19/02/2019 - Tuesday daytime

Class #1115
Artemis BJJ (MYGYM Bristol), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 19/02/2019

17/02/2019 - Sunday open mat

Class #1114
Artemis BJJ (MYGYM Bristol), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 17/02/2019

I fit in a roll with Erick, which was fun, starting with him on my back. I tried to lean forward Priit style, but ended up on my side. Eventually worked my way free, using the slow motion seoi-nage, but ended up inside guard instead of side control. From there I went to safety position, as Erick was doing a good job of controlling my posture, before working back to the standard posture. I attempted to grab his arm when he got my collar to stand and pass, which after a couple of false starts worked. Slow and steady to pass.

In the process he kinda got a half butterfly position, which I blocked due to an underhook and holding his leg. However, he did manage to work to the sweep, though I freed my leg. Before we could play too much in open guard, time ran out. Fun times! :D

Then, lots of drilling with Kirsty and Josh, which was cool. I'm trying to institute the regular drilling recommended by Mario, though it's taken a while to arrange a time we can all make. Went great today, really useful. I ran through some Priit and Mario drills with Kirsty to start, then we delved into the butterfly pass a bit (as Kenny mentioned I was leaving myself wide open to hooks). I later drilled that with Josh too, and I think the most effective grip seemed to be grabbing the opposite foot on both side, meaning both my arms are occupied. I can still balance on my head and shoulder to hop past.

Also, while the flip is flashier so I like it for drilling, doing a bland hop is more effective. You can then shuck past any attempts by them to bring their knee in through a combination of brushing it past with your hip, your shoulder, your knee and pulling on the foot grips you have.

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I also drilled Priit's running escape > turtle > panda sequence with Kirsty, which was also really useful. We started off with light resistance, then started up it a little (though still well off sparring pace). I am slightly concerned about leaning forward too much with somebody bigger, though it seems I'm flexible enough to go relatively far. I'll keep testing. This is shaping up nicely, so it's a pattern I can repeat, with some tweaks.

I want to drill Priit's open guard properly, I still haven't gotten comfortable with anything past the basic first stage. As I'm going to a seminar with him on open guard, that should be very helpful. More drills for the running escape/turtle/panda would also be useful, so I'll have a think.

11/04/2016 - Open Mat | Leglocks & Running Escape

Class #711
Artemis BJJ (MYGYM Bristol), Can Sönmez, Bristol, UK - 11/04/2016

I've been keen to get in some extra training for a while, as I'm not getting as much drilling and sparring as I'd like. Today was the first attempt to fit in some more, meeting up with a few people before class. We went through the leglock I learned from Kev on Saturday, which was useful. Drilling that indicated the importance of keeping your thumb up, to make sure you're driving the blade of your arm into the calf muscle. Also, you can bring your knee inwards, which keeps their leg twisted and I think makes it easier to attack that calf.

Ross and Milka were particularly good people to do this with, as they have that interest in the intricacies of technique, which really helps me get the most out of drilling. We also ran through leglock defence, the part that interests me more. I think I'll need to check back with Kev on the 50/50 guard break, I'm not sure I got all the details.

I also had a play with the running escape tip from a Carter Fisk video too, which is basically just shrimp firmly into them before you turn. That turn out from the running escape is much easier and less strain on neck than the leg swing, so if this makes the difference, I'd much rather focus on the turn. I'll keep playing with it.

There isn't quite enough room for sparring, as we're squeezing in around other people and classes. However, my hope is that if we can get a regular, committed group together, then I can go ahead and book a long-term slot.

28/02/2014 - Private with Kev (Running Escape & Lasso Spider Guard Sweeps)

Class #546 - Private #018
RGA Aylesbury, (BJJ), Kev Capel, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, UK - 28/02/2013

This is a technique I've used many times, I've learned it from several instructors, I've studied DVDs, I've had private lessons on it before and I've taught lessons on it myself. However, I've never had a private lesson on the running escape with my black belt instructor, Kev Capel. I was therefore looking forward to the tweaks he could add, hopefully enabling me to finally break through some of my problems with that technique.

