These days it seems like every training day brings with it a new minor discovery. Today's training helped me both see the shortcomings of my Guy LaFleur sweep as well as a possible solution that also improves my overall Skeedaddle game.
More work on side control, the dive2knees and runaway fullguard as I code them. Monday was the pushscape hipscape guard recovery approach to dealing with side control.
Deep half is becoming more and more popular, with more and more black belts working the position and counters to the position. I'm still thinking that I'll embrace the deep half starting in August, hopefully with a little X-guard tossed in, as well. As Jeff Glover makes clear on his Deep Half Guard DVD, the X-guard is really just a mirror image of the Deep Half, so excelling at one position gives great opportunity to be effective with the other.
Also, the more I think about it and watch both guards in action, I realize that both allow for the guard player to be under the opponent (which I like), but not to have that opponent's weight on them at the same time. In the deep half, it's because of the focus of all limbs on the one leg (a la Glover). In the X-Guard, it's because of the destablizing outward pressure put on the base (high on both inside thighs).
Spent some more time watching Glover's deep half DVD after class. Both his head trap half guard counter and his deep half sweep against a standing opponent are must-drill - as are the three basic sweeps: Homer Simpson, inside hook to double unders pass, outside hook to the back.
Looking to train Friday and again on Saturday for competition team training. Rebecca is taking me out to dinner Saturday night to celebrate my faixa marrom. We're going to Ipanema Grill: a bit expensive, maybe even a little kitschy. But given the ocassion, she'll accept no substitutes so why should I?
