BJJ thoughts

Thoughts from a few training sessions.

First, superpowers somewhat returned. However, explanation of superpowers is: I’m heavier than most of my partners. I got a rude awakening on Friday night when I rolled with a guy only about 4 kilos heavier than me, who diets to my weight class for fights. He’s a judo blackbelt and policeman (don’t all BJJ schools have one of them?!). When I was on top, it was kind of OK. He’s big as hell with thick arms and legs, and uses a lot of physical strength and aggression, but I managed to keep on top of him for most of the time during drills. Then during free spar, he slammed me on my back and basically squashed me for 6 minutes straight. He couldn’t finish any subs, but I couldn’t escape for shit. Afterwards, gasping, I asked him how much he weighed, expecting a figure in the low hundreds or possibly thousands of kilos. 76 was the reply. Yipes. I’m 72 on a good day.

Fun with long legs.

I used to curse my long legs and gangly frame, but I’m enjoying it lately. If I can keep my balance, it is very hard for people to effectively sweep my just because I have a wide base. So I’m learning how to keep my ankles away from their hands and use my length to my advantage. Lessons learnt that day were to roll with heavier people more often. Another lesson learnt (or re-learnt) was not to be flat when I’m on my back. Turn into a ball and the opportunities for sweeps, escapes, etc. will present themselves.

I feel lately with my rolling, and I don’t know if this is a good or bad thing, that I roll very instinctually, in that about 50% of the time I’m thinking of doing a technique, and the other 50%, I’m not thinking anything and just kind of making it up as I go along. Perhaps it’s a communication thing, as I’m not so engaged with learning and communicating simply because of the language barrier at my school. In some instances though I feel it gives me an advantage because I do things that people are not expecting. In other ways, I’m at a disadvantage because I might get stuck somewhere where I know I know the escape, but it doesn’t come to me easily because I didn’t absorb t properly when it was being taught.