Friday, March 12, 2010

Training Day: Friday

Just when I was starting to think that I might actually put together a halfway decent showing this weekend, I learn that my first round opponent has more mixed martial arts victories by submission than I have victories by, well, anything.

Enoch "The Animal" Wilson

As my last all-too-swift outing at the Revolution intimated, the purple belt division has increasingly become the home of MMA guys looking to polish up their jiu jitsu skills. And I suppose, as a fan of mixed martial arts who would like to see more and better submissions in the sport, I should be supportive of this initiative.

On the other hand, my terrible competition record means that to the extent that I continue to compete at the Revolution, many of those mixed martial artists will be using me as their whetstone.

Made it for the full Friday class. A good review of the 2a and 2b material from the week. I got in about six minutes worth of guard/pass guard specific with Bryan and then maybe four minutes sparring with one of the bigger blue belts I've gotten to know (I want to say "Kevin" but I can't recall right now). Not the most confidence-boosting session, particularly less than 24 hours before competing. But that's just how that goes.

158.8 stripped post-train. 160.2 with sweaty gi pants. Closer than I would like (I was hoping for a sub-160 gi pant weight, and maybe with another 5-minute roll I would have gotten it). I'm going to have to be careful tonight. But there's no reason I should miss my 162 number tomorrow morning.

Starting to feel that odd, dissociative, PCP feeling that I get instead of nervousness. It's probably a defense mechanism - though it didn't work out so well at the Revolution last fall. I'll get a little food in me and then take it easy tonight - maybe watch some of these college tournament games (Georgetown v. Syracuse was great in the earlier rounds).