Two morning classes on attacking for the back. Class one featured a couple of step-over techniques for moving onto an opponent's back when he is in turtle, and the second class featured an open guard pass from standing, which moves you into side control, then you drive the opponent over and insert hooks to attack the back.
We then did some specific drilling and specific positional sparring. I did OK at the latter and am more mobile than I expected to be when it comes to attacking the back.
I did OK in normal sparring and I feel like I'm making slow progress with working in wrist locks. I'm not always nailing these but I am starting to recognise the position and the treat of them is sometimes giving me additional time to escape bad positions.
I am also endeavouring with butterfly guard and I am experimenting with a new wrist lock that starts off with an armdrag from butterfly guard.
Things to remember: Attacking the back and the butterfly arm drag into wristlock.
Sunday, 27 August 2017
Wednesday, 9 August 2017
Classes 278 & 279...
Today was an open mat session where I got comprehensively ruined by any fellow blue belt I sparred with. I caused problems for some of them at times, but I was outgunned on all fronts by younger, stronger, bigger and, more importantly, just better fighters. The key thing that they were all better at was fighting for a stronger position, securing that position, then attacking from there.
The following morning class focused on guard passing using the double unders pass. I like this pass and I use this and the hug pass a lot. The takehome points went something like this:
i) You are in the open guard of the opponent and you put both your hands under his thighs and connect your hands in front of you; pull the opponent's hips up off the floor and stack him and apply pressure by driving in with active toes; try to secure the armpits of the opponent's gi as you stack him; drive a knee into the side of the opponent you want to pass and use the knee to pin his arm to the floor; compress the opponent and move into side control.
Sparring was much better at this class and I held my own against some decent people. I am also using wrist locks a lot more and starting to see the possibilities of setting them up. I am still a long way from having them as an effective weapon, though.
Things to remember: Double unders and hug pass; keep the integrity of frame and structure; continue to drill side control escapes.
The following morning class focused on guard passing using the double unders pass. I like this pass and I use this and the hug pass a lot. The takehome points went something like this:
i) You are in the open guard of the opponent and you put both your hands under his thighs and connect your hands in front of you; pull the opponent's hips up off the floor and stack him and apply pressure by driving in with active toes; try to secure the armpits of the opponent's gi as you stack him; drive a knee into the side of the opponent you want to pass and use the knee to pin his arm to the floor; compress the opponent and move into side control.
Sparring was much better at this class and I held my own against some decent people. I am also using wrist locks a lot more and starting to see the possibilities of setting them up. I am still a long way from having them as an effective weapon, though.
Things to remember: Double unders and hug pass; keep the integrity of frame and structure; continue to drill side control escapes.
Monday, 7 August 2017
Classes 276 & 277…
A couple of morning classes. The first was on using a variation of the De La Riva guard to off-balance and sweep an opponent. This was then followed by defending and sweeping from the open guard and moving in to a variation of the De La Riva guard. The takehome from this was to use feet to always stay connected to your opponent.
The second class involved the bottom man sweeping a standing opponent using a hook inside the opponent’s right leg, with your left arm securing the opponent’s right foot in place. The variations went some thing like this:
In normal sparring, though, I am sticking to my simple old school principles and the leg hug pass is also starting to pay dividends.
Things to remember: Stay connected when sweeping and drop weight and drop into surfer stance when defending.
The second class involved the bottom man sweeping a standing opponent using a hook inside the opponent’s right leg, with your left arm securing the opponent’s right foot in place. The variations went some thing like this:
Sweep variation 1: You are on your back with the opponent
standing up; you have right leg hooking the inside of the opponent’s right leg,
with your left arm securing the opponent’s right foot in place; reach your
right hand to secure his other leg; then climb up onto your right hip and use
you left leg on his hip to kick him over and follow him up into surfer stance. Then pass.
Sweep variation 2: Inside hooking with other leg
Sweep variation 3: Scissor variation like Tomahawk sweep.
Sweep variation 4: Drive up onto hip and switch hands.
Specific sparring was not as awful as usual and I did OK. Damaged knees aside, I am generally doing OK.
Specific sparring was not as awful as usual and I did OK. Damaged knees aside, I am generally doing OK.
In normal sparring, though, I am sticking to my simple old school principles and the leg hug pass is also starting to pay dividends.
Things to remember: Stay connected when sweeping and drop weight and drop into surfer stance when defending.
Tuesday, 11 July 2017
Classes 274 & 275...
A couple of classes on single leg x guard sweeps. These went something like this:
Sweep 1: Left hand wraps around leg of standing opponent; left leg on nearest hip of opponent; other foot behind other leg of opponent to stretch and unbalance him; opponent removes single hook and comes to full mount; keep hold of leg; drop to side and drive opponent over; re-insert hook.
Sweep 2: Left hand wraps around leg of standing opponent; left leg on nearest hip of opponent; other foot behind other leg of opponent to stretch and unbalance him; opponent removes single hook and back steps; keep hook active and off-balance opponent; bring other hand to opponent's shin; pinch knees and climb up, the turn onto face and drive forwards to take opponent down; block opponent coming up with arm inside knee; then do technical stand-up; pass and secure side control.
We did some specific drilling and I sucked as I currently have no foot or leg stability. I did some other basic drilling at the end of the class, though, and that was fun. It's still good to be training even if it's not going particularly well.
Things to remember: two single leg x guard sweeps.
