With apologies to Michael Ondaatje, here's the latest "trick with a knife I'm learning to do" for 2023.
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Showing posts with label open guard. Show all posts
Showing posts with label open guard. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 14, 2022
Tuesday, March 01, 2016
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Positive Jiu-Jitsu Space? Priceless
Another nice night on the mat. I still weigh a ton, and can feel it every time I try and move to keep up with some of our young guns. But there are few things in life right now that compare with the joy of a good night on the mats. Coach Ed said it best after we finished a sparring round after class: "I wish I could live here."
Wednesday was tripod sweep and taking the back from closed guard. Tonight, we worked the scissors sweep and the scissor sweep transition to the armbar. Five black belts on the mat helping the class. Awesome.
To do for me: work on deep half defense, lose some #(*%&@ weight, finish the ICP4 course by Saturday and start the technique essay.
Really appreciated being in a good jiu-jitsu space. If I let my mind wander, I end up in the "desert of the real" to steal a phrase, so I'm trying to keep busy, stay occupied and, quite frankly, avoid Facebook and anywhere else I'm likely to encounter news that makes me want to move to Mercury.
163.4 on the scale post train. That's not so good. On the other side of things, I'm teaching the am class at 6:30 tomorrow and the new "Over 40" class at 6 pm tomorrow evening. It will be a long day, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't incredibly excited to have this kind of responsibility.
I really want to make sure I take advantage of the incredible training partners I've got right now. The golden age of training (May-October 2012) may have ended, but there's still plenty of prospecting to do on those night and nooners I am able to return to the tatame.
Wednesday was tripod sweep and taking the back from closed guard. Tonight, we worked the scissors sweep and the scissor sweep transition to the armbar. Five black belts on the mat helping the class. Awesome.
To do for me: work on deep half defense, lose some #(*%&@ weight, finish the ICP4 course by Saturday and start the technique essay.
Really appreciated being in a good jiu-jitsu space. If I let my mind wander, I end up in the "desert of the real" to steal a phrase, so I'm trying to keep busy, stay occupied and, quite frankly, avoid Facebook and anywhere else I'm likely to encounter news that makes me want to move to Mercury.
163.4 on the scale post train. That's not so good. On the other side of things, I'm teaching the am class at 6:30 tomorrow and the new "Over 40" class at 6 pm tomorrow evening. It will be a long day, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't incredibly excited to have this kind of responsibility.
I really want to make sure I take advantage of the incredible training partners I've got right now. The golden age of training (May-October 2012) may have ended, but there's still plenty of prospecting to do on those night and nooners I am able to return to the tatame.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Leandro Lo Sweep
I've been wanting to learn this sweep ever since I saw Leandro hit it in competition at this year's World Championships. Trying to replicate it from memory, I was making a major mistake in terms of the second, deep leg, and how to place it. It's great to get a look at Leandro himself explaining how it is done.
I had been inserting the second leg as if doing a single X sweep, a la Marcelo Garcia. In actuality, you insert the leg as you would a de la Riva hook, and then the spider guard leg goes behind the knee of the opposite leg (like you would in a tripod sweep).
Wednesday, July 04, 2012
Training Day: Wednesday
Open Mat today with the 4th of July holiday. I got in some good open guard drilling with Glenn (X-guard sweeps for him, Leandro Lo sweep for me), helped a new guy with armbar defense, and managed two sparring sessions, including a long roll with Jeremy, who I haven't seen much less trained with in some time.
W/re2 the Leandro Lo sweep, I think the key is in abandoning the spider control as soon as you get the leg locked up. Otherwise, I feel as if I'm leaving myself vulnerable to a potential footlock or ankle lock. Maybe even more importantly, I am able to get to the top after the sweep much faster if I get rid of the spider control (i.e., foot on bicep). This is more or less what I discovered drilling the sweep with Mark awhile back. But it was good to be reminded of the issue.
One thing that is becoming clearer about my sparring is that the guard passing work of this year is really starting to pay off. My guard passing confidence has never been higher, which in some ways isn't saying very much because I've never felt as if guard passing was a strong part of my game, anyway. But confidence is confidence, and I've got it. I'm finally starting to enjoy attacking the guard.
The flip side of this is that I've been spending so much time working on my guard passing game that my guard has started to suffer. As always "guard" for me is just shorthand for "half guard". And while I have no intention whatsoever of giving up the half guard as my go-to guard, I also need to grow the guard out a bit if I'm going to be able to use it effectively against bigger and more talented opponents.
The issue is that I'm not controlling the space, and am spending too much time fighting from a flattened position. There are three ways to fix this: (1) re-prioritize the frame, either at the shoulder or with the knee, (2) use the butterfly hook more aggressively to change the balance and attack with a hook sweep from sitting up, and (3) crush the space with a deep half attack.
Right now (2) is the option I need to focus on particularly. I was able to get a reverse out of a fairly flattened situation at one point today with the Foster sweep, which was a reminder of not only the value of the butterfly hook, but also of the kimura grip. I really don't have a sweep out of (1), though this may be a good place to start, including this variation that gets you to the back.
Last, (3), especially with the Faria sweep, is another option I need to train more. I got a lot of insights out of the Pan and Mundial this year when it comes to understanding the Faria sweep from deep half, and I've been letting those insights ripen on the vine a little too long.
160.5 on the scale post-train. I would have liked to knock another pound off that number for a sub-160 midweek count. But assuming the end of week number on Friday is where is should be (i.e., 157-159), Wednesday's 160+ is no crime.
W/re2 the Leandro Lo sweep, I think the key is in abandoning the spider control as soon as you get the leg locked up. Otherwise, I feel as if I'm leaving myself vulnerable to a potential footlock or ankle lock. Maybe even more importantly, I am able to get to the top after the sweep much faster if I get rid of the spider control (i.e., foot on bicep). This is more or less what I discovered drilling the sweep with Mark awhile back. But it was good to be reminded of the issue.
One thing that is becoming clearer about my sparring is that the guard passing work of this year is really starting to pay off. My guard passing confidence has never been higher, which in some ways isn't saying very much because I've never felt as if guard passing was a strong part of my game, anyway. But confidence is confidence, and I've got it. I'm finally starting to enjoy attacking the guard.
The flip side of this is that I've been spending so much time working on my guard passing game that my guard has started to suffer. As always "guard" for me is just shorthand for "half guard". And while I have no intention whatsoever of giving up the half guard as my go-to guard, I also need to grow the guard out a bit if I'm going to be able to use it effectively against bigger and more talented opponents.
