Marcelo Garcia Gi Seminar

The second day covered Marcelo's gi technique. He noted that it doesn't matter what your opponent does or wants to do, you do not let their game dictate yours. For example, you cannot rely on passing the guard as offense because it predicates on getting into the guard, nor can you worry about how good a player is stand-up is and you only want to get him to the ground. You need solutions that do not depend on your opponent but on yourself. Again he emphasized simplicity, situational application, and similarity between gi and no-gi skills.

"Arm drag" sleeve grip

Grab wrist with same side hand and use momentary control to secure best cross hand sleeve grip, using a "pistol grip" (pinky nearest forearm) on the dorsal side of the forearm sleeve, retaining wrist control with other hand. Keep extended from partner's body as well as up and away from your body, denying control.

Developing this grip and foot in hip

Pull and sit placing foot in hip on gripped side. Extend keeping partner's hand from controlling kimono. Use "free" leg to push in biceps or shoulder if partner tries to grab hip post leg pant with free hand hand. If partner grabs "free" leg, use hip post to push in lower chest to re-extend and detach/deny pant control.

Hip Extension Sweep

The first sweep off this set-up

1. Set up "arm drag" sleeve grip then pull and sit placing foot in hip on gripped side.
   
2. Immediately use wrist grip hand to secure grip on same side ankle, pull and lift ankle, while extending foot in hip, then slip your knee inside and under partner's knee, controlling lightly with hand. Keep extension.
   
3. Sweep out with free leg, essentially kicking back of post leg calf. Lighten balance with extension of hip post into "hole" created by snared leg.
   
4. Sit up and tuck into kneeling position free/kicking leg knee up. Variation: Slide up knee cross body, over thigh to ground immediately into guard pass.

Posterior X Guard Sweep

This next part is simple, too (I think Sensei Marcelo has a different Portuguese/English dictionary than I do):

1. Set up "arm drag" sleeve grip then pull and sit placing foot in hip on gripped side.
   
2. Immediately use wrist grip hand to secure grip on same side ankle, pull and lift ankle, while extending foot in hip, then slip your knee inside and under partner's knee, controlling lightly with hand. Keep extension.
   
3. But this time partner controls "free" leg, circle inside thigh and set hook.
   
4. Lift hip post side leg across your body over the top of the opposite wrist (i.e. the one controlling the sleeve).
   
5. Elbow circles out and over the lifted ankle.
   
6. Hip post moves to opposite hip in an X-guard like set up.
   
7. Sit up and hook upper arm with free hand (above partner's thigh)
   
8. Using legs to support weight, roll/sweep over you shoulder to partner's back, go to side mount. Do not throw your partner away from you, so that you lose side mount.

Takedown following defense of Posterior X Guard Sweep

Your partner gets smarter and defends the Posterior X Guard Sweep (repeat steps #1-4 above):

1. But this time partner scrambles, shaking off hook and trying to pass. Let them but stand up with them.
   
2. Use gripped sleeve and free hand to lift leg nearest you.
   
3. Grab back of kimono and make small reverse circle, spinning into the hole created by elevated leg.

Arm Drag From Ground

After setting up sleeve grip and trying to load hip post, partner retreats and pulls you to a sitting position.

1. Move one foot to outside line. Your head should be off center with your partner's.
   
2. Use the next pull by partner to lift butt off the floor putting you in a low squat. Use this loaded position to push backwards dragging your partner with your entire body, pull across your body. Keep upper body off floor.
   
3. Anchor sleeve controlled hand to floor with sleeve grip, use this to pin hand and post to pivot up. Free hand underhooks and grabs overhook hand (coming from forearm grip/pin).
   
4. Insert overhook (near) side hook, use rear side over-under control to pull to side and insert underhook (far) side hook and rear naked choke.

Triangle Armbar with Choke

Alternatively from rear side over-under control (#3 immediately above)

1. Use your underhook side knee to open the position of the near arm so that you can hook it with the overhook side arm.
   
2. Slide overhook side leg into triangle position around partner's arm. This knee pivots out making it perpendicular with your body.
   
