805BJJ Class 68: 6 attacks from guard, rolling

Coach Greggo’s Tuesday morning class started with a brief warm up, and then we paired up and got to the six attack sequence from the guard:

  1. Kimura on the right arm
  2. Straight arm lock on the right arm
  3. Arm bar on the right arm
  4. Kimura on the left arm
  5. Triangle on the left side
  6. Arm bar on the left arm

I paired up with Phil, whose ankle is a little tight but it didn’t stop him from getting on the mat. We helped each other through the positions, and it went really well. We both improved greatly. Greggo broke it down to just focus on the first 3, then to just focus on #3 by itself. We worked on just that much for 45 minutes, then we got ready for battle.

My first roll was with Phil. I got on top side control pretty quickly, but he got a kimura grip on my lower arm that I had a lot of trouble escaping. I finally did by rotating around through north-south to the other side, but man that was tight. We had a pretty even, scrambly battle after that.

Next round I sat out. Filled my water bottle, fixed my hair by washing some of the gel out of it in the bathroom, and sucked on the Guu.

Coming back I tapped TJ, who recognized the fact that he’d just battled hard with Greggo and I’d sat out and rested for 5 minutes. I managed to escape all of his submission attempts except for one – an Americana from mount. Wish I’d worked harder from the bottom. I was fending him off a lot but finally gave up when he locked up the Americana. Tapping early is an energy saving mechanism too, I guess.

Next in line was coach Greggo. I spent a lot of time sitting in his open guard. I tried to be very patient and try stuff with him. Well, I ended up turtled and staving off the D’arce. I was able to shuck him off and get back to guard. Then I managed to survive the rest of the round.

Jen was next. I tried some half-hearted take downs and then turtled. Eventually we separated and restarted. I again turtled, then we scrambled and I got side control but with her holding my head. I tried the neck lever escape from that, but she started trying to sweep me that way, so I warned her to watch her neck because if she swept me, I’d be putting all my weight on her head and, since my arms were trapped there, I wouldn’t be able to stop it. So she let go and I let go and we reset. I hope I did the right thing there, rather than just sit in a head lock and wait for her to destroy me, or let her roll me and possibly break her neck.

Next was Pat, who’s a little monster of a black belt. We spent a long time not taking each other down, but every time I got him down he scrambled, got on top of me, passed my guard, mounted me, and submitted me. Beast! Turns out he’s friends with Jimmy Tang from UCLA!

After that was Dave. He had a bum shoulder so I stayed away from the shoulder locks. We had a typical scrambly roll. I ended up in mount, and I decided after a few seconds that I wasn’t going to work too hard to keep it. Dave started moving to get out of it and I caught his arm, then sat into the arm bar position, pried his hands apart and got the tap. It was very interesting because I got the submission immediately after my decision to not force my position on top.

Last was Brendan. We had fun with the knee takedown stuff. Especially entertaining was when I tried to grab his head and he ducked under and took me down, prompting me to say “Shit!”. Anyway, we had a good roll. Back and forth. With about 30 seconds left, I got him in a guillotine from closed guard. I was going for the kimura and the hip bump (I’ve gotten him with both of those before) but this time he was defending them pretty well so I grabbed his neck. I may have been cranking his neck a bit, so sorry Brendan. I’m not that good at the guillotine. With 20 seconds left in the round, I hurried to restart, but just turtled. Brendan was incredulous that I’d want to roll for 20 more seconds. I still had energy! I hadn’t been smashed hard under bigger guys the whole time, and when I was on bottom, I conserved energy pretty well, looking for an opportunity to explode and escape.

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805BJJ Class 67: nogi D’arce and anaconda against turtle, turtle tip to kesa, side control abortion, rolling

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.

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Krav Maga Class 106: long warm up, hammer fists, gun from the side defense

Curtis’ Saturday morning class saw him running on reduced sleep after a bounty hunt in Compton last night. He started us running and kept us running for 5 minutes. We did about 15 minutes of warm ups before we got to hammer fist drills. I was in a group with Susan and new guy Scott. I hit the pad so hard that my pinky finger knuckle injured my ring finger knuckle. Then we did a stress drill with hammer fists only.

Last we did gun defense from the side, front of the arm.

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805BJJ Class 66: no gi half guard sweeps, rolling

Started on the mat with just me and Rick as students, and Greggo teaching. Oh shit.

Stragglers started arriving as we did our warm up. Chris showed up, as did Eric and Ras. Also a couple of cops came in looking like pro MMA fighters. Oh shit.

