September 11th 2015 - Gi All Levels

Theme & Techniques: Head Lock Escape to Back Mount, Standing Guard Break to Knee Slide
Partner: Morgan

Conan emphasized dealing with not being able to get ideal grips.  How sometimes he'll get the leg grip first and go for the chest grab before immediately trying to break the guard.  During drilling I played around with this a bit with a little hand fighting. 

Rolling: Closed Guard (2 x 4 min), Kesa Getamae (2 x 4 min), Free Rolling (4 min)
Rolled With: Morgan, Zac, Jordan

I tried to channel Conan during positional sparring, using minimal effort and structural stability to prevent the pass.  I felt pretty good about my performance from top and bottom.  Kesa gatame is a different thing all together.  I hate this position, but understand that I should work on it every now and again.  Zac gave me some good advice in that I would let him know that I was going to try something with my breathing paterns.  Also when he was on the bottom with me I could feel his chaining of escapes and could see how he made space.  From the top he told me to think of attempting a judo hip throw and looking up and away if my opponent got squirrely.  It felt pretty strong.  

Office Hours Partner: Conan, Zac

Had a rough long roll with Conan.  I don't remember much of it but somehow I passed his guard.  I know he was trying a new particular guard pass defense that is more of a last ditch effort, so that probably helped me chances.  Once I got to side control, I had to tell myself to start attacking.  I know that if I don't I'll be put on the defensive and Conan will start trapping my arms.  So I attempted any submission that I could.  I tried to stay ahead of him and had to move to the other side of side control a few times, went to the turtle, then the back, then back to side control.  Ended up with a one armed RNC to which Conan said "finally" 

Zac went over some collar choke stuff that I could have attempted.  He also implied that I didn't do as well with my NS choke because of my reverence for Conan, which I think has some truth to it.  It was a great way to end the class though and I got my cardio in for the day.