A steaming cup of hubris

I got a flashing insight, as I often do, in the midst of a choke hold. I got too close in Rondori last night and Beard moved in quick with a choke hold. I tried to angle my body to punch Beard in the crotch, but he was too quick to my game and wretched down on my neck leading to a complete set of crunching noises in my ears.

It was then I understood that I had learned something important. As soon as I could move my neck in what might be considered a reasonable manner I realized that I had gotten to the point where my responses are great; almost at a ganglionic level, but planning for the attack shouldn't be at that level because I get sucked into traps easily. At the end of two hours I was just realizing this when they called yame.

I know that Rondori is slow sparring to allow for better use of technique and to work on balance and so forth, but for a few of us it becomes sparring right away. Put Beard and I together and we immediately descend into a grabby, unskilled gutter fight. I love it.