Posts Tagged ‘Blue Stripes’

BJJ

We continued to work on learning to roll lightly instead of fighting. It’s been great to have repeated classes lately with this focus. Trying to relax and think instead of powering over, to let your opponent get stuff and then apply your own technique. I feel like I am getting better but have a ways to go. I find it hard to make sure my technique is effective rather than moving with power through a defence or positional control. It’s such a partner oriented thing too. If your partner speeds up, it’s really hard not to respond in kind. I think that my new goal is to not worry what my opponent is doing if they go fast, they go fast and I will just let them for that roll, letting it happen rather than getting sucked into trying to stop them. Ego is a tricky thing and it sneaks up on you from all directions. Checking your ego at the door is an eternal process it seems.

It was good to run through the blue belt syllabus in one go and I surprised myself with how much I remembered. I could feel that I spent time in some parts remembering, rather then executing technique perfectly, so more reps for me I guess.

Well done to everyone who was awarded new stripes. It’s always awesome recognising how far everyone has come and how well the guys ahead of you are doing.

MMA

Continuing to work with the Thai Clinch has been really interesting, seeing how effective it is as a control reinforced John Will’s discussion of leverage. It can feel like you aren’t doing that much but when you’re on the receiving end you feel like you can’t go any where.

Sparing was fun and we were all conscious of sparring and not fighting in the same way as we worked on rolling not fighting in BJJ. Again the challenge is keep your technique good while being relaxed and flowing.

It was a great class and I walked out of with a lot to reflect on and having had a lot of fun.

Cam D

BJJ

Codz ran us through a warm up with a few differences including wheel barrow races to get those arms going.

Warren continued our charge through the blue belt syllabus with figure 4 from guard, from mount and in side control.

We drilled 50 times each side the movement from guard. From the open guard, shifting onto our side gripping the wrist. Sitting up and reaching over the shoulder and back under the arm we are already gripping. Grasping our own wrist and forming the “figure 4” then sitting back, cutting with our leg on the same side over their back to prevent them rolling. We got the tap once and then focused on repping out the positional shifts.

After that we moved to mount and drilled the top figure 4 50 times on each arm alternately. Using straight and locked arms we pushed our opponent’s arm to the floor, slipped our arm on the side under theirs and gripped our own wrist in the figure 4. Then we pulled the lock down into position by our knee before applying the torque for the tap. Again we didn’t get the tap just the position after first one.

Then we moved to side control. We started as if we had already locked the top figure 4 and they straightened their arm out of it. Our goal was to control their transition and, at the right moment, apply an arm bar then as it moved through the full rotation to the down facing position we pulled our arm through and applied the bottom figure 4. We drilled this 50 times as well.
With the bottom figure 4, it is necessary to switch our knee over their head and pin them down in order to apply the tap.

We then rolled two quick rounds to finish the class

MMA

Unfortunately I couldn’t make this class but Mark had them getting out the Thai pads as I left so I am sure it was awesome. It always is if I don’t go…

Cam D

BJJ

The warm-up was taken by Howie tonight and he got us working on basic movements both on the ground, shooting and recovering to standing.
Mark worked us through escape from north-south position. We drilled bridging and straightening the arms to escape out. Then changing our grip and swinging our legs to gain momentum for switching out to our front. As we retracted we had to gauge the distance and decide whether to go all the way out or to shoot for the leg.
We then worked on variation where our opponent sprawled hard. We were unable to switch to our front so we swung our legs horizontally back and forth until we had momentum to come all the way around sideways and hook the leg. This left us posting out on our outside arm and moving to the back or escaping out.
We rolled for 45 minutes and then finished the class with more stripes being awarded. Congratulations again to everyone who graded.

MMA

We started off doing focus pad work where we tried to put everything together, trying out our combinations, kicks, clinches and takedowns on the person holding the pads while they threw the kicks for us to check and made sure we kept our hands up.
We stayed on the same sides and swapped partners four times before changing to holding the pads for the other side.
At the end of this we geared up fully and did medium level sparring, changing partners between rounds.
Round one: Hands only. Mike taught me the hard way to keep my shell closed in order to avoid getting an uppercut on the jaw.
Round two: Hands and kicks. Tom showed me I was dropping my hands when I kicked by jabbing me in the face.
Round three: Hands, kicks, clinches and takedowns, but straight back up from the ground. Jack showed me to keep my left hand up when I cross to protect the side of my head from his right hook.
Round four, five and Six: Everything including ground work, using punches as well as submissions. It was great putting it all together and thinking about where to strike on the ground and how to use it to set up the submission.
We all learnt a lot and everyone was tired and happy at the end.

CamD

BJJ

Tonight Mark was obviously bored and we started out with a very tough warm up where he challenged us to attempt hand stand pushups. He graduated them so everyone could work towards achieving them. Then 100 squats. Needless to say we were definitely warm.

We then worked on escapes from Headlock.

First, we did “Headlock Escape to Back” where we escape the elbow, hook the leg and then move up onto the opponents to back.

Then “Rolling Headlock Escape” for when you are unable to escape the elbow and you have an underhook with it. Clasping your wrists behind the opponent in a clinch. Then bridging up and over into side position, posting out quickly to avoid being rolled. From there, breaking the opponents hand control using your forearm and head movement.

Finally “Headlock Escape to the side”. We use this when we have escaped out elbow but are unable to get the leg hook, so instead, We switch out to our hands and knees and walk our legs around till we end up side position again breaking the grip.

Then we rolled for half an hour in 5 min rounds. The first three rounds were positional only then submissions.

At the end of class stripes were awarded by Mark and Warren. Congratulations to everyone that got a new stripe!

MMA

Warren started us off with 3×3 minute rounds with a 1 minute rest Shadow boxing our techniques, interspersed with Shooting, sprawling and going to back and recovering.

After that we refined our sprawl technique practicing landing on our elbows and flicking our legs well up and out of the way.

Then we worked in pairs with focus mitts developing our punching while circling to the weak side of our opponent.

1. jab
2. jab, double jab
3. jab, double jab, cross
4. jab, double jab, cross, hook, cross

We also broke down Hooks and drilled that slowly and refined our technique.

CamD