Class 66...

A Wednesday afternoon session and a bit of a test-run for me to see how badly injured my injured knee is. I survive the usual warm-up of running, falling, ab exercises and press-ups then it's onto technique.

Today we're working from side control and escaping from side control. Before we go into specific drills, however, we have a bit of a reminder on what we should be doing:

If we're on the bottom in side control, we should be using the hand nearest the opponent's hips to block the hip to prevent the opponent from going to north-south. The other hand should be gripping the shoulder or, even better, securing an underhook. The knee nearest the opponent's hips should be elevated and resting on the other leg to form a barrier to ensure he can't go to full mount.

If we're on the top in side control, we should be closing the space and driving our knees into the opponent to shut down any wriggle room. The elbow nearest the hips should be tucked in to prevent wriggle room. The hand nearest the head should be trying to isolate the arm with the elbow making a frame by the head.

The opening technique was a hip escape from side control. This involved bridging and hip escaping to get the knee in, then using the elbow to move the the opponent's head to create the space to drive the leg further in and get half guard or even full guard.

The second technique was a hip escape and a drive forward to secure a single leg. This essentially involved the same hip escape and elbow movement but with an underhook. You then switch your legs so you come into turtle and drive forwards into the opponent.

We then did some technique sparring with the man on the bottom defending against the man on top attacking. My defence isn't great but I experimented a bit with spider guard and had some grasping and not particularly competent success so I may play with this a bit more.

In sparring, I did OK and my defence was decent and I even got a few submissions in with another white belt. A good class, even if my knee felt it afterwards.

LESSON FROM TODAY: Bridge and hip escape, bridge and hip escape, bridge and hip escape.

Class 65...

An open mat session and, with an inter-club tournament in September and a possible grading in October, I'm starting to think about upping my training. Sadly work demands are preventing such thoughts becoming a reality so I guess I'll just plod on when and where I can...

The open mat began with a lengthy roll with one of the blue belts I often roll with and, although my defence was OK at times, I was told in no uncertain terms to fight to control the legs to pass the guard. I kept trying to do this but it's very tough when you have a fast and slick opponent. Perseverance will pay off eventually, though. Probably...

Next up was a white belt who was just too strong for me and, although I defended, he was technically superior and very assured in what he was doing. I then had a roll with a strong purple belt who showed me a move to tighten my body position up when I'm on top in side mount. I ended the session by rolling with another purple belt who caught me in a few leg locks then showed me an escape for an Achilles lock. I then tried to get him in an Achilles lock and he escaped using the escape he'd just shown me. I saw the irony.

It was a bits and pieces day and I didn't feel I really achieved anything. But some days are like that. And I have to remain patient. If I want to get better then I just have to keep turning up.

LESSON FROM TODAY: Fight to control the legs and avoid the guard.

Class 64...

Today was an open mat session and, exhausted from three martial arts classes earlier in the week, I planned to take things slowly.

Fortunately one of the blue belts I regularly roll with was there and he was nursing a back injury so we drilled some sweeps and escapes from side control before rolling.

And we rolled for about half an hour at half speed and it was good fun. I managed to evade most of his attacks and positional rolling and fought hard to avoid and escape his guard. I escaped armbar and triangle attempts and even managed to get side control on him a few times but I couldn't quite trap his arm in a kimura, American or armbar.

I do realise he was a bit injured and we only going at half speed but it was good and I actually started to feel like I knew roughly what was happening and where I should and shouldn't be. He was obviously taking it easy but it was a bit of a confidence builder to realise I am, very gradually I hasten to add, starting to pick up some basic understanding of what to avoid and when and how.

On a less happy note, it was the last day in the UK of a very high-level visiting brown belt from Brazil, who'd been here teaching as well as winning various tournaments while he'd been over here. I watched some of his fights on YouTube and he's an absolute beast in competition and just looks like he's having fun as he toys with, traps then smothers opponents. But on the mats and teaching with us he was nothing but kind and considerate and encouraging.

It's been fun. Oss Jackson! Safe jourrney home.

LESSON FROM TODAY: Drill escapes and drill sweeps; in fact drill everything and keep drilling it. 

Class 63…

Into a beginners class and after the usual warm-up we worked on three escapes from side control.

A key point that was emphasised before we began, though, was to never clasp your hands behind the opponent’s back as this means the arms are isolated and ripe for attack. Instead one hand should be on the hip with the elbow glued to the floor (ensuring he cannot pass to North-South) and one hand should be grabbing the opponent’s belt on the other side with your right knee over your left (ensuring he cannot pass to mount).

The first was a simple unbalancing sweep that went something like this:

i) You are under your opponent in side control with his body sprawled over your left side; drop your right elbow to the floor with your hand pushing his hip and squeezing his arm in so it is trapped; swim your left hand under the neck of the opponent and grab the collar of the opponent.

ii) Bridge up onto your right hip to move the opponent; as his weight comes back to rebalance himself, bridge onto the other hip and drive him over so you end up in side control.

The second was a variation of this:

i) You are under your opponent in side control with his body sprawled over your left side; drop your right elbow to the floor with your hand pushing his hip and squeezing his arm in so it is trapped; swim your left hand under the neck of the opponent and grab the collar of the opponent.

ii) Your opponent switches his base so you bridge up to get nearer to the opponent then bridge up again while pushing against his neck; once you have sufficiently closed the distance, scissor kick your legs so your right leg comes under your left leg and you move onto your knees and drive the opponent backwards until you finish in side control.

The third was a variation of this:

i) You are under your opponent in side control with his body sprawled over your left side; drop your right elbow to the floor with your hand pushing his hip and squeezing his arm in so it is trapped; swim your left hand under the neck of the opponent and grab the collar of the opponent.

ii) Bridge up and keep bridging until your right leg is under the hips of your opponent; then pull your opponent onto you like he is sitting in a rocking chair and sweep him onto his other side.

LESSON FROM TODAY: The elbow to the floor and the squeeze of the biceps helps pin the opponent's arm and remove one of his posts; the hip escape is the tool that unbalances and moves the opponent.