Sun 32: 5669

Taps: 5. Total: 5969.

It's official. BB Tarca at PhenomBJJ open mats on Sun. No longer coming to Sun confessions. Not sure why. Will have to ask him if i go there. 

BB Wade -- likes the collar grip. I take that away and he's got the wicked fast Armdrag, which i forgot about. 

*Hasan the Brown. Not his real name, too embarrassed to ask because it's been so long. He's brown and he's a brown belt. very technical. Last couple of weeks, has been saying very nice things about progress of my game. think he's been surprised. not sure why. same ole same ole to me. 

He's got good Half Passes that kills my game. I have to be very precise. In Half Bottom, he's got a good Lockdown, which made me revisit Lockdown Passes because of him. 

Anyway, Hasan's A move from top side Kimura grip to Reverse Triangle. He got me with with it a couple of times. Most people, including me, defend the armbar from that Kimura grip ... but he steps inside the arm and rolls forward and locks up the Reverse Triangle. 

He told me the defense is to shrimp into him and not away. 

N/S choke -- got into it a couple of times. Could not finish. 

Continue:

1. Half Passes

2. Lockdown Pass

3. N/S Choke

4. Kimura grip to Rev Triangle

5. Octopus

Sun 31: 5964

Taps: 1. Total: 5964. 

Keep working: 

• Pants grip Passing / J. Thomas
• Knee Cut / Wiltse
• Headquarters / Wiltse / Lovato
• Half Passing / chest to chest / Danaher / Gordon
• Defensive game / Pritt / hour interview
• Lockdown Passing

Drill: Glover Triangle from Spiderweb

Once i pass, trying to keep N/S but stuck there. Try N/S choke. That ole forgotten standby. 

Sun 30: 5963

Taps: 5. Total: 5963.

Back to the drawing board: 

• Passing / Wiltse.
• Turtle esc
• Half guard / octopus ... knee shield

That two-week off did not help any. 

Sun 29: 5963

Taps: 6. Total: 5963.

BB Steve ... so efficient in his movements. Every limb is doing something essential. That's my goal. 

Prof Crane ... after all these years, finally got to roll with him. So generous. And he's got a wicked Ezekial from the Back. Got to add that to my arsenal. 

Now i have rolled with two famous BJJers ... Sean Roberts and Alberto Crane. 

I've met famous BJJers ... Roy Dean, Tom DeBlass, Royce Gracie, Rener Gracie, but have only rolled with the above two. 

Work on Control ... rather than Subs ... bc otherwise it's luck and not repeatable. If i can get Control, i can get the Sub, but i can't always get the Sub without the control. 

Work on Pass. 

Work on Side to Mount. On Mount control. Back Control. Back Ezekial. 

Sun 28: 5957

Taps: 2: 5957.

Word of the day: Control. or the lack of it, on my part. From top Side, Mount, and even from Gokor ankle lock position. 

I would get top position and they would escape, also Turtle. 

Work on it.

re: Gokor ankle lock ... BB Tim ... get my heel against his hip / control the hip / immobilize the hip ... then the finish is easy. 

Work on Control in all the positions. That's the next step on the progression.  

Sun 27: 5955

Taps: 6. Total: 5955.

BB Ray tip: after Pass, and going N/S, control near side pants leg, so they can't roll away. 

Review: 

• Darce ESC -- Malachi. / kept getting in it today. 
• Kob ESC / 
• Armbar break / Silverado?

Continue to drill:

• Dope Mount to S Mount
• Twister Roll

Rando Purp tip: when i have the cross grip ... go for armbar or Omoplata.  

Sun 26: 5949

Taps: 1. Total: 5949.

What happened today: 10 rolls, 1 tap, 2 tips from a BB who was watching my last roll with Purp w one hand. One hand is really good at passing my Half, really gives me fits, and he usually gets to Mount and either taps me with Americana or a Head n Arm Triangle. 

But i think he was gassed since it was at end of the session and i was able to reverse and get Top position and threaten armbars several times but could not finish. 

So at end of round BB gives each of us a tip. 

To Purp -- passing Half: Lift far leg, get deep ... sit down on my other thigh, totally locks down my hip and leg. From there, get close, lift knee, free knee to right, get crossface and lock hands and get the Pass.

To me -- finish Spiderweb Armbar ... tuck bottom leg under his chin, behind his head .. bring other leg over ... that should give me leverage to separate his hands. 

