A Jiu-jitsu Log Filled With Shenanigans

I have co-founded a club with my buddy Rich known as “Jiu-JAKEsu.”  Membership requirements are easy to fulfill; you simply have to be “Jaked” by Jake.  One gets “Jaked” by being submitted via the bow and arrow choke courtesy of Jake.  More on that later.

Quickly, shout outs to everyone who got promoted on Monday night.  Lots of hard working and deserving folks are on their way to being destroyers of men (and women).  The other night we had 1 black belt, 2 browns, 4 purples, like 10 blues and even more white belts in class.  Where else are you gonna find that kind of mix?  It’s a fight factory in there, making nothing less than top tier bjj wrecking machines.  I’m glad I’m a part of it.

Two guys I roll with have upstart blogs so check ‘em out; Hansen and Rich aka Big Tuna.

Here’s a quick break down of some great technique we’ve been working on down at the gym.

The far side arm bar from side control

1. You are in side control on your opponent’s right side.  You have Knee-On-Belly.  When the opponent attempts to turn into you and push your knee off you under hook his top arm (left arm) with your arm (right arm) closest to his legs.  You grab the back of his tricep (it’s an awkward position until you get used to it).
2. Now you spin around over his head (push his head down if you need to) and you want to position your left leg directly next to his left ribs.  Go ahead and pull up a bit on the arm as you spin around.  Look for a grip on his pants with your left hand.  Continue you to rotate around until you are in the arm bar position.  You should end up with your left leg tight to his ribs and your right leg over his face.  You should be threatening an arm bar.  Maintain your grip on his pants.
3. Bring your left leg over his body to complete full arm bar positon.  Do not let go of grip on his pant leg yet.
4. Let go of pant grip only to replace the arm that is attacking the arm bar.  Grab your own collar.
5. You’re now free right arm should tuck my opponent’s elbow into my left armpit.  Now lock up hands in a frame positon (similar to a kimura set up).
6. Lean over right and put tremendous pressure on his wrist and forearm (where he is weakest) with my own forearm.  Attack the grip with right hand if necessary.  Once his grip breaks bring his arm back into your body and keep his thumb up for the finish.  Pinch legs together and remain heavy in the legs to prevent escape.

I honestly feel like I am on the verge of something great.  I feel like I am on the edge of greatness, just waiting to cross over.  I just don’t know where and when it’s going to happen.  Maybe I’m about to turn the corner on my bjj game and weight loss?  Or maybe it’s landing a job I can truly invest myself in and have a positive return, not just for myself but for my community?  Either way, I’m ready.

Sunday night I decided to take a closer look at my diet.  I ended up tossing some cake and ice cream away.  Perfectly good, just tossed it in the trash.  Completely against my style but that is just one of the many steps I’m trying to take.  I’m trying to turn myself into a savage, a real bjj wrecking machine.  I need to keep working on my diet, I’m going to make a real effort to eat better.  I know there will be bad days but small baby steps before I can run right? As Fedor said it; “He who does not fall down, does not stand up.”

I trained twice today.  Because of my work schedule I end up having a lot of days off, sometimes during the week, sometimes not.  It rotates so it’s never the same.  Long story short, I have a lot of downtime and decided to put it to good use.  I went to the morning class today and there were 3 other guys in there.  Bigger guys too, apparently this is where I belong.  It should really be called it the Clydesdale Club aside from Junior, whose the littlest and baddest of us all.

He retaught the kimura attack that we learned last night (although I didn’t blog about that so you have no idea what I’m talking about).  It’s really a great attack. I submitted a very good blue belt with it twice last night.  And he also taught a modified kimura from there which I shall now refer to as the Seximura, because it is quite a fancy (and sexy) finisher.

