DV8 Bjj - 11/4/13

So I ended my last entry telling you how I was gonna bust a gut getting back on the training mats at full force. This changed however, when I decided to enter the next Hereford Open in June. I've decided this time to go for the under 82.3 Kg bracket. I nearly made that weight last time I was cutting, even though I wasn't trying for it, and this time my I'm planning it better. Unfortunately I have my post-easter break weight to get rid off. I managed to drive myself back up to an impressive 14st + (stopped weighing myself after the 4 came back) so now I'm blasting away in the gym doing interval training and weights while eating well and ensuring I get a signifcant bit of weight training in there to keep my strength up. After one week of this I've dropped back to 13st 6 1/2. A couple more weeks of this and I'll be sitting pretty at the low 13 - maybe sub 13 - mark. Once I've attained that weight I'll maintain the healthy diet, kick up the training sessions per week and maybe fit 2 or 3 cardio/weight sessions in a week also. If I follow this plan I think I will be much more prepared than I ever have been before.

With all this in mind the only Bjj session I've done this week coming off of Easter was Ian's Thursday class. And what a belter it was to come back to. Good numbers there with a few old faces returning to the mats (JT and Ed Travis) and we even had a cameo appearance from the streamlined "Big" Steve Rudd and the Turtle King Neil Owen (although neither of the latter two were training). It felt good to have the old club mates back and there was a good bit of banter and a jovial feel to the class.

Venue: DV8 Academia de Jiu Jitsu, Sweat Fa, Weston Super Mare, Uk.
Instructor: Ian Rossiter (Black Belt - Checkmat)




Warm Up:

The usual full body stretching to begin.

Then on to Ian's favoured Tabata curcuit.

(All these items are done in unison)
Everyone doing 20 seconds of high knee running on spot

then 10 seconds of pausing in squat

20 seconds of press ups

10 seconds paused in plank

20 seconds of crunches

10 seconds paused in a v sit up

20 seconds of jump high on spot

10 seconds of pause in squat

Then do the same circuit again.

And then proceed to blow out of your ass. :o)

Techniques:
(As usual I will describe techniques from the side I initially learnt them).

To start the lesson Ian gave us a simple Arm Bar from guard. A quick demo of it cause everyone is pretty comfortable with their AB from G movements. The idea behind this was that we just practised the technique a couple of time from each side and then drilled it fast. Getting the movements into your memory, coupled with the ability to do them fast, so you can hit it at speed to punish an opponent whose got a bit slack. The basic technique starts with the guy in your guard with both hands gripping your lapels. With your right arm you reach under his left arm to grip his right arm across the forearm and pull it toward your centre line. Keep the grip nice and strong so he can't pull it away. Now with your left hand take a deep grip of his left lapel and pull him in toward you. Open your guard and put your left foot on his hip whilst putting your right leg across his back to keep the guys posture broken down. Using the foot on hip you shift your angle out to the right and then pass that left leg over the guy's head, clench you knee tight and extend your hips to get the arm bar sub.



Next up was a Gi Choke to counter the arm bar block. You've done all of the above up until you're about to slap the arm bar on (remember that you still have your left hand deep on his collar). Unfortuantely the opponent has managed to wrap his free arm under the arm you're trying to extend so he can bring it tight to his chest to block the arm bar. To counter this you just need to slide your right hand into the guy's right collar so you have a cross collar grip. Finish the gi choke by pulling your elbows in tight and then drawing them down across your sides.


The last technique of the night was a Triangle from guard. Different to the usual method though, for this one Ian used the sweeping arms out wide method. Basically the guy is in your and has a grip on each of your lapels. You bring your hands under his arms and put them together, then push the up between his hands to break open the guys grip and force the hands to the mat to either side of you. Quickly wrap your right arm over the top of his left to trap it in place while grabbing his right arm with your left hand and straight arming it away. Shift you hips out to the right slightly so you can bring your left leg up and pass it through the gap between your arm and his and then kick that leg up high and wrap around the back of his head. Pass your right leg over the top of the left to close off the triangle, then bring the guy's trapped left arm across the front of his face. Shift your angle so you're out to his left side (so you've shifted to your right) to close the amount of space in the triangle and get the choke submission.

Situational:
After the technical part we then did some situational sparring starting from closed guard. The guy in the guard has to break guard and pass. The guy with the guard has to sweep or submit. 2 minutes then you change.

This was a great addition to our usual weekly drilling and rolling regime.

I went again Rich first, then Tom and then the returning Ed Travis. I was only swept once (by Rich) and managed to sweep and pass everyone. Most multiple times (except Tom whose guard I only managed to pass once).


