Taps: 936 and Arm Drag Series

Taps: 7. Total: 936.

Sunday fun day. And wondering why I have to travel all the way to other academies when I can get my butt whooped at my own place?

BB Joel taught.

1. N/S Esc, bumping and spinning around.

2. Closed Guard Arm Drag Series.
  a. Choke, finish with grabbing my own ankle.

  b. He defends the choke, Bump Sweep into Mount.
      1. Same hand goes in front to his face, pull in on his elbow, open legs and bump.

3. Mount - fake Armbar, roll down into Triangle.
  a. Go into S Mount, leg tucked into his armpit; pull up on his Non-armbar arm, fall down into Triangle.

Focus:

1. Passing / grip fighting
2. Arm Triangle
3. Triangle from Mount and Side
4. Closed Guard

Taps: 929 and Back to our Regular Academy

Taps: 4. Total: 929. 

Good to be back at my regular academy and getting my butt whooped by the regular crowd.

BB Vince showed a counter to the back scoop take, where they kick out and take your back. I need to grip their Butt, or at the pants or preferably the belt.

Also, the Half Guard Rolling Back Take. Ryan Hall special.

Half Guard, top and my right leg is trapped.
1. Bring my right knee out, like I'm going to Knee Cut, but then get my knee to the mat on the right, and get him on his side.
2. Bring my left leg up, near the near his feet.
3. Reach with my right hand near my left leg, as I roll over my right shoulder.
4. Bring my right leg up and down, and he should twist and I can take his Back.

PB Rick says all Sweeps come from the power of the Hips. Need to get my hips underneath, and no effort is needed. The fulcrum.

BrB Steve showed his Half Guard Bottom, Kimura Sweep. He can go either way with it. He showed only one way. Next time, I'll have to ask him about the other direction.

1. Get the Kimura grip, as I'm on my right side.
2. Switch hip, and start facing the left side and get my left leg hook in and lift with that for the Sweep to the Left.

Fail: Kimura Step over. 
 *Tried twice and both times they linked hands to defend. I need to get my right knee and over his bicep before he can link hands.

Fail: Passing.
 * Really need to deal with grips before I start passing. Break Grips before I pass. Break Grips before I pass.

Taps: 925 and the Simi Valley Open Mat Visit 1

Taps: 10. Total: 925.

Getting closer to the big 1k taps.

Those Simi Valley guys came to my academy and kicked my butt, so I had to go to their Open Mat, and they kicked my butt again.

There was a 17-year-old Blue Belt who tapped my 6 times in one roll. A White belt got me with a Loop Choke. Those guys are tough and they were not holding back. I need that. I need to train outside my comfort zone. I'm still training at my academy but I'm going back first chance I get, along with going to the Open Mat at the JJ League.

Next time, maybe he'll only tap me 5 times, then 4, and eventually I might get through the roll without tapping! Little bits of progress, goals for 2014.

"Stand to Pass." -- BB Kenny.

"Keep moving, don't let them settle when you're on bottom." -- random PB.

Watts Step-Over Armbar with Belt Grip Breakdown

Here is the breakdown. 

Step 1: Both hands on other side of his head.

Step 2: Underhook his outside arm.

Step: 3. Pull that arm, get him on his side.

Step 4: Grip his belt with my other hand.

Step 5: Go N/S and step over with my left foot; right foot slides down on his chest onto his other bicep, pinning his other hand.

Step 6. Kimura grip.

Step 7: Swivel, sit down for finish.

Whenever I get to Side Control, this is the one thing I'm going to practice.

Taps: 915

Taps: 2. Total: 915.

Brown Vince showed Half Guard Bottom Floss Sweep, where you use the gi and come up. It complements the top passing that he showed on Tuesday.

 Black Chris showed 2 Back Esc, and man I needed them. Simple.
1. He has a collar grip ...
 a. tuck chin down, get both hands on that hand and fall to the side that hand is pointing.
 b. Control his top knee before he can wrap on my other side and come up in Mount; shrimp out as I push with hand, shrimp shrimp and come up in Side Control.

2. No grips, just has hooks...
  a. both my hands crossed, and inside my own collars, elbows down and collar up, turtling, hiding under my gi.
  b. scoop, scoot down TWICE, then kick out one side as I push down his same side hook with my elbow, bring my leg back up.
  c. scissor my leg, come up opposite side of the cleared hook.

