Here's a catch-up from recent sessions. My last class, on September 1, was my sixth.
SIDE CONTROL
We've been working from side control in the past few days. Remember with side control to keep the head-side leg back and straight to help prevent the guy from rolling you over. STAY CHEST TO CHEST. Have your leg-side knee snug against his hip with most of your weight on his chest. Hook you head-side arm under his neck and hook your leg-side arm under his legs--preferably gripping the underside of the far leg.
Note: another way of maintaining side control is to put your leg-side arm over his legs and wedge your elbow into the far hip. That way, you are trapping both hips: one with your knee, one with your elbow. Reach over his neck with your head-side arm and hook back to trap the head/upper chest down
SIDE CONTROL TO MOUNT
This is a basic move. From side control reach up and grab the far knee with the leg-side hand. As you tug the far knee toward you--forcing both knees down and toward you in the process--step up and over with your leg-side knee and secure the mount position.
MOUNT TO KEYLOCK
From the mount position reach across his body to force the opposite wrist and forearm back above the head. Lodge the elbow of the arm into his neck to stabilize. Reach under his arm with the lock-side arm and grab your wrist. Work his wrist/forearm lower until it is equal to his shoulder. Then slowly crank the keylock, keeping the right angle in the elbow.
Note: there is a helpful suggestion on how to force down the arm of a stronger guy over at the Canadian jiu jitsu website, Abhiya (or something like that). Includes a video. Link to come.
MOUNT TO ARMLOCK
From the mount position, first wait for him to try and push your chest away with both hands. This could happen as he is defending against a choke or keylock attempt. Reach one hand over and one hand under his outstretched arms and press against his chest, trapping the arm.
The hand that is over comes from the same side you will fall back into the arm lock.
Step up with the opposite foot (away from lock side) , planting it with your toes facing away from him. As you rise up, lean hard away from the lock. This will help you get in the proper position (parallel or closer to his head) and will help trap his arm under yours.
Then step up and over his head with the other foot, keeping as close to his body as possible. With both feet planted on the non-lock side, grip the lock-side wrist tightly and fall back into the arm lock. Try and keep your feet on the ground and squeeze your knees together to keep the pressure on.
SIDE CONTROL TO KIMURA
We also learned another move from side control. This one is especially effective if the guy tries to push you off by putting his hand on your leg-side shoulder instead of your head-side shoulder.
Once he puts his hand on your leg-side shoulder, reach over his head with your head-side arm and trap his bicep against his body. Your hips, in side control, should be neutral.
From neutral shift your hips to open to the leg-side. Do this by swiveling your hips and dragging your head-side thigh under to the leg-side. This movement will help give you the leverage to break his hold on your leg-side shoulder, to force that hand down to the mat, and to lean over and into him to secure the kimura grip.
Get the grip by reaching down along his body with your head-side hand, which should grip your wrist to secure the kimura. From here, swivel your hips the other way to open up to the head-side, and begin walking your way toward his head. In order to get the lock set, step over his head with your lead, or head-side, leg.
Rolling notes: If you get the guy's back and are working the hooks, don't cross your feet at the ankle. Work the hooks separately from the inside and the outside. That will force him to either pull off the hooks or protect his collar from the choke.
I need to start thinking in sequences. Get dominant position. Get finishing position. I like the side control - mount - choke or keylock/armlock sequence especially.
Must improve skills: sweeping from the guard, passing the guard (especially the open guard that a lot of the blue and purple belts are using!)
