[BJJ] Progress

Due to the fact that my instructor couldn’t make it in time for the class on Friday evening, I spent an hour free-rolling with two other guys, both of them blue belts. I am not supposed to stand a chance against either of them, but I performed well enough to get a lot of praise and supportive comments during and after the class. I notice that I am very strong compared to most others, probably due to the size and weight advantage I hold over most of them, about ten kilograms, I suspect. While it doesn’t stop them from frequently tapping me out with their superior technique — let’s not forget that I have only been practising pure no-gi jits for about two months or so — my wrestling and strength give me the option of powering out of situations and achieving more takedowns. It is also not so easy to get out from under me when I have a dominant position, and if you commit to a sloppy armbar it is easy for me to reverse positions. I also, because of my long legs can put many people in a figure four body triangle, which I often use. But all of that doesn’t mean I don’t get manhandled. (As was evident from the many terrible bruises I carried all weekend.) I am very susceptible to triangles and often I just don’t know enough techniques to finish even though I am otherwise bullying my sparring partner. But so far I’m progressing nicely, and I’m thinking of doing straight jits next to the no-gi classes I follow now, just to get some more time on the mat.