January 25th - Morning Open (Feeling Good)

Had a good session this morning. I wish I could figure out the formula for when I leave the dojo with a positive attitude as opposed to feeling negative and down on myself.  It's really not as much about losing as I let on.  I think I just need to accomplish something that demonstrates my improvement.  If during open mat I get stuck in half guard and I'm not able to move and I just defend for 10 minutes I feel it's a lot worse than if I get submitted in 2 minutes but completed a guard pass that I just learned. 

Greg asked me to drill some things with him again, which I would not refuse.  It was pretty much the same things that he drilled Monday evening.  I also drilled the reverse de la rivas sweep.  We went over the guard pass that we worked on Monday and I felt more confident about it. 

I rolled with Ken and we had one of our back and forth battles.  He allowed me to take side control right away.  I tried several submissions but couldn't get anything to work.  We went back and forth with guard and half guard side control and I had his back for just a little bit.  Eventually I ended up mounted and he put me into an americana.  After that he showed me some wristlocks that he's seen on a Roy Dean DVD.  I was liking it and maybe this will spark some wristlock research between the two of us.

I rolled with Greg next and I was hesitant as usual to commit to anything.  I was pretty amazed at how he uses his hips a lot to pass the guard and get around knees and limbs.  There was one point where I was in bottom half guard and I went for the shaolin sweep.  I felt like I almost had it but I just didn't get him over.  I could tell that his goal was to get me in the new guillotine choke, he was grabbing my chin a lot and controlling it (which I hate) but the gi helped to defend the choke.  He ended up submitting me with the cross choke to armbar that we worked on Monday.  The second time around he set up a baseball bat choke from side control.