Practicing: 

• Gokor One-hand ankle lock ... 
• Kimura traps / Hot Dog roll

Sun 25: 5948

Taps: 3. Total: 5948

Drill more:

1. Pass but whose? Wiltse? 

2. Kimura Trap

3. S Mount Armbar ... JSL

4. Side to Mount ... Ffion

BJJ Simplified

End goal is the Submisison. 

Starting Position: Top or Bottom

Top -- 

1. Pass (Half, Open or Closed Guards) to Side Control or Sub (Leg locks / chokes)

2. From Side Control ... Sub or Mount or take Back

3. Mount / Back ... Sub or lose Position ... back to Step 1 or 2.

Bottom -- 

1. Prevent Pass / Sweep to come up on Top (see above for Top options)

2. Sub from Bottom (Half, Closed or Open Guards) 

That's it. 

the Big Picture. Everything else is details / micro goals on way to achieving the 5 points above.  

Sun 24: 5945

Taps: 7. Total: 5945.

As usual, Passing, goes without saying. Always. Bread and butter. Staple. 

Having said that, getting to Side Top ... getting Kimura grip and cannot progress to a sub. Or if i cannot get under the arm, then NO Kimura grip. Dead ends there. 

Am i too focused on the armbar? Spider web?

Review: Giftwrap Armbar / Peterson Grapp. 

Or just go to Mount? Twister Side? Tarikplata? 

All options to think about. 

Same goes for Turtle Top. Need some attacks for Turtle. Juji + ????? Ezekiel? 

Revisit: Kimura Trap. 

Sun 23: 5938

Taps: 2. Total: 5938.

Big Brown on vacation with Irish accent had an old school game. Flattened me. 250 lbs. I'm used to it. Need to use more tech. I could not sweep him from Half bc i didn't Reverse Shrimp with my shovel torque. Bc he was so big, needed perfect tech. With smaller guys, Shovel torque alone would have been enough. With him, i needed to move my hips and Reverse Shrimp.

Lots of peeps getting by my half with Weave and locking my knees/legs together. If he stand, i need to sit up. Create space. 

Work on passing. Wiltse. 

Side Esc. Bridge. Create space. Get knee in. Re-guard. 

Big blue got me in Reverse Triangle. Try to get free arm inside the Triangle. 

Still a long long way to go.  

Sun 22: 5936

Taps: 5. Total: 5936. 

Getting smashed by big Purps and other BBs. Half Guard needs work. Knee Shield needs work. 

25 min of 6 hour Wiltse passing seminar -- helped immensely. Look for underhooks, then In Step ... head and Chin Strap / Guillotine threat should open up elbows for Underhook. 

Spiderweb to Silverado ... small progress. Also, work in Glover side to Triangle from Spiderweb. 

BB Chris ... he always gives up back and Turtles bc he likes to set up a Kneebar from there. I take his Back from Turtle but can't finish. 

Plan today: JJM arm trap under my knee to Armbar or  JJM Twister from Turtle. Got Twister but ran out of time before i could progress to last step which was RNC (if he lifts his head) or Twister finish if i can get his arm behind my head. 

Sun 21: 5931

Taps: 6. Total: 5931.

Need to tap early on left shoulder -- the surgery shoulder. Going to be really sore and also could have re-injured it. 

• Passing
• Passing Knee Shield. 
• Half guard -- don't get smashed and passed

BB Oleg -- grip on my palm from Back / saw Danaher teach it ... never been able to get it. Need to ask Oleg. also he was showing a Spiderweb armbar finish ... w Kimura grip and transitions to Back Triangle.

 Kimura grip w bottom hand on his arm i'm attacking / top hand on my own wrist. 

JJM Side Control ESC -- keeping my knees up / really works for not getting subbed but i haven't been able to transition to an escape. i have to wait for their movement then move my hips / knees to recover guard. 

Sunday 20: 5925

Taps: 7. Total: 5925. 

Got smashed by all three Purps that i rolled with. Rolled thru my Half Guard. 

• Watch their Knee on the Knee cut. Can't let them get too close. Back up. 

Knee Shield Pass -- should of watched that vid. 

Side ESC -- getting cross faced. Not a good idea. 

• Chair Sit to Back / Arm trap -- Rob Biernacki
• Arm trap to Armbar from Back -- JJM

Sun 19: 5918 -- 16 BBs in the House!!

Taps: 6. Total: 5918. 

