Tuesday was...rough. We started out with some cardio, for probably half an hour. Some light jogging, push ups, jump rope, etc. We worked on 1-2s on the bags, and I got to wear the training mask, whoopee! Then we did some light sparring for the rest of class. In jiu jitsu we continued our work with arm bars, going back to the slide through arm bar, and the goofy arm bar. I picked up a couple things; on the slide through, it is very important to go through your check list, because if you do not have your knees pinched together, or their head pinched in tight behind your knee, they can get out much easier. On the goofy, you have to go for it quickly, but stay in tight, or they will just posture up and out of it.
Fighters training, well, I got my ass kicked. Cardio at the beginning beat me down, and I was already feeling it from working hard for the previous couple hours. We worked wall walks with our shoulders, and then had a partner pulling our legs out simulating ground and pound, and we would shrimp to the wall, and wall walk up, and repeat. We then got to the real ass kicking, sparring. I got punched, kicked, taken down, submitted, it was exhausting, and I was almost as emotionally drained as physically. I didn't stop though, and next time will be better!
Wednesday was all technique. Worked on my stance, hand placement, head placement, getting in and out, rolling properly, and most importantly, to NOT BE THERE WHEN THEY GO TO THROW! It's the easiest way to not get hit, really. I know I have a long way to go, but I am doing my best to put in the work, because success is the only option!
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Thursday, December 6, 2012
MMA and me; days 278, 279, 280
Getting a little behind on the blogs. Been working hard to get back into the shape I need to be in to either fight, or grapple next month. So quick recap of what we covered in the past several days
Thursday, there were only four of us. So we worked a little bit of technique, drilled arm bars, and then went right into fighters training, which was comprised of one grappling match, with all of us rotating in. Thank you to Riley, Corby, and Batman for a great round of mat time!
Monday was more drilling of arm bars. Snap, S mount, guard. Working on refining them and making them more fluid. Another thing we covered was the importance of misdirection, setting up subs many moves ahead, and NOT bailing!!!
Tuesday I got a little banged up during sparring, so I missed most of boxing. I worked in for the cardio when I could, and tried to at least hold mitts. I worked in during jiu jitsu, and managed to get some more arm bar work in. We worked on a couple of the arm bar variations, and the counters as well.
I have covered a lot of specific technique in this blog since I started it a while back. With a lot of the technical aspects in very good detail, I have thought about taking a more philosophical approach, and making this more about how I feel at the end of each class, ad what I learned about myself, and how it pertains to what my goals are, short term and long term. I am really beginning to find a groove that I am getting into, and it's really challenging! I love my gym, and I love my teammates, who are quickly becoming brothers and sisters for life!
GTB!!!
Thursday, there were only four of us. So we worked a little bit of technique, drilled arm bars, and then went right into fighters training, which was comprised of one grappling match, with all of us rotating in. Thank you to Riley, Corby, and Batman for a great round of mat time!
Monday was more drilling of arm bars. Snap, S mount, guard. Working on refining them and making them more fluid. Another thing we covered was the importance of misdirection, setting up subs many moves ahead, and NOT bailing!!!
Tuesday I got a little banged up during sparring, so I missed most of boxing. I worked in for the cardio when I could, and tried to at least hold mitts. I worked in during jiu jitsu, and managed to get some more arm bar work in. We worked on a couple of the arm bar variations, and the counters as well.
I have covered a lot of specific technique in this blog since I started it a while back. With a lot of the technical aspects in very good detail, I have thought about taking a more philosophical approach, and making this more about how I feel at the end of each class, ad what I learned about myself, and how it pertains to what my goals are, short term and long term. I am really beginning to find a groove that I am getting into, and it's really challenging! I love my gym, and I love my teammates, who are quickly becoming brothers and sisters for life!
GTB!!!
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
MMA and me 277
Ahh, back in the gym, and getting ready to hit training with a vengeance! Worked on take downs utilizing the gi, and my backside is quite sore. First, we drilled an arm drag to gut wrench leg trip. If your opponent grabs your hand when you put it on their head, roll over their wrist with your had to grab theirs, pull it down, and reach inside their arm with your opposite hand, and arm drag them to a gut wrench position, but don't take their back, stay on their hip, with their near arm trapped, and your hands low, down on their hip. Extend your (for this purpose left) leg behind them, and your right straight away from them, and as they try to escape, fall and turn, tripping them over your left thigh. On the way down, clear your left arm so it doesn't get trapped underneath them, finish with a C block and chest pressure.
Next we drilled a simple double leg outside trip. Very important in this take down is changing levels. If you can get yous opponent to mirror your level changes even better, but as soon as you get lower than them, drive in, wrap both arms around their legs, keep your head on the inside (ear on belly button) and swing your outside leg around behind them. Pressure into them, and what I like to do, is as they begin to fall, start to kick pass so I can land in side control.
Lastly, we worked on a take down that uses the gi, but is also easily done in no gi. Grab the sleeve on the same side with your left hand, and a cross grip of the lapel with your right. Start pushing and pulling, but don't do so too hard. Pull in firmly, and as they step forward, step around them with your right leg, pull down with your left hand while pushing with your right down and left. They will fall over your right leg, and if you maintain a tight grip on their sleeve, it will be sticking straight up, begging to be arm barred! An extra bit to this that we worked on, was as you begin to trip them over, if you hip into them, and kick your right leg up, lifting their leg off the mat, you can HURL them through the air. It's a very easy, very effective take down.
Great grappling at the end of class, and I am glad to be back in getting my sweat on!!
Next we drilled a simple double leg outside trip. Very important in this take down is changing levels. If you can get yous opponent to mirror your level changes even better, but as soon as you get lower than them, drive in, wrap both arms around their legs, keep your head on the inside (ear on belly button) and swing your outside leg around behind them. Pressure into them, and what I like to do, is as they begin to fall, start to kick pass so I can land in side control.
Lastly, we worked on a take down that uses the gi, but is also easily done in no gi. Grab the sleeve on the same side with your left hand, and a cross grip of the lapel with your right. Start pushing and pulling, but don't do so too hard. Pull in firmly, and as they step forward, step around them with your right leg, pull down with your left hand while pushing with your right down and left. They will fall over your right leg, and if you maintain a tight grip on their sleeve, it will be sticking straight up, begging to be arm barred! An extra bit to this that we worked on, was as you begin to trip them over, if you hip into them, and kick your right leg up, lifting their leg off the mat, you can HURL them through the air. It's a very easy, very effective take down.
Great grappling at the end of class, and I am glad to be back in getting my sweat on!!
Saturday, November 17, 2012
UFC 154
Been a while since I have done one of these, but with the return of welterweight king Georges St. Pierre, I felt this was a very good time to get a little preview and prediction!
Mark "The Machine" Hominick vs. Pablo "The Scarecrow" Garza
featherweight
Hominick simply has not been the same since his valiant effort against featherweight champion Jose Aldo, getting KO'd by Chan Sung-Jung in 7 seconds, and then getting pummeled for three rounds by Eddie Yagin. That being said, he is still a formidable opponent, and any fighter on a three fight losing streak, and still employed by the UFC, should be considered very dangerous indeed. Garza is on a two fight skid of his own, and is probably fighting for his job just as much as Hominick is.
I give the edge to Hominick in the striking department, as he possesses some of the cleanest, most precise stand up in the featherweight division. Backed with a very underrated ground game, Garza will have his hands full.
Garza has decent stand up, but is mostly blessed by being one of the taller 145 pounders out there at 6'1". He does his best work in the clinch, and on the ground, or on the perimeter sniping away. I honestly think Hominick will be too much for him, and eventually wear down "The Scarecrow" en route to a unanimous decision, though it should be an entertaining fight for the fans.
Hominick via Unanimous Decision
Nick "The Promise" Ring vs. Constantinos Philippou
middleweight
An interesting 185 pound scrap, that could feature a fighter on the rise in Philippou. He has to get past the very game Ring, who seems to be coming on strong himself. Both men are solid on the feet, employing stout boxing, with Ring having a little more diversity, and Philippou decidely having the power advantage. The question is, can Ring get the fight to the ground where he enjoys a bit of an edge in the submission grappling department? Philippou has very good wrestling, which is likely to dictate where the fight takes place, and though he has a great record, Ring has had a few questionable decisions go his way. Unless that happens here, Philippou is pretty much going to own every aspect of this fight, and should be able to take to a hard fought, but one sided decision.
Philippou via Unanimous Decision
Francis "Limitless" Carmont vs. Tom "Filthy" Lawlor
middleweight
Carmont is a fighter on the rise, but overlooking "Filthy" is not smart, especially for Carmont, who while very impressive in his 8 fight win streak, has shown a tendency towards carelessness, and against a savvy veteran like Lawlor, that can prove to be your undoing.
Since getting dismantled by Chris Weidman (which it turns out, he apparently does to EVERYONE!) Lawlor rebounded with a quick KO win over the very tough Jason MacDonald. With a well rounded skill set, he could give Carmont fits.
For "Limitless" to win this fight, he will need to impose his will, and not get lazy. With solid top pressure and ground and pound, he can control Lawlor, and dictate the pace. If he lapses, and lets Lawlor get off first, and determine the speed of the fight, he could be in a world of hurt. Lawlor needs to keep Carmont guessing, and off balance. If he really pushes the pace, it will be a long night for Carmont. Maybe it's my heart talking, but I think that even though Carmont can get the fight to the ground, I don't see him holding it there, and Lawlor winning the fight on the feet, is a close decision.
Lawlor via Split Decision
Martin "The Hitman" Kampmann vs. Johny "Bigg Rigg" Hendricks
welterweight
This fight will be fantastic, and I am making this my pick for Fight of the Night. Both men are coming off solid wins, and are on the brink of title contendership. Kampmann, the well rounded kickboxer with a very slick ground game, and the ability to pick opponents apart, and Hendricks, the powerful wrestler, with a rock solid chin, and a left hand that can put a man to sleep in an instant.
Hendricks will need to make this fight ugly, and a brawl. He wants to get in close, and push Kampmann against the cage, where he can tee off and try to end things with one big left hand. With Kampmanns tendency to back straight up, instead of circling off, this could make for a short night for the Dane. Kampmann, on the other hand, will want to stay on the perimeter, snapping off crisp combos, and frustrating Hendricks. If he does get in close, Kampmann has a solid clinch and Muay Thai game, that Hendricks will have to be wary of. He is also an underrated wrestler, and a very crafty submission artist, so Hendricks will have to be careful if he takes this fight to the ground.
Ultimately, I think this fight comes down to who has the better game plan, and sticks with it. Kampmann has been the comeback kid lately, and though it may not be a comeback this time, I think Hendricks makes a mistake late, and Kampmann capitalizes with a late submission.
Kampmann via submission ( guillotine)
WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP UNIFICATION FIGHT
Champion: Georges "Rush" St. Pierre vs.
Interim Champion: Carlos "The Natural Born Killer" Condit
I am keeping this short, because little can be said about either man that hasn't been said many times over. GSP has been out for nearly a year and a half, but is still the top of the welterweight, and perhaps pound for pound heap. Condit has improved by leaps and bounds since coming over from the WEC three years ago, and will get a chance to add another title to his impressive resume. In St. Pierre, he faces one of the all time greats, who is hungry to reclaim his spot in the 170 pound pecking order, and possibly in line for a superfight with Anderson Silva. He can't look past Condit however, and if he does, he could be in trouble.
Simply, I don't think GSP is as dominant as he once was. Yes he looked less than impressive in his win over Jake Shields, and maybe that was due to an inadvertent eye poke, but he still lost a couple rounds for the first time in years. Coupled with an extended layoff from a pretty substantial injury, and facing a fighter as confident as Condit, I'm going with the upset. I see Condit negating any ground and pound GSP tries to mount, even though I see Condit giving up a lot of take downs, and also, GSP is likely to get out struck on the feet. Eventually, I see Condit capitalizing on late round weariness, even though GSP is one of the most well conditioned athletes in the sport. The ring rust, and pace that Condit sets will eventually wilt the champion, as he submits, yes I said it, submits GSP in the fourth round to become the new welterweight champion!
Condit via submission (triangle) round 4
Yeah, I am a little nuts, but I just have a feeling...
Mark "The Machine" Hominick vs. Pablo "The Scarecrow" Garza
featherweight
Hominick simply has not been the same since his valiant effort against featherweight champion Jose Aldo, getting KO'd by Chan Sung-Jung in 7 seconds, and then getting pummeled for three rounds by Eddie Yagin. That being said, he is still a formidable opponent, and any fighter on a three fight losing streak, and still employed by the UFC, should be considered very dangerous indeed. Garza is on a two fight skid of his own, and is probably fighting for his job just as much as Hominick is.
I give the edge to Hominick in the striking department, as he possesses some of the cleanest, most precise stand up in the featherweight division. Backed with a very underrated ground game, Garza will have his hands full.
Garza has decent stand up, but is mostly blessed by being one of the taller 145 pounders out there at 6'1". He does his best work in the clinch, and on the ground, or on the perimeter sniping away. I honestly think Hominick will be too much for him, and eventually wear down "The Scarecrow" en route to a unanimous decision, though it should be an entertaining fight for the fans.
Hominick via Unanimous Decision
Nick "The Promise" Ring vs. Constantinos Philippou
middleweight
An interesting 185 pound scrap, that could feature a fighter on the rise in Philippou. He has to get past the very game Ring, who seems to be coming on strong himself. Both men are solid on the feet, employing stout boxing, with Ring having a little more diversity, and Philippou decidely having the power advantage. The question is, can Ring get the fight to the ground where he enjoys a bit of an edge in the submission grappling department? Philippou has very good wrestling, which is likely to dictate where the fight takes place, and though he has a great record, Ring has had a few questionable decisions go his way. Unless that happens here, Philippou is pretty much going to own every aspect of this fight, and should be able to take to a hard fought, but one sided decision.
Philippou via Unanimous Decision
Francis "Limitless" Carmont vs. Tom "Filthy" Lawlor
middleweight
Carmont is a fighter on the rise, but overlooking "Filthy" is not smart, especially for Carmont, who while very impressive in his 8 fight win streak, has shown a tendency towards carelessness, and against a savvy veteran like Lawlor, that can prove to be your undoing.
Since getting dismantled by Chris Weidman (which it turns out, he apparently does to EVERYONE!) Lawlor rebounded with a quick KO win over the very tough Jason MacDonald. With a well rounded skill set, he could give Carmont fits.
For "Limitless" to win this fight, he will need to impose his will, and not get lazy. With solid top pressure and ground and pound, he can control Lawlor, and dictate the pace. If he lapses, and lets Lawlor get off first, and determine the speed of the fight, he could be in a world of hurt. Lawlor needs to keep Carmont guessing, and off balance. If he really pushes the pace, it will be a long night for Carmont. Maybe it's my heart talking, but I think that even though Carmont can get the fight to the ground, I don't see him holding it there, and Lawlor winning the fight on the feet, is a close decision.
Lawlor via Split Decision
Martin "The Hitman" Kampmann vs. Johny "Bigg Rigg" Hendricks
welterweight
This fight will be fantastic, and I am making this my pick for Fight of the Night. Both men are coming off solid wins, and are on the brink of title contendership. Kampmann, the well rounded kickboxer with a very slick ground game, and the ability to pick opponents apart, and Hendricks, the powerful wrestler, with a rock solid chin, and a left hand that can put a man to sleep in an instant.
Hendricks will need to make this fight ugly, and a brawl. He wants to get in close, and push Kampmann against the cage, where he can tee off and try to end things with one big left hand. With Kampmanns tendency to back straight up, instead of circling off, this could make for a short night for the Dane. Kampmann, on the other hand, will want to stay on the perimeter, snapping off crisp combos, and frustrating Hendricks. If he does get in close, Kampmann has a solid clinch and Muay Thai game, that Hendricks will have to be wary of. He is also an underrated wrestler, and a very crafty submission artist, so Hendricks will have to be careful if he takes this fight to the ground.
Ultimately, I think this fight comes down to who has the better game plan, and sticks with it. Kampmann has been the comeback kid lately, and though it may not be a comeback this time, I think Hendricks makes a mistake late, and Kampmann capitalizes with a late submission.
Kampmann via submission ( guillotine)
WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP UNIFICATION FIGHT
Champion: Georges "Rush" St. Pierre vs.
