Presenting, myBJJblog.com

After several days of not putting out new posts, staying late at work, being up at night playing newly discovered computer games, and WordPress importing, tweaking, and general setting up – – I present to you my new BJJ blog, myBJJblog.com.

I will start putting all my new posts there and will stop putting up new BJJ posts at B Stuff Etc. I’m sorry that I’m unable to transition to a domain as smoothly as Steve did when he moved his blog over to SteveBJJ.com. I was able to import all my BJJ posts, comments, and such to the new domain.

If you have B Stuff Etc bookmarked or have any links, please kindly change it to myBJJblog.com. If you’re currently subscribed through my Feedburner RSS feed, you won’t have to do a thing – that’s one smooth part of a transition I can offer. I have a new Feedburner RSS feed, http://feeds.feedburner.com/MyBjjBlog, for the new blog all set-up as well.

Thanks for reading and see you at myBJJblog.com!!

BJJ Class 105 – Burns

Got some mat burn on the knuckle of my foot from the last class (from too much sprawling).  From this class I got a very mysterious burns near my ankle and one on my finger from too much spider guard grips.  Oh well.

Class was great and lengthy.  I really like attending the late class because it always goes an extra 30 to 45 minutes.  So even though I’m still taking it easy on my shoulder and going just once a week, I’m able to at least maximize the session.

Lately warm-ups has involved a lot of lower body stretches and this class was no different.  Thanks to my previous TKD experience, I feel like my lower body flexibility is better than most of the other guys in class, but it’s been years since I last kicked and my legs have never felt tighter…

Techniques learned today are actually two techniques that P taught me back in BJJ Class 96, spider guard to a “wrap your leg around an arm and underhook the same side foot on the opposite armpit, pull on arms and kick-up sweep” and a “sweep counter armbar”.  That probably made zero sense at all, but who knows, I might get to illustrate these techniques in the future.  And I really should as not only are my Snowboard Instructors getting a thick coating of dust, but I am also forgetting most of the techniques and tips that I ought to be remembering.

The techniques pretty much ate up the entire class time, but there was a lot of rolling in the after class extra time.  I had about 5 rolls, all with non-white belts.  My technique feels much better than it was weeks ago, still inefficient with lots of mistakes, but less sloppy feeling.  I rolled with my instructor too – that’s always fun.

I’m really looking forward to upping my training to twice a week, but am going to stick with my original “take it easy” plan and do that in late September.  Only a few weeks to go!!!

BJJ Class 104

I really should stop doing waiting too long before writing – I forget sooooooooo much…

Class was good overall, as I remember.

Warm-ups. techniques.  Side control to mount to Americana.  Side control to mount to Americana defense counter to armbar.  Two big tips for me is keeping hooks while in mount and controlling the head to help catch a wrist.

I’ve never really used hooks in mount as I always felt that it kept me too immobile and that keeping my legs locked in hooks would take away from my base.  Hooking the legs and puting the soles of your feet together seems to be the proper way to keep mount.  I just always thought it would be desirable to achieve a high mount.  While I see certain pros and cons to each, I’m not really sure which I should concentrate more time on….In any case, I should focus more on passing guard and getting mount, rather than focus on what to do with mount.

Anyway, I had a roll with an even (to me) white belt, the match was so close no one really had the upper hand.  He used to be a judo guy and kept putting neck cranks on – from under side control, in side control, inside guard – anywhere and everywhere.  I next went with a noob and basically gave pointers.

Ous!

many injuries

In the past several months, I’ve run across a few BJJ people from before (before I got my injury).  I haven’t seen them for awhile, and it was nice to see them.  Anyway, they’ve all disappeared for the following reasons:

• torn bicep tendon
• knee surgery
• knee surgery

Well, three people but all out due to injuries.  My school isn’t the type where we’re out to hurt everyone all the time and rarely does someone get injured while training. 

There was this one other guy that disappeared, but it was for work reasons.  Still though, 3 out of 4 people…

I don’t really have a point, just thought I’d share.

Don’t get hurt.

BJJ Class 103 – Flow and no

This was prolly the most draining class since I returned to training. The fact that it was very hot in the training hall wasn’t helped by my having spent a lot of late nights working on term papers for B-school. I was tired even before class started, but I decided that I should train anyway. Besides, I already skipped out on one of my gym workout days….

I stretched the whole time of the first class as usual and drilled a half-guard pass with a blue belt a bit. The late class started with light warm-ups and stretching, then we went straight to a basic side control escape (worst scenario) that starts with a big bridge then a hipscape to regain guard. This evolved to hipscaping as your partner passes, thus never even giving him the chance to get side control (the best scenario). This then led to the flow drill that just does that movement again and again on both sides.

