It could be easily argued that it takes a certain attitude toward one's limitations to see a tournament in which one loses three matches - one by 9-2 and the other two by submission - as a qualified good day on the mat.
But all things considered, I'm really very okay with my first purple belt outing. There was no point in any of my fights when I felt overwhelmed and bewildered the way I do when sparring with the Rodrigos, the Cindys, the Jesses, Joels, Andrews and Caseys of my own academy. I was outperformed to be sure. But it wasn't what I think I actually feared: the sensation of being a Little Leaguer trying to keep up with Big League talent - which is often how I feel when rolling with the best of my own school.
And the Dark Axiom again proved true: there is nothing but danger for me when I'm in someone's guard. If my jiu jitsu were a seafarer's Olde Worlde Map, its oceans would be labed "Open Guard" and "Closed Guard" and its furthest reaches symbolized by sea monsters and dragons. There is a not-entirely-crazy argument that if I had any confidence in my ability to stand and pass the guard, I would have won my second match and taken third place.
That, by the way, is not meant to take anything from the excellent armlock my opponent caught me with - it felt very much like Sauleh's lightning quick armlock back at the GB Seattle Invitational. But as the kids say, I'm just sayin'. Had the time consumed by my standing and him working specifically for a sweep surpassed 48 seconds, I think I might have won 2-0 with the sweep.
As an aside, I think one secret to standing to pass the guard is to go back and forth between standing to pass and passing on the ground. I saw Sauleh in particular do this, changing levels to try and take advantage of different situations. Like my plan to bring my right hip half guard up to the level of my left hip half guard, being able to attack "high" and "low" when passing the guard can only be a benefit.
Beyond my time on the mat, it really was an incredible day - maybe one of the best times I've had at a tournament in a way. The drive seemed to take about 10 minutes (and the idea to switch back to Mars Volta from Sepultura was inspired ...). I got to stretch and hang out with Clint, Angela, Stephen and a couple of other folks to help settle in. I got to catch up with Griff after missing him at the Feitosa seminar. I got to warm up with Stephen and it was especially fun was rolling with Sauleh for some warm up. I mean, really: it was the first time I ever rolled with Sauleh when it wasn't for points. How bizarre is that? It was very nice to get to warm up with him and not having to be "competing" with him for a change (and those of you giggling at my use of the word "competing" when it comes to my matches with Sauleh are forgiven).
Rodrigo also had a ton of positive things to say. I won't get into it all obviously. But it was the kind of thing that makes you all the more dedicated to a teacher and a school. People like to talk a lot of poop, as my old college buddy Dave Hamilton used to say, about loyalty and jiu jitsu. And everyone is entitled to their own opinions on the matter. But when I think about the first time I saw jiu jitsu in action back in the mid-1990s and think about the jiu jitsu I am learning nearly 15 years later, I couldn't be more grateful for being a part of Gracie Barra Seattle for the past three and a half years.
I told myself that if I followed my gameplan then, win or lose, I'll have something to build on. I pulled half guard in all three of my matches after a little work on the feet. None of them were perfect, but doing so gave me an instant "familiarity" edge that I know helped me compete. I also managed to hit my tackle sweep, Eddie Bravo's Old School sweep, on both the eventual second and third place finishers. I couldn't be happier about that. I train that sweep every single time I'm on the mat and it was nothing less than glorious for me to get those sweeps on the first try in two of the three matches.
Now, 0-3 means that there is plenty to work on, to be sure. But again, I'll go back to the Dark Axiom. I know exactly what to work on for the next several weeks between now and the next Revolution event in July: guard passing and my left hip half guard. Those two things need to be the alpha and omega of everything I do in sparring from now until July. With every white belt I roll with, I need to get on my left hip and learn Old School and the Twist Back from that angle - while making sure that my favored side gets better and better.
What can I say about passing the guard that I haven't said a thousand times before? One thing about today though it showed that the Dark Axiom really is the difference maker. I need to remember that what makes passing the guard possible is attacking the guard. I can see it clearly in other people's matches. The more the guard player fears that his or her guard is about to be opened or opened and passed, the less he or she will focus on submissions and sweeps and the more he or she will focus on defending his guard.
That is the circumstance I need to create, with coherent attacks, level changes, and better and better balance.
All in all, a day that I feel I can build from. Even in defeat against the purple belt LWs - and defeat it was - I felt like I belonged.
