Working on the choke

Today's class focused on a couple chokes. The first was the one from the guard that we drilled yesterday and Monday.  I won't repeat the steps here, but I will say that I forgot at times to finish the choke by bending my wrist as if I was casting a fishing line.

The next choke was from top position in half guard.  Here are the steps (starting with your opp flat on his back and you having head control; assuming your escaping to your left)

Step 1:  Drive your shoulder into opp's chin to keep him from turning into you
Step 2:  Pinch your knees together and come down to your hip
Step 3:  Brace your lower (left) against opp's hip while pushing opp's top leg below your right knee knee
Step 4:  Open opp's far gi lapel (his left) and thread it underneath opp's armpit and shoulder;  Feed it to your lower (left) hand
Step 5:  Tighten the gi grip and get an underhook with your top (right) arm
Step 6:  Since your right knee is still free, tripod up and place your newly freed knee on the mat
Step 7:  Post out with your left  leg, while keeping hip weight on opp and keeping your head low
Step 8:  Bring your right hand to left (your left) side of opp's head and feed the gi lapel back to your right hand
Step 9:  With your left hand, reach accross opp's neck, grip the gi lapel/shoulder/back of gi, and execute the choke

Trained with three folks. The first was a somewhat spazzy blue belt.  I spent most of my time trying to pass half guard and trying to maintain side control.  Overall, I did a good job with passing but a poor job with maintaining side control.

Next was a purple belt who's technique is frankly better than mine.  I could tell that he was going pretty light, but I found myself getting swept almost as soon as I'd get top position.  One of my buddies was sitting that one out and said that I needed to my myself much heavier from the top position.

Last was a purple belt about my size.  Once again, I spent most of my time trying to pass her half guard and open half guard.  Got swept a couple times and swept her a couple of times.  I definitely feel like my top game is getting better, but it still needs significant improvement.

I've got a private with John D. tomorrow.  This will likely be my last private at Maxercise, and I asked to focus on whatever area of my game he felt was weakest - as well as what I need to do to strengthen that part of my game.   This will be the first time I don't walk into a private without a plan to work on a specific technique.

In preparation for the private, I've reviewed my 7 tips for getting the most out of a private and plan to do all of  them except the first (knowing what specific position or technique I plan to work on).  My private is at 10 AM tomorrow, and I'll go to the 6 PM open mat to drill what I learned.

Spazzy Big White Belts

The 11 AM class at Westin was relatively large (for this location) with 8 or 9 folks today.  We worked the same choke / armbar combination from yesterday so I won't review the steps again.  I did work on improving my "handshake" grip technique and my "casting the fishing rod" choke technique.

Rolled with two spazzy and big white belts today.  One guy started off trying unsuccessfully to do a snap down and used a ton of force.  Felt the need to protect myself so I jumped guard and worked for a sweep.  He was incredibly tense, and I finally said something to him like, "relax, no one is going to die today".  In retrospect, I don't think this helped much.

Next up was another big spazzy white belt.  Since he wasn't using as much muscle, I played more of an open guard game, again looking for sweeps and chokes.

Shaking Hands and Casting a Line

Today's class covered a cross choke from the guard.  The steps to it are pretty simple, but I learned a couple of refinements that will definitely help me execute the choke better in the future:

Step 1:  Opp is in your guard

Step 2:  Use your left hand to open the gi lapel

Step 3:  Place your right hand inside the open lapel collar as if you are reaching in to shake a hand (thumb up, wrist NOT bent around the back of your opp's neck)

Step 4:  Take your left hand and go over your first arm to grip a good bit of material from the shoulder/upper back off the left side of your opp's gi

Step 5:  Use your left hand to brace side of opp's neck; rotate right wrist into opp's neck; pull down while crunching up

You can also do this from an aborted armbar attempt

Step 1:  Opp is in your guard

Step 2:  Use your left hand to open the gi lapel

Step 3:  Place your right hand inside the open lapel collars

Step 4:  Take left hand and grip opp's right gi sleeve w/ a cats paw grip

Step 5:  Brace left leg/knee against opp's right arm to further trap it

Step 6:  Raise hips and swing left leg around for the armbar

Step 7:  Opp stacks you up

Step 8:  Swing left leg back around opp's head and trap opp's shoulder (still keeping your right hand in the collar)

Step 9:  Shift your hips a little to the right.

