It's been almost a month, but ATM (Always Train Mondays) is back on track.
We'll see how far we make it down the rails. The last Monday training I did was on March 2nd, at the beginning of the week leading into the Revolution tournament. As I've said before, training on Monday really helps get your training week off to a good start. I suspect that when I train Mondays, I tend to make it to at least three classes that week. I've done a good job of training Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday when I've had to. But getting Monday under your belt seems to get the weekend cobwebs out of your game and make the training during the rest of the week that much more effective.
Tonight, Lindsey had us working on pulling guard and then working the omoplata sweep from there, switching grips on the sleeve and trapping the arm with the underhooked leg. I found the sweep to be most effective when using my legs more like a flower sweep, opening wide and swinging my hips out and away from the guy so that it made him more likely to roll than just collapse on me. Hooking the legs together like an omoplata, I don't think, gives you enough momentum to really bring the guy over - especially if he is resisting well or is a bigger opponent. It's a matter of preference, and I might feel differently if I had longer legs. But I like the physics of what's working for me right now.
In terms of what's not working, I need to tighten up my half guard, which I feel is getting a little sloppy with familiarity. I need, for example, to have a better response to getting flattened out - even if I remain hard to pass. I think the butterfly hook is what I need to focus on here. I also completely forgot to work the near arm drag from high half guard - a terrible omission that only underscores why it is critical to train on Mondays (in other words, I've got the rest of the week to make up for what I didn't do today!).
I also need to work the S-mount transition more aggressively. Rodrigo showed us that great solo drill and we've worked on armlocks from the S-mounts in class. I need to open up my options from mount, and the S-mount and S-mount armlock and choke attack (the "armlock and a dangerous choke", as Saulo puts it. A man cannot live on Ezekiel chokes alone.
Another thing out of the half guard space that is getting a little sloppy is my half guard passing. I've got a great half guard switch game between the Watchdog pass and the Royler pass, but I've got to attack with it. I've been too one-dimensional with the Watchdog pass, and not doing enough to keep my weight centered so I can do the necessary moves to pass the half guard.
I like the Watchdog pass and think it works. But the easiest way to pass the guard - at least the half guard - is by being able to go both directions. Like a good crossover dribble in basketball, it's almost impossible to stop when the attack is timed impeccably.
A little fat after training: 160.6. I probably had a pint or two more than I would have ordinarily over the weekend (blame the NCAA tournament) and in addition to the extra pair of cupcakes devoured on Friday, I didn't do anything physical Saturday or Sunday. So to come in around 160 isn't so bad. Hopefully, next Monday will be closer to 155.