Also he taught a good guard pass that helps defend against a spider guard.  After that we rolled.  My first time I did very well.  I got the Seximura and threatened the regular kimura and arm bar a few times.  The guy defended really well though.  I did hit a good kimura sweep from the bottom though.  On the second roll, I didn’t do quite as well.  I went with a very good blue belt.  He was a beast and lightning quick.  I dodged most of his sub attempts but he kept sweeping me from half guard and it was driving me freaking crazy.  I feel like no one should ever sweep me outside of guard.  I hate it.  We would roll again after class but only for a few minutes and it was pretty even then.

The evening class was taught again by Junior and we went over the kimura and seximura attacks.  Then he added in 2 nasty gi chokes.  I’m not really a gi player, but being at this school and defending against the arsenal of chokes Jake throws at me when we roll, I realize I need to learn my chokes.  If you learn the set ups and finishes, then you know when they’re coming so they’re easier to escape.

Rolling after technique wasn’t that great either.  I went with a guy I haven’t rolled with before.  He had the upper body of Brock Lesnar.  And dude was very solid in his base.  I couldn’t sweep and he methodically passed my guard.  I remember he got one knee over my leg and instead of escaping that knee for half guard, he crossed over his other leg across his achilles and ended up with side control.  Very sneaky, I filed that away under “Do Not Let Happen Again.”  Towards the end he got mount on me and I remember going buck wild trying to escape.  I mean, I was seriously pushing for an escape and eventually got it.  I even got to into a good half guard position with a deep underhook but was too tired to use it for a sweep.

I then rolled pretty lazily with Rich.  I don’t think either of us was really wanting to work.  After that came my usual epic battle with Jake.  I start on top, get swept, and then defend chokes and arm bars for about ten minutes before finally being submitted.  He is a beast and our rolls are usually long and full of nothing but hardwork.  If I ever get caulghiflower ear, it’ll be from him.

BJJ Gi taught by Junior

     Technique - Guard pass to north/south, to collar choke, to arm bar.

1. I am my opponent’s closed guard.  I grab his belt with both hands and push forward with it, not downward into his stomach.  Keep my elbows in or opponent could defeat my technique.
2. When his guard opens raise a knee (in this case, my right knee).  Drive my right knee forward over his thigh, using my grip on the belt or by grabbing his thighs (for no gi) for extra leverage.  Place right knee on ground while maintaining my right shin over his thigh.  My left leg is off the ground and up and forward to prevent my opponent from closing his half guard.  My left hand goes for an underhook or bicep control on my opponent’s right arm.  My right arm goes for head control of my opponent.
3. Now I take my left leg and cross it over the achilles of my right foot.  Then I remove my right leg over top of my opponent’s left leg.  Bring my right leg far away from his legs and get on my toes to drive forward on my head control of my opponent.
4. Take my left hand from underhook or bicep control and place on the mat next to my opponent’s left hip.  Pass my left leg and move away from his legs, towards his head in a counter clockwise motion.
5. Sit my left leg under my right leg (switch my base forward).  Then bring my right leg forward and around his head for north/south poistion.  Take right hand and control my opponent’s right hip.  My left hand should control his left hip.  I should be directly in north/south position and my opponent should have double underhooks on my body.
6. Take my left hand and come behind his left shoulder and grab his gi, near the back of his left shoulder.
7. Rotate clockwise so I am perpendicular to my opponent while maintaining my left grip.  My left knee is tight to my opponent’s side.  Release my right grip on the hip and grab a 4-finger grip on my opponent’s right collar, so my forearm is across his throat now.
8. To finish the choke drop my weight on my right forearm by sprawling my left leg back and placing all my weight on my opponent.  Now pull my left arm with the grip on his gi upwards (like starting a lawnmower).  This should apply the choke.
9. The arm bar will attack my opponent’s left arm.  It should already be in position at this point.  Drive forward on my opponent while maintaining all my grips.  Pop my left knee up for knee on belly (or ribs).
10. Release right grip on my opponent’s collar while simultaneously bringing my right leg over for an arm bar.  Release my left grip on my opponent’s gi near his shoulder.  Clamp my elbow to my side, securing the arm bar tightly.
11. Sit back and finish.

