Given the impromptu-ness of the first one on Monday, we didn't really plan anything to train in advance. So instead we just decided to roll..... for the whole hour. Which was awesome, challenging, enlightening and knackering, all at once. I got to try a load of stuff that I've been learning recently but not had a chance to try or hit in normal class sparring due to time constraints or the right opportunity not coming up.
To be frank, an hour of rolling was just what the Bjj doctor ordered. Once you fight through the cardio wall you start to pull your shit back together and get your second wind. And your adrenaline brain also fades, bringing back some of your repertoire. Interesting that, and worth remembering for any future competitions.
Anyway, on to today's session and the techniques we worked on. Thinking ahead, Marcus and I both went away Monday and looked up a few things to train. I personally took most of my inspiration from "the Jiu Jitsu Genius" Marcelo Garcia, in the form of his new book Advanced Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Techniques. And what an amazing book it is. Marcus looked up some stuff from various sources, including Andre Galvao's Drill to Win book and various YouTube vids.
To start we drilled some techniques to enhance our Rear Naked Choke game (courtesy of Mr Garcia). Now Marcelo is firm advocate of isolating an arm so he can then use both arms to attack the neck. Starting from full back control (sat up, both hooks in, seat belt control) you grab one of the opponents defending arms (with your overhook arm) at the forearm and push it down, then quickly bring up your leg on the same side and clamp it over the top of that arm to secure it to his side, pulling the arm you used to acomplish this back out and reverting to the seat belt. You can now push the other arm away in a similar style but with your underhooking arm (so from the inside of the forearm)and whip your free arm up hard (Marcelo's preferred method for hitting the RNC is aggressively whipping the overhook arm up from the seat belt to attack the neck direct) to encompass his neck. Now releasing with the other arm you can quickly wrap it around the first (crook of elbow around hand) and bring the arm around to apply pressure to the back of the head, squeezing tight.
The next one works under the premise that you have full back control but are leant over on the side with the overhooking arm against the floor. Basically you use the same style, but back to front. You start with the underhooking arm pushing down on his same side defending arm from the inside forearm, trap the arm with your top leg. You then use the same arm (top arm) to reach across the opponents body and push down on his other arm so you create space to quickly whip the overhook arm up around the neck. You can then release the other arm and finish the RNC in the usual way.
The last one also worked from the back control but laid on your sides. This time though, your opponent is using his top arm to try and push away your top hook. You let him push it until his arm passes his hip (so the arm is now a little way behind him) and then grab it at the inside forearm using your underhooking arm (the one the was at the top) and pull it further behind him and then up his back so you now have an old school style behind the back arm lock on him. Now bringing your top leg up and putting your foot on his hip you can squeeze in a keep the arm in place. You are now free to attack the RNC using the two arms on one situation again.
Arm isolation is one of Marcelo's key tips for hitting the Rear Naked Chokes that he is famous for. Using any of the above moves can seriously aid your back attack game.
The next thing we covered was something Marcus had been looking at in Andre Galvao's book. Defending from Kesa Gatame bottom scarf hold as others know it), bring your outside arm up and grabbing the opponents same side lapel with an upside-down fingers in grip, you do a punching motion with the gi in hand to pass the opponents opposite shoulder. Whilst doing this you hip escape away (as far as you can) and simultaneously bring the outside leg up across the head, the inner leg up to pressing knee on the opponents side and grab the opponents near arm, extending the whole lot out for the arm bar.
Another technique we drilled a little was a North - South Choke. From a strong side control position, grab the gi material of opponents far side arm near the upper arm, with the hand of your leg side arm and pull it down and close to the opponents body. Then, using your near side arm, pass the arm over the top of the opponents head and then wrap it around underneath so your hand ends near your belt area. Now you just move your body around to the North - South position, forcing the opponents head down on it's side with the pressure of your torso as you move and reach down with your other arm to grip the wrapped arm with a gable grip so you can pull in to apply the pressure. We found that if you use the crook of the elbow around the choking arm you can get it on REALLY tight but sometimes you may not be able to reach it.
Marcus brought a bit more Galvao to the table for the next couple of techniques. We did an amazing and somewhat disco omoplata and triangle from the same set up. Started in closed guard, you cross grip the opponents sleeve using a pistol grip and reach down to the same side knee with your other hand and grab the gi pants. Now comes the flash bit. You swing your leg on the other side, over the top of his head whilst rolling sideways across your shoulders to come up in an inverted position off to the side off your opponent with your leg tucked under his arm. Now you just need to roll forward, keeping hold the gi pants (so he can't roll out of it), coming up beautifully into an omoplata. Amazing yet simple move with a really cool set up. I NEED to hit this move.
The second move from this set up works the same up until you get to the rolling forward point. This time when you're rolling forward for the omoplata the opponent blocks by straight arming the far side arm and starts turning in toward you. This movement leaves him perfectly set up for the triangle finish as he turns into your legs. Just wrap your far side leg around his shoulder/neck using this to pull him in position so you can easily wrap your free leg over the top of the other to close the triangle. Raise your hips and pull the arm across and you don't even need to pull on the back of the head. Another flash finish from a relatively simple and attainable set up (trusting you're not afraid to invert).
There was another really tasty triangle that I had been trying in our rolling session (didn't know it at the time, was just trying to escape a bad position) that Marcus pointed out later. It has a funny name, after an MMA fighter of relatively little renown, who used it to win a fight one time and then faded into obscurity. I cannot remember the name of the guy but the move is basically a triangle from Half Guard, being closed up using your arm/s. You are in Half Guard bottom position but quite loose on the outside. You bring your outside leg up and over his shoulder and back and grab it at the other side of his head with your same side arm (same side as where the leg is coming from, so you've essentially got an across neck choke hold). Now you just pull hard on the leg while lifting your shoulder to apply the choke. You can actually use both arms to grab the leg but it's the off side arm that's applying the choke. Me and Marcus were mega chuffed with this triangle variation which I why I am a bit gutted I can't remember the bloody MMA fighters name. Grrrr.
We finished with another Marcelo effort, this time the Over the Shoulder Armbar from Mount. Mounted on your opponent crouching low, you thread one of your arms under his same side forearm and out a little so he ends up with that arm underhooking yours. With your other arm you grab his other arm at the forearm and press it to his chest and bring your leg on that side up and over his shoulder (as if going for a mounted triangle but without attempting to wrap it around his head). From there (you should still have his first arm tucked under your arm at this point) you can bring your other leg out and up to beside his head and use that leg a fulcrum for the arm bar. This move is remarkably simple and actually very tight.
I'm sure I missed a couple of techniques off but never mind. I got the bulk of it. After all that we had a quick ten minute roll which was mega fast and furious, neither of us managing to hit any of the moves we learned today. Once again, I cannot recommend enough this two man training format as you can both bring moves to the table that you've been dying to learn and it teaches the other guy the move at the same time. Brilliant. Anyway, now I have to wait until Thursday for my next Bjj fix. I will definitely be trying to get more of these two man sessions in though as I feel like my game is really improving a lot and particularly my cardio (previously my Achilles heel) has been benefiting no end.
A big thanks to Marcus for training with me too. \m/
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