Spider Guard Master Class..

 I have been continuing my quest to acquire a decent guard during my time here in Miami. Last Saturday myself, Angie and Milan got together at open mat to drill some guard techniques. We warmed ourselves up- (well, THEY both warmed up. I, on the other hand, took advantage of doing my own suuuuper chilled warm up which consisted of about 4 backwards rolls and re-tying my belt a couple of times. .) and then proceeded to crack on with some spider guard. Angie was our master class instructor. She has a horrific open guard. I should say, horrific for the person trying to pass. Despite being about 130lbs she has no difficulty tying me in knots with her spider guard. She’s very patient and well aware that trying to pass her spider guard causes people a LOT OF FUCKING FRUSTRATION. Waiting for her opponent to get so frustrated trying that they resort to something totally and utterly spastic, before she attacks with a sweep or a submission. So not only does she have a good guard to attack and sweep from, but she’s comfortable staying there until the right time. This is what I need.  A guard I can be comfortable in, just waiting to pounce..

She showed as a couple of sweeps when the opponent is on their knees, then we progressed to a standing opponent, using the same principles to complete the sweep.

Here you can see me practising some basic sweeps from kneeling. I was focusing on using my feet like hands. And using the WHOLE of my foot. I used to just use my toes or heels, which got knocked off easily. I'm trying to make me feet stick to the biceps more.

 Which was kinda her biggest focus. She tried to get across how important the control with the feet in the opponents biceps is. She kept repeating how your feet have to be like hands. They’re not just pushing and digging in. You pull your toes to help grip, and push with your heel when pushing away to off balance your opponent. Using your whole foot. We spent most of the time getting comfortable with our second pair of hands and watching our opponents closely. She showed us that you can often tell by watching their face whether they are going to try to stack you, or straighten your legs out to try and pass. We practised anticipating what pass they would attempt, whilst testing our reaction times.

Milan practising on Angie. Gripping with toes when pulling, and pushing with heel when pushing..

Using the whole foot. Not just the toes and heel.

It was a really good insight to an aspect of spider guard I’ve never really covered. I’ve always felt it was a case of “feet on the biceps and push and pull to off balance your opponent” but this week I learned much more than that. I’m very grateful to Angie for taking the time to go through it with us. I’ll passee your gward real fast soon, for suuuree, biatch.

Fightsports belt promotion video

Now I'm freakin' spoiling you. Here's a video from last week celebrating the belt promotion of 3 Fightsports guys. Mexico and Canada got their green belts, and Angie got her blue belt. Here's their belt whipping, Fightsports stylee...

Angie tried her best to get me to receive a whipping too. Just because I got my blue in May. I've already received my whipping. Surely 2 whippings would break some kind of unwritten rule..?

(I stole this video off Fran Martin. I hope he doesn't kick my ass for it..)

A proper blog from Miami..



I’ve FINALLY found the chance to write a blog. The gym has moved from being a 5 minute skate away to a 5 minute skate, a 40min bus journey and a 10 min skate again. By the time I get home from morning training (which usually lasts over 4 hours) I have time to shower, eat and head back again! Or, that’s the excuse I’m sticking to anyway..

 

So I’ve been here 2 and a half weeks now, and like my previous post stated; Master Cyborg is very keen on us drilling the absolute HELL out of a small number of techniques.  He has been very reluctant to move on until he is confident that we are all happy with the positions.  I like this approach. The techniques have all started to become default responses to certain situations, which is what it’s all about I guess. So we’ve been focusing on the following;

1.       Dump Sweep

2.       Arm drag

3.       Arm drag to back

4.       X guard sweeps

5.       X guard passes 

The first three have been a part of the class warm up since I got here.  As a result, I have quickly started to implement them into my game without thinking about it. They are start positions, when you start from knees. They transition from one another perfectly, so they are proving to be very useful.



No chickens here..



Classes aside, I’ve also had the time to drill some other techniques with some of the guys from the club this week. Myself, Leanna (brown belt under Cyborg) and Angie (blue belt under Cyborg)  worked on a guard break and an armbar to triangle transition.



Leanna, about to fuck me up

 

  

..see?



  

Practising an armbar-triangle transition technique





Breaking down posture

 

  




.. or if they pull arm out, finish with triangle

 



Isolating arm, closing guard over shoulder and finishing with armbar.





