My Jiu-jitsu – 2009.4
As I wrote previously, this is how I see currently see my jiu-jitsu level.
For those of you unaware I have had no real training for the two months inbetween this post and my post on the same subject in January, because of a slightly serious knee injury. Serious enough to warrant a full leg cast.
My knee is better now, but because it was immobile for an entire month, I lost all previous strength and flexibility in my right leg. It is not back to pre-injury fitness. And my knee does politely remind me that it was injured after a serious workout or training session.
Sigh. Oh well, here’s where I’m at. Written in April before the Kyushu Championship tournament.
Bottom (Inferior) Positions
Guard
I play closed guard now. Before I really didn’t even though it’s my strong suit, but now it’s become default. I don’t like putting my right leg out there for fear of putting it at a weird angle (which always happens in grappling) and having my sparring partner put all his weight on it at full intensity.
But as I stated before, once my guard gets open people pass my guard, more so now than ever.
Side-control
Being on bottom side-control really sucks now. I’m really content to let the top side-control player take his time, and whenever there’s space, that’s when I explode (more like fumble about like a fish trying to get back in the water) and escape.
This is completely different from January where I was willing to try and create space, now I wait for it.
Turtle
I’ve become worse at bottom turtle.
Mount
My mount escapes are still quick, but entirely one sided. Tried trapping the left side of one guy (which meant using my right leg to trap his) and he fought it somehow and tweeked my knee. I think I got armbarred afterwards.
Back mount
I actually fight more now than I used to.
Top (Superior) Positions
Guard
I pass like I’m carefully choosing a drink at a very fancy coffee shop.
Side-control
Still able to hold side-control, to my surprise.
Turtle
Actually haven’t found myself in top turtle so far. Or if I do I immediately get Back Mount.
Mount
Ah, the unicorn. With my knee still not liking me in kneeling positions I don’t aim for this position. Strangely enough, I find myself going to knee-on-the-belly a lot. Left knee on the belly.
Back mount
All my submissions either are from the back mount or closed guard. Also my grips for my submissions come fast. If I can’t get them easily I’ll fight for them like the last slice of pizza. I really love pizza.
My Current Submissions
Top Finishers
Superior Back mount > collar choke OR bow-n-arrow choke
Closed Guard > collar choke
Top Attempts
I finish now. Before you think I’m a submission machine, I don’t attempt submissions unless I think I can finish them. Which really means, I don’t try for new things.
For instance: I’m getting more armbars now, but only catch them if the arm is way out there. And it’s usually with white belts only. I don’t bother working hard for a submission unless it’s from the back mount.
Working On
Getting my leg strong and flexible again.
My Current Escapes
Bottom side-control > come to knees
Triangle & Armbar attempts are the same as January’s.
What I see as my “style” of jiu-jitsu
Extremely cautious now with a rabid tendency to work like a crazy madman when I’m in back mount.
What I’m working on
Don’t know. I guess this is it for now.
What are my problems
Because of my injury, I’m not as “flashy” as I used to be. That could translate as a confidence problem but after writing my post on having passion I’ve gotten over any issues dealing with physical or performance limitations.
My weekly workout routine
Now that it’s springtime I’ve been doing rope climbs once a week, but I’ve also been doing pull ups at Paraestra whenever I’m there. It’s helped with my grips tremendously.
I plan on going to the gym to do deadlifts and weight training exercises.
I don’t do cardio because I can’t run yet. My knee feels “loose” if I try. But to substitute for my lack of running I do interval training with only a ten second break inbetween my sets. There’s the two exercise routines I do in a week.
The first one is five sets of ten hindu pushups, ten situps, 30 second bridge, 10 upas (on each side), 10 one leg squats (right leg), and 3 leg pistols (left leg).
The second routine is five sets of 20 pushups, 20 situps, 20 hindu squats and a two meter rope climb.
I have no idea how my conditioning is. In January I could roll for four 6 minute rounds without any problem. My knee prevents me from sparring continuously. Like running, eventually it’ll feel “loose” and I’ll stop sparring for the day.
My Jiu-jitsu Gauge
Tomari-sensei (black belt, instructor, same weight class)
Tomari-sensei still submits me right and left. One sparring match we had, he submitted me three times with the same submission.
Lately Tomari-sensei has been pointing out my weaknesses and what I can do to improve.
The only thing Tomari-sensei says about me that he likes is the intensity and speed I bring. He likes rolling at that level, it’s a different kind of intensity than a bigger practitioner – like Philipe (huge Romanian Judoka, white belt, should be blue) – however between the two Tomari-sensei really enjoys rolling with the stronger guys.
He says I need to work on my attacks, my open guard passes, and knee-on-the-belly escapes. Then I’ll be a quite a threat to almost anyone with the energy I use in sparring.
Unfortunately, Tomari-sensei is the only one I roll with at full intensity.
Ide-san (purple belt, two weight classes above)
I haven’t rolled with Ide-san since I started training again. He opts to pair me up with others and I haven’t disappointed him with his match ups. Then again, they’ve all been with white belts.
I’m not complaining. 
Shimosako-san (purple belt, one weight class above)
The gap between Shimosako-san and I remains the same, I think. I play closed guard with him and he hasn’t been able to break and pass my guard from there. Unless I sweep him then the tide turns, I somehow get into his guard and valiantly try to stop his attacks, it doesn’t happen.
Although it is pretty cool to sweep him.
