Open Guard Sweep

First secure the Open guard position with double sleeve control while your opponent is on his knees.  Your feet should be on his biceps. 

Next bridge up,  let go of your right hook, fold the right leg in and place it so that your right shin is on his waist like a knee on belly.  

His natural reaction is to try to push your right knee in and pass the guard.  Bring your right knee in close so that he can't push it in.  

Now hook your right arm under his left knee and rotate to your right so that you're perpendicular to him and your chest is right under his belly.  

Pull opponent a little over his head by using your left leg on his right biceps.  Bring him so that he's completely resting on your shins.  Now sweep him over his right shoulder and land on kneww on Belly position.

Notes: Make sure you never loose the grip on the left hand otherwise the sweep will not work.

Guard Pass Defense - Free Leg Movement

This is another move I learned and practiced in a private class. This leg movement is useful when one leg has been 'captured' or immobilized.

Once opponent has trapped your leg and is passing, arc the free leg around towards his face, then bring the shin in and block his shoulder with your knee. Then use the knee as step to push off and regain guard.

I'm not very flexible so to help in the movement I grab my ankle to arc and bring the shin in.

The Four Prong Deadly Arm Bar Attack Combination

Today's private class covered Arm Bar Combinations. As always the details make the difference.

Arm Bar from Closed Guard

The first thing you want to do is secure your opponent's arm, lets say his right arm, by grabbing his elbow with my hand and his sleeve at the wrist with my left hand. Just keep it about midway, not all the way across.

At the same time, to avoid him escaping the arm open guard and place your left leg on his hip and block his elbow with your left thigh. Place your right under his arm pit just enough to secure him. This detail is important. This should block his escape

Now rotate to the right while passing your left leg over his head to secure the arm bar. Never let go of the arm.


Arm Bar Stack Counter, or Spin Under Arm Bar


A common Arm Bar defense is to stack. If the opponent does this then rotate just a tad more to the right so you're under him and then land on your side. Never let go of the arm. He should be more or less in turtle position with you sideways holding his arm. Now control the wrist and bridge the hips for the arm bar.

Spin Under to Top Mount Arm Bar (Right arm)

If opponent is grabbing his arm or giving you difficulty place your right instep behind his neck. Now flip hom over his head. As you land sit up. You should now be in the top mount arm bar position.


Top Mount Arm Bar to Triangle (Right Arm)


If from the top Mount Arm Bar he still gives you trouble slide your right leg from under this arm pit to under his arm but over his shoulder. Now move your left leg and place it by his right ear.

He now has the chance to sit up. As he sits up close the triangle. Use your right elbow to push his right arm across to the right and tighten the triangle.


Tips

• Make sure opponent is secure before throwing leg over the head. Do this by using your left leg to hold the elbow and your right calf to hold his back down
• Be discrete but firm about trapping the arm. Don't move it all the way across. Just to the center
• Go from one arm bar position to the next if he defends
• Never let go of the trapped arm
• Always maintain wrist control. Without there is not arm bar
• Make sure you angle your torso so that throwing the leg over is not as hard
• With the side arm bar, make sure you're sideways and not facing down. There is more leverage that way
• When doing arm bars the opponent's thumb should always point straight up from your chest, no matter which direction or which arm bar you're applying
  

Hold that pose

Today we had a tournament simulation in class.  We had two teams each competing against each other.  It was fun.  I learned some important tips:

• When you attain an advantageous position, hold it for more than three seconds so it can be scored, then continue with a submission or another positon
• Don't go straight for a mount.  Advance positions in stages
• I need to practice my basic submissions.  I had a chance for a triangle and an armbar but in the heat of competing I forgot which arm I had to trap!

Basic Lapel Choke

Today we went over the basic lapel chokes from three positions: Standing, closed guard, and the mount.

The movement and details remain the same. The basic setup is to go in deep with the first hand palm up and wrist straight. Second hand goes under your arm also palm up and wrist straight. Once you have secured both lapels you keep your elbows in you bring him in.

Grip Tips

• Don't bend the wrists
• Elbows are always in, this helps keep the wrists straight
• Don't strain pulling. Just keep the grips and elbows tight and bring towards you
• Make sure the first grip is deep
• Once the grip is dug in, just bring in tight without straining and be patient. You should be able to hold that position for a long time comfortably
  

Positional details:

From the Mount.

It may be dificult to get the first palm up grip so instead go for a palm down grip where only your thumb is inside the gi and your four fingers grabbing the lapel (like punching to the mat).

Once you secure the first grip slide your same side knee towards his head so you're now about 45 deg from axis.

If you did the first punch grip then your next grip is over, grabbing the fabric just outside the lapel also in punch from. Forearm goes under the neck.

Once both grips are in place go back to the center and slowly bend over towards him keeping your elbows in.


From the Closed Guard.

The first grip goes deep palm up. Once you secure the first grip rotate sideways a bit towards the same side of the grip. This makes it easier to get your second grip in under your forearm. Second grip is also palm up. Once both are in go back to center and slowly bring him in.

First Private Class

I recently had my first private BJJ class.  I've always heard and read that private classes accelerate your learning 4x.  

Intuitively I knew this should be the case however I don't think many of my classmates have had any privates.  It would be silly to learn piano with just group classes.

My instructor Marcos Cerqueira asked me to outline some things I wanted to work on.  I started with a list of things I was having trouble with and I ended up creating an outline for a complete BJJ game.

The class was very informative.  We worked on some basic escapes and some basic concepts.  Here's what I learned and worked on:

• How to shrimp correctly
• How to reverse shrimp
• Escape from head lock ala Kesa Gatame
• Escape and posure from the mount
• Escape and posture from the half guard, then take the back
• Guard pass defense via the 'Butt Block' to open guard recovery
• Guard pass, grabbing at the knees, flattening one leg and bending the other one
• Tip: Don't fight grips. Take an equivalent grip as your opponent
• Tip: When you take a grip, it must have a purpose
• Tip: Always grab something