Tonight's Practice - 9.17.2008

Tonight was a good practice. I like it when we get to work at least one takedown. Tonight we worked on a takedown I've seen before, but wasn't disappointed in seeing again as I really like it. I checked my previous posts, and it seems the last time we went over this specific takedown was before I started this blog. So here's a description of the takedown.

So you and your opponent have an equal/equal grip: right hand gripping your opponents left lapel, then your left hand gripping the fabric behind their right elbow with your right foot forward. You'll step forward with your left foot while pushing your opponent backwards, which will cause them to step backwards with their right foot. Their instinct will then be to push back at you, stepping back forward with their right foot. As they're stepping forward, you're going to pull up on their lapel and sleeve fabric throwing off their center of gravity and do a sort of shuffle, placing your left foot where your right foot used to be, then hooking their right ankle with your right foot. When you hook that foot, you're going to put your right foot deep in between their stance, lower your center of gravity, and scoop up that right foot you just hooked. Then you can proceed to sweep that left leg to take them down to the ground.

Then we worked on a choke using the main coat portion of the opponents gi (one of the "flaps" that overlaps" - I'll call it a flap from now on haha). This one will be a little harder to explain, but I'll try my best...

So you're in belly down side control on their right side, and you have a overhook with your left arm that goes under their head, and an underhook with your right arm. As you reach down with your right hand to pull out the left "flap" of their coat from their belt (or say, your 2-3mins into a match and the "flap" is already untucked from the belt), you're going to grab fabric on their left shoulder with your left hand, as to keep their shoulders flat on the mat. Once you get the left "flap" all the way out, you're going to pass it up to your left hand (between their left arm and the mat) getting it up as high as you can past their head. Then sit up and put your right knee into their belly, and pull the caot flap under their head towards you; it should pull all the way across so you can see/grab it on the right side of their head. Then switch your hand grip: right hand switches with the left to grab onto it on the right side of their head. Then reach across your opponents chest with your left hand to grab fabric on their left shoulder. Lean forward into your opponent putting your opponents head into your chest, and "crack a walnut between your shoulder blades" to tighten the choke.

And then there's a variation to this. Say that when your each across your opponents chest with your left hand, they block your hand with their left hand. If this happens, grab onto the fabric on their left sleeve and pull it across their body toward you. Then lean down toward their head, securing that left arm across their throat. Then hook your left arm around the back of their head and squeeze, giving you another choke.

Rolling at the end of class was a lot of fun. I can feel myself starting to relax way more compared to what I used to. I had the chance to roll with blue belt Dave again. He's great to roll with. He has the tall and thin build like I do, so I tend to study his game more than others. Dave's the only person I've rolled with who uses wrist locks. He's gotten me in them the last two times we've rolled, and did it again this time. This time it went down like this: we started on our knees. I reach in and grab his left lapel with my right hand. He reaches out with his left hand and cups my right elbow, then reaches in with his right hand and grabs my right tricep. Then pulls it in while leaning over, bending my wrist against his chest. He observed that I'm not keeping my wrists straight when I secure the lapel, keeping them too limp. I've always had bad wrists though, really weak. He told me that doing push-ups on your fists helps strengthen them. So I'm going to try and fit some push-ups into my daily life to help strengthen them up. He also showed me over and over again that I'm thinking too much and/or not thinking enough while rolling. I tend to get really narrow minded while rolling. Example, when in side mount, submissions I know are arm bar...hah that's all I can think of right now. But aside from that, I'm looking to mount. Quite a few times he'd put his arm up on my back. He stopped me one time and asked if I had noticed; I did not. He showed me how to power down the arm with my head and secure an Americana. One more to my side control submission bank :-)

Anyways, that's all I can remember for now. Until next time... :-)