Hey Everybody 11/25/04, Last night I had my first real wrestling competition in about 18 years. Not only that but I had to play by rules totally opposite from what I was taught in regular wrestling...which was to never, ever put your opponent in a potentially dangerous situation, also you're never supposed to go to your back.
Well, in submission wrestling, the point is to get your opponent to give up, since you have him in a situation where you could hurt him (or her). Also, there is no 'pinning' a person's shoulders to the mat, as in regular wrestling. People often use the term Jujitsu interchangably, but since I haven't read up on the topic, I'll just talk about my experiences.
So I practiced some with friends, and watched a evening of the grappling, and talked to some of the competitors. All seemed good and light hearted, so I prepared myself as best I could and signed up. It's free entry into the event and free beer for each bout in which you participate. There are three rounds of three minutes each. Most matches are decided in the first round. Experience grapplers drag you on top of them and clasp their legs around your waste. From there, they tend to try to straighten out one of your arms, lift their legs up to hold your head and shoulders, and proceed to put serious strain on your elbow.
I managed to make it to the end of the first period, and had a mental lapse, allowing my arm to be straightened, that was pretty much it. I had a nice talk with several people, including my opponent, after the match, and I was asked to do an interview with the local cable access station. I woke up sore but healthy.
I simply need to get more fit cardio-vascularily and practice. Now that I know what to expect things should be easier. Unfortunately, since I typically travel during the week, I'll rarely get to compete.
Well, it's been a month now, and my elbow is still sore. It's interesting to contemplate the healing process. I've learned how to sleep without straining it. It is possible to break old habits.
So, here it is, six months later, I'm in much better shape, and the long hair is gone. Last I checked, the club doing the submission grappling is on indefinite hiatus. Such is life. My elbow occassionally wakes up and says hello, but I wouldn't say I was ever in pain. It does occassionally need to be shaken out, in order to complete a push-up. I still try to sleep with my elbow bent, and try to put my seat-belt on with my other arm...no sense aggravating things.