My Jiu Jitsu Diary

Keeping track of my progress through the Gentle Art.

[jvonlembke]

April 6, 2014 - Single Leg X Guard/X Guard/Sweeps and Calf Cutter

Holy crap. I haven't updated this in over two months.

Had some surgery that kept me out for 3 weeks, but have been going about 3 times  a week.

Private today with Avery. We worked on single leg x and x guard and transition between the two. Include sweeps and calf cutter.

Avery likes to go single leg x (SLX) every time from open guard, if possible. The next move is to go to the calf cutter when the opponent tries to angle away from the SLX, by dropping the outside leg down into the back of the opponent's knee, turning behind them and gable grip from behind.

If the opponent tries to peel the outside leg off you can transition easily to x guard (XG) by dropping the inside hook to the opposite knee and putting the outside leg's foot in to the opposite hip.

This guy wrote a great blog on SLX.

http://danofearth.com/2014/04/06/marcelo-garcias-single-leg-x-guard-breakdown-and-analysis/

[jvonlembke]

January 22 and 24, 2014

This week was focused on triangles for the beginner class and back attack in the intermediate class.

Wednesday's beginner and intermediate classes were taught by Professor Sims and Friday's classes taught by Avery. I went to the two classes on Wednesday night and the morning and evening classes on Friday.

Some cool triangle setup variations I would like to work on:

1. From guard, gaining wrist control of the one hand, shrimping out and blocking the other arm with your shin to get the triangle.

2. Weaving your "underhooked" leg's foot into the crux of their far side elbow to trap that arm and get your triangle.

3. Using Spiderguard to get the triangle.

[jvonlembke]

January 18, 2014

Today was the Saturday class taught by coach Pat. 

We worked on an anaconda choke to arm-in guillotine series from mount. 

We started in full mount and using your elbow, reach across  and go under the opponent's head. You then make a fist and get under their neck. With your free hand grab their tricep and roll over their head and on to your side. This gets your anaconda. 

When they attempt to move to a turtle like position, you can simply switch your grip and go arm in guillotine. When they attempt to escape back, you can switch grips back to anaconda. 

Rolled for about 30 min. Was pretty tired after 4 straight days and wasn't too please with how I did.

[jvonlembke]

January 15-17, 2014

On the 15th I attended the beginner and intermediate classes taught by Professor Sims. 

The beginner class (and the class on the 16th) was focusing on back attacks. The first was a simple Bow & Arrow choke. The second was set up like the bow & arrow, but instead of grabbing the knee, you grab the other lapel and pull down while pulling your hand across with their collar.

The intermediate class was focused on back escapes. We mainly drilled the safe side escape. One pointer I really picked up on was really trapping the underhooked arm with my arm and peeling off their hook.

The 17th's morning class was taught by Avery. He taught us a variation on the armbar where you weave the top side arm through their trapped arm and pivot. This attacks the shoulder like an americana. 

We rolled for about 30min with Avery and Tim, both purples. Got my ass kicked...

[jvonlembke]

January 13, 2014

Today I took the intermediate no-gi class taught by Pat.

We went over a technique where, from being in someone's guard, you go to single leg X.

This move is useful when you are in someone's guard with a knee across their thigh and they are knee shielding. Post the hand that you have the knee across and take a step out with the opposite leg. Then bring that knee that is on the thigh and hook your foot under their thigh. The other leg's heel goes into their hip pocket and you can fall back for a heel hook.

If they attempt to stand you can sweep with the x and if they attempt to roll out of the heel hook, you can catch them in turtle.

[jvonlembke]

January 10, 2014

After a 5 week hiatus, I finally go back into the gym tonight. Vacation and work have gotten in the way and, mixed with a hint of laziness, here we are.

Today's class was taught by Avery. We learned some back escapes.

The first was butt scooting down, moving off one of the hooks, flipping over and under hooking the leg and ending up ready to move to side control.

The second and third were the normal escapes to both the safe and danger side.

After class, something interesting happened...

I got my blue belt! I only had three stripes and wasn't even expecting my fourth for a while, so this was completely out of the blue (fuck, I didn't mean to make a pun). 

So, needless to say, I don't think I deserve it, but I'll take it and I'll just have to get to work.

[jvonlembke]

December 7, 2013

Saturday class. Taught by coach Pat.

We focused the first hour on single leg take down. Head outside, pivot to takedown or pivot and blocking the far knee to takedown.

We then focused on some standing guard passes after the takedown: Knee cut through and smash pass. I like the smash pass, but need to focus more on sprawling fully onto their hips to stop the reguard.

Rolled for about an hour with two twins (probably 16-17 years old) and Pat. Really focused on working off my back.

[jvonlembke]

December 5-6, 2013

Both of these classes were taught by Avery.

Thursday's class was focused on the standing guard pass Avery taught in our private a few weeks ago. Starting with bicep control, bringing one foot up to their hip and pivoting back and up to standing. Avery only taught the Matador pass once you had the guard broken.

Friday morning was no gi and we focused on triangles and other options from triangle.

