Wiki: North-South Armbar and Some Options

Posted on June 30th, 2009

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Posted in BJJ, North-South, Snowboard Instructors, Techniques, Wiki, submissions |

BJJ Class 150

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Posted on June 26th, 2009

Afternoon no-gi class. What a hot day! Not as humid as in BJJ Class 149, but still hot.

I came in early and warmed up with a speed rope again, like I did in the last no-gi class. When class started, we did some running and BJJ stretches and warm-ups. Then we did some pummeling and drilled the classic butterfly guard sweep with the overhook/underhook and double over hook variations. Key tips:

Whether with the under-hook or overhooks, always control the arms tight and always pin the arms to your body by pinching your elbows in
Position your head low, on your opponents chin. While there are variations with that, keeping your head in between your sweepee (person you’re sweeping) nad yourself helps optimize the distance and leverage you need

A couple of rounds of rolling of seated/butterfly guard against passing followed. I rolled the first four rounds with a fellow blue belt I was promoted with. I was able to get the sweep we had drilled once or twice, the rest of the rolls was just fighting for maintaining control of his arms and body. I was able to defend well. I need to be more aware of positioning my hips and where I put the pressure when I pass.

I rolled next with a white belt who didn’t want anything to do with seated guard. I was able to get to side control a few times, but am still struggling with transitioning to a submission when my opponent is defending well.

My last rounds was with another fellow blue belt I was promoted with. He’s a skinny, flexible, quick guy. I haven’t rolled with anyone so quick in a while. He’d be able to take my back without telegraphing his intentions in a flash from guard and half-guard.

I wish I could train more in a week. Heck, I’d be happy if I was able to workout by myself once a week, which I haven’t been able to do since wedding planning.

Anyway, hope you’ve got great plans for July fourth!!

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Posted in BJJ, BJJ Class |

BJJ Class 149

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Posted on June 25th, 2009

Very tiring Gi class. I joined the first class for about 10 minutes only and I was gassed already

I started by rolling with a blue belt, then a purple. They both kicked my butt, but I’m happy to have been able to setup and go for a kneebar with the purple belt.

Class started with pummeling, then moved on to a guard pass counter that lands you in either guard or knee-on-belly.

Rolling started as seated guard versus passes, mount vs submissions, north-south vs escapes, then finally open rolling. It was actually a lot of rounds. I was with a blue belt the whole time and he kicked my butt. He did give me some tips for when my game was totally lacking, lick in seated guard.

My best round was the last one. I was able to pass guard, maintain side control and switch to the other side of side control. My game plan stalled as wasn’t able to get or bait anything. While getting desperate for something to do, my opponent went for an escape. I did a late armbar attempt, he reversed and was trying to get side control when time ran out.

My game plan on top is to capitalize on the movements the guy on the bottom makes. If he doesn’t do a thing, I have no strategy. Actually, I don’t have much game in any position. I feel like I’m starting jui-jitsu again and everything I see is new and I’m learning for the first time. Except my head isn’t like a sponge and it isn’t retaining much.

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Posted in BJJ, BJJ Class |

BJJ Class 148

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Posted on June 17th, 2009

Night gi class. Class started with a very light warm-up. We jumped straight into drills after, which was three types of guard passes.

I didn’t get the exact technicalities of the sweeps, but they felt pretty good. They all involved grabbing the pants by the ankle and the opposite wrist, either shrimping or pivoting, and using the momentum of your legs.

Rolling was sweeps and reversals versus defense. I was paired with a whitebelt for all of the rolling. When I was doing sweeps, I quickly got a few out, then my opponent got savvier and it got harder and harder to sweep. When I did defense, I wasn’t swept but was reversed once. Next round was the same, but starting with the guy on top having an arm trapped to one side, with the shoulder pinned on the bottom guy’s chest. The round went pretty much the same.

We did some open rolling after. My guard sweeps and general guard offense needs a lot of work. I noticed that whenever I opened my legs for a sweep, my opponent would grab my legs and sprawl out nullifying my attempts. I clearly need a better game plan, one that doesn’t telegraph what I’d like to do. I also need to work on my triangle defense, both when attempting the basic one armed stack pass and the late defense, when my arm is isolated inside my opponents legs but the choke isn’t cinched yet. The first needs a modification of how I control my opponents legs and the second needs me to be more aware and act correctly quickly. Of course, prevention is better than escape. What’s that old saying, “an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure”?

On the plus side, I got my second legit knee-bar. While attempting a single arm stack pass where I controlled my opponent’s other leg the wrong way, my opponent went for an armbar. The arm-bar defense and escaped flowed perfectly into a kneebar. It was Sweet!!! Also, I was able to demonstrate to myself the importance of squeezing the knees together when doing an arm bar. Because I had a grip on my opponent’s elbow with my knees, no matter how much he struggled to escape, he couldn’t get his arm free and I got the armbar.

Ok, time to sleep!

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Posted in BJJ, BJJ Class |

BJJ Class 147

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Posted on June 15th, 2009

No gi class.

To minimize the occurrence and contamination of various skin diseases, my school has a new policy. When doing no-gi, you should wear long pants, such as jogging pants etc as opposed to shorts, and a long-sleeved rash guard or long-sleeved shirt. These steps will decrease the skin on skin contact. I just hope that things won’t get so bad that we’ll have to wear latex gloves ad socks too! LOL!!

Anyway, both my shoulders, both front deltoids to be exact, have been bothering me lately and were very sore. I stretched and warmed them up good before class started. Then I got on a speed jump-rope, which I haven’t done in yeaaarsss, and was glad that I was able to do most of my skip rope routines: basic jumping, high-knees, single leg jumps, hip twists, right-right-left-left single jumps, and doubles (two ropes spins per jump). Of course I wasn’t as good as I used to be and couldn’t do as much as before, but it felt great to do them again. I feel motivated to skip rope again - it’s great for building stamina and for cardio.

Class started with a heavy warm-up, which wasn’t in my favor since I did a heavy self-warm-up just before. Techniques was kimura from half-guard.

Some specific tips:
Sink your base in
Don’t lean forward to much
If your opponent defends by grabbing his pants or leg relax a second, jerk quickly opposite the direction you want to go, then proceed with the submission

Some rolling followed after. I ‘m starting to feel better about my rolling - but my bottom open guard and half guard still suck!!

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