Training

8May/100

Damnit I spent the last half hour trying to figure out how I can make another page on my blog that would act as my training blog but I couldn't figure out how to do it. So I guess I'll just keep posting random things about training here for now.

I doubled up on classes today and did the no-gi class followed by the mma class. The no-gi class was great. I paired up with a really great partner who is very good and also does not hold back on very useful tips during our rolls together. It also helps that he is around my size. Height-wise anyway . . . he's definitely still a bigger guy than I am.

Anyway, Leo was instructing today and he showed us a great move from the mount. In no-gi, there are less attack options from the mount because a lot of the choke attacks from there are depending on the gi. He showed us one option you can go to from full mount: taking the back.

One hand underhooks his head and I use my shoulder to drive into his face and pin it side ways. Assuming he's defending by putting his arms in an "X" shape under his chin, my free arm underhooks his same-side arm and I walk his arm up with my arm so that it looks like I'm trying for an arm triangle. Once his arm is against his face I sandwich it between his head and my head and replace the original arm underhooking his head with the arm that walked up his arm.

I wrap my hand under his neck and around his shoulder like I'm trying to dig downward into his armpit. I used that grip to turn him belly-down, while my leg kicks his legs down to spin him all the way.

After Leo's class, I took a 15 minute break until the next class, which is the mma class taught by Sapo. The technique of the day he showed us was a way to transition to full mount from side.

Shoulder pressure to make him look away, top arm underhooking his head. My bottom arm weaves under and then over his legs and I drive his legs away so that I'm pinning them down away from me. My head-side leg turns parallel and flush against his back while my other leg pins down his top knee that is pointed away from me. My knee is resting on the ground while my foot is stepping on his thigh and not the ground. The arm I used to drive his legs away and pin it down gets replaced by my knee, and I complete the transition to full mount by underhooking his far arm to make sure he does not put me back in guard as I make my way towards full mount.

I took a picture after class:

Me with Rafael "Sapo" Natal

I met up with with Pat after class. I went to his lion dance youth club today to work on some stuff with him. His club just got brand new gear and I had the chance to learn some kicks from him to break in their new banana bag. It's too bad his gym does not have mats. The wooden floor is old and definitely not good for any type of barefoot activity.

I'm trying to look for some mats to donate to his club. He's trying to get something started at his club and I think it's a great idea. Like the character "Cutty" from The Wire, I also think that training in martial arts is a great thing, especially for younger people. It develops discipline. In The Wire it was boxing. At Pat's club, it's muay thai.

If the only thing stopping anybody from training is the lack of resources, I would always be more than happy to help. I really hope he gets something good going at his gym. I'm hoping it will also be a positive thing for him too because it might motivate him more to attend his own classes at his gym more often.