No excuses. Only solutions. 

BB Wade ... still cannot pass his guard but inch by inch progress -- he did not tap me, though he had lots of opportunities. I somehow survived. So that's progress. 

Practicing ankle locks ... entries etc ... but forgot they can counter with ankle locks of their own. Forgot all the defenses. Tapped two, three times to that. 

Keep working:

• Silverado break. 
• Spiderweb to Triangle
• Side to Triangle
• Side to Dope Mount
• Back attack
• Back to armbar
• Passing

Sunday 18: 5912

Taps: 3. Total: 5912.

BB Tarca ... just a brick wall. Can't get anything. 

BB Wade ... tiny, tiny bit of progress ... but can't for the life of me pass his guard. he eventually had to go deeper into his game and got me with double cross my ankles and the heel hook. 

Work: 

the Pass.

Top Side -- Darce and Dope Mount.

Arm bar Break ... Silverado / shoot bottom leg in for Triangle. 

Back attack ... strait jacket / hand fight / trap the hand. 

Sunday Double Header at A-side: 5909 - Carpe de Roll

Taps: 4. Total: 5909.

Finally made it out to Arman's place. Not too far from BB Steve's. 

Not a big crowd: 2 Whites, 2 Blues, Brown Simon and BB Arman. Rolled 3 times with Arman... all the taps going to him and his Heel Hooks n one crusher on my ears.

Rolled with everyone else except for the shy White Belt woman. 

Work on subs. top game. 

Carpe de Roll. Never know how many rolls i have left in me. Got to get them in while i can. 

Sun 17: 5904

Taps: 5. Total: 5904.

BB Steve is so smooth for a small guy. 

Brown Anton was so sick of my faded Brown Belt that he gave me his extra and put all the stripes on it. Now i've lost the element of surprised with my faded Gray Belt. 

Work on passing n Subs from top. Strait Jacket. 

Sun Ret 16: 5899

Taps: 6. Total: 5899.

Think i know a little, the more i learn i know not a lot. 

Smeshed in Half Guard by aggressive, big Blues and Purps. Live by Half, die by Half Guard. 

Back to drawing board. 

At least rolling with Blacks, they let me play. they just defend and let me attack til they get bored. 

BB tip -- armbar break / pull both his elbows in together / that will weaken his grip.

2. Back attack / grip pinky and fleshy part of palm to bring his hand away from his body for the leg trap

b. grip thumb for defense -- to get his choking hand away from my neck. 

Sun Ret 15: 5893

Taps: 2. Total: 5893.

More work needed:

• Back Attack / Strait Jacket
• Passing ... footwork. 
• Side Control ... attack / 
• Mount Attack 

Review:

Silverado ... Armbar Break. 

Sun Ret 14: 5891

Taps: 2. Total: 5891.

Passing ... slowly progressing, inch by inch. 

Top game / attacks ... slowly. Back attacks needs work. 

Tap to BB Tarca and Wade each. Have not been able to pass either of their guards ever YET. 

with Tarca ... noticed i needed to keep my right leg away. He grabbed that ankle and w his collar grip, I was toast. Thought i was okay til that moment. 

Tarca showed a tight armbar from Closed Guard w a crook / base of bicep gi grip, shoot straight to over his head armbar. Tight. 

Revisit: 

• Bear Trap sweep
• Scissor Wedge / turtle rolls
• 92 Double sleeve -- entry into High Guard and armbar 

Sun Ret 13: 5889

Taps: 5. Total: 5889.

vs Top Guys -- i can pass their guards, but get stuck in Top attacks. 

vs Top Guys elite -- they shut down my Half Game / pass and tap me. or make life miserable. 

so vs Top Guys -- margin for error, very small. Any gap, any pause or hesitation ... is the difference between success and failure. No uncertainty. Have to be committed and any road blocks or defenses, must transition to the next thing DECISIVELY. 

Review: Top attacks -- Mount n Side Control / kimura trap too. 

Sun return 12: 5884

Taps: 6. Total: 5884.

14 BBs in the house. Making progress on Passing. Getting closer and closer to passing BB Wade's Guard. Other peeps i'm having a little more success.

Better w Heel hook and leg lock defense since watching Craig Jones' defensive vids. 

Better w Half Guard Bottom since watching Dean Lister, esp his getting closer and when they back up. Also much success w his head in belly Takedown to the double leg Pass off the Knees. 

Check out his Half Guard Top next. 

