As for training tonight, there was an average turn out but all the guys that went were good guys who have been doing Bjj for a decent amount of time (well over a year) so there were no rookies to coddle or take all of the instructors attention. Not that I'm adverse to new guys attending you understand, it's just some weeks it's good to have a more experienced class.
Venue: Sweat FA
Instructor: Ian Rossiter. (SJJA)
Warm up: Laps of the mat, including ass kicks, knee ups, facing inward for a lap, facing out for a lap. Neck, Arm and Shoulder stretching. Push ups 15 x 2, Squats 15x 2, Crunches 15 x 2, then a round of seated knee tucks X 10 per person and then some leg stretching.
For the first technique tonight Ian showed us an escape from side control into a single leg takedown position. You're on your back with the guy laying on you in side control. Go for the standard bump up and bridge to make space -1 forearm across neck, 1 across hips, knees bent with your heels up against your ass, explode up in a bridge (feet and shoulder) whilst bumping the guy up and away with you arms. At the apex of your bridge pass your leg that is nearer your opponent under your other leg and make as if to base out. Whilst doing that, the arm that was used to push your opponent away at the neck should pass underneath for an underhook on the guy, then run down their side to secure behind their nearside leg. By this point you will be in position to thrust your shoulder into their lower abdomen - being sure to put your head across their body, not out to the side (guillotine's ya see)- you are now in a good position to push forward for a knelt down single-leg takedown.
I drilled this with Dan the blue belt. We both had fun with the move and got it quite well. Although both of us initially got called up on the head positioning for the takedown.
Next Ian moved us on to doing the same technique but the top guys putting some pressure on. We did this and I found the move very scramble-y, not so easy to hit against a fighting opponent who's expecting it. We both got it a couple of times but it was very scrappy. Ian then swapped us around to try the technique on a different sized opponent. I paired up with big Justin, a large 16 and a half stone bloke who does a lot of power lifting. This move seems made for Justin who had a brilliant technique for making the space and then had all the room in the world to switch over for the takedown.
At this point Ian stopped us and brushed us all up on a key side control point. If the guys has his forearms on you for the bridge escape technique you can just secure his far side arm at the top of the tricep and pull toward you while simultaneously passing your leg nearer his low side under your body to press up against the underarm of his other arm. To secure a nice Kesa Gatame.
We then sparred situationally. 2 minutes each way from the side control position. The guy on top has to either maintain control or move to knee on belly and keep it for the 3 seconds (as if scoring points in comp). The guys on the bottom either has to get to guard or do the base out takedown to gain top control. I sparred with Justin with him on the bottom first. Justin managed to gain closed guard quickly on the first run. The second I hit the knee on belly quickly. Then I just maintained control for the rest of the spar, although during one of Justin's escape attempts he impressively dinked me in the chin with hi knee.
We stopped for water (I took the opportunity to stick my gum shield in) and then I was on the bottom. This was quite hard as Justin out weighs me by 2 and a half stone. Pushing him up was very difficult but I managed it once early and claimed closed guard. Then I struggled for quite some time (including getting another knee in the head) and managed an escape to closed guard late in the spar. Note for the future, Justin has good side control now and he's only going to get better with time. Don't let him get settled in side control for too long or he could hold you down and sap your sttrength.
After that Ian moved us back to our original partners (I was back with Dan) and showed us the standard sprawl counter to the kneeling single-leg. When the guys shoulder comes in to your lower abdomen, just lay your weight down on his back while exploding the secured leg backward for the sprawl. From there Ian had us transition to rear side mount and hit the clock choke. You've sprawled your legs away and broke his grip, move round to his side keep your weight on his back. You then lean your torso across his back so you're kneeling near his arm on the near side and your arm that would be closest to his backside can now reach down and under his far side arm and pull open his lapel. Then your other hand can reach under the guys neck and reach into the collar to secure a grip nice and deep. Now with the hand you used to open the collar you can just secure his arm at the wrist but from the underside of his armpit (kind of as if you were starting a crucifix) and simultaneously pull down with the other hand on the collar to tighten the collar around the neck a bit. Now to finish you pass the your leg that's nearer his lower half under your other leg and shift your body around so your legs are moving toward his head like a clock hand (hence clock choke). Tap city.
Me and Dan drilled this but both had trouble to start due to slack grips on the collar and not putting the hand in deep enough. It's one of those techniques though that once you've got it you know. After Ian had put us right on a few points we were making each others eyes comically bulge like a good'un.
Five Star Technique time.
Then came my favourite bit of the class. The super disco move. Cue Staying Alive sound track with John Travolta's funky dance moves. From the position where you're trying the kneeling sprawl, if for some reason you can't break the guys grip, all is not lost. In fact I would say it's possibly better than if you did break the grips because who wants stinky rear side mount anyway when you can have a disco 2000 transition to (dun dun DAAAAN) Omoplata. One would almost think Ian had read my blog from Tuesday night.
So you can't break the guys grip so in stead you turn yourself around in his grip by pivoting on the leg in his grip to the side where his head isn't. You then very quickly reach down with your near side arm to secure the wrist of his arm that's around your leg, put your other arm back between your legs and perform a forward roll. When you come up immediately put your arm over his back, then manoeuvre your legs out away from him with the arm snuggled neatly across your belly and if necessary flatten him out. Then lean forward applying the pressure on the Omoplata. Brilliant. Merry Jits-mas. I drilled this move, first with Dan a load, then with Marcus a load more. I do not think I could love this move more. Definitely one to add to the "To Do List".
Sparring tonight was fairly quick as time had drawn on. I had a quick 2 minute round against Marcus. Mostly top control, ended up taking his back with strong hooks in though he had his collar way up and defended his neck very well. Couldn't get anything near his neck and he was threatening escape so I secured an arm and jumped onto an arm bar which he fought for a long time, I ended up having to reposition my hips a little closer to him and really thrust the hips forward to get the tap. Also got a good half guard sweep on him too. Getting more confident with my half guard which is good.
Second bout was against Big Steve (someone's gotta think up a more original descriptive appellation for the big guys around here with out sounding pervy). I tried a different tact today - for some stupid reason I usually try and out wrestle Steve from the knee to knee start which has worked sometimes but just as frequently fails. Today I just went straight into guard, fired up the old Omoplata straight away. Failed there with Steve ending up trying to pass over the top of me into side control, but I figure four'd his secured arm at the wrist (in a sort of Americana from underneath) and used leverage on this to pull him back round and reclaim guard. We then engaged in a little collar war tomfoolery before I bluffed him out with one arm for an arm bar, went to the other and twisted him round for an Omoplata. Unfortunately he managed to straight arm out of this so I left my legs in and put on an inverted arm bar for a tap.
Last roll was with Rich who has showed an increasingly good guard game over the last few weeks (ever since a Braulio seminar, the spawny bastard) and jumped guard straight away. I passed his guard a couple of times taking side control for a bit but he was able to recover guard on both occasions. Haven't tapped Rich for a while now, he's definitely polishing up his game. I have to say congratulation to him too for getting a new job as a website designer for a wedding company in Taunton. Well done mate.
So, awesome session tonight and a move that I would really love to hit in sparring. Game on.
Til next time guys. \m/
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