Back'n Wrap

I was playing with wrapping the kimono around my opponent's arm the other day and two possibilities appeared.  Now they need some refinement but here's what I've got for now:

• From the guard, after wrapping the arm and attempting to pull it across for the armbar your opponent resists by pulling their arm back toward their body.  Adjust your wrap to further encircle the arm, then assist their motion and push their arm to the body, then set-up the triangle over the manipulated arm and switch to the opposite triangle.
• Again from the guard, wrap their arm, and pull for the cross arm lock.  If they defend, pass the gripped part of their kimono to your other hand, which has either gone behind their head or (if you have excessively long arms like me) their back via their opposite axilla.  Now post with your free hand and look for rear mount as you rotate them by pulling on their kimono.  If you have passed the kimono to the arm encircling your head you can choke them with their kimono by sliding your newly freed hand down your forearm on the side most proximal to your opponent.

Unathleticism

Your martial art, technique, and style should work for everyone regardless of strength, speed, stamina, size, or any other attribute. Intensive study of your martial art should refine technique, increasing your ability to defeat people of superior attributes.  Better attributes, i.e. better athletes, will obviously have better success, so the development of attributes is important but does not exclude improving technically.  The exclusion of skill for strength is as futile as thinking strength is not part of skill.

Today I worked on relaxing.  Which I think I do, but apparently I don't.  Ian and I worked on throwing the jab, without cocking but allowing the lead foot and hand to simultaneously land.  It is important to step without trying to jump off the rear foot.  And don't push, don't try to hit hard, just flick the hand out there as fast as it can, without trying to move it fast.

We worked two combination set-ups:

1. Jab-rear body kick/Jab-fake rear kick-lead kick: Short step "range finding" jab, then step laterally to throw the rear body kick.  Your partner catches and leg covers.  After this set-up, repeat the jab, then roll the rear knee medially, "showing the rear hip" to fake the kick.  Step the rear leg laterally to throw the lead kick to the body.
2. Jab-rear body kick/Jab-fake rear kick-cross-rear kick: Same set-up as above, but this time on the rear kick fake lift the knee, rotate the knee medially and rotate the rear shoulder through to throw the cross.  Then put the foot down to throw the rear kick.

This is the "Superman punch" but without leaping forward.  The advantage is that it is still a fake, but doesn't make you overcommit or get off balance.

We also worked some kicks, particularly obtaining height without sacrificing balance or speed.  A small lateral step is needed to permit hip rotation.  The knee rises to point at the target you wish to hit.  Rise up on the balls of the feet as the hips turn over, whipping the leg into the target.  Then recover rolling the base leg foot back to the mat and landing with the ball of the foot of the kicking leg in the rear position.

I throw elbows until the skin comes off

Some late notes on elbows.  I had my muay thai private earlier this week but one has to do the things that pay the bills before doing the things we do for thrills.  Not that writing notes is thrilling but it certainly helps me remember.

We used a short stepping jab followed by a longer stepping rear elbow.  So the first step is short just to get us to range, while the follow-up elbow is based on the feel of the opponent.  The second step, should bring your lead foot parallel with your opponent's lead foot.  Simultaneously the shoulders and hips rotate to deliver the horizontal elbow.  It should turn over, whipping the bony tip of the elbow into the bag, your fist ending up next to your chin on the opposite side, as if you had a sudden itch on your shoulder.  Your opposite arm covers your head.  Recover rapidly to your original stance.

The jab same side horizontal elbow uses the same short stepping jab, but this time partially retract the jab hand, and step your lead foot parallel to your opponent's lead, but midline.  You are essentially lengthening and narrowing your stance.  Simultaneously rotate your shoulders whipping the tip of the elbow into the bag and recover.

The stepping is important to deliver the short range of the elbow to the target.  It is key that the elbow rotate into the bag, avoid forearm smashing instead deliver a maximal amount of force to a minimal amount of surface area.

Next, in a display of saintly trust, Ian let me throw elbows at him.  We worked two scenarios, off the soft and hard cover off the jab.  If your opponent is relaxed you will punch into a pillow, after the next jab, roll your lead hand around his wrist and pull, ripping his structure from his head, and throw the same elbow.  If he is resistant and bounces off your jab, then throw another jab, roll around his wrist and pull him to your centerline as you half twist to drive in the elbow.

Last we tied up, wrestler style.  Use a small drop step and a sudden jerk of your nearest/rear hand to pull him sideways, then rapidly deliver the rear horizontal elbow to the temple with a counter twist.