June 9th 2015 - Gi Beginner

Theme & Techniques: RNC Defense O-Soto Gari, Basic Back Mount Escape, RNC from Back Mount
Partner: Bhuvana

My knee has been bothering me just slightly the last couple of days so I took it a little easy today.  Not a big deal but I want to make sure it doesn't turn into something.  I think it's just bruised and I may have caught an elbow or knee defending guard passes.

The main pointers that came up during training:

With the standing RNC:

• When you are being pulled back go with it a little bit.  Bhuvana made it a little worse on herself trying to stand back up straight
• Don't try to pull the choking arm down or away from your neck, instead hold the choking arm against your body
• Use going with the choke into your turn, remember you have to drive the bus and get their shoulder down

Back Mount:

• Head position is so important for both offense and defense.  
• I always start my escape by putting my head to the side I want to escape or if I'm on the back I'm putting my chin on their shoulder and going cheek to cheek.
• Something that I learned today was that the harness is more important than hooks.  It's okay to let a hook go to push on the floor to shrimp or to help move your partner to the other side.

Rolling: Back Mount Position (4 x 2 min), Free Rolling (4 min)
Rolled With: Bhuvana, Grant, Ben

Rounds seemed to go by too fast today.  I escaped a few times from back mount using the escape that we learned.  From the back I didn't go for collar grips and just hunted for the RNC.  Bhuvana was able to get to get to her back but I went into mount, probably should have reset so she could get more practice escaping back mount but we usually say keep fighting from mount and side control.  I got to choke position a few times on Grant but never finished the choke, he must have panicked a bit because he tapped before it was sunk. I walked him through the escape during our last go.

Office Hours Partner: Zack, Mike

Mike discussed controlling the back and how it's okay to let a hook go in order to move the hips or turn the person to the other side.  This helped as I feel like lately I've held onto my hooks no matter what until they escape.  This is something I think I knew but didn't pay as much attention to it as I should.  We'll see how well back mount goes the rest of the week. 

Zack and I did some closed guard sparring and it was pretty even where we both got some sweeps or passed.  I showed him some basic deep half stuff after that, similar to what I showed Ross on Saturday.