That and the typically frustrating roll with a new white belt. "New" as in "someone I’ve never seen or rolled with before." These guys always bring out the worst in my defensive tendencies. Last night I got caught in a pretty sharp uchi mata in large part because I didn’t attack and got too defensive. I watched a tomoe nage opportunity go by, never went with the morote gari, and never fought for the morote seionage when we did grip.
To make matters "worse," Rodrigo was refereeing us and counting points. Even though I wound up on top in the scramble, Rodrigo gave him two points for the takedown. He got another two points for managing to reverse. There was another scramble. I was in his guard and though I managed to stand, my mind went blank and I couldn’t remember what to do.
Another scramble and we wound up on knees. I managed to pull guard (!) and sink in a guillotine. It was locked in, but I didn’t have his throat where I wanted to. More importantly, I forgot that the next best thing to a guillotine submission is a guillotine sweep to mount. But, once again, I hesitated, and time ran out before I could get the tap or the sweep.
That was the feature event of the evening—and what has preoccupied me ever since. I actually did fairly well in the mount/knee on belly/side control drills, doing a better job of maintaining mount that I’ve done in a while. And I did manage to hit that guillotine sweep later on near the end of the evening. But I was annoyed at getting caught in the throw and more than a little embarrassed that I didn’t do a better job at attacking the guard in at least two instances last night.
There’s a physical component. Like I said, the first class of the week is always the hardest. But there’s also a tremendous psychological component, as well. I was thinking about that article Tommy sent me awhile back from Gracie Magazine, talking about the role of aggression. I have a hard time attacking for some reason, a hard time initiating the action. I was always a counter-striker as a kickboxer and those same traits have followed me to the jiu jitsu mats. Against weaker opponents, I can get away with that right now. But at comparable levels, it just isn’t working for me.
Here’s an excerpt from the Gracie magazine article, "The Mental Predator" by Martin Rooney, conditioning coach for Team Renzo Gracie.
Both the shark and the lion are famed predators. When they attack, motivation in instinct, not something that they are forced to create. The desire to finish their opponent is pure, and there is no emotion or remorse. There is no anxiety or stress leading up to the event for the shark and the lion, it is simply part of their daily routine.
There is, of course, risk of injury, but they do not allow fear to interfere. Their lack of abstract thought and the ability to question themselves is an advantage. With questioning comes indecision, with indecision comes anxiety, with anxiety comes mistakes, and with mistakes comes defeat.
The shark and the lion have practiced and mastered many of their methods of attack. There is no fear that they are underprepared. There is no concern for what could have been done or what might be missing. This unconscious confidence is a huge edge, and predicts that the way things have been practiced are the way things are going to be performed. The shark and the lion are master predators.
Rooney also provides "10 Ways of Increasing Your Chances of Becoming a Mental Predator". Worth a look.
