We have a Judo Olympian, Brian Germain, who trains Jits at our school. He is, obviously, a black belt in Judo, but a blue belt in Jiujitsu.
He has a teenage daughter who is roughly my size... my height, but a bit lighter then I am. She is a brown belt in Judo, and she also wrestles. She was actually the female state champion earlier this year.
The very first time I grappled Brian a few months ago, he told me he wanted me to grapple his daughter. He said I would give her a run for her money. I was pretty much like, Oh okay, whatever, she would school me, but I laughed and said it sounded like fun.
After class, Brian decided to tell me again, in front of every single one of my coaches that he wanted to bring her in, so I could grapple her. ... Grrreaaaat. They all agreed it would be a good match up... later they told me I would have no trouble grappling her...they said being that she does Judo, and wrestles she will make mistakes in BJJ ... which I highly doubted, and was 100% certain they were just trying to boost my confidence.
She came tonight.
The second I saw her, my heart leaped up into my throat, and I started sweating. Yes, yes, I was scared of a teenage girl. I knew I was going to have to grapple her, and I knew people were going to be watching. Esp her dad. I was more nervous then, then I was at my very first competition. Mostly because my coaches seemed to think I could beat her in a grapple, and I did not want to prove them wrong.
She was the only girl who was there for the drills, so I had to drill with her... Which is totally 100% okay with me... until people started watching us... as in standing there, watching us... not even trying to hide it. Maybe they were all spacing out and happened to be facing our way, but it really felt like they were staring at us.
And of course my first grapple of the night was with her.
As I was walking over to her on the mat, I passed a friend, and I told her I was scared. She told me I would do fine, but not to give her an inch because she would take it, and choke me out. So, I sat down in front of her, tried to hide that I was terrified, and when Fabio said go, I went...
It ended up being a really great grapple. She was really good at defending my chokes.. I assume that came from her Judo, but she gave up her back a lot, and I assume that is one of the down falls of wrestling. Once I got a feel for her, I relaxed a little and after I submitted her I took down the intensity a notch or two... and ended up having a lot of fun rolling with her.
She said she is going to be back next week, and I am really excited to have another female grappler! ...and so glad that first nerve wracking grapple is out of the way!
"Maybe they were all spacing out and happened to be facing our way, but it really felt like they were staring at us."
ReplyDeleteOh, man, no pressure, really!
I would've been nervous, too. All completely normal. (Especially when everyone's putting so much pressure on you!)
Having a judo/wrestler female should be an awesome resource for the females at your school. Takedown city, baby. I would be bugging her for judo/wrestling tips all the time -- and show her adaptations for BJJ in return. ;)
Been there! Done that! You did way better with yours than I did with mine, too. Good for you not letting ego get in the way (like I have!)
ReplyDeleteLeslie - I know! Some of the guys from her high school also go to our BJJ school. She was messing around with them after class, and was taking them down like a freaking champ! I was so jealous! lol
ReplyDeleteAnd I was planning on helping her out during out next grapple... Which I probably would have done our first grapple if I didn't feel so much pressure to preform... and again, it may just be perceived pressure, and no one actually cared, but I really felt like my whole BJJ game was on the line. lol
Georgette - Pressure is one thing I don't handle well, and I know that. I get inside my own head, and wreck my own game. I know had we started from standing the match would have gone much more in her favor. She is good, and I had to work for what I got... I am really looking forward to rolling with her again with out the head game eating me up.