The issue is that I'm not controlling the space, and am spending too much time fighting from a flattened position. There are three ways to fix this: (1) re-prioritize the frame, either at the shoulder or with the knee, (2) use the butterfly hook more aggressively to change the balance and attack with a hook sweep from sitting up, and (3) crush the space with a deep half attack.
Right now (2) is the option I need to focus on particularly. I was able to get a reverse out of a fairly flattened situation at one point today with the Foster sweep, which was a reminder of not only the value of the butterfly hook, but also of the kimura grip. I really don't have a sweep out of (1), though this may be a good place to start, including this variation that gets you to the back.
Last, (3), especially with the Faria sweep, is another option I need to train more. I got a lot of insights out of the Pan and Mundial this year when it comes to understanding the Faria sweep from deep half, and I've been letting those insights ripen on the vine a little too long.
160.5 on the scale post-train. I would have liked to knock another pound off that number for a sub-160 midweek count. But assuming the end of week number on Friday is where is should be (i.e., 157-159), Wednesday's 160+ is no crime.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Training Day: Monday
I don't usually train open guard. But when I do, I train tripod sweep.
That's how I felt during today's training. After a few sessions feeling out of my element (especially the closed guard work last week), it was nice to find myself in a pretty comfortable pedagogic space: training and drilling the open guard pull and switch to the tripod sweep.
Several months ago I developed a little coordination drill to help me move quickly from orthodox grips and feet on hips to the cross grip, ankle hook, and ankle grip of the tripod sweep. And while I've never made the transition to the sickle sweep alternative to the tripod sweep defense with any fluidity, the drill has given me an open guard sweep that I'm pretty comfortable with - something that was not likely to emerge whole from my permanent half guard campaign.
Got a lot of opportunity to work on said open guard during an extended open guard King of the Hill. It was also a great chance to work on passing open guards, getting rid of the hooks and securing the grips you want in order to pass. Professor Carlos has been especially big on emphasizing open guards - sweeping and passing. Today was a good example of getting that work in.
A little chubby 160.7 on the scale post-train. For a Monday, and with only one sparring session in Live Training (though I did some pre-class conditioning including a matwork round, a pair of aerobic power rounds, sprints, straddles, throws, trips, and takedowns ...), I'm going to give myself a break.
That's how I felt during today's training. After a few sessions feeling out of my element (especially the closed guard work last week), it was nice to find myself in a pretty comfortable pedagogic space: training and drilling the open guard pull and switch to the tripod sweep.
Several months ago I developed a little coordination drill to help me move quickly from orthodox grips and feet on hips to the cross grip, ankle hook, and ankle grip of the tripod sweep. And while I've never made the transition to the sickle sweep alternative to the tripod sweep defense with any fluidity, the drill has given me an open guard sweep that I'm pretty comfortable with - something that was not likely to emerge whole from my permanent half guard campaign.
Got a lot of opportunity to work on said open guard during an extended open guard King of the Hill. It was also a great chance to work on passing open guards, getting rid of the hooks and securing the grips you want in order to pass. Professor Carlos has been especially big on emphasizing open guards - sweeping and passing. Today was a good example of getting that work in.
A little chubby 160.7 on the scale post-train. For a Monday, and with only one sparring session in Live Training (though I did some pre-class conditioning including a matwork round, a pair of aerobic power rounds, sprints, straddles, throws, trips, and takedowns ...), I'm going to give myself a break.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Training Day: Friday
By the time I got to the academy, Prof Carlos had us working on pulling guard into the tripod sweep, using the collar rather than the sleeve as the upper body grip. From here, he added an armlock of the arm that is on the same side as the collar pull. You swing that far side leg out wide, pendulum style, to get the space to roll into the armbar, and only grip the arm at the very end.
In the second half of training, we worked on some specific training, starting with half guard king of the hill, then spider guard king of the hill, then closed guard king of the hill (I was half guard king). It's a weird combination of familiarity and rust that seems to be my half guard game right now - which is probably a signal to change things up (especially now as I slide out of competiton prep mode).
Training wasn't especially heavy, with the Revolution tomorrow. The specific was very nice - I especially liked the opportunity to work against the leg drag during the spider/open guard segment of the specific. Again, I've really liked the kind of training we've been doing over the past month.
Live training found me largely in a defensive mode due to the situation. This will be one of the challenges (not sure I want to elevate it to resolution status) over the next year, trying to maximize what I do best against superior technique and superior strength. The transition training will help here, as will the flow training, as I hone my game down to fewer, but faster, decisions and actions.
I remember watching Marcelo in the 2009 Mundial. I felt like I knew his game well enough that I could anticipate how he would likely react to different situation in his matches against top guys like Thiago Alves and Lucus Leite. The trick is to develop those transitions, those chains of technique, for my own game and not sitting around on some plane of indecision.
That's another thing. I'm spending too much time hunkered down in guard positions - especially the half guard. The one thing I like about the sitting guard is that it gives you the opportunity to be really aggressive in the guard, at least with sweeps and reverses. Developing that attacking attitude from all my guard position (but especially my Cadillac half guard) is something that should probably be #2 on my resolutions list.
158.8 on the scale post-train. Par. Looking forward to the Revolution tomorrow. It will feel a little weird showing up just to watch. But one way or another, it may not be a weirdness that I'll need to get used to.
In the second half of training, we worked on some specific training, starting with half guard king of the hill, then spider guard king of the hill, then closed guard king of the hill (I was half guard king). It's a weird combination of familiarity and rust that seems to be my half guard game right now - which is probably a signal to change things up (especially now as I slide out of competiton prep mode).
Training wasn't especially heavy, with the Revolution tomorrow. The specific was very nice - I especially liked the opportunity to work against the leg drag during the spider/open guard segment of the specific. Again, I've really liked the kind of training we've been doing over the past month.
Live training found me largely in a defensive mode due to the situation. This will be one of the challenges (not sure I want to elevate it to resolution status) over the next year, trying to maximize what I do best against superior technique and superior strength. The transition training will help here, as will the flow training, as I hone my game down to fewer, but faster, decisions and actions.
I remember watching Marcelo in the 2009 Mundial. I felt like I knew his game well enough that I could anticipate how he would likely react to different situation in his matches against top guys like Thiago Alves and Lucus Leite. The trick is to develop those transitions, those chains of technique, for my own game and not sitting around on some plane of indecision.
