Class 3...

After spending my first two classes getting tapped out all over the place I decided to try something new in sparring today.

Before we got to sparring we did plenty of warm-ups, stretches, drills and exercises. Building up stamina is obviously a key requirement of grappling and I noticed my stamina was not too bad... but it obviously still needs work. I did Indian push-ups for the first time today, too, and I'll be adding those to my training regime as I need to target my upper body and my back.

I also need to learn to do basic drills, such as shrimping the hips, properly. I can sort of do this but it's still not right and it's such a key move that I need to learn to do it.

Onto the sparring session with two blue belts: one was quite a new blue belt and the other a year or so on and more experienced. I still got tapped all over the place but I wasn't such an easy target when I solidified my base and kept both my hands together.

I'm still very much getting used to working around my own and other people's bodies and I'm trying not to go too hard in sparring with other people. If I tap anyone I want it to be because I've used the correct leverage and technique and not because I'm physically stronger. I'm also trying to stay relaxed so I can see or feel how my opponents are working around me. I can already see that's going to be a big part of the learning curve.

One success of the day, however, was employing a theory expounded by the always excellent Stephan Kesting. He calls it 'caging the hips' and it's basically a defensive move using your knees and arms to cage the opponent's hips when you're in their guard. This limits your opponent's movement and offensive options and because it helps stabilise your base it makes you very hard to shift or roll.

I employed this against the senior blue belt today when we rolled for the last time and I managed to keep him at bay and fend off his attacks during a four-minute sparring session. He was tired and he probably wasn't going full-pelt and it was at the end of a hard session but it did work.

Position before submission... and today I managed to stabilise my position for the first time. A very small victory. Of sorts...

LESSON FROM TODAY: To cage the opponent's hips when in their guard; it denies them room to operate sweeps and it helps stabilise your own base.

Class 2...

Today it was just me and a more senior white belt so we drilled a few techniques.

As an aide memoir, these were as follows:
Armbar from guard: use guard to break opponent's posture down and secure opponent's right arm by pulling it diagonally and pin it to own chest with little finger down; left leg out onto opponent's hip and kick through to collapse his posture some more while at the same time using right arm to grab opponent's right shoulder and push his head down to the side so you can lift your left leg over his head and press down with legs and drive up with hips to get the surrender.

Arm triangle from guard: opponent has his hands on your belt line; grab opponent's right arm and drag it diagonally onto your right shoulder while using your guard to collapse his posture and move him forward; use left arm and head to wedge his right arm against his neck and wrap your right arm around his neck and clasp your right hand onto your left bicep; clasp your left hand to the left of your head and squeeze the choke.

We also worked a guard escape where the person on top is laying in the person on the bottom's guard and has to break it. Notes to self on this are: ensure you posture up with your hands on your opponent's belt or trouser line to pin his hips; right knee to opponent's bum and left knee at nine o'clock; then pressure down with elbows onto opponent's inner thigh to break guard; drive right knee over opponent's right thigh to touch the floor; then swing the left leg out and go to scarf hold from side.

But all that's specific bits and bobs that will sink in over time. And some of the details in the descriptions above are also probably wrong but that doesn't matter. They'll be corrected over time.

The key lesson today was about breaking down the opponent's posture using the guard and the hips. Coolio...

LESSON FROM TODAY: Use your guard and your hip power to break down your oppponent's posture.

Class 1...

'I should be fine with this.' Tap...
'I've done bits and pieces before.' Tap...
'I've devoured loads of books on BJJ over the past three or four years.' Tap...
'I should be able to tap somebody out in my first class, surely?' Tap...
'It looks much easier on the telly, doesn't it?' Tap...
'Can I do leglocks?' 'No.' Tap...
'Can I use neck cranks?' 'No.' Tap...
'Can I at least hit you or kick you a bit to soften you up?' 'No.' Tap...
'Bugger.' Tap...

Today was my first BJJ class and I spent an hour tapping out of armbars, chokes, kimuras and Americanas. As soon as my opponents had them half locked in I knew what was coming. I couldn't get past their guards to launch any meaningful attacks of my own and the few times I succeeded getting past their guard I was either swept or they regained guard or half guard pretty quickly.

It was a valuable lesson in humility. Not that I genuinely arrived expecting to wow everybody. I'm aware it's going to be a long road and I should set no immediate goals other than going and enjoying it.

On the plus side I can fall to a good level, I have decent takedowns, and I have some submissions and sweeps under my belt. My fitness was also pretty good and I at least made the senior belts I sparred with work for their submissions. But they were also probably taking things quite steady so I shouldn't read too much into things.

On the minus side I have no grasp of position before submission so I think that is the first thing I need to get to grips with. So it's guard escapes on YouTube week...

The most important thing, however, is I've started. And I'll go back next week. And the week after that. And the week after that...

LESSON FROM TODAY: Position before submission; escapes from guard are key.