Is BJJ defensive; does Wrestling seem offensive?

[pittbullJudoka]

Sounds like you had fun. If you learned something andyou found room for improvement you won in the long run. I wish could have watchedShorikid's last match I think I could have coached him past the guy who beat him. But I too got caught in an arm bar that day and I tapped because they said in the rules meeting if it looked like it was locked or we seemed to be in trouble they'd call the match. I kick myself everytime I think about that day and the arm bar. Maybe a few more seconds and I could've worked my way out of it. But if I'm not mistaken because of that day I rarely get caught in an arm bar.

Shorikid correct me if I'm wrong about getting caught with an arm bar. I may just be in denial.LOL.

[Treebranch]

I learned some new tricks since then so I think I'll better prepared next time around.

[pittbullJudoka]

Another great thing about going to tourneies like that is watching the guys who've been training for awhile and you may pickupsome tricks and their just awsome to watch after you get put out.

[Treebranch]

The interesting thing about competition is that you can be going up against someone that is about to be promoted to a higher belt. It's a good learning experience, but it's really not an equal playing field all the time.

[bushido_man96]

You're right there. It is also possible that you are going up against someone with prior experience in a similar style, like maybe a college Wrestler or something, who just doesn't have as much rank in their new style. There are a lot of things that are difficult to prepare for, like this.

[ShoriKid]

Pittbull, you know now I'm going to be TRYING to catch you in the armbar don't you?

I don't know if coaching would have helped that much, but man I would have appriciated it a lot. Going into competition by yourself is tough for a lot of the mental aspects of the game. Additionally, that lack of a coach from the side lines, which just about everyone allows for now, can hurt. It's easy to get caught up in the match and be missing something that someone right next to you can so clearly see. A whole in the opponent's defenses, something you can do to improve your position etc.

bushido_man,

Your right there is some "sandbagging" at almost any tournament you go to. I've seen a few guys at sport jujitsu tournament there were clearly wearing a belt well below what they were preforming at. I saw an adult yellow belt in the beginner's brackets hit a scissor take down, transition to mount to arm bar in something that looked like a training video it was so smooth. And Pittbull can correct me if I'm misremembering here, but I think the guy I lost to in that grappling tournament went on to either place or win the the division and in the absolutes that day. I didn't stick to watch the rest of the competiton. Having been up there the whole day before, doing a seminar right before competing and knowing what trouble it would be to fight traffic if I staid while a UK basketball game went on, I headed out.

Has anyone watched tape of their own sparring sessions or competition to critique themselves? We keep threatening to bring in a camera and tape some sparring to watch and work off of, but we always forget to do so. That and I doubt that by the time we got to the sparring porition of class most nights, we'd be technically adept enough to opperate something with more than two buttons.

[pittbullJudoka]

Shorikid that guy did go on to compete in the absolute portion of the tourney. And yes it's a bear to go into a competition without someone you know and trust to coach you. When your on the mat atyou need is that firmilar voice to keep you calm even if they are just talking to you. The tourney I did before the one you went to I was expecting to have a coach and when I got news they weren't coming I thought no problem but it really ended playing a mental factor when everyone I went against had one.

Sandbagging is something that rubs me raw. There are people who are in complete denial that this type of thing goes on. Some find it acceptable. For example I was talking to a fellow on Sunday that said his son competed in a kick boxing match on the 12th of this month, this match was set up for young kids all the way up to ammy fighters. For the kids they went by belt and time in the martial arts and his son was entered as a white belt novice instead of a black belt advanced. His theroy was his son doesn't train kick boxing so he's a novice. No matter the child has been to every tourney within 120 milesof here for the last 2 yrs. I had to call him on this.

But I don't hink it's quite as bad in the grappling realm because we grapplers like to test ourselves.

I has watched the matches I've taped and been so mad after words because of the sub attempts I passed up or just didn't see. Now I want to see my standup I need a good laugh.

[Treebranch]

Haha, I found out the guy that beat me is a pro mma fighter. That's awesome!

[bushido_man96]

bushido_man,

Your right there is some "sandbagging" at almost any tournament you go to. I've seen a few guys at sport jujitsu tournament there were clearly wearing a belt well below what they were preforming at. I saw an adult yellow belt in the beginner's brackets hit a scissor take down, transition to mount to arm bar in something that looked like a training video it was so smooth.

When I started over in the TKD organization that I am with now, there was another guy in there that had some prior experience in an Olympic-style of TKD, a school where the major focus was on sparring. He was something like a red belt there, and he could fight pretty well. He was quicker than I was, and could counter well. Well, as he and I were coming back up through these new ranks, he would go to tournaments. This is ok, but he had all of this prior fighting experience, but he started competing as an orange belt (2nd gup/kyu). He continued to compete, all the way up to his 1st dan, where he did well, also. However, I just wouldn't feel satisfied with competing and beating these guys, when I know that I probably had 7 years or better experience over them.

Has anyone watched tape of their own sparring sessions or competition to critique themselves?

I have done this with our TKD sparring, at tourneys and stuff. I would watch and then review. Some buddies of mine and I also recorded our SCA Combat session once, and then sat and watched it as well. We learned a lot, and saw a lot of different things when you slow it down and back it up.

[NightOwl]

Sounds like you had fun. If you learned something andyou found room for improvement you won in the long run. I wish could have watchedShorikid's last match I think I could have coached him past the guy who beat him. But I too got caught in an arm bar that day and I tapped because they said in the rules meeting if it looked like it was locked or we seemed to be in trouble they'd call the match. I kick myself everytime I think about that day and the arm bar. Maybe a few more seconds and I could've worked my way out of it. But if I'm not mistaken because of that day I rarely get caught in an arm bar.

Shorikid correct me if I'm wrong about getting caught with an arm bar. I may just be in denial.LOL.

Anyone see that armbar escape in the last UFC? That was pretty amazing....thing is that I wouldn't think about moving that way if put in that situation.