Back Control and Chokes

nieman gracie instructing as daniel is still in puerto rico. we continue to focus on basics, which is great for me. today we worked on finishing an opponent once we have back control. this is a big problem for me. uke always manages to get my hook out and escape by getting his back to the ground. i reviewed galvao's back control dvd after the class - am going to try his technique next time.

separately, neiman did some excellent work describing which hand chokes. the key here is that i want to use the hand that will make uke choke himself if he turns into me to escape. best shown in the video below. the first choke taught to me is the second choke taught on this video.



the second choke taught to me today was the rear naked. i like this video because the shoulder push seems like a good detail to add to the arsenal.

Escape from Side Control: Elbow-Knee

professor gino in this morning with some basics on escaping from side control. he went over two variations - one with a bridge and one without. he said his back problems make him use the bridgeless technique more often. i put my right knee up to avoid the mount and slide my left foot away from my right to give some additional room to move my hip to my left. i then insert my right knee and make a brace with my right elbow. i push off uke. i move on to my right elbow and move my elbow back so i can move my body back as uke comes forward to attempt to pass again. this body drag using the elbow may be an easier alternative to trying to replace the guard.

for the bridged version, i bridge into my opponent and then fall away to insert the foot. using one or both feet for the bridge is ok. (using only one allows a better mount defense).



the first variation on this video is close to what i was taught except that instead of doing an elbow drag, he does a more traditional guard replacement.

double threat from the mount

after a week off on vacation, i came back to class at lunchtime today to greet the new instructor, neiman gracie. he taught basics today which is always good for me.

from the mount, he showed how to threaten the choke and the arm bar simultaneously. From the mount, i open uke's right lapel with my left hand. i then form a line and use my right hand to travel all the way deep behind uke's neck. i then control uke's right elbow with my chest, forcing it across uke's chest. i then move to the technical mount by placing my left knee by uke's ear while continueing to sit on his chest. i curl my right foot across uke's shoulder so that uke does not use his left arm to reach under my foot. i then threaten to choke by inserting my right thumb under uke's far collar. the choke requires me to place my head on the floor along side my helping hand. i also threaten the arm bar which requires me to place my left leg over uke's head and fall back.



this video is identical to what was taught in class except he does not place his head on the floor to finish the choke as i was taught. also, the way he initially inserts his hand to start the choke is different.

halfguard top passes

working with professor gino this morning and blue belt jake. gino taught us four separate passes from halfguard top. First two use shoulder pressure and second two do not. the last of the four appear similar to what was taught in saulo ribiero's revolution 1 dvd on halfguard.

pass #1: my left shoulder presses against uke's cheek as my hands grip palm to palm. i swing my right leg (which is caught) back behind me so that uke is looking in one direction and his knees are pointing in another. i then use my free foot to push against uke's leg to free my leg and foot.

pass #2: my left shoulder presses against uke's cheek. i place my head on the mat along with my right hand. my left middle finger goes into uke's armpit. i go on my toes for mobility. i swing my right leg (which is caught) up towards my own head. i then use a straightarm with my right arm to push off uke's knee. once my knee gets past his leg (3/4 mount) i have to tuck my knee into uke's body to keep him from doing eblow knee escape from the mount. this pass works better for me even though uke's spine is not as bent as i do not get swept as often.

pass #3: uke uses his forearm to block my shoulder pressure. i move my head to where it would be if i had side control. my left arm goes on the ground. i move my hips towards uke's head (important) to make it harder from him to push my hips. i swing my trapped right leg up towards my head and use my right arm to push.

pass #4: uke uses his forearm to block my shoulder pressure. i move my head to where it would be if i had side control. my left arm goes on the ground. i move my hips towards uke's head (important) to make it harder from him to push my hips. i sit on my butt and insert my right arm inside his thigh and grap. i position my left (free knee) against uke's bottom hip and bottom leg. i pull with my arm and push with my knee as a make room to pull out my leg and foot. i only create enough space to pull out the leg. my left hand posts on the mat to block the sweep in one direction. my right arm pulling on uke's leg blocks the sweep in the other.

