MMA and me; day 226

WHEW! Took a week off, but was back in the gym last night, and it was a great evening. In grappling, we got warmed up with our arm bar/triangle/omoplata drill, and then got going with a myriad of arm triangles. First, we worked one from mount. Press on the left arm to get them to push back, and as they do, push the arm across their chest, and swim your right arm underneath it, and drop your head to the mat on the opposite side as your arm. With your left hand, push their head into your other arm, and lift it slightly so you can slide your right arm underneath it. From here, you can get a monkey grip, or a Gable grip if you like, but keep your head on the mat, and pushing into their head as much as you can. Flick your right leg across their hip, and slide your knee to the mat to dismount, while walking your hand further under the head. Sprawl your hips out flat, getting your feet as far out behind you as you can. Raise your feet off the mat, and shrug your shoulders forward to increase the pressure until they tap. Gripping your hands is entirely up to you, as the choke can be finished with one arm by getting your butt high up in the air, and driving your shoulder down into their neck as you roll your weight over them, and it looks pretty bad ass too.

Next we worked on the arm triangle from back mount. With an over/under seat belt grip, relieve your leg on the same side as the over hook. As they slide their hips over your leg, quickly turn into them, leaving the back mount, and driving your under hooked arm over their far side shoulder, and plant your head on the mat on the near side of their head, trapping their arm across their neck. From here, either monkey grip, or Gable grip your hands, and shrug your weight up across their head for the tap.

We did a new one for me next, an arm triangle from north/south. With one arm inside their arm pit and under their head, and the other on the outside of their opposite arm, relieve the arm from under their head, and slide the arm on the outside across their chest. As you do this, immediately bring it across and over their far side shoulder, much like the arm triangle from back mount, and bring it under their head, get your hands clasped together, and finish the submission.

A fun one we hadn't worked on in a while was next, kind of a sweep/arm triangle combination. With your opponent being in the four corners or turtle position, you are beside them with your near side arm over their back and far shoulder, while your far side arm is under their near arm pit, and clasping your other hand. So it's kinda funky, but from here, you straighten out your outside leg and hip into them, and roll them over you to the opposite side from where they started. The best way to insure that the submission is to begin to slide your arm into place across and over their far shoulder as you roll, instead of after. Doing so after you have tossed them leads to a lot of readjusting, and possibly losing position altogether. So as you roll, slide the arm which was under their arm pit to begin, across and over the shoulder, and swim it under their head, and as you lad you will be in fantastic position to finish the submission.

We also briefly touched on an arm triangle from side control, where all you do is push their near side arm across their chest, and then slide your bottom side arm under their head into arm triangle position. I really like this one for when working a kimura, or key lock, and they reach over to clasp their hands together in an attempt to defend it. At this point, all you really have to do is turn and swim your arm under their head, since they have already done you the courtesy of bringing their arm across. Man do I love chain grappling!!

In fighter training, we fought. Plain and simple, we sparred for an hour and a half, and it was brutal. I think I went a total of eight or nine rounds, but I had to take a couple rounds off because I was starting to get a little light headed. (should have eaten more) Got hit with a lot of solid shots, but I got in some good licks of my own as well. Really, REALLY starting to like sparring, and I am looking forward to the day where we do that, but with grappling! Can't wait for tomorrow, I LOVE MY GYM!!!