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.

September 9th 2015 - Gi All Levels

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

I had a little bit of a problem getting a good hook in on the leg and then pushing off the other leg for the head lock escape.  I got it, but it didn't always feel secure.  Close to the end of demonstration portion Greg happened to trap my arm while going to the back.  As a challenge I tried some different ways to duplicate this while practicing.  It seemed like getting my knee up high and then bringing my foot around his shoulder as we rolled to the other side was the key.

We did several reps of the standing guard break.  Tom was pretty new to some of the details but had done a similar technique previously.  We went over some no-gi options to go with the underhook.  I had to work on pulling up on the sleeve because I would forget to do it on my left side sometimes. 

Rolling: Closed Guard (4 x 2 min), Free Rolling (2 x 4 min)
Rolled With: Tom, Roland, Jordan

Wanted to play some 2 on 1 again and seemed to get shut down by everyone.  Maybe I'm not trying hard enough or I'm being too obvious.  Had a couple close calls where I had to scramble to regain guard.  I ended up in head lock position at one point and felt like I didn't have an automatic answer for it.  I think I may hit up Adam with some good responses from there.  I may just need to work on my sitouts more because I'm too hesitant to go for it.

From the top I hit a couple knee slides trying to attempt what we worked on in class.  Tom noticed a couple times that he was attempting to get to guard and I would sit on his shin/foot so he couldn't.  This is most definitely a product of the over under pass and natural at this point.

The only thing that stuck out in free rolling is that I got a couple low butterfly sweeps that have been materializing lately.  I get a grip on their post hand and bump under them and then sweep and keep bumping and pressuring toward their base hand until the sweep is complete.  Seems to be working but I don't always end up in the best passing position.

Office Hours Partner: Tom

Tried to do the Uchi Mata a few times but felt worse than Saturday.  I watched the Mat Lab video again and I think I was pushing too much sideways at first instead of lifting my elbow.  Tom wanted to work on the north/south choke and the defense.  I feel like I've been teaching it a lot lately.  It's pretty cool as it's something that developed organically for me.  I really didn't drill as much as the other things in my "A game" it just kind of developed over time.  I will say though, that I failed at it a lot which led to contingencies and developing a nice series from there.  Some people like Jerad are able to defend it consistently, so there is still work to be done. 

September 8th 2015 - Gi Beginner

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

Pretty small class today with only 4 of us.  A few things that came up during class:

• For the head lock escape digging the toes in and sending their head forward was the most difficult part.  This is a good skill to have though as it comes up with other techniques.
• After breaking the guard open I think about grabbing the collar and twisting it like a bully grip bringing my elbow closed on my thigh creating a wall against their leg.
• During the knee slide don't forget to grab the sleeve and pull it up to keep them from turning in.

Rolling: Closed Guard (4 x 2 min), Free Rolling (4 min)
Rolled With: Bhuvana, Morgan, Tom

I attempted to do 2 on 1 a couple times but everyone defended it well.  My cross guard was always in my back pocket and I used it a couple times.  From the top I was able to complete the guard break a few times but never was able to do a knee slide.  I ended up having to stand and go for toreando or go to over/under. 

Office Hours: No One Wanted to Stay

I just went to youtube and watched some of my first tournament matches.  Holy crap was I shitty.  So much has changed since then and it turned out to be difficult to watch.  I don't move like that any more, I don't make those same mistakes or miss those opportunities.  Kind of cool to see but cringe-worthy at the same time.

September 5th 2015 - Open Mat

Open Mat
Rolled With: Fuji, Jerad, David, Bhuvana, Mo
Game Plan: Uchi Mata, Hip Bump Sweep, Guard Retention

This may not be my best post since I have to type it on my phone. I'm camping in the backyard with the kids again.  Kids did great in their class. They worked on armbar from mount.

Fuji and I reviewed the Uchi Mata video and then attempted some.  I didn't feel like I was getting it but when he suggested to forget about the kick part and focus on upper body it started to come together.

Jerad said that our roll had been the funnest that he'd had in a long time. I think the guard retention and side control escape stuff that I've been working with Conan have upped my game lately.  He also said that my butterfly felt stronger.

I got stuck with David again in an armbar position unable to finish. Greg and Mike have me some ideas for the future. I definitely wasn't being technical enough and he's great at defending.

I went over posture in guard with Bhuvana since Greg had commented that she sat back too much.  We rolled some with me giving up side control from the start. She's getting tougher to escape from.

Mo surprised me a couple times. I still tried to do the rolling back take even though I knew he had a defense for it and almost got my back taken in the process.

September 4th 2015 - Gi All Levels

Theme & Techniques: Seoi Nage, Double Ankle Sweep, Butterfly Hook Sweep
Partner: Dave

I focused on more of the same things from the previous classes.  Timing the throw with my stepping.  Also I tend to forget to look back behind me during the throw.  With double ankle to not release my guard until I have the ankles.

I helped Dave with the butterfly sweep quite a bit and I think we made a lot of progress.  The big thing was he was falling to the side instead of crunching up and bringing his shoulder more directly to the mat.  He said that it felt easier and more effective in the end so I win at teaching today.

Rolling: Closed Guard (2 x 4 min), Butterfly Guard (2 x 4 min)
Rolled With: Dave, Josh

I was pretty surprised with Dave's ability to get grips and hold on to them.  He had me worried a couple times.  I had some fun playing some de la riva though with both Dave and Josh when the initial guard didn't go my way.  The sickle sweep was the only thing that seemed viable to me so I do need to learn some more options from the position or just try to figure out what Alejandro does to me every time.  I did attempt the waterfall backtake but couldn't get as far behind my partner as I would have liked. 

