Double leg take-downs and half guard defense pass defense

My first day training in over a month after receiving a steroid injection in my wrist and tweaking my back. We went over 2 variations of a double leg takedown in no-gi as well as a half-guard pass defense.

For the first double leg, I step in with my lead leg, then as I grab my opponent just below the knees, my shoulder makes contact with my opponent's sternum. To gain maximum force with the least amount of energy expended, make sure that the lead leg does not touch the ground until  contact is made with your shoulder. When your opponent falls, use your hands to guide them to either side control or half guard. Be careful not to follow them down into a guillotine choke.

In the 2nd variation, the same procedure is followed as above but your lead leg is actually wrapped around your opponents ankle after making contact, and has hit the ground. Make sure that foot never lands flat on the floor. Aim for it to lie against or on top of your other leg. When your opponent falls, you will begin in half-guard.

For the half-guard defense, we used a simple technique of pushing my opponents head in the opposite direction that they are trying to pass, using both arms extended against the side of their face. In the event that your opponent achieves the pass, use your extended arms to create space and hip escape into half or full guard again.

Takedown city

Considering I am participating in my first tournament this weekend, and I have only worked on takedowns once, I REALLY needed this class. 

We started with some amazing solo drills using body kick pads. We performed side control transitions, knee on belly drills, and more. Next we practiced a solo drill for a collar takedown. Start off with your arm extended at a right angle (this is your imaginary collar grip). With your opposite leg, take a step back to the same side and your extended arm. Next step your forward leg inside of your opponents imaginary leg and bring that knee to the mat and you reach for their other leg with your free arm.

Next we worked on real takedowns. The first was  the real version of the takedown above. Then we performed another takedown using a collar grip with one hand and  a sleeve grip at the elbow with the other. Rotate your collar gripped hand to the outside. The sleeve gripped arm should have your elbow out as if you are checking the time on a watch. Next in one motion, rotate your collar grip inside, tuck the elbow of the sleeve grip, and step your inside leg across both of your opponents legs. You should at least end up in side control.

The last takedown we worked on is intended to be used when opponents  are extending their arms and tucking their butt out, facing you square. Inexperienced opponents do this to keep you away from their legs. When this happens, grip their collar at the chest, step out to the same side of the grip. Hook your inside leg and reach form the opposite leg with your free arm. The will fall side ways, leaving you in side control. 

Both the North South armbar and kimura were so poorly executed by me that I do not believe it is fair for me to explain it. I will try to find videos.

Regarding the tournament this weekend. I made the mistake of googling my first opponent when they posted the brackets. I wasnt nervous till I saw I was going up against a former wrestling champion. Lesson learned. 

Great class today

In today's class, we continued to build on the arm drags from Saturday. We started with 3 varitions of an arm drag to leg take-down and 1 counter to the arm drag take-down attempt. The last technique we covered was a continuation to the closed guard arm drag sweep from last class. We worked on 3 finishing moves for that sweep.

For the first variation of the take-down, you attempt the arm drag of their rear arm, but your opponent pulls away. You then drop down and grasp their front leg and squeeze their knee between your legs as you drive your head into their chest and turn your opponent 45 degrees towards you. When the take-down is complete, you should land in side control.

Variation #2: Same as above but when you drop down, you grab both legs at the knees and turn 45 degrees. Should land in side control.

Variation #3: Same as variation #2 but when you grab both legs you squeeze them together, pin their arm against their body with your head, and they fall straight back mounted by you.

Counter: As your opponent goes for the arm drag and places their head in your chest, you quickly push off of their shoulders and move your body so that their head is outside your body. With your opposite hand, reach over their back and grab their belt and your free hand hooks their knee. Sit down and your momentum will cause you to roll your opponent and you land in mount.

For the closed guard arm drag sweep, we discussed 2 submissions that can be performed instead of sweeping. For the first one, once we have their arm locked  around their head, you make a weak attempt to trap their free arm. They react by pulling it back, giving you and opening to bring your leg over his shoulder for a triangle. Slide out your hips to gain leverage for a triangle.

See this technique here:

For the second submission, your opponent tries to pull back to avoid the triangle. As they do, they leave their trapped arm vunlerable for an arm bar. Simply grasp their wrist with both hands, bring your leg over his head so that both legs are sepearted by the trapped arm. Squeeze your legs together, and lift your hips for the sub.

While sparring today, I had my most productive experience yet. I did an excellent job of conserving energy and executed several trap and roll sweeps. I focused on keeping my hooks in and trying to control my opponent's posture.  While rolling with a new guy, I was able to assist him with his breathing and also demonstrated the trap and roll that I managed to execute against him at will.

I did run into issues when sparring with a purple. He appeared to seemlessly slide out of my guard (specifically the half guard) and then he would transition to a knee on the belly from side control. I couldnt seem to find a way to escape that knee and even tapped a couple of times because I could not breathe.

I am extremely excited by progress and hope to continue building on this experience. For now, I am going to focus on refining what I learned this week to make sure those techniques are engrained in my brain.

What a drag

In class today we worked primarily on  2 types of arm drag sweeps and 4 variations of am arm drag take-down. I personally worked on my breathing and energy conservation. I didn't get gassed until the end of my 4th sparring session. The 4 take-downs all started with grasping the same side wrist and locking the back of the elbow with the other hand. It took me 8 or 9 tries to realize that I was not supposed to pull the opponent to me. Instead, I was supposed to step in, in order to maintain balance.

Take-down 1: Grasp the wrist with the same side hand (grabbing the forward hand of the opponent). Grasp the back of their elbow with your opposite hand and step into the opponent. As you go for the take-down, put your head int their side, under the grasped arm, and drive forward (football tackle) as you release the wrist grab and go for their ankle. Main control of their arm with the other hand. You should end up in side control or half guard.

The take-down is similar to this but not exactly.

Take-down 2: Same as variation #1 except you hook their leg and sit down.

Take-down 3: Same as variation #1 except you drop straight down, maintaining their arm until you get to the floor. Now in one motion, transition from the wrist grab, to locking their leg and arm, then drive forward.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elQUepOQ4Gc

Take-down 4: Same as variation #3 but grasp both legs during the transition.

Butterfly arm drag sweep: Your ankles are locked inside your opponent's thighs.Your opponent is grasping your gi and you have a grasp of their wrist. Switch your grasp to your opposite hand and take the same side hand and place it under their arm, as close to your hand as possible. Perform a hip thrust while simultaneously pulling their arm free and pulling your outside leg outside their body.  Guide their free arm over your shoulder and lock your outside arm around their neck. Do not release their arm as it is extended over your shoulder. Next transition their arm to your hand over their shoulder and pull tight  to your shoulder. With your free inside hand, grab inside their thigh and swing both legs over to the opposite side like a helicopter. If you don't get the sweep, your probably did not pull their arm into your shoulder.You will end up mounted.

Closed guard arm drag sweep:  The opponent's posted on your chest or grasping your gi. Grasp their wrist with the opposite arm and with your same side arm, grasp the same side elbow and hip thrust to release their hold while pulling their arm across your body. Shrimp your hips out (you can push off their hips with your outside leg). Now reach over their back and lock your wrists for over under control. If your opponent goes flat you can get their back.

Kinda like this but you grasp the elbow:

While sparring, I wanted to work on my closed guard game, so I tried to pull guard most of the time.  I did well as long as my guard was closed. The minute I opened for a sweep or shrimp out, my opponent would pass. I managed to pull off a few good sweeps from my back (which I am proud of) but did not have the technique to seal the deal. Overall this was my favorite and most productive session.