My biggest problem, a long-term issue I've mentioned frequently over the years on this blog, is that I stall in what Saulo calls the running escape 'survival posture'. I'm aware of the escape from there, having taught both Saulo's original turn to guard and hip swing in multiple lessons, but I am still failing to do it enough myself. Dónal's tips in my previous private lesson on the topic helped, where he recommend shoving with your elbow and arm to make space before the swing, but my technique remains inefficient and overly passive.

More practice is one obvious solution: since late last year I haven't been getting as much sparring time as I would like, though now that Artemis BJJ is up and running, I'm at least getting regular training again. That should improve further once we open up our second location in a month or two. In preparation for this lesson, I re-read my old notes and had a look at some more videos. Jason Scully has a quite different version on the Grapplers Guide, which has really expanded its video content since I reviewed it way back in 2008. Scully has one video on the running escape that particularly caught my attention, as it deals with the common situation that they have got their arm past your hip. This is something Jeff Rockwell covered during his lesson on the technique too, but Scully's variation is one I haven't seen before.

The main difference is how Scully uses his elbows against the person on top. He digs one into their armpit, so that the point of the elbow is poking out, the other elbow in a parallel position on the other side. With that elbow in place, Scully can pop free, pressuring them downwards, putting him in position to attack the turtle. That's an option I intend to play with in the future and mentioned briefly to Kev in this private, but more important is building on what I already know.

On that score, Kev provided me with some excellent tips. From the standard running escape survival position, Kev noted firstly that you must keep in mind it is a bad position to be in: from his perspective, that's actually where he wants you to be during his leg drag pass. Still, if you can prevent them securing a good grip with their arms and trapping your legs with their knee, you have a number of escapes from here.

That begins with the leg swing escape I normally do (and should be doing more often). Make some space by shoving them with your elbow, then push off your feet to fire your hips into them as well, swinging your legs through to establish guard. This is ideal for when their weight is high on your body. If their weight is low, then you won't have the space to get your hips up.

However, to get their weight lower on your body, it is likely that one of their legs will be in range for your next escape, empty half (among Eddie Bravo's least silly bits of terminology). In the running escape, I raise the knee of the leg I've stepped over. With that same leg, reach back and hook their leg: this should be especially easy to do if they are looking for that leg drag and therefore have their leg close to yours. Hook and pull it towards you, switching it to your bottom leg once it becomes feasible. You can then transition into butterfly guard and may even be able to go right into a sweep.

If that fails, it will probably mean they have moved up your body to avoid their leg getting trapped. To do so will hopefully leave enough space to return to the previous escape, swinging your legs and hips. Be ready to make that transition if the empty half moves out of reach. Yet another option is to go for their arm instead, which will be looking to get past your hip.

Grabbing the sleeve of that arm and stiff-arming it away from you is a surprisingly powerful control. This works when escaping the back too, as they will find it tough to maintain control if that arm is stuck out away from their body like that. You can use that grip as leverage to recover guard, or in a similar motion to the stiff arm escape I've discussed before, except it is on the far arm rather than the one near your head. Should they manage to bend their arm, you still have the option of Beneville's 'shin in elbow' trick from Strategic Guard. Pressing your knee into the crook of their trapped arm can act as another leverage point to walk your way back into guard.

A more unorthodox approach, which Kev has been taught by Roger in the past, is to wrap your arm around the outside of your leg. Doing this to both legs makes it more difficult that you'd expect for them to pass, as they are almost certainly going to put their arms in range to be gripped. Finally on side control, Kev uses a simple escape for when they are moving to north-south, so essentially it's a transitional side control escape. As soon as you feel them moving around and putting their arm by your hip, bridge and turn in the direction of your hip bracing arm.

