07/03/09

Well, It was my first day back, I probably should have stopped after drills, but I couldn't help but roll a bit, and roll I did. It felt good to get spent, to breath heavy, and to get sweaty. I will definitely be paying for it come morning time, but I'll deal with the aches then.

Stuff we drilled today:
• Arm Bar set up from mount. Instead hand-fighting to get your arm under there's and walk it up we learn to push the arm down (In similar fashion before applying an Americana, or a keylock depending on which part of the country you're from) then, with your same side leg, trap the arm, and work yourself from there into S-mount. from there your can grab the same side leg, step over and finish the arm bar. Pretty simple stuff, but really great to drill over and over to get super tight. This is something that I need considerable work on. I have focused so much on my defense and guard game that now when I'm on top I do not have the same confidence nor smoothness as I do on the bottom.

• We also worked on cross colar choke, which is pretty elementary, but a nice little add on to this was how to initially get the hand in if your opponent is guarding the collar. You lift up the gi BELOW where they are holding it, and 'punch' you fist through. By going under you are totally bypassing their defense. From there you can fish around and get grips and apply the choke.


In rolling today I noticed that I am very careless with my head. Not only in the sense that I leave myself open for guillotine chokes, but also in the sense that I'm always whacking on knees, elbows, other heads... whatever. This is not good, I mean, my brain is in there I should be more cautious with it.

I also realized when rolling I am getting very good at controlling people from open guard, which I enjoy, but, I have little to no transition game, I need to work more sweeps from DLR, 9-3, and X-guards otherwise I usually end up stalling most of the time.

My half guard was pretty weak today as I was trying some sweeps from it, I need to work harder on securing the 'lockdown' (ugg) and working slower and calmer from there.