Classes 155 & 156...

I did two BJJ classes this week and, coupled with a boxing session and a hapkido session, it's been a good week on the training front... which is just as well as I have a small competition coming up in a few weeks.

First up was a dinner-time class and 90 minutes felt very brutal at the end of it. But it's getting my body back used to it and this will take a bit of time.

In the class, we drilled the armbar, omoplata and triangle combinations, then we worked on specific sparring with the man in guard having to escape and the man holding guard having to submit. 

We then went on to sparring and I did OK sparring with a younger white belt opponent, but I got murdered by a much bigger and stronger and very solid blue belt. At least, I was trying a few different attacks and even tried a gogoplata at one point.

On the plus side, I used the guard position with the cross-collar grab and the wrist control I picked up in the private class, and this is bearing fruit, slowly.

I then went to an open mat session and sparred with a much heavier blue belt and defended OK. I then did some no-gi with a couple of much smaller opponents and did OK. No-gi is still a bit alien to me, though. But it is good fun. 

Things to remember: Persevere with the cross-collar grab and wrist control from guard. Leg locks and wrist locks are allowed in no-gi.

Private Class No.5...

My fifth private class and we went straight into working on the trinity of armbar, triangle and omaplata, plus the cross collar choke. Further notes on these techniques included:

Armbar from guard: leg on opponent's neck drives head out away from body as armbar us applied.


Omaplata from guard: nearest hand grabs nearest wrist, right hand takes cross collar grab, stuff hand away using knuckles.

Triangle from guard: toes up and vertical with leg flaring out to tighten choke.

Cross collar choke from guard: angle off the choke, then the choke tightens as you come back to centre.


We then did some work on two chokes:

Sleeve choke from guard: loose initial cross collar grip, bring body up and push opponent's head under your own armpit, hand slides behind own wrist then flicks up to lock choke in, fall back and squeeze.

Ezekiel choke from mount: arm under neck of opponent, use own head to push opponent's head to opposite side so opponent can't see what is going on, grab sleeve of own gi with hand under opponent's neck, then other hand slides on top of opponent's neck, then turn palms in  to face self and sag weight down to tighten the choke.
 Tip: if opponent does not tap, use own head driving on top of choking hand to apply pressure.

Things to remember: Use the cross collar grip with the nearest hand controlling the nearest hand of the opponent.