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!!