  

 

 

The X guard we are currently using is working quite well for me. I find myself working to get into the required position once somebody has broken my closed guard and is trying to pass. I KNOW what I’m working for. Having “go to positions” is a must for me and my little brain. I need to know where I am going, why I am going there and what I am going to do once I get there.  I’m a happy shebeast then. When I am in the right position, that’s when I can work for a sweep/submission we’ve been drilling, rather than just spazzing out the second my guard broken and thinking “Oh god, I’ll just turtle”. But it means I have to drill the hell out of something so that when I need to do it, my body does it for me. Hopefully, with all this persistent drilling, I’ll achieve this and feel much more comfortable on my back. I can feel the improvements now, so fingers crossed!

Me and the man himself

That’s all I have time for now, but I’ll try to be a less shitty blogger and have another blog up the same time next week..



I'm in Miami, bitch.

And I'm alive too (which is always a bonus I guess..)


5 black, 4 brown, 5 purple, 12 blue, 6 bajillion whites. (I'm at the front on the far right.)

 This is gonna be super brief, I'm going to upload a picture filled blog in the next few days. So I'm just going to summarise my first week and half here..Main things we've been covering include:
1) Deepy harf gward
2) Passing the gward
3) Schweepy from zee gward.

Uhh, yup, that's it. Master Cyborg has repeatedly said that he's not gonna move onto a new technique until we're all experts at deep half (which is fiiiine by me). Emphasis has been on drilling techniques and lots of specific training. We did a lot of deep half guard last time I came over, and I implemented it into my game right away. I get on well with deep half, so I'm enjoying going over the finer details of the sweeps I already know, as well as learning new techniques.

So, Master Cyborg has been focusing on the deep half guard with us, and one of his brown belts Ricardinho has been teaching us some guard passes and some sweeps from guard. Some real funky sweeps too. I'm keeping a hand written notepad of all the techniques I'm being taught. I found it really useful last time I came out here as a means of remembering everything (otherwise it all becomes too much for my brain!)

Training about 6 hours a day right now, 3 in the morning and 3 in the evening. I'm easing myself into it, as I haven't trained his frequently, this hard, and in this HEAT for a long time.

It's been a great first week and a bit training at Fightsports, and seeing some old faces, a bunch of lovely new ones too. I'm gonna enjoy the next few weeks..

I've been super slack on the photo front. Been too busy getting an ass whooping. Need to step my game up for Grapplers Quest in August! But there will be many more training pictures to follow!

Last training session at Gracie Barra Plymouth

Last night (Tues 28th June) was my last training session at Gracie Barra Plymouth before I head to Miami, and then move to London.

I've been there since September 2010 and have progressed from a 3 tab white belt, to blue belt during my time there. It takes a lot being a girl and just walking into a new club, but the guys were really welcoming right from my first training session (despite being one of very few girls to have ever trained at the club) and made me feel like part of the team. They're a skilled bunch of guys and I've loved every minute of training with them.

My Jiu Jitsu has progressed a lot since I've been at GB Plymouth. I've always relied on my strength when sparing against other girls. Going from a club where I had 3/4 girls to regularly train with, to a club that was 100% guys (and strong guys) has forced me to modify my game.

Tom's "small person" style of Jiu Jitsu is fast, strong (in the right way) and immensely technical. I've learned to truly appreciate technique over strength whilst training here. I have felt the benefits in the 3 competitions I have fought in this year. My cardio is better, my technique is better, and I'm using my strength more efficiently- for fast explosive movements, and maintaining strong positions rather than just being a biffing shebeast. It's been invaluable training under Tom and I've truly appreciated all his advice and help when coaching.




I wish them all the best in future comps and will see them all at ADCC to cheer on our coach Tom Barlow as he got a wildcard entry to the event!



P.S 2 days till Miami..

Normal packing vs BJJ packing

A rough packing list I conjured up this morning. 4 gis- oh yeah..

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Street scrap

Just a quick one..

Back in February we had a bit of a college reunion. We went out for a meal, and then a few drinks. My old training partner, Bert, was going on and on about how much he missed training at Fightworx in Torquay. He was bugging me all evening for a little roll. Just as I was leaving, he jumped me and started on me on the balcony of a pub in Torquay. Ross filmed the outcome.


Ross's drunk commentary is probably more entertaining than the fight itself...


On a side note: 9 days till Miami..