenics and jiu-jitsu specific movement warm ups), we moved on to King Of Take Downs. This is where you have 2minutes to take down your opponent. This is an all out take down battle. Winner stays on as the king. All draws go to the king. No pulling guard, though you may finish with flying triangles/arm bars, guillotines etc...My first round, I go against probably the best wrestling/take down guy in our gym. He is a collegiate wrestling champ and very athletic with great balance. I was the nail at the end, but he told me I gave him problems with my set ups and defense to offense moves. That means a lot as I've worked hard to get my take downs up to par. My judo is much better than my wrestling, but the excellent wrestlers we have in and through the gym are helping to raise my level there as well. That said, the next time through, I go through four or five opponents and get each take down I try while defending very well against their attempts. The last is against a VERY tough guy who is more than solid in everything he does, and is very aggressive. I worked my attempts while defending his, and ended up using momentum to carry myself to the top position off a throw attempt. That said, while defending his throw attempt I catch one of his feet to the top of my foot, right across my toes...it was right across the same ones broke and dislocated last year at Mundials. :( I hear and feel the crack at the time, but only thought it was minor. So I kept up practice. On my last round I could feel I wasn't getting enough push when I would try to step in for throws or when defending, but time was called so moved on to rolling. I guess I was still warm and didn't feel it...But...I started to be able to tell when rolling when I would use my feet to block knees or hips when my opponents were trying to pass. Tonight I worked on a few sweeps I do not normally do, and only allowed myself submissions other than those I normally try. I worked on derivatives of pendulum sweeps and the Terminator choke. Also worked on my hip control in passing. I felt really good about my control and now need to ramp up my work on sweep defense and elbow control preventing under-hooks in passing, as well as hip switching in passing to control the opponent's legs. That said, in rolling I felt like I got everything Iw anted with the exception of not moving my hips back and getting the transition right for the Terminator choke. Well that said, it is very rare that I achieve everything I set out to work in a session, but tonight I got about 95%. I am happy with the exception that when I cooled down, when I push off my foot, the toes hurt like hell. Po Lil Tink Tink. I am sure it's gonna hurt worse tomorrow as it is killing me to walk now...So, I will have to figure out a way to get around it.
I was to have participated in the Abu Dhabi Pro Jiu-Jitsu Trials in Florida, February 28th, but no sponsor, my truck being broken and costing more than they said, and some regular bills due through that time, keeps me from being able to go unless something drastic happens and I come up with some $ or a sponsor before mid next week. I was really looking forward to it for a few reasons. One big one is the ability to compete against Black belts my own size as Purple/Brown/Black belts are all in the same division. Also, the prizes are $ instead of the normal medals. They are trying to make competition in the gentle art, a profession capable of generating a decent income for those who pursue it. Lastly, winning a division and/or the absolute, gets you a free ticket/free six-star hotel accommodations/meals/etc to Abu Dhabi for the Pro Jiu-Jitsu World Championships. There the prizes are much higher( I think 1st place in divisions is $5,000 and the absolute is another $5K with a $100 per submission bonus!). Ah well, maybe next year. Sucks that I just don't have what it takes to find sponsors. Anyways. The training is going well, so hopefully wherever I turn up next, especially if something happens and I can make Pan Ams, I will be at or at least close to the level I wish to be. Pain is only weakness leaving the body, and is only temporary....no matter how long it lasts...Through it all...Emotional and physical...I fight on....


Though For The Day: Cry in the gym. Laugh on the battlefield.