Currently reading the Talent Code by Daniel Coyle. Although I'm only halfway through it, it's got some great inspiring stuff and I want to use it to learn new skills, grow my myelin. With that in mind, the first project in the new Learning Methodology Using Deep Practice  is the Watts Step Over Armbar, with the belt tie grip.

Step 1: Watch the Video (without sound) 5 times.

Step 2: Break it down into smaller steps.

Step 3: Rep it Slow (100x).

Step: 4. Do that move only in that Position during Live Rolling for two months.

Next up:

1. Scully's Shin Sweep

Marcelo does it too.

2. Tanquinho Sweep. 

Revisit:

Cane Provost's 3 P System -- Posture, Pressure, Possibilities.

Taps 913

Taps: 3. Total: 913

Brown Vince taught 3 Half Guard Passes.

1. Dealing with High Knee Shield.
 a. Go under his ankle, go to Over/Under, getting his leg on my shoulder and stacking him.

2. Dealing with Low Knee Shield.
 a. I usually go for my Leg Weave, but Vince showed a double leg wrap.
 b. Go under both legs, grab bottom knee, sprawl and pass.

3. Knee Slice and going the other way to Mount.
  a. can't do Knee Slice, then tripod and get the knee down on mat; use my other leg to wedge open his other leg and drop both legs down for Mount.

Black Chris showed dealing with DLR and Leg Lasso plus Spider. All about breaking grips. Which fits in nicely with the Keenan Passing Dvds I've been watching. Really need to slow down and think about Keenan's Red light/Green Light passing areas.

Doing Ok with Passing Half Guard, especially the Knee Slice and when I couldn't get the Underhook, going the other way with the Fantasma Pass (just saw BJ Penn's variation which is similar.

Need to ask Vince about Half Guard Bottom. And also continue the Side Escapes. And I noticed my Open Guard sucks. They just walk around it. Need to deal with that.

Taps: 910

Taps: 6. Total: 910.

Black Chris taught.

Tech 1 - Sit out. 
1. I shoot in for double, he counters with underhook on my head side.
  a. change to single on that side; trap arm, bring that side leg up and sit out and come out the back.

Tech 2 - Single counter to Omoplata.
1. I'm standing with one foot forward, he sits but grabs lead leg and tries for Single.
  a. push down on back of his head; back step a little and drop my knee and his hand along with it on the mat;
  b. grab his elbow and forward roll into Omoplata.

Tech 3 - Loop Choke.
1. Off N/S Turtle.
  a. get good grip with right hand under his chin;
  b. left hand overhook other hand and comes up behind his head, palm up.
  c. roll under him opposite side of my grip hand, turning him over.
  d. scooch in, crunch, walk into him for finish.

Bonus: Random Brown showed a tweak to Butterfly Sweep -- if they post, then scoot out, shrimp a little to get even more of an angle for the sweep.

Add to Drill: 

Kesa ESC -- time it to get my elbow down on mat when he transitions from Side to Kesa.

2014 New Year Resolution -- go to Open Mat at JJ League and Simi Valley.

I'm where I'm supposed to be but that doesn't mean I couldn't change things up a bit. I'm becoming a little comfortable and complacent. New year, I need something new, instead of doing what I've always been doing.

Gi #3 - Manto Gi

Early Christmas for me. Lil Bro gave me his Manto Gi that was a little too big. This is my Gi #3, White Single Weave.

Let's see how long it lasts.

Gi #1 -- Padilla and Sons. (three years)
Gi #3 - Kuai Kimonos (2 yeasrs .. when I got my Blue Belt).

Taps: 904 / Simi Valley Came to Visit

Taps: 14. Total: 904.

Open Mat - and Simi Valley came to visit and brought about 15 guys. And they were tough and I had my ass handed to me. Not a good feeling, let me tell ya.

I have been getting too comfortable in my training at my academy. Need to shake things up a bit. Need to get out of my comfort zone a bit.

I have resolved to be not a lazy bum and make the extra effort to make it over to the Simi Valley academy and train there at least once a month, either their Saturday Class or their Sunday Open Mat.

Those guys did not care who I was and did not go easy on me. I need more of that.

Need to work on:

Back Esc
Side Esc.