Mizblog

I went to SVKM this afternoon to watch Saranya’s BJJ and KMX training.

First was the BJJ class at 4pm. TJ was doing police officer stuff (Jack asked “Like what? Sitting at a desk and eating donuts?”) so Christian taught the class. They learned snap down to single leg takedown. They did lots of little drills and ended with sumo competitions and takedown competitions. At the end, Saranya got promoted to a 4th stripe. Next time, she’s going to get a yellow belt! That’s a belt I’ll never get in BJJ, because it’s reserved for intermediate pre-teens.

After that was a quick change and a jump to the big mat for KMX. Brandon lead the class, and they started with some shadow boxing. It looked to me like Saranya was looking at the ground, though she says she was pretending to look at her opponent’s chest. She must be used to fighting much shorter opponents. They did practice of choke defenses and bear hug defenses, and I noticed her throwing some blind elbows behind her. Best to look before you strike, huh?

Then then moved to the back room and practiced front and back rolls. Saranya needs help here. Her forward rolls were somersaults, and her back rolls looked like tipping over sideways. I’ll have to sit down with her sometime and teach her the right way to do those without getting herself hurt. Anyway, they then practiced rolling into ground fighting position and quickly turning to face the way they came, as though addressing a threat that had sent them to the ground in the first place.

I wasn’t sure my toe was going to hold up in BJJ class, but my calves were sore from babying the feet for the last 2 days so I knew Krav Maga was a bad idea. Also, Sangeeta needed me to deliver her jacket to EARTHS, which I did during Krav Maga time. Then I drove over to class.

This Thursday’s class was Mark’s, while Christian taught Krav Maga in the back alley until 11:10am. We started running and shuffling around the mat. Then coach Mark had us pair up and do piggyback rides for one another. He let me off the hook though because I’ve got physical problems I’m coping with. I’m brittle. Then he had people do Fireman’s carry, and I was grateful that I didn’t have to carry Brandon.

After that, we lined up and bowed in, and were treated to an epic story about the life and times of Dan Gable. The message was to be disciplined like Dan Gable in some aspect of your life. Eventually the Krav Maga class finished and we got together for a picture. Then we started learning techniques.

The first techniques were arm bar defenses from your back. Prevent the fulcrum by twisting your body and putting your upper arm/elbow on the mat.
The next technique was to break the arm bar grip of the defender by locking your lower hand around the trapped arm, grabbing your lapel. Then reach under the clasped hands and go wrist to wrist with your top hand to raise their hands above their shoulder level so you can break their grip.
The next technique was to defend by pushing the attacker’s leg off your head and twisting to put your elbow on the mat like the first technique.

Then we reviewed the previous night’s techniques, which were taking out the bottom hook and gripping the choking hand while working to get your shoulders to the mat. You can take out the hook by grabbing the foot or by slapping it down as you arch your hips.

Then there was the rolling. I rolled with Dave, and I think we were pretty evenly matched. he moves really well, but my weight advantage makes up for it.

I rolled with Brandon next, and was able to get him into my closed guard a couple times. But he put his weight on me and crushed me, and I never did manage to get out from under him without tapping to an Americana. One day I will get out, though!

I rolled with TJ, who had messed up his little toe so bad that he kept tapping himself out just by sitting on it. He rolled light with me, and tapped me out with an arm bar, but I was able to scramble and survive and escape a lot.

Last roll was with Cosmo, who had suffered a neck injury while fireman’s carrying Brandon. He was able to pass my guard and get me with an Americana, but I was so tired I couldn’t even move. Let’s see what turns up broken tomorrow.

After KM91, I changed and jumped into a standing grip drill. We did a couple of takedown drills after that, and then did a little takedown sparring which I sucked at. I’m sure I’ll eventually learn some more takedowns, and I’ll also learn to fight some grips. I showed Matt how to do Osoto-gari just from what I learned from watching Saranya’s BJJ class a couple weeks ago. Brandon taught me the big-guy cross-collar pull down. Nice!

