tallgeese

This week our training focus was sweeping from the guard. We spent lots of time from the closed guard, but we finished with an intricate sweep from the open position, the Ball and Chain. While this in and of itself is a complex maneuver, it's built on the foundation that we laid with all the closed guard sweeps along the way. As you look at this sweep, pay particular attention to the sequence we take to get here. It's all about being able to understand the transitional aspect of jiu jitsu. Controlling the transition, and preventing the scramble, is a key component to jiu jitsu and I understand it. Check it out and hash out any thoughts below!

11/7 Drilled transition from scissor sweep to spider guard sweep to De La Riva ball and chain sweep. 30 min free roll.

11/6 Drilled PTK forms. Horizontal and vertical strike work with the knife.

Hey Melau, welcome to you're new additction! There's a ton of advice I could give, but I'll start off with the most often said, and the most often overlooked.....relax. If you're new to the ground it's almost 100 percent guaranteed that you will use too much physical attributes early in your training. The sooner you learn to breath, relax, and flow the quicker you will start learning. Relaxing is what keeps you rolling round after round after round. Not cardio. It's about where you spend your energy as you learn to apply tactics, not how deep the tank goes (this is important as well, just not yet.) Specific to dealing with a larger opponent, a) put him on his back. This way, his pressure and weight aren't effecting you. b) control distance if on the bottom. Get into closed guard and from there to open. This will keep his pressure minimized on you. c) pay attention to the positional ladder. Get away from side mount and mount. See point b. You are going to be tempted to try to force him around with attributes because he's heavy and crushing you. DON'T! You'll still get worn only quicker. Integration of attributes is for the competitor DURING COMPETITION and the advanced technician. Using the early will only stunt your grown in jits and make you more tired. Just my two cents from a guy who made a similar transition. Good luck and keep us posted.

11/5 Drilled scissor sweep review, push sweep, and flower sweep. 35 min free roll.

Nice work!

10/31 Inverted guard. Omo, then triangle from inverted. 20 min free roll 11/2 45 min free roll. 11/3 Drilled hip bump sweep and scissors sweep. Ended with cross collar choke. 30 min free roll. PTK forms and footwork. Focus on horizontal and vertical strikes. Bridging with wave in and out.

As a guy just kicking off his own business I can tell you...you'll work. The initial learning curve is intense. Forming corporations, planning, raising capital, legal stuff....and you haven't even actually started the business yet. That said, it's really satisfying. However, there is absolutely NO reason to go thru all of this unless you have a passion about what you're doing. At least on a small business level. Otherwise, for me, it would so not be worth it.

Thanks, pitbull! The S mount can be tricky to explain and I've fumbled it my share of times, believe me Some times it clicks, some times it fails to. It's hard to read an audience in front of you on this one, let alone on line. Glad you liked it. I'd really like to see your transition to omoplata from there as it's always been a difficult attack for me from there. Let me know if you every put something to video on it!

Hey all, it's Halloween but we're still at it! Tonight we finished up our rotation thru the open guard. This week, we accomplished this with the Spider Guard. It's a position I love, it's super fun, and a bit elegant. Yes, I'll step out and call it that For the recap, we focus on hitting the omo plata from here after a transition from closed guard. Again, there's a ton of fundamental movement concealed it what looks to be an advanced movement. It is, don't get me wrong, an advanced movement. But even newer people start to learn some important concepts from it. Hip control, distancing, center line, and isolation just to name a few. I know that there are strong feelings, pro and con, often backed up with good arguments about the omo. I'm fine with everyone venting them here. I can explain my positions about it's use and utility and I don't really think either side is wrong or right. But if you have those feelings, either way, vent them and we'll see where the discussion leads. Here's our recap: Enjoy!

10/29 Drilled more spider guard. Worked sweep, omo, and into arm bar. 30 min free roll.

Thank you, ShoriKid. I appreciate the feed back and are glad that you find them useful. Yeah, the grapevine is useful in this application for sure. I always like to stress the positional component of just about everything I do. That's what will be there to set up subs, if subs are lost, ect.

Thank you all! And thanks, Patrick for passing on the information! It's great to have support for such an endeavor here! It is a dream come true, but it's a ton of work and lots of prep as we go forward for a January 1 launch. I've partnered with a good friend of mine to make this work and we're very hopeful after looking at the projections. In all things of this nature, we know there's always a risk but in this case I think it's worth taking. Thanks again for the support, the shares, and everything else. I'll certainly be keeping you all posted!

10/25 20 min flow roll focusing on the ABC we did last week. 40 min open mat. 10/27 Drilled spider guard work. Sweep, to triangle and an advanced weave triangle for purples and up.

10/24 60 min free roll! Focus on relaxing into a couple of less used subs for me and finding them from different variations and set ups. Primarily on the calf slicer.

Hey everyone, despite a busy week outside of the gym, we've manage to get our review done on time and up. This week was all about Attacking by Combination. It's a common theme in all martial arts but I'm most familiar with it due to my time exploring JKD as one of their primary methods of attack. It has every bit the same application in BJJ as well. Here's a look at one of our drills this week from the mount position: The focus really is on the body mechanics of the transitions, however, some detail at each sub is important as well to my mind. Enjoy.

PTK focuses on the ginunting. That's the weapon of choice. The knife portion of the system is built around the same geometry. For my EDC it's a spyderco police model with skateboard tape on the hilt for grip.

For my money, no. There is a difference between sinking your weight and just being a jerk about it's application. Good pressure and putting your weight on someone is fine. Dropping all your weight across your forearm while it's resting on someone's jaw is no cool. But no, just putting your full weight on someone isn't a problem. Now, if it's a new person, I'd suggest giving space just to let them work and not to get them down on training ground.

Some of the Spyderco folders are really functional and beautiful. SOG has some nice fixed blades that are affordable and solid construction. CRKT has some innovative designs as well with an eye towards function as well. Those are some of the one that jump to mind that are affordable and worthwhile.

Thanks, pitbull! Yes, we're building a pretty good archive. That was part of the intent with our page. Thanks for the props on the details. That's where I really feel that jiu jitsu is made.

10/22 Drilled attacking in combination from mount. Kimura, straight armbar, then step over arm bar. 30 min free roll.

Belated reply to the thread, but congrats none the less! That is an amazing accomplishment!

10/21 Drilled PTK forms. Vertical and Horizontal striking with footwork.

10/20 Drilled attacks in combination focsing on the arm bar from guard to omo to arm bar from omo. 30 min free roll.,

A knife. Always go with a nice, good to high quality, not cheesy knife.