On the Mat Day 400: BJJ reflexes versus mosquito

The first thing I did when I got back from training was hunt a huge mosquito that was trying to suck my blood. He wasn't very good at it because instead of going for my feet or some easily exposed area of my body, he few by my ears several times which alerted me to his presence. Mosquitoes are so dumb. I waited for him to pass by again and quickly squashed him. My BJJ hand eye coordination was too much for him and he ended up dead. Four years ago I probably would have went looking for a mosquito catcher or some sort of tool. Not now though, not with my finely honed BJJ senses.

I usually don't go to class on Saturday but was glad I did. There were a couple of guys I got to train with because we have always been going on different days, like Kondo and Yoshida. Also, Tani-san who is a heavyweight black belt was there again. It would be cool if he actually joined us but I think he is just visiting. K-sensei showed us attacks versus the turtle. These were the armbar from rotating the opponent, and you can finish the armbar without even throwing your top leg over his head as long as you have shrimped your backside to the outside. We also did the crucifix and a variation where you use the opposite leg from the crucifix position and do a forward roll, bringing your opponent over with you, and you end up in side control with a kimura using your legs, it was pretty cool and very WWF wrestler type but seemed to work really well.

Sparring was fun, I got pummeled as well as dishing out some. The new white belt who has a background in Judo shocked me at how weak he was on the ground. Last week I had seen Dmitri and him go at it with all their strength, then I watched how he went crazy trying to pass Yoshida's guard, and thought I might have my hands full but it was quite easy to armdrag him and take the back. In fact, his balance was quite poor versus sweeps from seated guard or x-guard. It was one of those sparring rounds where expectations were totally the opposite. This is usually the other way around in which the guy looks weak as piss but goes at me like the hulk so much so that I have my hands full. Oh, and F-sensei totally took the wind out of me during sparring. He is just one or two steps ahead of me always, which as Saulo Ribeiro says, if you are late, you tire, you lose...or something to that effect.