November 9th - Morning Roll (The Bauer Battle Continues)

We went Gi this morning which was good because it's starting to get chilly.  David was there first but said he was having some congestion issues and wouldn't partake the in rolling.  It was cool of him to still come down and open the doors.  Bauer and AJ soon showed up and later on Greg.  (Where you at Fuji?)

Bauer and I continued our ongoing battle.  I was close a couple of times to getting into the same trap as last week.  I ended up in half guard again but I did my best to prevent my far shoulder from being pinned and my arm getting isolated.  There were a couple of close calls but I was able to prevent it.  I don't recall everything that happened but I got top for a while and took mount.  I was in a top side triangle position but wasn't finishing.  He eventually passed through the back door and then I ended up back in bottom half guard.  I regained full guard.  Again I don't remember how I got top and then mount again but I eventually got Bauer's back.  I was not having any luck with the bow and arrow choke but I went for broke and got the armbar using the forearm frame that I learned recently.  This was a really tough match.  I was breathing hard throughout and the last time he reversed me I had the thought of just giving him something to submit me with just to get it over with.  I really need to eliminate this type of thinking out of my head.

I had the pleasure of going with Greg next.  I almost always have to laugh when I go against Greg because the way he moves and does stuff is so beyond anyone else I go against.  I have a feeling of uncertainty when I go up against him because he feels like he knows everything I'm going to do before I do it.  He also has this way of always being at the correct or superior angle.  Any pressure put on him is redirected.  I don't get it, but I want to.  He submitted me twice once with a baseball bat choke from knee on belly and I believe a bow and arrow choke the other time but I can't seem to remember.  He fooled me a couple of times with a tricky guard pass where he puts his knee down but has his foot up and it feels like I get half guard but it's just his knee.

We talked about stuff you could do from the back for a while and worked on some chokes.  I was really liking a choke that Greg showed us where you grab your opposite sleeve with your underhook arm then put the other knifehand behind their neck.  It might have been an Ezekiel or a Bravo choke but I don't think that was it.

I went with AJ last and we had a good roll.  There were a couple of times that he got me in sprawl position.  I really need to prevent that better. I got him to tap with a north/south choke.  I'm not sure why I can do it to him but no one else.  Maybe it's because he doesn't know I suck at it.