Tonight was my first class back. I only worked out once (last Saturday) while I was out with the bad eye--actually, not quite true since I worked out last Tuesday after Monday's training ... Anyway, the class was very white and blue, with a new white belt Kevin who reminds me a lot of the other white belt Kevin. I worked Mamazinho's drills and techniques with him: armbars from mount, armbars from guard, plus three moves from knee on stomach: an armbar, a choke against an elbow escape from knee on stomach, and a north-south choke with a baseball choke grip that was very nice.
I'll give myself a C+ for the effort tonight. I wrestled well during the side control specifics, but still am not using my technical escape (throat / swim / walk / flat / pull / boom!). I can't even call it a mental block. I'm just being an ass about it.
I tried to focus on my grip work, per my most recent gameplan. Secure the collars, then work for a sleeve. Get a foot in the hip, preferably the sleeve-side foot. A little hamstring flexibility won't hurt with regard to that foot in the hip. I tried to work that with Jeff early in our sparring session and it wasn't long at all before my hip and hamstrings were starting to ache.
So I backslid a bit and used far more closed guard than I'd wanted to. But a good showing on this count on Wednesday could make up for that. There's a lot to get used to.
I'll prop myself for my first clock choke submission. I fumbled around a bit before I got it--which only served to remind me that you don't have to rush. I had plenty of time to get that choke in--even with the petit freakout of trying to remember the essentials of the move.
So until I try it the next time and get my back taken, call me Ismael.
My rolls with Clint are becoming predictable. I pull guard and get an armwrap on his right arm. It's a pretty good one. But I can't get the inside collar well enough. After a sweep that's much like a scramble, I get him in side control and can do nothing. He recovers to full guard and triangles me.
I need to work the arm wrap series. I don't get in that position often, but it happens, and I need to better able to capitalize on it than I have. I've got the basic arm wrap to choke, but there's an other arm armbar and, more importantly, an omoplata that I think I might have actually been able to use effectively tonight.
I also need to remember to step on the arm wrap side hip. That will drive the lower body away and the upper body closer, giving me a better angle on the choke, the inside armbar and the omoplata.
No training tomorrow night. I'll make sure that tomorrow I post the three techniques Mamazinho showed us tonight.
Not a bad first night back. Nothing spetacular. We'll see what the rest of the week brings ...
