Private w/Gordo #2

I have been sick this week, but made it to training this afternoon to get my second private lesson with Gordo.  On a quick side note, when you order bottled water in another country and they bring it to your table and it's already opened don't drink it...we call that getting "gringoed".  Lesson learned.  So the private went very well.  Gordo is a very busy man teaching two classes a day five days  a week as well as doing many private lessons throughout the week.  Still though, he remembered exactly what we had worked on last week which impressed me.  In the first private we worked solely on halfguard, and continued some more today.

In the first private I worked how to compose a solid halfguard and learned the difference between a defensive halfguard compared to an offensive one.  Today we continued to look at an offensive halfguard looking to sweep or take the back when appropriate.  As I said before, Gordo's go to move from the halfguard is taking the back, if you are trying this you will either succeed or it will open up a sweep.  Today I worked with Jeremy who is a bit heavier than I am (he's about 200lbs and I weighed 171lbs before I got sick) so it was a good opportunity to work the concepts with someone putting more pressure down on me.  I am feeling more confident getting to my hip and working the pummel, but still get lazy about protecting from the crossface but it's getting better.  We worked a few different sweeps from the halfguard and different ways out to the back.  It's just a back and fourth game...i'd have the pummel and try to to go the back-jeremy overhooks-i try to sweep-jeremy removes the overhook to base-i go to the back-jeremy overhooks.  Each time though I am working deeper and deeper. 

Lastly I worked posture and escapes from side control bottom, worst case senario.  This was cool because Gordo had me use slightly different postures than what I am used to.  We worked from being crossfaced.  His first concern is to protect from chokes so both hands are near the lapels.  From here we worked going both ways turning in and out as well as recomposing guard or coming to the knees.  I was worried about coming to my knees and giving my back, but Jeremy made a point that as you progress in belt rank there is a big difference between giving your back and having you back taken.  After some practice on the few different techniques he had Greg (Dirty White Gi) come over and had him put me in side control.  Greg is much smaller and lighter than I am and Gordo wanted me to work the techniques without using strength.  This was good because I really starteed to get the feel for what Gordo wanted.  Create just enough space to move a little bit, always working to get from flat on your back to your side.  If you are being crossfaced why try to turn into the person?  Turn away.  Simple concepts but it's hard to get your body to want to do that naturally. Another great private lesson in the books.

Back at the house, this is Jeremy's last night.  He will be heading home to South Carolina but plans on coming back as soon as he can raise some money and get his visa squared away.  His plan is to stay down here till he receives his Blackbelt under Gordo and then return to the states to open a school.  He and others think this will probably be about a year and a half to two years.  Awesome.  I want to do the same thing, but it might take a bit longer seeing as he is already a brownbelt :)  So it's off to all you can eat sushi, which is like US$25 and awesome.  I mean whatever you want, and it's really good. I'm gonna run a train on some sushi...I'm gonna be like "num num num num num".  Movie quote anyone?  The movie quote game is also a good way to kill time with the guys in the house between training, although Jeremy and I seem to be the only ones that know any.  And Brooke thought watching all those movies was a waste of time...ha!