Sweep 1: Left hand wraps around leg of standing opponent; left leg on nearest hip of opponent; other foot behind other leg of opponent to stretch and unbalance him; opponent removes single hook and comes to full mount; keep hold of leg; drop to side and drive opponent over; re-insert hook.
Sweep 2: Left hand wraps around leg of standing opponent; left leg on nearest hip of opponent; other foot behind other leg of opponent to stretch and unbalance him; opponent removes single hook and back steps; keep hook active and off-balance opponent; bring other hand to opponent's shin; pinch knees and climb up, the turn onto face and drive forwards to take opponent down; block opponent coming up with arm inside knee; then do technical stand-up; pass and secure side control.
We did some specific drilling and I sucked as I currently have no foot or leg stability. I did some other basic drilling at the end of the class, though, and that was fun. It's still good to be training even if it's not going particularly well.
Things to remember: two single leg x guard sweeps.
Sunday, 2 July 2017
Classes 272 & 273...
The first class was largely a sparring class where I was exhausted and just collapsed as a fighter. It's the first time this has happened, but a lack of sleep and proper food took its toll and I got ruined. I just wasn't prepared physically and I was all over the place mentally.
The following class was much more productive and we were taught a basic guard escape and pass, then we went into specific sparring, where I did OK.
The guard break from closed guard went something like this:
i) Posture up in the closed guard of the opponent and create a frame by pinning the opponent's gi collar his chest with your right hand and his right hip to the floor with your left hand. The heels of both palms drive down to pin the opponent. Keep the elbows in and locked.
ii) Right foot stands and you stand on your left foot, then open your hips and twist to your left to break the guard.
iii) Move to knee slide or double unders smash pass to pass out of guard.
Sparring was more productive at this but it was a constant drill sparring so it was tiring.
Things to remember: Drill basic guard break and pass.
The following class was much more productive and we were taught a basic guard escape and pass, then we went into specific sparring, where I did OK.
The guard break from closed guard went something like this:
i) Posture up in the closed guard of the opponent and create a frame by pinning the opponent's gi collar his chest with your right hand and his right hip to the floor with your left hand. The heels of both palms drive down to pin the opponent. Keep the elbows in and locked.
ii) Right foot stands and you stand on your left foot, then open your hips and twist to your left to break the guard.
iii) Move to knee slide or double unders smash pass to pass out of guard.
Sparring was more productive at this but it was a constant drill sparring so it was tiring.
Things to remember: Drill basic guard break and pass.
Class 271...
Two smash attacks, one to escape butterfly and the other to escape knee shield.
Pass from butterfly: opponent has butterfly hooks in, you open his gi and grab the lapels and use the gi to pin the opponent to the floor; you stand up and pinch you knees together while slightly basing your feet out; as you stand you pull the gripped gi and squeeze the knees to attack his butterfly hooks; pick a side and use the knee and arm of that side to drive his legs to one side; then drop into side control and continue to drive weight into the hip of the opponent; grab opponent's gi pants and push his top leg into his bottom leg; pass into side control.
Pass from knee shield half guard: pin the opponent's knee, grab the collar of his gi and pull him in; stand up on the foot nearest the opponent's head, then ankle slice and push forward, push forward so you are past his hips; then drive back to put the opponent on his side.
Sparring was OK and we worked on defending or attacking these two positions. I did OK from butterfly guard and hit a few sweeps. I also did well with the old school grab both the legs of the opponent and pressure pass. It's nice to back on the mats, even it is only once or twice a week at the moment.
Things to remember: pin the opponent's legs and use the grab both legs technique.
Pass from butterfly: opponent has butterfly hooks in, you open his gi and grab the lapels and use the gi to pin the opponent to the floor; you stand up and pinch you knees together while slightly basing your feet out; as you stand you pull the gripped gi and squeeze the knees to attack his butterfly hooks; pick a side and use the knee and arm of that side to drive his legs to one side; then drop into side control and continue to drive weight into the hip of the opponent; grab opponent's gi pants and push his top leg into his bottom leg; pass into side control.
Pass from knee shield half guard: pin the opponent's knee, grab the collar of his gi and pull him in; stand up on the foot nearest the opponent's head, then ankle slice and push forward, push forward so you are past his hips; then drive back to put the opponent on his side.
Sparring was OK and we worked on defending or attacking these two positions. I did OK from butterfly guard and hit a few sweeps. I also did well with the old school grab both the legs of the opponent and pressure pass. It's nice to back on the mats, even it is only once or twice a week at the moment.
Things to remember: pin the opponent's legs and use the grab both legs technique.
Class 270...
I am back training after a four-week lay-off with no working feet. Grip fighting exercises while standing were followed by three options for passing while standing in the del la Riva guard. These went something like this:
i) Pressure opponent's leg on hip, grab under ankle, grab pants at ankle, step in, elevate leg, drive leg to side with a leg drag, drop into side control.
ii) Pressure opponent's leg, use cross grip hand on opponent's belt, grab ankle at pants with leg, step in to crush leg, hold position with hand and step back, turn trapped foot and step that out then step other leg out and drop into side control with crossed hands.
iii) Shin slice, grab pants inside, drop back to shin slice, and retain distance by pushing inside of knee away. Drop into side control.
I was woeful at specific sparring, but with two unsure feet and a compromised base this is not surprising.
Things to remember: do not lean too far forward when standing as it makes off-balancing easier.
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