Once you have the triangle, we did a transition to omoplata, kimura, rolling in to mount, and finishing armbars from mounted triangle.

[jvonlembke]

December 3, 2013

Today's class was taught by Pat.

We focused on two passes from open guard.

Smash pass and knee-cut-through.

Focus on controlling the one knee of the opponent and the opposite hip. 

On the smash pass, I need to focus on getting my weight fully on their legs so they can not reguard.

On the knee cut through, I need to make sure to baseball slide under their arm and keep better control of that arm.

[jvonlembke]

November 27, 2013

Wednesday's class was taught by Chaun Sims.

We learned the same basic escape taught in Avery's Monday class. 

One new caveat taught by Professor Sims: When the opponent has head and arm control, you can grab their shoulder around the armpit with your two hands and lift it up to slide down and under their arm. This will get you in better position in bottom side.

[jvonlembke]

November 25, 2013

Tonight was escaping side control from bottom. A good pointer I picked up was to keep your elbows a tight to your body as possible and not even give them the opportunity to get the underhook. Then get the far side underhook yourself and throw their arm up until they are in turtle and you can work that game.

[jvonlembke]

November 22, 2013

Tonight Avery taught a triangle set up from closed guard.

You start off with a cross collar grip and hold the armlike you're doing a scissor sweep only you put your shin on their arm. You then use your grip to pull them down while sliding your shin up and over their head. Then you just set up the triangle. It's a good set up.

[jvonlembke]

November 17 & 20, 2013

On the 17th I had a private with Avery.

We started with a standing guard pass where you start in the closed guard, grab the opponent's biceps, then bring one foot up foot to their hip,  and stand. This is a really easy guard break.

We then worked on what to do after standing from the guard break. 

We rolled for about 45 min.

This past Wednesday, Mike taught the two Wednesday classes. The first class we worked on arm bar and triangle from closed guard. 

I have trouble with doing this from the guard. I picked up some pointers like making sure you hook under the leg.

The second hour we worked on the same guard break Avery and I worked on Sunday.

[jvonlembke]

November 14, 2013

Today's class was taught by Chaun Sims. 

The first hour we spent focused on maintaining back control. I really need to focus on keeping my chest to their back and using my legs to control.

The second hour we spent on maintaining guard. Chaun started us off in full guard without using hands, then only using the hands to break posture, and finally using the hands to maintain broken posture. We grabbed the head like a muay thai clinch with one hand and the other was on the bicep. 

Good fundamental training.

I also forgot to add my Monday morning class taught by Mike...

He taught us a triangle technique from wizzer. Where you have a wizzer and are hip to hip with the opponent. You then throw your near side leg across their back, post with the far side arm, and throw the other leg around for the triangle. Rolled a bit with Scott and Mike, still trying to play the butterfly half game too.

[jvonlembke]

November 12, 2013

Today's gi class was taught by Pat.

We worked two techniques from the back. 

The first was rear naked choke. Pretty simple, but some things to focus on are putting the choking arm's hand on the opponent's shoulder while sliding the other hand behind their head. Also, I focused on keeping the arms and hands tight so they don't get caught by the opponent.

From the rear naked, we then worked the transition to arm bar. This is something I will try to work on for sure going forward. 

From the seat belt position, you first want to take the underhooked hand and grab the shoulder. Then take that side's hook and put it across the opponent. Take the top arm and go around their head and push their head towards the floor while swinging your other leg up and over their head. After the leg goes over their head press it down and sit up in the arm bar position and finish.

[jvonlembke]

November 8 & 9, 2013

Friday I took the morning class with Avery, but...no one was there, so I got a private! We rolled for about 30-45min of the hour and the rest of the time was spent on butterfly half-guard to x-guard.

Avery taught a few sweeps and a back take. I really only remember the sweep where you move your one leg down towards the opponent's ankle and pull them down while controlling their opposite leg.

Saturday, Pat taught some near side gift wrap from side control stuff that was pretty fun. Basically, when the opponent is trying to make space from bottom side with their forearm, you just push on the back of their tricep, grab the wrist, and feed it to your far side hand under their head. From there, depending on what they do, you can go to mount, back, etc.

In the open mat I was trying to focus on working the butterfly half stuff, but was never able to get to X guard. I did get a few butterfly half sweeps, but that's it.

[jvonlembke]

November 6, 2013

Today's classes were taught by Mike. 

The first hour Mike taught back escapes. We worked two escapes.

Both were from seatbelt. The first was going to the safe side, getting your shoulders to the mat, putting your weight on their arm and thigh, putting your elbow on their chest, grabbing the pant leg and going to side control.

The second, you go the danger side, putting your weight on their thigh, but this time you grab the opponent's arm, put it around your head, and switch your hips into their guard.

The second hour, we worked one choke from side control. It was very cool.

From side control, you grab the opponent's bottom of the gi and feed it to your hand that is under their head.Then you pop to knee on belly, switch the gi you are gripping to your other hand, put your forearm in their chest to control them, then grab the gi on the other side of their head, switch back to side control and get the choke. 

We rolled for about 45min. It was a good time.