Competition Results.

Made weight, won 3 of my 4 gi matches (all by choke), took 3rd in the bracket.

No gi was rough, lost my first match, went home.

all in all, a good weekend.

Pre-comp Week

It is getting to that week.  The week before competition is always the roughest for me.  If I can just bust my ass and work harder than the guy next to me, I will typically do well in any competiton.  De-load week isn't like that.  This week I have to spend a few days sitting on my ass, monitoring my weight, and inevitably fretting over competition day in my head.

I made a flow chart of my bottom-side half-guard game earlier this evening.  Filled the page.  And still wasn't complete.  Aaaand my bottom-half game kinda blows.

I'm going to spend the next couple days working bottom side-mount escapes and guard sweeps.  Then I will be good.

I've been at this too godamned long and worked too hard to have no gold on my wall.  This is MY competition, dammit.

Fuck bronze.

An Unpleasant Lesson

I haven't trained jujitsu in a month. I dream about it, stay up formulating, see opening for passes and chokes with cuddling... yet as I am in a semi-remote area, I haven't trained.

And the fact is that it takes a toll on you. Back in Oak Harbor today to got the mats, and I just sucked.  I wasn't seeing what was there, I had no urgency, and I wasn't beating the people I was supposed to beat. And now I'm just wondering why. Was is the 6 hour drive?  Was I not in the zone?  Or have I regressed?

I am dating someone. She's just awesome, and I don't want to bring her up to Seattle weekend after next to watch me lose.

Time to get my head in the same place as my heart.

Look Inside and Ask Yourself, "Why?"

One of the more personal things I'll ever post on here.  If you're interested in an emotionally-charged rant that I have no other way of venting, jump the break.

On That Nerd Virgin Time

So I'm not exactly closeted about my nerdiness, but it has really been out of control since I moved home.  I re-opened my WoW account (fret not, I still shower) and built myself a new pc.  Coupled with the ambX system, which is awesome, I have this waiting for me at the end of the day:

mmm, baby baby

Besides that, I've spent my free time lifting and hanging out with an especially awesome lady.

Finally benching... acceptable numbers again (BWx6) and squatting numbers I didn't expect to see anytime soon.  I am also looking into a Dollamur home mat so I can drill/teach, but the cost is pretty rough.

Vee chall zee

Changes

I have been moved back home for 3 weeks now, and what a strange ride it has been. It seems like the things you count out have a tendency to finally happen when it is least opportune.

That said, I am as happy as I have been in a long while.

Also, I registered for the March 17th Revolution grappling tournament. 181lb white gi division, 175.5 intermediate no-gi division.

Time to start running.

Leave 'Em Gasping For Air

Gracie Barra in-house to celebrate the re-opening of their Bellevue chapter was this last weekend.  To kick it off, they had an awesome in-house tournament.  System was 5 minute matches, 1 point to each competitor in case of a draw, 3 to the winner in case of a submission.  I ended up in a 7 man bracket, leaving me with a possible 18 points to earn.

I ended up with 16.

I steamrolled through the white belt division, after a slow-start which ended in a draw I hit the collar choke, D'Arce choke x2, collar choke, straight ankle lock.  I tore through my division with ability and confidence, and am proud as hell of my performance.  There is a special joy that comes from making people tap out or pass out, and I got to experience it 5 times this weekend.  This resulted in me winning my bracket, making friends, and being congratulated by the owner of the academy.

Long story short:  I always have a path to the back, and if I am on your back,it may be in your best interest to save us both the trouble and start tapping now.  I actually felt bad for how hard I strangled a few guys this weekend, because A) They were all legitimately awesome people and B) it was malice that entered the picture, at times.  If you had put me in a bad spot, I had been upset about it, and I wanted you to feel fear over the idea that I wouldn't quit choking just because you tapped.

...the malice part will need some working at.