Instructor: Chico Mendes
Venue: LA Gym, Bristol, UK.
We got there dead on time last night (8 pm) but the warm up was already well underway so I think someone was raring to go last night. By the time I was changed and ready to partake we had got to sit ups and press ups. Then hip escapes, cross collar choke sit ups and then on to two man warm up exercises.
First up was arms held behind backs, both guys start in an armless clinch type stance then try and take the back of the other guy whilst he is trying to take your back. What this results in is the two of you just basically circling and changing levels to block each other out.
Next up was a clinching drill (arms involved this time) where you've each got an over under hold and the objective is to pummel to gain an advantage (double underhooks), once you've got it you can drop slightly, tighten the control at the waist/small of back and lift the opponent as if for a takedown.
Last up was a balance/leg control exercise where you've got you opponent with a grip round the back of his head with one hand and his leg raised and tucked under your arm on the other side. Your opponent has you in exactly the same hold and you basically just move around, hopping about. At one point I was sure someone was going to be filming the scenario as we both looked like a bunch of dancing wallies.
First technique was an arm drag from a position where the opponent is attempting to pass your guard (most commonly your Butterfly Guard) by hold you legs together at the ankles whilst you are sat up in front of him. You are pushing him away at the shoulders to make space, then you reach down to one of his wrists and grip it to secure that arm in place so it's effectively attached to that leg, then with that same leg you step outside taking the guys arm out with you and, using your other hand, grab underneath the exposed arm pit. From there you can just pull hard back and to the opposite side of you whilst escaping your hips to the side from which you just performed the drag. The guy should shoot right over with you comfortably popping round on the outside so he lands on his front and struggles to get to turtle while you already have one hook in. You've now got the opportunity to secure a back side mount and attempt to get both hooks in (possible but riskier) or take him out of turtle to a safe position to attack. Were also shown a variation of this where you drag by the collar instead of the arm.
I drilled these techniques with Marcus and we both found them pretty easy although Chico picked me up on the fact that I should have been escaping my hips further.
Next technique was from if you don't get the drag off well. If when dragging the guy puts his arm out while going over he can land in your Half Guard. From here we were shown a Half Guard sweep similar to one we did a few weeks ago with some pointers on control. Over wrap the opponents nearside arm (whizzer style). Release the outside leg figure four (ensure your inside leg is firmly crossed over his near side leg for control) then put hook against his near side inside thigh and hold the guys other arm either at the wrist or the triceps (Chico said his preference is the Triceps grip) . Then, wait for the opponent to make a move. Chico emphasized this a lot saying that you can wait as long as you want, if the guy's not moving just relax there and wait. As soon as he attempts to pass or flatten you out or make virtually any kind of move you can push up with the hook and sweep him over onto his back.
We first drilled this move then went on to situational rolling from this position.Starting from the Half Guard, arm secured, foot hooked inside thigh position, the objective is for the bottom guy to get a sweep or sub or recover guard, while the top guy has to pass or sub. I rolled with Marcus first managing to get a couple of sweeps on him (which I was mega chuffed with as it means my Half Guard game is making strides) and passing his guard a couple of times.
I then rolled with Mike under the same conditions and managed to get a couple of sweeps on him too. Then he kept trying this weird method of passing while basing his outer leg really far out giving you about a car parks worth of space to pull your inside leg up and secure full guard. Which I did a couple of times.
I also had a go against some guy I've seen a few times before but still do not know his name. I managed a sweep on him and he managed to pass once too. From the top I managed to pass him a couple of times and he got a sweep on me. I really enjoyed the half guard training and have to say I feel like my Half Guard game is already beginning to go places compared to how poor it was a couple of months ago. Chuffed things are going right :o)
As for the nights proper rolling. I had my first roll against Josh Kersey. Now "Big Josh" is quite a tall lad and used to have a decent weight advantage on me when he first started about a year or so ago and I used to have a fairly easy time of it against him. Wow things have changed. Bjj has definitely worked wonders on Josh and he's really training hard and looking the part. He's lost a shit load of weight (think he's lighter than me now but I'll gloss over that bit), has himself a well tasty new Vulkan light (not sure if it's the Pro or the Ultra version) black Gi, and gets to train 4 times a weeks (4 TIMES!! Lucky bastard).
From the start of the roll Josh went at it very hard. Driving me straight back into guard and passing my guard into half guard. From there we sat for a very long time in a rather unorthodox position with Josh in a sort across ways Half Guard top position giving him quite a lot of control but with me have a death grip like clench on his leg. From this position I was eventually able to recover guard but not for very long at all. Josh quickly blasted past my guard (looks like I've got to go back to basics there for a bit) into side control and then after a while managed to get mount. He didn't really threaten anything from mount control and it wasn't until I hit and Upa escape (got the 3rd attempt) back into his guard that he launched an omoplata attack on me. I was able to pass my body over the top of him for the escape on that but he altered it into a very nice, very tight armbar to which, after a very quick attempt at breaking out of, I tapped. Very nice move Josh. After that we dived back into it. I very nearly managed to take his back, got a sweep on him and that was about it. I very much look forward to my next roll with Josh but fear that he would've trained about 8 times the next times I see him where as I probably would've only fit about 2 in :o(
Life is unfair sometimes.
Next roll was against Marcus and I obviously had to take my sparring with Marcus a little more seriously that last Thursday. We went at it with him pulling guard straight from the off. I managed to pass into side control. From there after a bit of struggling I got the mount on him and tried to get some sort of collar/ezekiel action going on while also trying to scout out an arm bar. Marcus had all that well scouted though and eventually recovered half guard. I managed to pass my arm underneath his head though and got a grip on his collar and pulled him up to take his back. From there I was attacking his back for ages and Marcus did an absolutely amazing job of defending his neck and collars. I was literally struggling for ages and had to resort to locking my forearm across his face to pull his head up slightly so I could slip and arm in and get a rear naked choke. Took bloody ages though. We reset and Marcus managed to hit a decent sweep on me from Spider Guard (I think) to land me on my back. From there I got back to top using a Half Guard sweep (hehe it's working) and got to side control. I was attempting all sorts of gi chokes and Americana's, nothing of which would work. It was only during a breath stop that I clocked my belt there in between me and Marcus' head. I quickly reached around his head and grabbed the belt, then pulled it tight around his neck. A quick adjustment of my body position via a North South to opposite side control transition and Marcus tapped. And that was the first time I've hit that sub. Always a pleasure to be blazing new trails in your Jiu Jitsu game.
Last roll of the night was with Jase Brookbanks and, as usual, it was a fast paced, frenetic affair with lots action. Jase fired straight into guard, to which I threatened the achilles ankle lock. He had it well scouted this time and pulled out of it easily and from there we rolled quite aggressively, mostly with me in his guard. I managed a pass at one point but never for too long before he recovered. At some point (can't remember how we got there) Jase threatened an armbar which I stopped with my other arm using a hand to hand gable grip. Unfortunately I was fairly sweaty of hand by this time and my hand slipped and Jase got really close to an arm bar. I only escape this by posturing up and turning around on him to relieve the pressure. Eventually I got to Jase's Half Guard and got him in the position for an arm in guillotine. On torquing this hold Jase tapped but told me it was more due to a neck crank than a choke. Poor technique there Marty-boy.
In all I had a pretty damn good sesh. I'm still leaving myself exposed a little bit exposed for the arm bars which I really have to school myself on (don't remember having this problem before) but on the plus side I seem to be hitting a healthy dose of Half Guard sweepery. Good class. Great people. I still need to work on finding some more mat time somehow but me and Marcus are working on something which might come up in the near future.
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