19/05/2014 - Artemis BJJ (Omoplata Sweep)

Class #570
Artemis BJJ (Bristol Sports Centre), Dónal Carmody, Bristol, UK - 19/05/2014

Today, Dónal focused on some options off an omoplata entry. To get us used to the motion, he started with a drill where you spin on your back, kicking up into their arm. It's important to keep as little of your back in contact with the floor as possible: Dónal described it as 'breakdancing turtles', balancing on the bottom of the shell rather than the side.

The techniques started with a standard omoplata. Grab their trouser leg with your same side hand, also securing their sleeve on that side with your opposite hand. Kick up into the gripped arm, pushing their arm around your leg to bend it. To fully knock them over, 'superman' their trouser leg, punching your grip backwards to flatten them out. From here, you can sit up, triangling your legs around their gripped sleeve, aiming to tweak their shoulder for the submission. If you miss the submission or simply prefer top position, you can also turn that into a sweep, rolling them over your body.

For a more advanced option, there is the lapeloplata, where you basically do the same thing, but with the lapel in play. Pull out their gi lapel, which may cause them to fling it back to get it out of your reach. That puts it where you want it, by their leg: if they don't, then you'll need to push it there yourself. Reach under their leg and grab the gi lapel, so that the gi lapel is now also over your own leg. You're going to treat that gi lapel like it was their arm, doing the same motion as before to sweep them. You can even go for the omoplata, releasing the grip to slide forward into position.

Sparring, I wasn't able to lock in the crucifix from turtle, as I don't think I had enough weight on their back. I shouldn't focus so much on the arms. Still, having that concept in mind meant I had a different perspective on controlling their arms. That meant I was in position to wrap up their arm and switch into the armbar, normally a technique I never go for. Although they were sitting up and escaping, due to the way I'd wrapped up the arm, I was able to roll them back over in position for the submission. Interesting side effect of trying to add the crucifix into my game.