Taps: 699.

Taps: 3. Total: 699.

Brown Vince showed a nice Side ESC, pushing the armpit. 
1. Prevent the cross face, then push out on his armpit.
2. Come up on my elbow with other hand, then the hand that was pushing on armpit, snakes over his shoulder and arm.
3. Get up on one knee, hip in the air and turn him over.

Need to Work On:
1. Side Control ESC, when I get cross faced, and flattened.

and its variation.

2. N-S Choke. (which side does my head go? choking hand side or opposite side?)

Rolling thoughts:
Purple Izzy tapped me with a couple of leg locks (since I know no defenses for those), and I still haven't solved the Deep Half puzzle the Purple Belts throw at me.

Seems like Blues discover Spider Guard and Purples the Deep Half. Might have to start really looking into a Deep Half Killer system. Will wait a little while for the Leg Lock defenses. I want to focus on the basics -- Escapes, Passes and Closed Guard.

Taps: 696 & Closed Guard 4.13

Taps: 4. Total: 696.

Tech 1 - Bulldozer Guard Break and Under Pass. 
Basic. Like it.
1. Get posture and base. Right knee back and up against his butt, left leg out.
2. Single under with left arm, get cross grip. Right arm/elbow in, tight against my hip.

** The rest, I like to use Jordan's Pass, with grip on pants to prevent the Turtle.

Here's my Closed Guard Game, 4.13.
1. Hip Bump Sweep.
2. Reverse Scissor Sweep.

3. Arm drag to Back.
4. Pendulum Sweep

To add:
* Omoplata, Armbar and Triangle. 

Taps: 692 - Mount Maintenance

Taps: 3. Total: 692.

Tech - Mount Maintenance

1. Grapevine.
2. Cross Face and Half Grapevine.
3. Choke Attempt to get his arm up and high Mount.
4. "Shadow Hooks" as I saw awhile ago from the Gracie Bros.

I love the Basics. Just need more time drilling them!

Also, Purple John, who is now teaching the Saturday afternoon class, gave me some advice about rolling. He said, "Against a higher belt, always try to Pass or get top/dominant position." And practice my Guard Pulling with lower belts.

Two thoughts:
1. Driving home after training, I was thinking BJJ puts me in a good mood.
2. After hearing Nic G. talk about his beautiful flowy game, I was thinking how UGLY my game is! I'm gassed. Stuck on bottom, just not moving and just defending. I say again, U-G-L-Y. Only saving grace is that I have many many years to correct that.

Taps: 689

Taps: 3. Total: 689.

Tech 1 - Closed Guard Omo.
1. Both sleeve grips, and if he lifts a knee up.
2. Hook under the leg, pass grip over to that hand.
3. Omo and roll over onto my belly and flip him and come out on top.


Brown Vince showed a Closed Guard Cross Collar Grip, series, after class bonus.
1. It all starts with a Cross Collar grip and go for choke. Look for the crease on the gi.
2. Can transition to armbar, then Omoplata.

Injury update: 
1. Rib still sore.
2. Now twisted knee.

Taps: 686

Taps: 8. Total: 686.

Tech - Back Attack series.

The only thing to fear are big, strong White Belts. They are so unpredictable and more often than not, use strong than technique.

Anyway, I sucked it. Hard on myself, but mad at myself. Not sure what it is. Tapping to White belts doesn't bother me, so it must be something. Plateau again? Maybe.

Taps: 676

Taps: 1. Total: 676. 

Tech. 1 - Turtle Sweep.
1. Get my knee between his legs.
2. Inside hand under his armpit, lift and wrap as I sweep over.

Tech 2 - Turtle Attack - Rousey Sushi roll to armbar. 
1. On top of turtle with both hooks in, attacking right arm. Post my right hand on the mat, get my right leg hook deeper.
2. Left hand goes over his head, under his right arm and grabs my own gi to control that arm as my right knee goes on top of his neck and onto the mat.
3. Roll over my left shoulder, grab his ankle and flip over my head and into armbar position.

Tech. 3. - Reverse Half Pass. 
1. Get cross face on other side, then back step.
2. Can get a choke with collar grip even.
** Need to add this to my toolbox of Half Passes, along with the other two.

Mild Success:
1. Roberts' Reverse Scissor.
2. Scully's Pendulum Sweep. Money. Thank you Jason Scully!

Keep working:
1. Side ESC.
2. Kesa ESC.
3. Passes. X Pass. Jordan Under.

Taps: 675

Taps: 5. Total: 675.

Tech. 1 - Half Guard Sweep.
1. He comes down with pressure, threaten Kimura and sweep.

Tech 2 - Spider Sweep.
1. Leg lasso on left side, right foot goes on mat.
2. Left leg high on his left side thigh, and I have both sleeve grips.
3. Lift up with left leg, and right leg pushes off the mat.

Tech. 3 - Sit out from Turtle.
1. Lift leg on same side hand grip, and sit out.

Tech. 4 - Side ESC 1 - Prevent Cross Face.
1. As he puts hand over on other side of my head, frame with both elbows, bridge straight up and shrimp out  and get a knee in.

Tech 5 -- Side ESC - He doesn't put his hand on other side.
1. Upa up and bridge and get near knee in.
2. Swing other outside leg over his head and put on his hip.
3. Grab that side sleeve grip, replace leg on hip with knee and swing back into Open Guard.

Fail:

1. Reverse Scissor Sweep (S. Roberts vid)

2. Side ESC -

The guy had his hand on other side and put it on the mat to base.

** Maybe I wasn't N-S enough? I'm going to try this one. (Ronis Gracie - Quick Escape)

3. Robson Omoplata

Easter Training -- 22 Taps! (669)

Taps: 22. Total: 669.

Open mat for an hour in a half. Just the four of us on Easter Sunday. There is no holidays in BJJ. Black Joel, Brown Z, Brown Dean and me (Blue one stripe).

That is why I tapped 22 times.

Focus: 

1. Passing (Jordan seminar vid), break it down, take notes, then drill.
2. Kesa ESC.
3. Side ESC.
4. Back ESC
5.. Close Guard Series (overhook); Omo (robson).

Brown Z is a tapping machine. So impersonal. No ego. Just very very efficient. And heavy. Just settles in, down with his weight on Side and takes away any breathing space with his Kesa.

Brown Z did give a good tip about pushing the head after I get the overhook in the Close Guard series. I always get stuck there. Gotta give it a shot.