Step 10:  Use your left hand to grip opp's right gi shoulder/upper back near his neck

Step 11:  Your right hand (original grip still in place) will cast out as if you were casting a fishing rod while pulling down on your elbows

Trained with three folks tonight.  The first was a blue belt who's got 30 pounds on me and is a good bit better than me.  I could tell he was conserving his energy with me, and I spent the 5 or 6 minutes with him in my guard and me trying to execute this choke.  Didn't get it, but after mentally going over it, I realize that I could have crossed my left hand over my right arm and it would have been fine (I kept trying to thread my left hand under my right arm).

Next was a white belt with a few stripes who I can maintain position on pretty well.  I decided to work on heavy hips and really getting my hip to weight ratio pretty low.  Seemed like a productive use of my time, and I felt like I did a good job of being very heavy for a small guy.

Last was a brown belt about my size.  Not really sure why, but he and I were really going at it - I took my governor off, that's for sure.  I was doing a very good job of getting an underhook from half guard and improving my position.  He was doing a very good job of sweeping me whenever I'd get back on top.  Got choked out twice (once from the back and once from the half guard).  So I've still got lots to work on.

Good class.  Then I came home to start some packing (I move in less than two weeks).

Hip Escape

Got to class late tonight and folks were drilling hip escapes.  Zak was showing hip and elbow escapes to transition from mount or cross side to the guard.  Zak shows about five or six different techniques.  It's been a long few days (I've gotten only about 4 hours of sleep for each of the last two nights), so I'm not going to summarize each step of each technique.  But I will mention some of the tactics I need to improve:

• Bridging into a person while pushing your arm against your opp's head is an effective technique for creating some space to brace your hand and arm on opp's hip
• You've got to make a frame and brace your hand an arm against opp's hip
• The transition is more about moving your hips and less about moving your legs

Trained with three folks tonight, two white belts and a brown belt.  The first white belt uses a lot of muscle, and I started to play his game.  Zak was like, "just go to the guard and work your game."  I did this, swept him, got the mount, and then got his back.  Spent the next two or three minutes trying to choke him out while from the back.  

Next was a brown belt who swept me within the first few minutes.  It was then working to just not get arm barred or choked out (the armbar eventually happened) once she passed my half guard.

Finally was another white belt who trains a lot more calmly than the first guy.  I pretty much rolled gently and worked positionally.    

Knee Wedge Guard Pass

We worked two guard passes tonight and one half guard pass.  The first guard pass was the standard "control an arm and stand up" one.  I've blogged on this one several times, so I won't repeat the steps here.  We then drilled a knee wedge guard pass that I need to work on:

Step 1:  Start in your opp's guard
Step 2:  Pull up on the gi lapels near the neck and pull them out (continuing to grip the lapels)
Step 3:  Push your fists (still gripping the now tight lapels) into opp's armpits
Step 4:  Scoot you hips back while bracing against opp's armpits to make space
Step 5:  Stand up and place one knee in the center of opp's butt
Step 6:  Sit back on your other leg, wedging your knee between you opp's legs
Step 7:  To get a good base, bring you elbow inside your own knees
Step 8:  Grip the front of the belt of gi waist with your hand (on the side your knee is up)
Step 9:  Grip opp's gi leg on the side that your leg is down
Step 10:  Push on opp's leg while scooting back to break the guard
Step 11:  Cross your knee (the one that is up) over opp's leg but leave your foot inside opp's knee
Step 12:  Get an escrima underhook and head control as quickly as possible (your opp will get half guard)
Step 13:  Drive your shoulder into opp so his face is pointing toward the arm you have an underhook on
Step 14:  When you are ready to pass his half guard, move your head to the side you need to pass to
Step 15:  Tripod up and pivot your captured knee outside opp's half guard and put it on the mat
Step 16:  Remove the foot from your original knee cross and post it in front of you
Step 17:  Move the knee of your captured foot toward your head while lowering your hips

I trained with four folks tonight, two blues, a purple, and a brown belt.   I was relatively pleased with my ability to maintain top control with the two blues, working sweeps when necessary to regain top control.  I had trouble going from side control to mount, however.

