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For the non-wrestling/grappling/BJJ guys I put the cliff notes up top.
CN: I just started training in grappling, signed-up for a tournament, went 0-2, didn't get overpowered, didn't gas out and learned a lot.
The last couple of months I started to train in MMA/BJJ with two friends. My one friend has trained for many years but never at a formal school and has no belts but he is a personal trainer and a good teacher. About 6 weeks ago my friend says "Hey you should enter NAGA" and of course I am like "OK".
The North American Grappling Associate holds many events throughout the US and this one happened to be 40 minutes from my house. I signed up for Adult Open Novice to get as much experience as possible, I could have signed up for master's division which is only 30-39 y/o. This last week I really cut hard and ramped up my cardio to ensure I made it into the light heavy weight class (180-189) and ended up at 183.8 on Friday night's weigh in...cut too hard.
I get there on Saturday, listen to the rules, run things over in my head and watch the kids go for about an hour or two. Then they call us over to the bracketing area and we start to warm up. We then get called to our ring.
Go time...the first match I have is against a younger guy from Navy BJJ and he just wanted to pull my neck down hard and clamped both his elbows in. He was strong and probably had me by 5 pounds or so but he was leaving his legs open and he was not able to push/pull me into any choke or take down. My neck was feeling good so I just let him go and just watched his legs before shooting. I got his right leg pretty clean, drove and then slide past his legs for mount. I was up 4-0 one minute into a four minute match. He sweeps me from mount and then he was in my guard. He locked his hands together and just laid on my chest. I kept trying to slide me feet up and pull his arms either across his body or down so I could get a triangle, arm bar or Kimora. I kept trying to gain position and I missed him passing guard and so he mounted. I tried to counter and and kept moving but he gained position and at that point I was behind with about a minute left. I moved and ended up in a north-south position giving up points and getting myself stuck. He stalls for 45 seconds and I lose 8-4.
I waited about 5 minutes for my next match. This guy was taller and still younger. This time I decided to go for the aggressive head control like the first guy did to me (pay it forward, right?). This worked and I got his foot nice and close before I dropped for a single leg. I went and he sprawled but not before I got low on his leg. I held, tipped my head into his chest, drove and lifted both legs for a take down. I ended up in his guard with my right arm under his back. He started positioning for an arm bar. I kept rolling my arm position to block the arm bar and he was able to sweep me and moved into mount. He immediately put his forearm on my throat and I was able to clear by pushing his elbow down. This set him up for an americana which I basically wiggled out of of so he went for the other arm which I powered out of and was able to whizzer his arm so that I could try to sweep him. He blocked it and when I tried to escaped he gained rear control and then rear naked choke.
I really need to work on my transitions, mount game and blocking guard passes. I am still bummed but I will use it as motivation.
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