Interim Champion: Carlos "The Natural Born Killer" Condit
I am keeping this short, because little can be said about either man that hasn't been said many times over. GSP has been out for nearly a year and a half, but is still the top of the welterweight, and perhaps pound for pound heap. Condit has improved by leaps and bounds since coming over from the WEC three years ago, and will get a chance to add another title to his impressive resume. In St. Pierre, he faces one of the all time greats, who is hungry to reclaim his spot in the 170 pound pecking order, and possibly in line for a superfight with Anderson Silva. He can't look past Condit however, and if he does, he could be in trouble.
Simply, I don't think GSP is as dominant as he once was. Yes he looked less than impressive in his win over Jake Shields, and maybe that was due to an inadvertent eye poke, but he still lost a couple rounds for the first time in years. Coupled with an extended layoff from a pretty substantial injury, and facing a fighter as confident as Condit, I'm going with the upset. I see Condit negating any ground and pound GSP tries to mount, even though I see Condit giving up a lot of take downs, and also, GSP is likely to get out struck on the feet. Eventually, I see Condit capitalizing on late round weariness, even though GSP is one of the most well conditioned athletes in the sport. The ring rust, and pace that Condit sets will eventually wilt the champion, as he submits, yes I said it, submits GSP in the fourth round to become the new welterweight champion!
Condit via submission (triangle) round 4
Yeah, I am a little nuts, but I just have a feeling...
Friday, November 16, 2012
MMA and me; day 276
Took a little time off, only hit the gym once this week. We were right back on arm bars, and man alive, I am starting to see them everywhere! We once again drilled the snap arm bar, S mount arm bar, arm bar from the guard, arm bar counter to an arm being pulled out (goofy arm bar, LOVE the name!) and we added a new one, another counter to being stacked, the slide through arm bar counter. As you are just about ready to finish the arm bar, you have gone through your checklist, your opponent rolls up on top of you, and now you can't extend your hips for the finish!! Keeping the arm trapped with your head side arm, use your opposite arm to reach through to the outside of their near side leg, and pull yourself through to that side so you are facing their legs, and on your shoulder nearest to their head. Now all of their weight is almost completely belly down, and you have not only an even tighter pinch around their arm, but a ton of space to extend your hips and get the submission. Very cool move, and I can't wait to get back in to the gym! This time of year is always tough to find time to train, but it's going to happen. Thank you to all my coaches and teammates, I love you all!!
Thursday, November 8, 2012
MMA and me; day 274 & 275
Double dose today, though the write up for Monday is fairly short. Did 30 minutes of circuit cardio, and then mma sparring for about an hour. Pretty awesome, and with such a small class, got lots of rounds in with similar partners many times, awesome!!
Yesterday was a long night at the gym. Got there around 5:45, and hit mitts with Jeremie for about half an hour, then we kickboxing sparred for the next class, about an hour or so. In gi club, we went back to our arm bars and worked on the snap arm bar (from side control, over hook the head side arm, windshield wiper flick your leg side foot up to the head, sweep the opposite leg around and over the head, and then snap back to knees pinched, under hook deep, hips elevated, extending the arm.) The arm bar from guard (covered previously) and then a new counter to your opponent pulling his arm out from an arm bar from guard attempt. As you cover both arms, open your hips, and cut the angle for the arm bar, they pull the arm in trouble, out of danger. Since you have the other arm pinned already, what you need to do, is slide your head side knee across their neck, until the top of your foot catches on their neck. Next, spin on your back and hip, so your head is on the opposite side of their body. As you spin, swing your other leg around their head, pinching your heel on the opposite side of their neck, and viola! The arm is in your lap, waiting to be cranked on. This arm bar feels really tight, and as long as you keep your checklist thorough, you will get the tap.
In fighters training, we pretty much rocked out half an hour of cardio, and then an hour of sparring. My stand up is getting more comfortable, but I still need to work on the details. Stop dipping my head, circle more and cut angles, and keep mu dang hands up! A very fun past couple of days, and I am REALLY looking forward to competing in January!
Yesterday was a long night at the gym. Got there around 5:45, and hit mitts with Jeremie for about half an hour, then we kickboxing sparred for the next class, about an hour or so. In gi club, we went back to our arm bars and worked on the snap arm bar (from side control, over hook the head side arm, windshield wiper flick your leg side foot up to the head, sweep the opposite leg around and over the head, and then snap back to knees pinched, under hook deep, hips elevated, extending the arm.) The arm bar from guard (covered previously) and then a new counter to your opponent pulling his arm out from an arm bar from guard attempt. As you cover both arms, open your hips, and cut the angle for the arm bar, they pull the arm in trouble, out of danger. Since you have the other arm pinned already, what you need to do, is slide your head side knee across their neck, until the top of your foot catches on their neck. Next, spin on your back and hip, so your head is on the opposite side of their body. As you spin, swing your other leg around their head, pinching your heel on the opposite side of their neck, and viola! The arm is in your lap, waiting to be cranked on. This arm bar feels really tight, and as long as you keep your checklist thorough, you will get the tap.
In fighters training, we pretty much rocked out half an hour of cardio, and then an hour of sparring. My stand up is getting more comfortable, but I still need to work on the details. Stop dipping my head, circle more and cut angles, and keep mu dang hands up! A very fun past couple of days, and I am REALLY looking forward to competing in January!
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
MMA and me; day 272 & 273
So last week it was just me and Andy in gi club. We covered a TON of arm bars, and after a crazy .busy work week, I am going to do a little something different, I am adding a link to a fantastic youtube video by Jason Scully. It is simply astounding how many arm bar entries there are. We covered. a small fraction of these, but I intend to watch this video once a day until I have landed each one at least once. Going to take a while...
Pulled double duty today getting in some rolling with Coach Riley at Alderwood MMA. Worked on some guard passing as well, which was awesome, since I need to work on that big time. First was the cartwheel pass. After opening your opponents guard, keep your hands on the chest, and drop your head to the mat on either side (here we will use the left) using your feet to kick yourself up to nearly a headstand, and while up on your head, twist to the side and land in side control on the side opposite of your head, finishing with under hooking their head with your right arm, and C blocking their legs with your left.
Next was a two arm in pressure pass. I don't know the exact term, so I am using this. You pop their guard open again, using whatever technique you prefer. Swim both your hands inside their legs, clasp them together, and either pull their hips in tight, or run up on them, and stack their hips on top of them, using your chest to create pressure. From here, it is a simple matter of pressing them down, and turning your shoulder until both of their legs are to the side, and you land in side control. From there, all you do is under hook the head and C block the legs and you are past the guard.
Last we worked on something called the combat position. From the opened guard, slide one of your knees up in between theirs, and then slide it across to either side, getting the knee all the way to the mat, while keeping the foot on the inside of the leg, trapping it to the mat. From here you have what is technically called, a shit load of options. To keep it simple, if you bring your knee (right for this explanation) to the outside, you can crawl up to mount, or windshield wiper your legs and slip to high judo or side control. If you go to the inside, you can go right to side control, or flip to low judo. So many options its scary!!
Thank you Riley for a great class, and then it was time for a short trip to Shoreline MMA.
I took part in the tail end of boxing, which involved some bag work, some abs, and many rounds of sparring. With some good sweat going, it was time for grappling.
We began with our usual rolling, shrimping, cartwheels, and other warm ups before getting down to business. We worked a lot on the far side arm bar from knee on belly, which starts from, wait for it.....KNEE ON BELLY! When you are in this position, you have a far side under hook, and it is very uncomfortable for the bottom man, so he shrimps to push your knee off. keeping the far side under hook, cup their head with your free arm, and bring your other leg around to keep the head tucked into their chest. From here, all you have to do, is grab the elbow with your under hooking arm, and spin around to the far side, keeping your foot of the leg that was trapping their head under their body, scoot your hips in tight, and go through your arm bar checklist.
Next we switched to the arm bar from back mount. With a seat belt grip (one over one under) get the under arm hooked deep, use your other arm to cup and push their head away, creating separation of the head and shoulder. Next, release your leg opposite the under hook, and take a couple of little hop steps around towards the under hook, and then lean back, swinging your leg around their head for the arm bar.
We finished with a little rolling, and then some MMA sparring to help Corby get ready for his fight on Saturday. Great (exhausting!) day, and I can't wait for tomorrow!
Pulled double duty today getting in some rolling with Coach Riley at Alderwood MMA. Worked on some guard passing as well, which was awesome, since I need to work on that big time. First was the cartwheel pass. After opening your opponents guard, keep your hands on the chest, and drop your head to the mat on either side (here we will use the left) using your feet to kick yourself up to nearly a headstand, and while up on your head, twist to the side and land in side control on the side opposite of your head, finishing with under hooking their head with your right arm, and C blocking their legs with your left.
Next was a two arm in pressure pass. I don't know the exact term, so I am using this. You pop their guard open again, using whatever technique you prefer. Swim both your hands inside their legs, clasp them together, and either pull their hips in tight, or run up on them, and stack their hips on top of them, using your chest to create pressure. From here, it is a simple matter of pressing them down, and turning your shoulder until both of their legs are to the side, and you land in side control. From there, all you do is under hook the head and C block the legs and you are past the guard.
Last we worked on something called the combat position. From the opened guard, slide one of your knees up in between theirs, and then slide it across to either side, getting the knee all the way to the mat, while keeping the foot on the inside of the leg, trapping it to the mat. From here you have what is technically called, a shit load of options. To keep it simple, if you bring your knee (right for this explanation) to the outside, you can crawl up to mount, or windshield wiper your legs and slip to high judo or side control. If you go to the inside, you can go right to side control, or flip to low judo. So many options its scary!!
Thank you Riley for a great class, and then it was time for a short trip to Shoreline MMA.
I took part in the tail end of boxing, which involved some bag work, some abs, and many rounds of sparring. With some good sweat going, it was time for grappling.
We began with our usual rolling, shrimping, cartwheels, and other warm ups before getting down to business. We worked a lot on the far side arm bar from knee on belly, which starts from, wait for it.....KNEE ON BELLY! When you are in this position, you have a far side under hook, and it is very uncomfortable for the bottom man, so he shrimps to push your knee off. keeping the far side under hook, cup their head with your free arm, and bring your other leg around to keep the head tucked into their chest. From here, all you have to do, is grab the elbow with your under hooking arm, and spin around to the far side, keeping your foot of the leg that was trapping their head under their body, scoot your hips in tight, and go through your arm bar checklist.
Next we switched to the arm bar from back mount. With a seat belt grip (one over one under) get the under arm hooked deep, use your other arm to cup and push their head away, creating separation of the head and shoulder. Next, release your leg opposite the under hook, and take a couple of little hop steps around towards the under hook, and then lean back, swinging your leg around their head for the arm bar.
We finished with a little rolling, and then some MMA sparring to help Corby get ready for his fight on Saturday. Great (exhausting!) day, and I can't wait for tomorrow!
Thursday, October 25, 2012
MMA and me; day 271
We continued to work on the S mount arm bar, but we also focused on the arm bar check list, and pulling an arm bar from guard as well. From The bottom, with your opponent in your closed guard, reach across with your left arm, and grab their left elbow, pinning their arms in tight. Open your guard, placing your left foot on the mat, and swivel your head off to the right at a 90 degree angle, keeping the boot on, on your right foot, and pinning it tight against their back, as close to their head as possible.Under hook their left leg with your right hand, and swing your left leg out and around their head, while using your right leg to press them over onto their back. Pinch your knees together, and come around the outside of their far side elbow, lean over to your left as far above their head as you can, and then drop back for the arm bar. You can instead under hook the near side arm, as an alternative to hooking both arms, but I kinda like trapping both, as it prevents them from defending as easily.
We also worked on a step over arm bar from back mount. While standing, bring one of your legs up above the shoulder, keeping the other inside their hip, while facing away from your opponent. With your top side arm, reach inside their near side arm, going elbow pit deep, and securing a rear naked choke grip. Lifting your leg side foot off the mat, tuck your head and front roll, using your foot against their stomach to finish the roll, and as you come to your back, switch to a right under hook and lean up towards the head as you fall back into the arm bar.
Lastly, the arm bar checklist
knees pinched
heels in tight
arm secured with an elbow pit (don't hold it like a...you know)
thumb pointed at the ceiling (or at least put the pressure on the joint, away from the thumb)
hips taking off like an airplane
extend the arm while pulling
If you keep your details precise, you'll likely get the finish before you even get to the end. Another great day of classes!!
We also worked on a step over arm bar from back mount. While standing, bring one of your legs up above the shoulder, keeping the other inside their hip, while facing away from your opponent. With your top side arm, reach inside their near side arm, going elbow pit deep, and securing a rear naked choke grip. Lifting your leg side foot off the mat, tuck your head and front roll, using your foot against their stomach to finish the roll, and as you come to your back, switch to a right under hook and lean up towards the head as you fall back into the arm bar.
Lastly, the arm bar checklist
knees pinched
heels in tight
arm secured with an elbow pit (don't hold it like a...you know)
thumb pointed at the ceiling (or at least put the pressure on the joint, away from the thumb)
hips taking off like an airplane
extend the arm while pulling
If you keep your details precise, you'll likely get the finish before you even get to the end. Another great day of classes!!
Monday, October 22, 2012
MMA and me; day 270
We were back at the arm bar from S mount, and we added a LOT of new wrinkles to it. Starting from mount, you start pressing on their arms, trying to get resistance, which will help push one of their arms across their chest to move up to the S mount. Release the pressure on their right arm, and their pushing back into it will pop their arm up, and by cupping behind the elbow of the right arm, you can shove it all the way across their chest. Now you have to utilize some pressure to keep the arm in place, and the easiest way to do this is to slide your knees up to a high mount, and drop your head to a point on the mat, high above and to right side of their body (your left), using your chest to pin their arm in place. Keeping your chest pressure on, slide your left knee up to a few inches past the top of their head, and flick your left foot out, just a bit, This will help provide stability to straighten out your right leg, for the S mount position, and give you one of your posts to prevent getting bumped off, or swept. Using your left arm, secure an elbow pit deep over hook from the top side (making sure to sit VERY heavy on your right leg across their chest) and lean over just a bit forward and to the right, to allow your left leg to swing around and over their head, as you fall back into the arm bar.
As you fall back, under hook the near side knee (their right) with your right hand, to take away one of their posts, and prevent them from using it to kick free and turn over. One way to hold them down, but still keep pressure on their body, is to relieve your left leg from over their head, and prop it up under the back of their neck with your foot on the mat, like a kickstand. Combining this with a straight press of your right leg will hold them in place, and allow you to continue to work on the arm bar, which you can revert to whenever you want by swinging your left leg back over their head and leaning back. If their hands are clasped, and you cannot break the grip, sit up, and dig your right arm elbow pit deep by digging your wrist bone into their hands, and then driving them towards your opponents head. While doing this, also drop your head to your left, twisting their arm upwards, almost like a key lock. If you still cannot break their grip, dig the heel of your left arm into their far side elbow pit, and kick until their grip pops open. Once it does, X the top of your feet around their far side arm, and even if they do get their hands back together, all it takes is a small series of kicks to pop them back open. One of my favorite things to do from here, is to relieve the left leg from the top of their head after sliding the right leg across their face. This usually gets them to try and sit up, which lets you continue to slide the right leg around their neck into a triangle choke.
We went a little further into the S mount, expanding it into the Z mount, where you curl your right leg under their far side arm, and get to work for all sorts of neck cranks and top side triangles. So from S mount, bring your right heel in tight to their body, while keeping your left knee in tight to their head. Reach your left arm under the crown of their head and grab your shin, or the inside of their arm pit, and from there it's a simple triceps extension to get the neck crank. Now if they try to under hook your right leg with your far side arm, scoop their head up and slide your right foot underneath it, pushing the head all the way into the pit of your knee. Now, all you have to do is roll over your right shoulder, and lock up the triangle. In fact, you can lean forward and secure the triangle from the top side, and then all you have to do is sit back and wait for the tap. If they happen to be particularly tough, you can attack their right arm with arm bars or kimuras as well, good fun!!! Can't wait to get back into the gym this week!!!
As you fall back, under hook the near side knee (their right) with your right hand, to take away one of their posts, and prevent them from using it to kick free and turn over. One way to hold them down, but still keep pressure on their body, is to relieve your left leg from over their head, and prop it up under the back of their neck with your foot on the mat, like a kickstand. Combining this with a straight press of your right leg will hold them in place, and allow you to continue to work on the arm bar, which you can revert to whenever you want by swinging your left leg back over their head and leaning back. If their hands are clasped, and you cannot break the grip, sit up, and dig your right arm elbow pit deep by digging your wrist bone into their hands, and then driving them towards your opponents head. While doing this, also drop your head to your left, twisting their arm upwards, almost like a key lock. If you still cannot break their grip, dig the heel of your left arm into their far side elbow pit, and kick until their grip pops open. Once it does, X the top of your feet around their far side arm, and even if they do get their hands back together, all it takes is a small series of kicks to pop them back open. One of my favorite things to do from here, is to relieve the left leg from the top of their head after sliding the right leg across their face. This usually gets them to try and sit up, which lets you continue to slide the right leg around their neck into a triangle choke.