After that, we learned Tomoe-nage. This is a judo throw where you’ve got standard grips with your opponent and he’s pushing you hard. You sit forward while extending one leg into his midsection, and he goes right over you. You pull his head down and do a back roll, and you should either end up in mount or knee-on-belly. Christian commented on my execution, saying that I must have done it before. Nope! This was my first time ever, and I was super nervous, but it went okay and neither Matt nor I were injured in our practice.

Then we went into some maneuvers you can use if you find yourself in turtle position. First, you can take the back by getting your head out and pressing it to their armpit while you step forward with the same side leg, then scoot the other leg all the way through, rotating once your clear, to get control of their back. I found this move very comfortable. Second, you can transition into a double leg or single leg takedown to side control by again putting your head into their armpit, stepping the same leg up, but then sitting in just next to your posted foot, reaching through to the leg, and then driving off the posted foot and through the connected head to secure the takedown and move into side control. Finally, we learned how to twist under and recover guard. This time, you again put the head out the side and press it to the armpit, but this time you post on the same-side foot, shooting your other leg beneath and between the opponent’s legs, and then recover half guard or butterfly guard.

I had to leave after that, so I didn’t get the last drill that combined all these maneuvers. I felt pretty good right after class, but at home my back started aching and I couldn’t sit up anymore. I eventually took a nap, and when I woke up, my left big toe was painful when walking. Exploring its sensitivity, I found that it would not bend backward at all! It was extremely painful.

Followup: I felt it giving me problems when I’d put weight on it at my desk, or when I’d roll over during the night. By morning it was quite a bit better, but now I’m scared to walk too much for fear of aggravating it more. It’s always something, isn’t it? I hate being so fragile!

I intended to do Krav Maga this morning, but upon entering Simi Valley I realized that I was not wearing a cup. No cup, no Krav Maga. I went home and changed into my BJJ gi (and a cup, just in case). Made it to BJJ class early.

Warm up was run by Christian, as we jogged and wiggled our hands around. We alternated that with pummeling drills for a bit. Then we stretched, I put in my mouth guard, and we started learning to keep our elbows in when on the bottom of side control.

Next drill was standing, no gi, windshield wipering to underhook. We started standing, and then switched to working it from bottom side control, going to deep underhook and using it to get to our knees or whatever.

Finally, we rolled. 6 minute rounds, and I started with the big, no gi wearing Diego, who was an ex-wrestler and who was out of shape. I started a kimura on him but ended up letting it go. TODO: Learn to finish a kimura from guard. I also tried an arm bar from guard, which worked!

Next was Brandon the smaller. I managed to do the technique of the day on him to get out of side control bottom. He goes to that tipped turtle position (Hedgehog?) that I don’t quite know how to attack.

After that was coach Greggo. I tried a Kimura from side control on him, and didn’t know what I was doing, so he walked me through the steps. Other than that, it was eye opening feeling him be able to apply so many techniques on me where I had no clue how to defend. He had his way with me.

I also rolled with big Brandon, who tapped me basically from side control pressure and a choke threat. I had no answer to his top pressure and control. TODO: Learn to get out from under Brandon.

Last I rolled with Sean, who started off tearing me up and choking me out. I was able to get out of some of his submission attempts, but I always fell right into a trap for the next one. After he had established levels, he eased up and let me get a sweep and a slow, methodical arm bar from the top. At the end of class, he got his 5th white belt stripe. What a great guy!

Coach Grego taught this Thursday morning class. Mark and Christian were both in attendance, observing. We started with stretching the legs and wrists. Then we did shrimping across the mat, with our hips elevated throughout. Then we did the same thing but with a partner standing over us, so we could push off their legs. Then we did the same drill but shrimping in place. We also practiced getting up and down properly, from sitting or kneeling. Grego reminded us to do it every time we got up or down.

Then Mark told Grego that he wanted to cover mount escape. Grego launched into the version of buck+trap+roll with one hand already gripping the collar. I drilled it with Victor. Reaching up around the gripping elbow and twisting down really helps you break down the top guy’s posture, and gripping high on the gi behind the gripping arm and then tucking your gripping elbow tight to your side also breaks their posture. Then you trap the foot, walking it in if it’s spaced out. With the other foot inside, buck and twist, and over they go. Solidify your position by gripping the free arm’s bicep, loop the other arm under the gripping arm and break the grip by pushing that bicep to the mat as well. Keep your head low. You’re temporarily safe.

