Taps: 518

Taps: 5. Total: 518. 

Not much to report. Shoulder tweaked. Might have to take next weekend off.

Review: 1. Half - Old School and Plan B.

2. Clock Choke.
3. Mount Triangle. 
4. Tech. Mount Esc. 
5. Deep Half (Glover).

Taps 513

Taps: 2. Total: 513.

Brown Vince did a series of attacks -- from Side and Back. 

Side - if other guy puts his outside arm over your neck. This is just the position for one of the Side Esc that I like. It's this one. 
  So if he does that, 1. I trap that arm, with my right arm by grabbing my own collar over his arm.
  2. Left arm that was cross-facing comes out under his neck and goes over his head on the other side, so that I lock in his head, my left elbow against his ear and my knee on the other side of his head.
  3. My right knee comes up on KoB.
  4. Pull his trapped arm up with my right hand that has collar grip control. Get him on his side. My right hand slides up, towards his fingers.

** This is the Basic steps 1-4, that leads into the series of attacks.
  Attack 1 - Kimura.
   A. Switch hand grips, with my left hand grabbing his arm lower, below his elbow.
   B. His arm should fall down, dangle like an L and inviting you to grip the Kimura.

Attack 2 - Armbar.
   A. If he defends the Kimura, right knee down, left leg up over his head, swivel down for armbar.

** there were a couple of other attacks, but I can't quite remember all the details and I had trouble finishing.

From Back -
Attack 1 - Basic Collar Choke.
Attack 2 - Choke, like a Loop behind his head.
Attack 3 - Bow and Arrow.

** Can cycle through all three.
  Vince's point: You can do an armbar from Back, but you can't transition to anything else.

Misc -- Getting better at the Pendulum Sweep, and even pulled off a Gi Wrap modified Pendulum, that I saw from Chris Hauteur. I didn't do it right -- it was an ugly cross because I couldn't remember all details, but I basically got the gi wrap grip and pendulumed my legs and got it. I forgot to roll over my shoulder and grip his knee like he shows in this vid, and also here. 

Just focusing on my Closed Guard. 

Also, I need to focus Mount ESC, Side ESC, Back ESC. 

Taps: 511

Taps: 1. Total: 511.

For an hour or so, I'm getting smashed and sweating and I forget all my worries and stress. And then, 30 minutes after class it all comes back.

Tech. 1 - Brown Vince -- He almost passes, hand on armpit and flip him over. Very similar to Dennis Ache's sneaky Side Control reversal.

Tech. 2 - Black Chris - Sit Out (review)

Tech. 3 - Sit up Guard - Collar Drag.

Brown Vince - Gen. Tip, Scissor Leg to come up (more leverage that way).  Add to Drill list.

Focus: 1. Side Control (top) - maintenance. Don't be in such a hurry to try sub.

2. Kesa ESC: A. Jordan's -- forget the step 1 - scissor my leg. B. Side Control theory -- review that.


Drill list: 
1. Collar drag.
2. Kesa ESC.
3. Scissor leg (to come up on knee), and legs up for the Kesa esc.

Taps: 510

Taps: 5. Total: 510.

Sunday. Sunday. Black Joel taught some Self-Defense techniques and stand up stuff. Even put on the gloves and had drills where the other guy is tapping you to simulate live punches as we practiced takedowns or Mount Escapes. Whole different game with punches (more like love taps) raining down on you.

Review: Clock Choke -- couldn't finish.

Guard to Back Take -- forgot to shrimp out to collapse his base, and forgot about the Pendulum Sweep option.

** Small success: able to pull off the S Mount Esc -- shrimping into him and collapsing his base. Need to drill it more.

Taps: 505

Taps: 4. Total: 505.

A lot of techniques but luckily most of them review (all the Closed Guard series.).

Tech 1 - Self-Defense (Stand up) - If a guy grabs you from behind. He comes over your right shoulder.
 1. Grab his arm with both hands, drop knee of same side (Right knee), twist my shoulder forward and to the left and throw him.

Tech 2 - (stand up) I have double Underhooks. He defends by framing and pushing against my jaw.
1. Push that lead elbow, turning him around and I have his back.
2. Lean down, put my shoulder into his hip as I grab double ankles and pull up for the takedown.

Tech 3 (stand up) - vs. Tall guy, I can't quite reach his neck.
1. Kick behind one knee and fold, buckle his leg, pull him down by his shoulders.

Tech 4 - Closed Guard Series
A. Bottom - Hip Bump Sweep - Kimura.

Tech 5 - Kimura counter
1. Push down on knee, take his back (away from the Kimura side).

Tech 6 - Bottom. Kimura counter to the counter.
1. Have the Kimura locked up, drop leg on the same side as Kimura, basically letting him pass to Side Control on that side.
2. Bridge and reverse and come up on top.
(same thing that Dennis Asche shows, but he starts from Side Control).

Misc. - Man, getting smashed in Half Guard is no fun. Get on my side. Get on my side. Get on my side. Get on the right side.
** Review: Back Esc and Mount Esc.
** Got caught in a couple Single Legs off scrambles. Sprawl and also try Rolles Kimura counter. .

Taps: 501

Taps: 3. Total: 501.

Thought I be more Horray! and happy about hitting 500 taps finally. But I'm subdued. Well, I sucked a little less than last class. So there's that.

Finally made it to Brown Vince's early class before class. I'm always showing up in the middle of it. He was showing a Half Guard clinic, top and bottom.

If you're on Bottom, and have the worst position -- he's got underhook and you're getting flattened ...
1. Push on his hip with my Right hand, create space and get my Left Knee in against his other hip.

Top guy can counter by Hip switching, that will kill that hand that was on your hip.

But that leaves on Bottom guy with the only option -- He can bridge up with his left leg and roll into and over you.

So Top guy can counter that by underhook that left leg (bridging leg) to keep from going over, and also scooting back and reaching far over him on the right to the mat to keep balance. Kick leg over when he bridges to get to Side Control.

Regular class started with Black Chris showing two cool techniques, continuing on in Half Guard Top.

Tech. 1 - Half Roll to Mount.
1. Bottom guy has underhook and on his elbow, ready to go for some sweep.
2. Top guy reaches over his head with my left hand, get under his elbow posting arm and Gable grip.
3. Get my left knee under in, and roll him on top and to the right and come up on top again.
4. Make sure during the roll pull up my trapped leg and come out in Mount; otherwise I did all that just to get back in Half Guard Top.

Tech 2 - Side Escape into a Brabo Choke. 

Brown Vince really emphasized Slow rolling and Light rolling. Totally needed to hear that, and then there's Ryron and his Keep it Playful Movement. Gotta try not to take it so seriously and have fun and keep playing, not training.

Taps: 498

Taps: 2. Total: 498.

Plateau? Frustrated, hell yes.

You'd think after all this time, I wouldn't be getting smashed by upper AND lower belts. And that I would be able to execute a few techniques.

Damn. I need to drill more.