So Monday was a pretty informal class. A lot of guys were nursing injuries from the competition on the weekend. One guy wanted to go over defenses to collar chokes and sleeve chokes so we did that for about 15 minutes. The defenses are very simple. The defense of a sleeve choke is simply to over hook the arm that is not under your head. One of the defenses to collar chokes, I like a lot. It is incredibly simple and effective. Your opponent has you in his guard and applies a collar choke with his left arm over his right arm. You take your right hand, bring it under his left arm and up trough the middle of his two arms. Then you simply "run your fingers through your hair" on the right side of your head and grab the back of your neck. The choke is defeated and you can start to work your regular guard passing game.
We rolled for about 45 minutes, which was great as it allowed me some time to work on my personal list of thing that need work. I rolled with a really new guy, I so I give him good positions and forced myself to work out of them. I also continued to improve my half guard, rubber guard and butterfly guard games. In one of the video clips I saw of Eddie Bravo, he talks about incrementally working your game up to a high level. Rather than trying something new against a guy that is your level (or better), failing and the giving up. Start by trying to run a clinic on a 3 week white belt and work from there.
Here is an article that talks about training to improve rather than using the same old game over and over which I really liked and ties in with Monday's practicce:
Zhoozhitzu do Graugardo: A-game Camping vs. making a decision to improve.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Friday, April 25, 2008
Daily Submission
I had dental surgery yesterday, so I didn't get up to much. I spent most of the day sleeping of the anesthetic. One thing I should note, is just how much pain my hips were in yesterday. I have been posting a lot about the rubber guard and I have been pretty aggressive with it. All I can say is, take it slow. I really over did it and I paid for it. Luckily I have a few days to rest up. If you are like me and coming off and extended break from training or training for the first time, take it slow.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Daily Submission
Went pretty light tonight at BJJ. I wanted to stay technical... and I am just tired. I haven't work this hard in years and the past couple of weeks have been rough. Adam taught the flower sweep and three methods of defending a guard pass tonight. One thing I have learned over the past little while is the Brazilian Jiu jitsu player love to name everything. We have rubber guard, z guard, x guard, de la riva guard, octopus, turtle and sea bass guard. Well I made the last one up (I think). The flower pass is not new. I learned it in Judo years ago but it wasn't a specific sweep. It was taught as a counter to someone defending an armbar from the guard. It went like this:
Control the wrist of the arm you are going to attack, hook the opposite side leg with your other arm (or grab the hem of the pants) and spin into an armbar. When the guy defends, throw the leg that is over his head to the side (away from the body) and lift the leg as you situp. Throw your leg back over is head and you are in the classic armbar position.
Adam also taught this as a setup to a triangle. I found that hard, which isn't surprising because I am not good with triangles. I tended to get to much space too easily transition to a triangle. I did however end up with a couple of omaplatas.
The guard pass defenses ranged from simple to slightly complex. The first one was in defense of the basic underhook pass. All you do is push under his arm pit as he circles around and use it to keep him out of side control as you sit up. The second was a little hard for me. It started in a shrimp position with your far knee on his chest, foot under the armpit. The idea was that you use the other leg to roll over and spin back into guard. I can't really explain it so I will try to find video and post that. The last one was pretty simple as well. It starts in the shrimp position again but this time the near knee is against his chest. All you simply do is take the far leg over his arm and place it on his opposite hip ( ie your left foot on his left hip). You push off to create space and shift your hips back to regain guard.
As I said earlier, I rolled pretty technical today. I really wanted to concentrate on technique rather than using my strength or scrambling a lot. Half guard is starting to come easier. I can normally get the underhook and whip up to my side pretty easily now. From there you can get up to your knees and just bull the other guy over or slip out and take his back, so that alone is a good milestone. However, the old school sweep needs some work. Tonight I couldn't quit get the foot so I let go and posted the knee. It worked and I will remember that for later but I need to get at that foot a little earlier. I still have some trouble going the other way. When I hook under his leg, I sometimes get stuck with him sitting on me. Normally, I just muscle him over and scoot out the back but today (at 50%) it wasn't working. I think I need to work rolling into him and sweeping him that way.
I managed a little rubber guard today. Still aways to go but I managed to get into mission control and new york a few times. Now I just need to go from there.
My scissor sweep is still one of my go to sweeps, I think I landed it twice tonight. I tried it a third time but that was one too many. And my guard passing is solid. I have been really focusing in on the basics: Control the biceps, staple hips to ground, posture, knee in butt, open guard, pass. It is working well. Thanks Cecil. My top positional game in general is come back nicely.