This is from the usual side control bottom frame of an arm into the neck and the other by the hip. If they are moving towards your head, that arm into the hip ends up taking a bit of weight. Nevertheless, you shouldn't need to shove to get this turn. It feels very smooth when you practice it, turning and then slipping that hip bracing arm down and around their leg or back. You can then move directly into the usual side control escape to your knees, grabbing their far knee and moving into side control top yourself.

We finished off the private lesson with a couple of techniques from my favoured lasso spider guard, as I mentioned that's somewhere else I often stall. Although I'm aware of the basic sweep where you bait them to try and pass to the opposite side of the lasso and roll them over, I rarely land it. I tend to look for a tripod/sickle sweep combination when they stand up. However, if they are on their knees I don't have a go-to option: thanks to Kev, now I do.

Start off with the classic option of kicking your leg up into their non-lassoed bicep, looking to knock them over. To resist they will probably stand up. From here, if you're not going for that tripod/sickle combination, unwrap the lasso and put that foot on the floor between their legs. Kick the other leg up in their bicep and pull on both their arms, with the intention of making them take a big step forward. That should put their legs in range of your arms: wrap them both up tightly. Put one foot into their hip (or just use your calf on their thigh), the other pressing into their other leg.

From here you can knock them backwards like the double ankle sweep, then come up into a straight footlock (you already have your arm in position to attack their achilles tendon) or pass. I would most likely opt for the pass as I remain uncomfortable with leg locks (mainly because it seems too easy for the other person to injure themselves if they try to explode free in the wrong direction, plus it often seems to leave my foot in an equally vulnerable position), but I should probably get comfortable with at least the 'safer' options like a straight ankle lock. There is a bicep slicer from the lasso grip too, which makes me uncomfortable for the same reason, especially as it is mainly pain compliance.

Another sweep option from the lasso spider guard also involves tempting them to stand up, but this time you keep the lasso. I initially thought it looked complicated (as any long-time reader of this blog will know, I find anything complex off-putting), but the application is fairly simple. I never use x-guard (my own personal hang-up about only focusing on techniques that feel mechanically simple), but this version made sense. Put the foot of your lasso leg behind their same side knee, then bring your other leg in front of their ankle. From that position, you can roll them over and pass.

We did a brief spar at the end (there was some light specific sparring in side control to work on those escapes, which was useful). Just like the last time I sparred Kev, he totally dominated with his grips on my legs by grabbing near the ankles. I struggled to do anything from there (not that I was expecting to, given Kev is not just a black belt, but the 2014 European Champion in his division), so I need to remember to be more vigilant about breaking grips.

Next time I'll think a bit more carefully about timing the theme of the private lesson with the position of the month at Artemis BJJ. Guard attacks and the running escape were two of the big topics I wanted to cover, but now I can match up the private with whatever position is being covered in Bristol the rest of the month. I'll most likely head up again in April, when we'll be looking at the back at Artemis BJJ. I still want to do more work on back escapes, which will fit nicely (and follows on from the running escape, as if I mess up I'll often then need to escape the back).

29/10/2013 - Jamie at GB Bristol (Running Escape & Guard Recovery)

Class #533
Gracie Barra Bristol, (BJJ), Jamie Horsman, Bristol, UK - 29/10/2013

Jamie (who received his well-deserved purple recently) taught the class tonight, teaching the running escape. Jamie began with the version Saulo teaches on Jiu Jitsu Revolution 1. They have near side grips. Bridge to make some initial space. Your aim is to create a gap so that you can turn on your side, getting your hand past their near shoulder: Jamie noted here that you only want to turn a certain amount, so not so far that they can start crushing their weight down onto you. Use that hand as a block, then step out with your bottom leg. Be careful you don't elbow your partner in the face as you do that, especially if you're pushing off their shoulder with your hand. That was followed by a slight variation, where rather than a big step out with the bottom leg, you 'scissored' them to enact the turn.

Jamie also covered the basic guard recovery, where you bridge, shrimp out, then insert your knee, shrimping again to establish guard. Geeza added in some useful details, as when he gets to that knee-in position, he uses it to shove their leg back. He can then bring his outside leg around to secure what he calls 'good' half guard (which he's mentioned before). In that position, you can retain control while also staying relatively mobile, which is much more difficult if you are instead holding half guard by wrapping inside their leg.

