NAGA Tampa

Tampa NAGA was great.  Aside from the very large amounts of waiting in a gym that was probably about 80 degrees and smelled like a sweaty mans back side.... I had a great time.

Allie and I instituted an old Fabio tradition.  On the way to your first competition, you are tied to a teammate for when we leave, until when we arrive at the venue.  Lucky for Madison and Rowan, we were only going to Tampa.  However, since only Madison competed, for Rown's first competition we can do it again!  ahhaha

 For two coordinated girls, they had a surprisingly difficult time with this. lol

Madison is a 5'8 twelve year old, so they had kind of a difficult time finding a fair match for her.  People her size are older, and people her age are generally six inches shorter thus a lot lighter.  So, for her first no gi match, she ended up going with an older, bigger more experienced grappler.  Madison was doing really, REALLY well until she got caught in an inverted arm bar.  Unfortunately, since Madison has only been training a month, she hadn't yet had an opportunity to learn how to escape.

Regardless of the outcome of her grapple though, I am beyond proud of her.  Most grapplers don't have the courage to do what she did yesterday, and she did it with a smile on her face, a great attitude and was a contributing member of the team.  So proud of her!

Rowan, one of our other girls came along to watch and she will be competing in April! Woohoo, Rowan!  I can't wait!

As far as my end of the competition goes.

This was my fifth competition, and second one as a blue belt, and my teammate Erica was also on her fifth competition, second as a blue belt... yet this was the first time we've competed in the same tournament.

Erica and almost exactly the same height and weight.  We were both promoted on the same day and have been grappling the same amount of time.  On paper she is my ideal training partner.

For whatever reason, Erica had been paired up with this same woman at I think 4 of her 5 competitions, and although Erica grappled fantastically every time, she has yet to beat her...  and I had yet to grapple her.  And she was there yesterday. 

Dun dun dun!

But unfortunately, she beat us both yesterday.  I am perfectly happy with it though.  Granted, I would like to have beat her, as would Erica, I am sure, but she is a good grappler and a good sport, and I felt like I grappled well in both my matches against her, so I am okay with my losses.

I fought her in both gi and no gi.  She was my first no gi match.  I don't know how many points she won by in no-gi.. I forgot to look.  Oops.  Though, I have the video, so I can watch it and figure it out.  Everyone said it was a good match though... but really what else are they going to say.  "Way to lose, that was terrible."

In gi she was my second match, she beat me by three points.  Most of the match I went between various forms of half guard, never being able to sweep her, she passed toward the end, and I was never able to escape her side control.

My first gi match I won 15-0.  The girl I grappled fought well, and she bent her finger cockeyed toward the end of our grapple, but finished the fight, and fought again after with a taped up hand.  I know it is stupid to risk further injuring yourself to continue grappling after an injury in a competition, but it always kind of inspires me.  It takes a lot of heart, and a love of the sport to do that.

Erica and I both lost and won the exact number of matches, but because of the way it was bracketed I would have taken silver for both.. and since the medals were going to the team either way, we flipped for silver and bronze.  Next time though, we flip for silver and gold!  

And because the photo upload is being a spaz - Here are pictures from yesterday in no particular order.

My first gi match

First gi match

Someone bled on my belt

First gi match. 

Erica and I with Fabio

Me and Erica!

Second gi match

Me and Rowan

First gi match

Second gi match

First gi match

First gi match

First gi match.  hehe 

First gi match

Second gi match

Fabio Novaes Women's Team Represent!

Before we hit the road at  7 am.

And these are vaious shots from my no gi match.  I need to suck less at bottom half guard.