I'm going to choke that MFer out...

[thesaintv12]

Good luck dogboy.  I did a bit of boxing at school and really enjoyed it.  Not sure I would have been up to this kind of stuff though...

[grnidone]

I have a stupid question, DB: 

When you say you will choke him out...do you actually choke him until he blacks out?  Or...will the referee or whoever stop you just before he keels over?  I mean, I kinda thought that choking someone until they black out is sort of... dangerous...medically speaking.

Just wondering.

[dogboy]

This tournament is a 'submission grappling'/Jiu-Jitsu event, which means the fights last 4-6min and winning can come either from points, or a submission.

Points are awarded for 'take downs' (bringing the fight to the ground), 'sweeps'  (fast position reversals) and gaining ground toward immobilizing the opponent, with the ultimate goal of immobilizing them with a joint lock or by choking them unconscious (or until stopped by the ref, or the opponent, who signals with a verbal or hand 'tap' they have had enough.)

Since points are a subjective thing, the goal is really to get the person to forfeit. And while a joint lock is effective it's always preferable to actually choke someone out, since that is the safest way for you to get out of a fight... whereas if I arm bar the guy on the street, I'll just break it, then go back and fight him more now he only has one useful arm, until I can get to his neck. Then I'll use my arms, or my gi, or his gi, and try to apply a 'blood choke'... meaning I am going to knock you out by cutting the blood from going to your head, as opposed to cutting your oxygen, which takes significantly longer.

I guess the other notes might be that in training we tap more often. In a real fight, you tend to try and really eat the pain. If a blackbelt chokes you will fade in 10 seconds or so, but if isn't applied right by a lower belt, you may be able to keep your head until the guy with the bad technique gets tired and either gives up, or gives you a little space to counter. As a result, the chances of going out go up when you are at a real fight and your will is stronger than your body. By the same token, you have to respect the guy that goes out because he never quit, and went down still fighting. And since fighting is as much mental as it is physical, you can't fault a guy from going out, but you might if he taps too soon.

[dogboy]

Oh, and if I get there in one piece, I'm only fighting 'gi' (white suit) not 'no-gi' (fight shorts). In no-gi, it's very fast, you can not use clothes as handholds, and chokes are limited to using arms, not using their collar as 'the blade', or for leverage.

[dogboy]

...oh and legs. We do a few chokes using our legs and one of your arms... it's called a triangle and is a hallmark of Jiu-jitsu

[dogboy]

and this one is called a 'rear naked choke'.... swear to God...



...and believe it or not, they did it perfect.  The one 'with the hooks in' (feet wrapped around) did not cross them... if you cross them, believe it or not they can submit you in a foot lock.... so they need to be around, but not crossed.  The arms are right too... the choking arm's hand is on the biceps , the other one is on the back of the head with the *back* of the hand applying forward pressure.  Again most civilians use the palm against the head, and we have a defense for that which will break their fingers...

[dogboy]

I'm benched again.  This is the 3rd time out of the last 3 I got injured ramping up.  I guess they don't make me like they used to...

My thumb had been taped to the hand (so all I could do was curl my 4 fingers as one) for 3 weeks. On Monday, I taped it normal, X style, fingers open (to start to strengthen it.)  But since I couldnt completely close it, it made the thumb stick out.  I lasted about 40 mins then jammed it backwards again.  And now at this point I'm back where I was on Day 1.

...Anyway, I thought about going taped but I don't think it's doing me or anyone else any good.  I have to admit, if this was another sport I wouldn't think twice, but even though I never signed up formally, and the guy didn't even know about me, I still feel like I'm backing down and that is a worse feeling than getting beat for me.

But it IS grappling, and hands are important, obviously.  I just know that when I was a dog musher, I broke my hand racing in Russia (after missing a turn and going off the side of a mountain) and drove a 150 more miles like that (and after 60 of those, I ripped my brake off and basically drove with one hand and no brakes) through the beginning of Typhoon Sudal.  So I KNOW a  sprained thumb can't hold me back... but apparently it is. 

...And the old guy (in my bike video 4eyes hates) has been bitch slapping me all morning.  Anyway, we'll see when the next one is.

[4Eyes]

And the old guy (in my bike video 4eyes hates) has been b###h slapping me all morning

LOL - suddenly I like him more

[dogboy]

ehheeheh me too!

[dogboy]

...but there is a fine line between being the underdog and just being unrealistic:)