09/03/2010 - BJJ (Beginner)

Class #293
RGA High Wycombe, (BJJ), Kev Capel, High Wycombe, UK - 09/03/2010

Recently BJJ has popped up in a rather strange place: the Australian soap opera Home & Away (although the writers appear to have transformed it into something more akin to aikido). Being the internet and BJJ nerd that I am, naturally I tracked down the relevant episodes (5019, 5020 and 5023-5027 so far), recorded them, re-edited the relevant BJJ sections into a video, took lots of screen caps, then started posting about it on Home & Away forums. ;)

Kev started tonight's class with a follow up to the fundamentals scarf hold escape, if they're using the weaker version of holding under the head rather than the far armpit. Should your arm be sufficiently trapped that you can't get the elbow to the ground, reach over their back and lock your hands together.

Walk your legs towards theirs: if they don't move, hook and begin to escape to their back. Normally they will move, whereupon you wait for the right leverage, then roll them over your body. However, as Kev noted, this requires good timing. If you get it right, they'll feel weightless. If you get it wrong, you're never going to move anybody your size or bigger.

Next was a continuation on pulling guard. This time, instead of closed guard, Kev went to open. Again you start with a collar and sleeve grip, yanking the sleeve to get them to step with that side foot. When they do and you therefore have them slightly off-balance, put your same side foot on the hip and drop back (sinking on your leg then dropping, rather than flopping straight to the floor).

Your head will swivel towards that side hip. Maintain your grip on their collar, while pressing your foot into their other bicep (if they free their arm, circle your leg around to re-establish the position). From here, you can now apply a triangle, kicking your leg up past their bicep and into their neck, then locking your legs. After that, you proceed as normal.

Final technique was a basic standing guard break. You establish the orthodox grip, holding both collars with one hand on their torso, while the other hand is back on their hip, knees pressed into them to try and stop their movement. Lean slightly to one side and step up that knee, then the other, enabling you to stand.

As you do, you shift to gripping one collar (so that you can stand up and press your hips forward). Your hand on the hip shifts back to their leg, so that your forearm is along their inside knee: don't be brutishly dig with your elbow (listen to Saulo!) You'll use that arm to create tension, then simultaneously step back your same side leg and thrust your hip out in the other direction. That should pop their legs open.

Specific sparring was from the guard. On top against one of the white belts, I was slipping my knee through to half guard, fought for the underhook, then used shoulder pressure to pass from there. I'm still a bit wary about relying on that, especially as it mainly works on white belts (I've managed it on blues once or twice, but not often). Still, I did ask Kev reassured me afterwards that it was a legitimate passing method.

Underneath, I was looking to break his posture down with my legs and keep him in close. I wanted to slide my leg through for the triangle, but couldn’t quite get the right set-up. I was also looking to get an overhook or move to the Shawn Williams Guard. I did both, but to little effect. With the SWG, I tried to push the arm back for the omoplata, but it was too obvious. I probably should have pushed on the head more too, or at least the shoulder.

Shifting to an overhook and gripping the collar, I again was telegraphing, so couldn't secure the choke I wanted, or the right triangle position. I need to be thinking more about stepping off and pushing on the hip for armbars, though on the other hand, it could be good to develop that tight guard position.

This also came up with Howard. I was pulling him in with my legs, breaking the posture down and wrapping tight, but not getting much further. Armdrags are something I have to look at more closely here: if I also had proper hold of that arm as I pulled in and knocked them off balance, could open up a route to the back.

I know that Howard gets that knee in when I switch to a high guard, so I was trying to keep an eye out for that, but he got it anyway. He used the Roy Dean guard break I've never been able to get to work: I think he was staying lower than I've been doing in my attempts, so that could be something to try.

When I was on top, I couldn't really do anything until Howard opened up for an attack. I found myself looking to pass open guard, which is an even worse position for me than closed. Still, it gave me a chance to really focus on driving my hips forwards, then seeing if I could yank a leg towards the ceiling and slide down. Howard's grips on my sleeves scuppered that, but something to keep working.

I had to take Thursday off last week because I came down with manflu. While I think it is mostly gone, and definitely shouldn't be infectious anymore, I wasn't back to 100% yet. So, I didn't do the advanced class tonight. Once again, I'm off to Bristol to see my gf on Wednesday, which I'll be doing again on Monday 22nd (meaning I'll miss that whole week, unless I can get to Aylesbury or something).