lots of half guard passes on youtube but none i could find exactly like these four. two of them were studied earlier and have notes in this blog.

sweep from guard after uke stands up

after being out a week with a sore wrist, i am back today for a lunchtime class with professor daniel. he went over two complex sweeps. i am unlikely to locate them on youtube. both of them start in the closed guard and uke stands up and breaks open the guard.

first sweep sequence: right hand controls uke's left sleeve. right foot pushes uke's left knee to gain distance and then place my right foot on uke's left hip. my left leg raps round uke's right knee (dela cava). my left hand grabs uke's right elbow. i push on uke's knee again to sit up, reach behind his right leg with my left arm and transfer control of his left sleeve to my left hand. my right hand grabs uke's left collar to prevent him from breaking the grip i have with my right hand. i kick his knee and pull uke towards me to complete the sweep. since i control his left wrist, he cannot base out.

second sweep sequence: right hand controls uke's right sleeve (cross grip). he stands up again. i again push off his knee and sit up and transfer control of the hand. however, this time, his left hand is free to base out. so i turn my body, keep my head in front of uke's groin (important), and hook is free leg with my right hand. i then hip out underneath him so that he rolls forward.

Rolling Tips: Escape Side control - Turn on All Fours

start similar to tactics for replacing the guard - press uke's shoulder with both palms (actually, for the turn on all fours, just using the free arm is usually enough if i cannot get both arms) and hip bump up, use my arms as blocks. if uke does not allow enough room to insert the knee, consider getting an underhook with the near arm and turning over on all fours and stretching my legs out and away from him (to keep him from getting my back). my head follows my arm inside his body as a go for a knee. my head pulls up while my arms pull his knee. i have to move my legs around towards his legs as i do this. generally more difficult than replacing the guard.



the interesting detail added by this video (not taught to me) is lifting my far leg once i am trying to take him down by pulling his leg.

Rolling Tips: Escape Side Control - replace the guard

When uke has his shoulder in your cheek and is applying pressure, i use my free arm to press on his shoulder while my forearm presses against his chin. my close arm also presses against his shoulder (not his hip or wait). IMPORTANT: i have to keep both hands open. (i have developed a bad habit of closing my hands.) then hip bump straight up, use both hands as blocks, hip out, insert the knee and push off.

another simple sweep from spider guard

the sweep taught to me today by professor daniel is the second sweep shown in this video. the key to this sweep is the tightness of the grip on uke's sleeve on the side where my leg is wrapped around his arm.

Shake Arm Bar and Pendulum Sweep Combo

another friday morning private lesson with prof daniel as no other students have shown up (again). we went over a basic arm bar for which i grab the sleeve on the same side and pull uke in with my legs. then i shake both legs to the side. one leg climbs uke's back while the other comes across his face for the arm bar. when uke defends the arm bar by posturing, my free leg does a pendulum motion by going down and around. my top leg pushes to the side. i end up in mount.



this video is similar except that in the video, he does not threaten the arm bar first.

Rolling Tips: Open Guard

Professor gino said never to accept grips by uke on my legs. always try to fight them off. also need to use my far leg to step over to replace the guard. the latter does not have to be a huge move, i can just take my foot and put it inside one of uke's shins and use it for leverage.

shoulder pressure for half guard pass

professor gino showing us how to use shoulder into uke's cheek to twist his spine. then walk my trapped leg up and use my other hand to push off and get to the point where only the foot is trapped (and on the floor). now no longer in half guard.

then keep chest on chest and use the pressure to turn his head the other way. this will usually force him to release my foot.

it is important that i use my whole body to deliver the shoulder pressure and that i cock my shoulder right into his cheek (not above or below).



this video is somewhat close to what i was taught. a few key differences:

instead of clasping the hands, prof gino taught us to place our middle finger inside uke's armpit and not worry so much about the other arm.

he also taught us to walk the leg towards our free hand, not straight up like in the video.

also, when the foot is caught, he wants us to turn uke's face in the opposite direction before using our free foot for leverage to free our trapped foot.

halfguard pass (cross knee)

some differences from the video in the way i was taught.

