On the Mat Day 75: Lapel control and chokes

So I took a week off training to see if it would help my injuries and general beaten down body. It did. I felt great tonight and the weather was warm which made a helluva difference to how loose I felt. I love those days when its warm and your body feels like liquid when its moving instead of a machine where cogs grind together through lack of lubrication. It was actually humid which seems to bring out the people to the gym like cockroaches to my apartment. Not to say that my team mates share any similarities.

We went through side control while holding the lapel on the far side. Something I'm aware of but never really been taught. That followed with chokes from that setup. There was a wicked choke that works like an ezekiel when the opponent removes their arm from the lapel binding. It felt the best move for me so I'll keep it in my head.

Sparring was hot and sweaty. I'm used to working out in summer at home doing P90X but doing BJJ in a heavy gi with a rashguard underneath is just exhausting. Both times with Koyama-san ,who was the instructor and is pushing himself hard for a competition in the US, I felt the room spin at the end with like bright flashes of prickly light. A little queasy but it soon passed on both occassions. I guess it was lack of fluids coupled with the fact that I only fit in an apple before training.

Yoshida-san showed me a sweep that moves from a scissor sweep setup to 93 guard then a feint to the left followed by a sweep to the right. I saw him get it on Fuji-san twice. Fuji is a nice guy but he seems to rely on his old judo skills a lot. He always goes for an underhook pass and people have worked out how to defend it now. He has excellent pressure though. Enough to peel off the skin on my face last week with his sandpaper gi.

I have also been watching Gustavo Machado "The Half and Quarter Guard". Very interesting DVD, particularly the quarter guard which I tried tonight on a lowbie. I moved to the position then though ... now what? Then in a flash I saw the kimura. Although, I lost the moment and the position was gone, I still saw it. Really enjoyed training last night and I make it a point to say to the instructor that it was fun and I had a good time. Even if I didn't (there are those nights) just saying the words puts me into a positive mood.