That's another thing. I'm spending too much time hunkered down in guard positions - especially the half guard. The one thing I like about the sitting guard is that it gives you the opportunity to be really aggressive in the guard, at least with sweeps and reverses. Developing that attacking attitude from all my guard position (but especially my Cadillac half guard) is something that should probably be #2 on my resolutions list.
158.8 on the scale post-train. Par. Looking forward to the Revolution tomorrow. It will feel a little weird showing up just to watch. But one way or another, it may not be a weirdness that I'll need to get used to.
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
Rolled Up with Budo Jake and Romulo Barral
One thing I need to spend more time with over at Budo Videos is their great "Rolled Up" series starring Budo Jake.
The current episode features Jake meeting with Romulo Barral. More open guard than your heart can handle.
Part 1
Part 2
The current episode features Jake meeting with Romulo Barral. More open guard than your heart can handle.
Part 1
Part 2
Monday, February 22, 2010
Training Day: Monday
Thought I'd try the early class to get the week off to a quick start.
We worked on more Fundamentals today. Escape from rear bear hug (turns into a double leg takedown by squatting down and then turning into the guy and going for the leg), then two sweeps from the guard: the pendulum sweep (with the guy's knee up as if going to standing) and the tripod sweep. With the tripod sweep, we did the full move from on the ground in the guard all the way through to the finish.
We spent the entire class on those three elements. I think about half the class was white belts. Afterward, Rodrigo had us pair up on our own and do live training. I managed to get in a few minutes with Tom, a white belt I hadn't seen in a little while, before I had to go.
Last Friday, Bryan told me that he wasn't going to compete at the March revolution because he didn't feel ready. Funny thing was, I felt the same way.
Bryan was talking about a different sort of readiness. He's got a rib that's one good knee-on-belly away from putting him back on the shelf for a couple of weeks. And, combine that with his relative newness as a purple belt, and you can understand that reticence.
So why did I feel the same way - that I "wasn't ready"?
In part it probably has to do with the hangover from my worst competition year ever in 2009. As much as I'd like it to be otherwise, there's always a creeping sense of futility whenever I think about competing again. What if I just end up continuing to lose matches, going from 0-9 to 0-10 to 0-11 ... ? I'm not going to pretend that that wouldn't have some pretty damaging effects on my psyche - and my enthusiasm, if not fundamental willingness, to continue training.
But the other thing has to do with the new class structure. Because just about everything we've been doing for the past month has been based on the new fundamentals curriculum, I don't feel as if I've been able to spend much time doing the sort of work that will really prepare me for competing. I remember one night when we did some very good mixed up specific training. But that's been relatively infrequent as the new curriculum is increasingly woven into the program.
In the long run, it will be fine, I'm sure. And I do think that the curriculum changes will make for better classes and faster improvement for the average student - two big pluses. Still, I can't shake the sensation of being lost in the shuffle, neither in the world of competition superstardom, nor in the beginner world for which most of the recent class time has been designed.
163.4 on the scale. More to cheer about. I've got plenty of time. But it's getting a little tiresome on this side of 160.
We worked on more Fundamentals today. Escape from rear bear hug (turns into a double leg takedown by squatting down and then turning into the guy and going for the leg), then two sweeps from the guard: the pendulum sweep (with the guy's knee up as if going to standing) and the tripod sweep. With the tripod sweep, we did the full move from on the ground in the guard all the way through to the finish.
We spent the entire class on those three elements. I think about half the class was white belts. Afterward, Rodrigo had us pair up on our own and do live training. I managed to get in a few minutes with Tom, a white belt I hadn't seen in a little while, before I had to go.
Last Friday, Bryan told me that he wasn't going to compete at the March revolution because he didn't feel ready. Funny thing was, I felt the same way.
Bryan was talking about a different sort of readiness. He's got a rib that's one good knee-on-belly away from putting him back on the shelf for a couple of weeks. And, combine that with his relative newness as a purple belt, and you can understand that reticence.
So why did I feel the same way - that I "wasn't ready"?
In part it probably has to do with the hangover from my worst competition year ever in 2009. As much as I'd like it to be otherwise, there's always a creeping sense of futility whenever I think about competing again. What if I just end up continuing to lose matches, going from 0-9 to 0-10 to 0-11 ... ? I'm not going to pretend that that wouldn't have some pretty damaging effects on my psyche - and my enthusiasm, if not fundamental willingness, to continue training.
But the other thing has to do with the new class structure. Because just about everything we've been doing for the past month has been based on the new fundamentals curriculum, I don't feel as if I've been able to spend much time doing the sort of work that will really prepare me for competing. I remember one night when we did some very good mixed up specific training. But that's been relatively infrequent as the new curriculum is increasingly woven into the program.
In the long run, it will be fine, I'm sure. And I do think that the curriculum changes will make for better classes and faster improvement for the average student - two big pluses. Still, I can't shake the sensation of being lost in the shuffle, neither in the world of competition superstardom, nor in the beginner world for which most of the recent class time has been designed.
163.4 on the scale. More to cheer about. I've got plenty of time. But it's getting a little tiresome on this side of 160.
Saturday, December 05, 2009
Cross Guard Controls
I've started fooling around with this guard on and off over the past several weeks. I still don't have a reliable sweep for when the guy moves in the direction of his trapped arm. But I suspect that I'll be able to figure out some options beyond the roll-type, behind the back sweeps. Or at least, that's what I'm hoping.
Training Day: Saturday
Woke up late on Saturday and again showed up later than I would have liked for training. Truth told, I wasn't convinced that I'd be able to get in some mat time on Saturday. But the schedule was clear and - as much as I overslept - I was still able to get there for the last few minutes of the skill session.
The technique was the half guard knee block pass that Rodrigo showed us on Friday and earlier in the week. It was great to be able to work on the move one more time - it was also great to see Clint back on the mat, as well as Sauleh, who showed up in time for the free sparring session afterwards.
I managed to get in a three sparring sessions: one with a good-sized blue belt that I didn't recognize, then some time with Scott and his endless guard and then finished up an exhaustive roll with Joe. One of the things I did like about today's sparring was the way I moved to work some cross guard and did some good leg transitioning to get from my weak half guard side to my good half guard side.
About that cross guard: guys are starting to get vertical and hide the leg when I attack with the open hook. I need to start transitioning to a sitting guard when they do this insofar as they are pretty much giving me a single leg takedown. The key is making the quick transition.
A very good day on the mat. It was nice to hang out a bit afterward with Nate, Jesse and a couple of other guys just shooting the shiite. Among the numerous things I like about training is that it gives me a chance to slow the outside world down and spend some time on the "inside" world at my pace. Saturdays - like no other day of training - provide the perfect opportunity for just that.