Three Way Rolling:
We then did the good old three way rolling where you group off in a trio, two of the guys roll for a minute while the third waits for the minute to be up. When the minute is up he attacks the guys with the weaker position. This decides the order. From there the next waiting guys then attacks you (regardless of what position you're in) and on it goes from there.
I was with Dan and Rich. It went ok. I got a tap on Rich (can't remember what) but other than that I was pretty knackered and didn't get anything good.


Good sesh. Ian told me at the end that he's got a wedding schedule for next Thursday so I may get another teaching session in. Cool. I best start planning now.

¬m/

DV8 Bjj 14/2/13

This was my last training session before the Hereford Open 16. I've been fortunate enough to get some mid-week lunch time training in with the always improving and helpful Luke Brown (cheers buddy).

Our fearless leader, Ian Rossiter, and his trusty sidekick, Glenn Cutter, were back for this lesson, fresh from a Bjj related trip to Greece under the awe-inspiring tutelage of Checkmat head, Leo Vieira (lucky bastards). And they were both bursting with great stories and cool Bjj drills, techniques and ideas.

Warm up:
We started off with basic stretching of the neck, shoulders, arms and legs to prepare us for what was to come.

Then Ian put us through a Cardio circuit done in unison. This featured;

Everyone doing 20 seconds of high knee running on spot

then 10 seconds of pausing in squat

20 seconds of press ups

10 seconds paused in plank

20 seconds of crunches

10 seconds paused in a v sit up

20 seconds of jump high on spot

10 seconds of pause in squat

Then do the same circuit again.



We then did a Bjj technique specific circuit featuring:

Mount escaping/maintaining.

Side control escaping/maintaining.

Turtle transition to rear mount/turtle defense.

Takedown positioning/defending.

Guard passing/maintaining.

All of this was drilled at 100% or close to in 20 second rounds over two sets and was really enjoyable, although I'd prefer a little longer on each round. Good stuff though.



Technqiues:
(As usual I will describe techniques from the side I initially learnt them).

To start off Ian repeated the Arm bar from guard stuff that has been covered over the last couple of weeks.
I was practising techniques this week with a guy who recently returned to Bjj after a long hiatus. Gary Batten used to train with Ian in the old days (hehe) when they were training under Carlos Lemos jr. He seems a very nice friendly guy and is a pretty damn good blue belt if he "rusty" state was anything to go by. I hope Gary sticks around to help our team grow in the future. He'd be a great addition to the team.


The next move Ian ran us through was the Kimura from guard. Starting with the opponent in your closed guard using his hands gripping on your legs or side (you rarely get an opponent putting there hand to the floor these days so there's not really any point in drilling it as if it's going to happen that way) so there's a small gap between his arm and his body. Grabbing his left wrist with your right hand using a no thumb grip, you open your guard and shift your hips out to the left slightly so you can lean up and forward passing your left hand over the top of his right arm and reach through the gap between his body and arm to grab your own wrist, using the same no thumb grip. Once this is secure you can pull the guys elbow in tight to your chest and fall back with your entire body weight and closing the guard back up as you go. When flat to the floor you can either; push the guys left arm to a ninety degree upward angle using your arm strength, or, turn your entire upper body to your left, taking the guys arm with it and piling on massive pressure.


Ian ran us through the Triangle from guard after that which has been covered frequently recently so no need to rewrite.


Next up we did a little drill for seated feet on hips guard. You lay on your back with your feet on the hips of a standing training partner and they quite aggressively walk from left to right, increasing and decreasing pressure and you have to keep the feet on hips guard maintained. It is best if you try and keep a minimal surface contact with your body on the mat.


The above lead us on to the last technique which I really enjoyed. From the feet on hips guard you hook your left foot under the guys right inside leg and use this to pull yourself toward his lower right leg to grab that leg with both hands.You then (keeping your right foot against his hip) swing your left leg down and across to chop his left leg out toward you giving him absolutely no base left to stand on. The guy should fall backward like a sack of shit leaving you to come up into top position. Interestingly, if you try to jump straight on top you'll most likely end up in half guard top which is not ideal if your opponent is an awesome half guard player. A preferable idea is to come up to a combat stance with a grip on both of the opponent's legs and push them down to one side to try for a full pass from a strong position.



Sparring:

For sparring this week I had a good roll with Gary Batten who was a very good technical opponent. Neither of us really got anything on the other. I look forward to some good hard sparring sessions with Gary in the future.


For the second roll I was against Jay Curtis and managed to hit him with a Gogoplata which I was particularly chuffed with as it's only the second time I remember pulling one off.


My last two rounds we against Luke Brown who is improving every session. I managed to get him with something in the first round (can't remember what) but the second round he stayed a lot more alert and gave me a good tussle. 


After that good last session I felt pretty prepared for the comp on Sunday. I'll give you a write up on how I did next time. ¬m/