FRIDAY, 31 MAY 2024

Today's class had me, Duy, Sam, Eddie, and Chad.

We started with three minute kumikata warm-ups, switching partners twice.  We then reviewed o soto gari and introduced sasae tsurikomi ashi.  

We returned to the ground and reviewed the foot drag mount escapes before adding the foot drag to the mix.

In live action drilling, one person started in mount and the other was tasked with escaping in one minute. Top person was permitted to attempt submissions. Then, switch.  Each person was in top and bottom positions with the other three students, and even with rest time, the consensus is that the one minute escapes are taxing.  I had two, five-minute rounds with Chad and Eddie once Sam departed, and I started in disadvantageous positions to help my escapes and their retention skills.

Sam forgot his wedding band.  While an earlier recap alludes to penalties for leaving one's belt behind (pun intended), penalties for leaving the symbol of one's commitment to marriage have not yet been pondered. I may need to reference LAW to determine possible sanctions.

Student recap:

Recap- I am sitting in my office with the door shut and the light off and wanting to go to sleep. Today was rough. Somewhere between the Osoto gari refresher and Sasae.

I left my left big toe on the floor while attempting a move.  We learned another mount escape using our leg to either hold or lift the foot of our opponent. 

Chad farted on Eddie. Duy got a new Gi and we did situational sparring where in my final round Eddie threw me around like an inflatable ball in the shallow end of the pool. 

The sparring rounds were tough and now my head hurts and I left my wedding ring at AFR. Thankfully Prof is keeping it for me. If the AC would just go out on my car it would be a perfect day. Oh yeah that already happened. 

All in all though I do have to say it was another good day of BJJ.

WEDNESDAY, 29 MAY 2024

Today's session was a simple open mat that permitted free sparring, flow rolling, drilling positions, and situational sparring.  We had Duy, Sam, Eddie, and Brady partaking.

Recap-Thanks to Prof for letting us big kids (Brady I'm including you in that statement) out for recess on a Wednesday. 

Highlight of the day was someone getting a bread cutter applied not named Sam. First time for everything. I wonder what was going through profs. mind? "Oh, no this isn't Sam, I choked the wrong guy!"

The flow rolls were fun today, and Edward and I achieved a level of civility that we had not previously experienced while rolling with each other. 

We covered US and UK dialects in discussion time, and I suspect that will be on the blue belt test also. No fans knocked down while I was there, no one kicked in the face, no bloody noses. The rules behind what happens to articles of clothing (BJJ belts) that are left on the floor were more thoroughly explained. 

All in all another good day of BJJ.

TUESDAY, 28 MAY 2024

Today was a training session for me and Jason.  We had eight, five-minute rounds.

MONDAY, 27 MAY 2024

Today's class had me, Duy, Sam, Eddie, and Brady.

We started off standing, focusing on kumikata before moving to o-soto-gari. 

On the ground, we reviewed four mount escapes, from the trap arm/trap leg and "Pedro Sauer," to the foot drag and frame/shrimp.

SATURDAY, 25 MAY 2024

Prior to the regular noon class, I trained with Jason. We got in 12, five-minute rounds.  Eddie and his sons dropped by to watch two black belts train no gi.

Today's class had me, Tony, Duy, Sam, Eddie, Brady, and Eddie's sons.

We drilled arm bar from the guard, cross collar choke from the guard, back takes from opponent defenses to the cross collar choke, and then three kesa gatame escapes. I had each student get in the middle and escape from the other four attempting to hold kesa. Afterwards, three, five-minute rounds were provided.

Student recap:

Well I am home I have taken my two Advil. I have treated myself to a Whataburger combo upsized with a strawberry shake. I am now in my recliner thinking of all the things I committed to LAW I would do today and they seem pretty daunting right now. 

Today was a straight up beat down of a day IMHO. And I think there might have been a bit of strategy behind that. Remembering that Profs initials are DSB for good reason, he went to the well  again on headlock escapes and showed us a couple of throws from the ground. Then he had us do bull in the ring or monkey in the middle, one forgets.  That would have been a good stopping point for I think all of us. 