The technique was the half guard knee block pass that Rodrigo showed us on Friday and earlier in the week. It was great to be able to work on the move one more time - it was also great to see Clint back on the mat, as well as Sauleh, who showed up in time for the free sparring session afterwards.
I managed to get in a three sparring sessions: one with a good-sized blue belt that I didn't recognize, then some time with Scott and his endless guard and then finished up an exhaustive roll with Joe. One of the things I did like about today's sparring was the way I moved to work some cross guard and did some good leg transitioning to get from my weak half guard side to my good half guard side.
About that cross guard: guys are starting to get vertical and hide the leg when I attack with the open hook. I need to start transitioning to a sitting guard when they do this insofar as they are pretty much giving me a single leg takedown. The key is making the quick transition.
A very good day on the mat. It was nice to hang out a bit afterward with Nate, Jesse and a couple of other guys just shooting the shiite. Among the numerous things I like about training is that it gives me a chance to slow the outside world down and spend some time on the "inside" world at my pace. Saturdays - like no other day of training - provide the perfect opportunity for just that.
Monday, November 09, 2009
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Training Day: Wednesday
Most important: 156.8 on the scale after training. 1.9 pounds over.
If I behave myself between now and Friday evening's weigh-in, then everything should be copacetic. I'll probably fast for most of Friday - maybe a protein bar before training if I decide to take in a pre-weigh-in session. So Thursday - tomorrow - will be the critical day to avoid gaining any weight. I've avoided caffeine all week - not a Herculean effort but still. So water - regular and carbonated - will be the main fare for the next couple of days.
There was a little instructional in today's training. Rodrigo had us working some moves from open guard/half spider guard: the basic spider sweep where you let the guy come in before kicking out with the spider leg and lifting on the other leg at the pants. Probably not a sweep I'll use a lot - though it is very, very similar to what I've been wanting to do with the sling shot sweep.
We drilled that sweep for quite awhile. The second technique was against a guy who opens your guard and puts a knee up in the middle. Here, the move from the bottom is to capture both sleeves, hipscape out with a foot on the hip to create some space, then sit up immediately and wrap the knee-up leg.
From here, there were two main options. If you can control the far sleeve, then reach under his knee-up leg at the knee and capture the sleeve under his leg. Reposition your hip foot to the knee and with your free hand grab the collar (or the shoulder, which worked for me). Kick out the bottom knee and turn the guy in that direction for the sweep.
The second option was in case you couldn't capture the sleeve and pass it through. This variation I had some trouble with. What you want to do is reach under your leg (the one that is hooking the knee-up leg) and grab the pants at the cuff. With the leg on that side, you want to DLR hook that knee-up leg as well. From here, you want to rock him back and forth, using your hook and cuff grip to help guide the lift as you rock back. Again, when you've got his balance off, reposition your hip foot to the knee and turn him in that direction to get the sweep.
Tatame was short, but sweet. I had some very good success with the Flat Pass, attacking with submissions from the top in half guard and a half-decent half guard pass. I can't say that I feel "confident" about what's going to happen on Saturday. But I'm starting to feel as my performance is likely to be better than it's been in the past. And if that happens, I'll be pretty happy - if not totally satisfied.
If I behave myself between now and Friday evening's weigh-in, then everything should be copacetic. I'll probably fast for most of Friday - maybe a protein bar before training if I decide to take in a pre-weigh-in session. So Thursday - tomorrow - will be the critical day to avoid gaining any weight. I've avoided caffeine all week - not a Herculean effort but still. So water - regular and carbonated - will be the main fare for the next couple of days.
There was a little instructional in today's training. Rodrigo had us working some moves from open guard/half spider guard: the basic spider sweep where you let the guy come in before kicking out with the spider leg and lifting on the other leg at the pants. Probably not a sweep I'll use a lot - though it is very, very similar to what I've been wanting to do with the sling shot sweep.
We drilled that sweep for quite awhile. The second technique was against a guy who opens your guard and puts a knee up in the middle. Here, the move from the bottom is to capture both sleeves, hipscape out with a foot on the hip to create some space, then sit up immediately and wrap the knee-up leg.
From here, there were two main options. If you can control the far sleeve, then reach under his knee-up leg at the knee and capture the sleeve under his leg. Reposition your hip foot to the knee and with your free hand grab the collar (or the shoulder, which worked for me). Kick out the bottom knee and turn the guy in that direction for the sweep.
The second option was in case you couldn't capture the sleeve and pass it through. This variation I had some trouble with. What you want to do is reach under your leg (the one that is hooking the knee-up leg) and grab the pants at the cuff. With the leg on that side, you want to DLR hook that knee-up leg as well. From here, you want to rock him back and forth, using your hook and cuff grip to help guide the lift as you rock back. Again, when you've got his balance off, reposition your hip foot to the knee and turn him in that direction to get the sweep.
Tatame was short, but sweet. I had some very good success with the Flat Pass, attacking with submissions from the top in half guard and a half-decent half guard pass. I can't say that I feel "confident" about what's going to happen on Saturday. But I'm starting to feel as my performance is likely to be better than it's been in the past. And if that happens, I'll be pretty happy - if not totally satisfied.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Training Day: Friday
Was too beat up to train Thursday night - and was also anticipating a rip-roarin' Friday class. At it turned out, Rodrigo turned it up, but not overwhelmingly so (i.e., a minimum of sprawls). I got a good workout without feeling too overwhelmed.
We did some hipscapes, jumping jacks, squats, pushups and chokes to warm-up. Then the new takedown warm-up/conditioning/pre-tournament routine wear you maintain the gi grips. I'm still looking for ways to attack the legs around the stiff-arm of the gi grip (without popping the grip), so it is nice to get the work.
The instructional was the double biceps side control escape, which we did at a pretty good pace. Rodrigo also had us work on the Cross Guard move where you get a cross grip on one side, then attack the leg on the other side with a hook and cuff control as you spin around under him and kick the hook leg forward to off-balance. I tried this a little bit in the guard/pass guard specific drill - the trick is to remember the cross. It was nice working the drill with the new white belt I was paired with and helping him complete the steps really did a great job in helping me remember them.
I have to say that I love the fact that I've really only worked on two different positions this week: the side control escape and the Cross guard. In my perfect jiu jitsu world, I would train twice a day for four days a week and learn about 2-4 positions over the course of the week - so this pace (training once a day four times a week) of two moves a week is ideal for me.
