Your final training day of the week should be a big deal and for me, this week, Saturday's session delivered on a number of accounts.
The cardio component was very good, a pair of two-minute rounds in the 360 drill against the turtle got things off to a good threshold testing start. We worked on taking the back from turtle, the controls at the nape of the neck and the far hip, the switch and open to provide "falling space" as you take the back - as opposed to trying to "roll" the guy into your rear mount ... Prof Carlos added a clock choke, as the guy tries to return to turtle after you've changed your grip to the collar. It was a nice reminder of how powerful the choke can be, and why it's worth keeping part of your regular set of options.
The specific and Live Training were excellent, with a couple of tough rolls with Dave, a blue belt I see on Saturdays usually, and Prof Abel, who earned the first degree on his black belt today. I'm working more DLR as part of the Leandro Lo sweep I've been trying out for the past week or two. Guys are fighting to keep me from inserting the lead single X leg by pinching their knee in, which I know sets up a DLR backtake for me.
More critically, I'm patching up my half-guard defense to the backstep pass, especially when I've already got a grip on the lapel. I'd been stymied here for the past month or so, and couldn't really get my technique clear. Simply by switching hands on the lapel grip, I'll be able to both go belly-down and then on top while keeping the guard passer from being able to turn in (their inside leg is kept up by my new lapel grip, now on my outside hand rather than my inside hand).
Even though it's sort of a junkyard dog position, I think I want to work it a lot more just to see if I can turn it into another effective "heads I win/tails you lose" situation like my Gordo/Twist Back half guard sweep combo. If I can pull half guard from standing with that lapel grip (as I did in my first brown belt competition against a very tough opponent), then even the worst case scenarios of the knee cross and backstep pass are a lot less to fear.
156.6 on the scale post-train. Almost an ideal number for the end of the week.
