After being off the mat for eight months due to injury and The Big Move Back, I finally returned to the tatame last week.
There's a lot to say about my current and future jiu-jitsu home and I do plan on getting around to saying much of it. I'm currently training twice a week with a great bunch of guys and gals at a school here in Tucson that I'll name later.
What's making the biggest impression on me right now is how my jiu-jitsu game will change with my current set of training partners - compared to those folks I've trained with for years, decades even.
Presently, I'm almost always the smallest and oldest guy on the mat. I've had success with some of my bread and butter moves from days of olde. But there are a few new areas I want to underscore as goals for 2024.
Omoplatas Uber Alles
One of the very first jiu-jitsu magazines I ever bought boasted the effectiveness of omoplatas against larger opponents. I suspect leg v shoulder attacks could become very valuable submission tools when I'm giving up a major size advantage. Rafa has more than a few ideas.
No Bull Sitting Guard
I'm not going to give up my Leandro Lo guard any time soon. But there's likely a lot I can gain from using the sitting guard that Cobrinha, Otavio Souza, and Rodolfo Viera have so effectively deployed.
Typically, I've held back using it with training partners my own size. Now, with larger training partners, it may be an optimal time to take off those gloves. Tip o' the hat and a bow at the waist to BJJ Scout on this one.
Ole, Ole! ... Ole, Ole!
Speaking of bulls ... I want to murder this maneuver. In 2024, I turn every guard pass into an opportunity to train the toreando.
There's more, especially when it comes to preferred dominant positions going forward (attention S-mount!), as well as full body guards like Marcelo Garcia's X-guard. But for the first few months of training in 2024, these three concepts will be my guide.
