Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Training Update

So much going on these days ... It's hard to keep up with things.  Suffice to say that there are some potentially super-positive developments out there that could catapult me into to a new level of engagement with the art that has become my devotion over the past seven years.  More on that over the next few days.

Tough training tonight.  In the wake of Prof Christiano's Friday cardio-infused session, both Monday's and Tuesday's class featured clearly enhanced cardio-improving techniques.  In many ways, it's been a throwback to the kind of classes Prof Rodrigo used to teach back in Tully's in the days before the GB curriculum was even a gleam in Master Carlos's eye.  It will take some getting used to, especially for those of us on the less athletic end of the spectrum.  But after a few weeks of consistent work, I suspect we'll be grateful for the additional focus on the furnace.

Made a crucial mistake during Live Training, and while I didn't pay "the ultimate price" it was a reminder of how sharp I have to be against our better teammates.  Part of this is just a matter of awareness.  But part of it is a function of tightening up my game so that, when I need to play "A" game, I am able to tap into that reality both instantly and thoroughly.

I think a part of this was influenced by some "pre-class" reading: The Path to the Black Belt, by Rodrigo Gracie and Kid Peligro, where they write in a section called "How to regular students improve?":
4. You need to repeat the moves that you learn several times.  And since there's limited training time, you should focus on the moves that you want to be good at, making them the most commonly occurring and most effective moves in your repertoire.  With repetition, your technique will greatly improve.
At this point, sharpness and consistency have to be my main goals.  While there are always a lot of techniques to learn, when it comes to my own game, I need to be even more discriminating in what I include and what I don't include.  Too often I find myself adrift at sea on the mat, not really following any particular sequence that is proven to get me where I want to be.  Too much reaction and half-measures and not enough  attack, instigation, party-startin' ...

So now's the time for less variation rather than more - at least in terms of key situations like passing and reversing.  I'm wandering too far from the beat.

Nicely light in the 157 range after Monday's session.  Similarly fit after tonight's training at 157.7.