NAGA

[ninjamessiah]

Well I could've done without the 6 hours of sitting around and the sweltering heat and the lack of food and all the noise and the loss of 80 bucks to enter, but other than that I think the whole experience was worth it.
What I witnessed: Almost every match I saw was like a pushing match with people taking turns trying double-leg takedowns and gaurd drops on each other. With the exception of that young asian judoka who was droppin' mad ippon seo nages and leg sweeps. On the ground I only witnessed 2 people get mounted, and most every tap-out was a triangle choke. There were a few exceptions though, and they were the most fun to watch.

My match: I was in the novice no-gi welterweight. I was up against a short, well toned muscular young man. I was really nervous and I had already psyched myself out so as far as that goes I was already beaten mentally.(mistake learned from) I started making circles around this guy, all of my takedowns escaping me, he goes for the clinch, I just react and half-ass try to pull gaurd and fail.(mistake learned from) He stays in side control for a while, I threaten with a guillotine, he puts a guillotine on me forcing me to release, he hops into mount cuz I resisted half-assedly, I let him get an arm, textbook armbar for the tapout, I lose.

Looking back, I probably could've taken this guy apart if I had just tried my hardest and had used a better takedown. But I forgave myself cuz it was my first match ever in anything and I don't train in grappling as hardcore as the rest of these guys did. He ended up winning the whole bracket too.

[judonerd]

Not to mention neither of us has any valid experience in no-gi grappling.... That was pretty ballsy for you to even try to compete in that style. Its the difference between "what if I can grab anywhere and pull in any direction" and "what if I'm fighting some shirtless, sweaty greasy guy and I can only grab around the waist neck or arm"....

Opposite ends of the spectrum, different strategies to takedowns and submissions. It has a lot to do with why its so hard to translate sport Judo to MMA.

[judonerd]

Heres a shot of me in NAGA, with some photoshopping done to separate the two gi colors....

You know, I think I look pretty sexy in blue.

I might have to invest in a new Gi....

[judonerd]

Another one... Kinda abstract but you get it......

[ninjamessiah]

wtf that second picture looks like dragonballZ-style randori, frikkin' blurs and whathaveyou.
I'm glad no pics were taken of my match, those would be sad to show.."yeah here's me failing at a takedown..here's me getting owned...owned agian, yeah, here, I thought I was gonna get out of side control, but more ownage ensued., and there's my elbow getting bent the wrong direction.." hahaha

[ninjamessiah]

It's about that time again!
NAGA Midwest Grappling Championship
Saturday, May 26th, 2007
Milwaukee, WI @ Bayview High School - Confirmed
(2751 S Lenox St Milwaukee WI 53207)
200 Gi & No-Gi Divisions
More info @ 1-860-295-0403
www.nagafighter.com

Carl this one may interest you more...
September 15th, 2007 in Chicago, 200 Gi & No-Gi Divisions PLUS 15 MMA fights - Tentative

[Carl Elder]

Do you guys know if you have to pay extra to enter extra divisions or is the 75$ for any division you want to enter? In judo it is usually like 10 bucks or something to enter an extra division but I cant find anything about it on the NAGA site. Id like to do both no gi and gi and maybe absoloute also.

[ninjamessiah]

When I went I signed up for both a gi and no-gi match(though I ended up not doing the gi match), and there was no extra charge. The guy told me that I pretty much could compete in every division I wanted that I was eligible to compete in all for the same price.

[judonerd]

I'm definitely going. I've been looking forward to this NAGA for months.

[Carl Elder]

I dont think im going to make this one, maybe the one in september though. Also I just notcied we have a calander on this thing so im gonna post upcoming tourneys on there.

[judonerd]

Anyone else planning on going? I'm still trying to figure out rides, and I'd be willing to pay for the gas if someone else wants to drive.

[ninjamessiah]

Nah I'm gonna sit this one out I think. I'm way out of practice and as fun as it is throwing Britt around for an hour or so once a week isn't really cutting it....fingers crossed that I'll be get this job that'll only require my time 14 days a month...PLENTY of training time then.

[judonerd]

Well, another first-round loss, dammit.

I went in there with the strategy that I'd grip-fight with the guy for a little bit, wear him down and be patient, then move in. Unfortunately, I let a lot of opportunities for throws go by. He played ridiculously low, then stood up as a fakeout for a single leg. I couldn't pull guard, got side mounted. I almost swept him, but didn't set up a wide enough base and lost it again. We ended up in North-south, where he submitted me with some move I had never seen before. I was struggling, trying to figure out what was happening when my arm popped and I had to tap. It wasn't anything serious, but its sore and a little swollen two days later

Bummer. Oh well, next tournament Ill have to just attack attack attack. I shouldn't let someone set up and impose their game like that.

Ill have video of the match on youtube real soon.

[Carl Elder]

Don't sweat it everybody looses sometime. I take it NAGA isn't a double elimination tournament. Where are you training at now days?

[judonerd]

Here...
www.geocities.com/jjichicago/jji.html

and here...
chicagojiujitsu.com/Home.html

but I'm only able to go about one day a week right now.