Thanks man!
I do depending on position. I have long arms so if I have someone in mount or side control my top submission is an arm triangle. From closed guard it's the kimura, and I usually go for sweeps from open guard/half guard. From the back it's the RNC even in the gi.
Thanks man, I guess more than anything it takes the validity of fights/fighters away. Once the fight is over it leaves a blemish on the bout. It's also delayed a lot of fights because of suspensions and caused things like Wanderlei to get banned for life, people to get fired, etc. A friend of mine used to say that they should allow PED use in baseball/NFL/MMA/etc and I always thought it was a crazy idea, but seeing as how so many people being popped it doesn't sound as crazy to me anymore.
Thanks dude! I definitely took a lot of beatings on the way to purple and I'm sure there are still many to come.
Yeah I did compete in a decent amount of tournaments as a blue. I'm not sure if it's actually required but I do know that our instructors prefer that we compete and most people do end up competing even if it's just 1 or 2 competitions a year. I've competed in NAGA, US Grappling, IBJJF, and a local DC area tournament called Copa Nova.I actually like NAGA the best rule-wise because they're more lenient, mainly because they let you do a lot more leg locks than the others.
I have a little bit of cauliflower ear but nothing terrible. And it's mainly on one side because I primarily use that side of my head when pushing for takedowns and passing the guard. Some guys get it worse than others though. I've seen 3-month white belts get full cauliflower ear that needed drained several times and others (like myself) who have been doing if for several years now only get it a little bit.