Things that are not going well? I am not finishing. Last class and tonight I let my partner out of too many subs. I missed like three armbars, two chokes, two knee bars and a heel hook tonight. Setup was nice on all of them but I just didn't finish. Granted I wasn't going full strength and I could have probably powered them in but that was not the goal tonight. I am bigger than my training partner and if that is the only reason I tap him then things are not going well. I am also giving my back up to much. That is the judoka in me. If I end up on bottom of side control, especially after a scramble, I tend to roll to my back and turtle. I get away with it most of the time but it is a bad habit to get into. I tapped once tonight because I gave my partner my back and he managed to neck crank me while attempting a rear naked choke.
Control the wrist of the arm you are going to attack, hook the opposite side leg with your other arm (or grab the hem of the pants) and spin into an armbar. When the guy defends, throw the leg that is over his head to the side (away from the body) and lift the leg as you situp. Throw your leg back over is head and you are in the classic armbar position.
Adam also taught this as a setup to a triangle. I found that hard, which isn't surprising because I am not good with triangles. I tended to get to much space too easily transition to a triangle. I did however end up with a couple of omaplatas.
The guard pass defenses ranged from simple to slightly complex. The first one was in defense of the basic underhook pass. All you do is push under his arm pit as he circles around and use it to keep him out of side control as you sit up. The second was a little hard for me. It started in a shrimp position with your far knee on his chest, foot under the armpit. The idea was that you use the other leg to roll over and spin back into guard. I can't really explain it so I will try to find video and post that. The last one was pretty simple as well. It starts in the shrimp position again but this time the near knee is against his chest. All you simply do is take the far leg over his arm and place it on his opposite hip ( ie your left foot on his left hip). You push off to create space and shift your hips back to regain guard.
As I said earlier, I rolled pretty technical today. I really wanted to concentrate on technique rather than using my strength or scrambling a lot. Half guard is starting to come easier. I can normally get the underhook and whip up to my side pretty easily now. From there you can get up to your knees and just bull the other guy over or slip out and take his back, so that alone is a good milestone. However, the old school sweep needs some work. Tonight I couldn't quit get the foot so I let go and posted the knee. It worked and I will remember that for later but I need to get at that foot a little earlier. I still have some trouble going the other way. When I hook under his leg, I sometimes get stuck with him sitting on me. Normally, I just muscle him over and scoot out the back but today (at 50%) it wasn't working. I think I need to work rolling into him and sweeping him that way.
I managed a little rubber guard today. Still aways to go but I managed to get into mission control and new york a few times. Now I just need to go from there.
My scissor sweep is still one of my go to sweeps, I think I landed it twice tonight. I tried it a third time but that was one too many. And my guard passing is solid. I have been really focusing in on the basics: Control the biceps, staple hips to ground, posture, knee in butt, open guard, pass. It is working well. Thanks Cecil. My top positional game in general is come back nicely.
Things that are not going well? I am not finishing. Last class and tonight I let my partner out of too many subs. I missed like three armbars, two chokes, two knee bars and a heel hook tonight. Setup was nice on all of them but I just didn't finish. Granted I wasn't going full strength and I could have probably powered them in but that was not the goal tonight. I am bigger than my training partner and if that is the only reason I tap him then things are not going well. I am also giving my back up to much. That is the judoka in me. If I end up on bottom of side control, especially after a scramble, I tend to roll to my back and turtle. I get away with it most of the time but it is a bad habit to get into. I tapped once tonight because I gave my partner my back and he managed to neck crank me while attempting a rear naked choke.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Daily Technique
Two videos on the teepee, as promised. The first is a video of a MMA fight with a fighter using rubber guard to attempt a triangle transition to the teepee and back to a triangle. He explains what he is doing in a voice over. The second is the only clip I could find that attempts to teach the teepee. The instructor is actually an acquaintance of my Ari Bolden. He is a Black Belt in Japanese Jujutsu who has been training with Eddie Bravo.
Daily Technique
"No Gi BJJ 101" from BJ Penn. You could get pretty far if you master nothing but what he shows in the 10 minute video. Real solid info by one of the best grapplers in MMA.
Daily Submission
Last night's class was basically a carbon copy of the one I posted here. Butterfly guard has been the theme since I got there. It seems to be having an effect on me as I noticed myself using a few times while rolling last night. I still don't prefer it but I am becoming more comfortable with it. Adam seems to like taking the back from guard. This is a really hard game for me to play with my short legs. I am trying to adapt what he is showing us to my body type and I will post any solutions I come up with.
