Class 224...

A sparring class when I hadn't trained for a week and a half, and I was too slow to react to everything. I got pretty comprehensively pumped, although I did secure a few strong positions and a few submissions against decent opponents.

I was too slow and not sharp enough today. But that will come back in a few weeks. I hope so as I'm competing in just over two weeks!

Classes 221, 222 & 223...

Three early morning classes all focusing on slightly different things, but all looking at escaping guard and passing to control an opponent on the ground. 

The toreador pass, plus attacking one side then spinning to the other side were all worked on. There was also old school shoulder pressure applied, too.

We also did a lot of sparring and I did OK. I feel like I'm making progress attacking from strong positions. And this is good. 

Things to remember: Establish strong position, then attack from it.

Classes 219 & 220…

Two early-morning classes focusing on guard passing, involving one man positioned on his hip in open half guard with one hook in and the other using a smashing pass to escape. This was hard work as the man on the bottom was not allowed to close guard at any point to retain the position so it was a lot of grip fighting and trying to retain hooks for him.

The man on top had to escape the initial hook and knee slide then pressure pass into side control.

There were a few variations, one including the man on the bottom monkey gripping the free arm to prevent head control, plus a variation where the man on the bottom also grabbed the ankle of the opponent and the sleeve or collar, then moved into a sweeping position.

The takehome from these lessons, though, was for the man on top to apply pressure and close the space down when attacking and ensure the opponent’s hip movement is blocked, while the man on the bottom used frame and posture to defend the position and eventually turn in it into an attacking or sweeping option. 

Sparring was OK and I did fine against my fellow white belts and I defended well against a decent and much bigger blue belt. At one point, I got stuck in side control and drew a total blank trying to remember my side control escapes, so I spent some time drilling them after the classes. I’m confident these will eventually bear fruit, though. 

Things to remember: Use frame when defending and close down space when attacking.

Private Class No.11…

My first private class for a few months and a quick review of the techniques we’ve covered so far. 

The mechanics of the trio of armbar, leg triangle and omoplata are mechanically ok. The key improvements to make were:

Armbar: angle off more when turning and securing arm before attacking with hips.

Triangle: angle off more when turning using foot on hip and under hook to secure arm before attacking with hips.

Omoplata: Edge hips out once you have moved to secure back of opponent. This creates space to collapse opponent.

My palm up, palm down choke was decent today, and my teacher advised me to use that to attack because it offers other possibilities when the opponent defends.

I also got a great tip on the sleeve choke, which involves punching the hand grabbing the gi collar the knuckle side to get the opponent to react and move the other way. This creates the space to loop the arm over, before dropping back to the ‘punching’ side to tighten the choke.  

We then did some work on escapes from side control, which is an area I need to work on. The tips here were: 

Guard recovery: hip escape instead of bridging. It’s a smaller movement and it means less potential damage to your hips. Once you’ve hip escaped and inserted the knee, stay on your side and monkey grip the arm of the opponent that will attack for head control, then hip escape out and establish full guard. 

Come to knees: Fight for the underhook and don’t have a gap between getting you knees then driving forward. 

Spinout escape: Use this when the opponent is blocking your hips to prevent guard recovery. Trap his hand with your nearest hand, then elevate the legs and swing in and away from the opponent to create momentum. The drive and spin away, and look to recover guard or half guard as soon as possible. 

Things to remember: Work on the side control escapes; use the choke position to create other options.

Classes 217 & 218...

First up was another morning class doing guard passing drills and sparring. I was mainly partnered with junior white belts, so I was fine in sparring. We then ended the session with a brutal series of press-ups and sit-ups. It was a high-intensity session but a good one.

Next up was another morning session, this time focusing on arm dragging a standing opponent from a seated position. The take-home on this was to synchronise your weight dropping backwards and to the side while tugging the opponent's weight forwards. If the opponent defends against the arm drag, the follow-up attack involves driving forward and doing an ankle pick and driving through the opponent. 

The key defence against the arm drag involved moving to face the opponent at a point where they cannot base, then grabbing a leg and driving into the opponent to secure side control. 

We also worked on two attacks against a seated opponent who had a sleeve grab in place. Both attacks involved stepping into the opponent and securing the arm then falling into an attack. The opening attack involved an armbar, while the second one was a leg triangle. I can see me using both of these attacks.

In sparring, I was mainly partnered with junior white belts and I was fine, hitting armbars, a reverse kimura, an omoplata and a triangle. I then got partnered with a much heavier white belt and I tried everything possible to shift him when he secured top position in side control. I cracked the door open a bit but his smothering game was very good.

Things to remember: Keep attacking from guard; keep working on side mount escapes; use the step-over armbar and leg triangle.

Class 216...

A layoff of a few weeks through injury and missing my first tournament of the year to boot. Bugger. But today it was back to training and a morning class doing guard passing drills and sparring. 

My back is now fine and my hamstring injury is healing up slowly but nicely. I'm also working on side mount escapes at the moment and I got the chance to drill a few of those.

Sparring was fine, too, and I did perfectly fine against my fellow white belts.

It's good to be back. 

Things to remember: Keep attacking from guard; work on side mount escapes.

Classes 214 & 215...

An early morning class followed by a brutal Thursday dinner sparring session.

The early morning class focused on an x-guard sweep from deep half guard, which was similar to a de la RIva sweep from previous classes. We then went into sparring where I struggled against a few decent blue belts and a couple of much bigger and stronger white belts. 

The dinner sparring session was OK. I was pretty comprehensively manhandled by higher belts and a few fellow white belts were too mobile and fast and strong for me. I did OK against a few people, but it wasn't a great week on the mats. 

Things to remember: Retain frame and attack at all times. I was too slow off the mark this week.