X-Guard Continued...

What a difference drilling makes. Last week we covered a basic X-Guard entry which felt like I was dragging an extra person with me on the mat. This weekend I figured out why I was having such a hard time with the entry - I was a sitting up while trying to scoot under my opponent. RA pointed out that I needed to transition to laying flight on my back - Not accustomed to this because I play open guard a lot by sitting up with a stiff arm in the neck as I scoot around hunting for the reversal. Not to mention in most cases it's not advisable to be flat on your back no matter the situation. Now I know why my hips felt so immobile. After about 15 minutes of drilling I finally got the timing down and started really committing to the entry. The X-Guard is starting to feel really natural. The cool thing is by sitting in the position I can "feel" about 3 reversals without RA showing me. It's all the basics right? Break the opponents posture down, eliminate the post and take the opponent over.

The choke I learned from 50/50 is going to be one of my favorites. I've been choked out via this submission and have seen it on you-tube a bunch. Anything doable from side control is sweet.

The steps as I remember them:

1. From side control leave the top arm floating underneath my opponents head.
2. Remove the floating hand and reach over lightly over-hooking my opponents head as I simultaneously hip switch using my rib area to force my opponent to look away from me.
3. Still maintaining light pressure and my head tucked to the opposite side I slide to 50/50 position still with only one hand around my opponent's head.
4. At this point my opponent feels an escape route is directly south and will typically start to squirm out.
5. As my opponent squirms south his neck is exposed at which time I go palm to palm squeezing for the choke.

Mat log:

Felt pretty good in spite of getting tapped out via ankle lock and a lapel choke from the back. I do remember getting a reversal using a technique Rob taught me years ago. I also remember being able to get to my knees and defending a few chokes from the turtle position, eventually sitting back to guard.

A side note on my cardio - the treadmill is working. I've been running a mile and working dumbbells and medicine ball drills several times a week.

 

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Kids Train with 'The Pitbull'

This week the kids had the opportunity to train with Ralph Gracie! Here are some pictures and videos of the class.

 

PICTURES

 

VIDEOS

Drilling under Ralph Gracie's watch

Some light rolling

Getting striped

 

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Sunday Training

I need to get into the habbit of posting my notes immediately after training. It's hard enough to remember all the details when collecting my thoughts after class. 

Note to self: post training notes no more than a 3 hours after training.

Sunday was my first day training with Rob Ables, a local black-belt in the DFW area. I was advised by my current instructor Chris Story, to branch out and explore other formats to help push my game to the next level. It was an eye-opener. First off, Rob's style of instruction was excellent. Rather then going through a list of mechanical steps, we started off with the end game objective and concept building working backwards. This really helped solidify the "reasons" for each step.

This session we covered the following:

1. basic x-guard concepts
2. x-guard entry options

It was an excellent session because I love to play half-guard and naturally transition to a different form of the x-guard in my current game. I usually transition to the x-guard by uncrossing my oustide leg and inserting the hook on the inside of my partners thigh. The x-guard entry and position Rob covered was not what I'm accustomed to. 

Things that stuck:

1. x-guard entry - the interesting thing about what I took away from this part of the lesson was not the actual x-guard entry. Rob explained how to square up when playing open guard and proper hand position to defend the pass. This alone was worth the entire day!
2. The x-guard feel - Although I don't remember all technical details (as I drill more I'll remember) I do remember what it feels like to have the correct control. Rob said "once you understand where you need to be, you can be inventive on how to get there." Good stuff.
3. The Box- Entry to the x-guard is not about forcing. It's about engaging when you are ready to by keeping squared up with your partner and engaging/disengaging when you to. Then when the grips and position are available you transition.

Things that didn't stick:

1. All the details on set up. I'll need to drill this a few thousand times before it makes sense :)
2. x-guard reversal details. I'm able to execute an x-guard reversal in live grappling but I just don't remember all the details.

Mat Log:

1. Cardio absolutely sucks. 10 minutes of live rolling and I gassed.
   
2. Rob was going easy on me but still made it a point to make me see where he could have finished. 
3. The one good thing I did that I do remember (amidst all the fleeing) was a good base out on an attempted reversal. I felt my body lifting off the ground and I literally straightened out my two legs as a counter weight to stop the reversal and it worked. I definitely paid for that for the next 5 minutes but it's the small victories that get you through it!

Next time....

Kids Up for Belt test

My kids are coming up on 5 years of BJJ training. It is amazing to see how they've grown both in technical knowledge and sensitivity. My daughter Dayna is already training with the adults in her class and is holding her own with women twice her age. Devon is also doing well in the kids class.

Next week Thursday Ralph Gracie will be visiting the academy for belt testing and promotions. Dayna and Devon were invited and will probably get bumped up a rank. They are going to be a solid blue belts one day.

(they've grown some since this picture was taken - 3 yrs ago)