I also love training the basic/beginner classes. I almost miss the drills we used to do - the armlocks from the guard and mount, for example. One day when Gracie Barra Seattle expands enough to do two day classes every day, I'd love to teach/lead a jiu jitsu conditioning/circuit-building class that is all drills: 360 drill, armlocks from the guard, hook sweeps, my matwork routine, armlocks from the mount, Rodrigo's takedown drill, then all specific sparring mount/mount escape, side control/crossbody escape, guard/guard pass - hell, maybe even some ginastica natural, while I'm at it.
Got to work some Flat Pass during tatame. I'm thinking I'll get a chance to use it at the Revolution given the fact that some many guys rely on the closed guard. I had some success today going the other way - though I really need to keep working it develop a sense of stability and surety. At the same time, I want to make sure that I'm working both Shield and Sword (I might rename that the Saulo) as well as the Leozinho, which I almost went to Wednesday as well as Friday.
Also fun was working with Glen on a couple of things: low mount and the Ezekiel, high mount and the armlock. We also went over the two main side control escapes: the double biceps and the swim-to-belly. I can't even say how much fun that was: going over basics, living somewhat vicariously through someone else's tournament prep.
A good week of training. Including the two hours of training on Sunday at the Saulo seminar, I managed to get in a second consecutive four-training week. I can really feel the difference when I'm training at this clip and it is really motivation to do what I can to stay off the illness list and on the mat. One thing I'm hugely grateful for is the fact that I've been injury-free for quite awhile it seems. Annoying as the headcolds and rhinovirii are, I'll take them over a 6-week whack due to a bad shoulder or worse.
Next week, as I go into "Fight Speed" until tournament time, I'll be back on my regular schedule. There is a huge temptation to take the early classes for the next two weeks to try and condition myself to train at the same time of day that I'll be competing at. It hugely tempting - and would probably contribute toward getting the rest I really need - but we'll see if I can pull it off.
I'm still in the Saulo glow - even after hearing a few stories (one from a teammate and one from the Intertubes) that didn't necessarily portray the man in the most magnanimous light. But seeing my heroes as mistake-making human beings actually is a prerequisite for pedastal-hood. If I don't see flaws in the work, then I'm inclined to believe I'm looking at a fake.
Without going on and on about any more than I already have, the Saulo seminar seems to have helped chill me out: about competing, about training, about "accomplishing" things in jiu jitsu. There are times when I start to treat training like work, like an obligation in order to get to where I want to be. And while that's understandable, ultimately that's not right. I'm not training to become a jiu jitsu black belt. I'm training because jiu jitsu is one of my favorite things in the world and I can't quickly get over how fortunate I have been to have a top-notch Gracie Barra academy less than 30 minutes away from home for the past four-plus years. While "enjoy the journey" tends to have a bit of an "eat your vegetables" quality to it, it really is the truth: you've got to enjoy the path, the process, in order to get the most out of both becoming and being.
We did some hipscapes, jumping jacks, squats, pushups and chokes to warm-up. Then the new takedown warm-up/conditioning/pre-tournament routine wear you maintain the gi grips. I'm still looking for ways to attack the legs around the stiff-arm of the gi grip (without popping the grip), so it is nice to get the work.
The instructional was the double biceps side control escape, which we did at a pretty good pace. Rodrigo also had us work on the Cross Guard move where you get a cross grip on one side, then attack the leg on the other side with a hook and cuff control as you spin around under him and kick the hook leg forward to off-balance. I tried this a little bit in the guard/pass guard specific drill - the trick is to remember the cross. It was nice working the drill with the new white belt I was paired with and helping him complete the steps really did a great job in helping me remember them.
I have to say that I love the fact that I've really only worked on two different positions this week: the side control escape and the Cross guard. In my perfect jiu jitsu world, I would train twice a day for four days a week and learn about 2-4 positions over the course of the week - so this pace (training once a day four times a week) of two moves a week is ideal for me.
I also love training the basic/beginner classes. I almost miss the drills we used to do - the armlocks from the guard and mount, for example. One day when Gracie Barra Seattle expands enough to do two day classes every day, I'd love to teach/lead a jiu jitsu conditioning/circuit-building class that is all drills: 360 drill, armlocks from the guard, hook sweeps, my matwork routine, armlocks from the mount, Rodrigo's takedown drill, then all specific sparring mount/mount escape, side control/crossbody escape, guard/guard pass - hell, maybe even some ginastica natural, while I'm at it.
Got to work some Flat Pass during tatame. I'm thinking I'll get a chance to use it at the Revolution given the fact that some many guys rely on the closed guard. I had some success today going the other way - though I really need to keep working it develop a sense of stability and surety. At the same time, I want to make sure that I'm working both Shield and Sword (I might rename that the Saulo) as well as the Leozinho, which I almost went to Wednesday as well as Friday.
Also fun was working with Glen on a couple of things: low mount and the Ezekiel, high mount and the armlock. We also went over the two main side control escapes: the double biceps and the swim-to-belly. I can't even say how much fun that was: going over basics, living somewhat vicariously through someone else's tournament prep.
A good week of training. Including the two hours of training on Sunday at the Saulo seminar, I managed to get in a second consecutive four-training week. I can really feel the difference when I'm training at this clip and it is really motivation to do what I can to stay off the illness list and on the mat. One thing I'm hugely grateful for is the fact that I've been injury-free for quite awhile it seems. Annoying as the headcolds and rhinovirii are, I'll take them over a 6-week whack due to a bad shoulder or worse.
Next week, as I go into "Fight Speed" until tournament time, I'll be back on my regular schedule. There is a huge temptation to take the early classes for the next two weeks to try and condition myself to train at the same time of day that I'll be competing at. It hugely tempting - and would probably contribute toward getting the rest I really need - but we'll see if I can pull it off.
I'm still in the Saulo glow - even after hearing a few stories (one from a teammate and one from the Intertubes) that didn't necessarily portray the man in the most magnanimous light. But seeing my heroes as mistake-making human beings actually is a prerequisite for pedastal-hood. If I don't see flaws in the work, then I'm inclined to believe I'm looking at a fake.
