Taps: 890

Taps: 2. Total: 890.

Brown Vince in the No-gi class.

1. Half Guard Top Kimura ... when the guy comes up and beats me to the Underhook.
 a. Change base to Reverse Sit, and go over his underhook with my left hand, and tuck it in there, grab his arm or wrist
 b. Don't go for Kimura grip just yet but -- extend my left hand one-handed toward his head. This is to separate his hand from his body. Now, grab his wrist with my right hand, lock in the Kimura grip.
 c. Get back into original base, pull him up on his side and finish. If he rolls, roll with him and finish from bottom.

** rolling with Blue Brian later, I actually got this, but was close to finishing from top and bottom. Close but no cigar.

2. No-gi RNC - where the second hand is palm up and on the guy's back and Gable grips.

Black Chris in Gi Class.
1. Side Attack .. he turns away.
  a. Get Kimura grip, lift him and fall back and take his Back.

2. Turtle Turn.
   a. Get gi grip on far side, grip near his hip.
   b. Get slightly behind him, left shin on left shin as I pull on gi.
   c. Stretch him with the shin side leg, as I get the Back.

Side ESC -- tweaked by Brown Vince. (I was not trapping the far arm!).

Trouble with: Keenan's Ezekiel from Half. (Sean Roberts shows it, too.).

*Need to get under the arm, then around the neck? Is that where I'm messing up?

Hitting: 

The Reverse Scissor Sweep. (absolute favorite, and definitely in my Money Series).

And the Butterfly Sweep (off the collar grip) (Money Series)

Avellan Butterfly Pass.

And I like this Turtle Turn.

Carry on: 

Flower Sweep, Closed Guard Attacks - Armbars; Arm Drags; Mount Attacks - Armbars, Terrere Triangle, Arm Triangle; N/S Choke.

Blue Brian was showing me some Overhook Series in the Closed Guard, and made me think I need to go back and revisit the Iron Hook Series. Not sure why I went off that.

Remember to ask Brown Steve about his Cookie Cutter Pass, that he used on me today.

Taps: 888 - Open Mat Visit - JJ League

Taps: 2. Total: 888.

Lil Bro Brown invited me down to Open Matt at JJ League in Signal Hills, down Long Beach way.

Lil Bro showed me:

1. Turtle Turn -- far side gi grip, tight on the hip and pull at an angle and turn him to get Side Control.

2. Over/Under Pressure Pass/Back Step Pass -- a. when I get one knee in middle, use that knee to go over his thigh; get my other knee in tight against his other lifted leg and pressure, then back of neck collar control, then back step for the pass.

3. Shin Knee Sweep -- a. off the knee shield, same side control over his elbow (left side); b. pull him in, then right hand other side gi at the knee/leg; c. push with the left knee as I lift/push/punch with the right hand and sweep him.

Positive note: new place and mostly lower belts that I rolled with (except my lil bro) .. I hit the butterfly sweep (saulo style with collar grip rather than traditional underhook), and the Reverse Scissor Sweep. I couldn't hit the Reverse Scissor on Lil Bro because he's the one who showed it to me. Ha.

Not so positive: left some sweeps on the table, some subs I could not finish. N-S choke -- need to review; Flower Sweep -- had the armdrag and arm across my centerline, and totally forgot to reach under his leg and hip out and angle out and pendulum my left leg. Damn.

My JJ Game is like a Leaky Boat. 
Every time I plug a hole and new one appears somewhere else. Latest Hole to Plug ... Back ESC (get rid of hooks); Half Guard Bottom. Stuck wayyy too long under White Belts in these two spots last Sat.

Also, asked Lil Bro about a Side Top pressure, dealing with pushing hands ... he said switch hips and work on it on the Swiss Ball.

Met a BJJ Legend

On the way back from Vegas, stopped a Starbucks and who do you think was in line?

The Man, the Legend, the guy who kicked off the whole UFC revolution and inspired a ton of people to learn BJJ -- Royce Gracie!

He was wearing a "Royce Gracie" t-shirt and I thought he looked familiar, and I mouthed to him across the room, "Are you...?" and he nodded. I went over and shook his hand. A little bit later, he asked me if I had a camera phone. And the wife took a pic. Wow.

Rubbed elbows, shook hands with greatness.

Taps: 886

Taps: 9. Total: 886.

Ass whupped. Mission Accomplished. Was the Nail. Again.