3. Slide distally on your partner's snared arm to increase pressure with the armbar.
   Alternatively after securing the arm but being unable to finish the arm bar, switch to side rear naked choke:
   
4. Overhook hand wraps neck and climbs as high as possible on your partner's far shoulder (underhook side).
   
5. Underhook releases, choke hand picks up this biceps and underhook folds over back of head.
   Variation: If partner tucks chin, hook base of thumb at seam between chin and chest, palm toward chest. Use small oscillations to lift chin and work arm in for choke.

Cross Knee Insertion with Underhook Pass

To train this use a bit of imagination, start with partner seated in front of you

1. Lift his legs and insert leg, foot goes slightly under base of spine. Partner regains equilibrium and sits up.
   
2. Drive knee toward your centerline and to the floor, across partner's thigh. Simultaneously underhook his opposite armpit and grip the overhook. Partner should still be sitting up right.
   
3. Plant to floor, slide head to underhook side and post on floor over partner's shoulder. If partner manages to snare leg, slide knee into hip and increase pressure, use free foot to push off partner's legs and pass to sidemount.

Belly Guillotine

Partner is sitting up, poorly hugging leg (i.e. in that nebulous range between far and tight control of the leg).

1. Hugged leg arm hooks under partner's chin with elbow/forearm on thigh, other hand pops head down.
   
2. Lay stomach over depressed head, secure guillotine grip
   
3. Slide free leg back into lunge and pull up with guillotine, securing choke.
   

In conclusion, watching the incredibly unassuming Marcelo Garcia is a treat of technically spectacular jiu-jitsu. If he is anywhere nearby for a seminar, go! If not, for now, make do with his video series. And setting dislocated fingers is not as difficult as it looks. Freaky yes, difficult no.

Marcelo Garcia No-Gi Seminar

This weekend I went to a Marcelinho "Marcelo" Garcia seminar hosted by POW Kickboxing in Chicago, IL. It was a great time and I learned a lot, as a plug for Sensei Marcelo's fantastic jiu-jitsu skills I'd strongly recommend purchasing any or all of his video series. Another excellent resource is his Personal Submission special from Tatame (which he was kind enough to sign for me). Of course if he's ever within a couple hundred miles, make the trip. Notes on some general comments he made:

Situational

Everything depends on the situation, that is the action ("attacking") and reaction ("escaping"). Technique is applied as a function of the situation, within the ebb and flow of sparring or competing. His seminar showed a meshwork of situations provoked by one another.

Attack

If you are not attacking, you are defending, if your defending your playing catch up. No one wins by playing catch up. Regardless of your opponent, there is no reason to wait around for them to do something to you.

Simplicity

All of Marcelo's game is predicated on simplicity (well simple for him perhaps). That is a core understanding of physical basics and a dedication to technical fundamentals.

The Game

The only game that matter is your own. Yes, beg, borrow and steal what works and plug it in where it fits for you, but realize it within your own needs. Go and learn Marcelo's uniquely simple but universally effective strategies but they need to become part of what you do not simply what he does.

We started with fairly simple stretching, the only new one to me being sitting and putting the knees to the floor on either side. On to the technique:

Single Leg Sprawl Takedown

Partner is controlling your head with one hand, deny partner arm control and control partner's elbows. Think of it as psychological engagement, offer head control to gain arm control

1. Wing partner's elbows and shoot, securing arms around partner's thigh. Lift leg (Marcelo used a low head position, rather than pectoral level head post)
   
2. Quarter circle away from the outside line to inside while simultaneously sprawling to the floor. Drop partner into hole created by controlling leg.

Leg Drag To Rear Bear Hug Control

Being unable to take down with the single leg sprawl takedown:

1. Use outside to inside quarter circle as above to unbalance.
   
2. Follow with an outside to inside shoulder push to rotate back again and unbalance again.
   
3. Repeat #1 and #2 until the right moment of unbalancing (kazushi), then shuck leg securing rear bear hug control. Hands at hips, head on spine.

Rear Over-Under Control

Dominant hand works as overhook, nondominant as underhook. Overhook goes over shoulder and is clasped by the underhook which goes under armpit (circles in figures). The grip is palm of underhook to back of overhand. When clinching this grip pop the hands together and into the center of the chest at the nipple line (X in figure) hard and fast, it sounds like slapping or punching the chest. Your chest must be positioned so that your hands are also in the center of your chest at the nipple line. This allows tight enough control that putting the hooks is an option rather than a necessity for control. If your partner is taller than you, you must jump and fit hooks, thus ensuring your hands in the center of your chest.