* i walk my leg in towards uke's butt by sitting on my own butt.

* when taking out my foot, my knee points down so that my trapped leg moves towards his calves (weak) away from his thighs (strong).

* my other knee has to be off the ground while i am freeing my trapped leg. (shown on the video).

Half Ezekiel Choke from Half Guard (or Mount)

* i place the same side eblow on the ground as my free knee.

* i want to give uke the impression that he can take my back.

* i grab his collar with my thumb inside.

* i squeeze like a regular choke (not extend like an ezekiel).

* important: my arm that goes behind his neck rests on the lower part of the back of his head (not his neck) so during the choke, his head is coming towards me.

Details: Arm In Side Choke from Side Control

if uke starts defending the choke (often moving his head up towards my head), i can hip out, hook his knee with my foot, hip out a bit more and then sweep to the far side. i hip out on the same side as my knee. since uke's full weight is on me, it is critical for me to move away from uke's center line to get his weight off me before i sweep him. still cannot find this choke anywhere on youtube. master daniel said that having uke's arm in makes the choke much more effective.

Rolling Tips: Choking

i keep flaring my elbows. need to pin them to my body (my chest or stomach).

i cannot release my grips to move them. master daniel suggested walking my fingers, instead, along the lapel.

as soon as i have my opponent in side control, i need to work towards a submission immediately.

Jamarillo Special Details: Giftwrap Transition

when i isolate his arm, my hand ends up just outside his arm pit.

it does not matter if i step over first or do the kimura grip.

if he puts his arm behind my head, keep rotating until his arm falls off; then lock the giftwrap. if i have his right arm isolated with my right arm: after the giftwrap, i bring my left leg along side his back and step over with my right foot; then i pull him back as i move to my back; then secure the second (left) hook.(right hook is secured as i fall back).

Rolling Tips: Side Control

working with professor gino this morning. he noticed that i am having trouble maintaining side control. suggested moving my free hand to block uke's hip near my knee and moving to north south when i feel myself losing my balance.

Omaplata from Cross Guard

master daniel taught this today. i thought it was too advanced initially but is surprisingly easy. the version taught to me is slightly different from this video in that my non-kicking leg just stays to his side and does not go on uke's hip as shown in this demo. the rest is identical. notice that mylegs do not have to be crossed (or locked) to finish the plata. it is important to raise my hips off the ground to finish.

Rolling Tips: Passing the Guard

I am still ducking my head in the early part of my attempt to pass the guard. this is a repeated problem i am having trouble correcting. i rolled with nick today and was unable to pass his guard even once during the entire training session despite the fact that he did not use his strength.

Rolling Tips

1. think less up-and-down and side-to-side, think more turning, changing angles

2. when the uke's grip is especially strong to one side, consider moving (turning into) that side instead of going to the far side.

3. circle his grip to break it instead of just pulling back

4. if my head is being pushed down, consider bringing my legs back under me to regain my posture and help break uke's grips. then go back to bringing my legs away from uke.

5. think of passing the guard in two parts: first part keep my weight on me, not on uke. when uke is under control, and i'm ready to pass, then shift my weight to on him.

6. Finishing the arm bar: for an uke with long arms, pass his elbow past my elbow but keep squeezing with my arm. now my hands can reach his wrist. bring my head to his wrist and straigthen my body. as i fall back, uke's arm will eventually move back into the proper position for the arm bar.

