There were a lot of memorable things at the comp on the 16th, Karma, Andy, Lance and David all did really well and learnt a lot from the day, but there was one moment that has stuck with me. The Video I have included is of one of David's wins, Without going in to a great deal of detail I have to say that it was impressive to see David go in to a comp and win with only a month or so of training behind him. This clip shows an impressive win.
Alright everyone have a safe and happy christmas, but watch this space for more cat-jitsu!
C ya
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Saturday, December 23, 2006
Cat Jitsu Guard Pass
| The first of many cat-jitsu clips, Pearl goes for Khan's back but doesn't get the hooks in, khan passes pearl's guard and secures mount. | |
Final Class for 2006
Hi everyone, Thursday night was our last class for the year, we'll be having a christmas break until the 08/01/2006 when we will be kicking back in with a great year planned. We have plans for a comp, a John Will Seminar as well as the introduction of "Mat Devils" our kids class.
We had a casual lesson as it was our last for the year, but we were treated to an unusual bonus. Our long time friend and coach, Clancy Roberts was in town for the night (currently residing in Sydney) dropped in to say gday and check out our new facilities. While Clancy was with us he showed us a few points to improve our Lapel Half Nelson Chokes. We went through the choke from a few positions including side mount, back control and front control. It is always good to be able to see more technical details to improve technique. Another great benefit for Pete and I as coaches, is we need to periodically see someone who is more advanced than us to keep us inspired and motivated. All in all it was a great time, we all thoroughly enjoyed catching up.
Merry Christmas everyone, stay safe, see you in 2007!
We had a casual lesson as it was our last for the year, but we were treated to an unusual bonus. Our long time friend and coach, Clancy Roberts was in town for the night (currently residing in Sydney) dropped in to say gday and check out our new facilities. While Clancy was with us he showed us a few points to improve our Lapel Half Nelson Chokes. We went through the choke from a few positions including side mount, back control and front control. It is always good to be able to see more technical details to improve technique. Another great benefit for Pete and I as coaches, is we need to periodically see someone who is more advanced than us to keep us inspired and motivated. All in all it was a great time, we all thoroughly enjoyed catching up.
Merry Christmas everyone, stay safe, see you in 2007!
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Post Comp Monday
Last night was the first session after the comp in Launceston and was also the last Monday night before our brief Christmas closure.
Firstly for those who haven't seen it yet check out our new website www.bjjtasmania.com
We had some success in the comp with our entrants getting a first, 2 seconds and a third place respectively. There are some pics ont he website, but I'll get some up here ASAP as well. As with all comps though the onus is on identifying areas that need work, so both the beginners class and the intermediate class covered techniques that I identified as important from the comp.
Firstly the beginners class, we spent the full hour of this going through the top control drill in detail as a point that was evident from the comp was that we need to spend more time on effective top control and also effective transitions.
Just as a reminder or for those who don't know the Top Control Drill is in the first stripe syllabus and is the drill involving through 360 degrees from mount, to side control, to front control, to stripe control and back to mount. There are important points for each position and transition, but I'll try to be concise on this blog rather than hugely detailed.
Firstly, in the mount remember to keep your knees and feet tight to your partners body and keep your arms wide so they are a good post in either direction. When transitioning to side control lift your foot but keep your knee on the ground pass it across the stomach low and tight to avoid the opponent getting a hook in.
Important point for side control, in short base side control, always keep your knees wide and bum low. I can't emphasise that enough so I'll say it again, always keep your knees wide and bum low. Your chest should be on your opponents chest, not down towards the stomach and you should have pressure into the chest from your side not from the far side as this is unstable and you'll find yourself rolled over. When you transition to front control, change to long base and then change your base towards the head. When you do this make sure that leg you haven't moved is "loaded" by this I mean your foot is flat and you knee is aiming at the ceiling so you can launch off it if necessary. "Swat the fly" and move to front control.
Control for front control is essentially the same as side control, except both arms should be under your opponents arms gripping either the body or the belt. When in this position ask yourself "Am I too far forward?" you need to be prepared to back up a fraction to secure your control. To transition change your base as per the previous movement, but ensure that you move past the opponents head. reach your arm down to hold the gi pants on the near side and move to side control.
Transition to mount be changing base and swatting the fly as previously mentioned. It is important not to follow your leg over to the mount until you are settled otherwise you'll have no control and will get rolled over straight away.
Right, now onto the Intermediate class.
The first thing we touched on was the arm bar from mount as there were a few things that needed to be tidied up. The main points were; Slide you knee up high to trap the shoulder and separate the arm from the body, when stepping your leg over the opponents head make sure you lean forward, so that you don't fall away from the shoulder and make a space to escape. As with all arm bars, squeeze your knees together, get a pistol grip, hold the pinky to your chest and lean with the arm held tight to your chest.