Arm Drag (Pulls To Floor)

The perceived threat of a single leg lowers partner's hands almost to floor. Secure same side wrist control.

1. Cross hand grips partner's triceps as you sit with one foot between partner's legs, upper body goes to floor, as you pull backwards, extending partner across floor.
   
2. Use the your free leg to kick/lever your body up, no posting with free hand.
   
3. Grab over-under rear control from top. Your thread leg may or may not be hooking depending on the explosiveness of the arm drag.

Arm Drag (Defends By Keeping Posture/Pulling Back Arm)

If your partner defends by remaining standing and pulling arm back on the arm drag, use this grip as a one handed pull up. Pop up and over to rear over-under position, inserting more anterior leg (overhook side) as hook.

Arm Drag (Defends By Running Past)

If your partner attempts to "run" past you on hands and knees release arm drag grip on triceps and turn, using opposite arm to hug near leg. Assert thigh control and standup, returning to single leg sprawl takedown. Note that the objective is to not wind up in your partner's guard so do not try to grab both legs.

Standing Rear Mount Takedown (the Ricco Solution)

If you have jumped to partner's back with the rear over-under control and hooks in place, try extending legs and pulling at an angle to bring partner back and to their side. Extension of the legs forces them erect so that they begin to fall backward because of your weight, the twist adds momentum but makes sure your partner doesn't land on you. Do not release over-under control or hooks.

Rear Over Under Grip To Hooks/Rear Naked Choke

Overhook side has hook inserted, roll partner to this side, and use underhook to secure same side wrist control. Pull control arm posteriorly and place behind back, insert hook over this arm, trapping it with your leg.

Alternatively on getting wrist control and pulled arm posteriorly, partner avoids hooks by folding knee to floor.

1. Place arm behind back.
   
2. Control with inward thigh pressure, foot on hip.
   
3. Slide knee toward your head, increasing shoulder pressure.
   
4. Take rear naked choke

Rear Bear Hug To Rear Mount

From rear bear hug control

1. Jump up and place feet in the backs of the knees.
   
2. Extend legs and let weight drag both you and partner to floor. Partner should fall between your legs, not crushing your face with back.
   
3. Insert hooks and attack with rear naked choke.

Supplemental Training

Worked out with Jeff (glad to have him back after break). Started with 2 minute rounds of clinched knee work:

Deep knee, same head knee

Deep: Stack gloves on belly, force parallel to floor

Head: One glove held out in front, force perpendicular to floor

Hook knee, same/opposite deep knee (plum position)

Hook: Stack gloves on side, thigh swings shut like a gate, hit with medial surface of knee (distal femoral eminence), force parallel to floor

Deep: Stack gloves on belly, force parallel to floor

Inside leg knee, opposite deep knee (plum position)

Inside: Straight knee to medial side of thigh, displace if you can

Deep: Stack gloves on belly, force parallel to floor

Plum clinch knee, same/opposite thai side clinch knee

Plum clinch: Stack gloves on belly, force parallel to floor

Side clinch: Feed one arm, partner overhooks with same side and controls neck with opposite hand, takes a half circle step back, knee to head (catch with glove) or knee to body (cover with glove)

Deep knee, same/opposite calf shot

Deep: Stack gloves on belly, force parallel to floor

Calf shot: Pelvis-to-pelvis, bring foot to outside and slap partner's calf with foot (in application this would be the heel to the calf, but this would get old quick in training)

Then the same with punch combinations

Jab-Cross-Hook-Cross

Corkscrew either way using the hook

Jab-Lead Hook-Cross-Lead Hook

Variation: Lead Hook-Cross-Lead Hook

Corkscrew either way using the first hook hook

Jab-Overhand-Lead Uppercut-Overhand

Variation: Overhand-Lead Uppercut-Overhand

Jab-Cross-Lead Body Hook-Lead Head Hook

Cork screw on first hook.