Purple Rick showed the Ricoplata. Sneaky sneaky Armbar escape re-counter from Closed Guard.
1. Normal armbar, but not tight and RNC grip defends, then pulls right arm out.
2. So underhook his left arm, push hand between my legs. Trap his arm by putting my right hand on my left thigh, and keeping the armbar setup with the legs tight over his head.
3. Either underhook his other arm with my left or hip to right to get the shoulder lock.

Brown Vince showed:
I. Takedown, as counter to outside trip ... just turn, steer him.

II. Single Leg, Double Leg, Single drills.

III. Simple Turtle Turn/Tip.
 a. blocking the elbow or knee and grabbing back leg and pushing/tipping to Side.

IV. Turtle Turn/Roll 2.
a. Tight. Can't get any hooks in. Then get hook behind him, one of his legs. ie my right leg behind and between his legs.
b. push out his near hand, and he'll come back and whizzer me...then dive under and grab far knee and roll and come up in Side.

V. Side ESC - when he has underhook, and tight.
 a. grab at his shoulder and pull down to relieve pressure on the crossface.
 b. hip away a little, and he'll follow, get on my hip away from him ... Reach for the sky with my right near hand through his armpit and roll him over.

Black Chris showed a Scissor Sweep fail to Triangle. But with a couple of key details.
a. from Closed Guard, double wrist sleeve grip ... open Guard and get on my left hip.
b. Try Scissor Sweep with my left leg open, right knee across his stomach but right over his left arm.
c. Pull his right arm with my left hand as I shoot my right leg over his other hand and over his head and lock my legs.
d. my right hand goes around my right knee and link hands over his head -- this is posture control so he can't posture back up.
e. Then my left hand grabs my right ankle, left leg on his hip to hip out and adjust and lock and tighten the Triangle.
f. Finish: squeeze my thighs together, get his arm across, lift hip, pull head down.

Closed Guard update -- getting half way there on the techniques, the 2 vids below.

Attacking the Turtle: My Route

Here's the Plan. 

A. If I can the the Collar Grip, then Jump to other side and Turnover/to the Back.

B. If not, get the hooks in. Prof. Sauer shows me how.

B2. If I can't get both hooks, I can get One Hook and do the Rousey Roll Armbar.

And finally, if I need the Armbar Break, use the "Lonely Hand." Starts at 3:20.

And that's the Plan.

Taps: 877

Taps: 3. Total: 877.

Brown Vince showed the Guillotine Cow Turn (other hand underhook), max effect with a Butterfly hook, too.

Also, a Side Attack Kimura Series: Swim in and get underhook on the far arm ...

Back to the Drawing Board: Half Guard.

Taps: 874

Taps: 2. Total: 874.

Spider Passes.

1. like Bullfighter.
 a. grips over his legs.
 b. elbows in, and step back and make him sit up.
 c. staple his legs to mat, and step around either side, like Bullfighter, and come down with shoulder pressure on his chest, and into Side Control.

2. Smash, and into Over/Under.
  a. can't get the over leg pants grips, then grab under his calves, and go forward.
  b. his legs on my shoulders, and pressure on his butt, and reach around for the Over/Under.

3. Step over.
  a. get him on his side and step over his legs.
  b. sit down over his knees and come down in Side.

Reminder from a visiting Black Belt: Elbow ESC from Mount.
 1. I was turning too much and giving up the back.
 2. I did step over and trap his leg, but I was not getting my elbow inside his knee and sliding his knee all the way down.

** Creating my own move: Brown Francisco was showing Purple Phil a leglock from Open Guard, standing and I thought: I could fake that into a Leg Drag Pass.

from Standing Open Guard, wrap his right ankle with my left leg, and instead of sitting down for the leglock ...
  1. use my right hand and Leg Drag that right leg ...

* it's a thought. It should work as a higher belt should be worried about an leglock and not expect a Leg Drag.

Improving: Side ESC.

Needs work: Back ESC.

Taps: 872

Taps: 2. Total: 872.

from Sunday funday.

Black Joel showed a Half Guard Sweep, Old School var. But also, nice set up and maintenance from the Half ... framing, preventing the crossface, get Knee shield in, come up on my elbow, then hand .. when ready, shoot in for the underhook, dive in for the ankle and swing with my leg hook.

Also, Side Esc to Guard recovery ... 1. Bridge, shrimp, frame and pull in as I get leg over and Re-Guard.

option 2: get my leg over and go into Armbar.

option 3: grab the Kimura, get leg over and hooked in, then into Armbar.