After this we looked at the sprawl drill and added three scenarios to it.
The first 4 we have all done before, they are; the switch out, the Low single, the high single and the double leg.
I will put some detail into the 3 scenarios that we added.
Scenario 1: From head to head, opponent has an arm across your neck like a guillotine. cup outside of arm and face into the biceps, change your base to that opposite side leg goes right down next to the opponents leg, simultaneously pull your head out backwards out of the grip. You should now be laying in the same direction as your partner, over wrap the nearest arm and drag it past your body, reach over their back and move to side back.
Scenario 2: This is the setup for this and the next scenario. Your opponent is circling to side back from head to head, as they spin around throw your near side arm back behind you so that you can get an underhook. Give a little pull if the opponent brings both knees close, grab the outside knee and the opponents foot and do a double leg, circling to the opponents back to get side control.
Scenario 3: As above, when you pull if the opponent keeps there far leg extended do a roll under the opponent, projecting our outside arm and head between the opponents legs, rolling all the way over to side control. It is important to roll all the way over in this technique as the momentum is required to carry the person over you.
Hopefully see everyone and wednesday and then Thursday for the last class of 2006!
Keep on rolling!
Gerry
Firstly for those who haven't seen it yet check out our new website www.bjjtasmania.com
We had some success in the comp with our entrants getting a first, 2 seconds and a third place respectively. There are some pics ont he website, but I'll get some up here ASAP as well. As with all comps though the onus is on identifying areas that need work, so both the beginners class and the intermediate class covered techniques that I identified as important from the comp.
Firstly the beginners class, we spent the full hour of this going through the top control drill in detail as a point that was evident from the comp was that we need to spend more time on effective top control and also effective transitions.
Just as a reminder or for those who don't know the Top Control Drill is in the first stripe syllabus and is the drill involving through 360 degrees from mount, to side control, to front control, to stripe control and back to mount. There are important points for each position and transition, but I'll try to be concise on this blog rather than hugely detailed.
Firstly, in the mount remember to keep your knees and feet tight to your partners body and keep your arms wide so they are a good post in either direction. When transitioning to side control lift your foot but keep your knee on the ground pass it across the stomach low and tight to avoid the opponent getting a hook in.
Important point for side control, in short base side control, always keep your knees wide and bum low. I can't emphasise that enough so I'll say it again, always keep your knees wide and bum low. Your chest should be on your opponents chest, not down towards the stomach and you should have pressure into the chest from your side not from the far side as this is unstable and you'll find yourself rolled over. When you transition to front control, change to long base and then change your base towards the head. When you do this make sure that leg you haven't moved is "loaded" by this I mean your foot is flat and you knee is aiming at the ceiling so you can launch off it if necessary. "Swat the fly" and move to front control.
Control for front control is essentially the same as side control, except both arms should be under your opponents arms gripping either the body or the belt. When in this position ask yourself "Am I too far forward?" you need to be prepared to back up a fraction to secure your control. To transition change your base as per the previous movement, but ensure that you move past the opponents head. reach your arm down to hold the gi pants on the near side and move to side control.
Transition to mount be changing base and swatting the fly as previously mentioned. It is important not to follow your leg over to the mount until you are settled otherwise you'll have no control and will get rolled over straight away.
Right, now onto the Intermediate class.
The first thing we touched on was the arm bar from mount as there were a few things that needed to be tidied up. The main points were; Slide you knee up high to trap the shoulder and separate the arm from the body, when stepping your leg over the opponents head make sure you lean forward, so that you don't fall away from the shoulder and make a space to escape. As with all arm bars, squeeze your knees together, get a pistol grip, hold the pinky to your chest and lean with the arm held tight to your chest.
After this we looked at the sprawl drill and added three scenarios to it.
The first 4 we have all done before, they are; the switch out, the Low single, the high single and the double leg.
I will put some detail into the 3 scenarios that we added.
Scenario 1: From head to head, opponent has an arm across your neck like a guillotine. cup outside of arm and face into the biceps, change your base to that opposite side leg goes right down next to the opponents leg, simultaneously pull your head out backwards out of the grip. You should now be laying in the same direction as your partner, over wrap the nearest arm and drag it past your body, reach over their back and move to side back.
Scenario 2: This is the setup for this and the next scenario. Your opponent is circling to side back from head to head, as they spin around throw your near side arm back behind you so that you can get an underhook. Give a little pull if the opponent brings both knees close, grab the outside knee and the opponents foot and do a double leg, circling to the opponents back to get side control.