We then did 2 minute rounds of each five count kicking combinations on the thai pads:

Five count #1

Lead kick-cross-lead body hook-lead head hook-rear kick

Five count #2

Rear kick-lead hook-double cross-lead kick

Five count #3

Lead kick-cross-lead hook-cross-lead kick

Five count #4

Rear kick-lead hook-cross-lead hook-rear kick

Finished with a few 6 minute rounds of no-gi rolling from the feet or knees with Jeff, Matt, and Richardo. Three observations:

1. Matt loads and throws an excellent kata garuma (fireman's carry) but was getting caught in a crucifix/yoke position. He likes falling to the side with the goal of pinning (ideal for wrestling but not submission), rather than "popping" the person over which frees the arm usually caught by the legs for the crucifix/yoke position.
   
2. I'm exposing my head to much to guillotine (regular or ten finger) and anaconda chokes. While not tapping to them, I'm getting caught in a stupid place.
   
3. It is truly an excellent training experience rolling with purple belts of my level (fine better than my level).

110%

This is probably equally a mathematical as it is a training rant. Many times the physically gifted competitor boasts or is commended for "giving a 110%." Or more. This is ludicrous for several reasons:

1. Human performance on an individual basis has a minimum (i.e. zero) and a maximum (i.e. 100%). A personal best, a one max rep, or a victory pulled out against all odds is not anymore than 100% of their potential at that one moment. That does not make the triumph any less, it simply normalizes the scale.
   
2. The maximum effort or ability of a person is completely individualized. A rookie gives a much higher percentage of their maximum ability than a skilled competitor. Proof: Look at how many more rounds the skilled competitor can do versus the unskilled. Newbies are usually sucking wind after 2 minutes while the experienced hands may not get tired for 2 hours. Yet the more advanced scoff at this increased energy and ability drain, but commend the use of 100% in the competitor.
   
3. The "balls to the wall" training strategy is easy when you're physically superior to your training partners, i.e. faster, stronger, bigger, more stamina, etc. But the older, smaller, or less physically gifted are outputting closer to their maximum or their 100%, than the combat sports David announcing his infinite drive. Yet we respect the competitive paragon and shun the achieving common (wo)man.
   
4. In training it is impossible to give 100% all the time. A power lifter does not do their one max best rep on every lift, they work up to that level. However in combat sports we often describe people as giving 100% all the time. This is a negative sum method of training, because injuries don't always happen to people that deserve them. If every practice you spar at 100% someone's ones going to get injured. 100% resistance while drilling a designated move is a useless training methodology. Moreover training has different phases of mixing mental and physical attributes, sometimes it is mostly brainwork, sometimes its mostly physical, and sometimes its mostly finding heart, but only in the fight itself is it 100% of all three.

In truth the only person we compete against is ourselves and only in competition with ourselves can we find our 100%. And then spend the subsequent rematches during rest of our lives increasing that level.

GJ

Our first official practice of 2006 was light but that's expected. Started with trading knee combos

Deep knee, same head knee

Deep: Stack gloves on belly, force parallel to floor

Head: One glove held out in front, force perpendicular to floor

Hook knee, same/opposite deep knee (plum position)

Hook: Stack gloves on side, thigh swings shut like a gate, hit with medial surface of knee (distal femoral eminence), force parallel to floor

Deep: Stack gloves on belly, force parallel to floor

Inside leg knee, opposite deep knee (plum position)

