I got to roll with Don today. A round was starting and he asked "who doesn't have a partner?"...and instead of doing the smart thing and letting someone else volunteer I jumped up: "Me!" (idiot...)
Don owns West Coast Jiu Jitsu. He's a black belt (in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu- kind of a big deal). He has trained all over the world with "the greats" like Gracie and De La Riva (in fact his school teaches De la Riva curriculum as well) and the idea of him wasting his time rolling with someone like me is just crazy...and I'm grateful for my good fortune (luck? hrm).
Anyway rolling with him is like trying to grapple a gigantic, super strong spider. That is also super flexible. And agile... so many limbs.
He was kind enough not to submit me; we just sparred, going for position. A strategy game, basically.
I was thrilled not to have spent the entire time on my back (or with him on mine). After the round he told me "Sheila- you're trying to play a "big-strong" game. And you're stronger than you look...but you're still not stronger than me. You need to play a more defensive, weaker game. If I push you, don't push back. Just go with it and take it into something that is to your advantage".
...
*sigh*
I knew this. And I've been actively trying to get more... soft, when I roll because he's right. I can muscle someone my size, but most of my opponents (here read: problems) are not my size and if I don't want to get squished...I'd better start being more like water.
I don't know why I even want to fight the spider. It would be so much easier to stay small and quiet-- let him tear someone else apart with his endless, spiny limbs. Beh.
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