After an extended period of that was rolling a few long rolls.

My first roll was with a smaller whitebelt. He moved very well but my weight advantage was able to overpower him. I tried not to muscle techniques, which I think I didn’t but he said I did when I asked him. Anyway, what’s funny is that I was able to do the half-guard pass that I drilled/learned before class. Then before time ran out I managed to do the defense part of the flow drill we did earlier. He would try to pass and I’d hipscape away and and he’d try to pass on the other side, and I’d do the opposite side hipscape. It had me smiling by the time the roll ended. In the middle of the roll I did an americana in slow motion. I think I should go and try for some techniques in slow motion, y’know to make sure that I have my body positioning right and such, giving my partners a chance to escape if I do something wrong. I’d get to learn the subs better, be more technical about it and not rely on speed/strength so much. Of course it won’t work for all techniques, but most of the subs done from the top would qualify for slow-motion, I think.

My next roll was with a whitebelt who I’d say was my height and weight. That’s rare for me because they’re usually bigger or smaller than me. We did a slower, more methodical roll with me playing on the bottom. I really have to work on my bottom defense, once my guard is passed. I’m getting better at doing the T-rex arms, but I’m having difficulty defending if my arms are trapped in under/over hooks or if I just can’t get my elbows in.

My last roll was with yet another white belt. My height, but much thinner and ligher. He had very good technique. I couldn’t do a thing I wanted. The only time where I was controlling was when we started and I was halfway with passing his open guard. I had managed to squeeze his legs together and was working my way up. He got a headlock on me and I was continuing to pass guard to get out of the headlock and into side control. He somehow managed to jump on his feet, which hasn’t happened in that situation before, and started sprawling on me trying to get a guillotine. Things went south from there and I was on defense the whole time. I’d like to roll with him again, I had the best time with that guy.

After that, I was done. Exhausted. When I got outside, my nose got congested due to minor allergies. I was hot, sweaty, tired, thirsty, ow on oxygen and couldn’t breathe. Fortunately I can breathe with my mouth!

Note to self: It’s time to start packing post BJJ shorts and a shirt. Going home after the jits in work slacks and a button-down shirt just won’t do in this weather.

BJJ Class 102 – Tap city

A great class!

Looking back, I don’t think I’ve ever said that I had a bad class. Guess they just don’t exist. I mean sure, there are classes were my technique felt horrible, my rolling was bad, or whatnot, but I really don’t think I’ve said that a class was bad. They’re always good. Yeah!!

Unlike the previous classes of late, I didn’t get to join the earlier class. I got to stretch and warm-up a bit better, which was good. Class started with a wrestling warm-up. I don’t know what it’s called or what it’s for really – it’s the one where you and your partner rapidly exchange underhooking each others arms. Anyway, that was followed by drilling switching Russian grips with (? – where you’re to the side and two of your arms control one arm of your partner) your partner, then a take-down to clock-choke technique. The transitions were cool and I will try (again) to illustrate these too.

I had 2 rounds of rolling before class was ended. I first rolled against a heavy, slow moving but very technical purple belt. He didn’t tap me or anything but I think he was working on his positions. Got to try several sweep and escape attempts, none of which was successful. I liked rolling with him. Every move was thought out and performed precisely. I’d like to roll with him again.

I next rolled with another purple belt. Before my injury, I would roll with this guy a lot. It was always tap city for me, but since he always plays open guard, he’s helped me a lot with my open-guard passing. It was no different this time and I’m glad to have gotten a few extra pointers on passing.

After class, I sat down with some white belts and we helped each other out a bit with some problems we were having. Did ten sprawls and went home. A good class, yet again.

Old School Sweep

I’ve been having trouble with the Eddie Bravo Old School sweep since returning back to the mat.  This used to be my bread and butter half-guard technique, but with so many months in between – I’ve forgotten more than a few key details.  Moreso, I’ve just kept experimenting and trying variations on the technique without consulting my Eddie Bravo book.  But that’s mostly because I left the book somewhere I can’t remember…

Anyway, thanks to the power of Web 2.0, here’s a nice instructional on my long lost sweep:

Some key points I’ve been missing:

• lockdown is with the outside leg bending inside to triangle my legs (that doesn’t sound like it makes sense, but it does)
• grab the foot with just one arm
• grab the toes, not the ankle
• the other arm keeps the deep underhook
• I have to go on my knees

Ok, let’s hope I can remember this on the mat…

BJJ Class 101 – Catch

Another long class.  Seems that lately all the classes I’ve been going to have been long – joining part of the earlier class, attending the entire later class, then about 20-30 minutes more after.  Of course am still taking it easy and not pushing my shoulder too hard.

