DV8 Academia de Jiu Jitsu - 13/9/12

This blog is a land mark for me in my Bjj Obsession for 2 reasons. Firstly, it's my one hundredth blog entry, which is pretty special in it's own right. Secondly, and more importantly in my eyes, it's the first opportunity I've had to teach this martial art that I love so much. Yes, that's right, I am chuffed to fuck because I was allowed by my long time instructor, Ian Rossiter, to instruct part of this nights class in his absence. I say part of as I shared the instruction privilege with Glenn Cutter, who for half of the class, ran us through some very handy throwing techniques.

Wahooo, I finally found a program that will make transparent backgrounds for my pictures :o)

 

Venue: Sweat FA, Weston Super Mare, Uk.
Instructors: Martin Eyre (Blue Belt, Hey that's me :oD), Glenn Cutter (Blue Belt).


Warm Up:
 I started the warm up with the usual laps of the mat with arms windmilling, then butt kicks, then knee ups, side steps facing in, side step facing out. We then stopped for some arm stretching and neck stretching. Then some leg stretching. Then, at the request of Rich Presley before the class, we changed it up a bit and paired off for some no handed guard passing/sweeping, then some guard pulling (10 each). We then did some break falling up the mat. First forward rolls. Then forward rolls into backward rolls. Then another which I can't remember (d'oh). Everybody was breathing fairly heavy after all that.




Techniques:
(I will explain the movements from the perspective that I first learned them for ease of description)

For the techniques this week, Glenn Cutter took the first half of the class and showed us some pretty excellent takedowns. He demonstrated techniques that lent themselves well to Bjj stand up, particularly against a resisting opponent.



 First up was a pretty cool method of getting a trip takedown against an opponent's guard pull attempt. So your facing off against the opponent, both collar and elbow grappling for position to initiate a throw, with your right hand on his collar and left at his elbow. The opponent decides to pull guard and you are quick enough to see this happening. As he's raised his right leg up and started to wrap it around you, you twist your grip on his lapel about a quarter turn clockwise whilst pushing that fist against him to bring him off balance. You then step forward to bring your right leg behind his left and then pull back with it whilst simultaneously pushing forward with your clenched right fist. The guy should go flat (and quite hard) down on his back with you following him down to land with your right knee across his left inside thigh - to close it down from any counter attacking or defensive movement - and a large part of the rest of your body weight leaning against his other leg. The pass should come very easy from there.
I drilled this and all other moves with Rich. We both enjoyed this move and indeed the whole takedown segment of this class.



Next up we did the same but without the guard pull attempt. So basically, you push him away with your clenched fist grip, then step in and try for the trip. This version, as Glenn pointed out, can be a lot scrappier and no where near as clean, as you go into a kind of locked legs struggle, but as long as you persevere you can get the guy down eventually by waiting for him to try and turn his weight against you then just taking him down the opposite way.



The third takedown of the night was one I really enjoyed. Taking a grip of the opponent's right sleeve cuff with left hand and a grip of his collar (either side) with your right, step away from the opponent to the opposite side from which of his hands you have - in my case I had his right so I stand away from him to his left . You then quickly turn away (turning left) from him whilst pulling him around in that direction rapidly as if to swing him over. Consequentially, his body moves at a much faster rate than his legs can carry him and he goes over on to his back with the arm you had originally secured presenting itself neatly for the arm bar finish.

While doing this move I commented to Rich about how friggin awesome it would be to pull the whole lot of it off in a competition. The swing takedown into arm bar. The would be up there with flying arm bars for silky smooth finishes.



For the last move Glenn demonstrated a step in for O Soto Gari, then turning it into a Seio Nage. You're standing facing your opponent with left hand grip on his right cuff, and a right hand grip of his right collar. You then step your left leg out slightly left so you can bring your right leg forward to the outside of his right leg. This is where you'd usually go for the O Soto Gari. That's exactly what the opponent will be expecting too so for this move, Glenn showed us a slick way to turn it into a Seio Nage. By then swinging your left leg back and around in a sweeping motion, so you have essentially turned you back on him, you can extend your right left straight and flip the guy over your shoulder, hard to the mat and end neatly in side control.
I found this move difficult at first because I kept bending the right leg right at the end taking away my power to throw him over the shoulder and basically turning it into a trip. Got it ok in the end though.

