The new diet is working out well. It seems like I spend a lot of time chopping/cooking/planning but I’m enjoying the experiment and change so far. No issues to note. I’m a little surprised I haven’t had any serious cravings, but everything has been manageable so far. And I feel pretty good.
I showed up a little early today. Rowed a little bit to warm up and then did my 531 deadlifts. I felt pretty good doing them, and maxed out the last set with 6 or 7 reps. This was the last of “Week 2” of the cycle, so next week is the heaviest week.
By the time I finished up and changed, everyone else was out there and going already. We had an odd number, so I did a little bit of stretching and watching while I waited for someone to rotate out. Powerlifter Matt tapped out Renaulto, and he went to get a drink. So Matt was the first match of the day. We went for a bit, mostly with him on top. I’ve been trying to work my half guard to full guard recovery alot. He locked up a kimura from half guard, and I defended it a while, but he yanked on it and got it when I tried to sweep him.
I switched and went with Rod for a while. I did pretty good I think. Got on top, passed, mounted, got upa’d while working a cross choke, and now it was his turn to pass. I got back to half a couple of times, but he kept re-passing, then mounted, and started an arm triangle, but rolled off me before finishing it. Turns out…he doesn’t know how to! So I told him what I knew about the finish while we took a breather.
Another switch, and I’m with Bob the Monster. He’s going light, but not giving anything away. I’m on top most of the time, but his butterfly guard is just annoying. I’m constantly off balance. He sweeps me a few times, then rolls back to guard, restarting. I try a bunch of different things, some of which are just clearly wrong, but eventually I figure out that I think I need to pass the other way. That works better, but still gets me in trouble. He omaplata-sweeps me once, then resets. Over and over. I must of fought that guard for twenty minutes.
I switched again, back to Matt again. I arm dragged to start things off, and tried to head push him over. He re-gripped around my head and started a guillotine, I started the escape I just learned…and as I did so, he squeezed and damn near popped my head off. A good pop and things got dim quick. Tap, restart. We both do the same thing…and I’m getting guillotined again, but on the other side. But this time I’m fast enough to get a hand inside, to give my neck enough space to keep the blood going. I’ve got my other hand above his shoulder, opening up that side of my neck. And as a bonus, I’ve got my elbow on his thigh, giving me the leverage to start to open up his guard. I relax, he starts to squeeze, but I’m fine. My neck pops again, and he lets go. “Ew man…I don’t want to paralyze you. Let’s just go from here.” Sure. I stay postured in his guard, eventually get it open, he attempts to triangle, but I manage to get my other arm out fast enough, get the double underhooks on his leg and stack pass. Establish my head control, and he tries to roll into me, and basically puts himself in an arm triangle, all I have to do is jump over his body to the other side to finish it, and so I do.
Restart. He drives in, I pull guard. He breaks me open, and I go for the triangle choke. He’s postured up, and I’m shimmying my shoulders back to prevent being stacked, while working for the platform armlock. He keeps driving in, and eventually just rolls me over backwards. I turtle up, defending my neck and preventing him from getting any hooks in. I feel his hands probing here and there, looking for an opening…and for the first time in a while, I consciously take a breath, relax, and wait for him to probe the right spot, my far side arm pit. I shuffle a bit, baiting him into it, and he finally goes there and grabs me. I bite down with my arm, trapping his hand, roll away from him and he goes over the top and I land in side control on top. A perfectly executed reversal!
It was a pretty solid day on the mat for me. Felt good the entire time. Performed well most of the time. And learned a couple of things.