Scenario 3: As above, when you pull if the opponent keeps there far leg extended do a roll under the opponent, projecting our outside arm and head between the opponents legs, rolling all the way over to side control. It is important to roll all the way over in this technique as the momentum is required to carry the person over you.
Hopefully see everyone and wednesday and then Thursday for the last class of 2006!
Keep on rolling!
Gerry
Friday, December 08, 2006
Thursday Clinch Day
This week we had a great class for the thursday, looking at setting up a standing clinch (the "Radix" clinch) and then various attacks and options from there.
As we were going to be involving takedowns in the class we spent some time on safe falling in the warm up. This involved both forward and back rolls as well as side and back falls. Biggest points to remember:
1. When falling keep your arms in.- Don't try to catch your self or break your fall with your hands, that is how you injure shoulders and elbows.
2. Keep your head up. - When falling backwards or sideways be careful that you keep your head so that you don't hit your head on the mats/floor/pavement/street, you get the idea. This is one is a real danger again and again we here in the news of someone being hit or knocked to the ground and they are injured or killed because their head hits the ground, so it is a genuine danger and one to be careful of.
On to technique...
The factors involved in setting up the radix clinch are listed below;
Ÿ The Visor - the head cover position involvingboth arms covering the head and face with one arm slightly lowered so the elbow aims forward and the legs are slightly bent to lower the body.
Ÿ The spike - lowering the body and penetrating under your opponents strikes to "spike" their chest with your elbow.
Ÿ Clinch - Get a tight under hook, drive your weight onto the outside of the opponents leg and hold the opponents far wrist.
Ÿ Shuck and Duck - Shuck your underhook up high and duck your head so you end up behind your opponent with a harness grip.
In all cases we avoid the opponents strikes by using a Visor, to Spike and set up the Clinch, then shuck and duck to get the back with a harness.
1. Rear Naked Choke - Use a hip bump and step back to take your opponents balance, set up RNC by wrapping arm round neck (remember to reach right to your shoulder), shave the ear with your other hand and place your hand behind the head, remember to have your elbow in front of the shoulder. Expand your chest and squeeze your elbows together.
2. Figure 4 from front control - Use Hip Bum to take balance and then kneel down sharply to pull your opponent down. Grab their free wrist with your opposite hand and secure your own wrist with your other hand. Back away so they lie flat, then mount their head and straighten up so there upperarm is at 90 degrees to their body. Carefully rotate behind them to submit.
3. Lapel Half Nelson - Repeat above technique to the point of kneeling with the "figure 4" grip, roll the opponent onto their side (free arm down), step over their stomach to side mount. Open collar with a top hand, "scrunch a bunch" of collar with bottom hand, lift top hand high and put knife hand behind head. Wrap collar round neck and drive fingers of knife hand to the floor (like you are sawing the opponents head off).
Next week we will look at more of the same, but will try some alternate takedowns, such as high single, hip throw and bear hug takedown.
As we were going to be involving takedowns in the class we spent some time on safe falling in the warm up. This involved both forward and back rolls as well as side and back falls. Biggest points to remember:
1. When falling keep your arms in.- Don't try to catch your self or break your fall with your hands, that is how you injure shoulders and elbows.
2. Keep your head up. - When falling backwards or sideways be careful that you keep your head so that you don't hit your head on the mats/floor/pavement/street, you get the idea. This is one is a real danger again and again we here in the news of someone being hit or knocked to the ground and they are injured or killed because their head hits the ground, so it is a genuine danger and one to be careful of.
On to technique...
The factors involved in setting up the radix clinch are listed below;
Ÿ The Visor - the head cover position involvingboth arms covering the head and face with one arm slightly lowered so the elbow aims forward and the legs are slightly bent to lower the body.
Ÿ The spike - lowering the body and penetrating under your opponents strikes to "spike" their chest with your elbow.
Ÿ Clinch - Get a tight under hook, drive your weight onto the outside of the opponents leg and hold the opponents far wrist.
Ÿ Shuck and Duck - Shuck your underhook up high and duck your head so you end up behind your opponent with a harness grip.
In all cases we avoid the opponents strikes by using a Visor, to Spike and set up the Clinch, then shuck and duck to get the back with a harness.
1. Rear Naked Choke - Use a hip bump and step back to take your opponents balance, set up RNC by wrapping arm round neck (remember to reach right to your shoulder), shave the ear with your other hand and place your hand behind the head, remember to have your elbow in front of the shoulder. Expand your chest and squeeze your elbows together.
