Rodrigo has been mixing and matching some of the different types of classes we'll have once the Fundamentals Program is in place starting March 1. Today, we did a lot of self-defense, starting with a standing guillotine counter. The keys to the counter were (1) looking away from the elbow and toward the attacker's body, (2) overwrapping the shoulder with the far arm and (3) checking the hip with the palm of the near arm.
From here, you want to close the elbow on your overwrapping arm, then walk around in that direction until you can turn perpendicular to the attacker, with your far leg behind him.
The other self-defense move we did was from the bear hug. We practiced a version with the arms in and Rodrigo showed us a version with the arms out.
The problem of the bear hug clinch is when the guy gets hip to hip. So the first step is to sprawl back as far as possible and put your palms on the guys hips to maintain space. With your right arm, swim under for a deep underhook. With your left arm, reach under and grip it with a pull-up, underhand type of grip. As you do this you step around toward your underhook. One step behind him should be enough.
After this step behind, you are going to step back in front of the attacker with that same foot and with your grips attack with the hip throw.
On the mat, we worked on regaining posture from within the closed guard. Here, the difference from the previous version was that you dropped back with one knee (forming an L) and ducked down and away to free your head. You'll either duck under the arm or break through the grip with your head. I think either way works just fine.
The last piece of matwork was something I've been focusing on for the past few months: squatting against the guard. Here, the details were similar to what I've been working on: angling both the first and second step (Rodrigo added the detail of getting on the toes of the second foot), and getting both elbows in contact with the thighs/knees as you squat down. The lower the better and stronger on the squat - especially if you are doing it to get a moment's break.
Rodrigo pointed out the next step, which is to keep the elbows in tight as you stand back up, step back and pop the guard open with your tucked in arm - moving right into the underhook sweep. We didn't practice this. But I'm sure we'll see some more of it soon enough.
Tatame was mostly specific. On the bottom I mostly tried to break guys' posture as a way of continuing the lesson. And from the top I was more or less able to continue working the lesson, as well, since squatting against the guard is my focus for 2010.
With three weeks to go before the Revolution, I can't honestly say that I feel as if my game is tight. What's familiar is still familiar, and many of the newer things are falling into one place or another. But I still feel as if I'm getting my mat sense, post-holiday. A lot can happen in three weeks - and four-week training average is now back up to three times a week as of Friday. Maybe there's a peak in my future that I don't even see.
161.2 post-train on Friday. Heavier than I would have liked, but I'm pretty confident that I'll be down in the high-150s by the end of the week. If I do the right things over the next few days, that shouldn't be any problem at all.
