Paraestra – Oct 21st

At Paraestra we went over knee-on-the-belly, which I despise with a passion. It was that position that sidelined me back in Hawaii with a pulled muscle. I didn’t complain though and actually told my training partner to put more weight on me. Then we went over a standard submission from knee-on-the-belly (which I knew) then a modified straight armbar from a Marcelo side-control style submission, followed by a nifty combo attack that could go either way. Kimura > armbar. Armbar > Kimura. Nice.

Some notes for the techniques:

Hug like heck for the armbar.

Push the Kimura out there, keep base high but keep hips like the kesa gatame (so you can hook their head with your nearside leg), pinch.

Modified Marcelo straight armbar – knee pinch like modified Marcelo Kimura, wrap around partner’s wrist trapping it in the crook of your arm (like a headlock), pinch arm, clasp hands and arch back to submit.

Rolled with Tomari-sensei twice and Ide-san. Here’s their assessment of my jiu-jitsu skills:

I have trouble with knee-on-the-belly.

I leave myself way too open to guillotines and chokes from the knees.

I’m too high and leave lots of gaps open when I’m passing guard.

Their tips for improving:

Go for half-guard, de la vera guard, x-guard or some other fancy guard to stop or stall standing passes.

Posture, posture, posture.

Collapse arms with my legs and weight, point knees in towards hooks and if stuck do the Marcelo knee circle (lots of details in the three passes I learned last time that can be used in a general basic manner)