Josh made the comment that I was putting on a clinic with him from butterfly.  I liked the compliment but told him that he was really foiling a lot of the things that I was trying to do and I had to switch my technique several times in response to his pass attempts, I really wanted the hook sweep but couldn't get.  Another thing that I went over with him was that it's okay to stand-up in butterfly if you get the pant grips, it's very difficult to pass from the knees without doing some type of single/double/over under type pass.

Office Hours Partner: Josh, Zac

I went over the cross guard basics with everyone because Zac asked about doing the armbar from mount.  I showed how I got an armbar from there most often.  Rolled with Josh a couple times after that.  Zac and I worked on dealing with the hip switch half guard and I think we finally figured out the leg weave escape that Greg showed us months ago.  Using our other leg to assist in getting the foot in made it unstoppable in my opinion. 

September 2nd 2015 - Gi All Levels

Theme & Techniques: Seoi Nage, Double Ankle Sweep, Butterfly Hook Sweep
Partner: Ben

Continued with the back step and pulling him into the shoulder throw.  Feels good, but I still want to get timing down to get them on their toes just as I'm throwing.  Had to tell Ben not to lean over too soon which I've seen a lot of my partners do with these types of throws connect them to your upper body before you lean over.

I found myself opening my guard too soon before I had the ankles grabbed.  Tried to overcome that.  And, just focused on the squeeze and hang as I have been for the butterfly sweep.  Greg really hit it home today that the sweep is not about using your knee to kick them away but how your hips turn.

Rolling: Closed Guard (4 x 2 min), Butterfly Guard (4 x 2 min), Free Rolling (4 min)
Rolled With: Ben, Mike, Morgan, Tom, Greg

I've solidified the hip bump as a contingency for when someone escapes my cross guard.  It happened a couple times last week and a couple times this week as they attempted to get away from my cross sleeve grab they pull their hand too far to one side and I'm able to sit up and go over their shoulder.  Nice addition and very smooth.

I believe I was able to prevent my guard getting passed today (except Greg).  Probably the coolest thing I did was when someone had me stacked but I had a sleeve grab I was able to recover to turtle and roll for an omoplata. 

I don't remember much of the beginning of the roll with Greg.  I felt like I had an opportunity to pass at one point but the moment had come and gone by the time I realized it.  After that I spent some time in half guard and then got swept, and then was in the bottom of mount trying to escape.  He was looking for the arm triangle but eventually settled for an armbar after getting me so uncomfortable.

Office Hours Partner: Tom

Went over some grip fighting and some of my ideas for starting a roll with Tom.  I gave my normal spiel of treat the grip fight like a boxing match.  I haven't boxed much but I like to juke and throw some jabs to get some reaction before I throw my power hand to get the grip that I want and then push them around a bit and get the other grip and stand.  When I defend I do my best not to let anyone have a grip for too long and if I break a grip off I keep a hold of it and use it to get an underhook or a different grip.  

September 1st 2015 - Gi Beginner

Theme & Techniques: Seoi Nage, Double Ankle Sweep, Butterfly Hook Sweep
Partner: Zac, Bhuvana

Had a rather large class today.  Some thoughts on the techniques for this week:

• For the shoulder throw I've been working on different stepping and kind of pulling them into it.  Seems to help load them up onto the hips more.
• Doing the "make a muscle" motion is very important
• For the Double Ankle sweep the major thing I emphasized a couple times today was as you're getting up hipping forward on one side on top of their leg pinning it to the floor.  Keep your knee on the floor the entire time you move to mount.
• For the Butterfly sweep I like to use the back hand to help me move under them as I shoot for the underhook.  Zac said this helped him lead with his hips instead of his hips to avoid the guillotine.

Rolling: Closed Guard (2 x 2 min), Butterfly (2 x 2 min), Free Rolling
Rolled With: Zac, Robert, Tom

Rolling felt great from the guard positions.  My cross guard is always in my back pocket.  From the top I've felt like breaking and passing the guard is very hard work.  Having to keep posture, monitor grips, have gravity against me, attempt to stand-up, then even if I break the guard I still have to figure out the best pass to attempt or deal with some type of open guard.  With butterfly I'm still trying to get the underhook squeeze and hang off my opponent perfected.  I was able to pull off a couple guard recovery tricks that Conan showed me the other day, in the vein of a granby roll.

In free rolling I was able to pull off the single leg x-guard setup to technical standup.  I'm still feeling stuck in mount sometimes unable to setup a submission.  I have my things but if people are keeping their defenses tight I'm kind of stuck, pushing and pulling on stuff hoping they'll make a mistake.  Tom told me I fooled him because previously I caught him with a couple NS chokes so when I was in north/south position he started worrying about the choke but I went for kimura instead.  This may be useful in the near future when everyone learns to defend my NS choke.  

Office Hours Partner: Tom, Robert, Zac

Rolled no-gi after class.  I started to feel pretty tired from lack of sleep and it was pretty hot in the gym. 

Had a very tough roll with Robert.  I spent some time on top and got caught in his half guard.  I attacked a guillotine but couldn't connect my hands.  Eventually he swept me.  It was so slippery and while I thought I was defending the cross face from bottom half guard he was able to slip right through it.  At one point he caught me with a kimura as I attempted to go deep half and was even close to completing the sweep but he was able to isolate the arm.  I was pretty wiped out after this session.