Mizblog

After KM31 I swept the mat and the visitor area and the merchandise area and the entry mat until TJ took over from me.

Class started when Mark lined us up. I took junior position. We began with shrimping to warm up. Then we got into smash guard passes, where you put both hands under the guard holder’s legs, lift one onto your shoulder, stack them and press that leg’s knee into their face while gripping their gi collar and smashing your forearm into their throat to be really mean and make them feel real uncomfortable, then ease around and let them out of it into side control.

The next pass he taught us is the belt stack, where you reach under the guard with both hands and grab the belt, then lift them vertical to pass. I practiced this with Larry and he got his neck crinked when I lifted him. It was his own fault for not moving his head to the side, but I felt bad anyway. My 2nd biggest fear in these classes is that I’ll hurt my training partner. He powered through though. That guy’s got more dings than anybody, and he just ignores them and keeps training. I’m not sure I want to get where Larry is, but I can sure respect and admire his toughness.

Next we learned to turn a failed stack pass into a smash pass. Then we learned to toss the legs aside in a scramble pass.

We then learned the Americana from side control. My lats are super sore so just bringing my elbow down to my side made me tap a couple times. TJ practiced this with me, and he didn’t even have to start lifting my arm for me to have to tap. I felt it in my back! Mark did it to me and I felt it there, but it turns out it wasn’t that bad and I got to where the shoulder itself complained. I’m just a wimp and I can’t really tell if I’m being injured or just having my sore muscles stretched. Duh.

Finally we rolled. Started with TJ and he pretty much wrestlefucked me. I maintained guard for a while but he ended up mounted on me.

I sat out the second roll, then came back to roll with Chris. He’s pretty good, and maybe as heavy as me. He made me tap with a north-south collar choke that I still don’t understand. The next roll he managed to maintain guard, and after we were done he exclaimed that I’m really strong. Ha! I’m just heavy. But then again, my push ups are like bench pressing 180 lbs.!

After that I rolled with Ray. He started on top, I swept him and got the Americana. Then I started on top, passed, and got the Americana. Then I started on bottom again, tripped him during his pass attempt, mounted him, and got a mounted Americana. He was exhausted and he’s not that heavy, but he’s also new and doesn’t know lots of tricks. Anyway, it was a confidence building way for me to end the class. I know a few tricks. :)