A good open mat session to finish the week. Scheduling is going to prevent me from training on Saturday, which means that I'll also miss Prof. Christiano's cardio class. But I'm thinking that I'll get a chance at more Saturday training after the tournament - including the cardio class if they decide to move it to Seattle from Yakima.
Some good training today, ending with a long session with Prof. Carlos. A couple of good tips about keeping the hand closed to avoid the wrist lock when swimming were some of the takeaways. I wasn't able to accomplish a lot in terms of reversals or anything (surprise, surprise), but I was able to defend myself using less energy, which is one of the keys to training with vastly superior training partners. It's something worth remembering beyond the sensation of being in a industrial strength washing machine.
Reviewed some side control/crossbody escapes with Reuben, which was also very nice. I'm determined to help encourage a culture of post-training drilling at GB Seattle; there's no better way to improve your technique, IMO. And the best way to do it is by example. So we'll see what I can do.
It's a little late in the game, but I'm putting together a full-fledged set of gameplans for both practice and competition. The competition gameplan is extremely detailed, and it is taking some real time to put it all together. But the more I read and review the sample gameplan that Lloyd Irvin provided, the more I see how this kind of thing can be very helpful for someone like myself. It's almost like writing an instructional manual or instructional DVD on your own jiu jitsu game.
So far, I've gotten most of the half guard and guard parts down. Guard pass will probably take some time, as will half guard pass. But even if I don't have everything ready in time for the Revolution, the work I've done to this point already is helping me see things with new clarity.
