Tommy's Tips

A great class/training to start of tournament week. Rolled with Brandon the judo guy, Adam, the Asian white belt from Ballard (Trevor?) and finished with a long session with Tommy.

I've been rolling a lot with Tommy. This might be the prelude to my first quantum leap, when some of this stuff really starts to click into body memory. Tommy's got a flowing, highly technical game that I like, but never thought I could adopt. It's a nice combination, and helps break me out of my slow, methodical, grinding style.

It also reminds me of what Eddie Bravo said about the guard (Kid Peligro said the same thing): the more comfortable you are being on the bottom, the more willing you are to be adventurous and "flowing" on the top and in other positions.

I'll post again some of the details of the class, the specific techniques, etc. But first here are some of Tommy's Tips:

Go! Go! Go! Don’t stop to think. If you stop to think, that gives your opponent time to think. You know the techniques. Move!

Be ready to open to spider guard. A foot on the biceps becomes a foot on the shoulder and a solid triangle attack or an omoplata.

Against sitting up guard, stand and work to control the knees.

On top against the guard, drop the knee in the middle once the guard opens up. That allows you to switch it to a side to pin, or to bear hug legs and pass to the side.