Some recent observations...

This is just a a few random observations I've recently made...

No gi - It sucks.  I grappled a guy no gi today and it was by far one of the most annoying things I've had to deal with grappling.  I had on short sleeved underarmor, and he was wearing a tee-shirt.  Normally when I go no gi, I wear long sleeved rash guards to protect my elbows.  Anyway, with both of us being a bit sweaty, I could NOT for the life of me create any traction with my arms against his arms or legs.  So, I will be 100% sure to always bring my long sleeved underarmor to competition from now on.

Cutting weight - I will never do it again.  When we went to South Shore, I had not eaten breakfast...  Not on purpose or anything, I just had a hectic morning... then we had to meet up, and travel and we didn't start grappling until about 1:30 - 2:00.  And like I said in my previous blog... I hit a wall like you would not believe.  I think the heat may have been a factor, but it may also have been that I'd not eaten.  Annoying?  Yes... but it did teach me that food is important for grappling.  This last NAGA I cut weight, and didn't eat anything all day... Then I grappled.  It was fine, but I really didn't have much trouble in the novice division..  But this time I did have to work, and it drained me.  I'd already decided I wouldn't cut weight again, but this cemented it.  I would be SO angry with myself if I hit a wall in a competition because I wanted to cut weight.

Wrestlers - They are interesting when they first start BJJ.  One of our purple belts is also a wrestling coach.  One of his students came to class night and that kid gave up his back, and suck his neck out like a turtle ALL night.  I understand the very basic of wrestling, so I know why he did it... and even during one of his grapples, he said "Man, this is like speaking another language!"  Toward the end of the night he was doing it less, but still... It was interesting to watch.

Big New Guys - Not so scary anymore.  Well, at least the ones who don't flair and panic when I girl is choking them out.  I rolled with a fairly new guy today, and was able to submit him a few times, but the thing I was most proud of with that grapple was the fact that when I sat out in side control I could hear and feel the air being squished out of his lungs.  LOL -  I that may sound kind of jerkish, but the fact that I could do that to a man who easily had 100 pounds on me, meant more to me then the submissions.

I also got a very nice compliment today.  "Man, you are really light, but you feel so heavy."  Only a fellow grappler would understand why that is a compliment.  lol

And oh look.. I managed to type out all of this and manage to say nothing at all.

No-gi doesn't mean naked!

I have to take my kids with me on Saturday mornings if I want to get to class, so of course, I do.

Normally it goes pretty well, and this morning it was going about the same as usual.  Zaile randomly inquires about my general well being.  She gets a little concerned when she sees people sitting on me, or twist my body into unnatural positions.   Micah, aside from his random whining, doesn't give me too much trouble.

So, my second or third grapple this morning was with Mario, one of my instructors.  About half way through, while being rolled over Mario's shoulder I caught sight of Zaile.  She was standing on the edge of the mat, stark naked, waving her clothes through the air like pom-poms.

I'm not quite sure how much time was left for that roll, but I had to get up and run my naked kid out of the room and re-dress her.

Thankfully she kept her clothes on for the rest of class.

So, I went no-gi today, and Zaile went naked.  Nice.  =)

Other highlights from class -

We had seven grapples!  WOOHOO!  We almost never have that many.  I grappled everyone who showed up this morning.  We had a small class, and two people sat out of the grappling.  It was nice to roll with so many different people on the same morning.  We have a 120 pound 15 year old to a 230-ish guy...  Nice range of bodies to roll with.

I went no-gi this morning.  I washed my gi last night, and for some reason it did not rinse off well in the washer.  I could literally flake detergent off of it.. and I wasn't about to get all sweaty in it.  Detergent irritates my fingers if I get it on me while I am doing laundry.

I did not realize just how much gi I grab when I grapple until I tried not to do it.  Going no gi, I didn't want to be a jerk and collar choke someone when I had no collar for them to return the favor... So, I tried not to grab sleeves and pants... (Except for when I rolled with my instructors.  I asked if it was okay that I used their gis, and of course they said it was fine.)  Anyway, it was almost impossible to NOT grab gi.  It has been a really long time since I've gone no gi.  It was kind of fun... and freeing.  lol  Less sweaty, less controllable, more feeling.  hehe

Who wants to hear an annoying story?

I need another pair of no-gi shorts.  I hate the ones I have, and have been looking for some for the past few months.  However, it is winter, and no one seems to have ANYTHING but pants...or shorts with 900 pockets and zippers.  With NAGA around the corner, I splurged on a pair of 60 dollar fight shorts, and ordered them just in the nick of time to receive them before this weekend.  Shipping said 7-10 days.  They actually got here in 4 days.

WOOHOOO!! ..... No.

The shorts are really cute, feel really sturdy and the material is nice and breathable feeling.  I really like them a lot.  The problem.... they run small... as in tiny.

I wear a size 3 right now, and the size chart said if I am a 3 or 4, order a three.  I ordered a 5 just to be on the safe side, also thinking I am going to put some of this weight I am dropping back on.... and they fit, but they are low rise, which means I bend over, and viola, muffin top.  And I may just find myself bent over while grappling, so they are not going to work.  I can pull them up an inch or so to solve the muffin top issue, but then they aren't so cute in the crotch area.

With NAGA in 8 days (OMG! 8 days?!)  I don't have time to send them back and exchange them for a larger size, and if I just reorder they may not even get here in time.

I decided just to return them, and order another pair, which means I will pay for shipping twice, but might get them in time,. or hope and pray I can find some shorts I can work with before the weekend.

So, on my way to the post office to return the shorts, I swing by the store... and bam.. New shipment of athletic shorts... Cute athletic shorts that well for no-gi.  And they cost less then I spent on shipping for the shorts I ordered online.

Oh well.  At least I have shorts to fight in now.