We went a little further into the S mount, expanding it into the Z mount, where you curl your right leg under their far side arm, and get to work for all sorts of neck cranks and top side triangles. So from S mount, bring your right heel in tight to their body, while keeping your left knee in tight to their head. Reach your left arm under the crown of their head and grab your shin, or the inside of their arm pit, and from there it's a simple triceps extension to get the neck crank. Now if they try to under hook your right leg with your far side arm, scoop their head up and slide your right foot underneath it, pushing the head all the way into the pit of your knee. Now, all you have to do is roll over your right shoulder, and lock up the triangle. In fact, you can lean forward and secure the triangle from the top side, and then all you have to do is sit back and wait for the tap. If they happen to be particularly tough, you can attack their right arm with arm bars or kimuras as well, good fun!!! Can't wait to get back into the gym this week!!!
Thursday, October 18, 2012
MMA and me; day 269
Got into the gym on a wednesday, and was treated to a couple classes I don't normally get to participate in. Kickboxing was first, and after jumping rope, a round of skippies, and a couple rounds of knees and low kicks on kick shields. We moved on to combos on the thai pads, first keeping things simple, then moving on to hitting the ones coach called out that were more elaborate. We did several rounds of that, then moved on to bump drills. We finished with boxer sit ups (and these things kicked my ass!) I tried to keep things simple and light during these drills. Not hitting hard, but trying to be accurate, and consistent. Also, don't get kicked by Corby, it doesn't feel good... :)
In jiu jitsu, we worked on some grappling drills. Some old favorites like the S mount arm bar, positioning drills, and the key lock/straight arm lock/kimura flow. We worked on a very cool version of the S mount drill. We had two people lay 4-5 feet apart face up on the mat, and I would hit the S mount arm bar on one of them, and finish the arm bar on the side that the other person was laying on, then back roll and land in mount on the other person. From there, I hit the S mount arm bar again, but reverse of before, because I had to roll back in the opposite direction to make it back to the first person. I liked this drill a lot, mostly because it forced me to think about where I was in relation to my partners were at all times, and was very helpful in recognizing space.
A good day of hard work in the gym, looking forward to another one tonight!
In jiu jitsu, we worked on some grappling drills. Some old favorites like the S mount arm bar, positioning drills, and the key lock/straight arm lock/kimura flow. We worked on a very cool version of the S mount drill. We had two people lay 4-5 feet apart face up on the mat, and I would hit the S mount arm bar on one of them, and finish the arm bar on the side that the other person was laying on, then back roll and land in mount on the other person. From there, I hit the S mount arm bar again, but reverse of before, because I had to roll back in the opposite direction to make it back to the first person. I liked this drill a lot, mostly because it forced me to think about where I was in relation to my partners were at all times, and was very helpful in recognizing space.
A good day of hard work in the gym, looking forward to another one tonight!
Saturday, October 13, 2012
MMA and me; day 268
Gi chokes are cool, we covered this earlier in the week. They also cause your neck to be rubbed raw from drilling them over and over. Hazards of having jiu jitsu as an interest I suppose. Anyways, we worked on a lot more of them on Thursday. First, we went over the Brabo/D'Arce choke that I had a hard time with on Tuesday, again. From top side control, pull open your opponents jacket, having a big portion of the corner sticking out, and wrap up their far side arm. With your top side arm, reach under their head to grab the hunk of jacket from your other hand, and pull the jacket behind their head. With your bottom side hand free, bring it back to the near side of the body, and swim it under your body to reach up and grab the jacket, now on the near side of their head. Keeping a firm grip on the jacket, swim your other arm underneath the chin to grab behind their far side shoulder, and them simultaneously pull their jacket, while dropping the shoulder of the arm across their throat for the tap.
We next worked a choke from bottom side control. You pull open their jacket to the far side, and feed it around the back of their head to your other hand. You then reach up with your bottom side hand to grab as far behind their shoulder (even grabbing a hunk of gi if you are so inclined) and slide your bottom side knee in between yourselves. Use your knee, and the grips with your hands to leverage them over your body towards your head, to make gravity and body weight do all the work. The cool thing is, if they try and escape and roll over, if you hang on and get to top control, you can lean on them with your weight and still finish the choke!!
Lastly, we covered a couple of old favorites. The clock choke, and the baseball choke from knee ride. We have gone over these many times before, so I will touch on the basics for both.
Clock choke - From mount, get a cross lapel grip, and make it nice and deep on both sides. Flare your elbows out, trying to touch the mat on either side of the head, and round your back to reach your head to the mat, as far above theirs as you can get it. Twist your hands in a motorcycle grip to help tighten the choke.
Baseball choke from knee ride - From the knee ride position, grab a hold of a baseball grip, top side hand with four fingers out of the near side lapel, bottom side hand with four fingers in the far side lapel, and slide the knee to the near side of the mat. From hear, walk around on your knees to the top side of the head, and flare your elbows out (much like in the clock choke) and sprawl your legs back to create more pressure. From here, you really want to shrug your shoulders and implode inward to help finish the choke, and also like the clock choke, motorcycle grip your hands.
Another day come and gone. Another day of rubbed raw skin and cramping hands. I LOVE IT!!!
We next worked a choke from bottom side control. You pull open their jacket to the far side, and feed it around the back of their head to your other hand. You then reach up with your bottom side hand to grab as far behind their shoulder (even grabbing a hunk of gi if you are so inclined) and slide your bottom side knee in between yourselves. Use your knee, and the grips with your hands to leverage them over your body towards your head, to make gravity and body weight do all the work. The cool thing is, if they try and escape and roll over, if you hang on and get to top control, you can lean on them with your weight and still finish the choke!!
Lastly, we covered a couple of old favorites. The clock choke, and the baseball choke from knee ride. We have gone over these many times before, so I will touch on the basics for both.
Clock choke - From mount, get a cross lapel grip, and make it nice and deep on both sides. Flare your elbows out, trying to touch the mat on either side of the head, and round your back to reach your head to the mat, as far above theirs as you can get it. Twist your hands in a motorcycle grip to help tighten the choke.
Baseball choke from knee ride - From the knee ride position, grab a hold of a baseball grip, top side hand with four fingers out of the near side lapel, bottom side hand with four fingers in the far side lapel, and slide the knee to the near side of the mat. From hear, walk around on your knees to the top side of the head, and flare your elbows out (much like in the clock choke) and sprawl your legs back to create more pressure. From here, you really want to shrug your shoulders and implode inward to help finish the choke, and also like the clock choke, motorcycle grip your hands.
Another day come and gone. Another day of rubbed raw skin and cramping hands. I LOVE IT!!!
Thursday, October 11, 2012
MMA and me; day 267
Gi chokes are so much fun!!! We worked on several different ones, and I gotta say, I really dig jiu jitsu in the gi. First, we drilled the whizzer choke. A whizzer is a defensive move in wrestling when someone attempts a take down on you. You over hook their outside arm, and sprawl out. Well that is the very basic, simplified version at least. For the choke, from side control, our opponent will try to under hook your arm with their far side arm. As they do, over hook their arm, and reach for the opposite side lapel, but don't try to grab it too deep, like you usually do with lapel chokes. From here, with your other hand, reach across their neck, and grab as far behind their far side shoulder as you can, while keeping tight pressure on the far side of their neck, and flatten them to their back. From here it's a simple matter of pulling the lapel, and leaning with your forearm for the tap.
Next was the belt grab, which is one we have worked with before. With your opponent in your guard, make an attempt to over hook one of the arms, and while doing so, grab a semi deep grip on the far side lapel. Next, work a little hip bump, like you might think about going for a kimura, and hopefully they will post an arm to keep from falling over. If not, it's not the end of the world. So you get on the hip opposite from the side of the lapel you grabbed, open your guard just enough to reach over their back, and grab their belt. Close your guard back up, nice and tight, keeping the arm across their back bent, and keeping the back of their neck in tight to your arm pit as much as possible. From here you want to pull the lapel towards the arm holding it, pull their belt towards the arm holding it, and twist with your hips away from the belt grabbing arm, while compressing with your legs. It is a very similar motion to a guillotine choke.
Lastly we worked on the Watts choke. This is just a super sneaky, incredibly basic, but effective submission. From having your opponent in your guard, grab a baseball grip on either side of the neck. The baseball grip is thumb in on the left, back of the hand facing the ceiling, four fingers in on the right, back of the hand facing the mat. If you could touch your hands together, it would look like the grip you use to hold a baseball bat. From here, and though it sounds counter intuitive, you let them pass your guard (over your left leg for the grip described), and start walking around to your left, until you can flatten to your belly. You want to stay on the bottom, and keep that grip tight, and you will get the tap. As you walk around and then belly down, you keep tightening, and tightening the choke. It's simple, and very effective.
There was one more that we worked on, but I had some trouble with it, and I am hoping to go back over it tonight. I can't wait to do more work with the gi, it is a ton of fun!!
Next was the belt grab, which is one we have worked with before. With your opponent in your guard, make an attempt to over hook one of the arms, and while doing so, grab a semi deep grip on the far side lapel. Next, work a little hip bump, like you might think about going for a kimura, and hopefully they will post an arm to keep from falling over. If not, it's not the end of the world. So you get on the hip opposite from the side of the lapel you grabbed, open your guard just enough to reach over their back, and grab their belt. Close your guard back up, nice and tight, keeping the arm across their back bent, and keeping the back of their neck in tight to your arm pit as much as possible. From here you want to pull the lapel towards the arm holding it, pull their belt towards the arm holding it, and twist with your hips away from the belt grabbing arm, while compressing with your legs. It is a very similar motion to a guillotine choke.
Lastly we worked on the Watts choke. This is just a super sneaky, incredibly basic, but effective submission. From having your opponent in your guard, grab a baseball grip on either side of the neck. The baseball grip is thumb in on the left, back of the hand facing the ceiling, four fingers in on the right, back of the hand facing the mat. If you could touch your hands together, it would look like the grip you use to hold a baseball bat. From here, and though it sounds counter intuitive, you let them pass your guard (over your left leg for the grip described), and start walking around to your left, until you can flatten to your belly. You want to stay on the bottom, and keep that grip tight, and you will get the tap. As you walk around and then belly down, you keep tightening, and tightening the choke. It's simple, and very effective.
There was one more that we worked on, but I had some trouble with it, and I am hoping to go back over it tonight. I can't wait to do more work with the gi, it is a ton of fun!!
Friday, October 5, 2012
MMA and me; day 265/266
Man alive, it feels good to be back in the gym, getting my roll on. Tuesday, we worked on a lot of neck strengthening, drills, bridges, shoulder rolls, and stretching in plow position to prepare for the work we were doing with the inverted guard. We first partnered up and sat on our butts as our partner stood over us. With one of their legs in between yours, and facing them, you reach under your leg on the inside, and place the back of the hand on the outside of their leg. Next, you shoulder roll over your inside shoulder onto your neck and shoulders, bringing your outside leg to the inside of their opposite side knee, and get your hooks in on both of their legs. Now you can hang out here, work for a take down, or possibly go for a submission, but for the purposes of this drill, we relieved the leg on the side we had rolled from, finished the roll, and ended up in the same position we started out in, just on the opposite leg of our partner. We drilled this for a bit, mixing in take downs from the inverted position, going all around them instead of back and forth, working with our partner on their knees and throwing up a triangle from the inverted position. Very cool stuff. My favorite part of the class, was getting to grapple over the last hour or so. I usually like this part a lot anyways, but this was the first time since my rib injury that I have been able to roll, and it felt awesome! I'm still not at 100%, and due to other small injuries my cardio has slipped a bit, but this was day one at getting back where I need to be. Actually, last night (Thursday) was a day of all grappling.For dang near two hours, I rolled with any and everybody who was willing to get their grapple on. Sore, tired, sweaty, and loving it. So glad to be back, so happy to be a part of the gym again. No specific goals in mind right now, just getting back to where I need to be to start thinking about them. I love this stuff!!!
Thursday, August 23, 2012
MMA and me; day 264
Got the day started off right with an hour of kickboxing. We worked on low kicks first, and were getting very specific on the details. Coach compared it to kicking a football off the ground. You don't want to come at it head on, you want to get off to a 45 degree angle, and go by with your head down, and swing through the target. We drilled stepping across the body, and keeping the head down from beginning to end. For me, it's about driving through the target, and pushing off with the shin after contact. It leads to a much deeper, and devastating leg kick. After two rounds, we moved on to bump drills, and finished off the class with those.
For the next hour, we just grappled, so I was a pretty damn happy camper! I'm just focused on getting ready for Saturday, and being as prepared as I can to go after those subs. I also need to remember, to work for and maintain top position as much as possible, and to remain calm. Losing my cool plays right into whomever I am competing against, and takes me out of my game. Great day in the gym yesterday, feeling good!
For the next hour, we just grappled, so I was a pretty damn happy camper! I'm just focused on getting ready for Saturday, and being as prepared as I can to go after those subs. I also need to remember, to work for and maintain top position as much as possible, and to remain calm. Losing my cool plays right into whomever I am competing against, and takes me out of my game. Great day in the gym yesterday, feeling good!
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
MMA and me; day 263
Normally I don't get in to the gym on Mondays, but this week I had the time, so I made the best of it. For MMA class, we started out working on ground and pound. We gloved up, and worked on transitioning between all the positions; high judo, low judo, cross body side control, mount, north/south, knee ride, V knee ride, and all the while landing 3-5 punches, straight 1-2s or hammerfists. Next we moved on to working the kick shield with low kicks. For me this was good for working on getting to that outside angle and really driving through with the kick. Not kicking to the shield, but a spot 2-3 feet past it. We then switched up to Thai clinch knees to the body, making sure to work on the push pull technique that can really make them that much more impactful. Also, circling away from the direction you are steering them with your clinch is big, as it gives you a lot of space to wind up the knee and make it all the more devastating. We finished off with take down drills against the wall, and since it's been a minute since I have done this, I struggled at first. One person had their back on the wall, and everyone else lined up to take them down, one at a time. My cardio is not terrible right now, but if I plan on having success next month, I had better improve!
In no-gi jiu jitsu, we worked on our drills, station to station; keylock/straight arm lock/kimura, triangle drill, kimura drill, swinging arm bar, shoulder rolls, S mount arm bar, step over drill, headstand, shrimping in place, snap arm bar, S mount arm bar. I helped one of the new guys, and we mostly worked on the keylock flow drill, and the kimura drill. The key lock flow was a simplified version of one we have worked before, so I will just focus on the kimura which I have only done sparingly. With your opponent in your guard, if they posture up and put one of their hands on the mat, with your same side hand, grab the wrist of their and that is posted on the mat, pushing it away from you at the same time. Sit up, and with your other hand, bring it out, around, over their head, and over the arm you just grabbed, and grab your other wrist. From here, switch your hips so you are on the hip opposite the side you have the kimura locked up on, and get your top side leg as close to across the back of their shoulders, while using your other leg to post on the mat, creating a solid base. After this, all you do is crank the arm up and behind their back for the tap. Very fun class, and very important to keep the skills fresh.
So I realized on my way home, that it has now been two years exactly, since I first walked in the doors of Shoreline MMA. When I first started, I was out of shape, hadn't competed in anything like this since high school, and weighed 240 pounds. I have competed in four grappling tournaments, with a record of 7-2, a silver, and two golds, and weigh 185 pounds. I have met people that will be in my life for the rest of mine, and are like new family members. Thank you to everybody who has helped along the way, and encouraged, motivated, pushed, and challenged me. You have helped me find the self I barely knew I had inside, and for that I will be forever grateful. I love you all, and I am very excited to see what the next two years have to offer!
In no-gi jiu jitsu, we worked on our drills, station to station; keylock/straight arm lock/kimura, triangle drill, kimura drill, swinging arm bar, shoulder rolls, S mount arm bar, step over drill, headstand, shrimping in place, snap arm bar, S mount arm bar. I helped one of the new guys, and we mostly worked on the keylock flow drill, and the kimura drill. The key lock flow was a simplified version of one we have worked before, so I will just focus on the kimura which I have only done sparingly. With your opponent in your guard, if they posture up and put one of their hands on the mat, with your same side hand, grab the wrist of their and that is posted on the mat, pushing it away from you at the same time. Sit up, and with your other hand, bring it out, around, over their head, and over the arm you just grabbed, and grab your other wrist. From here, switch your hips so you are on the hip opposite the side you have the kimura locked up on, and get your top side leg as close to across the back of their shoulders, while using your other leg to post on the mat, creating a solid base. After this, all you do is crank the arm up and behind their back for the tap. Very fun class, and very important to keep the skills fresh.
