April 9th - Gi (Goto Move)

Jerad taught class yesterday and the theme was mount per my request from last week.  It was very informative as I often get to mount and while being a dominant position I don't have a wide repertoire of techniques from there.

We started with how to move up higher onto the chest and into the armpits.  This is what I've been missing.  Most often I get stuck down by the hips and I'm not able to move up.  We also defended against a buck by cowboying up and moving our hips forward.  Then if they rolled to one side or the other we would sit on their side and go to gift wrap.  We did the big three from there: take the back, armbar, and the bow and arrow choke.  All good stuff.

We then trained from mount with several partners with 2 minute rounds trying to submit or escape from mount.  I did pretty well and didn't get submitted very often.  Adam was probably the most difficult for me to keep into mount.  If he could get an arm under my leg then he was escaping...very frustrating.

During open mat I went with Anthony twice.  I wasn't very confident in knee wrestling, since I know he has a Judo background, so my main objective was to not get mounted or side mounted.  The first match wasn't too bad for me.  I ended up on the bottom at first but I was able to pull off the half guard sweep and move to the top.  I went to knee on belly and as soon as his hand came down I shifted into north-south choke and got it.

Our second match was not as fun for me.  I spent most of the time on the bottom and Fuji was helping coach Anthony.  I was in side mount, I'd recapture half guard, he'd flatten me out, I'd work for an underhook, can't get it, go for full guard, got it.  We went back and forth a couple of times I attempted an armbar and the omma platta from the cross grip.  Eventually I ended up in guard again and from there I was able to complete a modified flower sweep.  I moved once again into knee on belly and right into north-south choke.  I went as far to proclaim to him that it has become my goto move.  We went over it a couple of times and the defense since he wasn't familiar with it.  We also went over a darce choke.  So, until it doesn't work anymore or I find something better the north-south choke is my goto.