Without going on and on about any more than I already have, the Saulo seminar seems to have helped chill me out: about competing, about training, about "accomplishing" things in jiu jitsu. There are times when I start to treat training like work, like an obligation in order to get to where I want to be. And while that's understandable, ultimately that's not right. I'm not training to become a jiu jitsu black belt. I'm training because jiu jitsu is one of my favorite things in the world and I can't quickly get over how fortunate I have been to have a top-notch Gracie Barra academy less than 30 minutes away from home for the past four-plus years. While "enjoy the journey" tends to have a bit of an "eat your vegetables" quality to it, it really is the truth: you've got to enjoy the path, the process, in order to get the most out of both becoming and being.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Training Day: Friday
A very small class on Friday afternoon - I think there might have been six of us, including some afternoon regulars like J.M. and Pat. But no Bryan, no Steve, no Jaime ...
Rodrigo had us working on guard-pulling fundamentals. Grab the collar with your right hand. Grab the same-side sleeve with your left. Step on the hip with your left (sleeve side) leg and fall back with your other leg out to the side free and ready to deploy. Pull hard on the sleeve and control with both hands.
After drilling this for some time, we added a sweep. The technique in the sweep was, from double hand control on the sleeve, switch to a cross grip (right hand right sleeve). With your left hand cup the near ankle and with your free leg, hook behind the other ankle.
To sweep, pull on the sleeve and ankles while pushing with the left/sleeve-side foot in the hip. Come up all the way to the top.
I had to leave before we started free sparring. But I did get in three stand-up sessions with J.M., Pat and a tough new white belt. I did so-so, getting a few trips, but unable to do any of my go-to moves. Pat came close to catching me in an arm-in guillotine. I forgot the escape (a problem since fixed) and was able to pike up to relieve the pressure. Still I couldn't get out and when I reached up and touched Pat's arm, he thought I was tapping and released the pressure. He's got a good guillotine and I'm looking forward to getting attacked with it again so I can see if I've got my escapes figured out.
A good way to end the week - though I hate having to rush out at the end. My new mantra for Year Five of my jiu jitsu journey is to stay late after class when the jiu jitsu riches are often most abundant and the arte suave vibe at its most intense. That's pretty much impossible to do on Fridays, given my schedule. But it is the plan every other time.
Rodrigo had us working on guard-pulling fundamentals. Grab the collar with your right hand. Grab the same-side sleeve with your left. Step on the hip with your left (sleeve side) leg and fall back with your other leg out to the side free and ready to deploy. Pull hard on the sleeve and control with both hands.
After drilling this for some time, we added a sweep. The technique in the sweep was, from double hand control on the sleeve, switch to a cross grip (right hand right sleeve). With your left hand cup the near ankle and with your free leg, hook behind the other ankle.
To sweep, pull on the sleeve and ankles while pushing with the left/sleeve-side foot in the hip. Come up all the way to the top.
I had to leave before we started free sparring. But I did get in three stand-up sessions with J.M., Pat and a tough new white belt. I did so-so, getting a few trips, but unable to do any of my go-to moves. Pat came close to catching me in an arm-in guillotine. I forgot the escape (a problem since fixed) and was able to pike up to relieve the pressure. Still I couldn't get out and when I reached up and touched Pat's arm, he thought I was tapping and released the pressure. He's got a good guillotine and I'm looking forward to getting attacked with it again so I can see if I've got my escapes figured out.
A good way to end the week - though I hate having to rush out at the end. My new mantra for Year Five of my jiu jitsu journey is to stay late after class when the jiu jitsu riches are often most abundant and the arte suave vibe at its most intense. That's pretty much impossible to do on Fridays, given my schedule. But it is the plan every other time.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Monday Training
Today we worked on specific guard work, focusing on strategies for attacking with and passing the open guard.
Lindsey focused on sleeve control from the bottom, coupled with foot in the biceps and hip. From the top, he talked about the importance of either driving the legs together and going around them, or splitting the legs and using your knee to press one of them to the mat. Described this way, passing the open guard becomes a manageable game of either/or. He also talked about stacking by bringing the legs together and driving them upwards.
It was a really nice class. Sometimes you get too much instruction, too much to keep in your head every class. Every now and then, it's nice to get a few basic concepts and then the time to play with them a little bit and get a feel for their application. A good way to start the training week.
Tatame wasn't bad. I was a little lazy with the low half game, but I did manage to avoid being crossfaced. I'm starting to redevelop a nice feel in the relationship between the tackle and twist sweeps from the low half, and am doing a fairly decent job bowing out against the knee cross pass.
One thing I need to add to that "bow" maneuver is the moth guard sweep when I rotate back after inserting my knee and stopping the pass. I'm not sure, but it seems like a natural 1-2 and if that's the case, I'll get a lot of opportunities to use it because the knee cross pass is the number one attack against my half guard right now.
Very fat on the scale after class as I feared: 163. I did Week 5A part of the MEP pushup program earlier today and was completely blasted, with 50% of the sets being broken. I do Week 5B tomorrow and Week 5C on Thursday. 6A the following Sunday and 6B that Wednesday and I'll be done. I also did a 20 rep solo jiu jitsu series (the 3T) to start working my way back to a full 3T by the time my "Road to Revolution" begins next Sunday.
I'm also bringing the LSD back into my off-the-mat conditioning. It was crazy to stop. Tuesdays and Saturdays are slated to be my roadwork days
Lindsey focused on sleeve control from the bottom, coupled with foot in the biceps and hip. From the top, he talked about the importance of either driving the legs together and going around them, or splitting the legs and using your knee to press one of them to the mat. Described this way, passing the open guard becomes a manageable game of either/or. He also talked about stacking by bringing the legs together and driving them upwards.
It was a really nice class. Sometimes you get too much instruction, too much to keep in your head every class. Every now and then, it's nice to get a few basic concepts and then the time to play with them a little bit and get a feel for their application. A good way to start the training week.
Tatame wasn't bad. I was a little lazy with the low half game, but I did manage to avoid being crossfaced. I'm starting to redevelop a nice feel in the relationship between the tackle and twist sweeps from the low half, and am doing a fairly decent job bowing out against the knee cross pass.
One thing I need to add to that "bow" maneuver is the moth guard sweep when I rotate back after inserting my knee and stopping the pass. I'm not sure, but it seems like a natural 1-2 and if that's the case, I'll get a lot of opportunities to use it because the knee cross pass is the number one attack against my half guard right now.
Very fat on the scale after class as I feared: 163. I did Week 5A part of the MEP pushup program earlier today and was completely blasted, with 50% of the sets being broken. I do Week 5B tomorrow and Week 5C on Thursday. 6A the following Sunday and 6B that Wednesday and I'll be done. I also did a 20 rep solo jiu jitsu series (the 3T) to start working my way back to a full 3T by the time my "Road to Revolution" begins next Sunday.
