It's been interesting to see that over the past several weeks as my focus has shifted toward developing a coherent guard passing game, my guard game has deteriorated into something I'm calling the "anti-guard."
The anti-guard is almost 100% about getting back to the top. It's a lot of what I've seen both Rodrigo and Marcelo Garcia do: a sort of engaged sitting guard with hooks combined with a readiness to drop into overhook (Rap Star) or underhook (traditional half) guards. I'm trying to add the Shin Guard option to deal more aggressively with standing passes - and unfortunatelyreally missed some great opportunities to work the Shin Guard during Tuesday's training.
It's an interesting world on the bottom when you more or less strip out the submissions. I'm finding that I'm starting to actually see the submission opportunities better now that I've more or less committed to not trying to pursue them. We've been doing a lot of "sweep no submission" guard specific work pretty much all year to improve our reversing game from the bottom, and this has been tailor-made for my guard game, which has always been far more sweep-oriented than submission-oriented.
So, the anti-guard. Pure feeling and position. Maybe the collar and the knee. Maybe the sleeves. Maybe hooks. Maybe a drag. As far as the "competition gameplan" is concerned, I'm all about the Rodeo from the bottom. But in terms of training and learning, the anti-guard has been an interesting experience so far this summer.
159.4 post train after arriving at 165.4 (I predicted 165.3!). If I can lower this number by a pound each training day, then I should be in fine shape for a decent breakfast Saturday morning.
P.S. Fundamentals included the safe clinch/hip throw counter to the front bear hug over the arms and the double underhook/double scoop pass. I still prefer the single scoop, so to speak, though the double is a very good step-up for the dual options of the single.
P.P.S. My first Frankenstein choke/Step-Over choke (Saulo p. 356-357) in ever. Elsewhere, I got some great work on defending some pretty aggressive open guard, including deep half and DLR, from standing. What worked well was mostly putting pressure on the far shoulder with a stiff arm or on the middle of the chest with my head and keeping the lunge pressure on with my forward knee. That and not getting too stretched out and trying to either square-up or angle in from somewhere between 1900 and 2000 on the clock.
