I am proud to say I am now a cockroach (blue belt)! It has been much harder than I ever anticipated.
Luckily, I received tons of help from the upper belts. There was a time for beatings and there was a time to let me practice my stuff. I really appreciate them taking the time to teach me.
I have competed in 2 tournaments (one large, one small) for a record of 1-2. I won my first match by kimura, and lost my second match 2-0 . Then, I lost my first match at American Nationals by armbar.
Did we have a belt test? Yeah, after we passed, we got judo thrown by about 20 people from black belt to white. It was awesome.
As for the test we demonstrated front rolls, back roll, hip escape. We had to know Single leg, double leg, tomo nage, ogoshi, and osotogari throws. A few guard sweeps and submissions, a couple mount escapes, a few sidecontrol escapes, a few different ways to open and pass guard, a few mount submissions and side control submissions, knee on belly, and escaping the back. We had to explain exactly what we were doing and why, as if we were teaching someone. We also had to perform self defense techniques from various positions such as bear hug over/under arms, headlock, throat grab, collar grabs, etc. The hardest part of the test was that our instructor wanted us to demonstrate different techniques than the other person.
Anyways, thanks for reading. And thanks for the all the BJJ advice over the years. If it hadn't been for sherdog I might still be 'backyard brawling' :redface: thinking I am actually learning something. Now I really AM learning.
*Update*
Here I am with my instructor, Gerson Sanginitto (2nd Degree Carlos Gracie, Jr. Black Belt). I know some of you will know him from Nino Schembri's Omoplata & Side Control DVD and Gordo's Half Guard DVD. I feel incredibly lucky to train under him.
Luckily, I received tons of help from the upper belts. There was a time for beatings and there was a time to let me practice my stuff. I really appreciate them taking the time to teach me.
I have competed in 2 tournaments (one large, one small) for a record of 1-2. I won my first match by kimura, and lost my second match 2-0 . Then, I lost my first match at American Nationals by armbar.
Did we have a belt test? Yeah, after we passed, we got judo thrown by about 20 people from black belt to white. It was awesome.
As for the test we demonstrated front rolls, back roll, hip escape. We had to know Single leg, double leg, tomo nage, ogoshi, and osotogari throws. A few guard sweeps and submissions, a couple mount escapes, a few sidecontrol escapes, a few different ways to open and pass guard, a few mount submissions and side control submissions, knee on belly, and escaping the back. We had to explain exactly what we were doing and why, as if we were teaching someone. We also had to perform self defense techniques from various positions such as bear hug over/under arms, headlock, throat grab, collar grabs, etc. The hardest part of the test was that our instructor wanted us to demonstrate different techniques than the other person.
Anyways, thanks for reading. And thanks for the all the BJJ advice over the years. If it hadn't been for sherdog I might still be 'backyard brawling' :redface: thinking I am actually learning something. Now I really AM learning.
*Update*
Here I am with my instructor, Gerson Sanginitto (2nd Degree Carlos Gracie, Jr. Black Belt). I know some of you will know him from Nino Schembri's Omoplata & Side Control DVD and Gordo's Half Guard DVD. I feel incredibly lucky to train under him.