Techniques demonstrated were half guard sweeps. Get the underhook and staple your shoulder/head to the top person’s chest. Then you can scoot to the side, switch feet and pull their trapped leg out to wreck their base, and then either get their back or tip them over and pass their guard. You may also be able to roll them over you.

Anyway, after that we rolled. I paired up with Ras first, and he calmly crossed his arms in front of his chest and sat down. Anything I tried to do, he weathered. Then when I got frustrated or bored, he’d come after me and make me move.

Next roll was with Rod, the bald MMA fighter looking guy. I actually did pretty well against him, though I’m sure he went easy on me because I’m old. I managed to recover my guard rather a lot.

I sat out the next round, then paired up with Rick. He sub’d me about 4 times before he just started giving me pointers.

Then I rolled with Brendan, who’s the new college student and who’s been doing BJJ for about 2 years on and off. Probably about the same amount of experience I have. I caught him in a kimura, which he didn’t recognize until I named it. I told him a few techniques you can hit when sitting up and reaching over a planted arm, and he was fascinated.

Then was Chris, who just started giving me pointers to enter his seated guard. Thanks, buddy. I’ll use that against you! He still got me in a good sweep though, and the landing hurt my left floating rib, which sticks out farther than my other ribs, and which I landed on. I’m okay though. I found myself continually turtling and getting D’arce choked. Guess that was last night’s class lesson. :P

I was about to roll with Eric, but Greggo had us line up and ended class 5 minutes early instead.

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805BJJ Class 65: no gi side control bottom framing and escapes, back control and choke, rolling

I came in a half hour early to warm up. TJ said I looked slim, but it was just the rash guard holding everything in.

I went in the room and warmed up slow. I also practiced some break-fall rolls in my rash guard, until TJ and his Krav Maga class took it into the back room. Cosmo and I swept the big mat with damp brooms, then lined up, bowed in with coach Greggo, and did our standard warm up.

Then we circled up and got into no-gi side control bottom escapes. The first was against the over-under position. Frame and push them toward your hips, then you can shrimp out and bring your knee in to recover guard. If they go under-over, you can again frame them and push them down toward your hips, then hook your leg over their head to push them down and get back to guard. From kesa gatame, you can push them down against your upraised knee, then when you remove it and hip out, their back support goes away and you can get up on kesa gatame!

Then we learned how to control the back with over-under control, tucking the head to the under side.

Then we rolled. I started with Daniel, who has a very crafty guard. Working without the gi is tricky. Next was Rick, who pressured me and submitted me eventually a couple times. Then Greggo, whose knee went out once before submitting me. Then TJ, who submitted me but said I get harder to roll with every time. Then Cosmo, who got on top of me and smashed me for the entire time. Then Daniel again, and we spent a good amount of time cuddling in guard. Then Greggo again, who just about broke me in half and then choked me out.

By the end, we had left lakes of sweat on the mat (usually the gi’s soak up a lot of it, I guess) and we were pretty tired. I know I was!

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805BJJ Class 64: rolling

I got on the mat after KM105 just after the circle run. Finished the warm ups and coach Mark sent us to just roll. Ten 5-minute rounds. First round 50% I went with Shabbar (strategically – 50%!) and he dominated me pretty well. His knee on belly pressure is intense.

After that it was full combat. I rolled with Matt, and it was a good battle all the way through. His hip mobility has improved greatly.

I took a round off after that.

Next was Sean, who tapped me repeatedly. Effortlessly.

After that I rolled with Richard (big blue belt) who wrecked me in half guard. He gave me some pointers.

The next round we ended up together again, and he locked me down in half guard some more.

Last round I paired up with Desi. She’s a little orange belt. I went really slow, and she smartly played an open guard. She tried a scissor sweep on me, and I told her she needed to pull my weight over her more to break my posture before it would work. Later she tried the waiter sweep, and again I reminded her to pull me forward to get my weight over her to roll me over. Then in side control I tried the chewjitsu sweep I saw on youtube yesterday. It was rough, so I asked if I could try it again. I explained what I was doing, and the second one landed her slowly on her head before she flopped over. We continued rolling and she got me in kesa gatame, so I reached behind to grab her belt, shrimped my hips next to hers, and rolled her over again. I explained what I did to her, and she thanked me for the tips.