So I realized on my way home, that it has now been two years exactly, since I first walked in the doors of Shoreline MMA. When I first started, I was out of shape, hadn't competed in anything like this since high school, and weighed 240 pounds. I have competed in four grappling tournaments, with a record of 7-2, a silver, and two golds, and weigh 185 pounds. I have met people that will be in my life for the rest of mine, and are like new family members. Thank you to everybody who has helped along the way, and encouraged, motivated, pushed, and challenged me. You have helped me find the self I barely knew I had inside, and for that I will be forever grateful. I love you all, and I am very excited to see what the next two years have to offer!
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
MMA and me; day 262
SO we went back to work on the same triangle entry we worked on last Thursday, but we expanded on it. The first addition we worked on, was adding a reverse triangle on to the end. So if you're just not getting the finish with the triangle, switch on to your left hip, and reverse your legs. From here, squeeze your knees together and pull down on the head for the finish. From the reverse triangle, you can also attack their arm that is stuck in with their head with cutting arm bars, kimuras, you can transition back to a regular triangle, you can go for an omoplata, there are a TON of options! I also played around a bit with attempting a kimura from the under hook of their arm when you pull it through. As their arm clears your leg, pull your left arm over and through the gap, while sliding your grip from palm to palm, to left hand on right wrist. As you pull it through, grab their left wrist, and X your legs across their back. From here, all you have to do is finish the kimura. Your legs prevent them from rolling to their back and defending, and your hands were together the whole time, so the grip is very difficult to disrupt.
Lastly, we incorporated a kind of muscle lock, into the beginning of the series. As you create the space, dive the under hook in, and trap their arm. Instead of trying to pull the arm through, lift your right leg up, put your boot on, and drop your heel down as far across their back as possible. By leg pressing with your right, and pulling into the arm pit/inside of their arm with your clasped hands, you can get a nasty muscle slicer, and can elicit a tap before even transitioning to the cutting arm bar or triangle, very nifty!
Very fun classes as always, and I'm excited to get back in to the gym tonight! Taking the rest of the week off after today, but I am going to be back in full time next week for the next month plus!
Lastly, we incorporated a kind of muscle lock, into the beginning of the series. As you create the space, dive the under hook in, and trap their arm. Instead of trying to pull the arm through, lift your right leg up, put your boot on, and drop your heel down as far across their back as possible. By leg pressing with your right, and pulling into the arm pit/inside of their arm with your clasped hands, you can get a nasty muscle slicer, and can elicit a tap before even transitioning to the cutting arm bar or triangle, very nifty!
Very fun classes as always, and I'm excited to get back in to the gym tonight! Taking the rest of the week off after today, but I am going to be back in full time next week for the next month plus!
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
MMA and me; day 261
EUREKA!!! Okay, maybe this is only funny to me, but I feel like referencing Archimedes is an extremely funny way to dig in to the new triangle entry we worked on last Thursday. We started class with ten minutes of shadow grappling/working on our rolls, and then went right into the triangle.
When you have someone in your guard, they usually try to keep both arms in, or both arms out. With both arms out, they will often try to under hook your hips, stack you up on your shoulders, and then pass your guard. When they get the under hooks, shrimp back, and drop your hips towards the mat, to create space under their armpits. With your right arm, under hook their left arm, and get a palm to palm grip with your left hand. From here you have a very dominant position, and can go for several submissions. They have to get their arm out, because not only are they no longer in a position of dictating where the match will go, they are in danger of a straight arm lock (cutting arm bar) if you pull their arm past your right leg with your under hook, and trap it between your neck and your shoulder. Using your radial bone, dig into the arm, just below the elbow, making sure to keep their arm pinned between your head and shoulder on your right side, while still controlling their body with your legs, until they tap. Now, they will do their best to clear their arm across their chest, and escape the cutting arm bar. Well that is great, because all of the sudden, you are in prime triangle position! Your left leg is already over their right shoulder, and they are reaching across their chest with their left arm to defend against the cutting arm bar. Put your right foot on their hip, and push off to get your head all the way to the other side of their body, and cinch in the triangle. From here, work your check list until you get the tap (boots on, arm across, under hook the arm, leg, body, hips up)
A very fun entry, and although we didn't cover it, I saw the possibility for a kimura near the cutting arm bar, and really hope that's something we cover soon. My wrist is getting better, I just hope it's okay in time for Lockflow.
When you have someone in your guard, they usually try to keep both arms in, or both arms out. With both arms out, they will often try to under hook your hips, stack you up on your shoulders, and then pass your guard. When they get the under hooks, shrimp back, and drop your hips towards the mat, to create space under their armpits. With your right arm, under hook their left arm, and get a palm to palm grip with your left hand. From here you have a very dominant position, and can go for several submissions. They have to get their arm out, because not only are they no longer in a position of dictating where the match will go, they are in danger of a straight arm lock (cutting arm bar) if you pull their arm past your right leg with your under hook, and trap it between your neck and your shoulder. Using your radial bone, dig into the arm, just below the elbow, making sure to keep their arm pinned between your head and shoulder on your right side, while still controlling their body with your legs, until they tap. Now, they will do their best to clear their arm across their chest, and escape the cutting arm bar. Well that is great, because all of the sudden, you are in prime triangle position! Your left leg is already over their right shoulder, and they are reaching across their chest with their left arm to defend against the cutting arm bar. Put your right foot on their hip, and push off to get your head all the way to the other side of their body, and cinch in the triangle. From here, work your check list until you get the tap (boots on, arm across, under hook the arm, leg, body, hips up)
A very fun entry, and although we didn't cover it, I saw the possibility for a kimura near the cutting arm bar, and really hope that's something we cover soon. My wrist is getting better, I just hope it's okay in time for Lockflow.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
MMA and me; day 260
So I have now been back in the gym for a couple weeks since my extended hiatus, but not really. My wrist has been pretty dang sore for almost two weeks, and it is somewhat hampering my ability to train. So last night, and hopefully only tomorrow, I will stick with jiu jitsu drills, and light rolling. We worked a lot of dexterity drills, bridging, rolls, crawls, hip bumps, crab walks, bear crawls, and we finished with a couple of sweeps from bottom side control. The key to both of these sweeps/sit ups, is swiveling your hips out from under you, and behind you while keeping your top arm straight.
First, from bottom side control, turn into your opponent, pushing into their opposite side shoulder with your top side arm, and KEEPING IT STRAIGHT. Post up on your other elbow, making sure it is directly behind you as you do, and as you sit up on the side of your hip, swing your legs around behind you, pushing their shoulder down as you come up on top of them in side control. This is a very useful escape/sweep, and I had been using a rough version of this for a while apparently. Another option is to turn away from them, bridge to get up on your hip, and like before, push into their opposite shoulder with your top side arm, again keeping it straight, and posting on your other arm directly behind you. In one motion, swim your legs underneath yourself to behind you while pushing into the shoulder, arm straight, and finish in side control.
A lot of people think this is all about strength, but it's not. With proper positioning, and using your core strength, you can do this to just about anybody, which is one of the many things I LOVE about jiu jitsu! Really looking forward to getting back to 100%, but I'm just going to take it one step at a time.
First, from bottom side control, turn into your opponent, pushing into their opposite side shoulder with your top side arm, and KEEPING IT STRAIGHT. Post up on your other elbow, making sure it is directly behind you as you do, and as you sit up on the side of your hip, swing your legs around behind you, pushing their shoulder down as you come up on top of them in side control. This is a very useful escape/sweep, and I had been using a rough version of this for a while apparently. Another option is to turn away from them, bridge to get up on your hip, and like before, push into their opposite shoulder with your top side arm, again keeping it straight, and posting on your other arm directly behind you. In one motion, swim your legs underneath yourself to behind you while pushing into the shoulder, arm straight, and finish in side control.
A lot of people think this is all about strength, but it's not. With proper positioning, and using your core strength, you can do this to just about anybody, which is one of the many things I LOVE about jiu jitsu! Really looking forward to getting back to 100%, but I'm just going to take it one step at a time.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
MMA and me; day 259
Well, in the process of defending (successfully!!) our softball championship, I somehow managed to hurt my wrist. It's nothing serious, but it's keeping me from training as hard as I would like, and that is kinda driving me bonkers. Yesterday we mostly worked on hip stretches, and while I do not recall the link off the top of my head, I will definitely be adding a link detailing the stretching routine in my next blog. Hopefully by next week the soreness will have subsided, but until then, I can keep light rolling, and working my cardio, going to need it for the intermediate division!!!
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
MMA and me; day 258
Well, well, well, it has been a little while. SO I took some time off from the gym after competing in my last grappling tournament. I took first place in the 170/185 pound beginners division. (They combined the two weight classes) Three matches, three submissions. Now that I have a couple of wins under my belt, I will be moving up and competing in the intermediate level, look out!
I got back into it last night, and we kept it pretty simple. We worked on the twister from back mount. With both hooks in and a seat belt grip from the top, slide (for the purposes of this drill) your left leg further in, and over their calf, while releasing your right hook and planting it flat on the mat. Drop to your left shoulder and hip, and use your right leg to leg lace with your left (over your left leg and under their left calf) and swim your right arm, elbow pit deep around their right arm, and secure a rear naked choke grip around it. Scoot your hips away from them to create space, and lift while pulling their arm to create more space. Swim your left arm under their right arm, and from there, underneath their neck, up to the crown of the head, and reach to clasp your hands together around their head. Extend your legs straight out from your body, at a 90 degree angle, not straight down, while pulling their head towards you, putting the pressure on the crown of their head, until they tap.
We worked on that for most of class, then rolled for quite a long time, and then worked on sparring for the rest of the evening. I'm going to be sparring quite a lot for the next couple of months, because I will be having my first MMA fight on September 22nd, and another grappling tournament on August 25th. It's going to be some hard work, but I have a great team behind me, and I have nothing but confidence. Buckle in, it's going to be a wild ride!
I got back into it last night, and we kept it pretty simple. We worked on the twister from back mount. With both hooks in and a seat belt grip from the top, slide (for the purposes of this drill) your left leg further in, and over their calf, while releasing your right hook and planting it flat on the mat. Drop to your left shoulder and hip, and use your right leg to leg lace with your left (over your left leg and under their left calf) and swim your right arm, elbow pit deep around their right arm, and secure a rear naked choke grip around it. Scoot your hips away from them to create space, and lift while pulling their arm to create more space. Swim your left arm under their right arm, and from there, underneath their neck, up to the crown of the head, and reach to clasp your hands together around their head. Extend your legs straight out from your body, at a 90 degree angle, not straight down, while pulling their head towards you, putting the pressure on the crown of their head, until they tap.
We worked on that for most of class, then rolled for quite a long time, and then worked on sparring for the rest of the evening. I'm going to be sparring quite a lot for the next couple of months, because I will be having my first MMA fight on September 22nd, and another grappling tournament on August 25th. It's going to be some hard work, but I have a great team behind me, and I have nothing but confidence. Buckle in, it's going to be a wild ride!
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
MMA and me; day 257
Yesterday we covered one of our favorites, a sweet leg lock flow. Starting from the guard, you posture up and begin a lunge pass, and as you do, bring your forward leg up into a knee shield. Drive the knee shield over their thigh, pinning it to the ground. As you slide it over, swim your other leg around their body and plant your foot on the mat, in front of their stomach, and immediately slide it under their upper body to defend against the toe hold. Scoot your hips in tight to theirs, your bottom foot should have the boot on in the middle of their crack, and cup their knee that is in between your legs to pull it in tight, and then pinch your legs together. From here, slide your hand up to the toes of the top leg (keeping constant pressure) and bring the leg up to 12:00 and then compress their foot over your quad muscle for a compression lock. Next, scoot your hips out a couple short bumps, and bring your other arm out and around the back of their leg that you are still grabbing the toes of, and grab your own wrist. Shrug your shoulders, put your head on your hands, and turn their foot away from your body for a toe hold. Shrimping your hips back in tight, release the toe hold, and with your top side arm, trap the foot in your arm pit, and wrap around the heel with your forearm, clasp your hands together, and turn for a long heel hook. Slide your wrist down so your radial bone is right on the back of their heel, and instead of twisting, just pull it straight back for a short heel hook. Shrimp your hips out, reach under the leg for an ankle lock, and then shrimp back in, post up on your bottom side elbow and then ratchet back on the post, looking over your shoulder until they tap. Next, straighten out your top side leg in front of you, and post up on the foot. Facing directly away from them, sit down on their butt, and lean back for the half crab. Lastly, reach down to cup the knee of their leg that you have under your arm with your free hand, pop up your other leg so you are on both feet, reach your other hand down so that both hands are cupping the knee, then sit back and pull up for the tap.
I really like this flow, and it really sheds a whole new light on leg locks as a whole. Some of the options for leg locks are not available until you get to more experienced levels of competition, but that's fine by me, I love 'em! Great day of class, and it's almost home stretch time for Arlington!!
I really like this flow, and it really sheds a whole new light on leg locks as a whole. Some of the options for leg locks are not available until you get to more experienced levels of competition, but that's fine by me, I love 'em! Great day of class, and it's almost home stretch time for Arlington!!
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
MMA and me; day 255/256
The past two days in the gym were spent grappling. As we get closer to the tournament, the focus is gong to be more and more on cardio, with a bit of technique thrown in to keep it fresh. Helping Batman and Brandon get ready for their fights this weekend, and then next week it will be hard core weight cutting. Things I need to work on, urgency and patience. Sounds weird, but they in fact do go hand in hand.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
MMA and me; day 254
Knee bar from half guard is where we left off, and we focused on the step over, and the back spin. Both utilize the same checklist while going for the knee bar, so we will focus on the step over. From half guard, swing your outside leg over their head, and end up sitting on their stomach, with both feet firmly planted on the mat, and swim your inside arm under their outside knee, elbow pit deep, and secure a rear naked choke grip. Keeping your hips in tight to their body, roll off to the outside of their body, keeping their knee tight in against your chest, and pinching it tight with your knees. Work your arms up to the heel, and keeping it tight, extend your hips and arch your back, pulling back on the heel, but keeping it in tight to your chest. You also don't want to focus solely on pulling the leg towards you, but also extending it lengthwise. This makes it much easier, and gives you a shorter distance to extend to finish the submission.
We also drilled a counter to the defense of the knee bar, which was pretty cool. As you secure the knee and roll over, they will likely throw their other leg over the ankle of the leg being threatened. So instead of rolling to the side, scoot your hips over so your butt is on the mat next to theirs, and throw your outside leg over their topside leg, and then bring it in close to your hips so you can figure four your legs. All the while, you have maintained the rear naked choke under their knee pit, but now you want to slide it out just a bit, so your wrist is in between their calf and hamstring, bring your arm parallel to the ground, and pull your elbow towards you while pushing your fist away, and at the same time pull their legs in as close to your hips as you can with your legs. This is a nasty compression lock, and they will likely do everything they can to extend their legs and get out of it, which just puts them right back into the knee bar. It's beautiful!!
Great day of classes last night, and I can't wait for fighters training tonight!!
We also drilled a counter to the defense of the knee bar, which was pretty cool. As you secure the knee and roll over, they will likely throw their other leg over the ankle of the leg being threatened. So instead of rolling to the side, scoot your hips over so your butt is on the mat next to theirs, and throw your outside leg over their topside leg, and then bring it in close to your hips so you can figure four your legs. All the while, you have maintained the rear naked choke under their knee pit, but now you want to slide it out just a bit, so your wrist is in between their calf and hamstring, bring your arm parallel to the ground, and pull your elbow towards you while pushing your fist away, and at the same time pull their legs in as close to your hips as you can with your legs. This is a nasty compression lock, and they will likely do everything they can to extend their legs and get out of it, which just puts them right back into the knee bar. It's beautiful!!
Great day of classes last night, and I can't wait for fighters training tonight!!
