1. If I average 17 trainings or more each month over the next six months (July inclusive), then my "training per week average" will be just north of 3.75 for 2010. In 2009, it was 3.26. "Training" includes any time I put on the gi and get on the mat and sweat. So that includes seminars and competition days, as well as classes.
2. Now is the time to work on the absolute worst positions. My left hip half guard has gotten me into more trouble than any other position over the past year. I need to spend more time drilling both my attacks from left hip half (especially the Rodeo sweep and/or skeedaddle) as well as my transition back to right hip half. (My chair drill a la Kesting will be critical pre-train training for the next six weeks.)
3. Now is ALSO the time to get in touch with my inner blue belt and try out the most "I could never play guard like this" guards. You won't see me pulling rubber guard over the next six weeks. But I've always had a soft spot for Pe de Pano's cross guard, and the next person I catch in a triangle choke will be the first one in a long, long time. So now is the time for cross guarding and triangle choking. Call it the Braulio de Pano guard.
To that end, I'm going to go ahead and give myself permission to bring the deep half into my guard game. If I'm going to be a half guard guy, then I might as well be a HALF GUARD guy, and the deep half well done is definitely worth doing.
No disrespect, but there's a lot of half guard out there - even at the top levels - that I'm not especially blown away by. There are only a few guys out there who have been doing half guard for awhile and have really mapped out the terrain. This makes sense, of course, since there is a whole world of guard that is NOT half guard. But it does potentially mean that there is an edge for those of us who are 99% half guard (especially if we leverage our understanding of the half guard from the bottom to become excellent at passing the half guard, as well).
4. Strength and conditioning wise for the next six weeks, I'm working on lactic capacity for shoulders to help with my standup and some explosive repeat and threshold training on the aerobic power side. Tempo training twice a week (pushups) is also geared toward improving upper body aerobic capacity. If I can't train on Saturdays, I'll put in an hour of pure aerobic capacity/LSD.
5. This is probably a good time to start doing some no gi. I don't see myself competing no gi anytime ever. But as part of the sentiments expressed in #3, there is no better time to take off the gi. Right now, I'm thinking about a MTRF(Sa) training schedule that would give me one no gi session a week. That's plenty.
6. Despite - or maybe because of - everything, the more I think about the Pan in 2011, the more excited I get. Don't ask me why.
