April 14th 2015 - Gi Beginner (It's Back)

Theme & Techniques: Basic Open Guard
Partner: Anthony

This is one of the few weeks in the curriculum where we only work on one thing.  Granted it's a big thing and a good intro to open guard.  Getting into the position seemed to come pretty natural to me.  I think this is mostly because the beginning motions are so similar to a scissor sweep.  Anthony had a little trouble because of his long legs it took him a little bit to figure out where to put his hips. 

Rolling: Open Guard (4 x 2 min), Free Rolling (4 min)
Rolled With: Anthony, Ty, Zack

Working on the position with Anthony and Ty, it appears that the elbow on the bottom leg can be a real killer to the position.  If I was able to get the pant grip and bring the elbow down I was able to eventually get an over/under or double under position.  On the other hand if that arm is pulled up to the chest, the push/pull of the position really presents itself.  From the bottom I found that I was constantly scooting my hips around in like front shrimp motions.  I made sure to stay on my side instead of falling flat to my back as well.

Free rolling with Zack I started out strong.  I passed his guard and went to side control and then turtle and then a back take.  I was just a good grip away but he fought my hands very well.  He was able to turn into me and I ended up in butterfly guard.  There was a moment of clarity there were I kind of felt like I was on a downward slope and I should have done something to stop it.  I ended up in half guard and he started to attack an americana, I thought I had stability and I hipped into it like I have done before.  It was the wrong thing to do because something kind of popped in my elbow.  It ended up being okay and not having any pain at the time.  It's a little sore now but I think it was just a tendon moving or something and nothing serious happened.  I learned a lesson and I'm not going to try to escape that way again.

Office Hours Partner: Robert, Zack

Robert asked to go a couple rounds after class and I gladly said yes.  We started from standing even though he had his ankle wrapped.  I was surprised he came in so close instead of trying to keep me away and stiff arm like I'm used to.  I attempted a reaping throw and switched to a knee tap, but he was a little ahead of me and was able to get me down and I landed in guard.  I went into a loop choke from half guard and got it locked in more than I thought I would, but I had no hip movement to make it tighter and he eventually got his head out of it.  He felt pretty strong and it may be due to the weather change because I'm still feeling a little tired and slow.  It may be a mental block too because I'm really only feeling tired against people that usually beat me.  There was quite a bit of half guard and I was mostly on the bottom.  I did come up to turtle and felt stronger keeping my head down and pressed against him but I eventually was put back on the bottom.  He eventually submitted me with a tight arm triangle.

Our second round went close to the same.  A lot of half guard bottom for me.  At one point I got the butterfly hook in and gained butterfly guard.  Can't remember how I screwed that up but I ended up in mount.  The timer went off without him submitting me but he was in control for the majority.

Zack wanted to work on more butterfly guard and we just rolled from the position a few times.  Sometimes I passed and sometimes he swept.  I gave him a few pointers one what I thought and there were a few times where I told him that he was there to just try the sweep.  He may be waiting until everything is perfectly in place which is something that I am all too familiar with.  We went over hand fighting and how I get into the butterfly position and he seemed to take to it.