Mizblog

Back at it on a rainy Tuesday morning. We got an epic warmup session where we had to go all the way down the new long mat. Unfortunately, it narrows at the end so you need to steer and be aware of your surroundings down there.

Coach Mark started us off by showing us how to use the wall for pressure and takedowns. Turn your opponent to put their back into the wall, then press them with your shoulder and head in their torso. Control the hand on the side you’re facing. Get comfortable switching directions, like shoulder pummeling. When it comes time for the takedown, grip your hands together right under their crotch, lift their pelvis while pressing them to the wall, then when you relieve the pressure they go down and you proceed to knee-on-belly. I always got my legs jumbled and had to do a little dance to get into ground position.

Greggo taught the scissor sweep next. Use your legs and whatever grips you can get to break posture. Lift their gi and get a cross grip on the label. Control their arm on the grip side. Squeeze your knees together as you hip out away from your grip/armhold, and slide your knee across their chest toward the grip. Use the grip-side leg to trip them as you pull them into your knee and tip them over.

If they have a wide base and you can’t scissor them over, cock your bottom foot back and use it to push their knee out. Use your top leg as a hook across their body to keep them from re-guarding and also to help you pull yourself on top of them for the mount.

Then I rolled. We started in guard. I got passed a lot. I tapped just about every roll. Learned a bunch though, I think. Didn’t get injured. Success!