My toughest opponents....hmmm, had plenty in early highschool. One time i got slammed on the ground, knee hurt in grade 7 by a big guy named Dwain. Pulled some wwf move on me or something. Dude had an attitude problem or simply didnt like me or something. That was probably one of the things that got me thinking about ma.
Funny thing, Dwain simply disappeared as he changed school. Many years later after getting kicked out of all schools in the province, the only school that would foster me as i was to graduate through correspondence, was the waldorf school. And that's when i met Dwain again. He was much nicer as it seems the waldorf worked some kind of social miracle on him. As i was now older and had trained lots by then and was bigger though not as big as he was but at least i had reached an fair level of maturity cause while i was in grade 7 dwain was in grade 8 or 9 , Dwain seemed calm and sane but eager to challenge me again.
Hell he probably remembered times he'd pick on me as a little one. So one day in in the Waldorf room, we had a friendly wrestling match, with spectators. Dwain went down. Slowly, like a big tree at first but then like a sack of potatoes. we both go down and the second he turns his back on me, i get him in a rear naked choke and before long, he's tapping...talk about justice coming through. That was that. One shot. He was a very good sport about it and we remain as friends though i havent seen him since then.
Had plenty of those...weirdest thing is the few cases were the most feared enemies became truly valuable friends.
At the moment, my greatest challenges in the fine sport of mma are for one the formidable trainer Jorge Balarin.
Also there's one guy in particular at the gym called Markus that is kindof a sportive challenge for me. Although he got me to tap a couple of times, i couldn't get him yet...****, he's been at it for longer and is more muscle, i had rolled with several people a number of times but he was fresh...yadayada, no excuses, he probably would still have gotten me even if i was fully charged....??Next time will be glad to try again. Have been moving house recently and been skipping mma training as well as bjj and aikido.
At the mma gym, i'm guessing plenty of the people i haven't even rolled with yet are quite tough too. Only one was to find out.
Thing is that when we roll and all....many of my moves wont work well without atemi because the opponents are too cautios, too strong and have good instincts as well as excellent techniques.
I am now studying books by Steve Scott. Groundfighting pins and breakdowns is most valuable and great foundation(although i got myself armlocks, leglocks, and strangles&chokes. Also refreshing my groundwork judo so as to be able to cope better.
j