Class 25...

Today I attended my first evening beginner's class at the BJJ school, as previously I'd only been attending mixed sessions, and it was very good.

First we worked on a kimura. Key details from this were hip escaping out so you can use your weight to bend the arm when you drop back down. Also keep the leg over the opponent to prevent him from moving or rolling out.

Hip bump sweep: kimura position but with one hand fully back and straight to hold weight and the hip high to drive through opponent and roll him over. Also ensure you are over your opponent's shoulder.

Hide and seek: you grab the same arm on the opponent and elevate it and dive your other arm and head underneath his armpit, before settling backwards down on his arm so it's a type of backward kimura that pins the opponent. Then hip escape out and secure the seatbeat and your hooks and get back.

LESSON FROM TODAY: I need to attend more beginners' classes so I can learn and drill more basics.

Class 24...

Today was a good day at training and even a demanding warm-up of press-ups and neck exercises didn't deter me from really getting stuck in.

First we worked a sweep from open guard. Details of this that I could remember were: the opponent has control of your legs with you flat on your back in open guard; you pistol grip one of the opponent's sleeves and break his grip on your leg by kicking it away, then place your foot on the thigh of the opponent. Repeat this on the other side. Then hip escape to the far side of the opponent's right leg and thread your leg behind his right thigh so it locks over the front of his left thigh. Then grab his right ankle with your left hand and pull him over with your right hand on his sleeve and go into side control.

Then we worked an ankle collapse from open guard: the opponent is in your open guard and goes to grab you collar; use both of your hands to break the grip of his hand and push him away; then place your feet behind his ankles to lock his feet in place and push his lower legs to make him topple backwards.

Finally we worked a simple off-balancing drag; the opponent is in your open guard and he cross grabs your collar; break the grab using the two hand push-off; then same-side grab the gi collar of your opponent and sweep your other arm back and pull him towards you as you hip escape and let him fall in the space you've vacated.

Sparring was also very enjoyable today. I still got tapped out a few time but I was successful with two triangle escapes against two good opponents. I also did OK rolling with a purple belt and I even employed some judo-style throws to take down an opponent who kept standing.

LESSON FROM TODAY: Simple off-balancing is also an option to catch an unwary opponent and gain positional advantage.

Class 23...

Today my focus was all over the place and I paid the price.

The warm-up seemed harder work than usual but that was probably because we did more press-ups than usual and I’m pretty rubbish at press-ups. This is obviously something I need to address and I have since downloaded a phone app to track and increase my press-up numbers in the next few months.

In class we worked an armbar and a defence/escape from an armbar, then an omoplata and a defence/escape from an omoplata, then a leg triangle and a defence/escape from a leg triangle.

The key information I retain from the armbar application was that my foot goes on the hip behind the elbow I am attacking to prevent the opponent pulling it out.

For the armbar defence I need stack my opponent and bring my free hand to the wrist of the arm under attack. The stack, the knee in the opponent’s bum and the free arm coming in help prevent the opponent stretching out to apply hip pressure and close out the armbar. It’s then a case of lawnmowering the arm out of there and moving into side control as you collapse the stacked opponent.

The omoplata defence relied on turning the arm the other way and grabbing the opponent’s leg to relieve pressure on the shoulder, then moving around 180 degrees to end up in side control as the once-trapped arm is freed.

The leg triangle defence also relied on stacking the opponent but I didn't retain the rest of the details on that technique.

Sparring was tough and I didn’t have much success, although I did manage to retain position in my opponent’s guard a few times thanks to the caging the hips technique. It's always good to train, though, even if you don't feel like it.

LESSON FROM TODAY: Armbar details concerning the foot on the hip and the armbar escape.

Class 22...

Today another set of sparring drills designed to aid grip fighting.

We were partnered up and one partner had to get an inside grip on the opponent’s gi collar but with his fingers on the inside and his thumb on the outside pointing down. This helped the arm naturally shape to act as a frame to defend against an incoming opponent and control his position. The opponent then had to use both his hands to grab the hand and break the gi grip and push the gripping hand away.

We then did a guard retention and passing drill where the opponent on the bottom had to retain closed guard and sweep his opponent while the person on top had to break guard and achieve side control. I did OK breaking out of guard but my guard retention technique sucked. My legs didn't feel strong enough and I struggled to keep my thighs tight enough against my opponent’s torso.

In sparring I got paired with a high brown belt and he just did nothing then exploded when I was where he wanted me to be. One thing I did notice, though, was that he was never flat on his back. He was always shrimping out and he always operated from one hip and didn't allow me to settle or cage his hips. Food for BJJ thought.

