Friday Class 11/30/2007

I never did get the time to write up Tuesday's class, but I'm very happy to have officially made three classes this week! I'm also going to start tracking my weight again. Back in March, I really worked to get down to 184 lbs for the tournament in Seattle. Since then, I've been maintaining that weight fairly well. Now I'd like to drop a little more of the fat and get down to a competition weight of 170 lbs. Over the last week, I've been watching my diet and my goal is to make four classes every week, one being the Drills and Conditioning class on Mondays. If the weight doesn't want to come off, I might end up going back to doing cardio workouts at lunch.

My daughter's first BJJ class was on Wednesday. The classes are three days each week and they teach the kids grappling and some striking. The primary instructor is a blue belt in BJJ and a black belt in some kind of Karate. He's a competent guy who teaches the kids some striking as well as grappling. He's a nice guy and very good with the kids. She had a great time and if we don't end up getting too much snow, we should get to class number 2 today.

The technique above should be familiar to any grapplers out there. I learned it on my first day of class as well. This is probably the most basic escape from under mount. Of course, it's a little more difficult when the person on top weighs x3 you do. I posted this picture because it shows her excellent technique, even on day one. Secure the arm and drive it all the way across, hook the same side leg and then bridge over into guard. Kyra Gracie watch out. She was shrimping like a champ and while her rolls need a little work, she's got all the right tools. I will admit that I'm not sure how she's going to react to sparring. She's feisty, but very much a little girl. I sincerely hope she sticks it out and couldn't be prouder.

We've been working on a clock choke in class. The clock choke gets it's name from the motion of your legs as you lock in the submission, walking around like the hands on a clock. It's a very simple choke that's easily set up when your opponent is turtled up. I'll start by gluing my hip to my opponent's, with my other leg posted out to give me good base and mobility. My shoulders and head are low, and if possible I'm controlling the far side wrist.

Thanks to Patrick Parker, of the Mokuren Dojo judo blog for bringing this great video to my attention. This is very much the same technique. Notice how he never rolls over so that his stomach/hips are down.



In the example, my opponent is turtled up, on elbows and knees, and I'm on his right side. My left leg is mirroring the position of his right leg, and my left arm is reaching under his left arm and controlling that wrist. Doing this isn't strictly necessarily, but it will keep him from protecting his neck, so it's a good idea if possible.

The choke is done by reaching through with my right arm and grabbing the far lapel, thumb in. If there's no lapel to grab, I'll drive my right arm deep, reaching underneath his left armpit and grabbing my own bicep, getting a hold similar to a rear-naked choke.

Next I'm going to sit through with my left leg, keeping my hips pointing out. I don't want to turn my hips so that they're down. That's a no-no. I try to put my head on the ground next to my opponent's, keeping my weight on his shoulders to keep him from rolling, and then walk my legs around to get the submission.

We learned a few variations of this move. The first is a gi only move and begins the same. It's simple, but a little flashier. Might not get you a date, but it'll look good on YouTube if you pull it off in a competition. :D I'm in the same setup position, with my grip on the lapel. Instead of winding up the clock, I'm going to use my left arm to post on his back, supporting me as I swing my left leg all the way around his head until I'm basically sitting on his back. Then I fall back, keeping that grip on his lapel, and extend my left leg if necessary to cinch it down. Coach called this variation a Rodeo Choke. If you want to piss the other guy off, yell, "Yeehaa," as you fall back for the submission. Another nice thing about this choke is that you might be in a good position to get the armbar if you can't get the choke.

Sparring was good. I'm continuing to work on getting the sweep I detailed last week. It continues to surprise people and the set up fits nicely into my game. I start by working the lapel chokes from guard, looking to set up the Kimura or Armbar, and then move to the scissor sweep and if I can't get that, I'll try to bait him into this sweep. Of course, I don't get it every time, but for a technique I'm just learning, I feel like it's pretty high percentage. I've reversed someone at least once in each class since I learned it. I'm going to work on not being so surprised when it works so that I can transition better into the Kimura/Armbar following the reversal.