BJJ Grrl

Two of the guys from the TKD club came tonight to try out classes. They’d come last week to get information — and didn’t even realize I was a student here, so were surprised to see me — and then came back tonight. They did BJJ and then kickboxing. They’re both good guys, and I hope they do decide to come back. Some of the guys from TKD I wouldn’t be too happy to see, but these two, yes: I know they’re both controlled and willing to work hard and learn.

HUGE class. Where’s everyone come from?! And that’s with some guys already gone for the summer, and quite a number more who weren’t there. Wow. Several new guys: my TKD guys, a friend of theirs, and another newer guy’s friend.

Short warmup, but still exhausting. Then a few rolls to warm up. I rolled with the smaller of the TKD guys, Justin; despite him being new, I was fine rolling with him because I knew he would be controlled and he wouldn’t try any of the cheap tricks (like elbow in the throat) that most new guys do. Ended in half-guard early — he was trying hard to pass my guard, and he’s quick! Pulled guard at one point and tried to work several things, but he didn’t want to let me have hold of anything for too long. I have no idea why *innocent face*. We did a lot of wrestling from knees. I got him down at least to his hands and knees several times, with over/under grips, but couldn’t get around for the armbar there. At one point, Tim was walking around and mouthed “Guillotine.” Oh, right, I know that. Slid it in deep and tight. Huzzah! Did catch his back at one point, too, but couldn’t finish the RNC; and did hit the switch from turtle to back. These be some long rolls…

Next roll with my Justin. Lots of moving, but my arms were so tired from all the wrestling with TKD Justin and I wasn’t doing much worth anything. (…He’s gonna have to get a nickname and soon.) He did go for a D’Arce once, and I had my elbow up so it was heading deep; did manage to flatten out, though, which only helped for a moment as he went straight over to mount. Frying pan to fire. He did catch something, I’m not sure what; he said it’s something new he’s working on. From my angle, he looked like a pretzel, but a pretzel that was choking me. He had another choke, not sure what, and gave me just barely enough room to move and keep up and finally find the way out. Had a knee-up guard break, but couldn’t get past after that. Actually, don’t know that I actually broke his guard there; might just have gotten my knee up. I tried the half-guard pass he’d shown Will after class last night, and he laughed. And countered it. And did it correctly on me later. Doh.

At some point during our roll, we heard Scott next to us saying, “Um, you’re gonna want to tap soon.” We both paused and looked; Scott had a newer kid in an armbar from mount. Scott was still sitting up some and wasn’t putting a lot of pressure on the guy’s elbow, but he was in the right spot to rip it off. And the guy waited and struggled — and then Scott turned up the pressure — and then the guy tapped. We shook our heads and kept rolling. Then later, we heard Scott say the exact same thing. Couldn’t be… Sure enough, same position, same outcome. Heard Scott telling the kid that it’s okay to tap in training; it’s how you learn. Didn’t hear the kid’s response — I think I was getting choked at the time — but Scott told us after class that the kid had said he thought he could get out of it, to which Scott said, “Yeah, because I wasn’t trying to rip your arm off. I was giving you a chance to tap before you got hurt.”

Drilling next. A reverse armbar that I know I’ve learned before, but cannot find in my list. *head scratch* (Reminds me, too, that that page needs to be updated. Is coming. Eventually.) Start from guard, especially against a guy who’s pushing on your arms. Swim one arm over, then under, then over again, so you end up with their arm chicken-winged around the tricep and the wrist trapped between your head and shoulder. Same side foot pushes on their hip and you shrimp out, still holding their arm. Push on their head with your other hand if you want (does help keep them from turning in and you from kneeing them in the face). Shrimp back in, bringing your hips in to his armpit. Bottom knee shoots up a bit, going by his ear; top knee and shin goes parallel along his back. Both knees point to the ceiling at an angle; pinch knees together. Crook of your wrist goes across the back of his trapped tricep; other hand grabs the blade of that hand and pulls down as you pinch your elbows together. Also, body rotates toward the ground while your head rotates away to further straighten their arm.

Worked in with Will and Clifton. Had some trouble at first until Adam pointed out that I wasn’t coming in quite enough. A few tweaks, and I could hit it most of the time.

One more roll. In with Peter, the other TKD guy. Again, I trust them, so had no problem even though they were new guys. He warned me before we started that he knew 2 moves, so I’d better watch out. (Said he’d learned an armbar at some point, though he didn’t remember what position he needed to be in to do it.) He was also non-spazzy and non-cheap tricks, just as Justin had been. Had him in guard most of the round. Again trying everything I know from there and not getting anywhere. Did have two bump sweeps. Off the first, it took a long while because he was sliding away from me — finally realized I had position but not control; worked for control and then moved on — but did finally find that armbar. And without tiring out my arms: had it trapped and was sitting back right and using my weight. It’s almost like I know something! Was also getting him on his hands and knees a fair bit and tried for the same armbar I’d tried with Justin, but again couldn’t get around; he’d either move and just block with one arm. But did remember Tim’s hint about the available guillotine and did get this one in, too. Did try the armbar from class today — well, just the swimming part — and he laughed and pulled his arm away and said, “No, wait, I know that one.”

Most of the guys split out early because they’re meeting back up for the midnight showing of Terminator. I stayed around to watch Peter and Justin in kickboxing class. They’ve picked up some non-TKD club sparring habits along the way, possibly from being some of the best guys around when it comes to sparring, and so Perry was making sure to, uh, gently remind them. They did alright, though, and I think they’ll pick it up very quickly.

Watched one new guy try to take off the 13-year-old girl’s head. And he outweighed and obviously outstrengthed her, and he was just whaling on her. A few of us were watching, and we got awfully close to stepping in. She’s smarter than me, though, and she finally just walked off. Perry had been sparring that round, and afterward he was looking for her for the next round. I told him what had happened; he asked who had done it; and he sent Gary in to spar with that guy. One of my guys went to talk to her and told her that the guy was, one, a jerk, and two, had felt threatened by her. She came out later for more of class, though not anywhere near that guy.

Peter and Justin’s friend seemed to have some martial arts training — he was bowing to Tim and Perry — but also no control and no awareness of his partner’s level. One of the guys, who’s hurt, had come in to spar a light round with him, and the new guy started throwing as hard as he could. (But, oh, if the other guy could’ve hit to the head!) One of the assistant instructors stepped in and separated them, and then took the new guy on himself. Later, this same guy was throwing Thai elbows — which aren’t allowed in kickboxing, anyway — on one of the other new guys. Perry warned him a few times but he didn’t stop, so Perry stepped in to that match, too.

Ugh, too many new guys, too many big egos.

They did a speed kick drill later, and Perry asked me to partner with the 13-year-old girl (because the closest one to her size is the guy who was beating on her). Legs are out of kicking shape!! 50 speed round kicks with each leg. Ouch! She did one full and one partial round; she’d hurt her knee earlier and was just being stubborn about trying to finish class. The instructors and her dad finally convinced her to sit out.