RENDER - Dani and Kimiko (didn't graduate that much)

Dani is used to rolling with Jessica and has a lot of practise with "bigger and stronger".

Recently even took that to a new level with Lena for the win.

One of the mistakes a lot of people make is falling for the fallacy that "smaller" is easier than "bigger".

There are a few grapplers at the very top of my virtual roster.

Some of them, like Jessica and Marielle, even Jacelyn, are more muscular and stronger.

Dani has just handled Lena and is feeling a bit cocky. She asks Kimiko to roll.

Jessica is a bit amused. But she's kind of curious herself.

"Keep it friendly guys."

Oh well. Dani gets it now.

No, Kimiko isn't as big or as strong as Jessica.

She's not weakling. When she's working on the mats Dani feels like she's wrestling something made out of sinew and tendon.

But that's not the difference.

You need some strength and fitness to grapple.
 
There may be an opening from your opponent.

You still have to move into it.

Your opponent is looking for your openings. You need to be able to close those openings or block them.

Kimiko's openings are very, very, very small.

No Kimiko isn't as big either. Dani gets that this isn't necessarily a good thing either.

Kimiko is finding more openings in more places than Dani thought possible, and Dani is expending a lot of her strength blocking and trying to close those openings before it's too late.

Dani gets caught in a one arm choke. Breathe, bend, flex, she manages to get out.

Kimiko is impressed, and changes tactics slightly.

Now Dani has a new problem. Kimiko moves, Dani blocks, Dani panics.

It seems every time Kimiko makes a move now it's a feint, and as Dani blocks one thing she's leaving herself open more for the next.

And finally she gets caught.

The triangle isn't locked in yet. Kimiko has moved into the opening, she hasn't gone completely past it yet though.

Patience, first she sets position.

Dani sees what's coming, even with her flexibility the opening to escape is very, very small.

 Kimiko bends forward and locks down, that opening to escape is gone now.

Dani is trying to bridge and twist. Kimiko isn't that big or that strong, except that right now it feels to Dani like she's under a car.

Kimiko flexes and pulls, this would be a choke out for almost anyone else.

Dani breathes and bends and keeps working.

Kimiko is impressed.

But then...

There was no escape. That door was closed.

What just happened now feels less like a door and more like a belt, one that just got tightened to half it's length.

Dani taps...

Kimiko is impressed.

"Your defense is pretty awesome. Long time since someone made me work that hard."

"Your offense is nearly non-existent. You spend too much time waiting for someone to make a mistake or fall for an obvious fake."

"Work on that and let me know sometime..."

RENDER - Lena and Dani (recent graduate)

Dani graduated ranks recently...

She probably would have come further and faster.

Problem is... Well...

Problem is that Dani is, at her heart, a pacifist.

If you want to get to that really elite level you have to be willing to keep going, especially when your opponent isn't willing to tap.

Think about it. If the person you're rolling with isn't willing to tap... If they refuse...

Would you be willing to break their arm? Or worse???

Dani recently overcame this partially. Choking someone out doesn't injure them. Dani can make herself ok with that.

Credit Jacelyn (The Silent Strangler, formerly the Singapore Strangler) for that tip and related training.

Jacelyn's girlfriend, Jessica, has another idea to help more.

So Jessica convinces Dani to call out Lena.

The match is pretty even. Couple of close falls...

Dani still lacks that "killer" instinct...

Jessica knew what she was doing, and sure enough.

When Lena gets top position she uses her strength and size, a lot.

She "monsters" her opponents.

A forearm across the throat is part of that.

Dani is not enjoying this, but she's struggling to do much about it.

Instead, right now, she's getting angry.

And angrier.

And angrier...

Someone has just decided to find and use their inner mongrel.

Step one is sweep and roll. Still in guard, but gravity isn't helping the arm on the neck any more.

 Step two, posture up. Lean is trying to sweep or roll, but she's getting blocked every time.

Lena is starting to wonder what's going on here?

 Dani isn't going to injure Lena here...

But this can cause an awful lot of *hurt*...

Lena doesn't tap, she is desperate to escape.

In the scramble and twist Lena gives up full mount.

Dani is ok with this. She's got something specific in mind.

 Unsure what rule book covers this, if any at all?

Dani still has something specific in mind here though.

 Lena is desperate to escape being smothered, so she turns, giving up her back.

Dani takes that.

And now Lena  realises the severity of the mistake she just made.

Lena has an octopus latched onto her back.

No matter how she twists and turns Dani's hooks are in solid, and her balance is spot on.

One moment her arm is being dislocated at the shoulder one way, then another.
 

 And now realisation.. Defending her arm...

The arm was never the target, and now Dani has Lena's neck.

Lena needs all of her power, and she just barely makes it onto her hands and knees.

 Too little too late, Dani pulls and, as Lena's knees and arms lose strength she's rolled over like a turtle with Dani making like a shell.

 There's a sensation, like a rushing train running through your head.

Time to tap out.

Which Lena does.

A choke out doesn't cause injury, which is why Dani is ok listening to her inner mongrel.

She doesn't let go.

RENDER - Itch is scratched, time to move on

Lena here again.

Enough with the lights and water and wet skin maps.

Time to move on...

RENDER - More test runs of the new light rigs

I think I've got it...

Finally I seem to be able to get these right consistently!

Alas Lena has bitten off way more than, well more than pretty much anyone can chew (with only a few possible exceptions).

Marielle is after all one of the elite guns in my virtual roster.

*ouch*

RENDER - Dani and Jess playing pass the guard (and go for the RNC)

So I was writing (whinging?) earlier about the challenges I was having with a new set of light rigs...

I think I've maybe possibly about gotten there?

Dani and Jess go back (see earlier posts here or my blog for more details).

They are good friends and Dani has gone from novice to threatening in a very short period.

Her big shortcoming is... Well to put it bluntly sometimes you need a little bit of a mean streak, and that's not Dani.

Today she's passing guard pass with Jessica. Jess is not holding anything back, but so far she's not being very threatened either.

Jess keeps sliding her hips to one side, despite Dani's best efforts.

The last time two things happen...

Jess is certain she hears Dani say "ah ha" this time when she slides to back.

Maybe someone has been paying attention and just figured out how someone else is doing something?

The second thing is that, and Jess really isn't holding back much here, Dani manages to escape and, somehow, twist back into guard.

Jess tries to slide her hips again. This time Dani doesn't just block, she somehow gets one arm under Jess's leg.

Just like that she passes guard. Jess's eyes furrow. From bottom mount she sweeps back to top position in Dani's guard. And then...

Holy crap, Dani just slid her hips out and Jess didn't block!

Jess is not holding anything back, it doesn't matter.

Well this is looking at things from a different angle...

"Jacelyn explained to me, if you don't want to injure someone, just choke them out. She's been helping me practice."

I think someone has graduated a level on the mats?