Satisfaction in grappling

[MAvulture]

So there have been plenty of threads about what pisses you off when grappling, but what makes you feel awesome? I dont just mean winning, but specific hard to do submissions or escapes, beating someone who usually kicks your ass, etc. What is the one thing that makes a training session complete? When your sitting at home, sore all over and barely able to move, what makes you look back and smile?

For me its doing things my old Judo instructor taught me and taking people by surprise. Dont get me wrong, I love training where I am now, but today when I was getting dominated and legs onto the other guys hips and throw him off me then leap into dominant position, or when I rolled right out of an armbar and took his back, or when I successfully kept one of the best grapplers there (who could easily kick my ass) held tight in a scarf hold, it felt good knowing that I learned some useful stuff in my old small town dojo.

 

[dr.feelgood]

Hitting a smooth sweep on someone that heavily outweighs me is more satisfying than submissions.

 

[Hillary]

I love doing something I've never been taught--when I can flow to a movement that makes sense.

 

[chabone]

Hitchhiker escape from an armbar, then eventually taking mount on one of my instructors. I didn't really accomplish anything from there, but it felt good.

 

[koolinkunming]

I love getting through a new technique with no real mistakes, and getting better and better by picking apart and refining each step.

Also knowing that I can throw people on the ground and choke them out or latch on to a limb is kinda cool too.

Sometimes I find myself thinking, "I bet I can throw that guy" or "I bet I can get a choke on that guy's collar".

 

[CardonaLJ**]

for me its when things start to click. and being able to stuff a takedown from one of the wrestlers (i have no wrestling background) even if it very rarely happens

 

[onepointeighty]

i feel like iv come to a point where i have gotten much better at learning. I love seeing new techniques now especially because the mechanics make so much more sense to me now than in the past.

 

[Jagcorps_esq]

Not to "copy cat" Hillary, but I really do get no greater joy than when I sort of improvise something. I can't even truly say that I improvised as much as I simply looked beyond the "technique" I was taught to the underlying principles that make it work and then applied those principles elsewhere.

 

[angrybandnerd]

Escaping from back control while being choked out. We've been working on this for about two weeks now and it felt so good to have a blue belt have me in this position, and still be super calm, create an epic bridge, and make my way to side control.

 

[redaxe]

I love it when I pull off a new sweep or submission setup that I just learned recently. It's really satisfying when you make something that's new to you work.

 

[peytonlucy]

Reusing skills in different contexts: like rolling off the couch to pick-up the tv remote that someone has left on the floor and using that in a scramble.

 

[Bruce Calavera]

Getting a technique to work that I've put alot of time and effort into developing.

 

[kyred]

Gotta chime in on this one.

My uber-competitive spirit (healthy competition only, of course ) has led me to train at least 5 times a week, so I get to train around 1-2 more times each week than a good number of the students at our academy. I still get my ass handed to me, but I get my satisfaction from seeing myself consistently survive longer and longer against those who used to demolish me. This of course, only applies to blue belts and fellow white belts. Purples and up still steamroll me, but whatever.

An example of this would be me going up against a very very good white belt who just "gets it". Said white belt is very close to the blue belt and survives pretty well against purples who don't go all out (maybe 60%?). But while this person used to cut through my guard like it was nothing, over time I see myself maintaining my guard longer and longer and seeing sweep openings more and more. And I also occasionally get the sweep in as well.

It's very satisfying to see the time on the mat paying off. As our instructor would say about applying techniques, "Believe it! Believe in the technique!" I guess that would apply to just consistently training, regardless of how a particular day goes, performance-wise.

 

[Podgorny]

My greatest satisfaction in grappling is in fact just that I am doing what I love to do. I love a good fight, whether on the mat, or with the gloves on, I love every minute of it. Setting up and completing techniques, and improvising as well. But there is no better feeling than just stepping onto the mat, it really makes you feel alive.

 

[FollowYourBliss]

Testing myself and holding my own against people who I know are much better then me.

The "wtf" moment that comes over newbies the first time I put them into a gogoplata.

 

[Calebz]

Hitting a really nice smooth combo sequence.

 

[StranGold**]

pulling of the techs taught in class during the live roll at end.

 

[Jagcorps_esq]

pulling of the techs taught in class during the live roll at end.

Hells yes.

Pulling it off when they know it's coming....brilliant.

 

[lechien]

I am not getting satisfaction during training anymore.
I hate going training but once I get in the room with the teamates.
It just reignite the passion.

Then I go home with a smile on the face like a tired dog.

 

[raines513]

rolling threw an armbar that my instructor attempted was pretty cool, but I like the fact that I can feel myself getting better every week.