Keep working the Pass ... and chain seq to something else. Knee cut pretty good so far but add another layer. 

Also, Top Attacks - Mount and Side. Now that i can pass a few peeps, getting stuck in my attacks or can't push their their defenses. 

Sunday 11: 5878

Taps: 5. Total: 5878.

Respect BBs, but do not FEAR them. They are human. 

Can't pass Wade and Tarca's Guards. 

Passing Footwork -- look for Mendes bros. for inspiration. Footwork. 

Take notes on Half Guard -- Lister ... bottom then top.  

Sun Return 10: 5873 and 14 BBs in the House

Taps: 4. Total: 5873.

BBs Tim and Steve -- not a good idea to get in a leglock shootout with these guys. Steve gets me w Kneebar and Tim w Toehold and Heelhook. 

BB from while back -- 10p / nogi experience means he's got mean Darce and Guillotine but survived his choke attempts but got me in armbar in the end. 

BB Wade gots mean Back Control with the foot on hip control and could not get his hooks off me or get my back to the mat ... survived but could not escape. 

Review: 

• Back ESC
• Coyote Half 
• Knee Shield -- survived but created no offense from there. Transition to What?

Sun Return 9: 5869

Taps: 5. Total: 5869.

All taps to BB Steve. Going fast and hard bc he's competing in Masters Worlds in July. Same size and age as me but way better. Hope he does well but he's there's no one in his weight or age, all are either way younger and heavier. 

Review: KoB esc and N/S attacks and Mount Attacks. 

Sun return 8: 5864

Taps: 2. Total: 5864.

Tapped to Big Blue Belt ... he exposed holes in my Half Guard ... he denied me my Underhook and he got other side Underhook ... n passed and got subs from there. Need to address that.

BB Ray ... gave me tip on finishing Cross Choke from Mount ... after deep first choke grip ... get my head on mat ... 1 o clock way up ahead ... then second grip in ... breathe in and out ... CHEST pressure for the finish.

Work: on Hinger grip back attack ... also, losing Back control / side guard control ... keep following back into Closed Guard rather than transitioning into Back ... 

also losing MOUNT alot. back to Lab on that.

did ok on Passing ... 

Keep Passing focus 

Back Attack

Mount Attack 

Side Attack 

Gordon n Danaher ... as sources 

and Darce from turtle i saw BB uday showing. Also Side step, Snap down, Ankle Pick Takedown. uday showing BB Tarca. Gotta get him to show me some day, if i remember.

Sunday return 7: 5862

Taps: 8. Total: 5862. 

Rolled w 6 BBs, one white, one brown. There were 5 other BBs i didn't get to roll with. 

Focused on getting Underhook and Knee cut PASSING. Couple of times got stuck in Deep Half Top.

Review: 

• Deep Half Passing.
• Mount Attacks
• Side Attacks

Also, could not for the life of me Pass BB Tarca's guard, truly impassable. But i don't want to let him get on top bc he passes my Half guard it's not there. he's got a killer Half Guard Pass. 

Belt Reminder -- still Brown / 4 stripes, 5 yrs and counting

6 1/4 yrs to Brown.

Turned Brown - Mar 2017. So 5 yrs at Brown and counting. 

Will be here awhile since i'm not formally training at any school, no one can promote me not that i'm ready to be BB. 

Still lots to learn before i can even think about it. Esp getting out of bad positions vs lower, stronger belts. 

Sunday Return 6: 5854 n 11 BBs in the House

Taps: 1. Total: 5854.

Octo Half Sweep -- got it 3 of 4 times. Got Rev Butterfly Sweep twice, each on peeps i never rolled with before, one a White, one Brown. 

Work on:

1. Passes

2. Back ESC

3. Foot lock

4. Estima Lock? 

Nice tip from BB Renee -- pull the guy down w me when i fall back to Half or Guard, intead of being a lazy fk n just fall back and keeping creating all that Space. 

Not motivated? Stop thinking. Just go Train. 

sidenote: 11 BBs in the house today. new record? i'll put it down for now. 

Sunday Return 5: 5853

Tapas: 3. Total: 5853. 

LT aka BB Tarca -- makes it look so easy. Gets underhook on my arm in Open Guard then swings leg over for arm crunch like / sub. Can't make any headway w him. 