But then the timer was set for simulated murder and could this have had anything to do with the fact that he had participated in black on black crime to the tune of 12 rolls with Jason earlier and he wanted us to feel as bad as he did? If that was the strategy I would give him an A because it worked. 

There is a 50/50 chance that I might wake up in my recliner tomorrow morning having not moved an inch.  Line of the day goes to Tony for telling Duy mid roll, "oh no you don't get a bread cutter on me" or something to that effect. Also, good to see the whole Garner tribe, nice of Eddie to give Ginny a little respite from lawn duty. I am sure he has chores lined up for her when she gets home. 

All in all another good day of BJJ.

FRIDAY, 24 MAY 2024

 Today's class had me, Sam, Eddie, Chad, and Brady.

The first hour was just a training session with me and Sam.  We had six, five-minute rounds.

When everyone else arrived, we worked on three headlock escapes (none of which were kesa gatame escapes).  Then we had three, SIX-minute rounds, though Sam had to leave and did not free roll against the other students.

Student recap:

Not sure if it is bad form to send a recap so soon, but here goes. 

Six rolls with Prof before everyone got there. He was  "gentle". Drilled head lock escapes with at least three alternatives. Edward looked like he fought the law and .......the law won, (the law being the building ,Brady that is a lyric from a song that was popular before you were born). Brady seems recovered from whatever it was that ailed. You all will have to fill in the blanks on what transpired during your rolling time. All in all another good day of BJJ.

https://youtu.be/f_mstCw-9Ts?si=bNjIQZnNUX6Kn1c_

THURSDAY, 23 MAY 2024

Today was just a training session for me and Jason.  We had eight, five-minute rounds.

TUESDAY, 21 MAY 2024

 Today was just a training session for me and Jason.  We had eight, five-minute rounds.

MONDAY, 20 MAY 2024

Today's class had me, Sam, Eddie, and Chad.

The hip bump sweep, which I always call the "Rickson sweep" since he was the first I saw perform it, was covered in exhaustive detail and with numerous repetitions.  In case the opponent reacts, I also taught a response into Kimura.  Three, five minute, round robin rolls were provided (though Eddie and I rolled again).

Student recap:

Recap- I am exhausted. 🥱 three rolls today did the trick. We covered the hip bump and how to get someone into a shoulder lock if they crash on you as you are performing the hip bump sweep. Prof wrist locked me. I didn't care for that too much. He didn't care that I didn't care for it and did it anyway. Edward and I did positional sparring and I thought it went well. Prof dragged Edward across the mat to reposition him, a move we usually only do on young  Brady.  Brady is up to a 3 day suspension for unexcused absences. It was good to have Chad back and he didn't tune me up one single time today so that was nice. Prof employed a variety of submissions on Edward, I tried to distract him but it was to no avail.  Little recap on the Roman method of bleaching togas which WILL be on the blue belt test.  All and all another good day of BJJ. And I got to wear my new Gi.

****I now have an editor so I'm not sure if the unabridged recap will appear on the blog or a revision.

SATURDAY, 18 MAY 2024

 Today's class had me, Duy, and Chad.

So as not to leave them behind, I covered the exact same material as the previous day with Sam and Eddie.

https://youtu.be/Dm-73YNUaJI?si=QCGC2X8KCp8jyvvv

FRIDAY, 17 MAY 2024

 Today's class had me, Sam, and Eddie.

The first hour was simply six, five-minute roll sessions between me and Sam as we waited Eddie's arrival.

The teaching aspect focused on a sleeve grip to back take or, if blocked, into a half-guard sweep.  When Sam had to depart, Eddie and I focused on reviewing the triangle choke and omoplata before four, five-minute rolls.

Student recap is as follows:

Recap- the transmission of eye gonorrhea to infants was covered today and I did confirm that it along with 15th century birth rates for both peasants and nobility WILL be on the blue belt test should any of us progress to that point.

