Got to class a little late, about 30 minutes, but still managed to get on the mat just as the technique of the day, floating on the hook sweep from butterfly guard as a prelude to passing, was started.
There were two variations on the move, but both were essentially based on the theme of going with the hook rather than fighting it. There is a "wet blanket" strategy to dealing with the butterfly guard hook sweep. And I used it in specific sparring with Shawn the brown belt from Alaska. But the more dynamic approach Rodrigo was showing us opened up a number of different ways to pass.
The initial way to deal with the hook, or to "go with the hook" is to open up on the hooking side by (1) lifting the hooked leg high as you turn on your side, opening up or "looking at" the hook, (2) spinning on your other knee so that your lower leg flares outward, allowing you to "sit" on it as you rotate over to your side.
It's really a very simple move, the knee spin reminds me of Rodrigo's technique for avoiding being put in the half guard. It's worth drilling, though, because it is the kind of thing that is easy to forget and a little difficult to re-explain (as opposed to demonstrate).
The second way to deal with the hook was the big backstep, which I was more familiar with. To drill the moves, you would do the initial kick 'n' sit a time or two, then the big backstep.
One thing Rodrigo pointed out after we'd been working with the move a little bit is that one basic pass off the move is to cut your hooked leg back under the guy's attacking leg. This collapses his legs together and makes a high probability pass possible.
This was a good drill. It was hot as hell in the academy but, truth told, I loved it. I'll take "too damn hot" over "too damn cold" any day of the week - and moreso when it comes to training jiu jitsu.
Tatame was all about survival as I rolled with Shawn the brown belt and Casey. After getting some halfway decent grips with my brand spanking new collar and sleeve guard (now with outside hook behind the knee!), Casey blew through my guard and I spent the rest of the session desperately defending against chokes.
As was the case in my last few rolls with Shawn (the armlock from last week and the triangle from tonight), there are technical issues in actually escaping - rather than just surviving - these positions. And I do want to make sure that I've got some details down right. But I don't want to be so risk averse that I forgo the opportunity to get from a bad position to a good or even neutral one.
Good times. I'm training with a high frequency and feeling like I'm "growing into" my purple belt a little more each week. I think that if I can maintain focus through four times a week training, I'll be very happy about what I can accomplish over the balance of the year.
