I missed 4 weeks - two with the flu, then with tonsillitis. How very inconvenient.
Worse than inconvenient. Turns out that while I was gone, the class went through "side control" and "guard" phases and now we're back to mount. Argh. John gives the same speech about mount. John suggests I've been around long enough to head down the other end of the mat with the slightly more advanced individuals. I note that I missed all of side control and all of guard. John retracts previous statement. Looks like I'm doing mount.
Vaguely frustrated, but getting the hang of Kimuras and RNCs and Armbars. Less so with armbars. I'm so clumsy. Obviously still not 100% because class 5 pretty much wrecked me. Class 6 was better. Actually got a tap with an armbar during 2 minute drills. Yay me. I know what to do if my partner waves his arm around. Escaping mount is a problem. We still haven't actually been 'taught' any ways to do that, which disturbs me. Also having difficulties getting sufficient height on the bridge against the bigger guys to get them to lose balance. Gotta think about that. Good enough underneath mount that complete newbies can't submit me in 2 minutes. That's not exactly a recommendation I guess, especially if I can't get out from underneath.
Current mission: Investigate ways to escape from mount. If I'm not being shown, I'll find out myself.
Office is moving away from this gym. How inconvenient. Current plan has me using up the rest of my 10 class pass and then switching to the gym that will be near the new office. They don't have a beginners class, so I'll be straight in with the big kids. That should be fun.
I have cancer again....
5 weeks ago
First option should be to ask your instructor if you have questions about a technique, or failing that a senior student.
ReplyDeleteIf that isn't possible, then the best DVD I've seen for beginners is Roy Dean's Blue Belt Requirements. Breaks down plenty of escapes in there.
For an example of his mount escapes on YouTube, go here.
Hi Slidey, thanks for dropping by. Currently the class I'm in doesn't have any senior students really, as it's exclusively beginners. One instructor between the 20 odd of us really makes it hard to get any attention.
ReplyDeleteThe class has mostly been focused on learning the fundamental submissions, which I'm perfectly cool with.
I'm just being a bit forward-thinking. I'm a little guy, and once I'm past the fundamentals class I assume I'm going to end up on the bottom more than I'd like, so I want to learn how to deal with it!
Love your site by the way! Heaps of great information.