2. Figure 4 from front control - Use Hip Bum to take balance and then kneel down sharply to pull your opponent down. Grab their free wrist with your opposite hand and secure your own wrist with your other hand. Back away so they lie flat, then mount their head and straighten up so there upperarm is at 90 degrees to their body. Carefully rotate behind them to submit.
3. Lapel Half Nelson - Repeat above technique to the point of kneeling with the "figure 4" grip, roll the opponent onto their side (free arm down), step over their stomach to side mount. Open collar with a top hand, "scrunch a bunch" of collar with bottom hand, lift top hand high and put knife hand behind head. Wrap collar round neck and drive fingers of knife hand to the floor (like you are sawing the opponents head off).
Next week we will look at more of the same, but will try some alternate takedowns, such as high single, hip throw and bear hug takedown.
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Half Guard Wednesday
I took the wednesday PCYC class this week as Pete was unable to make it, I decided to run some half guard bottom escapes and reversals for the class. I started by emphasising 2 fundamentals for half guard bottom, first is to get out to the same side as the leg you are holding and be up on your side (not "four on the floor"). Second point is you need an underhook on the side you are sitting out to. With this in mind we started off with a simple method of getting that underhook. If your opponent has the underhook wrap the opponents calf with our inside leg and post on our outside foot.We then reach our hand as far as we can accross the face of the opponent, this creates space and gets us on our side rather than flat on our back. From there we suck our hand in close to get the under hook.
Note: When doing the above, it is important to use your lower arm to trap the opponents opposite arm so that when you are extending your arm away from your body it is safe from being attacked with a Figure 4 or similar.
Once we were able to get the underhook we got started on our techniques, we did 3 defensive combinations as detailed below.
1. Foot hold, bridge and roll - In all of the following techniques we "climb" down the opponents body to take hold of the opponents opposite foot, in all cases we hold around the toes rather than the ankle as this reduces the opponents ability to kick the foot out of our grip. In this technique we climb down and take the opponents foot in both hands (our inside hand between the legs and outside arm around legs). Place our outside foot inside opponents leg and the bridge and roll opponent over you. Move to side control.
2. Inside hand, Foot hold shoot takedown - Climb down and take foot with inside hand and brab belt with outside hand. Step outside foot over opponents leg and lift opponents foot with it, slide inside leg out from under the opponents leg and go to our knees. Drive in for a shoot takedown, pass gurad and get side control.
3. Outside hand, Foot hold shoot takedown - Take foot with both hands and then let inside hand go, retract inside arm and post on elbow. Use outside leg to lift foot and escape your inside leg out to your knees, block opponents far knee with your free hand and shoot takedown, pass to side control.
Extra techniques - Low half guard counters
When opponent is going for a low halfguard sweep, first step is take your outside leg out of reach of their grip. Flip outside leg to the otherside of the opponents body, your technique depends on your opponents reaction, if they let their hand grip go we do the pass and if they maintain the grip we do the arm bar. Below descriptions will be from the point of having flipped over the opponent.
1. Cross body guard pass - Get a cross face on opponent and use your free hand to hold pressure on the opponents far knee, use your free foot to push downward pressure on the opponents near knee to force legs apart, escape leg from half guard, control opponents hip hand that was on the knee and switch to side control.
2. Arm Bar - When opponents hands are still joined flip over and place your knee under the opponents elbow slide hand in between opponents arms to break grip, put free leg over the opponents body and finish arm bar. Remember to arm towards the opponents pinky as this is the angle that locks the elbow and forces the submission.
Note: When doing the above, it is important to use your lower arm to trap the opponents opposite arm so that when you are extending your arm away from your body it is safe from being attacked with a Figure 4 or similar.
Once we were able to get the underhook we got started on our techniques, we did 3 defensive combinations as detailed below.
1. Foot hold, bridge and roll - In all of the following techniques we "climb" down the opponents body to take hold of the opponents opposite foot, in all cases we hold around the toes rather than the ankle as this reduces the opponents ability to kick the foot out of our grip. In this technique we climb down and take the opponents foot in both hands (our inside hand between the legs and outside arm around legs). Place our outside foot inside opponents leg and the bridge and roll opponent over you. Move to side control.
2. Inside hand, Foot hold shoot takedown - Climb down and take foot with inside hand and brab belt with outside hand. Step outside foot over opponents leg and lift opponents foot with it, slide inside leg out from under the opponents leg and go to our knees. Drive in for a shoot takedown, pass gurad and get side control.
3. Outside hand, Foot hold shoot takedown - Take foot with both hands and then let inside hand go, retract inside arm and post on elbow. Use outside leg to lift foot and escape your inside leg out to your knees, block opponents far knee with your free hand and shoot takedown, pass to side control.
