Taps: 1017 and the Sit Up Guard Series

Taps: 5. Total: 1017.

Black Joel taught some Stand Up and Sit Up Guard Series.

Gen. -- Clear both grips on my legs/knees.

A. Collar Drag.
  *My right hand on cross collar grip, my right knee up ... he tries to my right, hip out left and collar drag, and take the back.

B. He tries Two-Handed Collar Grip Break, and leans back ...
  *Get my right foot outside his knee, and push across with my collar grip and tip him over, come up in KoB.

C. Collar Drag, Option 2.
  *Come up, like you're going to get both hooks in, switch collar grips, roll over other side into Bow and Arrow Choke; also an Armbar option, too if I can't finish the Bow and Arrow.
   **Bow and Arrow fail, can't roll over and stuck on my side ... A. reach across, under his chin, grab his elbow and bump sweep him into Mount.
        B. Get my leg over his shoulder, and grab that ankle for a choke.

D. Collar Pull Down, where I end up more N/S, not on side like Drag.
 *Loop Choke -- fall to my left, get my right leg over his shoulder/head for the choke.

Taps: 1012

Taps: 4. Total: 1012.

Black Chris showed a S-Mount Loop Choke.

Black Vince showed Half Guard Basics Bottom -- A. knee control, getting my knee in; B. Can't get knee in, get hook in and sweep.

Half Guard Top -- vs. Knee Shield: two on one on his knee and push down, keep smashed with my chest and if I can, hook and trap his ankle, sprawl that side and pass.

Bonus: Vince showed me the counter if they counter Marcelo's side control escape where I push against his elbow, they hold onto to my legs ... I hook their elbow and roll them over.

My two go-to Moves got shut down -- Reverse Scissor and Butterfly Sweep. And I couldn't do anything from Closed Guard, either. Flower Sweep got shut down.

Need to look up:
Esc to Belly down Armbar. Get stuck there a lot.

Taps: 1008

Taps: 8. Total: 1008. 

Black Chris showed Butterfly Sweep with Head Control -- now I know how to do it three way ... 1. Standard with Underhook; 2. Saulo's way with the collar control; 3. Behind head control.

And an Armdrag to the Back, and if he puts a leg up, then get under and roll kind of like the Tails Sweep.

One success -- I was setting up my Reverse Scissor Sweep, got all the grips and was set in place, but Purple Ryan was staying back, stable base and he put a knee up, so I hooked that knee and Butterfly swept him with all my Reverse Scissor set up. Sweet.

Work on.
1. Smash Pass.
2. Henry's gift wrap, attack from mount.
3. Caio back take from the half.
4. Mahalo Pass, esp. the break.
5. 2 on 1 Pass, pinching my legs into his thighs. Never remember to do that.
6.. Roger's standing pass, reach behind for the guard break (T. Dan?). I think Marcelo reaches back, too.

Taps: 999 - Simi Open Mat

Taps: 14. Total: 999.

So Blue Sky, after winning the Baddest Blue Sub only tournament, has gotten much much better. He tapped me 8 times in one roll.

Work on:
1. 2 on 1 Standing Pass - remember to pinch legs. I never do that.
2. Deep Half. Faria.
3. X-Pass and Smash Pass - Open Passes.
4. X-Guard (watch Letitia's app)
5. Finishing Side Control Attacks -- brabo and baseball.
6. Bow and arrow.

Breakdown: Tails Sweep from Half Guard

from Vince's Lost Techniques DVD. It's my favorite and most useful. I need to dig that DVD out and pick a couple more techniques for my Half Guard.

1. Grip at his elbow with left hand, and keeps it stuffed there at my elbow or lower level.
2. Right hand, grip his pants at the knee, or behind it.
3. Shift both my legs, with his trapped leg, to the left, to the mat -- that should bring his head closer to the mat, and this makes his body lighter.
4. My right hand picks his leg up, straightens, then swings it near my head.
5. Do a backwards Roll and he comes with me for the sweep and I end up in Top Half Guard. Sweet.

Next up: Shaolin Sweep. Kind of similar but i think he gets the knees into the guy's belly and rolls him that way.

Breakdown: Fantasma Half Pass and the Criss Cross Pass

I could not train today due to flu. So I might as well breakdown my favorite Half Guard Pass to the right.

David Avellan's Fantasma Pass. 
1. He beats me to the underhook, I need to Whizzer.
2. Flatten him with the Whizzer.
3. Underhook the left side, my head on right side.
4. Step up with the left leg, and bit with the right trapped knee.
5. Left knee cuts right across his chest, pointing in 3 o'clock position, for the pass.

Criss Cross Pass (similar to the Fantasma)

1. Get near underhook, head on the right side.

2. When he gets the far underhook, move down a little.

3. Switch hips, base, push on on his outside knee to the mat.

4. Lift left leg up and cut across his stomach. 

Taps: 985

Taps: 5. Total: 985.

Black Vince taught Half Guard Top, Knee Cut and timing to when he puts hand on my hip and shrimps out. Need to get my knee up, out and jam in high under his elbow, and start the Knee Cut. Otherwise, he's got space to get his top knee in and create separation.

And if I can't get the ankle out, then jam my knee into his chest and redirect to the other way and get almost Mount.

Black Chris taught Closed Guard Armbar to Omoplata, to Kneebar.
1. I have right hand control, and he lifts his left leg up to stand; my right hand scoops under his leg and go for armbar.
2. If he squirms and Hitchhike escapes, then I move with him and get the Omoplata.
3. At the armbar, if the stuffs my top leg between his, then reach under his leg and lie sideway for the kneebar.

Rewatch:
1. Mendes Knee Cut.
2. Fantasma Half Pass.
3. Tails Sweep / Breakdown.

Taps: 980 and the Simi Open Mat 3

Taps: 11. Total: 980. 

The kid phenom I call Blue Sky only tapped me three times this round. That's down from six when I first met him and five the last time.

I also got to ask Blue Zach about that Kurt O's Side Choke with Gi. I searched and searched and could not find the tech online and I couldn't remember the second half of of it. But it's a sneaky setup. He told me Kurt showed it to him when he was up there and attended a class. There's no video, and maybe an one instance of Kurt pulling it off in some obscure comp footage.

In Side Control Top.
1. Cross face with my left hand under his neck. With my right hand, pull out his gi and wrap it under the far left armpit and pass it to my left hand.
2. Go North-South, and put my left arm in front of his neck, and drop weight down.
3. My right hand goes behind his neck, grab his gi and start moving slowly back to original Side Control for the finish.

I asked Blue Sky to show me the Knee Cut re-direct again with the Hand positions.
1. My right knee is caught; right hand on his gi or press down on his hip; left hand on outside of his other knee, grip there.
2. Stand back a little, straighten my right knee, then cut across his shin to the left, then move to the other direction -- to the right, like a leg drag.

Work On.
1. Roger's Cross Choke from Mount -- either I get rolled or I can't finish.
2. Half Bottom.
3. Half Pass - Fantasma.
4. X Guard.
5. Berimbolo Counters.