Results

Before you get all congratulatory over this picture, let me preface it by saying, I went 0-5 to earn these 3 bronze medals. Yes I had 5 matches this weekend and lost every single one on them. Yet somehow I still come away with, what looks like, some impressive hardware.

Match 1: Master Male>Blue Belt>Light Heavyweight
Very little circling. My opponent pulled guard and tried to lock down an arm. I didn’t come close to opening his guard. He swept me to mount, set up a cross choke, and rolled to guard for the finish.
Result: bronze medal #1

Match 2: Master Male>Blue Belt>Absolute
I tried to set up an arm bar from standing. It didn’t come close to working. Opponent passed guard easily and finished with cross choke from mount.

Match 3: Master Male>NoGi Blue Belt>Light Heavyweight
I shot for a single right away. Didn’t get it. He pulled guard. I stayed there unable to move or loser his guard. He went for a kimura and I rolled to defend. He transitioned right to an arm bar.

Match 4: Master Male>NoGi Blue Belt>Light Heavyweight
Because there were only 3 of us, I had a second match. It was just the way the computer spit out the bracket I guess. Anyways, I shot for a single. I didn’t get it. Stuck in guard. Swept, knee on belly, mounted, escaped, swept again. 12-0 or something like that.
Result: bronze medal #2

Match 5: Master Male>NoGi Blue Belt>Absolute
Against my better judgement, I registered for the nogi absolute. Again a low number. Only 4 registered. My match was against the guy who arm barred me in my weight class. Guess what? He arm barred me again. But this time it was in about 45 seconds.
Result: bronze medal #3

To recap, I had 5 matches. I lost all. In fact, I didn’t score 1 single point or an advantage, and I ended up with 3 bronze medals… Lol.

Coming Up

On December 16, 2013 I will be testing for my Blue Belt in BJJ. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I want to say that I think I will be successful, but you never know. I’ve received the test curriculum and the main thing I see as being a problem, is remembering all the techniques. Let me explain…

At Grizzly Gym, our focus is on lock flows rather than 1 technique at a time. Each lock flow consists of 10 steps which may include takedowns, positions, sweeps, and submissions. They are done in a sequence so that they “flow” together nicely. There are 9 lock flows to memorize. It’s not the individual techniques that I will have a problem with but remembering individual flows and the order of that techniques when Mike says, “Anthony, show me lock flow # 7 on the right side.” I’ll have to print them out and memorize the list (including their correct names) like it’s a highschool project.

We also have to show some independent learning by demonstrating a takedown and submission that we have learned on our own.  No candidate may do the same as another, and it may not be a technique in the current list of lock flows.

I am sure that there will be some rolling as well.  Most tests have rolling or sparring.  I wonder if this would be enough to cause me to fail.  I can execute the techniques with accuracy when drilling, but throw me in a match and more often than not, I don’t follow what has been drilled in to me 1000 times.  Some people are good at the theory and bad at the application…  That’s me.

I have a tournament coming up this weekend.  My last at white belt if things go well.  I feel that because of this, I am under a lot of pressure to perform.  Like nothing will be acceptable but the gold.  I am going to try my hardest and make a real effort to use what I have learned.

Registered!

I’m comin’ boys… Get ready!

jk. Please don’t hurt me.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions…

So I have a choice to make.  Do I go to THIS or THIS?  I know all the BJJ playas will say the second.  Take the following in to consideration.

1. I suck in competition and it will cost me a couple hundred dollars by the time all is said and done.

2. I still love to compete and it’s basically my last chance for 2013.

3. I also love TPB and I have free tickets to the first choice.  It would be way too late of an arrival time for me to go to it and then travel for option 2.

4. If we (my wife needs to be considered here) sold the tickets to the first, that would cover a large part of the second and we would have some time together without the kids.

I don’t know what to do!  Make my decisions for me!

 

Oh ya… I forgot to mention… #1 was an anniversary gift from my wife…

Been A Hard Week

My body is sore.  A good sore though.  The kind of sore where you know that the hard work is going to make a difference.  I’ve also been very carefully watching the food I consume.  My wife and I are in a little mini challenge for the month of November.  It’s been hard at times, but I think it will pay off.

I have been working hard for several things:

1. Ontario Provincial Jiu Jitsu Championships – Run by the OJA, this will be my final tournament of 2013.  I don’t have any weight top lose, in fact, I may be able to drop to a lower division without too much effort if things keep going the way they are.  I’m not trying for it, but if by the time I register, I meet the requirement, of course I will sign up for it.

2. Ski Trip To Whistler – I need to make sure that I am in tip-top condition for this.  I plan on skiing very hard.  I wouldn’t want something stupid like being out of shape to hinder my fun.  Also, with my knees in a state of disrepair, I can only assume that the less mass I have for them to carry as I rocket down the mountain side, the better off I’ll be.

3. BJJ Blue Belt – One day after I get back from Whistler (Dec 16), I will test fo my BJJ Blue Belt.  Phew.  It’s been a long time coming.  I need to make sure I am prepared.  There are still several things that I need to drill, drill, and drill.  I will need to make sure I make all the classes that I can.  I would be mortified if I didn’t pass the test.

So this week I didn’t spend too much time doing heavy lifting in the weight room.  My arm and abductor were still quite sore.  I still made it for workouts.  I did several RPM classes, ran, skipped, rowed, climbed stairs, yogaed, several BJJ classes, and I even made it out to Muay Thai…  The one weight workout I did this week was yesterday.  I spent my time working my upper body.  I’ll be having  little rest today and tomorrow

I can’t wait for next week.