Near side arm, sidecontrol and getting to mount

Control cross side

Very big rule is that it's no use getting to side control, if you can't control your opponent in it. It's lot of work to pass ones guard and second later notice that you need to do the work again. Judo is a good source of pinning opponents!

One big tip for me was to move before I have to. When you move to a better position in early stage you have lot more control and also it messes up opponents escape attempts.

Near side arm

We are working on getting to mount from cross side. We will do the basic "arm in" and "arm out" versions, but before that I will study how to control opponents near side arm. That is the arm he wants to prevent my head control and also to keep my hip far to make space. I want to get my knee/or hip under his shoulder or smash his arm between us (or make him cross his arm over his center line).

So basically the fight is about keeping opponent flat or turned a way and controlling near side arm.

This opens a lot of possibilities:-)

Lesson 6 - side control escape to turtle

I will test the brainstorming process on this one. This article will be updated during next days!

Brainstorming is a process that should be done with a partner but here it's more like mapping the terrain.(Not testing my asssumption with a partner.)

1.Starting
is: I am under opponent on my fours and I have a grip on his leg.

2.Goal: 

my goal is to a) do a takedown b) pull guard c) take opponents back. My reactions debends on opponents moves. First, do I have a good grip on opponents leg (and his foot,too).

If I an deep under and have a good grip, is he trying to put pressure to my back (sprawling) or trying to pull a way. My options are a) pull his leg to my chest and sit back to tilt him on his back. b) to go forward and side and use shoulder of justice on his hip to break him on his belly c) to lift my butt up and do a wrestlers sit thru to take his back d) pull guard.

Even thou the situation is fairly specific, looks like goal is difficult to pinpoint. What you get depends so much on opponents reactions. At the moment my goal is to go with the flow so if he pushes, I should let him come forward, but redirect his mass or adjust my frames and grips.

Maybe the first question when on my fours and opponent is in front of me is:
1. Can I catch his leg ( go forward)? If not,
2. Can I catch his hand and go backwards? if not,
3. Can I lift my hip up, prevent opponent from getting to my side or back?

3. Problem

When under opponent in turtle one should cover his neck and collar. Also opponent might be looking for lock their arms under your armbit to turn you over and finish with darce/anagonda.
When opponent is attacking your neck, you also feel pressure and it's difficult to go forward.
(But opponents hands are at your reach and you can grib it, but you have to catch it first.)

Other problem is opponent taking your back. You can try to block him with your arm or back off and rotate to opposite side he is rotating to. If you have a grip from his leg, you can prevent him from taking your back - and it's good for you to go to 90 degree angle (Not directly under him.)

If you are flat on your belly, you have difficulties to move, but you can protect your neck easier.
One problem is not really seeing what is happening over or behind you?

Lesson 5 double attack

Here are very good details on what double attack is all about :-) Under is a version that starts same way Saulo Ribeiro teaches his version. Saulo waits for opponents reaction and if he protects his arm, he goes for the choke. (I know I have a clib of Saulo's instructions, but could not find it :-)

Here is the Saulo Ribeiro version :-)

Street Jiu Jitsu

Just watched Rene talk about street jiu jitsu

Crazy Monkey Jits....

I think also Crazy Monkey Jits is very much about keeping it real, but also SBGi is very much in the same concept. You need to make the fundamental skills work in all delevery systemsCurruculum

Learning setups

I had a scissor sweep training session and after it we did positional rolling from closed guard.

During positional rolling I felt like an idoit. I was pulling opponents arm and he was keeping it tight to his body. Camoon ... he's not giving his arm to me. No way! To get something done you need to have good setups - like pull arm... and then push it to trap it for triangle... I know this, but why doing it do it!

Setups need drilling! First positional sparring in closed guard could be just to get an under hook or opponents arm a cross your center line or make him touch the mat...

Fundamental movements isolation drilling

I don't get enough rolling with a partner. I have a plan to compensate it. I need to drill fundamental movement skills and memorize key features of techniques. Drilling actual submissions is not very useful, because it's more of you get what opponent is giving you, but you can memorize grips and mechanics of movements.

You can drill a lot your movement skills and even shadow reaction drills. These are just tools for your roll. Actual roll you need a partner and be sensitive of his pressure, balance and handles he gives you to manipulate him.

So today I'll watch some clips (actually rewatch and try to memorize) and then shadow roll and repeat the moves with focus on triggers that starts my movements. (So I need to imagine my posture and grips, but also what opponent has and is giving me. Totally unrealistic, but it's a step. Not a final technique.) More like rehearshal for an experiment and experiment will continue first with a co-operative opponent and finally in an alive roll.

(Isolation drill is a term that SBGi uses for none resistance technical rehearshal to learn a move/technique.)

I could also do some techniques for purple belt test....just isolation solo drilling...two years before the test...

My fundamental movements

I did try to make a list yesterday on what could be useful to drill - for me.

1. Technical stand up ( lifting hip up to gain momentum before stepping back

2. From flat on back ("grilled chicken") to sit up to low single leg takedown

3. Grilled chicken - basic 360 movement and "knee rule" aca crazy legs

4. Scrimb all directions

5. Cranby

6. Wrestlers sit thru from putt up all fours

7. All ukemis

8. All shadow boxing, grappling and judo

Lesson 4 - Toreando pass

What is the difference between x-pass and toreando?

For me x-pass is very similar to toreando. I think of it as baiting a reaction with my foot between opponents leg and when he goes to grip it, I start "a toreando" ... most likely ending knee on belly or blocking his hips with my leg
.

In Polar JJ toreando pass is after standing up from closed guard and opponent has his feet on your hips. You grip his pands and push on knee down, step a little sideway to loose the other foot and pass by pressuring opponent with your shoulder. Your arms are making X! - like in x-pass :-)

Here is an important tip - don't let your opponent bring his knee back in by letting go of his pants too early.

Where to grip opponent?

There are many options on where to grip opponents legs. First inside or outside? With inside grip it's easier to split opponents knees apart and little less danger of spider guard...maybe. With outside grip it's easier to push knees to side and just come forward.

Also do you grip knees, ankles, pands or legs or knee and ankle - cloth or body?
(I'm not going to answer these - it's what you are after - or what do you want opponent to think that you are trying to do.)

Push his legs or run a round?

Why would opponent stay on his back if there is no pressure? (Maybe in competition jiu jitsu people prefer to play guard, but it's not a very safe place to be in martial arts thinking.) So if you don't have pressure, opponent is very likely to sit up and atleast make a grip on your sleeves. One way of passing is pushing opponents feet to mat and going a round his knees and there are counters, but there are counters to every move.

I like Ribeiro's way of waiting for a reaction - it gives you a split second more time to work your move. Here is Leandro Lo explaining his take on toreando.

End up shoulder on opponents belly or knee on belly?

In a way I don't care. It's a pass. BUT more important is do you have control of opponent! Can you progress from your position.

This is not a very complete study of toreando pass, but for me here is a lot of details to think about. Biggest take a way is "bull fighting" - it's not paint by numbers, but reacting to opponents moves.