Inside: Straight knee to medial side of thigh, displace if you can

Deep: Stack gloves on belly, force parallel to floor

Then the same with punch combinations

Jab-Cross-Hook-Cross

Corkscrew either way using the hook

Jab-Lead Hook-Cross-Lead Hook

Variation: Lead Hook-Cross-Lead Hook

Corkscrew either way using the first hook hook

Jab-Overhand-Lead Uppercut-Overhand

Variation: Overhand-Lead Uppercut-Overhand

We then did 2 minute rounds of each four count kicking combinations on the thai pads. We finished with tagteam knee play, one person in for 2 minutes with two partners switching off.
We switched to the wrestling/grappling starting with an overhook whizzer. I throw this by pivoting 180^o, so I'm almost hip-to-hip, a little in front, I use a hip and shoulder pop away from my partner and toward the mat. As they lengthen and fall flat, I switch directions and drive perpendicular across them, flattening them to cross side. Alternatively, keep them propped on their side and spin to straddling their head, and work either kimura or continue through to arm bar. Alternatively one can use the whizzer to sweep from hooks inside. Overhook and fake controlling the opposite arm, post out to the overhook side and drag partner to the hole you created, you can increase the elongation of their body by pushing on the far knee with your foot. As they elongate, drive perpendicular into them and put them in side mount. If they post up, spin and fall in and underhook the far leg. Pinch down on the overhook on the biceps. Lift and sweep over your overhook shoulder. We finished with several 6 minute grappling rounds. I tried to stress the "full" vs. "half" positions. I also wanted to clarify "active" positions: Does not mean moving or changing position all the time, but rather positioning and setting up offense. If that means going to a variation of position, do so, but don't lose points or position for the sake of activity.

"Most fighters get ready for a fight, some get ready for their fight, and a few get ready for their opponent"

Here I am trying to be clever again. I think the above statement is true for both self defense and combat sports. Most people who join a martial art do so because they hope to learn self defense, so in a sense they are fighters preparing for a fight, albeit poorly defined as this situation may be. They learn to hit targets, perhaps even each other, and some ritualized tradition that symbolizes fighting. Some people, thinking beyond this viewpoint seek out something more realistic choosing not a martial art but a self defense course or style. They usually learn techniques and concepts that will save their life if they react without mercy or pity. But they fail to realize that most attackers don't have labels and don't come from the direction they expect. For example, most rape victims know their attacker, so where they've been training on breaking the nose of their anonymous attacker or crushing his larynx, they haven't pictured the reality that they will have to do this to someone they like, care about, or know. They've prepared for a fight without conceiving of the opponent. It could be what they picture, the shabbily dressed, shifty eyed fellow, but it could also just as easily be the charming, groomed, underwear model.
Translating fighter back to the combat sports arena, the ones that do well, prepare. If they have a fight, "champ or chump" you put in your conditioning, technique, sparring, and mental preparation (among other things). They are getting ready for a fight, but they don't always get ready for their fight. Yes the physical and mental preparation is there, but is it specifically planned and targeted for the event they plan to compete at. A tournament is different from a single fight, a ring is not a cage, being in shape and being in fight shape are two completely different worlds, at home or away is not just a change in scenery. Any fight has Their Fighter and The Opponent, and most promoters want Their Fighter to win, know which one you are. More importantly, getting ready for your fight is not enough, you must be ready for your opponent. This means research, watching tape, and discussing what others see in your opponents game, stacking your strengths and weaknesses against their opponent's. A fighter has to beat their opponent to win the fight, not the other way around. Knowledge of your opponent leads to a sound game plan and mental state not only conducive but favoring victory. Getting ready for your opponent means leading with one arsenal, keeping if it works but being able to switch if it doesn't.

GJ Teenage (and much older) Muay Thai Turtles

Small (winter break) practice tonight, warmed up with shadow boxing, then with "Tim's Drill":

• Jab-Cross-Hook-Cross (partner works defense)
  
• Partner throws lead head hook: bob and weave throwing leading ripping hook, quarter circle past partner's lead foot
  
• Cross-Lead Hook
  
• Partner reacquires and throws rear head hook: bob and weave throwing rearing ripping hook, quarter circle past partner's rear foot
  
• Lead Hook-Cross
  
• Switch

Next went into trading knee combos

Deep knee, same head knee

Deep: Stack gloves on belly, force parallel to floor

Head: One glove held out in front, force perpendicular to floor

Hook knee, same/opposite deep knee (plum position)

Hook: Stack gloves on side, thigh swings shut like a gate, hit with medial surface of knee (distal femoral eminence), force parallel to floor

Deep: Stack gloves on belly, force parallel to floor

Inside leg knee, opposite deep knee (plum position)

Inside: Straight knee to medial side of thigh, displace if you can

Deep: Stack gloves on belly, force parallel to floor

Plum clinch knee, same/opposite thai side clinch knee

Plum clinch: Stack gloves on belly, force parallel to floor

Side clinch: Feed one arm, partner overhooks with same side and controls neck with opposite hand, takes a half circle step back, knee to head (catch with glove) or knee to body (cover with glove)

