Class #1025
BJJ Globetrotter Camp (Olympiastützpunkt Rhein-Neckar) Open Mat, Heidelberg, Germany, 14/08/2018
Jeff introduced his class by introducing himself and his training, talking for a few minutes about the environment at the Renzo Gracie Academy. Jeff has a decade of training directly under John Danaher and has been a black belt for a while now, so has also been able to observe how various of his training partners, especially Eddie Cummings, were able to rapidly improve.
The main technical content of the class surrounded the ashi garami position, which is essentially single leg x. Jeff noted that he prefers ashi garami terminology, particularly as there are quite a few subpositions (outside, inside, crossed over etc. I think? I may have mixed those up :P). Sven Groten had a good tip on this, showing how you should cover the foot that you have pressed into their hip with your other knee, almost as if you were locking up a triangle. Cover as much of it as you can, because otherwise they can push down on the meat of your foot and escape.
When they escape, you can respond by switching to the other leg. Hook around their other leg on the outside, securing your fingers by the crook of their knee, pulling yourself across and in to that one. Make sure you don't start sliding back, stay close to their hips. You can keep on doing that as a continuous drill, escaping side to side and re-securing the knee each time.
Single leg x I understand, so the main ashi garami leglock type position is that, but when both of you are sat down. The other version I was much less clear about. For that one, which Jeff views as a core position everybody should know, where again you're looking for the leg. Worth noting that it's not legal under IBJJF rules, but meh, that's just one company it isn't jiu jitsu. :)
They're sat in front of your. You scoot in, your two legs around their leg. Your outside leg doesn't go on the hip, like you would for single leg x/normal ashi garami. Instead, the leg continues to reach through (so, 'reaping', because you're passing that centre line), going under their other leg. Triangle your legs and squeeze your knees, locking that in. Your other knee is pressing on the outside of their other leg. You're then going to further secure their other leg with your arms, into the usual achilles lock position.
As Jeff pointed out, this position is really tough to escape. You have to somehow turn your knees down to start loosening that up, which is hard. I was trying to grab the arms and pull them towards me, which has been my go to escape for a while (I think either Seymour or Donal showed me that, can't remember. Maybe both of em did?)
