Training in the outer white belt room really puts things into perspective. I was proud of myself for running a 5K in half an hour two weekends ago. But after just 5 minutes in that room I feel like I’ve run a 10K in a sauna. It’s not a pleasant feeling, and I really need to get my stamina up to par.
Warm-ups today were followed by osoto-gari and hip throws. Yep, back to the ol’ routine. Some guard training followed. My partner today has been getting private lessons and has gotten a lot better since we both started. He can’t take classes as often as me, so now we’re around even in skill. He’s got great control and strength. We were both able to pass one another’s guards a few times. I don’t think either of us landed a submission. I still feel my bottom half-guard game sucks, but I learned a new sweep (more on that later). Continue reading