162.7 on the scale post-train. It's a Monday.
Got on the mat after the first lesson: a reverse sweep with the crossed arm out of the knee block guard. But managed to drill the second, loop choke from the guard, with Mark. Mark's always been a good training partner, but today he was really instrumental in helping me figure out what wasn't working for me when I was working the choke (detail: sit up).
Some good work in Live Training today. I'm focusing more and more on closed guard whenever I can, trying to work Rap Star after some great back and forth with Professor Kevin on Saturday. I'm find myself in half guard more than I'd like, and am trying to convert into butterfly guard whenever it happens and work from there. So far, so good. I've also been turning my sparring sessions into "guard/pass guard specifics" on the sly. This is something else I really think will help me over the next few months.
Hoping to really turn up the intensity over the next month: training every day and trying to "reprogram" my jiu-jitsu circuitry along the lines of some of the moves and transitions I've been thinking about and dreaming about for years, but have never really put in the dedicated work to make real.
Professor Rodrigo talks a bit about how the black belt level is where you really begin to learn jiu-jitsu. I couldn't agree more. No wonder Master Helio liked to train in his blue belt.
