Last week's soreness is nothing compared to what i'm feeling now and what i'm going to feel tomorrow. Think LOCKUP seminar, but 1000x worse.

We had a "high performance judo coach" run the class last night. She was hired by Judo Alberta to help train the high level provincial and national judoka. one word: wow.

Class was more review of the basics: ippon seoi nage (shoulder throw), o goshi (major hip throw), o soto gari (major outter reap), and kesa gatame (scarf hold).

After practicing kesa gatame with several partners, i realized that what we have as a basic defense, push the head back far enough to hook your leg around uke's neck and peel him off, doesn't work most of the time. If the attacker has any remote idea of what he's doing (i.e. saw it on TV) it will be very difficult to get the head back far enough to hook the leg around - mind you we weren't scratching, biting, fishhooking, etc. A more effective method seemed to be grabbing onto uke's belt (or gi or clothes) and lifting his hips just enough for you to slide your hips under his. after this, bridging and pulling uke over the front of your body to the opposite side is very easy, and you end up in side control.

Again, this is another illustration of the difference between martial sport and martial art.