NOTE: Clinchee should remain as erect as possible when clinched.
Finished the standing portion with both sides holding thai pads and trading 1 minute rounds of

• Jab-Rear Kick
  
• Jab-Cross-Lead Kick
  
• Rear Kick-Cross
  
• Jab-Cross-Lead Hook-Kick

Followed by a round of

• Lead tiip-lead kick
  
• Rear tiip-rear kick
  
• Lead tiip-rear kick (good for opponent's defend the wrong way)
  
• Rear tiip-lead kick (good for opponent's defend the wrong way)

Transitioned to the ground, Peter asked a question about getting out out of the turtle position. In my opinion, there are two general principles for getting out of turtle (1) take the shortest path to getting your belly button to point at your opponent and (2) "be the ball", that is rounding your body and rolling. The key to both these is sensitivity, feeling your partner's base and the shift in pressure as he tries things (that or rolling the instant before the position becomes set). Personally, I like a tight turtle position which makes my opponent work to get hooks/turn over/submission rather than trying to bait them with a "loose" turtle.
The first concept (shortest path to facing) can be accomplished by a "spider man" transition, where you replace one of your upper extremity posts (hand/elbow/forearm) with one of your lower extremity (foot/knee/shin). The "spider man" can be short (directly replacing the limb) or long (extending past your body to increase leverage) depending on the situation. Sometimes popping up from a tight turtle will create needed space but will also present position and submission opportunities, but it is away of incorporating the loose with the tight turtle for use as bait.
"Being the ball" simply means make yourself as round as possible. I saw Jeremy Horn demonstrate this at a seminar, he would transition to turtle, roll out, and keep rolling, you could not stay on top of him. I like to tuck as far inside my opponent's turning radius as possible, rolling away from the direction his head is pointed, and choose somewhere in mid-roll whether to open my legs to catch him in guard or to stay tight to continue rolling. As a fake, I'll open up the turning radius of my roll (which typically fails) and use this to pull off a subsequent tighter roll to escape.
Finished practice with rounds and passing the guard. I commented that people need to open their guards sooner, getting to hooks inside, koala, de la Riva, or half guard, rather than letting their guard be broken and then coming up with a plan.

2006 Training Goals

Happy New Year! Upon the recommendation of my friend and JKD & BJJ instructor Jack McVicker, I'm coming up with my training goals:

This year

• Resume high-intensity training ("High-Intensity Training" (John Philbin)).
  
• Expand my leg lock game.
  
• Improve my throws/takedown offense and defense.
  
• Improve my boxing.
  
• Coach my new muay thai fighters to IKF regionals and my more experienced ones to nationals.
  
• January/February 2006 -- Resolve Goshin Jitsu training space issues.
  
• Spring 2006 -- Host MMA Fightcamp, seminar with Shonie Carter, seminar with Ryan Blackorby, and hold a club smoker.
  
• 4/8-9/06 -- Win the Pan American 2006 in the Purple Belt Master's Heavyweight and Absolute.
  
• 6/10/06 -- Win the (light) cruiserweight IKF Muay Thai Rules North Central Regional.
  
• 7/29-30/06 -- Win the (light) cruiserweight IKF Muay Thai Rules North American Classic.
  
• 8/26-27/06 -- Win the International Masters & Seniors in the Purple Belt Master's Heavyweight and Absolute.
  

.

In 5 years

• Write my Goshin Jitsu mokuroku (instructor's scroll).
  
• Earned my faixa preta (black belt) in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
  
• Build my dream home training gym (what really is the point of a living room...).
  

In 10 years

• Own a martial arts school/gym. I don't want to teach the classes nor even see a profit (no losing money, though). And I'll hire management staff. I just want to invest in a facility that has a varied collection of practical styles (MT, JKD, BJJ, boxing, wrestling, MMA, kali, etc.) taught along side a top notch fitness center. With a very open and wide schedule so I can train when I want. Consider it a Practical Combatives College.

And of course also meet my professional goals.