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
MMA and me; day 253
Back at the leg locks, and we once again covered the Imanari entry, but expanded it to somewhat include attacking from the knees and from the feet. We will gradually get to where we can enter into a heel hook or straight ankle lock from standing, but for now we are just focusing on getting the basic mechanics down. From your back, facing up with your opponent standing at your head facing you, reach inside their left knee with your right hand, and roll up onto your shoulders. From there, pull the knee bent and towards you, and rotate your hips around to the outside, sweeping your left leg behind their calves, while pushing their hips back with your right foot, and pinching your knees around their left leg. As they fall back, scoot on to your right hip, and get your hips in as close to theirs as possible, making sure to keep the boot on your left foot in the middle of their butt, and pushing their right leg away with your own right foot. Shrimp your hips out to create space, reach over and under the leg for an ankle lock, and then quickly shrimp back in. Post up on your other arm and begin steadily ratcheting around behind yourself while looking over your shoulder until they tap.
We next worked on an entry while standing over an opponent who is on their back with their head away from you. Cupping underneath the heels, slide your left hand to the inside of the knee and pin it to the mat, stacking your bones so you are not using strength, but rather your weight, to hold it down. Swim your left knee over the top of their right thigh, all the way to the mat, and then swing your other leg over the top, tucking your foot under their upper body, to prevent toe holds. From here, pinch your knees together, and much like before, scoot out, grab the ankle lock, scoot back in, post up, and ratchet around for the tap.
We also covered the back spin knee bar, but seeing as how we went over all of these tonight as well, I will cover the knee bar tomorrow. Gotta keep you coming back somehow...
Oh yeah, during fighters training, I got whooped on, then sweated, and then whooped on some more. It was great!!!
We next worked on an entry while standing over an opponent who is on their back with their head away from you. Cupping underneath the heels, slide your left hand to the inside of the knee and pin it to the mat, stacking your bones so you are not using strength, but rather your weight, to hold it down. Swim your left knee over the top of their right thigh, all the way to the mat, and then swing your other leg over the top, tucking your foot under their upper body, to prevent toe holds. From here, pinch your knees together, and much like before, scoot out, grab the ankle lock, scoot back in, post up, and ratchet around for the tap.
We also covered the back spin knee bar, but seeing as how we went over all of these tonight as well, I will cover the knee bar tomorrow. Gotta keep you coming back somehow...
Oh yeah, during fighters training, I got whooped on, then sweated, and then whooped on some more. It was great!!!
MMA and me; day 252
Leg locks!!! We are getting back into them, and I couldn't be happier. We started off with a few drills like spinning from our back into a guard with the opponent standing at our head, spinning off the wall, and then we went right into the Imanari entry to a heel hook. Laying on your back with your opponent standing at your head, you reach up with the right hand and grab the back of the opposite side knee from the inside. Roll up onto your shoulders and spin around so your left leg comes behind them, and your right leg scissors in front of them, using your momentum to take them down to their back side. From here, their left leg will be trapped between your knees, and you can cup the top of their knee to pull it in tight as you pinch your knees together to secure it. As you pinch your knees, the foot will pop out, just begging to be attacked. You can get a pretty nasty heel hook, but since those are not legal until just about the top levels of competition, we were instead working on Achilles, or straight ankle locks. For this, instead of reaching back and trapping the top of the foot and exposing the heel, shrimp your hips out a bit, and go all the way under the leg, putting the entire foot in your arm pit. Quickly shrimp back in, and pull your hand under the leg up to your chest and look back over the opposite side shoulder while arching your back for the tap.
A few things to remember: roll up onto your shoulders, and stay up there until you have completely spun around behind them and start sweeping them down. As you spin around behind them, I find it much easier to maintain good position if you pinch your knees before you get them all the way to the mat. This just makes it easier to secure the knee, and you don't have to do much readjustment once you hit the mat. You should be on your hip at all times once you come down off your shoulders, as it just helps give you the control and leverage you need when you're hunting for the ankle lock.
We next moved onto an entry from standing. As you control the feet, slide a hand to the inside of the knee, and as you push it to the mat, bring your same side knee in a crescent motion, in between the legs and over the thigh to the mat on the far side of their leg. Whip your other leg over the top and plant your foot on the mat, then slide it in underneath their body. This is very important! It helps secure their leg, but it also prevents them from attacking your top side leg. Keeping your boot on of the leg in between their leg, and pressing it flush against the middle of their backside, pull their knee in tight to your body, and scoot your hips in as close to theirs as you can. As you pinch your knees, much like before, it pops their foot up, and leaves it vulnerable. So like before, you reach under the leg, keep your palm flush against your chest, dig that radial bone into the Achilles tendon, and look over the far shoulder and arch. Glad to back into leg locks!
A few things to remember: roll up onto your shoulders, and stay up there until you have completely spun around behind them and start sweeping them down. As you spin around behind them, I find it much easier to maintain good position if you pinch your knees before you get them all the way to the mat. This just makes it easier to secure the knee, and you don't have to do much readjustment once you hit the mat. You should be on your hip at all times once you come down off your shoulders, as it just helps give you the control and leverage you need when you're hunting for the ankle lock.
We next moved onto an entry from standing. As you control the feet, slide a hand to the inside of the knee, and as you push it to the mat, bring your same side knee in a crescent motion, in between the legs and over the thigh to the mat on the far side of their leg. Whip your other leg over the top and plant your foot on the mat, then slide it in underneath their body. This is very important! It helps secure their leg, but it also prevents them from attacking your top side leg. Keeping your boot on of the leg in between their leg, and pressing it flush against the middle of their backside, pull their knee in tight to your body, and scoot your hips in as close to theirs as you can. As you pinch your knees, much like before, it pops their foot up, and leaves it vulnerable. So like before, you reach under the leg, keep your palm flush against your chest, dig that radial bone into the Achilles tendon, and look over the far shoulder and arch. Glad to back into leg locks!
Monday, June 11, 2012
MMA and me; day 250/251
So Wednesday was a little different. Instead of having a grappling based class, we did a modified fighters training. We worked a little bit on some grappling, but it was mostly cardio based. We did some neck wrestling, which is basically pummeling in to a clinch and trying to stay there, worked some ground and pound, and interestingly enough, worked on some of the psychological aspects of fighting and competing. Great day of work, and an excellent lead in to Thursday.
The following day we continued to drill on defending the triangle. We worked on the wedge/hook pass again. You take your arm that is in, and drop the elbow to the mat while framing up that same hand against their rib cage. This helps buy you some time to escape, but also prevents them from cutting an angle to lock in the choke. From here, walk your hand down their body, forcing your elbow up their knee until their legs pop open. Next, you spin and throw your other arm straight over them, to an imaginary spot somewhere to the mat on the other side of their body, escaping from the sub and landing in side control, making sure to come under their head with the top side arm, and C blocking their legs with the bottom side arm. We then moved onto the stack pass. When they lock up the triangle, pop up to your feet nice and wide, and hop towards their head in heavy, almost exaggerated hops, sinking your hips low with each bounce. As you get close to their head, and their triangle opens, take one more hop over their hips, so you are sitting on the back of their legs with their neck on the mat, facing away from them. From here, throw a leg over, and back spin around the head to land in side control. It's important to emphasize the constant pressure at all times! I know that's redundant, but that's how important it is! Lastly we drilled the sprawl and turn. Lock both hands behind the backside, and sprawl your hips out, creating space around your neck. Start tiptoeing around to the same side of your arm that is outside the choke until you are close enough to throw your legs over their body and spin into side control. You have to make sure you lock your hands behind them before you sprawl out, or you will go to sleep. Getting your hips back as far as you can, and getting as flat to the mat as you can is only a small pit stop, that lets you get to the next part of the defense, which is actually escaping. Great grappling class again, and it was time for fighters training.
A lot more cardio was on tap for fighters training. We worked medicine balls, jogging, muay thai drills, LOTS of neck exercises, more neck wrestling, and we finished the day with some light MMA sparring! That was fun, and at the same time terrifying! Awesome day, and we're coming down to the last few weeks before the tournament, so the work is going to get intense!
The following day we continued to drill on defending the triangle. We worked on the wedge/hook pass again. You take your arm that is in, and drop the elbow to the mat while framing up that same hand against their rib cage. This helps buy you some time to escape, but also prevents them from cutting an angle to lock in the choke. From here, walk your hand down their body, forcing your elbow up their knee until their legs pop open. Next, you spin and throw your other arm straight over them, to an imaginary spot somewhere to the mat on the other side of their body, escaping from the sub and landing in side control, making sure to come under their head with the top side arm, and C blocking their legs with the bottom side arm. We then moved onto the stack pass. When they lock up the triangle, pop up to your feet nice and wide, and hop towards their head in heavy, almost exaggerated hops, sinking your hips low with each bounce. As you get close to their head, and their triangle opens, take one more hop over their hips, so you are sitting on the back of their legs with their neck on the mat, facing away from them. From here, throw a leg over, and back spin around the head to land in side control. It's important to emphasize the constant pressure at all times! I know that's redundant, but that's how important it is! Lastly we drilled the sprawl and turn. Lock both hands behind the backside, and sprawl your hips out, creating space around your neck. Start tiptoeing around to the same side of your arm that is outside the choke until you are close enough to throw your legs over their body and spin into side control. You have to make sure you lock your hands behind them before you sprawl out, or you will go to sleep. Getting your hips back as far as you can, and getting as flat to the mat as you can is only a small pit stop, that lets you get to the next part of the defense, which is actually escaping. Great grappling class again, and it was time for fighters training.
A lot more cardio was on tap for fighters training. We worked medicine balls, jogging, muay thai drills, LOTS of neck exercises, more neck wrestling, and we finished the day with some light MMA sparring! That was fun, and at the same time terrifying! Awesome day, and we're coming down to the last few weeks before the tournament, so the work is going to get intense!
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
MMA and me; day 248/249
Last Thursday was a day of a lot of rolling, and going back over the triangles we have been working on. Nothing new, just drilling that repetition, and going back to sharpen off some of the rough edges.
Last night, I was back at it for the full grappling class and then fighters training. We worked on defending the triangle in gi class, and this is something I need to work on. First method, you create a wedge with your arm in by posting your elbow all the way to the ground and against their thigh, while propping your hand up against their ribcage. From here, walk your hand back a little bit at a time to create space, while sliding your elbow up towards their knee. You will either pop the triangle open, or create enough space to hook pass your other hand to the other side of their body, which not only opens the triangle, but pulls you out of it and gets you to a low judo/side control position. From here you can work a gift wrap, arm triangle, etc.
Next was the stack defense, which is a little tough at first, but I think we were getting the hang of it by the end. Utilizing a wide base and getting off of your knees, hop forward four times to take the pressure off of the choke, and at the same time stack them up on the back of their head/neck . As you hop over their head, keep sitting back, throw your right leg over and back spin into side control. The key here, I found, is to not be subtle. Make big, almost exaggerated hops, and really sink your weight down heavy each time. This makes it extremely uncomfortable for your opponent, and much more likely that they release the hold.
Lastly, we worked on one I was a little more familiar with. With your arm in, reach around behind their backside, and clasp your hands. This creates space. Not enough to be considered "out of trouble" but enough to give you some time to work with. Sprawl your legs out behind you, and slowly start to back your feet up, and flatten your hips to the mat. This makes it very difficult for your opponent to finish the choke, and gives you a strong place to begin escaping. Once you are as far out as you can go, begin tiptoeing your feet away from the arm out in a wide arc, until you can throw your feet over their body. From here, all you need to do is pull your arm out, C block the legs, and finish in side control to get ready to begin hunting for your own subs. It's very important to stay as flat as you can here, because if you don't, you will put the triangle on tighter, and that is just no good.
Fighters training was rough, as I hadn't been in a while. Felt a little emotionally worn out by the end, but thankfully I have a great team and coach, and today, I can take on the world!
Last night, I was back at it for the full grappling class and then fighters training. We worked on defending the triangle in gi class, and this is something I need to work on. First method, you create a wedge with your arm in by posting your elbow all the way to the ground and against their thigh, while propping your hand up against their ribcage. From here, walk your hand back a little bit at a time to create space, while sliding your elbow up towards their knee. You will either pop the triangle open, or create enough space to hook pass your other hand to the other side of their body, which not only opens the triangle, but pulls you out of it and gets you to a low judo/side control position. From here you can work a gift wrap, arm triangle, etc.
Next was the stack defense, which is a little tough at first, but I think we were getting the hang of it by the end. Utilizing a wide base and getting off of your knees, hop forward four times to take the pressure off of the choke, and at the same time stack them up on the back of their head/neck . As you hop over their head, keep sitting back, throw your right leg over and back spin into side control. The key here, I found, is to not be subtle. Make big, almost exaggerated hops, and really sink your weight down heavy each time. This makes it extremely uncomfortable for your opponent, and much more likely that they release the hold.
Lastly, we worked on one I was a little more familiar with. With your arm in, reach around behind their backside, and clasp your hands. This creates space. Not enough to be considered "out of trouble" but enough to give you some time to work with. Sprawl your legs out behind you, and slowly start to back your feet up, and flatten your hips to the mat. This makes it very difficult for your opponent to finish the choke, and gives you a strong place to begin escaping. Once you are as far out as you can go, begin tiptoeing your feet away from the arm out in a wide arc, until you can throw your feet over their body. From here, all you need to do is pull your arm out, C block the legs, and finish in side control to get ready to begin hunting for your own subs. It's very important to stay as flat as you can here, because if you don't, you will put the triangle on tighter, and that is just no good.
Fighters training was rough, as I hadn't been in a while. Felt a little emotionally worn out by the end, but thankfully I have a great team and coach, and today, I can take on the world!
Thursday, May 31, 2012
MMA and me; day 247
Once again, we were back at the triangles. Nothing new, just refining technique, and making sure we are going through our checklists. A couple things that I noticed; wrist control is SOOO important. All the time really, but even more so if you want to get good at triangles, and not just peacocking them out. Move them around like a back hoe, but use your feet as well. On a hip, on a knee, keep pressure into your opponent, and even if you don't get the triangle, go for a sweep, or arm bar, or something! Don't ever stop trying for a sub, and never settle for position. When you throw a leg over the back of the neck, put your boot on AFTER you lift it up to start ice picking it further across, instead of before, and you can make it much further, and sink it deeper. When going against a much bigger opponent, if you are having trouble locking in the other leg over your ankle, don't be scared to switch it to a tepee, or to attack the arm, just make sure you are always threatening the triangle as well. Taking breaks on the bottom is sloppy, and lazy, work for top position or control, and use that as a place for a pit stop.
Back in for grappling tonight, but next week I begin my trek towards championship gold. Four weeks to go!!!
Back in for grappling tonight, but next week I begin my trek towards championship gold. Four weeks to go!!!
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
MMA and me; day 245/246
Last Thursday, we had a nice day of going back over the triangles we had been working on, but we really focused on the importance of wrist control, and also using the feet on the hips and knees. We also focused a lot on gi specific grappling, and grabbing handfuls of gi whenever and where ever you can.
Yesterday we worked on some drills, but it was a lot of light grappling, that ended up getting a bit harder (like it always does) Thanks to Corby, Andrea, Batman, and of course, Coach Wise.
On a side not, all my blogs this week are going to be pretty chill, and not super detail oriented. I'm taking it easy in the gym this week, and get as prepared mentally as I can, to really hit it hard for the next month straight. There is a tournament coming up, that I plan on winning. I just need a laid back week, to get my body right, but to also start getting my head right. June is going to be a lot of hard work, but if you want to be on top, you'd best be prepared to earn it. We're bringing back gold baby!!
Yesterday we worked on some drills, but it was a lot of light grappling, that ended up getting a bit harder (like it always does) Thanks to Corby, Andrea, Batman, and of course, Coach Wise.
On a side not, all my blogs this week are going to be pretty chill, and not super detail oriented. I'm taking it easy in the gym this week, and get as prepared mentally as I can, to really hit it hard for the next month straight. There is a tournament coming up, that I plan on winning. I just need a laid back week, to get my body right, but to also start getting my head right. June is going to be a lot of hard work, but if you want to be on top, you'd best be prepared to earn it. We're bringing back gold baby!!
Saturday, May 26, 2012
UFC 146
The all heavyweight main card is upon us, and though it bodes to be the fastest main card in UFC history (heavyweights have the shortest average bout length in the UFC at just over 7 minutes), it still promises to be full of excitement, and not lacking in dynamic finishes. Intresting note, none of the five main card fights stand as they were when first booked, due to injury, failed PED tests, and have been shuffled around a bit since the card was announced in early March.
Stipe Miocic vs. Shane del Rosario
heavyweight
In del Rosarios first UFC fight, he will look to put back on track, a surging streak that was derailed by a cart accident early last year. He finds himself facing a man in Miocic who is equally tough, and looking to put his own stamp on the UFCs heavyweight division.