Now to the BJJ. Had to go early and roll with Prof. Him "forgetting" to set a time on the first roll was an omen.  We had five rolls and then Edward came and we drilled. If you ever had the experience of being taken to a store as a kid and promised something only to not get it or to have it taken away you can empathized with what I am about to share. In side control prof allowed me to grab his lapel with one hand and feed my other hand under his back to enact my inaugural "Pearson" choke on him.  Visions of what I would do after I applied it and he tapped were dancing through my head, would I act like it was no big deal? Would I let out a Rick Flair wooohoooo? Well, we will never know. He gave me false hope only to get out of it and leave me grasping for air. How did he do it? I don't even know, he just did. I think it was one of the more dirty things he has done to me. 

Prof demonstrated a duck under to load our opponent in side control and I was suddenly happy that Chad was a no call/no show, no doubt he would have used it as an opportunity to tune me up. Brady was not there either, something about sick and needing penicillin. I'll leave that right there. All and all another good day of BJJ.

THURSDAY, 16 MAY 2024

 Today was just a training session with me and Jason.  We had nine, five-minute rolls.  

MONDAY, 13 MAY 2024

 Today's class had Sam, Eddie, and Brady.

We covered the cross collar from full mount, reviewed a couple of mount escapes, and covered how to attack the opponent's turtle in order to set a clock choke.  

We did not roll since Brady was stuck on zombie mode from weekend concert attendance and the others had a work trip to begin.

Student recap:

Recap- once again I spent time in full mount on Prof and also submitted him with a clock choke.  If you must know the details it was during drilling not rolling. 

Young Brady had about as much life in him as an 92 year old on life support. Something about a mosh pit. 

Chad was a no call/no show. 

Edward was there. 

We revisited the fertility rates or women of child bearing age in 15th century England and again the peasants faired worse than nobility. 

No one was up to rolling. 

But we did learn clock choke from mount and a choke on someone in the turtle position, both were refreshers. Finally, we learned that the ass whipping Eddie and I have stored up for Charles will have to wait a bit. All and all another good day of BJJ. 

Saturday, 11 May 2024

 Today's class was simply Duy and Sam.  No problem, however.

We covered three mount escapes, and then set up scenarios in which to move between those three mount escapes versus a thinking opponent.  As an aside, we examined defenses to knee slide passes.  

FRIDAY, 10 MAY 2024

Today's class had me, Jason, Sam, Eddie, and Chad.  We work on transitioning from side control to kesa gatame, escapes vs. the bread cutter choke, and S-mount movement.  Four, five minute rolls were provided.

WEDNESDAY, 08 MAY 2024

 Today's session was just a training session with me, Sam, and Brady.  We each had six rounds.

TUESDAY, 7 MAY 2024

 Today was just a training session with me and Jason.  Due to weekday time constraints, we had seven, five-minute rolls. 

MONDAY, 6 MAY 2024

 Today's 10:00 am class had Sam and Brady in attendance.

We covered arm bars from guard, transitions from guard to back, omoplata, and the clock choke on a turtled opponent.

SUNDAY, 5 MAY 2024

 Today was simply a training session with me and Jason.  We had 14, five-minute rolls.  

SATURDAY, 4 MAY 2024

 Today's class:

We covered lapel chokes using the lower part of the lapel, the flower sweep, and the baseball bat choke.

Five, five-minute rolls were provided.

FRIDAY, 3 May 2024

 Today was a simple training session with me, Jason, and Sam at Jason's house.

It was round-robin, with each person staying in for two five-minute rounds and then sitting one out.  

From here on, I will be keeping track of classes attended for "promotion purposes."  Classes does not equate to automatic promotion, of course, but it provides a good gauge.

THURSDAY, 2 MAY 2024

Today's class had Sam, Eddie, Chad, and Brady.

I promoted Sam to two stripes on his white belt, Eddie to one stripe on his white belt, and Chad to one stripe on his white belt.  Unfortunately, Chad changed out before I obtained a picture.