Supplemental Training "The Absolutely Unscientific Bio-Cognitive-Experiential (BCE) Model"

We warmed up with some pummeling and proceeded into some rolling. I tried some different, largely unoriginal, things to set-up taking the back:

• Arm drag to either closed or hooks inside guard
  
• Reverse arm bar to straight armbar, unhook leg and sit laterally to armbar side
  
• Hooks inside, under hook thigh and start transition to X guard, partner's arms splay wide as he "sprawls" to keep base, duck out to opposite side from thigh

The second key that I concentrated on was staying "dynamic" in any position that was not "full". I still notice that I like to (arrogantly) hangout in positions that are not very useful, relying on experience and athleticism to save me. These are the times when people score advantages or points and there are enough of those situations in the flow of grappling without me giving them away.
I've been thinking about the collective experience of training and have sketched out what I call the Bio-Cognitive-Experiential (BCE) Model, a hypothesis of how three primary factors coalesce into a function of overall ability.

Bio

The first factor is the sum of physical attributes (see "Jeet Kune Do: Its Concepts and Philosophies (Jeet Kune Do)" (Paul Vunak)) essentially all the athletic qualities we idolize in any sports figure. Being a gifted athlete can make up for a lot of very poor technical skills and knowledge in a competitive arena. However its usefulness is limited. First athleticism peaks based on uncontrollable factors such as age and injuries. Next athleticism while an extraordinary and necessary tool in the competitive arsenal can limit technical learning. For example, smaller jiu-jitsu players are often much more sophisticated than their larger training comrades. Super-heavyweight boxers are not known for their crisp punches or exceptional footwork, certainly not when compared with a flyweight of equal level.

Cognitive

"Youth is wasted on the young" is a keen aphorism. As we gain more life experience we typically develop a greater understanding of ourselves and others. Remember how you behaved at 5 years of age? 10? 15? 20? 25? Ancient cultures often went to learned elders for their wisdom, and I think that we still develop wisdom by aging and experience. A maturity developed doing one task or job can be translated and reinterpreted in another. Many people come to the martial arts after years of doing something else because they were not ready developmentally to start training. Such is the transition from TMA to MMA. Experience and learning tell us the functional superiority of one over the other. As long as we continue to observe and learn throughout our lives, this cognitive maturity will never peak, even if the slope is considerably different from person to person. You can train hard recklessly or intelligently, the younger generation leaning toward recklessness in increased sparring, refusing to tap, or training injured more often than their more conservative elder generation all of whom got there by surviving a (typically brief) reckless period.

Experiential

Initially combative martial arts training has a steep climb in ability that with time levels off. This is a convincing illusion, the leaps and bounds made initially are converted to crawling, in what appears to be reverse development. Worse, peaks and troughs of technical mastery and embarrassment muddy the waters. Learning is never smooth, things come in, they rattle around, some stay, some go away, and the cycle repeats. The emotionally immature (see Cognitive above) quit after the initial rush of improvement dampens. The rest take this perceived diminishment and push through, refining and polishing striving for a material goal (beating the instructor, a black belt, etc.) and by doing so create an imaginary ceiling. A lucky few realize that it's about the journey not the destination (an excellent documentary on missing this point entirely is "The Smashing Machine - The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr" (John Hyams (II))) for us training is a joy, there is always more to learn, ways to develop, and new challenges as a student, teacher, or competitor.
Interestingly our TMA roots understood this well, in the Japanese martial arts (the legend goes) one never washes the belt and there were traditionally four colors: white, green, brown, and black. Training outside the young student would fall in his white belt due to strikes or throws or whatever and the grass would stain it green. As the grass was worn away the dirt would stain it brown, and as the belt became filthier it became black. The black belt, called shodan which translates as "first grade", was now able to learn the system in earnest, the previous material being considered largely conditioning exercises (a speculative aside: most Western martial artists who transmitted the martial arts to the US had barely gotten their blackbelts before returning to the States...hmmmm). As the black belt student wasn't falling down as much anymore his belt was not continually stained and began to fray (probably due to the clutching hands of the lower belts he beat mercilessly) revealing the white layers beneath, symbolically the realization that no matter our fearsome martial prowess we are all still students capable of learning, processing, and creating lifetimes more of information.

