My Tournament #2
"If you don't succeed, eliminate all the evidence that you even tried".
Well, no. Here are the details of my second tournament experience.
Not many people can return from a tournament with 0:2 in one weight category. How did that happen? Well, my first scheduled opponent didn't show up, she got the flu. (Actually, so did I, so I have the lame half-excuse of not being in my 100% form). So it was a technical win for me in the first round, which meant I have two fights: if I lose the first one, I'll fight for the third place.
Ideally, there's thing thing called "weight categories". It means that I, with my 57 kilograms, will only fight with girls close to my own weight (55-60 kg.) Ideally. What happens in Israel is that there aren't that many people who do Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and in particular there are extremely few girls. Seriously, I think that in the entire country of Israel, there are less than 10 women above age 18 who compete in BJJ. Yes. So we just have one category -- "women".
That's why don't be surprised to see me in the first round against a girl who weights 70 kg. Here's how it went:
Click to viewBefore the match, Fabio and I agreed on the game plan: I really shouldn't let this girl gain side control or mount (duh, Sherlok...) I should test her a little standing up, and then try to pull guard. As you can see, this didn't work (0:42 -- I try to pull guard, but she is quicker to pass), and things went expectedly and steadily downhill from there. Almost mounts me at 1:15, I catch the leg -- officialy, it's half-guard, but things are not good for me here. The weight difference plays a big role in this position. Well, okay, let's be fair -- I guess that my lack of technique plays a bigger role. I sincerely don't know what I should have done from there. I tried to move\lift her right knee to get into a proper half-guard (using my elbow and legs, and turn my hips), but it didn't work.
At 3:00 she finally succeeds to achieve the full mount, and immediately goes for the Americana armlock. You can't see it from the angle in the video, but she actually almost caught me with it. I'm flexble, and her technique wasn't perfect, which is the only reason I didn't tap 30 seconds earlier than I did. But her straight armlock was much better. I knew it was coming, but didn't suceed at preventing it.
It's over, I'm crying, Fabio hugs me and tells me I had a good fight. Bullshit. He's a good guy, but I know enough about jiu jitsu to know that I suck... I hurry to unbraid my hair and take the gi off, but Fabio tells me I will have another fight, for the 3-rd place. Good.
Here is my second match. Carmela is also bigger than me, but I don't think it is by much.
I did much better in this match. In fact, I wasn't far at all from winning it. Note that pulling guard doesn't cost points in this tournament, that's why I'm so ready to do it. I don't understand the judge's gesture at 0:26 -- maybe he thinks it was her sweep? Hmm. Anyway, I worked very badly from the guard there. I want to say that it was because I felt that she used her weight properly and it wouldn't be easy to sweep her, but now I suspect I'm lying to myself. It's my usual thing -- too chicken to try anything. Should've gone for it.
It is surprising to see her let me stand up again at 1:23. I really don't understand this behavior, it's quite puzzling. Why would anyone ever want not to be on the ground? She opened my guard, awesome, cool for her -- so why didn't she try to pass it? Maybe if she was an experienced judo player, or something -- then, yes, obviously. But, as you can see next, she totally isn't. At 1:49 I do the first positive thing ever in a tournament match -- I gain points! A takedown! Whee! You can hear my friends in the background ("Vai Ola!" -- that's Ilan, Fabio's brother, with his wife Thais, and my teammates, Yossi and Alex. Rimma, Alex's wife, is taking the video).
And then an interesting thing happens. She tries to catch a gilliotine choke, but I'm not in her guard -- I'm in her half guard, on top, in a good position. So it doesn't work -- but the strange thing is that neither Carmela nor her coach seem to understand it! From there on, she is trying very hard to squeeze my neck, and I can hear her coach telling her to keep at it. They are both extremely wrong. I have a point advantage, and I'm securely on top. Yes, she makes my neck very uncomfortable (now, the day after, it's sore as hell), but I'm okay there. If I stayed in that position until the end, I'd win. It was lucky for her that she ran out of gas to hold me, and had to let go at 3:45... and then things went suddenly downhill for me. I think it was my mistake of moving my right arm and lifting the weight off her face that did it -- allowed her to get out, sweep, and pass -- all in a few seconds. Way to go, Carmela. At that point, I'm extremely tired, too. All I could do is not let her submit me and just wish it would all be over.
Some time after the match, Carmela and I chat. She is very nice. She is 37 years old and only trains in jiu jitsu for 6 months. Way to go! Problem starts when she asks me "You're new to this, too, right?" and I break down in tears. There is no other answer except the sincere "No, actually, I've been training for a year and a half, I'm just very bad at it". Poor Carmela slaps herself for being so insensitive (not her fault, really)... she hugs me and takes long time to assure me that a year and a half is just the beginning and that I am young and have everything ahead of me and that I need to stop being so hard on myself.
I need to get better. And then I'll stop being so hard on myself. Promise.