I got to join the drills of the first class: basic scissor sweep followed by cross-choke.  Although I have been using the basic scissor a while, it was nice to practice it on a non-resisting opponent and trying to refine it further.  After drills a mini-tournament was held.  A pair of students were matched and only they rolled while everyone else watched.  Time was kept, and points scored.  I didn’t get picked to fight, but that’s fine as I didn’t want to join anyway since they started on their feet and takedowns would definitely hurt my shoulder.

The second class started with a few hundred jumping jacks and a cool turtle-roll flow drill.  It was cool.  I’ll try to illustrate it soon, but am already backed up with those and likely won’t find the time to do them.

After that was rolling.  I rolled for a while with a very heavy new, but not so new white belt.  Y’know, one of those guys that’s been rolling just a few weeks, watches a lot of videos, and absorbs techniques like a sponge.  I wish I was like that!  Anyway, I was able to negate his huge size and weight advantage with technique and got him with americanas and an armlock.  He kept going for collar chokes but couldn’t finish.  I gave him some pointers, particularly about how deep a grip the first attacking hand should have, and he eventually got me to tap to one.

I next rolled with one of the white belts that I consider almost blue.  I was sucking big time, but as time went on, I got better.  Particularly on top of half-guard, where I’d never really seen the value of cross-base until now.  I caught a few knees and elbows in the face with this roll, but it was all good.  Have a nice big bruise near my eye.

I rolled with my instructor last.  Even though a black belt always runs the classes, I rarely get to roll with them.  While I got to sweep and pass, I kept thinking at the back of my mind that I only pulled those off because he let me, I still tried and was surprised everytime something worked.  After a few minutes he must’ve been like “hmmm, am bored already” and he quickly changed gears and subbed me.

So that was it, another good night of the jits!!

BJJ Class 100 – The Big Double O

Finally, I’ve reached the landmark hundreth class!!  It seems odd that I just reached this now considering that I’ve been doing the jits for some two years now.  Oh well, that’s life…

Class was good. Again I joined the earlier class for rolling.  I didn’t get to join in when they were drilling the technique and no moves were taught in the later class – it was all rolling.

Rolling was awesome though.  I felt great today and did better against some of the people I felt horrible with last week. Got a few taps (I think I’ll putt he tap counter on hold until I decide what goals I want to aim for), tapped even more, and had a great time.  It just feels wonderful to be back.

I taught some people some techniques, asked help from others, and am proud for being as cautious with my shoulder as I was.  I actually tapped to someone as he did a roll from turtle – I tapped to a roll!!  My guard passes felt more crisp and my game felt better than it did in the last two classes.

Anyway, awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome. Can’t wait for the next class!!

armbar from guard, switch, and triangle

Ok, here’s the techniques that were drilled waaay back in BJJ Class 94. Hope I still remember the details…

Variation 1

Nogi starts off in guard, pulling on Boarder’s sleeves, his knees controlling Boarder’s elbows, and his feet on Boarder’s hips.

Nogi brings his left arm up and out to have Boarder’s arm betweeen his legs and hooks his right leg against Boarder’s body near the armpit.

Nogi pulls Boarder’s arm close in as he starts to pivot off his back and swinging his left leg…

…up over Boarder’s head and finishes the armbar.

Variation 2

As an alternative, Nogi starts off with both of Boarder’s arms in the center but with his feet on Boarder’s hips and while grabbing both sleeves.

Nogi brings up his right leg tight against Boarder’s body under Boarder’s arm. Nogi pivots on his back, with the help of his left leg pushing off of Boarder’s hip, but (strangely) Nogi’s right leg helps a great deal with the pivoting…

f
… and the pivoting gets Nogi to position his left leg to position for the armbar…

g
…but it the technique is loose and Boarder is able to pull his arm out. Boarder thinks he’s safe, but he left his other arm between Nogi’s legs, leaving him vulnerable to an omoplata or …. (let’s call this point B)

…since Nogi still has grips on Boarder’s right arm, he attacks it. Nogi pivots on his back and repositions his feet on Boarder’s hips.

Once he is squared off with boarder, Nogi continues to pivot off his back, using his left leg against Boarder’s body and right foot on Boarder’s hip.

Nogi continues the pivot and keeps Boarders arm tight this time.

Nogi kicks his leg over and finishes the armbar.

Variation 3

From point B, Boarder pulls his arm free from the armbar attempt. Nogi fixes his grips on Boarders arm.

Nogi pivots off his back and pulls Boarder in, trapping Boarder with his legs.

Nogi puts on the finishing touches and taps Boarder with a triangle.