Last weekend, I joined the 2012 Pan Asian BJJ Gi and No Gi International Open held in Mall of Asia. I signed up for the Gi draw and went down one weight class . 23 of us played in the Pena (featherweight) division alone. From Leve (-76kg) last January, I headed south to Pena (-70kg) just to worry less about the size of my opponents and concentrate on techniques. This made me feel good because of the fact that the opponents were roughly within my frame.The bad side, it would still take at least 3 wins to have a medal and 5 to have the gold.
It was a fun weekend for me and the rest of the team. No one got injured on our team which is really good plus some of my teammates bagged the medals.
It was a fun weekend for me and the rest of the team. No one got injured on our team which is really good plus some of my teammates bagged the medals.
But of course, you don’t need to win any medal just to gain anything from a BJJ tourney. I had a lot of realizations most particular about size, stamina and shape. I need to be stronger and bigger for my weight if I want to keep up with this stacked weight class.
Techniques-wise, I still have a lot of work to do from the guard to passing to sweeps to submission finishes to many other aspects of the game. Honestly, I still find a hard time finishing opponents from my back and I also have to admit that I still have a lot of work to do becoming a Rodolfo Viera-like guard passer.
Aside from the techniques and physical attributes that could win you the whole tourney, I also think that the pairing system can also give you an edge. Opponents coming from byes could drain you a LOT. Winning 2 matches and losing the third round, I faced two consecutive opponents who received a bye during their first round. A fresher and stronger guy could always dictate the game given that your skills are at par with each other.
With these things in mind, I’d still love to improve and adjust for the next competitions to come.
Now, Oss and Roll boys and Girls!
Techniques-wise, I still have a lot of work to do from the guard to passing to sweeps to submission finishes to many other aspects of the game. Honestly, I still find a hard time finishing opponents from my back and I also have to admit that I still have a lot of work to do becoming a Rodolfo Viera-like guard passer.
Aside from the techniques and physical attributes that could win you the whole tourney, I also think that the pairing system can also give you an edge. Opponents coming from byes could drain you a LOT. Winning 2 matches and losing the third round, I faced two consecutive opponents who received a bye during their first round. A fresher and stronger guy could always dictate the game given that your skills are at par with each other.
With these things in mind, I’d still love to improve and adjust for the next competitions to come.
Now, Oss and Roll boys and Girls!
