So as it turns out, everyone was right.

I have been working my open guard for the past few weeks.  In my competitions, I got locked up in guard -  too scared to let go.  So, I've been trying to get comfortable pulling guard, transitioning to butterfly guard and going from there...which is normally spider guard or De la Riva guard....(Yeah yeah, I know.. I'm a guard girl right now..)  Or if one of the higher belts are feeling generous, a sweep.  Though, I have found myself getting sweeps pretty regularly on other white belts, and last night I found another sweep I can pull off from butterfly guard... I had someone in butterfly guard, and they stood up.  I grabbed their lapel, and swept them over my head instead of to the side like I do when they are on their knees, and landed square in mount.  I don't think I could have done that if they were on their knees.  Generally when I sweep from there, I will land side control.  I am getting a little better, and do get mount sometimes... and sometimes I land on my side 2 feet from the person I swept.  Momentum fail.  I don't think there is any where to land except in mount when I sweep over my head.  I'll have to try it again the next time someone stands up...  It could have been a fluke.

Another thing I have noticed, is my submissions.... They have always been hot garbage.  I almost never get them, and if I do manage to land one, I could never finish them.  Everyone said not to worry about it, that I should focus on positions, and my submissions would come in time.  And finally, they seem to be coming!  lol I'm starting to get triangles from spider guard, and I've even finished a few.  I have been pulling off gi chokes a lot more often now too.  I am still an arm bar idiot, and don't even get me started on the lower half of the body.  Though, I feel like I am making a little progress in the submission department, so I am happy.

So as it turns out, everyone was right.  I stopped worrying about submissions, focused on my positions and movement, and viola! .. . Viola, I am slightly less crappy then I was before.  =)