Mizblog

Saranya got in at about 10:15am to start warming up and learning some things to do about side control. She really struggled with the back roll over the left side. She also taught me a very nice subtlety about osoto gari – the push-pull setup. Push them away real quick before pulling them in, stepping to their side, and sweeping the leg.

Krav Maga was doing kickboxing sparring during our warmup, but eventually they came to the back room and I grabbed a broom and swept the mat quickly. We did our warmup and again Saranya needed help with the left shoulder back roll.

The first technique we learned was using a two-handed hold on one arm to transition to an open guard. Cross-sleeve and same-side-outer-armpit grips, open the guard and plant the grip-side foot, hip back and get your other foot on the hip, then put your planted foot on the hip and sit up. From there, if they have a grip on your gi, you can throw up a triangle, and if they let go, you can push them across and get up to get on their back.

Speaking of triangles, we learned a hack to finish even a loosely locked triangle: get up on your elbows and lift your hips off the mat, then scoot back until you get the tap.

Then we rolled.

I first rolled with Dave. He got on top of me and smashed me, but I kept my cool and avoided all his submission attempts, eventually getting back on top.

Next I rolled with Dave again because everyone else already paired up. He had an arm bar attempt on me and I bent my fingers sideways to escape. I knew it was a bad idea as soon as I finished doing it.

Then I sat out a round. Saranya was sitting out and I invited her over. She had a bloody thumbnail and I told her to wash it.

Then I rolled with Greggo. I did the move of the day on him, and at the end he walked me through an arm bar finish.

Then I rolled lightly with Aaron to finish things off.