Kind of depressing to see that the American Nationals tournament has had to extend registration in order to try and get more competitors. I noticed that local brown belt Hayato Atalig from Marcelo Alonso (a Carlson Gracie school, I think) has no competitors at adult lightweight. If I were thinking of competing, I'd be in the same boat: there are currently no competitors at senior 2 lightweight brown belt (although there are two in the open, a middleweight and a superheavy, I think).
Training Friday was all Live Training, per usual. I rolled with Angus, Rueben, Elliott and both Profs. Carlos and Rodrigo. I'm feeling myself start to drift again, technically, which means that it is a good time to get back to basics - especially the basics I want to take with me into the Seattle Open on October 2nd and the Revolution in November.
Specifically, I need to begin transitioning to a more diagnostic approach to training. I do what I do. Now I need to start focusing especially on how others are reacting to what I do, and what opportunities that provides me.
There are a couple of standouts: countering the knee cross/Royler attack from the half guard, a more aggressive side control escape (MGs's latest is a good reminder of the power of the bump to create space, something I've been preaching lately to blue belts I've been training with), a tighter takedown game and a better integrated suite of attacks from side control/knee on belly, especially the choke series.
I'm also looking at some schedule changes. Per the calendar, I'm actually supposed to be at the beginning of Week 2, not the start of Week 1 (the 8-week camp does not include Fight Week/Compete Week). Today I did the aerobic plyometric routine, three 5-minute rounds of 10s on/30s off double leg bounds. It was the first time I ever did plyometrics and it was the third set that was really the charm. I'll do another aerobic plyo routine on Thursday, with explosive-repeat (deadlift high pulls and squats) on Tuesday.
158.4 on the scale post-train on Friday. I'm behind pace in my training schedule, but assuming I train Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this next week, I'll be back on track . Right now, the week is setting up to be a five-day training week, and it should be a very good opportunitity to focus on some of those key areas I mentioned above.
