Getting Back on the Mats – Alex’s Stuff
Alright, so went down to the gym today. Felt a bit stiff getting started, you know how it is. Threw my gi in the bag, grabbed my water bottle, and headed out. Same old routine.
Got there, changed, and hit the mats for warm-ups. Did the usual running around, some shrimps, forward rolls, backward rolls. Honestly, the warm-up sometimes feels harder than the rolling itself. Just trying to get the old body moving. We did some grip fighting drills too, just moving around, breaking grips, setting up your own. Pretty standard stuff to get the blood flowing.
Technique Time
Today the focus was on some stuff Alex has been emphasizing lately. Mostly working from closed guard. We went over a specific armbar setup he likes. Watched the demonstration, looked simple enough. Then we partnered up to drill it. First few tries felt clumsy. Kept forgetting to control the posture right, or my hips weren’t high enough. My partner pointed out I wasn’t breaking his grip properly before shifting my hips. Okay, fine. Drilled that part again and again. Slow motion first, then a bit faster. Started to feel a little better by the end, but still not smooth. Need more reps, definitely.
Then we moved onto a sweep from the same position. This one involved getting an underhook and shifting your weight. Again, watched Alex do it, seemed logical. Trying it myself was a different story. Felt like I was just flopping around half the time. My partner, heavier guy, wasn’t going anywhere easily. We worked on the timing – gotta go when they shift their weight forward. Easier said than done. We just kept plugging away at it, swapping partners after a bit to get a different feel.
Rolling Session
Finally, time for rolling. Did a few rounds, maybe five or six minutes each.
- First roll, younger guy, super fast. Mostly defended, tried to slow him down. Got caught in a triangle. Tapped.
- Second roll, someone my size. Bit more back and forth. Tried setting up that armbar we drilled. Didn’t get it, but felt closer than before. Ended up passing his guard near the end. Small victory.
- Third roll, one of the higher belts. Yeah, pretty much got schooled. Got swept, passed, submitted. Just trying to survive and maybe learn something from how they move. They pointed out I was leaving my arm exposed when trying to frame. Good feedback.
- Last couple of rolls were lighter, more flowy. Tried working on escapes, regaining guard. Felt pretty gassed by the end.
Wrapping Up
Finished up with some light stretching. My shoulders and back were feeling it. Chatted a bit with the guys afterwards, just the usual stuff. Packed my sweaty gi back into the bag. Felt good to get the work in, even though I got smashed a few times. That closed guard stuff Alex showed needs a lot more practice. Just gotta keep showing up, I guess. Driving home, just thinking about remembering that grip break detail next time. We’ll see.
