I will officially begin the Saturday classes for BJJ next week, but this week, to see how the felt, Lex and I went to Osagame and trained. I also did some work on the club as we are still settling into the space. We had a productive session. I like the quality of work that you can get in small or 1 on 1 sessions. They are particularly useful to try to address particular problems a student may be having. Lex and I worked on some ways to attack and pass the De La Riva position. It was some fairly fundamental ideas, but they seemed to help him. We also talked about pulling guard from a turtle position. I think this will be particularly useful for him in BJJ. It will take a little time for him to get his flexibility to the point where it really is easy for him, but the drills and practice on this technique will make that happen quickly.
We trained for awhile next. it was a good workout and it's good to see how fast his BJJ is improving. Like most Judo people his top game is ahead of his bottom, but he has committed himself to pulling guard so that will make him better. It took me a lot longer to commit to improving my bottom game. I had to be forced to do it and it totally changed my skills and style of play. The commitment to using the techniques, trying and failing as well as succeeding is the way to improve. Hiding from the bottom byu assuming you will just always be on top is a sure way to limit your skills.
The training was good, and I had to work pretty hard. He has a few habits that will improve. I would catch him in chokes from the top partially because he relaxed after the transitions and change of positions. When I attacked before he began playing from the next position, it gave me a huge advantage as I was way ahead. I also thought about it and noticed on the video he took of some of the training he tends to allow too easy access to his neck for the choke. I think this part of the moment of relaxation he had after the transition and before he went into the next exchange of techniques gave me a head start and grabbed a deep bite on the choke a few times. We also talked about how to apply a one handed choke and use the body and hip position to make the uke unable to turn and unwind the choke position. this also works because the uke often doesn't expect the choke to be able to work until it's too late.
Lex was taking some video while we worked. We didn't pay much attention to it, and, therefore didn't stay centered at all, but here are a few scenes.
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