Sparring started with specific work from side control, before getting into free sparring. I had an enjoyable light roll with Tony, as he was injured: we played from guard. I wasn't able to do much about his base and he also prevented me from securing that deep Relson grip. Sweeping wasn't getting me too far either, as I wasn't combining techniques: I have a bad habit of going for a sweep, they post out, then I don't capitalise by transitioning to disrupting that arm.

I kept things light with Berry, who is also injured, looking to get on top. Attacking the turtle, I had a quick go for the Gerbi choke Kev taught on Sunday, but there was no way I was going to be able to feed that gi tail through. I'll keep having a play with it when I'm attacking turtle, as it's useful to have something other than the Felipe-style clock choke to go for (which is the main thing I currently attempt from turtle).

One of the white belts mentioned something interesting at the start of class, about how they've been having lots of success going for Ezequiels from side control. I only think of that submission from mount (and I guess I have to admit it is possible from inside somebody else's guard, but not something I use from there). I hadn't ever considered it as a side control attack, so that could be a fun variation to try.

10/07/2013 - Dónal Private: Running Escape Details

Class #508 - Private #010
Gracie Barra Bristol, (BJJ), Dónal Carmody, Bristol, UK - 10/07/2013

It's been three months since my last private with Dónal, initially due to some exams he was finishing off, then my trip to California. While in California, it was brought home to me yet again how much time I spend stalling in the running escape position. That renewed my desire to finally move on to the important part of the technique: the actual escape.

I have been mentioning the fact that I've been using the running escape to stall for a long while now. I've taught the technique myself a number of times, so I have an increasingly detailed idea of what I'm supposed to be doing, I just haven't been doing it. This month marks my first real attempt to make a concerted effort at practicing that escape portion, starting with some drilling last Sunday.

The first point I took away from today's session was using the elbow to make some space before you go for the hip swing. After you have shoved your elbow into their chest, continue to extend it to push them further. Initially, especially if you are very defensive like me, that feels as if you're leaving it vulnerable. However, because you are immediately following up the elbow shove and arm extension with a hip bump and leg swing, they don't have a chance to capitalise on your arm being out there.

That bump with the hip is the second thing to emphasise. I know you are supposed to knock them with your hips to put them off balance and create space, but practicing with Dónal brought home just how important that was. Also, after you have bashed them with your hips, don't just flop if they manage to resist the bump. Instead, you have several options, which we drilled extensively in the private.

You can simply reset to a strong tripod, which at least prevents them from crushing down and passing. You also don't want to give up too easily, as you may find that you can continue pushing through and snatch a triangle or omoplata. If the way is definitely blocked, swivel your hips in the other direction. Spin right through, without your knee touching the floor, then move straight into butterfly guard and sweep. If you can't get your foot inside, you can go for an armdrag and back take inside, or armdrag and knee pick to take the top position.

Dónal also mentioned a few interesting tweaks from Norbi. He sometimes lies flopped in an even less active running escape posture than I would use, with both knees on the floor, arm underneath one of the legs. When he wants to move into an active escape, he braces his elbow under the top knee to raise it up (that brace making it hard for the top person to break down) and then move into the hip bump and swing.

Another tactic Norbi uses is baiting mount, by widening his legs in the running escape position, leaving a gap between his elbow and knee so it looks like a path to mount. As soon as they bring their leg over, he shoves it back between his legs with his elbow. You can then move into a deep half sweep, or establish full half guard.

07/07/2013 - Study Hall at Gracie Barra Bristol

Class #507
Gracie Barra Bristol, (BJJ), Study Hall, Bristol, UK - 27/06/2013

For some time now, there has been a desire at the club to get in some extra drilling time. Thanks to the efforts of Geraldine, we have something Geeza calls 'study hall', which appears to be the Gracie Barra answer to an open mat. The idea is that you come to the class with an idea of what techniques you want to work on, drawing upon the experience of the higher belts.