Basic Sweep from Spider Guard

Sequence after uke opens my legs from closed guard:
1. i control both sleeves;
2. my left foot goes on uke's right hip (my left knee is on the inside
3. i push off (hip out straight back)
4. my right foot goes on uke's left hip (my right knee is on the outside)
5. i push off again (hip out straight back some more)
6. my left foot goes on uke's right bicep near the elbow
7. i pull with both arms but much more with my right arm
8. my right leg does a scissor motion (not that important)
9. my left foot pushes to my right side (not straight up)
10. after uke falls, i mount,
11. i cup his left tricep with my left hand
12. i brace my right hand on the floor
13. i swing my right leg over his head for the arm bar



the video, above, is the closest thing i could find on youtube to what was taught to me. the version shown is slightly more advanced (the second foot is not on the floor; it is curled around uke's arm). also, there are two sweeps shown in this video. i have only been taught the first one (where uke stands up with the wrong foot).

Proper Breathing

prof daniel is complaining about my breathing through my mouth too much. suggested using yoga to teach proper breathing through the nose. will keep me from getting tired so fast. said one of his friends in norwalk teaching a special form of yoga for BJJ practicioners. he may do a seminar. he said even if i have to breathe through my mouth, i need to use my diaphram more. to let more air out and take more air in.

sleeve grip theory

one-on-one time with prof. daniel as no one else has shown up to the friday morning class. he goes over lots of small, different details. one is how to grip the opponents sleeves. although i had been gripping like a monkey (thumb pressed against my index finger) he noted that a closed hand does not work as well as keeping the hand open and only curling the fingers. (in kempo we call this a leopard fist. the top two knuckles on each finger grip around the uke's sleeve but the knuckles used for punching do not. this grip is surpisingly strong. when the uke tries to pull, i go with him instead of trying to fight it. when the hand is closed, a strong pull by uke creates an opening motion by my hand that is hard to stop. but with this leopard grip, the motion is linear and the grip is less likely to break.

rolling tip, sweep counter

when rolling and uke grabs the collar and sleeve on the same side, my knee on that side must stay off the ground and my foot should be on the floor.

arm in side choke from side control

i have uke in side control and he secures an underhook (his right arm). he then tries to turn into me up on all fours. i use one hand to feed his lapel to my other hand so that the more he turns into me the tighter it gets. i use my other hand to grab the other collar and pull uke into me as if i am going to pull guard. but only one leg ends up on top of him as i end up on my side. my leg is there to keep him from jumping over me to escape the choke. this choke requires no precision on the grips and is remarkably tight. one key is to keep my elbows close to my body.

unexpected arm bar from guard

cup under uke's tricep with one hand while pulling his opposite shoulder in with the other hand. lift my hips straight up and move my head to the side. keep my back flat on the floor and bring both legs up for an arm bar. the key is to raise my hips to make uke lighter. the video below is the closest thing i could find. but there is one major difference in the position as taught by master daniel. we do not post our leg on uke's hip to effect our turn. we just lift our hips up and spin and bring our legs around without a pivot point. our way is harder but much faster.

Details on Baseball Choke and defending the triangle

master daniel interrrupted my sparring session to show a neat defense against a triangle when it first locked on. if i can posture up high and slip both my knees under uke's back, it makes it nearly impossible for him to push my head down. the above video describes this defense and also how to break the triangle afterwards. the video does not adequately describe the importance of the high posture in this position.

he also went over some finer points of the baseball choke we worked on in weeks past. he noted that when holding someone down by grabbing behind the collar, it is important to keep the arm only slightly bent. i can then use my forearm to put uke back down if he tries to turn into me.

one other detail for the baseball choke: after both legs are locked around uke's head, i have to straigthen out both arms before dropping my head on his belly and then pulling my elbows out.

Umpa Variation

Master Daniel notes that as soon as you go for an UMPA, a seasoned opponent will use the opportunity to isolate your arm by bringing his knee to your tricep and spinning towards a technical mount. he said one interesting counter is to briefly try to UMPA in the wrong direction (pull uke to the wrong side), and then suddenly change direction to the correct side.