In sparring with other belts I fell for a few chokes but also succeeded with a kimura and an arm triangle from side mount. The highlight of my class was an escape from side mount I'd borrowed from the ever-excellent Stephan Kesting and this worked twice. I even used a judo escape from a triangle, which worked, too.

A positive class with some reasons to be cheerful.

LESSON FROM TODAY: Don't stay flat on your back... shrimp out and always operate off one hip when you're on the bottom.

Class 21...

Today a class on standing takedowns and using the sprawl to avoid getting taken down from the single or double-leg. I enjoyed this and did OK although I quite literally walked into a couple of chokes. My base was generally pretty solid, though, and I even managed a few Judo-style throws into the bargain.

A key detail from the class was to grab the gi lapel of the opponent with four fingers inside with the thumb pointing down and you staring at the back of your hand. This may sound a bit odd but it makes it easier to make a frame against you opponent and fend him off. It also makes it easier to set up the 'goodbye choke'.

In sparring I got tapped a lot but also managed a few submissions of my own. I'm also working on a choke from side control using the bottom flap of the opponent's gi. I also played with a few other chokes.

Side control seems to be the position I'm most comfortable in at the moment and the one I seem to find myself in a lot when I've successfully passed guard so I'm spending some time reading up and viewing scarf hold positions and submissions.

LESSON FROM TODAY: Thumb down when grip fighting to help secure frame using arm to fend off opponent.

Class 20...

A week off on holiday with the Missus and back to class and it was a good one.

The usual physical warm-up was all neck strengthening exercises today. This was tough but I never feel like the warm-up is brutal for the sake of it. It's just to make us stronger to train and I can see how and why this is needed.

The class then revolved around two drills. The first saw half the class on their backs while the other half were in the first man's guard. The job of the top man was to break his opponent's guard and end up in side control or full mount. The job of the bottom man was to retain closed guard and get his opponent on the bottom by reversing the position.

I did OK at breaking out of guard or at least not getting swept as I've sort of decided I prefer to be on top in guard at the moment so I'm pretty comfortable stabilising my position and caging my opponent's hips and hanging in. When the situation was reversed, however, my ability to retain guard or attack from it is pretty poor. I know I'm still quite new but I need to really get at least one sweep I like from this position and drill it and do the same with a few submissions. I like the kimura and know how to do a basic version of this. I also know the kimura sweep so I'll try to incorporate both these next time. Retaining guard is also really hard work on your thigh muscles. They are still very sore.

The second drill involved half the class sat up on their bums while the other half attacked from the back in rear mount. I struggled with this a bit but I did manage to fend off a lot of rear naked choke attacks when I was rear mounted. Sadly, I also fell for a few foot locks when one canny opponent used this attack from the back when he trying to go for a choke. Even worse I know this attack as I caught a blue belt with it a few weeks ago but I couldn't work out how this new opponent was managing to get it when I hadn't crossed my feet to put myself in danger. I'll work it out. Or just ask him.

In sparring I was paired with a new white belt I hadn't met before and he was very elusive. I dropped into his guard and worked my way to side control a few times and locked in a choke and an armbar. I feel the chances were there to do other things as well but the fact I escaped and stabilised my position were the minor victories of the day. The taps were an unexpected bonus. A very good class.

LESSON FROM TODAY: Work on a few attacks and a few sweeps from guard.

Classes 18-19...

Two classes in one week and my body survived the experience so my fitness is obviously improving.

In class 18 we did another sweep from open guard. This involved hooking an opponent's standing leg with your foot, getting wrist control by pistol gripping the sleeve of his gi and driving your other leg through him as you chop his hooked foot and pull his arm to the side. I may not be remembering the details of all the sweeps we're working on but the principle is now becoming much clearer: remove the posts on one side and use your other limbs to sweep or collapse the opponent on the side he cannot post out on. There will be a point some time soon when I remember this under the pressure of sparring and sweep someone from open guard. Hopefully...

In class 19 we ran a good exercise where the opponent is in your closed guard and you attack with an armbar, then allow his to pull his arm out of the armbar and you roll into an omoplata, before allowing your opponent to put you back on your back and you finish with a leg triangle.

This is exactly the type of drill I need to repeat as it teaches three submissions that flow quite easily from one another. Getting to grips with it was fine as I was training with a very helpful but very good white belt and my understanding of the armbar and the omoplata was sort of OK, but I got to play with a leg triangle against a slightly resisting opponent and this needs much more work.

The key lesson least here, though, is not to panic if I don't lock the position straight away. The move to a leg triangle is also a good holding position if I grab my ankle with my opposite arm and use it to break and keep my opponent's posture down and use this to improve my position.

LESSON FROM TODAY: Repeating and drilling basic submissions is essential to progress.