Tap #13

Class #20: Just Jack and I. He sweeps me a few times and gets me in a Baseball choke. Tap #13.

As a White Belt, I really need to work on:

• Mount escapes
• Side escapes
• Back escapes
• Guard passes
• Guard attacks

In that order. k

Taps #11 & 12

Class 19: Rolling with Instructor Purple Jack. He gets side control and says, "Don't give me that elbow; I'm just seconds away from an armbar." Then he arm bars me. Tap #11.

We roll again and he chokes me. Tap #12.

There was a new guy. Came in for his intro free first class. He had about 60 lbs on me. We rolled and I'm thinking like the Big Bad Wolf ... "My what a nice flimsy karate gi you have! Better to choke you with. "

I thought he would spaz and use his strength, but he didn't. And I gently as I could swept him a few times and made him tap three or four times. It's good rolling with lower belts than me because I encounter new situations like him trying to choke me from the bottom mount, or trying to choke me from inside my guard. And of course, all the while, inside my head the neon sign is flashing, "PBS PBS Position before Submission!!"

Anyway, I hope he wasn't too frustrated and does come back. If not, c'est la vie.

Speaking of frustration. I thought I was gaining ground on White Patrick but last time I rolled with him, same deal: I kept up with him, stayed level, with slight advantage to him. Here's the story on White Patrick: we started about the same time. He's younger, stronger and faster. I know a little more and I try to be more efficient.

Here's what usually happens: he gets dominant position on me and can't tap me because he doesn't know any subs or doesn't know them well enough to get through my defenses. He'll get side control on me, then mount and we'll stalemate there. Or his speed will get him to my Back and he can't sub me through my defenses.

I try to train once maybe twice a week. What I just found out was that he comes five times a week. So he should be dominating me but he's not. So I don't feel so bad anymore.

I wholly believe in the "Escalator theory" of BJJ. If you start now, you've just got on the escalator and all those who got on before you are higher and better and will sub you. That's the fact. My little bro was Blue belt when I started 10 years. I stopped after about six months, but he stopped and started and stopped and started and just recently got his Brown belt. I just recently got back into it.

But it's the journey and I feel fit and I like the rolling.