I’ve subscribed to the free Grappling Blueprint service from Lloyd Irvin, a top jiu jitus/submission grappling coach from Maryland. The Blueprint is based on the ongoing work Irvin is doing with his new prodigy-in-progress, Ryan Hall. Hall is a lightweight, around 150-160 like me, and a blue belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu under Irvin. He’s got a number of top wins in national competition and is known for his triangle choke (unlike me!).
I’m enjoying what I’ve gotten so far. Irvin e-mailed subscribers a copy of Hall’s game plan from back in September 2005. Irvin’s game plans apparently are reviewed every 30 days, so the fighter can adjust the game plan based on the progress (or lack thereof) that has been made (or not made.) They start with "Opening" which covers basic takedown/pull guard strategy. Here’s an old-fashioned outline of the gameplan. I’d like to create something similar for myself, officially starting April 1, 2006. What I really like about Irvin's project is that he repeatedly emphasizes that this experiment is about making Ryan the best jiu jitsu player he can be. Irvin thinks Ryan will be the next big thing. But that's beside the point. The point is just to have Ryan's game keep improving and where it that hard work and focus takes him. I can dig all of that.
On the Bottom
The Guard
Guard objectives
Gi Guard series
No-gi Guard series
Upside down Guard series
Half Guard
Half guard objectives
Half guard bottom positions
Half guard bottom submission series
Half guard bottom positional advances
On Top
The Back
Back objectives
Grips on the back
Back attack series
Half Guard
Half guard top objectives
Half guard fundamentals
Half guard attack series
Half guard passing series
Inside the Open Guard
Objectives of Open Guard Top
Inside the Open Guard (GI)
Inside the Open Guard (no-gi)
Finer Points of the Over/Under Pass
As when Joe, Arnell and me were joking after class on Monday about jiu jitsu flash cards, there’s no need to create a game plan in a day—although a weekend (hint, hint) would probably be plenty of time. Irvin says that there are different game plans for practice and for tournament competition, and he says that his fighters typically switch into competition mode about 30 days out from a tournament. Since I’m a calendar month away from the Pacific Northwest Jiu Jitsu Championships here in Seattle at the end of April, it seems like now is a good time to get down to brass tacks about my training and tournament preparation—Rodrigo certainly has!
A couple of other points: Irvin’s Grappling Blueprint includes some audio conversations between Irvin and Hall about the things they are working on. It’s hardly Cinderella Man or Rocky, but Irvin and Hall get the point across. One thing is that Irvin points out that, at this point in his training Hall is mostly a "guard puller". This is clear from the September 2005 game plan, where Hall’s opening objectives are a flying triangle (gi) or an armdrag to guard pull (no-gi).
On the other hand, I’m very much a top player. Whereas Irvin lists Hall’s objectives from the guard as "submit, submit, take back, submit, sweep, submit," I’m thinking my objectives from the guard are closer to “sweep, sweep, take back, sweep, submit, sweep." In other words, at this stage in my training, I need to be thinking "sweep" when I’m on the bottom in the guard.
As a top player, this also puts a premium on passing the guard. I can’t say that enough. If you are a bottom player, then you need to have a great guard, great submissions from the guard, and solid sweeps. But if you are a top player, then it is absolutely vital that you have a GREAT GUARD PASS, excellent transitions to side control and solid submission defense while in the guard (no more getting triangled for making stupid mistakes!). I say “solid” submission defense because if you are busy enough pressing the guard pass, then you won’t be as vulnerable to submissions (the bottom guy will be too busy trying to maintain his guard). In other words, the best way to avoid being submitted from the guard is to pass the guard.
So this is my weekend project: create a training game plan of things to work on specifically when sparring in preparation for the April 29th tournament. Including tonight’s class, I’ve got 13 sessions to work on these things—specifically, guard passing, sweeps from the guard and takedowns.
Another note on my own guard play. Ryan’s best technique is his triangle. The one thing I’ve had some success with from the guard is the omoplata. Imagine that! I just feel very comfortable with it, the roll, the mechanics … Irvin has Hall transitioning from an omoplata to a triangle. Monday night in sparring, I was able to turn a weak triangle attempt into a successful armbar submission. So I might be able to hit the triangle better as my omoplata becomes more dangerous. I can see a series that goes omoplata / triangle attempt / armbar / omoplata opposite arm (?), as a main submission series from the guard. I should try that tonight.
I also need to focus on sweeps. I’m pretty bad at sweeps from the guard. I should come up with at least three and start working them overtime. The hip bump is definitely one. Rodrigo’s "curl" sweep/reversal is another that I should start trying out. And I’ve seen the DEVASTATING effectiveness of a well-placed scissors sweep (against the hips or Rickson style against the shoulders). I should also remember that the omoplata attack can be converted into a sweep if I don’t get the submission from it.
But the alpha and omega of the deal is GUARD PASSING.
I’ve got two: the Saulo Ribeiro "ground" guard pass and the Gracie Barra standing guard pass. I need to do a MUCH better job of consistently applying these passes. I had some confusion about the mechanics of the Gracie Barra pass, but after watching a few segments of Cesar Gracie’s DVD last night, I think I’ve got it down. Now I just need to apply these passes CONSISTENTLY.
Hand position: One hand high on the collars. One hand low on the low lapel, the belt or the pants high on the thigh. Keep your elbows in.
Prepare to stand: Stand up first with the leg that is on the same side as the northmost hand. If the right hand is northmost, then step up with your right leg first. Also, take a deep, lunging step, not a step backward or to the side. Bring your other leg up to full standing.
Note: Rodrigo has us grab the cuff and the pants. In this case, the cuff is considered the northmost hand, so stand up first on that side.
Open the guard: Use your southmost hand to press down on the knee while stepping back with the leg on that side. As Saulo says, the back of your thigh and butt will be what breaks open the guard. Keep your northmost grip—cuff or collars.
Push the knee and drop the knee: IMPORTANT. When you push the knee down, keep it pinned to the mat until you have dropped your knee down over it. If you don’t do this, then everything you’ve done up to this point is wasted. Push the knee down. Pin it down. Drop the knee.
Underhook the opposite arm and side control: From here, under hook the far arm to keep the guy from hunching over and taking your back. Then "baseball slide" your hips over the pinned knee and move into side control quickly.
Anyway, a lot of stuff—and I’ll have a lot more in the next few days. Suffice it to say that I’m enjoying the hell out of Irvin’s Grappling Blueprint and Game Plan. I really think it might help me focus and get the most out of my training. I think the difference between a two stripe white belt and a new blue belt is consistency. The advanced white belt knows enough techniques; he just doesn’t apply them with optimal technique and consistency. The optimal technique probably won’t come until purple. But consistency is what separates the white from the blue.