Miocic is a strong stand up fighter, but his ground game is a little suspect. He has a slight height advantage, but for him to win this fight, he is likely going to want to keep it standing. Miocic has got some nasty leg kicks, and is a former Golden Gloves winner. He does have the ability to take the fight to the ground, with a bit of a background in wrestling, but against a grappler of del Rosarios ability, going to the ground is probably going to be a last resort.
Del Rosario is a former world champion kickboxer, but since his transition to mma, he has also found success in the submission department. He even owns a win via omoplata, which in the professional ranks, is impressive indeed. He has very good cardio, and with a big advantage on the ground, and a slight disadvantage at best on the feet, this fight is his to win. Miocic is tough, and the potential for del Rosario not having recovered from his car accident which left him with a herniated disc in his back, are what really make this fight an interesting one. Ultimately, del Rosario is too much, and his unbeaten streak continues.
del Rosario via submission (arm bar) Rd. 2
Dave "Pee-Wee" Herman vs. Roy "Big Country" Nelson
heavyweight
Herman, is a talented, tough, game fighter. He also happens to be a knucklehead, with a terrible fight IQ. For him to win, he will have to be patient, execute a game plan, and avoid the big overhand right of Nelson. The last is possible, but the first two are highly improbable. Nelson is maybe the toughest guy in the UFCs heavyweight division. Along with being extremely talented, he is a very technically savvy fighter, and quite aware of his strengths and weaknesses. With a quickness that belies his girth, he can close distances well, and uses his thick frame to complement his substantial grappling prowess.
Herman has always been a quick learner, and naturally athletic. He is light for the weight class, but has height and reach over most of his opponents, and to beat Nelson, he must utilize that range as best he can, to prevent Nelson from closing into clinches and tie ups.
Ultimately, this is Nelsons fight to lose, as he is simply a smarter fighter. However, if Herman decides to fight using his noggin, and not like an animal, he could make this a very interesting scrap. History tells us that something will inevitably go wrong though, and Nelson will likely finish it in the second.
Nelson via TKO, Rd. 2
Stefan "Skyscraper" Struve vs. Lavar "Big" Johnson
heavyweight
After his first round KO of Pat Barry, Johnson finds himself in the unenviable position of fighting the tallest fighter in the UFC. A hard punching brawler, Johnson is stout on the feet, but very green on the ground. Struve is younger, more experienced, and a vastly superior grappler, but can get in to trouble because he doesn't move his head well, and tends to take a lot of unnecessary damage.
Johnson needs to make this fight ugly, and not try to get too technical. While Struve could certainly pick Johnson apart with his unreal reach advantage (eight inches) it's in his best interest to get this fight to the ground immediately, and exploit the holes in Johnsons submission defense.As soon as this fight was announced, the thought came to my mind that either Struve was going to get KOd, or Johnson was going to get submitted. I stand by that here, and think that Struve's ability to throw up submissions at will from anywhere on the mat wins him the fight with an early second round triangle.
Struve via submission (triangle) Rd. 2
Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio "Pezao" Silva
heavyweight
Velasquez steps backinto the Octagon for the first time since losing his title to Junior dos Santos, and he takes on newcomer Silva in an attempt to get his first career loss behind him. Silva most recently competed in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, defeating the legendary Fedor Emilianenko, before being bested by eventual tournament winner, Daniel Cormier. Velasquez has an amazing gas tank, quick hands, and was an All American wrestler at Arizona State, against the heavy hands and bjj black belt of Silva, he will need to be sharp and precise.
Silva has come a long way from the plodding colossus he was in years past. His stand up is getting cleaner, and he is one of the better submission artists in the heavyweight division. He still doesn't have much in the speed department, and has shown to not possess the most sturdy of chins either. Velasquez is another of a new breed of heavyweights that do not push right up against the weight limit, instead, he relies on speed and technique to bring power to the fight, instead of sheer size. In the loss to dos Santos, he was coming off of an injury, but he got dropped with an overhand right because his hands were down, and his chin wasn't tucked. Though Silva doesn't possess dos Santos' speed, he can put your lights out with one punch, so Velasquez would do well to be cautious of the Brazilians power.
Ultimately, Velasquez is a big favorite here, and it is no secret why. Fantastic cardio, exceptional quickness and power, and an amazingly well rounded skill set make this fight more of a when, then if for Velasquez. Barring some kinda flukey KO or submission, I see Velasquez depleting Silvas gas tank early, on his way to a second round TKO.
Velasquez via TKO, Rd. 2
HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Champion: Junior "Cigano" dos Santos vs. Frank Mir
Well, here we are. Dos Santos' first title defense, and it comes against a fighter in Mir who while dangerous, has historically had problems with the kind of offense dos Santos brings to bear. A hard punching, multi combo throwing boxing stylist, dos Santos has run rough shod over the UFCs heavyweight division. Against Mir, he will of course have to be wary of the most dangerous submission artist in UFC history (from a wins by submission standpoint), but he is also fighting a southpaw, and an underrated striker. Though Mir may not light the world on fire with his strikes, his southpaw stance, and the fact that he is a big strong dude are issues that dos Santos would do well to not ignore.
Make no mistake about it, Mir should want to get this fight to the ground, IMMEDIATELY. Standing and trading with dos Santos has historically been a one way ticket to lights outville, and Mir has a notoriously flimsy chin. One area of dos Santos that we know next to nothing about, is his ground game. His take down defense has been superb, and he simply has not been taken off of his feet. He also is not a one shot power puncher, but instead throws blindingly quick combinations and keeps opponents on their heels, which is likely what he will employ against Mir until he wilts from the pressure. Mir needs to measure distance, and either stay on the periphery, or get in to the clinch where he can initiate a trip or pull guard. Shooting in for a take down is not the best idea in general against dos Santos, and for Mir especially since that area of his grappling is adequate at best. He might even pull guard, should that opportunity arise.
Sadly, this fight is more of a "when" then "if" fight. Dos Santos would have to make a huge mental mistake to let Mir get the upper hand. Even though Mir has shown a propensity for snapping limbs, he'll be nowhere near enough to one of any of the extremities of dos Santos to get a chance to do so, and I'd honestly be surprised if Mir makes it out of the first round.
*sigh*
Dos Santos via TKO, Rd. 1 (but I'm rooting hard for you Frank!!!)
Stipe Miocic vs. Shane del Rosario
heavyweight
In del Rosarios first UFC fight, he will look to put back on track, a surging streak that was derailed by a cart accident early last year. He finds himself facing a man in Miocic who is equally tough, and looking to put his own stamp on the UFCs heavyweight division.
Miocic is a strong stand up fighter, but his ground game is a little suspect. He has a slight height advantage, but for him to win this fight, he is likely going to want to keep it standing. Miocic has got some nasty leg kicks, and is a former Golden Gloves winner. He does have the ability to take the fight to the ground, with a bit of a background in wrestling, but against a grappler of del Rosarios ability, going to the ground is probably going to be a last resort.
Del Rosario is a former world champion kickboxer, but since his transition to mma, he has also found success in the submission department. He even owns a win via omoplata, which in the professional ranks, is impressive indeed. He has very good cardio, and with a big advantage on the ground, and a slight disadvantage at best on the feet, this fight is his to win. Miocic is tough, and the potential for del Rosario not having recovered from his car accident which left him with a herniated disc in his back, are what really make this fight an interesting one. Ultimately, del Rosario is too much, and his unbeaten streak continues.
del Rosario via submission (arm bar) Rd. 2
Dave "Pee-Wee" Herman vs. Roy "Big Country" Nelson
heavyweight
Herman, is a talented, tough, game fighter. He also happens to be a knucklehead, with a terrible fight IQ. For him to win, he will have to be patient, execute a game plan, and avoid the big overhand right of Nelson. The last is possible, but the first two are highly improbable. Nelson is maybe the toughest guy in the UFCs heavyweight division. Along with being extremely talented, he is a very technically savvy fighter, and quite aware of his strengths and weaknesses. With a quickness that belies his girth, he can close distances well, and uses his thick frame to complement his substantial grappling prowess.
Herman has always been a quick learner, and naturally athletic. He is light for the weight class, but has height and reach over most of his opponents, and to beat Nelson, he must utilize that range as best he can, to prevent Nelson from closing into clinches and tie ups.
Ultimately, this is Nelsons fight to lose, as he is simply a smarter fighter. However, if Herman decides to fight using his noggin, and not like an animal, he could make this a very interesting scrap. History tells us that something will inevitably go wrong though, and Nelson will likely finish it in the second.
Nelson via TKO, Rd. 2
Stefan "Skyscraper" Struve vs. Lavar "Big" Johnson
heavyweight
After his first round KO of Pat Barry, Johnson finds himself in the unenviable position of fighting the tallest fighter in the UFC. A hard punching brawler, Johnson is stout on the feet, but very green on the ground. Struve is younger, more experienced, and a vastly superior grappler, but can get in to trouble because he doesn't move his head well, and tends to take a lot of unnecessary damage.
Johnson needs to make this fight ugly, and not try to get too technical. While Struve could certainly pick Johnson apart with his unreal reach advantage (eight inches) it's in his best interest to get this fight to the ground immediately, and exploit the holes in Johnsons submission defense.As soon as this fight was announced, the thought came to my mind that either Struve was going to get KOd, or Johnson was going to get submitted. I stand by that here, and think that Struve's ability to throw up submissions at will from anywhere on the mat wins him the fight with an early second round triangle.
Struve via submission (triangle) Rd. 2
Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio "Pezao" Silva
heavyweight
Velasquez steps backinto the Octagon for the first time since losing his title to Junior dos Santos, and he takes on newcomer Silva in an attempt to get his first career loss behind him. Silva most recently competed in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, defeating the legendary Fedor Emilianenko, before being bested by eventual tournament winner, Daniel Cormier. Velasquez has an amazing gas tank, quick hands, and was an All American wrestler at Arizona State, against the heavy hands and bjj black belt of Silva, he will need to be sharp and precise.
Silva has come a long way from the plodding colossus he was in years past. His stand up is getting cleaner, and he is one of the better submission artists in the heavyweight division. He still doesn't have much in the speed department, and has shown to not possess the most sturdy of chins either. Velasquez is another of a new breed of heavyweights that do not push right up against the weight limit, instead, he relies on speed and technique to bring power to the fight, instead of sheer size. In the loss to dos Santos, he was coming off of an injury, but he got dropped with an overhand right because his hands were down, and his chin wasn't tucked. Though Silva doesn't possess dos Santos' speed, he can put your lights out with one punch, so Velasquez would do well to be cautious of the Brazilians power.
Ultimately, Velasquez is a big favorite here, and it is no secret why. Fantastic cardio, exceptional quickness and power, and an amazingly well rounded skill set make this fight more of a when, then if for Velasquez. Barring some kinda flukey KO or submission, I see Velasquez depleting Silvas gas tank early, on his way to a second round TKO.
Velasquez via TKO, Rd. 2
HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Champion: Junior "Cigano" dos Santos vs. Frank Mir
Well, here we are. Dos Santos' first title defense, and it comes against a fighter in Mir who while dangerous, has historically had problems with the kind of offense dos Santos brings to bear. A hard punching, multi combo throwing boxing stylist, dos Santos has run rough shod over the UFCs heavyweight division. Against Mir, he will of course have to be wary of the most dangerous submission artist in UFC history (from a wins by submission standpoint), but he is also fighting a southpaw, and an underrated striker. Though Mir may not light the world on fire with his strikes, his southpaw stance, and the fact that he is a big strong dude are issues that dos Santos would do well to not ignore.
Make no mistake about it, Mir should want to get this fight to the ground, IMMEDIATELY. Standing and trading with dos Santos has historically been a one way ticket to lights outville, and Mir has a notoriously flimsy chin. One area of dos Santos that we know next to nothing about, is his ground game. His take down defense has been superb, and he simply has not been taken off of his feet. He also is not a one shot power puncher, but instead throws blindingly quick combinations and keeps opponents on their heels, which is likely what he will employ against Mir until he wilts from the pressure. Mir needs to measure distance, and either stay on the periphery, or get in to the clinch where he can initiate a trip or pull guard. Shooting in for a take down is not the best idea in general against dos Santos, and for Mir especially since that area of his grappling is adequate at best. He might even pull guard, should that opportunity arise.
Sadly, this fight is more of a "when" then "if" fight. Dos Santos would have to make a huge mental mistake to let Mir get the upper hand. Even though Mir has shown a propensity for snapping limbs, he'll be nowhere near enough to one of any of the extremities of dos Santos to get a chance to do so, and I'd honestly be surprised if Mir makes it out of the first round.
*sigh*
Dos Santos via TKO, Rd. 1 (but I'm rooting hard for you Frank!!!)
Thursday, May 24, 2012
MMA and me; day 244
We were back at the triangles on Tuesday, and we worked on a couple new entries. First, from half guard (or full guard, but I liked the half guard variation, so we'll go with that one here) you pummel in for the under hook on the same side as your half guard, like we always do. When they inevitably re-pummel for an under hook of their own, pin their elbow in tight for an entangled arm. Shrimp your hips out behind you to help drop their elbow in front of your top side hip, and bring your top side foot up to their hip, with the toes in and the pressure on the blade of your foot on their hip. With your hand that has their arm entangled, reach up and hang on the back of their neck, while posting up on your other arm. Quickly shuck their head away from their body, which forces them to post on their outside arm, and separates their hands or "opens the gate". From their, swim your bottom side leg through the opening you just created, up around their neck and X your feet behind them. Much like our other triangles, don't try to land it perfectly right away, but instead set it up, then relieve your outside leg to push on their hip, cut an angle, and then get the choke locked in for the finish.
We also worked on another variation from guard which I also liked, because of the back and forth nature of the entry, and the likelihood of being successful due to keeping your opponent guessing and off balance. From full guard with wrist control, shrimp your hips out to the side (the left side for this explanation) and bring your top side knee across their belly. Quickly shrimp back and reverse your hips to the other side, keeping wrist control, and now your top side knee (was just your bottom side knee) will be over the top of your opponents left arm, the shin digging into the elbow pit. Keeping their arms pulled into you, straighten out your top side leg over their back to X your legs behind their head, and you are right back into your entry to the triangle, and you can go through your checklist.
I'm really starting to understand the triangle better, and I am still hoping to land one in competition. It's not my strong suit, so that's why I am very glad we are working on them. Another great day in the gym, and I can't wait for tonight!
We also worked on another variation from guard which I also liked, because of the back and forth nature of the entry, and the likelihood of being successful due to keeping your opponent guessing and off balance. From full guard with wrist control, shrimp your hips out to the side (the left side for this explanation) and bring your top side knee across their belly. Quickly shrimp back and reverse your hips to the other side, keeping wrist control, and now your top side knee (was just your bottom side knee) will be over the top of your opponents left arm, the shin digging into the elbow pit. Keeping their arms pulled into you, straighten out your top side leg over their back to X your legs behind their head, and you are right back into your entry to the triangle, and you can go through your checklist.
I'm really starting to understand the triangle better, and I am still hoping to land one in competition. It's not my strong suit, so that's why I am very glad we are working on them. Another great day in the gym, and I can't wait for tonight!
Friday, May 18, 2012
MMA and me; day 241/242/243
Kind of an odd week for me, gym-wise. Still doing the hot yoga at 6am (wheee) and with guys having fights tomorrow, we've been focusing mostly on getting them ready. So I'm just going to briefly summarize Tu-Th.
Tuesday was just a whole lotta grappling with Seth and Walid. We basically shark tanked them for an hour, and it was pretty awesome!
Wednesday we did some grappling with puffies and gloves and punches. Everything was going great until I got my ribs smooshed, Nothing hurt, but it put me out for the rest of the day. We covered two new entries for triangles. One from half guard, and one from a kimura/sweep attempt from full guard. We only briefly covered these, so after a full class on them, I will go into more detail. I REALLY like the half guard entry.
Yesterday was more triangle revision. Working on our checklists, boots on, cut an angle, top leg across the back of their neck, under the arm, then leg, then body, elevate your hips. It was nice to go over the basics, since triangles are not my strong suit.
No fighter training for me, due to just wanting a chill week after the tournament. Arlington is in six weeks though, and it is going to be back to the grindstone soon. Until then, time for our boys Seth, Speedy, and Walid to do some work!!!
Tuesday was just a whole lotta grappling with Seth and Walid. We basically shark tanked them for an hour, and it was pretty awesome!
Wednesday we did some grappling with puffies and gloves and punches. Everything was going great until I got my ribs smooshed, Nothing hurt, but it put me out for the rest of the day. We covered two new entries for triangles. One from half guard, and one from a kimura/sweep attempt from full guard. We only briefly covered these, so after a full class on them, I will go into more detail. I REALLY like the half guard entry.