Last night was not my best night rolling. I was really tired, probably the front squats and back work I did earlier. I also wasn't very sharp in my techniques. My partner escaped a sleeve choke, 2 kneebars and a triangle. My partner managed to lock in 2 triangles and almost lock in rear naked choke. He didn't finish me but that was more because my build makes me hard to triangle and I managed to keep good wrist control even though he had my back with hooks in. I managed to tap him twice once with a sleeve choke and an arm bar if I remember correctly.
The high points would probably have to be my sweeps. They are really coming back and some of them are better then they were the last time I practiced regularly. The half guard sweeps are coming along particularly well. The focus I have putting there is paying off. The goals is to work that position to the point that it becomes a true offensive position.
I also tried out a new technique last night which may be the answer to my triangle troubles. I have a very hard time triangling people due to my thick, short legs. Eddie bravo shows a move called the Teepee in Mastering the Rubber Guard which works great when you can't quit get the foot under the knee. I will post a video of it later.
Last night was not my best night rolling. I was really tired, probably the front squats and back work I did earlier. I also wasn't very sharp in my techniques. My partner escaped a sleeve choke, 2 kneebars and a triangle. My partner managed to lock in 2 triangles and almost lock in rear naked choke. He didn't finish me but that was more because my build makes me hard to triangle and I managed to keep good wrist control even though he had my back with hooks in. I managed to tap him twice once with a sleeve choke and an arm bar if I remember correctly.
The high points would probably have to be my sweeps. They are really coming back and some of them are better then they were the last time I practiced regularly. The half guard sweeps are coming along particularly well. The focus I have putting there is paying off. The goals is to work that position to the point that it becomes a true offensive position.
I also tried out a new technique last night which may be the answer to my triangle troubles. I have a very hard time triangling people due to my thick, short legs. Eddie bravo shows a move called the Teepee in Mastering the Rubber Guard which works great when you can't quit get the foot under the knee. I will post a video of it later.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
GSP,GSP, GSP
Awesome UFC tonight. Only one fight was a disappointment, the Quarry/Starnes fight. Starnes is a BC boy like me but the guy is just not a fighter. He is a talented athlete but doesn't like to fight. Give me a guy like Chris Leben with limited talent and a warrior's heart any day. Loved Quarry clowning him though.
GSP was dominant against Serra. He came in with a great game plan and executed it perfectly. He passed Serra's guard numerous times, which isn't easily done. Over the past week, it was pointed out to me that he passes guard the same way everytime. He presses down on the right leg, with his right hand, and he just pops the leg over. Very effective. The guys over at fightmetric.com have done the math and he improves his position 1.66 times for every takedown he scores. That is impressive. The only problem I had with the fight was the stoppage. It was just a matter of time until Serra was finished but in my opinion you should never stop a fight for knees to the body unless the fighter is in obvious distress. Matt Serra didn't complain so I think he accepted the fact that he lost but a lot of guys would.
Also respect to both those guys for the class they showed after the fight. There was no real animosity between those two. I have always wondered why people have to act like they hate each other to hype a fight. What is wrong with, "We get along fine but we are proffessionals and I would not disrespect my opponent by doing anything less then trying to kill him." Also respect to the Montreal crowd for cheering Serra after the fight.
The fight of the night for me was probably the Danzig/Bocek fight. Danzig showed very good BJJ against a tough BJJ black belt. Bocek showed he is no joke, great wrestling, great BJJ and pretty good hands too. He was just couldn't match Danzig's experience.
GSP was dominant against Serra. He came in with a great game plan and executed it perfectly. He passed Serra's guard numerous times, which isn't easily done. Over the past week, it was pointed out to me that he passes guard the same way everytime. He presses down on the right leg, with his right hand, and he just pops the leg over. Very effective. The guys over at fightmetric.com have done the math and he improves his position 1.66 times for every takedown he scores. That is impressive. The only problem I had with the fight was the stoppage. It was just a matter of time until Serra was finished but in my opinion you should never stop a fight for knees to the body unless the fighter is in obvious distress. Matt Serra didn't complain so I think he accepted the fact that he lost but a lot of guys would.
Also respect to both those guys for the class they showed after the fight. There was no real animosity between those two. I have always wondered why people have to act like they hate each other to hype a fight. What is wrong with, "We get along fine but we are proffessionals and I would not disrespect my opponent by doing anything less then trying to kill him." Also respect to the Montreal crowd for cheering Serra after the fight.
The fight of the night for me was probably the Danzig/Bocek fight. Danzig showed very good BJJ against a tough BJJ black belt. Bocek showed he is no joke, great wrestling, great BJJ and pretty good hands too. He was just couldn't match Danzig's experience.
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