When people ask you what type of game you play everybody is different. I think right now I play 'Defensive Jiu Jitsu' where I work mostly off my back. I do have a top game but most of the time I like to use an open guard to keep my opponent from attacking and I look for a sweep.

Professor Britto introduced his students to the 'De La Riva Guard' within a short time of him coming from Brazil to Toronto. It's an open guard where 1 foot is hooked behind 1 knee of an opponent and you are controlling his ankle and or sleeves with your hands while using your other foot to help to manipulate or position your partner. It really suits guys with long legs.

The De La Riva Guard itself, like any other guard, has many sweeps, submissions and dangerous places that you can bring your opponent into. You can get to the back very fast if you can figure out the technique. It's very technical and it has captured my attention.

I feel the De La Riva Guard naturally happening and after about 40 months of training Jiu Jitsu it's becoming part of my game so with that being said I am learning more about the man who brought it to life - A Carlos Gracie Black Belt - Ricardo De La Riva (picture)

The sleeping Gods took away my Thursday evening! This is the second week in a row that my lack of sleep has meant I have missed class. When I get in from work I usually have a nap for 30-60 minutes. Last night I got in from work and my nap lasted until 1am? My poor dog...

In a random discussion at work about Athletes a reference was being made about 'the way an athlete trains'. "Like me - I'm an athlete" I said and I got a look from 1 person that ultimately not only questioned that statement but denied it too. Which kind of annoyed me as no-one at work has any idea of the time I spend training.

And when getting ready to train at Extreme Fitness with Nicole last week I was bagging my belongings and a guy asked 'Are you a fighter?' and I looked at him. I was wearing my Gracie Competition Team T Shirt. "Learning to be?" I replied.

Am I an athlete? Am I a fighter? Good questions...

This weeks BJJ classes both revealed nice techniques including clock chokes, taking the mount and taking the back. On Thursday at 2nd class I was pushed in 'The Shark tank' (which is where you stay rolling for multiple rounds against fresh guys) and I had several tough rolls with our young white belts who can keep a relentless pace. 'No Crying Scott' - Professor Britto remarking on my gasping at the end of about 6 rounds...I guess what doesn't kill us ..right?

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A week or so ago I received an email from a parent from Indiana who has a teenage son who suffers from Aspergers. I was being asked to help her decide if BJJ would be good for him - as the 'Master' of a local TaeKwondo school told her it would not be a good idea.

She sent me what the TKD Master wrote and it made me sad that a martial artist could be so naive having probably never training in the gentle art. Without evening touching on the philosophies or positive benefits of Jiu Jitsu he had dismissed it as being 'practice for cage fighting' that 'intense throws, chokes , twisting of necks and elbows'.