20: Crusher

I usually go to stand-up fighting on Wednesday, but I love the M-W instructor's style and this week is my favorite position (turtle, remember?) and so I went to BJJ instead. 

The class was good. I felt like I learned.

And then we rolled. 

I somehow ended up rolling with a new guy, who wasn't wearing a gi. I should have realized that this would be a mistake, but I was all merrily excited to roll, and I didn't even think of it.

My experience with sparring/rolling with the new guy is that it sucks. Not every new guy, but the new guy who is overeager and really strong and thinks he should skip past the rules because he is so into this new thing.

He mashed me into the ground. He didn't have any form to it, and one of the instructors pointed out to me later that he had no posture, either. He just laid his weight into me and pinned me down, and there was no way to get back up from the sheer force of him.

I could only think two things:

1. protect your breathing, and 

2. don't go self-defense ballistic on him. 

The only thing I could do was use my arms to keep him from getting his full weight on my chest, because then I would not be able to breathe. Because he wasn't wearing a gi, I almost tore his t-shirt trying to keep a grip on him, but I couldn't use the fabric to slow him down or keep him away. Instead, his entire weight was pressed on my arms, trying to flatten me.

And the whole time I kept reminding myself that this is jiu jitsu, not dirty street fighting, and I was not allowed to gouge his eyes or dig my fingers into his neck.

Which is not to say that I didn't want to gouge his eyes or dig my fingers into his neck. Oh, I did want to, very much.

It was a great relief to roll next with another fairly cautious yellow belt who would, like me, stop and think when we got to an impasse, rather than just crushing by brute force.

Then I had to give up, because Crusher had mortally wounded my gimpy arms for the evening. Ow. Next time I am just refusing to go near him.