2009-02-23 Mon PM BJJ Class

Cassio Werneck BJJ - Sacramento CA - Cassio Werneck

Worked some responses to the turtle. In in things to do when your opponent decides he's about to get passed or that he's sick of being under your half guard and he goes to all fours.

This is a favourite technique of mine, turtling up that is. Getting my hips around has always been a problem for me, the knees just don't want to come up. I've gotten better at it but still it's not good. I usually end up turtling up to avoid the pass.

With that in mind it was good to see things from the other side. The first was just a discussion of body position and how to move, keeping your pressure on the hip / lower back and not on the upper back and attacking the far side to put a hook in.

The fun stuff started next. He showed a choke where as you opponent begins to roll towards you to turtle you reach under their top arm with your near arm (like your going to go for a whizzer) and grab the NEAR SIDE collar. As they continue to roll over reach around their head (front head lock style) with your other arm and hand that lapel off. Get a deep grip.

now dive your head 'into the hole' as you slide your now free arm behind their head. roll them over if you need to, just be sure to keep the arm. Nasty choke.

Rolled:
rolled four 8 or 9(?) min rounds
Mike (? bb), Dustin, rest, tony, Dan (brb)

The first roll was pretty good. I felt under control but kinda stiff, like I was muscling things. The second was with a new guy I haven't seen before. I sat out for seated guard, he grabbed one ankle and damn near slid me across the floor. He didnt really need to 'pass' my guard much since this put my head about next to his hips. Um, little strong. I felt like I pulled guard out of survival mode, controlled things mostly. A few more months and he'll be a real pain in the ass to roll with. I heard he wrestled in college. Yep, thats gonna be fun stuff.

My roll with tony was good, I tried that high closed / knee pinch guard again and managed to catch him just before he backed out. That was nice. I tried some of the spider guard he's been pulling on me for years now. He passed it pretty handedly and then discussed what I did wrong. That was even nicer.

I was really trying to keep my defense together vs. Dan. It was crazy how when I focused on keeping my elbows in and tight and not opening up, he really seemed to get slowed down. Then as soon as i lost focus on that type of tight defense I'd get caught. I really need to be thinking that all the time till it gets automatic.