Originally Geeza was going to be leading the class, but unfortunately he has hurt his back, meaning that Dónal oversaw the study hall instead. We started off with the same warm-up as always, after which we just paired up and started drilling. There was a section later on where Dónal ran through some other drills for those who didn't have something specific in mind, but as Mike and I knew exactly what we wanted to drill, we kept going.

It was really good to have the opportunity for focused drilling. I'm therefore fully intending to attend as many of these sessions as I can. Today, the first technique I wanted to play with was the sweep I saw Henry Akins demonstrate at the Sandy Hook seminar. The reason I liked it is that the sweep looked mechanically very simple, directly from closed guard. I don't know if it has a name, so I'll just refer to it as the Henry Akins sweep. The scenario is that they are attempting to being their pass by putting a knee in the middle of your bum, after which they will look to open your guard.

The typical reaction to that is to pop your hips across to return to guard. If they put their knee in the middle, you pop across again. This can be very frustrating for them, but it can also be tiring for you, given that you may find yourself doing this repeatedly. To break that cycle, do it a couple of times, then switch direction. When they put their knee in the middle, rather than moving towards your other knee, move away, to the other side of their knee.

You also want to have a grip on the sleeve that side, using your opposite hand. You can then pull them forward, then turn your hips in the direction of that sleeve, coming up on top. If they try to resist, you can use your free hand to base (this is why you grip with your opposite hand). Drilling with increasing resistance, it appears to be a fairly effective sweep: even if they are resisting, as long as you can control that sleeve and remember to pull them forward you can still pull off the sweep. Possibly something that might combine well with the sit-up sweep, from a teaching perspective.

Next up I wanted to play with some butterfly sweep variations I saw on the Carlos Machado DVD I reviewed recently for Jiu Jitsu Style (and speaking of upcoming DVDs, Roy Dean's much-anticipated Black Belt Requirements will be arriving in a few months. I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek: I'll be excited to see the finished product. Here is the trailer). However, while it was fun to test out what I'd seen Machado show, I think I need to do a lot more work on basic butterfly first, so I soon switched back to the previous Akins sweep.

The other technique I wanted to practice was the running escape. My drilling partner Mike was playing with the stiff arm escape, something I had already been planning to teach on Tuesday, so that was fortuitous. I was also thinking of how I might connect it with the running escape, as that is still something I need to improve. After briefly drilling the stiff arm myself, I was getting twinges from my right arm again, meaning that instead I just got in some reps on the completing the running escape, using the hip thrust type thing Marcelo and Saulo both use.

First off, don't kick them in the head: I did that when I initially shoved into Mike and swung my legs through. Secondly, timing the motion isn't easy. It is something I say when I teach it, but the whole weight distribution sensitivity is key. It gets harder as you get more fatigued as well, given that shoving your hips into them like that takes a bit of energy. If they are at all bigger than you or are just good at sinking their weight, that's going to be really, really tough. But meh, lots of drilling should help. :)

Practicing with Mike on what he wanted to drill was helpful for me too. We started off just working the mechanics, then gradually built up the resistance, to see if Mike could incorporate a few different sweeps after he used the stiff arm to prevent the double underhook pass. If he is able to get into the various off-balancing open guards that he uses, it becomes a struggle to avoid being swept (which made for an interesting challenge).

I was also trying to see where the weak points in the technique might be. One thing I managed to do a few times was bring my knee over the top as soon as I felt his stiff arm pushing me off-balance. That helped me re-establish my base to turn back towards him and go for mount. If he could hook under my leg before I could that, then I was at risk of being entangled in Mike's tricky open guard, or more simply he could just scoot back quicker.

I look forward to the next study hall: it's also likely to be useful for refreshing my memory about the technique I want to teach on Tuesday, as well as offering the chance for experimenting and refining those techniques before I get to my class. All in all, a very positive addition to the Gracie Barra Bristol schedule. :D