Extra techniques - Low half guard counters
When opponent is going for a low halfguard sweep, first step is take your outside leg out of reach of their grip. Flip outside leg to the otherside of the opponents body, your technique depends on your opponents reaction, if they let their hand grip go we do the pass and if they maintain the grip we do the arm bar. Below descriptions will be from the point of having flipped over the opponent.
1. Cross body guard pass - Get a cross face on opponent and use your free hand to hold pressure on the opponents far knee, use your free foot to push downward pressure on the opponents near knee to force legs apart, escape leg from half guard, control opponents hip hand that was on the knee and switch to side control.
2. Arm Bar - When opponents hands are still joined flip over and place your knee under the opponents elbow slide hand in between opponents arms to break grip, put free leg over the opponents body and finish arm bar. Remember to arm towards the opponents pinky as this is the angle that locks the elbow and forces the submission.
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Combos from side mount
As I mentioned in my last blog the content in this weeks class was 4 attacks from side mount with the"figure 4" grip. As in the previous weeks class we drilled the aeroplane drill to the stage of getting under a punch, obtaining a harness and doing a takedown to side mount with the figure 4 grip. We went through the 4 techniques individually and then ran them all in quick succession.
The four techniques were;
Lapel Half Nelson Choke -
As this class is a no-gi class lapel chokes are a little bit harder to do as T shirts have a tendency to stretch or even tear. To counter this I made the point of showing a slight variation in the technique, instead of putting a thumb inside the collar and the fingers on the outside, we grab a bunch of collar similar to holding a gi in a rope grip. This takes out a lot of the stretch and allows the choke to come on faster.
Rear Naked Choke -
In order to get the RNC from side mount we used the figure 4 grip to roll the opponent onto their stomach and we got on their back. As they rolled I showed everyone how to get their hooks in. I explained the importance of putting both elbows in front of the opponents shoulders to keep the choke tight and also to make sure that it was square (so as to choke the arteries not the windpipe).
Goose Neck -
To achieve the gooseneck we maintained the Figure 4 grip on the opponents arm, but posted our lower forearm on their jaw. While maintaining that pressure we moved higher up so we were almost sitting on the opponents shoulder. To finish the technique we slide our hand from the opponents wrist to their hand and prop their elbow on to our stomach squeezing the hand in towards our body.
Arm Bar -
The final technique was done from the goose neck position (as though the gooseneck hadn't worked), we stepped over the head and sat down, by keeping the gooseneck tight we can ensure that the opponent stays close and so we have good leverage under the shoulder. Once in the arm bar position, we switch our grip so that we are controlling the opponents wrist and hand with their pinky on our chest and then lean back.
After completing all the techniques individually and then as whole combo we each demonstrated to the group and got feedback, which is something that we are doing more of as a club.
Anyway next week is more of a trip back to guard attacks and combinations, but I will write about that in the next blog.
C ya
The four techniques were;
Lapel Half Nelson Choke -
As this class is a no-gi class lapel chokes are a little bit harder to do as T shirts have a tendency to stretch or even tear. To counter this I made the point of showing a slight variation in the technique, instead of putting a thumb inside the collar and the fingers on the outside, we grab a bunch of collar similar to holding a gi in a rope grip. This takes out a lot of the stretch and allows the choke to come on faster.
Rear Naked Choke -
In order to get the RNC from side mount we used the figure 4 grip to roll the opponent onto their stomach and we got on their back. As they rolled I showed everyone how to get their hooks in. I explained the importance of putting both elbows in front of the opponents shoulders to keep the choke tight and also to make sure that it was square (so as to choke the arteries not the windpipe).
Goose Neck -
To achieve the gooseneck we maintained the Figure 4 grip on the opponents arm, but posted our lower forearm on their jaw. While maintaining that pressure we moved higher up so we were almost sitting on the opponents shoulder. To finish the technique we slide our hand from the opponents wrist to their hand and prop their elbow on to our stomach squeezing the hand in towards our body.
Arm Bar -
The final technique was done from the goose neck position (as though the gooseneck hadn't worked), we stepped over the head and sat down, by keeping the gooseneck tight we can ensure that the opponent stays close and so we have good leverage under the shoulder. Once in the arm bar position, we switch our grip so that we are controlling the opponents wrist and hand with their pinky on our chest and then lean back.
After completing all the techniques individually and then as whole combo we each demonstrated to the group and got feedback, which is something that we are doing more of as a club.
Anyway next week is more of a trip back to guard attacks and combinations, but I will write about that in the next blog.
C ya
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