Some great moves there from Glenn and a lot of the guys commented that we could maybe do a a regular half class of takedowns, maybe on a monthly basis. I'll have to put that to Ian and see what he says.


The second half of the class was taught by me. It was a real land mark in my Jiu Jitsu progress that I was allowed to take this and I was really chuffed. So I decided to do the segment on my old personal nemesis, The Half Guard. I used to find the half guard a real problem when i first started Jiu Jitsu, seeing it as more of a position I was trapped in and must escape from, rather than a position where I could easily transition to rear mount, sweep or submit an opponent. The key thing I have found is to make the space to get off you back  so you are turned onto your side facing in to your opponent, preferably with an underhook in too.

With this in mind, the first technique I demonstrated was a method of breaking free from the flattened out half guard bottom, to get to the attacking half guard on you side. Starting with my opponent laying flat on top of me with his right leg trapped in my half guard (his left leg basing off to my right side), lying diagonally across me so his left arm has wrapped around under my head and his right arm is under hooking my left and reached up to grip his other hand to the left of my head. He's rather fiendishly using this position to stall, maybe because he's short of breath, maybe the times nearly up and he's ahead on points. What you need to do first is make some space for yourself. You do this by reaching up with your right hand to take a grip of gi underneath his left arm pit, and reach up over the top of his right arm with your left, sliding the arm under his face/neck, to grab a handful of his gi  at the top of his left shoulder (your hands should be framing his shoulder, one above, one below). You can now bridge up using your legs to assist you, pushing out with your hands to make enough space to get your head in under his head/upper chest. Once it's in there you can quickly swing your left hand down then up to go under his right arm and reach around to take a grip of his gi or belt as far as you can reach around. You can now bring your right elbow in close to your lower stomach, until you can get it under you. You can now use the combined strength of your arm, shoulder and body, to move yourself into a more upright position. This is now a much more attacking Half Guard position, giving you a good set up for a transition to rear mount or some good sweeps.
I had the class just practise getting themselves out of the troubling flattened position first.


Moving on from there I added a sweep to it. You've got yourself to the attacking Half Guard set up position above. To pre-empt any attempted moves to back, the opponent quickly gets the whizzer on your deep under hooking left arm. From here you start to push your weight into him, sitting up very slightly as you go. When the guy inevitably starts to push his weight back against you, you quickly reach down to grip his gi pants at the left knee with your right hand, then quickly fall/turn backwards while pulling him over with your deep left under hook and then pushing him over with the pant knee grip. If executed correctly you should be able to easily sweep even a much heavier opponent to his back and come up in side control.
I seemed to get a fairly good reaction for this sweep which was good.



The last move i demonstrated was the Half Guard Twist Sweep. You've managed to get slightly upright on to your side with your half guard ( the guys right leg is trapped) but he's clapped pushing your left arm at the bicep to stop you from getting the under hook. You must ensure at this point, that you are trapping his right leg using your right leg wrapped over it so your right foot ends up on the outside of his right leg. You must position your right knee so it is pressed against his inside right thigh and then quickly move your left foot to press against the outside of his right knee. From here you use your left hand to ensure he can't base out and stop the move with his right arm, by gripping it in close. Then twisting your lower body left, you push your right knee against his inside right leg, which pushes him over your left foot, sweeping him over onto his back with you coming up neatly into side control. The move is easier if you get it set up and then wait for your opponent to push forward, then use their momentum to help you, but it's a very doable sweep even with out the additional help.
This is easily one of my favourite half guard sweeps.



Sparring:

For the sparring this session I had a fairly mediocre night. I got a couple of subs but nothing that will set the world alight.

I rolled with Rich, Glenn'son, Sean Errock, 'Big' Justin Thomas and Tommy Hill.


That was it for the week for training. I was hoping to get a session in with my mate Tom Gifford but unfortunately it didn't happen. I shall try and coax him into some for next week. Gotta get the mat time in :o)