Some Details on Sweeps from the Guard

Master Daniel provided some extra details on sweeps from the guard in this lunchtime class. during the scissor sweep, it is important to pull my elbow close to my body and place completely on the floor. i continue to find the leg push sweep more effective than the pure scissor.

he showed a variation for which the non sweeping foot goes on the uke's hip and my knee goes on uke's shoulder instead of across his body. this makes the sweep much less obvious. if uke grabs my knee, the grip has to be broken at the same time as his knee is pushed by my sweeping leg. i break his grip by grapping his sleeve.

tripod sweep

friday morning before the july 4th holiday weekend. again i'm the only student training with master daniel. he has seen my defeciencies during rolling drills and is trying to teach me some manoevers to help me survive. today, we worked on the tripod sweep for when the uke breaks my guard open.



the video is quite similar to what was taught to me except that Master Daniel suggested planting the foot on the floor to do the hip escape whereas in this video he posts his foot on the opponent's bicep. (perhaps a more advanced variation).

the details i am struggling with are:

* remembering to push the knee/thigh during the pass while the other hand hooks under the hip.

* the sequence is complicated, grab the leg, post the foot and hip out, one leg hooks at the ankle, one leg posts on the stomach. then pull and push. remember to pull back the leg that pushes at the stomach quickly to trap the uke's ankle between my legs. use the momentum of the uke's fall to get on top (do not let go of the grip at the sleeve).

below is a much more advanced variation i hope to learn eventually:

Single Leg Takedown

professor gino suggests keeping my head VERY high during the takedown to avoid uke stuffing my head. he suggests putting my head all the way up on uke's chest. also, during the sweep, he said its critical to minimize the amount of time the my head is close to his body but on the outside for fear of a giloutine. when i had previously learned the single leg takedown from prof. renee dryfuss, he suggested using the head as part of the sweep. professor gino's method of using the shoulder and stepping back with the foot seems to work better for me.

Half Guard Triple Threat Series: Some Details

more with professor gino this morning. i was paired with steve "the cop," who is one of the few students my size the dojo. (but he is still much stronger than me). when attempting to take the back from half guard bottom, prof gino suggests releasing the seatbelt grip around the waist and lowering my arm to reduce the potency of the uke's wizzer. then sitting out and driving the shoulder is a good option.

arm bar from guard (hooking the leg)

went to train this morning (monday) and was again the only student so got a private lesson with master daniel (again). he went over basic armbar from guard (by hooking uke's leg). when the sweep fails, go to pendulum sweep (next blog entry).

* key for both of these moves is during the bridge, hip goes side-to-side and then straight up (do not rotate on to a shoulder).

* using the underneath leg to climb his back is the most important detail i continue to struggle with (and the reason, master daniel says that my opponents keep passing my guard).

* pulling my opponent towards me with my legs while my guard is closed is key to being able to reach under his leg.

* although placing the plant foot on the uke's hip is ideal, i'm finding it more effective simply to place it on the floor. master daniel said this is ok for now.

pendulum sweep from the guard

this is the pendulum sweep. my issue is that my leg keeps getting caught under my opponent. need to curl in more underneath me. master daniel said this sweep is a good alternative when uke positions his head to avoid the arm bar.

baseball choke from knee on belly

this is the variation as taught by master daniel. the variation below suggests holding the uke's belt and pulling up. not sure if this is a more advanced version.



uke often passes out almost immediately so have to be careful when using this one.

spinning arm bar from knee on belly

after crossing uke's head with my foot, STAY LOW, ok to post the hand on the ground, spin until at 90 deg, maintain contact between my knee and uke's arm, hook my foot under uke's armpit.

knee on belly to isolate an arm

after only three months, i thought i was way too soon to learn the knee on the belly technique. but master daniel said that was what we would do tonight. only me and one other student since tomorrow is a tournament but master daniel stayed for the full class anyway and laughed when i suggested he might want to cancel.

within a few minutes i realized that the knee on the belly technique would take a long time to master but his real reason for showing it was to use it as a transition to capture the uke's arm when he tries to push off the knee.

from there we worked the baseball choke and the rotating arm bar. for the baseball choke i nearly passed out as soon as my uke tried it on me. one second fine, next minute i'm seeing stars. need to remember to be careful if trying this on anyone during grappling.

for spinning arm bar, having difficulty rotating enough on the spin.

