Failing to post again

I've been busy and made it to the mat, but haven't been posting.

Spent a couple of hours on the mat yesterday. I didn't really learn any new techniques. Drilled a lot of the basic techniques I already new and just brushed up on some things I was doing wrong.

A couple of observations I made during that time are:

1. Very few people like to drill. Almost everyone wanted to start rolling immediately.

2. There are some who only want to roll with people they think they can beat 100% of the time.

I probably won't get on the mat again until Wednesday. Hopefully I can get there then. If not it will be whenever. Definitely going to do some striking Wed and Fri.

Size and Strength

So I rolled this evening with an individual who was bigger than I was. Not sure if he was stronger, but he had definitely been doing BJJ longer. He didn't really show me anything, but his technique was not what I am use to. Rolling with different people I had come to expect clean. Though he was able to sweep me and beat me fairly well, much of what he did was size and brute force. I wasn't impressed.

Filling Space

On Friday night (it's now Sunday morning) I rolled with a Purple belt that I normally don't roll with. I've had a couple of rolls, but he's pretty good. I was the only one ready with a Gi and like most everyone where I train he was happy to roll with me, explaining what I was doing wrong while he was kicking my ass.

My bridging/shrimping is terrible, period. I need to drill it until I'm exhausted. He could easily pass my guard. (Which is not shocking), but I was not making a decent amount of effort to regain guard. He would gain 'knee on belly' or 'side-control' easily. Once there I could see what he was doing, but I c0uldn't stop it. Then he was easily into full mount. That is where he said I was extremely weak. My bridging was terrible and then I didn't not bring my knee and elbow together to fill the space. I was pushing with my arms more than bridging and he easily armbarred me every time.

I'm not saying that if I could have bridged and filled the space I would have won, but it would have saved me a few submissions for maybe 30 more seconds.

bridging and choking.

So I should probably blog ever time I have a lesson, but I haven't been. Hopefully I will change that.

Today we ran through some drills. Always good to run drills.

Then I worked on escaping side control with a bridge. Similar to this drill.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLtgqR3mzDs

Though not quite the same. Instead of ending in a side control I would get an underhook and bridge up to take the back.

From the back I worked on a standard, grab the collar, set the hooks and choke until they pass out. Then I learned the Bow and Arrow choke.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJPLQujeeEo

Again there are slight variations to this choke, but it has to be one of the most effective chokes I've learned with so little effort. Meaning it takes very little strength to pull this off. Can't wait to hit this one.

Defense

Anyone who has done the Bas Rutten workout instantly jumps into a sprawl whenever they hear "Defense" yelled out, but I'm not talking about that right now. I'm talking about defense in BJJ. I've been learning armbars, kimura, etc. etc.., but until a blue belt started working with me after my 12th or so workout it didn't dawn on me that if I don't learn to defend I might as well not even roll

So I started a list of things to remember when getting attacked.

1. Wide base
2. Create distance or keep it close
3. Elbows in
4. stabilize your weight.
5. Be ready to secure your position
6. Don't lose control of a limb

Wide base-A natural tenancy when you are on your knees is to keep your knees together. At least it is for me. So keep a wide base and sit back on your heals.
---That being said "You can't pass guard on your knees" If you have opened the guard get into a combat base.

Create distance or keep it close-Know the difference. When you are on top you keep it close. When you are in guard or on your back, create distance. Offense close distance, defense create space.

Elbows in-Pretend you have T-Rex arms or crocodile arms. My biggest problem right now is I extend my arms way to much. Keep the hands, arms, elbows close to the body and play defense.

Stabilize your weight-One trick I have fallen for more than I care to say is I will fall to an opponent seeming to shift their weight to get me to shift only to roll me with my weight.

Be ready to secure your position-Be ready to abandon attack and defend. Many times I see people (and I'm guilty of it myself) hold onto an attack to long instead of dropping it and defending. Unless you have secured your position don't attack.

Don't lose control of a limb-I'm guilty of it as a white belt. I will hold a Gi to long or reach for a grip. Any time you have to reach, you should probably just tap. REACHING IS BAD!

Getting Started

I say getting started, but I have been training someone consistently for about 3 months. Most of what I have been training has been kickboxing etc..but recently started the grappling specifically in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I am really enjoying it so far, but I really like everything I see from Sambo. Specifically a lot of the stuff that Reilly Bodycomb is doing. Unfortunately there is no one within 100 miles who trains sambo.

So this has been a post about a week in writing. I trained last night. It was basic, but I still learned a lot. Worked on the basic armbar from guard and triangle choke from guard. I noticed slight variances in the way one instructor teaches compared to another. One makes an emphasis on using more control of the person moving slower with an obvious movements, while another geared more toward competition makes an attempt to keep moves subtle, but bursts into the move at the last second with less control over the person.

So in my limited experience I've found I don't train enough. With my job, education and family commitments it's not always possible to drive into class, BUT it is always possible to take time to do some training at home. so here are some of my favorite youtube videos of on your own training

33 Solo Drills

Animal Drills

Spartacus Workout