Little girl Brown ... mae? she's the only person smaller than me ... and i feel bad bc i used, accidently, too much strength on her. Normally everyone else is stronger than me. Unconsciously my normal strength is too much for her ... i have to dial it down. New problem, new challenge. oh and i almost forgot, she's married to BB Uday, who rolled w me immediately after and kicked my ass. lol

Review: 

• Gordon Body Triangle ESC
• Henry RNC ESC
• Rener Body Triangle Ankle Lock

Sunday return 4: 5850

Taps: 1. Total: 5850. 

Two-week break for Spring Break. Back now. 

Unnamed BB i never rolled with before ... he framed my hips with both his hands to RECOVER GUARD easily. That gave him lots of space to get his legs/knees in. 

Another Brown had good GUARD RECOVERY ... using his foot to post on hips ... 

Made me realize that i have NO GUARD RECOVERY techs ... all i have his Half Guard ... when I'm in trouble i bail out to Half ... If my Half gets passed then .... 

re; HEEL HOOKS ... visiting female Japanese ... no belt so i thought Brown bc she dominated the other Brown girl that was there ... when i rolled with her she dominated me ... so I'm thinking Competition Brown. She went for Ankle Locks ... i defended and towards end ... i had a chance at a Heel Hook and she tapped and then she told me I was not allowed to Heel Hook ... below Blacks. 

Second person to tell me Heel Hooks were not allowed. BB Uday said no Heel Hooks in Gi. 

So i finally asked BB Tarca ... he said he they tried it on me first, then by all means go for it. Or ask before the roll. That makes alot more sense to me. 

This is the IBFJJ rules from 2021:

brown and black belts of the adult division will be able to use reaping techniques of course, in the No-Gi format. For now, it will not be possible in the masters divisions , or in the ranks below.

So yeah, no heel hooks in Gi is correct. And since Sunday open mat is Masters ... no heel hooks for me. 

Back to straight angle locks, Estima Locks anyone?

BB Ray -- finishing Armbar Break ... go with Filho ... underhook his leg. And i'm giving up too much SPACE on top of mount.

Same feedback from that Brown from last time ... said i was giving up too much SPaCE from top Side Control. 

Color Journey Update

• Brown Belt -- March 2017 
• Brown, 4th Stripe -- May 2019

So a Brown belt for 5 years now.

Lay-offs:

• 6 months: injury + surgery on shoulder
• 2 years: Just returned and a couple of sessions in -- Covid pandemic
• 3 months: Omicron variant. 

Sunday Return 3: 5849

Taps: 0. Total: 5849. 

No taps? bc no BB Tarca, BB Wade or Blue Nightmare who loves the Buggy Choke n i've seen him give fits to all the upper belts. 

Held my own today but no one was going too hard. 

Kept getting in pseudo Crab Ride, but no idea what to do from there. 

Slight progress on Passing but kept giving too much SPACE (according to Brown i was rolling with). He kept recovering Half and Guard when i was on top Side or N/S. 

Also, kept getting swept from top N/S ... need to put on my Right Knee / and go from Rev. Triangle on that side / opposite as as TeachMeGrapp video. 

Getting my Half passed when they Weave my Knee Shield, collar grip and he got his head pressure on my chin. Do i switch to Deep Half?

• Crab Ride
• Weave pass counter
• N/S top 
• Side Choke 

Sunday Return 2: 5849

Taps: 4. Total: 5849.

Need to work on Half Guard. Back to drawing board. Doesn't work so well on Browns and BBs. And lower belts with quick Subs got me with Chokes from top Half. 

Gordon and Danaher. 

BB Annie ... got her with Reverse Butterfly Sweep, got top Turtle n couldn't do anything. I had no attacks from Turtle, tried to get the back but she kept recovering to Turtle. Eventually got top Side and got me with Americana. 

Look up: Turtle Attack. 

Keep working the Passes, esp Danaher No gi series.

1. vs seated -- Bodylock  / also Laclan

2. vs supine -- Torreado/ angle

3. third option -- Floating / also Gordon

4. all leads to Half Guard pass / Danaher's fav ... need to have another look. 

Another look at Octopus Half n Giftwrap Armbar. 

 

Sunday Return 1: 5845

Taps: 7: Total: 5854.

After three-month break, Sundays are back. Dec, Jan. Feb -- black out months. 

First roll with a blue, gassed out. But recovered somewhat and Half Guard saved me a little vs the lower belts. 

Kept getting rolled on top of N/S. 

 Not much going vs BBs Tarca and Wade. They destroyed me.