I'm also bringing the LSD back into my off-the-mat conditioning. It was crazy to stop. Tuesdays and Saturdays are slated to be my roadwork days
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Wednesday Training
For the beginner class, we worked on a lot of the same material from Tuesday's training: mount to S-mount transition, armlock from S-mount, and the "jump" triangle from the closed guard.
I worked with Dominic, a blue belt I hadn't worked with before. He was a good new trading partner. One thing I had wanted to work on tonight was that sort of momentary "open guard" set up before launching into the triangle: collar and sleeve, pushing off the hip with the sleeve side or inside leg and, as you roll onto your sleeve side (inside hip), cocking your off or far leg back.
I don't know why I never recognized this movement for what it was. It is essentially what frees your hip to make a real, rolling, full leg attack on the guy's neck. I've still got to drill it - and even then I don't anticipate ever becoming a triangle machine. But having a halfway decent triangle is a must - and starting to really train that collar/sleeve/hip open guard position will go a long way in that direction, as well as a few others, I'm sure.
Tatame okay. About a C. I struggled to pass the guard during the specific training (then again I went up against Casey twice, Dominic and Jason/Garcia), but at least in the beginning I was doing some level changing. I think fatigue played a huge part, especially late when the sparring part of training was winding down. My cardio is still not back up to speed after missing two weeks; hopefully just another week will take care of that.
I worked with Dominic, a blue belt I hadn't worked with before. He was a good new trading partner. One thing I had wanted to work on tonight was that sort of momentary "open guard" set up before launching into the triangle: collar and sleeve, pushing off the hip with the sleeve side or inside leg and, as you roll onto your sleeve side (inside hip), cocking your off or far leg back.
I don't know why I never recognized this movement for what it was. It is essentially what frees your hip to make a real, rolling, full leg attack on the guy's neck. I've still got to drill it - and even then I don't anticipate ever becoming a triangle machine. But having a halfway decent triangle is a must - and starting to really train that collar/sleeve/hip open guard position will go a long way in that direction, as well as a few others, I'm sure.
Tatame okay. About a C. I struggled to pass the guard during the specific training (then again I went up against Casey twice, Dominic and Jason/Garcia), but at least in the beginning I was doing some level changing. I think fatigue played a huge part, especially late when the sparring part of training was winding down. My cardio is still not back up to speed after missing two weeks; hopefully just another week will take care of that.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Tuesday Training
Week One on the mat started tonight, Rodrigo's gi class. We worked on triangles from the guard, first the triangle attack when the guy reaches back with one arm to try and pry your closed guard open, second the triangle attack from spider or open guard (the entry out of closed guard is the elbow escape to shin block to moth guard).
One interesting wrinkle is that Rodrigo had us focus on attacking with a relatively wide, "bad triangle" first, then tightening and adjusting it into a good triangle. There were two methods, but the one that stuck with me was just grabbing the shin and using the off leg to plant and pivot into a better attacking angle.
Other than that, there were a couple of other emphasis points. The biggest ones for me were getting my hips up high off the mat when attacking with the legs and attacking as soon as the opportunity presents itself. Point two was especially important with the spider/open guard triangle attack, where Rodrigo emphasized attacking with the triangle as soon as the guy stands, not after he's already set, regripping your legs and beginning his own attack.
Rodrigo also had us finish with the armlock from S-mount, including the transition from mount to S-mount. This is a move I really need to master, insofar as mount is increasingly becoming my dominant top position (for better or worse). As much as I'm working the Ezekiel from mount, I need to make the armlock from S-mount part of the training rotation.
Tatame was fair - not bad for being off the mat for two weeks (six classes approx.), but nothing great either. I was terrible at passing the guard, but I did stand frequently when trying to attack, even resorting to the old PTMU against Clint. It didn't work. But at least I was working on what I need to be working on and not wasting training time. I also tried the half guard switch pass twice and it worked both instances.
From a certain perspective, considering the past two weeks, I'm almost tempted to give today's session a B-. With my cardio back over the next couple of days, I might be able to turn this into a decent six week run to the Subleague event after all.
One scheduling note, as they say: Thursday nights will now be all no gi. So between the early class on Wednesday and the Thursday class, there are two no gi classes each week - not a bad thing given the Subleague six weeks away.
One interesting wrinkle is that Rodrigo had us focus on attacking with a relatively wide, "bad triangle" first, then tightening and adjusting it into a good triangle. There were two methods, but the one that stuck with me was just grabbing the shin and using the off leg to plant and pivot into a better attacking angle.
Other than that, there were a couple of other emphasis points. The biggest ones for me were getting my hips up high off the mat when attacking with the legs and attacking as soon as the opportunity presents itself. Point two was especially important with the spider/open guard triangle attack, where Rodrigo emphasized attacking with the triangle as soon as the guy stands, not after he's already set, regripping your legs and beginning his own attack.
Rodrigo also had us finish with the armlock from S-mount, including the transition from mount to S-mount. This is a move I really need to master, insofar as mount is increasingly becoming my dominant top position (for better or worse). As much as I'm working the Ezekiel from mount, I need to make the armlock from S-mount part of the training rotation.
Tatame was fair - not bad for being off the mat for two weeks (six classes approx.), but nothing great either. I was terrible at passing the guard, but I did stand frequently when trying to attack, even resorting to the old PTMU against Clint. It didn't work. But at least I was working on what I need to be working on and not wasting training time. I also tried the half guard switch pass twice and it worked both instances.
From a certain perspective, considering the past two weeks, I'm almost tempted to give today's session a B-. With my cardio back over the next couple of days, I might be able to turn this into a decent six week run to the Subleague event after all.
One scheduling note, as they say: Thursday nights will now be all no gi. So between the early class on Wednesday and the Thursday class, there are two no gi classes each week - not a bad thing given the Subleague six weeks away.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Tuesday Training
Tonight after the kids' class we continued to work on sweeps, both the flower sweep and the hook sweep off the opponent standing on one knee. The flower sweep is familiar, but the hook sweep is new, so it has been nice to work on it for two days in a row. I worked with Brandon this time, and he was going back and forth from side to side to help me focus on identifying the right sweep opportunity and responding with the right grips and movement.
Tonight, we did the flower sweep without the opponent standing on one knee - though the move is essentially the same, either way. The common thread in both the flower and hook sweep was taking the guy away from the up knee side, using that leg as leverage either by underhooking with the arm or underhooking with the foot.
