Class #861 BJJ Globetrotter Camp (Sportoase Leuven), Alan Shebaro, Leuven, Belgium, 27/07/2017
The title of this class was the most intriguing of the whole camp, looked over details. It lived up to my expectations too, taught in a simple, clear manner without lots of unnecessary talking around the important demonstrating part. Even better, Shebaro managed to connect almost everything to an easily memorable concept: "roll one, roll two."
The rolling began with americana details. Rather than worrying too much about arm position etc, you just focus on rolling up one wrist, then the other. If you require a better angle, pull their elbow in closer to their body. He then showed it with a toe hold, which again was simple (or at least, it would be for people who know how to do toeholds. I barely understand them). Another detail, which will make more sense to people who (unlike me) understand and enjoy footlocks, was to go 'over the rainbow' with their lower leg when you complete the toe hold motion.
Next, Shebaro shared a detail I've seen before, but he applied it more broadly and had some additional tips. If people block gi chokes with their chin, it can be annoying to get to their neck. However, if you fold their collar over, that wedge cuts straight under. Shebaro suggests putting in your thumb to fold it.
For example, on the sliding collar choke from the back, open up the collar with your armpit hand, folding it over and passing to the other. Do that little roll, enhance the choke. That also works with the bow and arrow choke, which is where I've seen that collar-fold happen before.
Finally, if you are going for a rear naked choke, they will frequently grab your arm and pull firmly down. An option to counter that which I haven't seen before is 'butterfly hands'. Make a butterfly with your hands and extend your arms across. You can then move into the choke. I'm not sure I quite got the motion right as it felt like I was using strength, but checking the video will solve that.
Class #855 BJJ Globetrotter Camp (Sportoase Leuven), Alexander Neufang, Leuven, Belgium, 26/07/2017
The title for this session was 'murdering people with the gi', which proved to be an apt description. It was packed with nasty gi chokes, wrapping them around the neck and punching the arm through. I had trouble getting any of them, I think due to my pressure perhaps being a little off, or not thrusting enough. Probably not the kind of techniques I'm likely to use, but certainly effective. These are all chokes that Neufang has been using successfully in competition.
Fortunately for me, the final technique was better suited to my style. I have seen something similar before, but not had it taught to me previously. I couldn't see how he set it up, but the idea is you have closed guard, then you get your foot across and hook it under their far arm. This ends up in what I've seen called the 'coathanger'. From here, you can get a sweep by pulling on that arm with your foot.
There is also an unusual choke, if you get a deep grip with your arm on the coathanger leg side, gripping the opposite collar (the one that will be on the coathangered arm side). Bring your free leg over their head and push. You can switch into a triangle too, bringing your leg over and switching. Then finally there's the option of pulling their arm across and taking their back.
Nova Força Epsom (BJJ), Tim Radcliffe, Epsom, UK - 30/06/2009
I've had a few weeks off due to a bunch of job interviews (none of which came to anything, unfortunately: just have to keep plugging away, like the massive horde of other people applying for the same jobs...), so good to get back on the mats. Ricardo is in Brazil at the moment, so instead class was taken by his top student, brown belt Tim (who incidentally won yet another MMA fight recently).
Tim kicked off with a gi choke. Start by pulling one side of their gi out of their belt (if its already loose, so much the better), then feed it around their back to your other hand. Shift your torso to that side, then change hands. This frees up your first hand to grip whatever material you can on the back of their gi, still on the same side (if you try to grip on the other side, your partner is likely to see it coming and defend). Finally, bring that arm over their head whilst maintaining your grip, then bring your wrists up for the choke.
Next, Tim demonstrated a basic loop choke. Grab their opposite collar, with a deep grip. Break their posture by pulling that collar towards you, while also pushing their head down and to the side with your other hand. Next, slide that other hand across the back of their head and under your own elbow, hooking with the back of your hand. Finally, raise the elbow of your collar-gripping arm for the submission.
Rowan Cunningham, who puts out the best free BJJ videos on the net (unfortunately not the most famous, as the Abhaya vids aren't heavily publicised or flashy), has a typically excellent demonstration up on YouTube, where he calls it an 'encircled collar choke'. I first saw this choke when Aesopian put up the Abhaya vids, probably on Bullshido somewhere:
Tim mentioned as he was walking around that you need to be quick with this, so its something to spring on your opponent if you have a collar grip but see they aren't defending their neck. Even if you don't get the choke, you're likely to still manage a sweep, as in order to avoid getting submitted they'll probably have to roll out. You can simply follow them and end up in mount.
Sparring today put me mostly under side control, which is good as I always like to try and improve my escapes from there. As per Saulo's advice (both in his book and DVD), I was concentrating on keeping my head stuck to the floor to prevent the cross-face, while also blocking their arm with my hand.
While I did ok getting that far into Saulo's 'survival position', I was rather less successful getting onto my side. I also wasn't preventing the knee on belly too well, as usual, but I think I managed to use my elbow and knee as a barrier slightly better than last time. The difficulty is getting them properly locked together, with forearm to upper leg, rather than just touching elbow to knee.
From knee-on-belly, I also couldn't avoid Mark's choke, so must have done Simon's defence wrong. I know you're suppose to swim your arms in and turn towards them, but forgot which arm went where.
With one of the white belts, I managed to get to my knees from side control, but couldn't then trap an arm in order to roll them. I was thinking about the wrestler's sit-out too, but didn't feel I had the space to get free: as their arm was ready to look for chokes, my neck felt exposed. In retrospect, I probably should have been less hesitant and just gone for something, as eventually I tried to spin to guard as they left some space, which merely landed me back under side control.
My last spar was against somebody fairly new, so I had a chance to play around with triangles. I'm still missing lots of important details, like proper head control, so even as a noobie they were able to slip out, but it was nice to confirm the 'trigger' position Ryan Hall talks about. Whenever somebody is trying to open your guard by driving their elbow into your thigh, you can open your guard and cause them to lean to one side. This leaves your partner vulnerable to the triangle, as you can now fling your leg over that arm and to their neck, locking your other leg in place.
