Continuation:
Coach Nick has decided that I am ready to move up to the BJJ 2 + 3 class. Sounds good to me! From what I have seen, they do some cool stuff and get to spar with each other. The first difference is warm-ups. Lizard crawls? Ugh, my hips are all tight and ‘crunchy’. Not used to this kind of stretching. And don’t get me started on these pendulum drills. I feel like a fish flopping around on the mat. On top of that, I am already winded! I watch the other people in class and the blue belts flow around their partner’s legs like it is second nature. The other new folks are struggling to varying degrees just like I am, so that gives me a little perspective. I am reminded of wrestling practice; we used to have all sorts of funky (and fun!) warm-ups. I’m sure that before long I will get better at these.
I got this cool gi in my introductory package, but I must need to break it in or something. It’s a little stiff and it is scraping the heck out of my skin. Maybe I will get one of those rash guards they sell in the shop. I’m also sweating like crazy. I’ve always perspired a lot, but this is ridiculous. I feel like a water sprinkler. Who’s going to want to roll with me? One gi isn’t going to cut it. It’s only been a couple of classes and the sleeves on this one are already getting ugly. That’s something to worry about later though. Coach Tom is ready to start class.
So I’ve met Tom Oberhue a couple of times since starting up here. Friendly, welcoming, professional – these adjectives come easily to mind when I think of him. Turns out I can add corny to that list! Man, these jokes are such groaners. And that laugh! Love it! Haha. Aside from that, we get down to business. He explains that we’ll be working on something called cross sides bottom this week and demonstrates how to get to your edge, zero position (protecting your top arm from getting underhooked and using your bottom hand to protect from a cross face), and two ways to improve your position (shooting your leg through to quarters position or recovering guard). We watch the demonstration, then he answers some technical questions, and then we try it out. I have to stop myself from asking questions. It’s always been a habit of mine to overanalyze material before I try it. I definitely don’t want to fall into that pattern here. I don’t have a partner, but it sorts itself out fairly quickly as people pair off.
I end up with a younger guy with a blue belt who introduces himself as Robert. He was also the guy that Coach Tom used as a partner for demonstration so I assume he knows what he’s doing. Turns out he does! He walks me through the moves because even though I was paying attention it is more complex than I thought. The movements are really foreign to me. I have to get used to being on my back and on my side with my back angled toward the mat. Not to mention, I haven’t done any kind of contact sport in well over a decade. I can tell already that I am using muscles that I haven’t used in a long, long time.
Coach periodically provides feedback as we’re drilling. I notice that he makes an effort to help everyone, not just the higher belts. In fact, everyone is communicating a lot. I hear partners sharing constructive information on each other’s moves on a regular basis. This bodes well for the future, I think. We come back together to fine tune some parts of the cross sides position. Then we go back and work it a little bit more. My hip flexors are really bugging me now, particularly when I shoot my leg back to try to get to quarters position. I ask Robert about it and he suggests that I talk to Coach Eric in my next class. It turns out that Eric is a coach and a licensed massage therapist. I make a mental note to catch up with him soon.
Next, we get a chance to practice what we’ve learned in something called positional sparring. Coach Tom explains that the drill is for ‘Simon’ and that the other partner (Garfunkel) should only provide a percentage of resistance. Ha! Simon and Garfunkel! Coach is definitely from my generation. Anyhow, we get to it. I try my best, and I have some success surviving from the bottom position. I don’t do so well on top. Robert keeps escaping, so I go harder and try to press him into the mat using what I remember from wrestling. Coach notices and reminds me that this isn’t a full spar and that to be a good partner I need to give different levels of resistance at different times. *boggle*. You mean I’m not supposed to try to win when we do this? I don’t get it. I can tell that I’m a little stronger than Robert and I outweigh him by 25 pounds at least. Not sure my ego will let me just let him beat me. Of course, I’m breathing like a forge bellows and he’s acting like it’s a walk in the park but still I should get the best of it, right? I’m still confused by this as we come back together to end class.
Coach Tom gives some announcements about upcoming events. This guy named Jeff Glover is coming to do a seminar. That sounds cool. There is a tournament about 2 months away. I am so not ready for that though. We bring our hands together and on two we yell ‘Five Rings!’ then bump knuckles in a circle. I get turned around to the general amusement of the class, but finally get straightened out. Everyone is very welcoming and introduces themselves. Even with the confusion, this was a fun class. I am beat, though. Time to hit the sack and hope I am not too sore in the morning.
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