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Krav Maga Class 105: shadow boxing, focus mitt combos, 2 minute kick circle drill, kick boxing sparring, straight knife defense

Pam’s Saturday morning class started with shadow boxing, interspersed with squats, push ups, sit ups, squats, push ups, and sit ups. We then paired up and got straight into focus mitt combos. I was in a group of 3 with Susan and a new guy named Jose, so we swapped out with the heavy bag.

After that, we got kick shields and got one person in the middle. Then, for 2 minutes straight, the person in the middle was kicking the pad of the person who called their name. All angles. Front, back, and side kicks. Moving in with step kicks. It was exhausting!

Then we put on shin guards and did a couple short rounds of kick boxing sparring. I did a half round with Susan and half with Jose, then I went a whole round with Ray. It went okay. We didn’t have head gear on so we didn’t hit very hard to the face.

Once that was done, we put away our gear and practiced straight knife defense. It’s a wrist redirection with the outside hand, pinning it to the abdomen while the other hand comes under the knife grip hand. Pull the knife wielding forearm vertical and throw some lower body combatives while you keep straight arms to control the knife, then do the ol’ wrist roll takeaway. Push forward toward the knife, then unroll the fingers as you strip the knife out.

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805BJJ Class 63: Drago’s guard pass defense – duck under and arm drag, baseball bat choke from side control top, rolling, 3rd stripe

I woke up after a bad night’s sleep, still very sore from Tuesday morning’s double leg circuit. When I got to SVKM, I was glad to find out that even Dave and coach Greggo were very sore after that training, so I didn’t feel so inadequate. Rick also brought up the experience of walking out of a martial arts class so wrecked that a kid could take you out, and how you have to question yourself in those situations. It got a laugh.

Warm up went quick under coach Mark. 10 minutes and we got down to business. We were visited by coach Drago from the main academy, and coach Mark put him on the spot for Q&A. Rick asked him how you deal with someone who’s got a knee-elbow shield against your guard leg. Drago ducked under his arm and pulled him past, taking his back. I got to practice with Brandon Sherman. He was messing me up by getting a cross collar grip and putting his forearm in my face so I couldn’t duck under. I guess it was my bad for not getting an underhook on that side so I could boost his arm up and over my head as I pulled him back and across.

The next technique we learned was the arm drag. Break posture with the collar grip, then relinquish it to pull the arm across, then take the back. Again, Brandon made my life difficult by gripping my gi above my shoulder. Much more amenable to the previous technique, but this time I had to break down his arm by folding it downward and rotating my body away while I ripped it across with my opposite hand. Very dangerous and violent technique.

After that we learned the baseball bat choke from side control top. Use your cross face arm to grip thumb-in the back of the collar. Then rise up to knee-on-belly, lift their head with your collar grip and sink the other hand into the far side collar, palm-up thumb-out. Bring your far hand over the neck and your elbows together as you step around and lower your head to their near-side hip. Very effective!

After that, we rolled.

I started with Andrew. I think I ended up on top but he recovered guard. I tried to pass but he scrambled to turtle, then when I was attacking he scrambled and I had to turtle. He almost got my back! I had to really work to get out of that, but I did. He got mount, I upa’d him over and again passed his guard. Round over. It was a good one!

Next was Ryan. I had my way with him, pretty much. I got him in an Americana and an arm bar before I decided to coach him a little bit.

Next was Matt. Again, a good roll. I got the better of him positionally but he put up a good fight and had good defense.

Next was Cosmo. I was scared of being crushed, to start off, and I told him so. He went to knock me over at an angle, and I rolled under to get into side control, stopping him from getting on the concrete. We restarted. I mounted and set up a collar choke, which was impossible to finish because Cosmo does not have a neck. I eventually got bucked off and we scrambled to me on the bottom of half guard, where we ended.

After that I rolled with Ryan again, and I just basically talked to him about BJJ and the early learning process. I gave him tips on what to do when mounted, like protecting your neck and tucking your elbows. At the end of the roll, I sunk in the baseball bat choke that we’d learned earlier in the class.

After we lined up, coach Mark thanked Drago for teaching. He chastised some of the people for not showing up. Then he gave me another stripe, as well as Andrew and Matt and maybe Brendan? The first stripe took me 21 classes, and the 2nd one took me 33 classes. At that rate, it would have taken me 44 classes to get another stripe, but I did it in only 9 classes. I’ve been getting better very quickly lately, like it was all pent up and it’s finally starting to come together.

After class, coach Mark told me I looked good on the mat today. He again complimented me on losing weight, which according to the scale I have not done. He also told me “Your daughter is going to be a beast!”

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