Sunday 2/28/2010

BJJ open mat team training - I arrived a bit late. there were 10 there ahead of me. they were doing drills off of the back and then did positional training. The older I get I find the less I enjoy drills and positional work. I know it's importance, but, I really find the transitions to be of more importance for me. The only way to drill transitions is to train live. In all honesty I enjoy it more, but, I really believe that training transitions is more important than drills onc you reach a certain level of technical profiency.
I joined in the two point training. My group was Eric, Lex Jason and Max. a big fgroup of bodies. I had Jason first. He and some of the others are working almost exclusively from a 2 hands on one side grip. I think this is very limiting and only works for a few technicques. The failure to control the backside shoulder as in a more conventional grip dooms this grip for most technciques. It can be a little difficult to attack as the distance id a little off but, attacking from it for Osoto Gari, or Uchi Mata, I don't think is a good idea. He tried that for a bit and then tried the drop to the knees and then try pull the person down and then go for a double, like Regis used to teach. I think this is a terrible technique. It's the same thing the guy at PanAms tried a few years back, and the rtesult was the same. I immediately took him down for two points.
Eric was next and pulled guard. I worked to half guard and managed to complete the pass. Max pulled and held me off with his length for a bit until I got to position to bull pass then i passed. He needs to refuse to accept surrendering points more than he needs any technical improvement. Lex and I wnet back and forth. I got to whizzer and was holding him from it, then jumped to a butterfly guard with the whizzer and swept him.

we did several sets of training. I had Jason, who is definitely becoming dangerous as he gets better at playing like a heavyweight instead of a lightweight. I had to bail from a pass, but I came up and caught him from the side. I went kneeling program next and passed h9m forward so i took his back and worked a clock choke.

Max played well, but I was bale to pass him and keep him down. Passed him again when he elbow escaped, which he does well. He needs to have bit more offense from there but, played well overall. Mike D was next. I find him suffers from Chung Li syndrome sometimes. He tapped from a knee in the belly and then from two elbow in the belly's. Part of it is willingness to tap out there. Part of it is lack of confidence on his escape from the position.

The team training was useful, but, will be better when there are more members of the team there.


Judo - Another big group, very heavy with green belts was in the room.  I went back to the Osoto Grai, Sasai Tsurikomi Ashi, De Ashi Harai series. James did this pretty well as well as a few of the others. This ashi waza work has been good for them and we will keep working some of the drills into the equation. We did 4 five minute randori sets.

I covered Escaping the mount by means other than rolling to the flat turtle. finally, 2 short ne waza sets. I have been doing extra Tachi waza lately as we have had more time dues to the class time changes. This is the right thing for now. I think that we will get more ne waza once summer arrives and the tournament season is over.