29/06/2010 - BJJ (Basics)

Class #322
Gracie Barra Birmingham, (BJJ), Nathan Roberts, Birmingham, UK - 29/06/2010

I’ve been waiting for a bright, colourful BJJ hoody for a while now, and it’s finally arrived, in the shape of Scramble’s re-release of the ‘Newaza’ design...but this time in purple or green. You can pick them up here: the SLIDEY discount code will get you 10% off. I’m hoping it’s as bright a purple as Matt’s Lock’n’Roll shirt. :)

Once again, couldn’t make it on Monday, so back to the basics class. Still, that was no bad thing, as Nathan has been continuing his detailed dissection of side control fundamentals. First off was a straightforward side control to mount. You’re in a tight side control, and they try to push up into your neck to escape. Lean forward into their arm (but not so far they can roll you), then switch your hips.

You can either grab their near arm with your hand as you do this, or maintain a gable grip around their head and armpit, using your hip to scoop up and trap that near elbow. Immediately switch your hips back, simultaneously moving further up towards their head. This puts you in an even tighter side control than before, with improved control over their near elbow.

From here, you can walk your far hand under their far arm towards their head, slide your knee and shin over their stomach, then switch into mount, scooping up their other arm for good measure.

Nathan also covered another two side control escapes, beginning from the same position, but this time you’re on the bottom. As you push up into their neck, they switch to scarf hold. Keep pushing with your arm, driving their head towards your hip. With your other hand, being careful not to get trapped, reach under their arm and grab their elbow, then pull it towards you.

Shrimp your hips into them, still pushing them towards your hip, then switch one leg over the other. This should make it easier for you to come to your knees, which will simultaneously roll them over, putting them under your side control. During drilling, the person getting rolled should turn their head towards your hips, to avoid cricking their neck.

The second side control escape uses the same principle, but for a slightly different situation. This time, their side control is really tight, and you’re having no joy getting a forearm into their neck and pressing. So instead, you’re going to bait the Americana. Your arm under their neck will dangle loose.

As soon as they loosen their grip from under your head to go for it, get ready to bring your other hand to the back of that elbow. At the point their arm cross your face, you want to straight-arm into the back of their elbow, shoving it towards your hip. Again, shrimp into them, always maintaining a hold on their arm, then come up onto your free elbow for base.

The motion is now the same as before. Switch one leg over the other, then come to your knees. Try to imagine that there isn’t anyone on top of you, and you’re just shrimping out and going straight to your knees. You should end up lifting them with your hips, and then dropping them off the side and underneath you, without a great deal of force. If you find you’re having to muscle it, then you’re not quite getting the leverage right.

There was no specific sparring tonight (Nathan had earlier given us the option of either specific sparring or more technique: fortunately, we went with more technique), but there was time left for one free spar. I went with my training partner Amit, a white belt who is possible a bit bigger than me, but not by the usual huge margin.

So, that gave me a chance to practice attacks. I tried to get my preferred overhook, but the choke was probably too telegraphed. I looked to switch to a triangle, and got my legs locked and started to wiggle backwards, but I could see I was losing it. That meant it was time to switch to an omoplata, but my transition was sloppy. I didn’t flatten him out enough, retain enough control over the arm, or get a decent grip over his back.

I did manage to land an Americana or two from top half guard, but I think that was mainly down to his inexperience rather than any skill on my part. The arm was left out there as he was trying to escape, so that meant I could lock on the figure-four. Still, there again I was sloppier than I would have liked, without especially solid top control or a particularly good angle.

Should be training again tomorrow. I also was able to give my Zero G gi its first outing since Wycombe, as I finally had a chance to visit home last weekend and pick it up again. Once I’ve put that through a few more weeks, I’ll try to get a review together (though all the review you could ever want of the Tatami Fightwear gi is already up on Meerkatsu’s site).