NOW we're doing Jiu Jitsu!

Since I am now back home from college, I've been training back at the place(s) I trained when I was home on break. I made it plural because even though I mainly trained at one place, I definitely checked out a bunch of other schools. Being in the New York/New Jersey area, there are a TON of great schools in the area.

I was training with someone I'd consistently trained with during school breaks and it came time to rolling. We rolled for a few minutes and briefly before the timer signaled the end of the round, she caught me in a tight triangle. Keep in mind that it had been a LONG time since I'd rolled with her, as I was injured over my winter break and hadn't really been home since then. She told me I was SIGNIFICANTLY more calm when rolling and even exclaimed "NOW we're doing Jiu Jitsu!"

When I started BJJ, I was definitely a spaz. I never injured anyone, slammed anyone, or cranked submissions really fast, but I definitely had very quick, sudden, jerky transitions (not submissions) that were done at a high speed without much technique. I felt frustrated every time someone mounted offense on me, and would then begin to furiously and quickly try to regain control. I'm now much more calm, collected, and methodical while rolling. I noticed this myself, and I think part of it has to do with being injured. When I came back, I wasn't necessarily nervous about rolling, but I was much more aware of certain movements and positions. This awareness hasn't left me, and I hope it never does. It has definitely elevated my game, and I'm glad that others have noticed it too.