Drill

1. Specific training today.  Worked on finishes from side control.  Then reversed the position so the other guy could work from the top.

Open Mat

1. Only got to roll once after class.  Cardio felt really good, I was moving a lot trying to get off the bottom.  I was rolling with Jake and we almost always have a good scramble that ends with him gi choking me or arm baring me.  This time was no different, he passed my guard and took side control.  Went for knee on belly a few times and I scrambled up to turtle and got a single leg takedown.  He grabbed my pants and used an arm drag to take my back.  I defended his bow and arrow choke and rear naked choke attempts.  I rolled back over and he went back to knee on belly.  He took an arm bar, which I felt like he was a little out of position for.  Boy was I wrong, he straightened out my arm and I tried to escape.  Nope, that didn’t work.  I had to tap… quickly.  My arm feels like crap right now.  He didn’t crank it unnecessarily or anything it was just super tight and with my escape attempt, I pushed the limit a bit too far.  Currently icing my elbow with a bag of veggies.

Immediately after I tapped I was fixing my gi getting ready to roll again.  Someone asked if anyone had any jumper cables, and I was the only so that ended my night.  So we’re out in the parking lot and my battery is covered in corrosion.  We hook up the cables and wait.  Nothing happening.  The car is not starting.  We adjust the cables a bit, I clean off some corrosion but still nothing.  Then his starter starts smoking pretty bad and we notice that even though I said the black prong went to the negative port, I put it on the positive. lol So we repositioned the cables correctly and the car starts right away.  Long story short, I’m a retard when it comes to auto stuff and don’t ask me to do anything intelligent after I just about broke my arm in an arm bar.

I don’t want to blog about my training anymore.  It just seems pointless.  I’m not Brock Lesnar so why would you care about how many rounds of bag work I do, or how close I got to hitting an arm bar in jiu-jitsu class.  Out of the maybe 10 people that will ever read this most don’t have the slightest idea what I’m talking about anyway.

I am training though.  I’m training pretty hard too, and I like it.  I don’t feel like I’m where I used to be, and that upsets me.  But I know, that with time and every class, I take a step back in the right direction.  Just going to grind through the beginning weeks of training and then maybe I’ll be more willing to tell you about it.

My truck isn’t starting right now.  It’s something to do with the fuel line I think.  I’m going to diagnose it tomorrow and hopefully get it up and running again.  I do not need a major problem right now.  The truck doesn’t ever have a problem starting up in Alaska, but as soon as the first Indiana snow hits, it dies.  How embarassing.

Went down to the gym tonight for another work out.  It went great but I’m already laying in bed and really tired, so this will be short.  Tomorrow is grappling, which I am excited about.

Warm-Up

• 2×5 min round of jump rope

Technique / Sparring

• 3×5 min rounds of holding pads
• 3×5 min rounds of hitting pads
• 6×5 min rounds of bag work
• 2×5 min rounds working on live sparring using just a jab
• 4×5 min rounds of body work (wearing the body shield and trading body shots with my partner)

Notes

• I seem to be breathing really well.  I can always hear myself exhaling when I punch and kick.
• My left shoulder became sore mid work out.
• My hook kind of sucks, my foot work is all off.
• Felt good throwing body shots.
• Completely exhausted at the end of the work out, but still enthusiastic to be there.

Yesterday was my first day as a substitute, well a substitute teacher’s aide.  I chose to be an aide to kind of ease me into the whole process.  I worked at the Youth Opportunity Center with children who have behavior problems and mild learning disabilities.  I actually had some fun working there.  The kids were really easy to get along with and help out.  I spent most the time helping them read or work out math problems.  I even got to play some kickball… which I totally dominated. lol

I went to the gym last night to get in my first training session in about 5 months.  I was looking forward to it, so I was quite disappointed when I got there and realized I missed it.  But I made sure to get in there today and showed up nice and early.  It was a striking class today, and to say it was fun or easy would be an understatement.