Yesterday was more triangle revision. Working on our checklists, boots on, cut an angle, top leg across the back of their neck, under the arm, then leg, then body, elevate your hips. It was nice to go over the basics, since triangles are not my strong suit.
No fighter training for me, due to just wanting a chill week after the tournament. Arlington is in six weeks though, and it is going to be back to the grindstone soon. Until then, time for our boys Seth, Speedy, and Walid to do some work!!!
Thursday, May 17, 2012
MMA and me; day 240
Back in the gym on Monday ( I know it's Thursday now, we'll get caught up by the end of the day, YEESH!) and we were back at the triangle. Actually, first we talked at length about the tournament over the weekend, how everyone did, and how we were improving as a team. We then go into a new triangle entry, from side control or high judo. Press down on the far side arm and try to separate their hands. If they're not coming apart, use your top side knee to press down on their near side bicep and pin it under your shin. Take care not to get your hips too high, or you'll get rolled over. From here, step the same leg, all the way over their head, and tuck your heel into the crook of their neck and shoulder. Adjust your chest so your head is closer to their hip, as opposed to perpendicular to their chest, and slide your leg under their head. It's important to make sure you adjusted your chest, and that the heel was as tight in to their neck/shoulder, or your leg will slide off the back of their head. As it gets in tight, lock your other leg's knee pit over the ankle of the leg under the head, put your boots on, and squeeze your knees together until they tap. You also have their far side arm to work with for kimuras, muscle locks, straight arm locks. You also can work with their near side arm for an arm bar if you didn't manage to separate their hands. You keep it pinned against your chest with a rear naked choke grip, and as you lean over their body, arch your back, until they tap.
It was a nice relaxing class, with a new entry for the triangle, and reflecting on the weekend. Can't wait for Seth, Speedy, and Walid's fights this weekend, going to be great!
It was a nice relaxing class, with a new entry for the triangle, and reflecting on the weekend. Can't wait for Seth, Speedy, and Walid's fights this weekend, going to be great!
Monday, May 14, 2012
MMA and me; day 238/239
In all my excitedness about getting ready for my tournament, I forgot to post the last two days at the gym! Whoops. Ah well, it just means it's another double dose Monday. So at AMMA on Wednesday, we continued to work on the triangle, and introduced a new entry; from back mount. So with both hooks in, and a seat belt grip (for this I'll be describing it from left over/right under seat belt) , you can either grab their left wrist with your right, and pummel your left hand under their left arm pit to grab the same wrist for a paddle grip, OR you can reach across their neck with the left hand and grab their right shoulder, while really digging your right under hook in and hoisting their right arm up. From here, you want to do your best to scoot your hips around to their right side, while maintaining the paddle grip, or the cross grip/under hook. You don't just want to scoot your hips around, it is also important to get your hips out wide from their body, just a bit. From here, you hoist their right arm straight up, relieve your left hook, and snake your right leg straight up across their chest, and over their left shoulder, throwing your left leg over their right (BOOT ON!). Here it gets a little different from a traditional triangle. You can still pinch the knees to assist for the finish, but pulling the head will not help. In fact, pulling the head relieves pressure. So what you want to do, is push their head sideways, which pinches their carotid artery into the shin of your right leg, and will help get the tap.
After drilling the triangle, I rolled with Corby for a bit, and man, that is one tough mofo. He got me out of my zone, and off my game. It's very important to recognize when your opponent is trying to force a pace, or style, and not falling into it. After relaxing a bit, and talking with Coach Wise, I saw the mistakes I was making, and adjusted accordingly. Thank you Coach, Corby, and Danny for helping out, I know it had an impact.
Thursday we revisited all of the triangles we had covered this week. From guard peacocking the wrists, and shoving a hand in between the legs, from mount, and from back mount. We drilled these one at a time methodically, and then rapid fire, one after another.We spent a little more time on the triangle from back mount, since that was new to most of us, but just kept focused on the basics of the triangle. Don't go for the perfect triangle right away, cross your feet in an X first, relieve a leg to push off of a hip and create an angle, go through your steps of under hooks (arm, leg body), pull down on the head if necessary, left your hips. I am still trying to get my triangle better, and with improved flexibility, and attention to detail, it will get there.
Fighters training was non stop grappling, going hard, and continuously. For an hour plus, I rolled with just about every body in the gym, and at the very end, was choked unconscious by Coach. It was on so quick, and pinching both carotids so tightly, that I didn't even have time to tap. Thankfully, it wasn't for very long, and it's something that isn't too scary. Very discombobulating though. Sorry for scaring you Coach, I will be better about tapping sooner!
In other news, the Lockflow Submission Challenge was hosted by our gym, and we had a number of standouts. Brent and Alvin made it to the finals and faced off against each other. Brent snagged the submission win in a great match. Hannah simply dominated her division for the first place finish. Corby put on an amazing performance and took second. Jayce, Jackson, Elijah, and Kirk all had solid days, and though they didn't take home medals, had very impressive showings. Batman had the most ridiculous day. Had a draw, then a loss, then engaged in a 42 minute endurance match before finally snagging the win to get to the finals, then got the win and first place! Seth had a heck of a day. Getting six subs in his first two matches, and losing a very close match to a man with a number of amateur fights and one pro fight under his belt. He was a little ticked, but we all know he's the man! Btw, Seth is fighting this Saturday, so if you want to see the coming out of a very impressive heavyweight fighter, let me know, he's a beast! Oh yeah, I won my division! Two matches, four subs, under four minutes. I'm setting my sights on Arlington next, so a short break, and then it's eyes on the prize!
SO proud of my teammates and my gym. We had a very strong showing, and we're only going to get better.
After drilling the triangle, I rolled with Corby for a bit, and man, that is one tough mofo. He got me out of my zone, and off my game. It's very important to recognize when your opponent is trying to force a pace, or style, and not falling into it. After relaxing a bit, and talking with Coach Wise, I saw the mistakes I was making, and adjusted accordingly. Thank you Coach, Corby, and Danny for helping out, I know it had an impact.
Thursday we revisited all of the triangles we had covered this week. From guard peacocking the wrists, and shoving a hand in between the legs, from mount, and from back mount. We drilled these one at a time methodically, and then rapid fire, one after another.We spent a little more time on the triangle from back mount, since that was new to most of us, but just kept focused on the basics of the triangle. Don't go for the perfect triangle right away, cross your feet in an X first, relieve a leg to push off of a hip and create an angle, go through your steps of under hooks (arm, leg body), pull down on the head if necessary, left your hips. I am still trying to get my triangle better, and with improved flexibility, and attention to detail, it will get there.
Fighters training was non stop grappling, going hard, and continuously. For an hour plus, I rolled with just about every body in the gym, and at the very end, was choked unconscious by Coach. It was on so quick, and pinching both carotids so tightly, that I didn't even have time to tap. Thankfully, it wasn't for very long, and it's something that isn't too scary. Very discombobulating though. Sorry for scaring you Coach, I will be better about tapping sooner!
In other news, the Lockflow Submission Challenge was hosted by our gym, and we had a number of standouts. Brent and Alvin made it to the finals and faced off against each other. Brent snagged the submission win in a great match. Hannah simply dominated her division for the first place finish. Corby put on an amazing performance and took second. Jayce, Jackson, Elijah, and Kirk all had solid days, and though they didn't take home medals, had very impressive showings. Batman had the most ridiculous day. Had a draw, then a loss, then engaged in a 42 minute endurance match before finally snagging the win to get to the finals, then got the win and first place! Seth had a heck of a day. Getting six subs in his first two matches, and losing a very close match to a man with a number of amateur fights and one pro fight under his belt. He was a little ticked, but we all know he's the man! Btw, Seth is fighting this Saturday, so if you want to see the coming out of a very impressive heavyweight fighter, let me know, he's a beast! Oh yeah, I won my division! Two matches, four subs, under four minutes. I'm setting my sights on Arlington next, so a short break, and then it's eyes on the prize!
SO proud of my teammates and my gym. We had a very strong showing, and we're only going to get better.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
MMA and me; day 237
We continued our journey into the art of the triangle yesterday, and we started off by revisiting the basic tenets of the submission. Most importantly, once you get a leg up and over their shoulder, push off their hip with your other leg to help cut an angle so you can get that leg straight across the back of their neck, get your boot on of the leg across the back of their neck, throw your other leg over the ankle of the "boot on leg" (keep the boot on!) and then from there go through the sequence of under hooks until you get the tap, near arm, near leg, S grip under the body.
We moved on to working on the triangle from mount, and I really liked this one. Our first option had us getting the triangle from our guard, and if they chose to defend that by stacking you up on your shoulders, you can roll them over into a mounted triangle. The other entry was from mount, and you press both hands on one of their arms, moving back and forth in an effort to separate them. As you break their grip, pin (we'll go with the left here) their left arm to the mat, and quickly bring your right leg up to an S mount type position. The beauty of this position, is that even if they do not reach under the left leg and give you the mounted triangle, they will usually push on your hips, giving you an arm bar! If they reach under the S mount leg, slide your left knee up to their arm pit, reach under their head with your left arm and pull it up, as you flick your right leg underneath their head. From here, depending on your flexibility, you can either roll over your right shoulder into a traditional triangle (go through that checklist!) or bring your left leg around over the ankle of the right leg, keeping the boot on with the left foot, and then sit back and twist your hips, keeping that right knee on the ground, much like the elbow in an arm triangle, until they tap. Great class, thanks to Danny and Riley for all your help with the mounted triangle!
In fighters training, I had to sit out for a bit due to some muscle cramps. Side note, I need to be better about replenishing my body after hot yoga. Lots of water is not enough!! We started with the medicine balls above our heads for five minutes, went into some jogging and then knee push ups over the medicine balls, sprawl drills on the balls, and then a long sequence of ground and pound on the kick shields. 1-2 combos, donkey kong punches, Sakuraba chops, hammer fists, transitions, it was great. We finished with a good long grappling session, and called it a night. Wonderful day at the gym, and I also had day 2 of hot yoga early in the morning! I'M LOVING IT!!!
We moved on to working on the triangle from mount, and I really liked this one. Our first option had us getting the triangle from our guard, and if they chose to defend that by stacking you up on your shoulders, you can roll them over into a mounted triangle. The other entry was from mount, and you press both hands on one of their arms, moving back and forth in an effort to separate them. As you break their grip, pin (we'll go with the left here) their left arm to the mat, and quickly bring your right leg up to an S mount type position. The beauty of this position, is that even if they do not reach under the left leg and give you the mounted triangle, they will usually push on your hips, giving you an arm bar! If they reach under the S mount leg, slide your left knee up to their arm pit, reach under their head with your left arm and pull it up, as you flick your right leg underneath their head. From here, depending on your flexibility, you can either roll over your right shoulder into a traditional triangle (go through that checklist!) or bring your left leg around over the ankle of the right leg, keeping the boot on with the left foot, and then sit back and twist your hips, keeping that right knee on the ground, much like the elbow in an arm triangle, until they tap. Great class, thanks to Danny and Riley for all your help with the mounted triangle!
In fighters training, I had to sit out for a bit due to some muscle cramps. Side note, I need to be better about replenishing my body after hot yoga. Lots of water is not enough!! We started with the medicine balls above our heads for five minutes, went into some jogging and then knee push ups over the medicine balls, sprawl drills on the balls, and then a long sequence of ground and pound on the kick shields. 1-2 combos, donkey kong punches, Sakuraba chops, hammer fists, transitions, it was great. We finished with a good long grappling session, and called it a night. Wonderful day at the gym, and I also had day 2 of hot yoga early in the morning! I'M LOVING IT!!!
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
MMA and me; day 236
We have now moved on to an are where I know I need work, TRIANGLES!!! YAY!!!!! We worked on two different entries, from the guard, and from the mount. From guard, keep it closed, and grab both of their wrists, thumb on the underside, and keeping them firm. From there you have some options, we worked on pea cocking (spreading them out wide) and pulling them in tight, throwing the right leg up and over their left shoulder, crossing your left leg over it, in an X on their back. From there, relieve your left leg and put your left foot on their right hip, and push yourself all the way over to 9 'o clock (going off of your head beginning at 12). If you don't get all the way over, use your left leg on the mat as a stabilizer to scoot your self the rest of the way. Keep your right foot's boot on, and make sure it is straight across the back of the neck. From here you could potentially get a submission, as the main components to the choke are already in place, but we'll get to that later and keep it simple for now. Keeping your right boot on, throw your left leg over your ankle. Do not let the right foot sag and slide your leg over, keep the boot on, and drop your left heel over to sink your left knee pit over your right ankle. At this point, you have a sequence of places you can go with your near side under hook to tighten things up. Start by going under the near arm with a thai clinch grip, then proceed to under the near leg, and then if they still are not tapping, you can go under the body and really get a squeeze. With your legs, all you really need to do is press with the leg over their neck, pinch your knees together, and elevate your hips. All these things in conjunction will get the tap far before you have to go through the under hook sequence.
From the mount, scoot your hips up to a high mount, and sit your right leg out as if to move to S mount. Quite frequently, they will reach under it with their left arm, which just begs you to triangle them. Bring your left knee up into their arm pit, and slide your right leg under their head. If you can't just slide it in, pull the head up to create space. As you slide the leg under the head, roll to the right, across your shoulders, and you end up with your feet crossed in an X on their back, much like after pea cocking the hands from the guard. From here, simply go through the checklist step by step, and finish the sub. Got a good amount of grappling in after class, and was just dead tired after. I started hot yoga yesterday, and while it is going to pay off in the long run, it made for a tired boy by days end. Great day, and an excellent way to start the week!
From the mount, scoot your hips up to a high mount, and sit your right leg out as if to move to S mount. Quite frequently, they will reach under it with their left arm, which just begs you to triangle them. Bring your left knee up into their arm pit, and slide your right leg under their head. If you can't just slide it in, pull the head up to create space. As you slide the leg under the head, roll to the right, across your shoulders, and you end up with your feet crossed in an X on their back, much like after pea cocking the hands from the guard. From here, simply go through the checklist step by step, and finish the sub. Got a good amount of grappling in after class, and was just dead tired after. I started hot yoga yesterday, and while it is going to pay off in the long run, it made for a tired boy by days end. Great day, and an excellent way to start the week!
Monday, May 7, 2012
MMA and me; day 235
As I got to the gym, I jumped right into class and we started working on kicks, and combos using kicks with the taekwondo pads. We began by throwing low 9s and 10s, going back and forth, then we started with a simple spinning back fist into a superman punch. We then began stacking kicks in front of the combo, starting with a low 10, into the punches. Next we doubled up on the low 10 (staying in place), and finished with the punches. We then worked on throwing hooks from a bent at the waist off to the side position, and then throwing a kick to the head of mid section from the exact same position. The purpose here is to disguise the strike so your opponent doesn't know which is coming. Begin both from the same position, and hide what you are doing until the last possible second. We then moved on to a butterfly kick, where you start off at an angle, step your rear leg forward, back spin while bringing your other leg up and around like a pitcher in baseball, opening your hips and almost leaping into a low 10. You land in a position off to an angle on the other side of their body, where you can go right into a low 9. Excellent class, and we jumped right into the next!
Fighter training was a whole lot of grappling. We first had a few sparring rounds, and I coached Hannah, and Alvin, and they did quite well. We then had many grappling matches, and I was very proud of all of my teammates. I did pretty good, until an accidental knee to the ribcage ended my night. Nothing hurt, just flared up an old injury, but I am feeling good today, and can't wait to get back to it tonight! Last week before the tournament, lets put that work in!
Fighter training was a whole lot of grappling. We first had a few sparring rounds, and I coached Hannah, and Alvin, and they did quite well. We then had many grappling matches, and I was very proud of all of my teammates. I did pretty good, until an accidental knee to the ribcage ended my night. Nothing hurt, just flared up an old injury, but I am feeling good today, and can't wait to get back to it tonight! Last week before the tournament, lets put that work in!
