MMA and me; day 214

In stand up class we worked on boxing, specifically hitting mitts. We worked a couple of rounds of hitting combinations that our partner called out, so nothing specific, just staying in a good stance with "climbing peg" hands, and circling off after landing punches. We switched to a round each of rhythm drills, just rolling the shoulders for repeated uppercuts, just barely touching the pads, and getting into a good rhythmic groove with the hands. We knocked out a couple rounds each of defense drills, slipping and rolling away from incoming punches. The key to this is leaning over and staying close to the attacker, as closer is safer, and being relaxed. If you're tight, you can't avoid anything with any amount of fluidity, and you will not flow through your defenses. We went back to another few rounds of hitting combos called by our partners. We went into a five minute round of group sit ups, and it was on to grappling.

More leg locks, but we worked a lot of new entries to the 50/50 guard, and heel hooks. First we worked on a back and forth of going from side to side in the 50/50 by rocking back and slipping our legs out, then back in to the opposite sides. Next we worked on what I will refer to as the side to side take down into heel hook drill. From your back with butterfly hooks in on your opponent standing over you, and both hands on the bottoms of the backs of their heels, straighten out one of your legs, and with the same side arm, pull yourself around to that side so you can wrap the straightened leg around their hip, maintaining the butterfly hook on the other side, then return to butterfly guard. We next did a brief drill popping the legs out for a take down from bottom butterfly guard that illustrated the importance of grabbing the bottom of the heels, and coming up as they fall to their butt so you can hop up and jump a heel hook. We then went back to the side to side drill from bottom butterfly, except instead of stopping at getting the foot to the outside of the hip, you pull on the near side heel, push on the hip with your foot (which should be contoured to their body, not sticking out waiting to get attacked) and lifting your remaining butterfly hook to drop them to their butt. From there, kick free the butterfly hook, to get to the 50/50 guard triangled, and move their leg from the inside to the outside, scoot your butt into their body, and wrap your arm around to finish the heel hook.

We worked on thr more entries to the 50/50, and I REALLY liked them. First, from having your back taken, peel off one of their legs, for this example the right, and reach under to grab the foot with your other side hand. Lift up the foot and reach back with your other hand to push the knee through as you pull with your other hand, and rotate on your hip to end up in the 50/50. Second, was the "Imanari" named after Masakazu Imanari. Look him up, trust me. From your back, with your opponent stand at your head, raise up to your shoulders and get your feet on their hips. Reach your right hand to the outside of their left leg and pull yourself around to that side, scissoring your legs around theirs, and as they fall, swing your outside leg over their near side leg, and triangle your legs behind their far leg, further defending from a leg lock, or them breaking the triangle, while you look to apply a heel hook of your own on their near side leg. Lastly, if your opponent has you in their X guard (you standing over them, they have one butterfly hook in your knee pit, and one in your groin) and you shove the hook in your knee pit through your legs, and simply drop back, throw your outside leg over their other leg, pulling it tight between your thighs, and if your quick enough, you can slide the foot across your body as you fall, and land in the heel hook! All three of these entries were SUPER slick, and I am going to be drilling them in my head for quite some time. AMAZING day at the gym for me! Great teammates, awesome coaching, what more could you want?