Pretty much, I warmed up with 2 rounds of jump rope then I was tossed into the bear pit.  I got into the cage with a guy who was bigger than me, and we went for 1 five minute round.  I thought we’d take it easy but there was none of that.  He hit me with more than a few punches that caused me to see stars.  When he would start to overwhelm me on the fence he wouldn’t let up.  I’m pretty sure he started to even throw harder.

I took a lot of shots from over hands and hooks.  I mean, I had my hands up and chin tucked so mostly my face came out intact.  But even though I was using semi decent boxing and protecting my head with my hands I was still eating a lot of shots and seeing a lot of stars.  My cardio also kind of sucked.  My arms felt better than I thought they would but it was still not impressive.

After 2 rounds with that guy, and a third much slower and technique focused round we got out the mits and worked technique.  That’s were I pretty much where I gassed.  I held the mits for another guy who was tired like me, so I don’t feel terrible about it.  Afterall, I’m just an amatuer striker whose been out of the gym for 5 months. 

After getting beat on for the first half of class the boxing coach wanted to work with me.  He put on the body shield and used his boxing gloves as mits (That way he could still blast me).  We did 4 five minute rounds of me throwing the majority of strikes.  He would counter occasionally but mostly it was just me getting my heart rate up.  The final two rounds I was tired and he turned it up a notch.  He started to come back at me a lot and was captalizing on my bad habit of covering up rather than ducking under or slipping a punch.

I got in there and like to think I showed some promise.  I keep my hands up pretty well and can throw decent punches, when I’m not dead tired.  I have a problem covering up instead of ducking and slipping, so I have to work on that.  But being the first time in a gym in so long, it was expected that I would get my ass handed to me.  And I’m terribly disappointed in Alex.

He said he was going to go.  Then he started making excuses about having too much homework.  Then, as I leaving to go work out, he was playing Madden and about to go over to his girlfriend’s.  But, I can understand how life and all that gets in the way of training.  I know what it’s like to rather spend time with your girlfriend or let schoolwork pile up.  So I’m not hating, but it’s just unfortunate for him.  I guess I’m fairly lucky to be single and out of school… when it comes to training anyway.

Here’s how the entire work out went tonight.

Warm-Up:

• 2 five minute rounds of jump rope

Sparring / Technique:

• 2 five minute rounds of full go boxing
• 1 five minute round more focused on boxing technique
• 1 two minute round of mitt work
• Lazy bag work to stay warm
• 4 five minute rounds working on my boxing with Coach wearing body shield

Tuesday is a big day.  It could be my first day as a substitute teacher and I’m getting back into training.  Alex and I found an mma gym right by our house.  We stopped in last Wednesday for a free class to see if we liked it.  It was a striking class and we, along with another new guy, worked some basic combos on the pads and bags.  The guy holding the mitts for me said I was ready for the pro class.  My technique was definitely there, but my cardio was not.  Even though I never really had cardio for striking.

For the most part my striking has been self-taught.  I’d say for about a month or two back in 2006, when I was training at Nemesis MMA, I had a striking coach.  Since then its pretty much been me doing bag work or sparring, learning technique the hard way.  And I’ve always been a ground fighter so clinching and takedowns were always more of the focus for me and thats why my striking has never really come along.

I’m hoping now that I’m at this new gym I’ll be able to improve upon my striking and overall cardio and fitness.  That’s why getting the job as a substitute teacher is exciting.  With working the standard 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. I’ll be free to attended every class I want at the gym.  I could go in early and work on the basics and help other guys come along and then stay for the more intense and specific pro class immediately following.  I’m looking forward to getting back in there and cracking some heads.  Tuesday is a grappling day too, and that’s my bread and butter.