Boo Pass

called bullfighter pass or X pass on youtube. Master Daniel suggests this as a good pass once the uke's opens his legs from the guard position. grab both pants at the knees and sprawl both my legs back (but my knees do not hit the ground). this first video comes fairly close to what was taught to me except that the uke is allowed to get on his side. Master Daniel suggests punching the floor in a way to keep the uke's back pinned to the ground might be better.




the thing that is counter-intuitive here is that i have to flare my elbows outward to bring his legs down just before passing. (otherwise his legs can wrap my arms). said best time to pass was when he postures up. best to pass and sink a shoulder into his chest knocking him back down. if passing to my right, my right leg goes first. (so my legs never cross).

Triple threat series from half guard

professor gino working the triple threat. roll both sides and third option is to take the back. one thing he mentioned for the latter is to move my elbow out before pulling my knee out to avoid contorting my body (weak position)

Sweeps from the Guard: Uke Over Postures

taught by professor leleo. i'm having this done to me frequently and cannot figure out the counter. when i try to post to prevent it, i get triangled.

Sweeps from the Guard: Scissor Sweep

the variation where i push his knee works much better for me.

arm bar from north south (Jamarillo Special)

one of professor gino's favorites. in the variation he teaches, he first threatens a kimura and uses the kimura grip until the arm bar is almost complete. i could not find a closer video on the web that shows this technique than this one. important points are to get off my knees and drive with my legs (unlike what is shown in the video) to torque my body as i bring my uke up to his side. important to use my other hand to block his hip.

secure a kimura grip and then place the foot past his chin so that he cannot use his arm to push the foot away. threaten the kimura and then fall back for the arm bar.

choke from the mount

professor gino did not include the arm trap in the version he taught me. i have trouble remembering which side to place my head. looks like the head goes on the same side as the non-choking arm. head slides side to side.

inverted arm bar from guard

taught by professor gino. this is the closest video i could find. in prof. gino's variation, i post my far foot on the uke's hips. use a butterfly grip and press my forearm into his jaw, then rotate my whole body. close leg ends up high on his shoulder. need to move my neck closer to his wrist (away from his elbow). need a lot more practice on this one (hard to find his elbow with a gi on). only works if his posture is already somewhat broken.

Spinning arm bar from side control

trapping the arm (that is on the floor) and holding the belt were two details not yet taught to me by professor gino.

how to shrimp

important points: digging the toes into the ground and turning to look towards the ground.

Over Under Choke from the Guard

this video demos the choke from an open guard but prof. gino taught this one from a closed guard position. the setup we learned was also different. we start with the second hand going behind the neck. we jerk it over at the same time we hip out.

ezekiel choke from the mount

this is a short video but a much better explanation can be found in saulo riberio's revolution 1 dvd, "the mount."

americana from side control

roll my wrists forward. use monkey grips (no thumbs). the leg positioning shown in the video is something i was not taught but looks accurate.

kimura from side control

keep his elbow high, angle less than 90 deg, roll my wrists forward (like a motorcycle accelerating). thumbs tucked in (monkey grips). to avoid having the uke come up, consider sitting out (sprawling) and standing up so that my hamstring blocks his head on the way up.

Escape from Triangle

taught to me by professor gino. this was the closest thing i could find on the web. on prof gino's variation, i grab the uke's knee with both hands almost immediately.
its early in my training to be learning this move but prof. gino showed this to me because i keep getting caught in the triangle.

basic kimura from guard

lots of good, small details in this gracie video. this is the "rider" variation but close enough to what i learned from professor gino. in his words, "when you get a guy in a kimura from your guard, be prepared to go for a bull ride." it is ok to open the legs in the process of securing the kimura.