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NAGA Tournament of Champions Results
Posted on April 18th, 2009 No comments
Age Skill Weight Result Jeff Mueller Masters Blue Belt Lightweight (<160 lbs) 1st The guy I fought in the blue belt division was actually a 4 stripe white belt from a De La Riva school whose instructor was there telling him to fight up because he was promoting him to blue belt this week. I beat the guy 11-0 and was very happy with the match. I had been telling myself to be more aggressive with submission attempts, and I threw a bunch at him. Pulled guard, broke him down and locked the diamond on him but we had to shift before I could turn it into the triangle because we were near the edge of the mat. Right away I put an armbar on him… turned it belly down but he had long legs and managed to step over my shoulder so I had to bail on it and rolled him back into my guard. Locked the diamond on him again but I didn’t control his posture and he got out. Sunk a pretty deep cross choke in and I thought I had it done there but he toughed it out for a bit so instead of burning my grips on the first match I let it go. He reached back and I locked on a triangle… he stood up, so I hooked his leg and swept him with it. I tried to come up into the mounted triangle but couldn’t quite make it al the way up on top and we got caught in a scramble which I won. Passing him and getting side control. I transitioned to mount, then S mount with his arm wrapped around his neck. He bridged and rolled me, I turned around and swept him back to mount one more time at the bell.
So that was gold. Not that I really counts, considering it was only one match and a blue belt who was a couple of days short of his actual blue.
Where it got all jacked up was that they had the blue belt and purple belt masters go first… then they decided to split the master an adult white belt divisions between two separate rings. So I had to decide which one to forfeit… so I bailed on masters and went for the adult division.
That match started well. Pulled guard (but guard pulls were as technically sound as I know how to do by the way… sleeve pulled tight, foot on hip, etc…) but I had a hard time keeping this guys posture broken. He kept trying to violator pass me, and on his third attempt he managed to get his knee wedged in. I grabbed his pant leg so he couldn’t knee cut and went to half guard… he wasn’t able to flatten me out and we fought from there for a bit. I tried to go deep half on him but he stymied it, then with about 45 seconds left to go I swept him. It was a sloppy sweep though, and I ended up in his guard instead of in side control. So at this point I am up 2-0. I had his lapel by his belt with my right hand, and I made a stupid mistake and stepped up with my left instead of my right. He hail mary armbars me… it isn’t too deep and there is 30 seconds left on the clock. I stand and he rolls me with it. It is deep, but I have my arm turned just enough so there isn’t any danger. I reach up to pull his leg off of my head and the guy yells “He tapped” to the ref… and the ref stops it with under 20 seconds left on the clock. Telling me he was afraid my arm was going to get hurt. I protested but there was nothing I could do.
And of course at this point I can’t go do the master’s division. So I am pretty pissed at myself and NAGA right now to say the least…
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