Class 49...

Today was a beginners' class. The warm-up wasn't too bad so either the instructor was feeling generous or my strength and stamina are improving. We then worked on two techniques.

The first was an armlock from closed guard which went something like this:
i) The opponent sits in your closed guard and postures up. Break his posture using your guard or by collapsing his arms at the elbows.
ii) Using your right arm, get an underhook and rotate his arm and lock it in place so your arm can drop pressure on his fully extended elbow. Use your left hand to push the opponent's head away. Drop your head onto his hand/wrist to help lock his arm in place. Ensure everything is locked up.
iii) Hip escape onto your right hip and bring you left leg over so your knee is tucked to prevent his head coming forward and breaking your position. Then apply the armlock using both hands to get the tap.

The variation from this is moving into an omoplata. This goes something like this:
i-iii) These steps are the same.
v) Take his arm and use it to 'wipe your arse' or place it on your right buttock so it's bent in an Americana armlock position.
vi) Then bring out the right leg under the opponent and sit out and up so you figure four your legs together with his arm trapped inbetween. Hold his back with you left arm and lean forward to apply the lock.

LESSON FROM TODAY: Keep everything tight when trapping limbs; keep working on hip escaping.