Then we did a shrimping drill to escape from being mounted. Victor had trouble at first getting his hips clear of me, but I reminded him to do the shrimping drill and he got better.

Then it was 7 rounds of free rolling, 5 minutes each. I started with Victor. I pulled guard, thwarted a pass attempt, pulled off a sit up sweep to mount, and landed a collar choke for the tap. Christian complimented me on my movement.

Next was Aaron. We had a scrambly roll that was fun. Christian taught him not to just let me recover guard, but to pin one leg so I’d be stuck and half passed already.

I sat out the next round and talked with Jen, who tweaked her knee and was icing it.

Coming back I rolled with Josh, Colt, Brandon and Brandon. Josh and I stalemated with me lying on him and holding him stuck. Colt taught me to go for the arm bar and triangle if someone gives you their arms while in your guard. Brandon tapped me with side control pressure. Little Brandon (first day back in a month) and I finished light, and he was able to defend himself in the fetal position and I couldn’t bear to muscle an attack.

After we bowed out, Mark made us do 320 ab crunches on video as a challenge to another school, in support of fallen police officers. Ugh!

Followup: At bedtime, my right foot is aching so bad I can’t sleep. Taking ibuprofen.

Ibuprofen worked and I got good sleep. Walking seems to cause the ache to return.

TJ (new blue belt) warmed up the class, then Christian took us into the back room for a circuit.

1. Balance on a stability ball – knees, knee-and-foot, or… yeah I didn’t get past that.
2. Shoot in on the wall, ending in a standing-on-your-toes posture with the wall in your face.
3. Pull down a wrestling dummy and shoot in on a takedown when they pop back up.

We did that for quite a while, then went back to the main mat to practice takedowns. I don’t know ANY takedowns from grips so I just did grip practice. Aaron took me down twice though. Tom got a bloody nose from TJ, and then TJ got his leg tweaked taking down Matt.

Then we rolled, starting from a no-man’s-land position as thought right after a takedown. Not quite guard, not quite side control, but one guy on his back and one on his knees.

I started with Matt, and I did pretty good. Tapped him with an Ezekiel choke.

Next was Aaron, who triangled me twice last time, so this time I was wary. I didn’t submit him, but I didn’t get triangled. He got a collar choke on me from side control (I think – memory is hazy).

Next was Colt, who I attacked with an arm bar twice but couldn’t get it. He told me I should have been more patient on the first one, and given up on the second one. I scraped my face on the mat trying to get his arm free while face-down. I’ll be wearing that lesson for a while.

Next was Aaron again, and we decided to go light. He got me in a triangle (again!) and then he walked me through how to do it. A couple times I almost had him in a guillotine or something but never got it deep. Good defense.

Last was Christian, who stopped me and reminded me not to cheat when advancing to mount. Angle the knee up toward the armpit. We then rolled lightly a bit, and he reminded me to reset and breathe when we fell into a standard position where there was no immediate threat. At the end, I surprised him by throwing up a triangle (just like Aaron showed me) and he happily coached me through finishing it.

FOLLOWUP: 2 days later and my legs are still rubber. Quads are very very sore. Not injured, but I obviously overdid it with the shot drill circuit. Had to lay off the Krav on Saturday morning.

I got in 5 minutes early, when Christian moved the KM ALL class to the back room. I donned my gi, grabbed a broom, and swept the mat.

We warmed up with pair drills, hip escapes and guard passes. That was both the warm-up and the technical material of the class. Then we rolled.

I rolled with Josh first, starting on top of open guard, and passing to side control. I did pretty well, getting submitted at the end, and in between I attained mount and got a wicked mat burn on my left foot as he scooted across the mat with my foot trapped underneath. At the end, he tapped me out with I can’t remember what.

I sat out the next roll and put some hand sanitizer on the missing skin. After that I rolled with Victor, Phil, Chris, small Andrew, and Brandon. Brandon’s rib was messed up so we went light, but his weight is still putting me into panic mode when he leans it on me. It was Victor’s 2nd class ever, so I told him some basics about side control and mount. Phil and Chris both taught me techniques. Andrew tapped me with a triangle. I basically survived!

