Mizblog

KM106 ended 5 minutes early, and I was already wearing my knee pads and shorts for nogi BJJ, so I was lined up in time for class start. The mat was filthy after Krav Maga class.

We did a quick warm up and then we learned how to attack the turtle. Keeping your weight on the head/neck in the north-south orientation, it’s important not to clasp your hands around the turtle. That would allow the turtle to roll you and end up on top. Instead, adopt “Lego” position, which involves turning the hands/fingers back toward you next to the head. Keeps you from being tipped.

So coach Mark taught us the anaconda, which involves shooting your forearm between the neck and arm, then out beneath the far armpit. Lock that up with a RNC grip, tip their head to the mat, and walk to fold their head into their bellies.

Then a guest purple belt taught us the D’arce choke, whereby you reach one hand into the turtle between neck and hand, and the other reaches through below the far arm pit. Clasp the hands and push them out next to the head, so the top arm can make a bar behind the neck. Use this bar to dump them over their shoulder while you stay on your knees. Reach your bottom hand through and grip the RNC grip, then step over to mount in order to finish the choke.

Then we learned about the C-dump. I don’t know what the wrestling term is for it, but you get a C-grip on the neck of the turtle, reach your other hand under the arm pit and grip your C-grip’d wrist, then push their head down to dump them over their shoulder. From there, you can sit back into kesa gatame.

Then we learned a shoulder lock from kesa. Get the elbow at a 90 degree angle, then reach under and S-grip your fingers. Pull for the tap. I never felt good about it.

Then we learned the head and arm choke from kesa. If you can get their seatbelt arm across their face, trap it with your head and get your headlock arm’s elbow snug to the neck. Grip your headlock arm with your other hand somehow and walk your hips away from them to tighten the choke.

We also learned how to take the back from side control. Get a kimura grip on the far arm and use it to turn the person on their side. Move toward their head, and take your bottom leg and windshield wiper it right under their side, then pull them up onto you with that arm as you slide the windshield wiper’d leg under and around them for the hook. We practiced it and it was pretty disastrous.

Then we rolled.

I started my roll with Corey, who’s been training Krav Maga for the last 8 years or so, and is a brown belt. We started pretty slow, and I was able to make him uncomfortable in my guard, and then sweep him. He’s new to BJJ. I let go of a guillotine that I wasn’t sure how to finish without cranking his neck.

Next I rolled with Matt. He’s getting really good. He was attempting the moves we learned in class. He was able to mount me but I immediately upa’d him. Good fight.

After that I rolled with Andrew, who is also getting really good. He immediately smashed me in half guard, eventually passing to side control. He put some good pressure on me in kesa, but I rolled him. He attempted to roll me again but got stuck holding my head and eventually let go out of mercy for my neck, similar to what I did with Corey. Team!

I sat the next round out until Cowboy couldn’t roll anymore due to exhaustion. Then I jumped in real quick against Sean, and managed to not get submitted for 2 minutes because I was slippery.

Last round I went with Matt again, and he again tried moves from class. The dude is getting good faster than I am, that’s for sure. He’s easily as good as I am now.