BJJ Globetrotter Camp (Phoenix MMA), Ana Yagües, Bournemouth, UK, 18/07/2016
This is the class I was most looking forward to, because Ana is somebody I've 'known' online for a number of years now. She's been writing a blog for a good while, with some especially interesting posts about pregnancy and BJJ (comparable to the material Meg wrote on her blog some time later).
In terms of the technique Ana covered today, it's similar to something Dónal taught five years ago, back when we were both still at GB Bristol. He did it a little differently, with variations in grip, as well as a slight tweak on the entry. I can't remember exactly how, though the notes are of some use. Of much more use is the video I took during Ana's class: one of the many awesome things about BJJ Globetrotter camps is that all (so far, at least) the instructors are happy for you to take video (as long as you don't try and sell it or put it up publically, of course). That means I can analyse it much better than re-reading my old notes. ;)
To begin, you want to get a super deep de la Riva hook. Starting from a double sleeve grip with both feet on the hips, shift towards the leg you want to de la Riva hook. Swing your same side leg around that for an initial de la Riva hook, releasing your same side sleeve grip in order to grab their heel. Pulling the heel towards you, so they can't easily move their foot. Watch out for them kicking it across your buttcheeks, like David showed in his passing class. You want to keep that heel jammed against your body.
Shift a bit more to the side and raise your hips, in order to extend that de la Riva hook all the way to the other thigh. This is what Dónal used to call the 'surfboard', due to the way you do a sort of plank with your lower body. When you've got your instep in place, solidly hooked around their thigh, bring your other foot lower on their leg, hooking the other side. Your feet should now be forming an x, hence the 'x guard' part of this technique. Squeeze your knees and pull them in.
At this point, you can switch from grabbing the heel back to the sleeve. Using your knees and those sleeve grips, steer them in the direction your lower foot is pointing, in order to knock them to the ground. Maintaining your sleeve grips, come up on your elbow, then step out what was your lower foot. You can then do a knee cut with what was the de la Riva hook to finish. That's the main part where I keep rewatching the videos, to try and work out which leg does what.
If they resist that, simply sweep them the other way. A knee cut is tricky from here, so instead, push their leg up with your intep (this will end up being on their leg when you hit the ground). Use that space and control to come up into a combat base, ready to pass their guard. Ana smoothly progressed into a version of the sweep when they're kneeling, as that applies against combat base. Push them back with your leg, in order to make space under the knee they have raised. You can then lock in your deep de la Riva x guard, progressing into that same sweep, finishing by you push their leg up with your instep.
Unlike the other classes, Ana then finished with some specific open guard sparring, where you aren't allowed to close your legs. I went with about three people I think, managing the sweep once on a white belt, but not having much luck with the two blues (they were bigger than me, but still). On top, I had a play with balance, to see if I could resist the sweep. I managed to recover my base with an elbow the first time, but it was precarious, meaning I got swept the second time. I don't often have to pass de la Riva, as it's almost all white belts at my gym. Getting that broad range of styles and experience is yet another massive advantage of going to BJJ Globetrotter camps. ;)
No comments:
Post a Comment