One thing that I need to do is to get a better sense of where the "pause" is in the hook sweep. Generally speaking, if you want to use these sweeps, you want to attack that leg with a hook whenever you get the opportunity. I would imagine that you could pause with the hook sweep right before the push/pull/hook move to execute the sweep. The trick will be in looking for opportunities to use the sweep in sparring.
Tatame was pretty good. I had two standup sessions and two long ground/guard pass sessions. I'm still struggling with the Tozi pass, though I did manage to get it to work twice (another time I think I got my back taken or wound up in an omoplata-like situation). The trick is in keeping pressure on the one side of the hips with your shoulder, while keeping pressure on the other side of the hips by forcing the leg to the mat. My Tozi passes were a little more scrambly - but I was starting to see how the fundamental move of switching your hips makes it easier to pop the closed guard open. That may make it easier to improvise if I don't get some of the other details of the pass right.
Another nice number on the scale post-training: 157.8. It was another good hard workout today and I'm glad I've stopped all off-mat conditioning for the two weeks leading up to the tournament - I need all the energy (and rest) I can get.
Tonight, we did the flower sweep without the opponent standing on one knee - though the move is essentially the same, either way. The common thread in both the flower and hook sweep was taking the guy away from the up knee side, using that leg as leverage either by underhooking with the arm or underhooking with the foot.
One thing that I need to do is to get a better sense of where the "pause" is in the hook sweep. Generally speaking, if you want to use these sweeps, you want to attack that leg with a hook whenever you get the opportunity. I would imagine that you could pause with the hook sweep right before the push/pull/hook move to execute the sweep. The trick will be in looking for opportunities to use the sweep in sparring.
Tatame was pretty good. I had two standup sessions and two long ground/guard pass sessions. I'm still struggling with the Tozi pass, though I did manage to get it to work twice (another time I think I got my back taken or wound up in an omoplata-like situation). The trick is in keeping pressure on the one side of the hips with your shoulder, while keeping pressure on the other side of the hips by forcing the leg to the mat. My Tozi passes were a little more scrambly - but I was starting to see how the fundamental move of switching your hips makes it easier to pop the closed guard open. That may make it easier to improvise if I don't get some of the other details of the pass right.
Another nice number on the scale post-training: 157.8. It was another good hard workout today and I'm glad I've stopped all off-mat conditioning for the two weeks leading up to the tournament - I need all the energy (and rest) I can get.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Tuesday Night Training
A good sized class for the Tuesday beginner session. We worked on toreano style guard passes after Rodrigo provided some good analysis on the importance of guard passing when it comes to competition. I couldn't agree more. In every match I've been in, the difference maker was my ability to pass the guard. If I passed, I ended up winning. No pass, I always lost.
The first pass was the one I called "The Butler." I worked with Bruce and Angela. While it is perfectly fine to work with a single partner, there is something nice when three people are working on the same technique because you get to spend one rotation watching the technique being done over and over. It also should make it easier to train at full speed since you also get an opportunity to rest. Just a thought.
The second pass - and we were working against the spider guard - has you do the same Butler move, only this time you get caught in half guard. There were two variations on this. In the first one, you checked the guy's far shoulder with your inside hand and pulled on his inside arm sleeve with your outside grip. Rodrigo described it as a push/pull.
Turn your knee out and slide your hip down as you Ichiro into second base, passing the guard.
The variation - the third pass - has you put up your inside knee as soon as you get the Butler snapdown. As you are snapping down, you are bringing that knee forward. Get your underhook and, tucking your head to the outside/pass side, lower your shoulder into the opponent's chest.
You want the grip on his inside sleeve with your outside hand, as well. If he's controlling your sleeves, this shouldn't be a hard grip to get.
Drive through Ichiro style for the pass.
In the advanced class we started with some full, start-from-standing sparring. I rolled with Brandon, the judo guy I haven't seen in months, and Jeff, who runs the Revolution Tournaments. It was a very star-studded sparring session. Sparring with them back to back, I started to fade around the 6 minute mark (one four-minute round each). Not great. But not a bad assessment with about four and a half weeks to go.
I later rolled with Rodrigo and Lindsey. Again, great training partners on Tuesday. I'm still afraid that I'm losing the touch to hit the twist sweep out of half guard due to my obsession with getting the tackle, Old School, right. But that's something I can fix Thursday night.
Lindsey also showed me some interesting things about how he forgoes posture in the closed guard, instead locking the hips with a wide base with elbow/knee connect, weight back and collar grips. I think it might be something for me to try out since I'm fighting a losing battle it seems over maintaining posture for very long unless I stand up.
Maybe that's the point: either get low in the guard or stand up and out of it.
The first pass was the one I called "The Butler." I worked with Bruce and Angela. While it is perfectly fine to work with a single partner, there is something nice when three people are working on the same technique because you get to spend one rotation watching the technique being done over and over. It also should make it easier to train at full speed since you also get an opportunity to rest. Just a thought.
The second pass - and we were working against the spider guard - has you do the same Butler move, only this time you get caught in half guard. There were two variations on this. In the first one, you checked the guy's far shoulder with your inside hand and pulled on his inside arm sleeve with your outside grip. Rodrigo described it as a push/pull.
Turn your knee out and slide your hip down as you Ichiro into second base, passing the guard.
The variation - the third pass - has you put up your inside knee as soon as you get the Butler snapdown. As you are snapping down, you are bringing that knee forward. Get your underhook and, tucking your head to the outside/pass side, lower your shoulder into the opponent's chest.
You want the grip on his inside sleeve with your outside hand, as well. If he's controlling your sleeves, this shouldn't be a hard grip to get.
Drive through Ichiro style for the pass.
In the advanced class we started with some full, start-from-standing sparring. I rolled with Brandon, the judo guy I haven't seen in months, and Jeff, who runs the Revolution Tournaments. It was a very star-studded sparring session. Sparring with them back to back, I started to fade around the 6 minute mark (one four-minute round each). Not great. But not a bad assessment with about four and a half weeks to go.
I later rolled with Rodrigo and Lindsey. Again, great training partners on Tuesday. I'm still afraid that I'm losing the touch to hit the twist sweep out of half guard due to my obsession with getting the tackle, Old School, right. But that's something I can fix Thursday night.
Lindsey also showed me some interesting things about how he forgoes posture in the closed guard, instead locking the hips with a wide base with elbow/knee connect, weight back and collar grips. I think it might be something for me to try out since I'm fighting a losing battle it seems over maintaining posture for very long unless I stand up.
Maybe that's the point: either get low in the guard or stand up and out of it.
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