Don't Believe You're Own Hype

After all the "I make them work for the tap" rhetoric in my recent "Just Tap Already" post last week, I felt the need to really represent and make sure I walked the talk this week. "How's that working for you," you might ask? Well, good and bad. I was very aware of making everyone really work for the tap this week and nobody got any freebies (so far so good).

My last roll of the week I'm working with one of our guys who is getting ready for a tournament this next weekend. I'm giving him a lot of pressure and trying to diversify my pass attempts so he gets to work against some things he doesn't see from me all the time. Not my "A game" technique wise, but like I said a lot of pressure. This had me out of position at several points and my training partner definitely tried to take advantage and go for the submission. In true "walk the talk" fashion I defended vigorously and if he didn't get the submission sunk he had a fight on his hands.

Toward the end of our 10 minute roll I once again found myself with an arm out of position in bottom half-guard and he jumped on a americana. Again I defended, he needed to adjust and pull my arm down and into my body just a little bit more. He adjusts and because I'm being very conscious of making him get it "perfect" I take a moment to have this inner dialogue. "Hmmm just a little bit more and he's got it...almost there....yes that's it...are you sure?...what do you mean are you sure, of course I'm sure...ok then you better tap." In a perfect storm of bad timing, just as I'm tapping, he gives it a final crank and there is a really sick squishy popping sound that comes from my elbow and shoulder. Bad, bad, bad.

So what did I learn from this little escapade?

1. Don't have an inner dialogue with yourself in the middle of fighting a submission, that moment's hesitation can be asking for an injury.
2. I should go back and read the entire "Just Tap Already Post." Especially the part about JUST TAP ALREADY and "represent" that for awhile.
3. Remember that there are some "fights" that can be more costly than others: lose a blood-choke fight and you just go to sleep (3-5 minutes to recover), lose an armbar fight and you get a popped elbow (6-8 weeks to recover), lose a kimura/americana shoulder lock fight and you get BJJ game over (loooong to possibly no recovery without surgery).
4. And finally never-ever-ever believe your own hype.

Fortunately, he let go immediately and I can move my arm but there are several degrees of shoulder rotation that bring a lot of pain. We'll see how it feels after a weekend rest.