Class 204…

It’s been usual mayhem at work so class attendance has been spartan in the past fortnight, so the open mat today was a chance to blow away the corporate cobwebs and do some sparring. 

 

And, all in all, it was pretty successful. I sparred with a very nimble and fast brown belt, who could have tapped me about 20 times in a 15-minute round, but he took it slowly so I got to play with positional defence and attack while he used me for movement practice.  

I then got to spar with a bigger blue belt and a bigger white belt and pretty much held my own against both. I’m pretty sure they would have both eventually prevailed if we’d have had longer rounds, but the basics of retaining frame and constant attack seem to be paying dividends at the moment. Even if the attack isn’t particularly potent, it gives an opponent something to think about while I figure out what a better BJJ practitioner would be doing. 

 

I also caught a couple of people with Ezekiel chokes and the sort of reverse kimura I threaten with when I’m on the bottom and my opponent is rear mounting me. 

My coach also made the point that I should use my legs to secure guard and threaten triangles from, so I’ve been playing with that a lot more, too. 

 

A fun open mat and some little chinks of light in the darkness. Probably…

Things to remember: Retain frame, constant attack and use legs. They’re strong from years of doing other things and they’re long and agile and they need to be utilised.