A very good week of Fundamentals training, as I was reminded again during Friday's session. Again, I really can't seen not taking at least two Fundamentals classes a week for as long as I train jiu jitsu. The techniques are solid and the more you see them, the more you realize how readily many of them can be integrated into your own game.
Self defense #1 was the jab dodge to clinch. The key here is to step to the outside to avoid the power hand and then to move in right under the armpit. The second self-defense move was the front headlock to S-mount armbar.
On the ground we did the basic half guard pass with the topdown hook to free the leg and pass to mount. Rodrigo showed us a nice tip to get that topdown hook in by leaning over to that side to make it easier for your hook to reach. We also worked on the single underhook pass from standing, a pass that I have been slowly (very, very slowly) starting to make part of my standing guard pass game. The underhook pass ("scoop" in my guard pass code) is a critical part of advancing inside control when passing the guard from the top, part of the Scoop, Smash, Stepover suite. So working on it so much this week has been great.
Nothing especially notable in the tatame - save to say that I'm doing a better job of late pressing the standing guard attack. One thing I need to remember is that passing the guard - once you get to a certain level - is really a big deal. So if I'm only passing the guard at a 50% clip when it comes to other purple belts, that's not a bad percentage to start from. The trick is to remember that the solution is always technical, and to be patient.
Nice sub-160 weigh-in post-train. I'm looking forward to getting an opportunity to get back on the mat tomorrow for a semi-rare Saturday training session. I'll probably just do the hour of competition training, but it will be nice to get in a five session week for the first time in awhile.
