Classes 119, 120 & 121...

Three classes in quick succession as my BJJ training starts to ramp up in intensity. 

Class one was a beginners class where we worked on a guard sweep/smash where the man in full guard gets both his hands underneath the legs of the opponent and connects his hands palm-to-palm after wrapping them in front of his opponent's thighs. He then pulls the man on the bottom up onto his knees and uses his connected hands to push the opponent's legs to one side as he takes side control. 

The key thing emphasised here was keeping in contact with the man on the bottom to limit his space and movement options. There was also an option to pin one of the opponent's hips and connect the legs with one hand only by grabbing the gi trousers. This limits the movement of the opponent even more.

Class two was an open mat session where a visiting black belt showed a sweep from deep half guard. This was way above my skill level, but I got a rough idea of what deep half guard is and I also liked and understood the mechanics of the sweep and how you unbalanced and swept the standing man, then followed his momentum to end up on top. I did, however, also get the chance to work on the sleeve (goodbye) choke. I also got to roll with one of my blue belt friends who emphasised closing the space at all times. 

Class three was an intermediate class where we worked on the De La Riva Guard and a connected sweep. It was the first time I'd done this and it seems to involve one leg driving through at an angle to trap behind one knee and the front of the thigh on the other leg. The same side hand also grabs an opponent's leg at the ankle, while the other leg has the foot in the hip and the hand has wrist control.

Many of the subtleties were lost on me but I'll have a look at it  again and see what I think.

Things to remember: Guard smash, close the space, look at the De La Riva guard again.

Classes 117 & 118...

Class 117 was an open mat session and a chance to roll with a very experienced brown belt, who jumped on a few things I left open, but also let me have a bit of an experiment with a few kimuras from various positions.

I also then rolled with a newish white belt who I suspect was not quite so new. But we tapped each other and it was fun and we also drilled some basics.

Class 118 was a beginners class. After the usual warm-up, we worked on an armbar, an armbar defence and a sweep from armbar defence combination. This went something like this: 
i) Armbar attack from guard: secure arm, foot on hip, hand on face, spin out, attack arm with hips.
ii) Opponent in guard defends attacked arm by wrapping, then stands to stack and pressure man on bottom.
iii) Hands of man on bottom switch so spare hand grabs opponent's collar to secure his stacked position, then other hand grabs leg from behind and collapses top half and elevates leg and rolls opponent over into armbar.

Things to remember: Work the combination because it's a good counter to a counter.

Classes 115-116...

A beginners class followed by an open mat session.

I struggled to understand much of the beginners class as my hearing was playing up a bit, but the basic principles were about using your legs to help break down the posture of the person in your full guard. This then made it easier to apply collar chokes.

We also worked on an omoplata entry from guard that involved collapsing your opponent using your legs, then threading one hand under one of the opponent's leg and using that to help you spin through to lock the arm. You also hold onto the leg to prevent the opponent escaping. I did some net research on this and there's also a sweep option to apply by stretching your opponent out and rolling him to the side he can't base out on.

The open mat involved some light sparring and I had some success with a reverse armlock that I use from turtle. I'm still unsure whether this is just a lunatic idea or whether it's a viable option. I need more experimentation but I have tapped a couple of blue belts with it. It's still a last-ditch effort technique, though, rather than a bread-and-butter one.

I also learnt a great leg position from on the bottom in half guard, which involved triangle locking one of the opponent's legs then hooking the spare foot underneath to secure the leg, then using this lock to extend the opponent and put pressure on his leg. It's not a tapout technique but it does de-stabilise position and can help to set up a sweep.

I also forgot to mention the Y-frame. We did some work on this and setting up sweeps from it. The basics involved operating from your back in with your legs together and in front of the opponent and your feel behind his hips. Getting wrist control enables triangle chokes, armlocks and omoplatas.

Things to remember: The Y-frame, the leg stretch and collapsing the opponent's posture before attacking with techniques.

Class 114...

Tonight was an intermediate class and there were lots of good bits to remember. I particularly liked the functional warm-up drilling at the start, which included armbar, kimura and triangle drills. 

We then moved into technique drills with a few set-ups from guard for the leg triangle. Two of the key points of these drills were to climb with your hips to secure the triangle leg position before clamping down, and also to use one of your legs as an arm to move one of the arms out of the way. The drills went something like this, although the exact details are a little foggy: 

i) You are on your back and the opponent is in your guard with his hands on your belt to pin your hips; take wrist control on one side with collar control on the same side; escape your hips and use the bottom leg to move his near arm out of the way; clamp your leg across his back; secure the lock with the other leg.

We also did some work on a reverse compression wrist lock by forming a figure 4 with your hands. 

We then went onto sparring and I did OK against two fellow white belts, one of who was much bigger and stronger than me. I was still relying on strength for some of my sparring, though, and I need to rely more on doing the correct things, such as hip escaping and re-establishing guard if I'm in trouble. 

Things to remember: Climb the hips to secure the triangle; use your legs like arms; focus on basic technique and hip escaping.

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.