The Armbar.

This is not a story that will teach you how to armbar.

It’s one of those nights when I drive home from the gym and all I could think about is one thing: the armbar. I live about 30 minutes away (with no traffic) from the gym, so for 30 minutes I’m on auto pilot while my mind is on armbars. Kinda not safe, don’t try it at home, kids. But before I start yapping about armbars, SPEAKING OF ARMS — my arms are jelly!

I took boxing class for the first time in a while and I was dying — well, my arms were. It was not fun. I mean the class was fun (other than being punched on the left boob by a dude, but whatever), I like the combos we did today. Especially the 1–2–3-liver, then 1–2–3-liver, head, straight, under, 2–3–2. I love it. I am always fascinated with liver shots — one of the punches I wanna be good at. I’m glad I did boxing today, even though I know I’m gonna feel (or not feel) my left shoulder tomorrow from all those jabs. It’s a good pain anyway — it will remind me to train more.

As for armbars. During a live roll in gi class, I got the bow and arrow choke position —which was awesome because bow and arrow, for some reason, is not my go-to move. I know I should do it more as it is effective. Although not in this case. My grip on the lapel was weak and it was not that deep. He broke my grip. BUT I saw an opportunity for an armbar (Way to go, jiu jitsu brain!). Of course I took it. Couldn’t get his arm. He was doing good defending. We ended up in a position were he got up on his knees, my hips were up, shoulders on the mat, my legs still over his head, still got the arm. Then the bell rang. “Break!” coach said.

So I didn’t get the armbar. Which is totally fine. But my thoughts were,

“Maybe I should’ve went for a triangle instead of trying that armbar. Maybe I wasn’t pinching my knees together. Maybe the thumb was not facing the direction I want it to be.”

These are a few of my white belt thoughts. #whitebeltproblems

I asked coach Adam if switching to a triangle would be a better option for me from that position. That was really my concern as I want to get used to recognizing opportunities (I should stop calling it opportunity. Whatever, I like it for now.) available for me. He said no and that I could grab his leg from there. Okay, I can try that next time. All those things I think I was doing wrong were probably true — that I was doing them wrong. But that’s really okay, this is why I’m training. I’m in love with the process, and the tiny progress I see day by day.

Well, like I said. You’re not going to learn how to armbar here.