Friday, May 4, 2012
MMA and me; day 234
On Wednesday, we did some more work on defending arm triangles, and also drilling the counter to the defense of arm triangles. So we covered the same things from Monday, answering the phone, and then the counters to those, We also worked on going a step further than answering the phone. As you bring your hand to the side of your head, turn hard into your opponent, driving your face past your own arm, (coach calls this breaking your own nose) and pushing your arm past their head to the mat. From here you can lock up an arm triangle of your own and roll hard in the other direction to roll them over your body and end in a position to finish the submission. We also drilled the opening to the arm triangle from mount. Pushing the arm across, as you swim your other arm underneath it to the mat right next to their head. Back and forth on each side, making sure to get your elbow in tight against the neck, and pushing their arm across their chest and holding it in place with your own chest and dropping your head to the mat. It also makes it easier to help hold their arm in place if you keep your C block on the elbow while dropping your chest on it, and not pulling it out until your head is on the mat. We finished with a solid 15+ minutes of grappling, and called it a night.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
MMA and me; day 232/233
Man, where does the time go? Last Thursday, we went over our list of ten arm triangles with a partner for most of the class, drilling position and pressure, making sure to keep the elbow under the head on the mat, and tiptoeing the knees around the head to really tighten up the choke. In fighters training I cornered Reagan, Jayce, Brent, Corby, and Elijah in sparring rounds, and then we moved on to grappling for the last half hour.
Monday, I got to the gym late because of work, so I only got a little bit of technique, but thankfully it was stuff I need to work on; defending the arm triangle, and counters to that defense. SO the usual defense is called answering the phone. Take the hand that is on the same side of the body that your opponent is on, and reach back to the back of your head, as though you were answering a phone, This helps create space, and gives you extra time to continue escaping. From there, you need to turn hard, into your opponent, in a move we lovingly call "breaking your own nose" as you are driving it past your bicep, and it is very much not comfortable. Another wrinkle to this, is taking your "phone answering arm off the back of your head, and attempting to straighten it out as you turn, to get it out and around their head, all the way to the mat. From this point, you are clear of any submission danger, and are in great position to take their back.
I mentioned a couple of counters to the defense, and here they are. As they go to answer the phone, reach under their head with your outside arm, and grab their wrist. Pull it as far over your head as you can, and if they haven't tapped by the time you get it to your far shoulder, continue pulling it as you lift your head off the mat, and they will have no choice but to tap. Secondly, if you are having a hard time pulling the hand out from under the head, grab it with your inside hand, around the back of the wrist, and then get your outside hand there as well. While bending the hand in towards you, drive into them with your shoulder that was applying the pressure for the arm triangle, and they will eventually be forced to tap, This does NOT feel good.
We finished with a great chunk of grappling time, and from here on out, it is going to be a lot of wrestling, bjj, and all around grappling practice for me as I get ready for my tournaments. Time to get it!
Monday, I got to the gym late because of work, so I only got a little bit of technique, but thankfully it was stuff I need to work on; defending the arm triangle, and counters to that defense. SO the usual defense is called answering the phone. Take the hand that is on the same side of the body that your opponent is on, and reach back to the back of your head, as though you were answering a phone, This helps create space, and gives you extra time to continue escaping. From there, you need to turn hard, into your opponent, in a move we lovingly call "breaking your own nose" as you are driving it past your bicep, and it is very much not comfortable. Another wrinkle to this, is taking your "phone answering arm off the back of your head, and attempting to straighten it out as you turn, to get it out and around their head, all the way to the mat. From this point, you are clear of any submission danger, and are in great position to take their back.
I mentioned a couple of counters to the defense, and here they are. As they go to answer the phone, reach under their head with your outside arm, and grab their wrist. Pull it as far over your head as you can, and if they haven't tapped by the time you get it to your far shoulder, continue pulling it as you lift your head off the mat, and they will have no choice but to tap. Secondly, if you are having a hard time pulling the hand out from under the head, grab it with your inside hand, around the back of the wrist, and then get your outside hand there as well. While bending the hand in towards you, drive into them with your shoulder that was applying the pressure for the arm triangle, and they will eventually be forced to tap, This does NOT feel good.
We finished with a great chunk of grappling time, and from here on out, it is going to be a lot of wrestling, bjj, and all around grappling practice for me as I get ready for my tournaments. Time to get it!
Thursday, April 26, 2012
MMA and me; day 231
Managed to get up to Alderwood MMA yesterday, and it felt great. Got to work on a little stand up for the last half of kickboxing, working on my hook and kick combos. I've been focusing mostly on keeping my hands up, because I decided that getting hit in the head sucks and I don't like it. Hands up, circle off, pump the jab, keep your punches crisp and clean, and keep working at it!
We drilled more arm triangles, so I wont go into too much detail there, Elbow down on the mat, and this is where the S grip comes in handy. If your elbow starts to come off the mat, lift your other arm, which should be the under hand in the S grip, and it will pull the other hand up, forcing your elbow down to the mat. I also need to be better at not no-gi grappling when I roll. Grab lapels (cross grip) sleeves (at the end, not the middle), and use them to your advantage! Play the puppet master, get your knees inside their arms, pull their arms out wide and slap on a triangle. It's pretty goddamn fun! Can't wait for tonight!
We drilled more arm triangles, so I wont go into too much detail there, Elbow down on the mat, and this is where the S grip comes in handy. If your elbow starts to come off the mat, lift your other arm, which should be the under hand in the S grip, and it will pull the other hand up, forcing your elbow down to the mat. I also need to be better at not no-gi grappling when I roll. Grab lapels (cross grip) sleeves (at the end, not the middle), and use them to your advantage! Play the puppet master, get your knees inside their arms, pull their arms out wide and slap on a triangle. It's pretty goddamn fun! Can't wait for tonight!
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
MMA and me; day 229 and 230
I am really tired and really beat up tonight. Forgot to cover last Thursdays classes, but I will go the lazy route and say check the previous evenings arm triangle focus.
Tonight we once again worked on the arm triangles, covering ten specifically
1) mount
2) gift wrap from mount
3) side control
4) side control with an under hook,
5) head and arm
6) north south
7) backmount
8) turtle/four corners
9) your own guard
10) kimura head mount
Yes we were given a sheet that had these all written down, and no I didn't mix them up intentionally to make it seem like I didn't copy them verbatim. I remembered them, because Seth and I went through and did each one four to five times each. I like arm triangles, a lot. Anyways, we rolled a bit before we moved on to fighter training/sparring, and though I apparently made some strides towards improvement in the stand up department, I still feel beat up and weary. Gotta find the means to distance the emotion, or at least harness it. I'll get there, but until then, it's bumps and bruises city for this fella. I think I can love with that. Thank you Seth, Riley, Reagan, Hannah, Batman, Alvin, Brent, Big Nate, Little Nate, and of course Coach Wise. (I think that's everyone there tonight. Forgive me, I was kicked in the head a lot) You are all truly amazing, and I love that we are all making each other better!!!!!!
Tonight we once again worked on the arm triangles, covering ten specifically
1) mount
2) gift wrap from mount
3) side control
4) side control with an under hook,
5) head and arm
6) north south
7) backmount
8) turtle/four corners
9) your own guard
10) kimura head mount
Yes we were given a sheet that had these all written down, and no I didn't mix them up intentionally to make it seem like I didn't copy them verbatim. I remembered them, because Seth and I went through and did each one four to five times each. I like arm triangles, a lot. Anyways, we rolled a bit before we moved on to fighter training/sparring, and though I apparently made some strides towards improvement in the stand up department, I still feel beat up and weary. Gotta find the means to distance the emotion, or at least harness it. I'll get there, but until then, it's bumps and bruises city for this fella. I think I can love with that. Thank you Seth, Riley, Reagan, Hannah, Batman, Alvin, Brent, Big Nate, Little Nate, and of course Coach Wise. (I think that's everyone there tonight. Forgive me, I was kicked in the head a lot) You are all truly amazing, and I love that we are all making each other better!!!!!!
Saturday, April 21, 2012
UFC 145
Man, this is a sneaky card. Six fights on the main portion, but they seem on the surface to be somewhat pedestrian in comparison to the main event. Don't be surprised if one of those five leading up flash some highlights, I'm just sayin....
Mark Bocek vs. John "The Natural" Alessio
lightweight
After a six year absence from the UFC spent fighting for just about every other promotion under the sun, Alessio returns on short notice to replace the injured Matt Wiman. I like Alessio, and he is a solid fighter, but it will be tough for him to find any footing against the extremely submission savvy Bocek. This fight will get to the ground, and the grappling-centric style Bocek employs will likely lead to a grinding decision. Look for Alessio to get another shot with the promotion, they love guys who step in and help out on short notice.
Bocek by Unanimous Decision
Mark "The Machine" Hominick vs. Eddie "The Filipino Phenom" Yagin
featherweight
After his stunning upset loss to Chan Sung-Jung, Hominick is looking to avoid his first ever three fight losing streak, and though he was supposedly a sure fire win against "The Korean Zombie" Yagin should be no trouble. Hominick lost because he fought outside of his game, but when he is on it and throwing crisp, clean combos, stalking his opponent, they are in big trouble. Yagin is tough, but has wilted when facing even slightly tougher opponents. I expect Hominick to get back on track with a late TKO, or lopsided decision. It may not be flashy, but it will be very dominant either way.
Hominick via TKO, Rd. 3.
Miguel Torres vs. Michael "Mayday" McDonald
bantamweight
This is an early candidate for fight of the night, as former champ Torres looks to get back to title contention, while the uber prospect McDonald tries to continue his rapid ascension through the ranks of the 135 pounders. Torres is a tall, lanky, smart fighter who uses his length very well in his stand up, but also possesses an incredibly aggressive ground game from top or bottom, and will always hunt for a submission. McDonald has shined so far in the UFC, going 3-0, and making a big impact so far, in spite of his youth (21!) With a very well rounded game, and the ability to start and maintain an impressive pace, he will bring the fight to Torres for sure. All signs point to Torres having the advantage in this fight, even if only slightly. It's going to be a war from the get go, with the fight taking place everywhere, and neither fighter giving any ground. After the dust settles, expect Torres to have his hand raised, in what I expect will be an awesome fight.
Torres via Split Decision
Brendan "The Hybrid" Schaub vs. Ben Rothwell
heavyweight
Both fighters are coming off losses, so they're likely to be fighting with the feeling that their backs are up against the cage, so to speak. Schaub is a big physical specimen, who is quick, agile, and frighteningly powerful. He's had a hard time really putting it together against tougher opponents though, so how he does here could be telling about where his future in the promotion will go. Rothwell has four times the experience, a very similar unexpected athleticism for a big man, along with an extremely durable chin. My heart says Rothwell, but my head says Schaub, so I'm going to say "The Hybrid" ekes out a close decision, that will likely have a very lackluster third round, as neither fighter looks particularly dominant.
Schaub via Unanimous Decision
Rory "Ares" McDonald vs. Che "Beautiful" Mills
welterweight
McDonald looks to continue his ascension towards the top of the welterweight division, while Mills is looking to put his own stamp on 170 pounds. At 22, McDonald is already emerging as the "next big thing" and he will have a tough customer in Mills, who has already been at the fight game for ten years. Mills has a solid striking game, but if he gets to the mat, submission defense has been a weakness. McDonald, though young, has already been fighting since he was 16, and has been training in all aspects of MMA his entire career. He seems to be the prototype of what future champions will be doing, and he seems equally comfortable in all aspects of the game. If the stand up is not to his liking, he should have no issue getting the fight to the mat, where he can flex his grappling muscles, and coax a tap from Mills, early to mid way through the second round.
McDonald via submission (rear naked choke) Rd. 2
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT
Champion Jon "Bones"Jones vs. Rashad "Suga" Evans
This fight has been in the works for far too long, and the back story aside, it is still a fantastic match up. The freakishly athletic and physical gifts that Jones possesses, combined with his thoroughly unorthodox style make him an extremely tough puzzle to solve. Combined with him being one of the biggest light heavyweights out there, and having roughly the same wing span as a pterodactyl, well, it's easy to see why he won the title and has been the first person to defend it more than once in over five years. Evans is fast and explosive, with fantastic wrestling. He is somewhat undersized for the division, and has a questionable chin. He supposedly got the better of Jones in the gym when they were still training together, but it remains to be seen if that will give him the mental edge or not. In any event, this fight will be hard fought, but Jones is simply too good. I see stoppage in this fight, possibly in the third round due to strikes, but I have a feeling that there will likely remain some bad blood, and we may see a rematch down the road. For now, Jones will remain the champ, and in dominant fashion.
Jones via TKO, Rd. 3
Mark Bocek vs. John "The Natural" Alessio
lightweight
After a six year absence from the UFC spent fighting for just about every other promotion under the sun, Alessio returns on short notice to replace the injured Matt Wiman. I like Alessio, and he is a solid fighter, but it will be tough for him to find any footing against the extremely submission savvy Bocek. This fight will get to the ground, and the grappling-centric style Bocek employs will likely lead to a grinding decision. Look for Alessio to get another shot with the promotion, they love guys who step in and help out on short notice.
Bocek by Unanimous Decision
Mark "The Machine" Hominick vs. Eddie "The Filipino Phenom" Yagin
featherweight
After his stunning upset loss to Chan Sung-Jung, Hominick is looking to avoid his first ever three fight losing streak, and though he was supposedly a sure fire win against "The Korean Zombie" Yagin should be no trouble. Hominick lost because he fought outside of his game, but when he is on it and throwing crisp, clean combos, stalking his opponent, they are in big trouble. Yagin is tough, but has wilted when facing even slightly tougher opponents. I expect Hominick to get back on track with a late TKO, or lopsided decision. It may not be flashy, but it will be very dominant either way.
Hominick via TKO, Rd. 3.
Miguel Torres vs. Michael "Mayday" McDonald
bantamweight
This is an early candidate for fight of the night, as former champ Torres looks to get back to title contention, while the uber prospect McDonald tries to continue his rapid ascension through the ranks of the 135 pounders. Torres is a tall, lanky, smart fighter who uses his length very well in his stand up, but also possesses an incredibly aggressive ground game from top or bottom, and will always hunt for a submission. McDonald has shined so far in the UFC, going 3-0, and making a big impact so far, in spite of his youth (21!) With a very well rounded game, and the ability to start and maintain an impressive pace, he will bring the fight to Torres for sure. All signs point to Torres having the advantage in this fight, even if only slightly. It's going to be a war from the get go, with the fight taking place everywhere, and neither fighter giving any ground. After the dust settles, expect Torres to have his hand raised, in what I expect will be an awesome fight.
Torres via Split Decision
Brendan "The Hybrid" Schaub vs. Ben Rothwell
heavyweight
Both fighters are coming off losses, so they're likely to be fighting with the feeling that their backs are up against the cage, so to speak. Schaub is a big physical specimen, who is quick, agile, and frighteningly powerful. He's had a hard time really putting it together against tougher opponents though, so how he does here could be telling about where his future in the promotion will go. Rothwell has four times the experience, a very similar unexpected athleticism for a big man, along with an extremely durable chin. My heart says Rothwell, but my head says Schaub, so I'm going to say "The Hybrid" ekes out a close decision, that will likely have a very lackluster third round, as neither fighter looks particularly dominant.
Schaub via Unanimous Decision
Rory "Ares" McDonald vs. Che "Beautiful" Mills
welterweight
McDonald looks to continue his ascension towards the top of the welterweight division, while Mills is looking to put his own stamp on 170 pounds. At 22, McDonald is already emerging as the "next big thing" and he will have a tough customer in Mills, who has already been at the fight game for ten years. Mills has a solid striking game, but if he gets to the mat, submission defense has been a weakness. McDonald, though young, has already been fighting since he was 16, and has been training in all aspects of MMA his entire career. He seems to be the prototype of what future champions will be doing, and he seems equally comfortable in all aspects of the game. If the stand up is not to his liking, he should have no issue getting the fight to the mat, where he can flex his grappling muscles, and coax a tap from Mills, early to mid way through the second round.
McDonald via submission (rear naked choke) Rd. 2
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT
Champion Jon "Bones"Jones vs. Rashad "Suga" Evans
This fight has been in the works for far too long, and the back story aside, it is still a fantastic match up. The freakishly athletic and physical gifts that Jones possesses, combined with his thoroughly unorthodox style make him an extremely tough puzzle to solve. Combined with him being one of the biggest light heavyweights out there, and having roughly the same wing span as a pterodactyl, well, it's easy to see why he won the title and has been the first person to defend it more than once in over five years. Evans is fast and explosive, with fantastic wrestling. He is somewhat undersized for the division, and has a questionable chin. He supposedly got the better of Jones in the gym when they were still training together, but it remains to be seen if that will give him the mental edge or not. In any event, this fight will be hard fought, but Jones is simply too good. I see stoppage in this fight, possibly in the third round due to strikes, but I have a feeling that there will likely remain some bad blood, and we may see a rematch down the road. For now, Jones will remain the champ, and in dominant fashion.
Jones via TKO, Rd. 3
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