What was this? My third BJJ class in the last 6 months? First roll in 6 months?

Anyway, I skipped the Krav Maga class to hit the BJJ mat afterward. Krav Maga leaves me gassed and tired, and then I’m not ready for BJJ rolling. So to get back into it, I’m going to have some days devoted to just BJJ, even if it’s just once a week to get started.

Warm up was slow and easy. We practiced some grips. Learned that while standing, you don’t normally want to go for a cross collar grip. Other than that, I felt fairly retarded and unpretentious. Standard windshield wipers and eggbeaters. Did some yoga ball sprawls and knee balances.

The technique of the day was Kesa Gatame a.k.a. Scarf Hold. This went back to my early days of training, so I felt like I was just sharpening old skills. Practiced transitioning from side control to Kesa Gatame (or “Kesa” for short) and keeping chest pressure. We also learned the arm lock and Americana from Kesa, and I sharpened the detail of getting your lower leg under the joint you’re attacking.

When we rolled, we started from side control. I rolled with Brandon (who is so heavy and unshakeable that he almost tapped me from knee on belly, almost tapped me from forearm across skull, etc.), Dave (twice), and Josh. All those guys are better than I am, but I survived without serious injury! Got a bruise on my face and a bruise on my shoulder, but nothing else has shown up.

Third class in 4 months, right? Teaching the class today was Cody, who’s a beefy brown belt. We did a pretty standard warm-up with shrimps, rolls, and hip walks. Then we got into the guillotine drills.

I teamed up with Jarred for the whole class. Starting with arm-in guillotine as a response to a take-down attempt. They key there was to dip the wrapping arm’s shoulder down to shrink the space. Then we went to arm-in guillotine as a response to a half-guard sweep attempt. I kept having trouble getting the arm to go in, because Jarred was using it across my neck for the sweep.

At last we got to arm-free guillotine, which lets you take that wrapping arm’s hand and pull it up with your other hand, lock the pulling arm’s elbow and forearm over the back of the choke-ee, and that’s a wrap. Still tuck your shoulder down over the wrapping arm, but that pulling arm locked over the back is the killer.

I left early before I got my picture taken.

Mark’s Saturday morning class started with warm ups that almost killed me. I went nuts on the shrimping, and wanted to quit before I was done with them. Finally they were over and we got a long talk about Friday no-gi classes are cancelled, and instead we’re going to have 2 weeks of no-gi-only training. Mark said “Out of 14 days, you should be able to make 8 or 9 of those.” Haha, yeah. If I make 6 I’ll consider myself wildly successful, even if I can’t train for 2 weeks afterward. He also talked about the JJM Christmas tournament/camp in Marina Del Rey, which I have no plans to attend.

So the technique drills were attacking someone in turtle position again, apparently building on what they went over yesterday in the final no-gi class. I didn’t go to that class (I was at work) so I had no idea how it related to the no-gi stuff, but whatever. The first technique is to jump up to the cowboy mount, which is knees-on-hips. Grab the back of the collar, step back off them, and pull them into your lap. Get hooks and lapel grips, go for a quick choke with an arm across the back of the neck, and if that fails, reach that back-of-the-neck arm around to pull the lapel down for a standard lapel choke. It’s easiest to get when the choking arm is on top, and when your thumb isn’t weak and unable to grip the gi.

The second technique started from cowboy mount, but this one involved grabbing the belt, dismounting forward, lifting the turtle so you can get your hooks in, then rolling them. Chokes as before.

The third technique is when the turtled opponent instead flattens out on their bellies and hides their elbows and head. Just lift them up by their belt and you can get your hooks in, then roll them and go to town.

Rolling started early. I rolled with a blue belt guy whose name I asked twice and forgot twice. Howard? Larry? Anyway, he started sitting and I stepped to half guard, and spent the entire 5 minutes there. He tried to sweep me and I defended successfully most every time. It was a very slow and easy roll.

Second roll was with Shabbar, and he’s big and heavy and smashed me, took my arms and bent them until I tapped. I jammed my thumb sometime in the vain attempts to defend myself. That was my only injury, except for what are going to be some exceptionally sore muscles.