2025 Training Log Part 16

On the stereo today- Nothing! Everyone is at home for the Easter so I don’t get to pick my music.

So I had an enforced break the week before last, and then it wasn’t exactly straight back in the saddle as I had to wait until Wednesday to be sure. This was unfortunate because it was camp week! I had Fellipe Andrew and Leticia Cardozo over for the week.

Monday

No training, but stood back and watched sparring. It’s incredible what you can learn by viewing with a critical eye. Small details on movement is what I picked up from Fellipe in this session.

Technique was passing the lasso guard using a variety of breaks and grips. I have them on video, too many to detail here.

Tuesday

Likewise I was unable to spar, so more viewing. Here we were creating pressure in nogi to set up the pass, and then a guillotine into a really nice Darce choke finish with some cool details on trapping the arm.

Wednesday

Just when you thought you knew everything about a position, someone opens a new box for you. Today’s was a pressure move from side control, using your body weight to drive the head away to set up the smother choke from mount.

Then some training! Specific sparring from pressure passing positions initially. Really difficult to master but very helpful once I got the knack of where my weight should be. Then we did 5x3min rounds during which I was blowing! I really felt the while off in my lungs.

Thursday

Brown and Black Belt training. Specific sparring from the 50-50 position, and then 4x3min rounds of sparring. A really high level on the mats. There’s a saying, when you look around for the easy round and can’t find it, you’re it! Not sure if that was the case but it was a tough, tough mat. Great training.

Technique was an entry from closed guard to the 50-50, and then a finish using a low, hip grip footlock finish that placed pressure on the shin. Nice.

Afterwards I watched as Fellipe went through the technique he used to take the back from a failed triangle in CJI a few months ago. So detailed, yet so simple.

Friday

Light recovery.

Saturday

3 hour seminar. Not very tough obviously but got to go through a lot of new positions and techniques. Jiu Jitsu is great man.

Training Thoughts of the Week

I was chatting to someone after the session on Saturday about training through the belts and how your initial passion for it will likely fade. No one stays enthusiastic forever. You just need to tough through these times and then you’ll eventually come back to it. For me, in a tricky period, it’s always the people and the craic on the mats that keeps me coming. It helps when you’ve people relying on you too- students or sparring partners. They stop you becoming obsessed with that “me” thing and keep you coming up for a “we” project.

Non-Training Thoughts of the Week

I sat down to my drums last week to learn a shuffle. Now I don’t expect you to know what that is, but it is hard. It’s Fool in the Rain by Led Zeppelin in case you’re wondering. I stood up again about 25 minutes later in frustration, apparently worse than when I sat down. This has been ongoing for about 3 years. I just can’t get it.

If this were Jiu Jitsu, I would still be on the mat trying to figure it out. I would go back in every day and grab a partner and go again and again. I’d watch video, I’d talk to people. I’d go mad until I got it. But when it’s drumming, there’s nothing at stake. I’m playing for me and occasionally with a few mates to relax and enjoy. If I don’t learn what John Bonham was doing with his foot, who cares? It’s supposed to be fun.

I think those are the two states of play in Jiu Jitsu. You have some people obsessed with getting it perfect, and others who enjoy the journey. I don’t think either one is right or wrong.

See you on the mat!

Barry