Guerrilla Journalism: Tap or go to sleep
I had always heard wrestling was exhausting, but no warning can prepare you for the draining full-body workout that is grappling.
I guess that’s why the dreaded conditioning drills are so important.
My trainers keep telling me the only way to get used to the strain that constantly flexing your muscles to keep your opponent at bay — not to mention creating some offense — puts on your body is to do it.
And after my third session, I have to say my skepticism is beginning to fade. I wasn’t nearly as exhausted after Thursday’s session that I was after my first two.
But that’s not to say I’m anywhere near the caliber of even a mediocre wrestler. In fact, after about a minute of “rolling” with my 135-and-155-pound tormentors, I’m still gasping for air like a 80-year-old that smokes two packs a day.
I am, however, learning to control my breathing and focusing on perfecting the techniques that will one day allow me to submit an opponent no matter if I’m on my back or in top position.
Today I learned a popular choke called a triangle. It consists of trapping an opponent’s arm from bottom position and using his own arm and your legs to force him to tap or pass out.
Anyone who has watched much UFC or WEC action has probably seen it applied plenty of times and, much like myself, thought “that doesn’t look too bad.”
Well, I can now tell you from first-hand experience, it may not look bad but when the lights start to dim after only a couple of seconds, your hand seems to develop a mind of its own while tapping a nice medley on the mat.
The thing I learned most from my numerous triangle drills was how important flexibility is to a jujitsu practitioner. After trapping your opponents arm, you have to swivel on your hip while throwing a leg over his shoulder and lock your foot behind your other knee in a pretty awkward position.
If your hips aren’t flexible enough to make these moves, there will be cramping and plenty of pain — I learned that one the hard way too.
So kids, the word of the day is flexibility. And I’ll tell you like my wise tutors told me, “Stretch before you start, stretch when you get done and if you have any time in between, stretch some more.”
Posted by Maggie Ramsay at 03:53 PM. Filed under:
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