The purple was the "heavy as a house" purple belt.  Now he's actually not that heavy (maybe 160 pounds), but it feels like a house is on top of you when he's in your half guard, has side control, or has the mount.  I got choked and triangled. . . .I need to do a better job of getting to my side when I'm under him.

Last was a brown belt who is about my size. I swept him by some miracle (his technique is waaaay better than mine), and I spent several minutes trying (unsuccessfully) to pass his half guard.

Open Mat

Went to open mat tonight, and I could tell there was a strike of Philly's mass transit workers. There were like 5 of us there....two brown belts and two purple belts.  Apparently, a lot of folks were having a difficult time getting around in the city without mass transit.

Before I talk about open mat, just a quick rant about Philly's SEPTA (mass transit) strike. The median annual household income in Philadelphia in 2007 was $35,431(source), and the average annual income of a SEPTA (mass transit) driver ranges from "$50,000 - $57,000 after 4 years" (source).  Now I'm a friend of the working man, but SEPTA drivers are making $15,000 above the average average working man but making it hard for average folks to get to work and earn an "average" living.  Thankfully, I live within walking distance of my job and gym, but a lot of people don't.  Rant over.

I drilled the butterfly guard sweep from last week with someone who does it pretty well and really fine tuned it a good bit. Then trained with him for about 20 or 30 minutes (he's probably got 100 pounds on me).  I spent my time trying not to get smashed and working my defense.

Then I rolled with a brown belt who's about my size for about 45 minutes.  I really worked my half guard pass and tried (unsuccessfully) to drill the armbar we learned yesterday and the sweep from last week.  I did get a couple good guard passes in and was able to hold top position several times.  I also really concentrated on keeping him from getting his first grip on my gi collar for a choke and, whenever I'd find myself in a bad spot, would halt and think, "okay, what should I do here". World of difference.  I need to bring my brain to the game instead of believing it will be all reflex.

Relaxed Pressure, Part II

Got out of the office on time and was actually about five minutes early for the 6 PM class at Maxercise tonight. The class was well attended, and we drilled an armbar from the guard (opp standing) and a triangle from the guard (opp standing).

Steps for the armbar from the guard (assumes armbar-ing opp's right arm):

Step 1:  Use your left hand to trip opp's right gi sleeve just below the elbow while he's in your guard
Step 2:  When he starts to stand up, use your right arm to hook his left leg
Step 3:  Slide your right knee cap up to his armpit and press down on his shoulders
Step 4:  While still gripping opp's sleeve and keeping your hips up, swing left leg around to capture his right arm


Steps for the triangle from the guard (assumes triangle-ing opp's right arm):

Step 1:  Get opp in spider guard with him standing
Step 2:  Place your left foot on opp's hip and your right foot on opp's bicep, keeping hips high in the air
Step 3:  Jump your hips up, and shoot your right leg over opp's left shoulder and around the back of his neck
Step 4:  Shoot your left foot under opp's right arm and lock your legs behind opp's head
Step 5:  Pull opp down with your legs, grip his head with both hands
Step 6:  Lift your hips and put opp's right arm to your right side
Step 7:  Post your left foot on opp's hips while holding your right ankle (to keep opp in place) to position your hips if needed
Step 8:  Figure four legs, pinch knees together and pull down on opp's head

Trained with three folks tonight:  A white belt with a couple of stripes, a blue belt, and a purple belt (in that order). I was working my open guard and closed guard sweeps with the white belt and getting them fairly regularly.  It's interesting to see my game start to open up with some of these sweeps.

The next person I trained with, I stuffed a few of his sweep attempts, though he eventually swept me.  After the sweep, found myself playing a very defensive half guard (as opposed to an offensive half guard) and getting tapped to a choke.  Toward the end, I got one of the sweeps I've been working.  His advice to me, like Brian's a week or two ago, was to relax and play a more thoughtful game.

Last was someone who's been one of my favorite training partners. Our technique is on the same level, and I pretty much just work technique with her.  I kept putting her in my closed guard so she would stand up and allow me to work the armbar we drilled today.  Never got it, but I did come close once.