Class 113...

A 90-minute lunchtime class, which are always brilliant... but also quite brutal and physically demanding. The warm-up involved getting into pairs then carrying your partners while they locked in their full guard and hung on via a seatbelt hold. We then worked on three techniques from guard. 

First up was a takedown from standing. This went like this: 
Stand facing opponent and pull guard on him with your legs wrapped around his waist while he is standing; secure wrist control and cross the opponent's wrists over; then drop down to the floor while still in guard; use the wrist control to collapse his posture; then use your guard to pinch his legs together and collapse him onto the floor; follow his fall and end up on top of him.

Then we worked on two chokes from guard. The first went like this: 
Opponent is in your full guard; insert your left hand into the opposite collar with your palm facing your opponent, your thumb down and the blade of your arm against the opponent's throat;  then insert the other hand underneath your other arm into the opponent's collar, palm facing you and thumb up; collapse his posture and drop your elbows to the floor to tighten the collar against the opponent's carotid arteries. 

The second one went like this:
Opponent is in your full guard; insert your right hand into the opposite collar with your palm facing you and your thumb up; collapse his posture using your legs and your right hand; then loosen the opponent's gi with your left hand and pass it over his head so your left hand ends up with your little finger by his carotid artery; drop your elbows to the floor to tighten the collar against the opponent's carotid arteries.

We then did two 20-minute rounds of sparring. In the first round I got paired with a stronger and better white belt. He didn't submit me but he was all over me. My defence held up, though, which I was quite pleased about. In the second round, I got a less experienced white belt and defended then launched a few attacks of my own. I even got a tap with an upside-down triangle from side control. I've used this technique a couple of times recently and I like it as it's unexpected. A great class. 

Things to remember: keep working the chokes.

Classes 111-112...

First up was a beginners class in which we focused on escaping and retaining guard. 

Basics emphasised here included strong posture and not allowing the opponent to collapse your posture if you are in guard, and collapsing the opponent and not allowing him to posture up if he is in guard. 

The second class was a special session with Chico Mendes, the Head Coach of Checkmat Europe. The focus here was also on guard escapes, with a focus on creating distance and maintaining posture when breaking out of closed guard. 

We worked on escapes from half-guard and the De La Riva Guard, too. 

I particularly liked the breakout escape from half-guard, where you sit up and use the knee of your opponent to force the guard open and move backwards. I also liked the driving through move to collapse and flatten the opponent on the bottom in half-guard.

Things to remember: Posture and distance when breaking guard.

Classes 109-110...

Pressure at work equals not many classes attended. It's a shit equation but there is some light on the horizon with a new job promising better control of my hours and less 50-hour weeks. 

I have managed to sneak a couple of open-mat session in, though, and these are always good. 

In the first class, I mainly rolled with a new white belt and realised I had actually learnt enough to show him a couple of things. I then got to roll with a blue belt friend. My defence was OK and I got tapped a few times but I did threaten a submission of my own at least once. 

In the second class, I got to roll with with another blue belt and got tapped all over the place. Annoyingly, I wasn't even doing the basic stuff well, but I know that's because I haven't had much mat time and that will come back. He did, however, suggest only trying to pass guard while standing and we did some work on this.

I also got to roll with a fellow white belt. We were about the same level six months ago, but he's now incredibly fluid and just has so many more attacks in his armoury. But he's also put the work in so he thoroughly deserves to be that much better. 

There's no secret to improving at anything. Just put the work in. And that's something that will be happening soon… 

Things to remember: Standing guard passes.