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.