On the Mat Day 412: A rare Friday noon training session

I had a great day today. I woke up early took my daughter to school then hopped on my bicycle and took off to the club. It was nice and sunny but not too hot for the 30 minutes it took to get there. The class started at 11 am and I'd not eaten since 8pm the previous night (leangains) so I felt a little hungry. I swigged down a drink of Assault which is only 20 calories and would burn off on the bicycle but give me the effects of the supplement.

I arrived fairly early and two older regular Friday afternoon guys were there. One is 65 the other is 51. Kondo-san came and a new guy turned up to have a trial lesson. F-sensei doesn't let the new guys do sparring now because some people have been injured in the past and never came back. From a business point of view that is a solid procedure to have. The 51 year old was really strong and just out for a scrap. It was the first time I'd sparred with him. F-sensei later told me that he had done BJJ years ago when F-sensei was younger at the same dojo. I controlled him easily though because I knew what to expect. I actually did my drills with him and he was a bit too rough on pulling the armbar from guard - even though it was only a drill. I just said "Woow" loudly and he apologized and calmed down. I get this now and again from enthusiastic white belts. There is absolutely no need to pull on the arm if your technique is correct. Using your hands to complete the move is redundant at best. I like to set up the position and raise my hips to see the arm sticking out like a sore thumb ready for me to yank on but I never complete it. It's just rude and mean.

The leangains diet has really helped my energy. I felt really good during sparring. The combination of an empty stomach (blood only flowing to my muscles!), some good sleep, and a refreshing bike ride to the gym meant I was on fire during rolling. Concentration high, cardiovascular working at optimum and relaxed at the same time. I even went from omoplata to triangle super fast on Kondo-san. It's been a while since I've caught him with a triangle because he is so damn fast. I didn't feel 41 today at all.