February 8th, 2010 by jgatienza

This past weekend I participated in a tournament. I came out 1-2. I won my first fight and lost the last 2.

My first fight, I believed he was a wrestler, a 4 stripe white belt. He mounted me and really tried to choke me. I felt very relaxed I never panicked I can hear Mophead coaching from the sidelines telling me what to do. I eventually reversed it, I heard I was down on points and tried to mount but I ended up in his half guard. I slipped in a lapel choke hoping he would open up his half guard. I didn’t really feel like he was defending so I just kept on choking him. At one point I thought I put him to sleep cause he made a snoring sound and I looked at him but he was still fighting it, so I kept choking him until he tapped a few seconds later.

The next two videos I got my ass handed to me. I tapped to a rear-naked choke but not so much that he was choking me but that he had his forearm right across my face and I thought my bottom teeth was going to go thru my bottom lip. I thought to myself I have to go to work on Monday and I don’t need to be any uglier than I already am.

My last fight, I was probably the most dissappointed in, not because I lost but because I didn’t feel like I got into my game. I rolled right into my opponent’s armbar. It was over before I could even try to defend it. I spoke to him afterwards and said he had been training very hard and that his chokes suck and that I was defending really well but he worked a lot on that armbar.

I’m going to have to train harder on my technique to be able to keep up with these younger, stronger guys.

I thought I came out pretty aggressive, I don’t think anyone really tried to take me down. I know I tried to do a single leg several times… Failed each time.

All in all, I was always in a bad position but I never panicked, I was always pretty relaxed even if the guys were younger, faster and stronger than me. I had fun and learned a few things and that’s what’s most important.

tournament

November 2nd, 2008 by jgatienza

Gi matches:
I participated in an inhouse tourny and I lost all my matches, gi and no-gi. I have mixed feelings about my first match, I’m disappointed that it didn’t last longer but I’m also pleased because I did some  things that I haven’t done before (bringing someone into my guard and sweeping). When I tried to do a sweep I got caught in an ankle lock.

My 2nd match I fought a big 16 yr old. At one point he picked me up and “slammed” me, they stopped the match to see if I cracked my head, but it was my elbow that took the brunt of the fall. I should really learn to break my fall. I attempted a guillotine but I couldn’t free my leg to wrap around him, from there he armbarred me and stretched it a little further than I would have liked.

No-gi  matches:
I lost against my judo instructor from a rear naked choke.

My 2nd match I attempted a Monson choke and I thought I had it, I kept squeezing for all I was worth but I couldn’t get him to tap, I gassed out and tapped from another armbar.

tournament

August 26th, 2008 by jgatienza

I competed in my first jiu jitsu tournament over the weekend. I had a great time. I had 4 matches, I only 1 one, but nonetheless, I had a blast. All my matches were difficult. The guys talked me into competing in no-gi as well. The video below is a video of my first match, which I’m proud to say I one by points (10 – 0). I later lost to the same guy in no gi. I grappled at +195. I definitely want to suck down weight for future tournaments. 

jiu jitsu, tournament