So what good is the highly unscientific BCE model? It's an artificial construct so perhaps none at all. But perhaps we can use it to assess ourselves as students, coaches, or fighters. At what points do we see ourselves on the curves of the BCE Model and what can we do about it. If you have a missing physical attribute what can you do to improve it? What can you take from your personal life experience and plug into a context of martial arts and often times vice versa? Where are you technically and why? What can be done about a technical valley and how can you "surf" a technical wave? Furthermore you can use this model to assess an opponent to create a game plan taking advantage of both their strengths and weaknesses. Essentially you can use it as observational framework or as a basis for your own competitive martial arts model.

Open Roll The Brazilian's Take Over

This was a practice dominated by Portuguese! They had a quorum so of course we had to do some Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. We did a number of 6 minute rolls followed by passing the guard "king of the hill" with the guy off the wall calling top or bottom.
Odilon showed a neat little arm bar from mount variation. Controlling the arm with your arm nearest partner's head and his near pant leg while partner defends arm bar. The leg controlling the chest and inserted next to your partner's neck on the side nearest you. Create a scissor action on the head, it won't submit the person but it takes a lot of strength and fight out of them. Could also transition into a cross body biceps slicer using inserted foot. This variation fits in neatly with concepts of an active mount. It may not be the highest percentage technique but it adds options and flexibility to situation that can become untenable. It's not the first choice, but part of an algorithm of creating offense and preventing the loss of position.
This evening I started reflecting on the last days of the Combat Room and created a small tribute to it.

Open Roll "The difference between 'full' and 'half' positions"

With the training slump from Christmas to New Year's in full swing and a burning desire to get out of my house, I found some of the "townies" and "grad slaves" who wanted to get a little bit on the holiday bulge. So we did a series of 5 minute rounds and then some first take down until everyone was tired and felt that they could go eat, drink, and be merry this weekend.
Between rounds and while working with my partners I made an observation, people often try to hold positions that are anatomically or physiologically not structurally strong positions. For example, after aggressively attacking with an armbar and losing their partner's arm they remain in that position and try to hold their partner there. They've lost the submission and now they lose position, getting passed, reversed, or into a scramble from a poor position. Rather than treating that submission or sweep as a transient moment in the spatiotemporal tapestry that is combat, it becomes a fixed obstacle of our own creation in our own martial path. In striking we don't stand frozen in one spot with an extended jab, just because we threw one earlier from that position and are hoping our opponent will graciously wander back into it and damage themselves. Why then do this with grappling?

So I came up with a schematic, trying to graphically represent this thought, that or just draw a whole bunch of lines with the standards of every martial arts logo: a circle and a triangle. The standard core of any fighting style has fundamental positions. Let's call these full positions, for example mount, rear mount, side mount, closed guard, kesa gatame (judo's side headlock), north-south, etc. These positions work well both dynamically and statically. That is, they can be active to transition or attack as well as being immobile for pinning, stalling or resting. In short you can accomplish a lot with minimal energy expenditure. They are a safe reference point to which we can begin at, return to, and finish with.
The positions in between are solely dynamic, these are the half positions, e.g. the half guard, hooks inside, triangle, leg over the head arm bar position, etc. These positions involve near constant movement being both offensive and defensive but the moment you become inactive in them is when the other guy's going to get away with something. One of the ways to shut these positions down is for the opponent to stop your movement, that is stack, sprawl, or drop his base through the floor. You have to invest a certain risk in these for them to work.
Neither group is superior to the other. Without full positions you have no fundamentals and no reference points but without half positions you don't have a game. You have to drill all positions from both sides and realize that reliance on just one position while making you dominant from that spot still means you have to get to that spot. But Joker-sensei, Fighter X only does this position and he's undefeated! Sure he is, he's refined one of the positions, but don't think for a minute that he hasn't drilled, tested, and sparred with all the others, too. He might be famous for one, but he's trained them all.
No discussion of position would be complete without touching on offense and defense. In the broadest of strokes, defense is accomplished by creating space while offense is closing space. Yes positions can be stalled out and defense set up by closing distance. It is also true that to finish submissions you sometimes have to move away from your opponent. But in general when in trouble get away, when causing trouble get closer. Both are active or dynamic processes. Offense has to be dynamic and thus creates openings for defense. However, provoking defense causes an active response which can set up offense. In either case there will be a battle for full and half positions that creates the interplay of offense and defense.

GJ "Capitalize...but don't get greedy"

Small winter break practice. We rolled/grappled and then went into first takedown (good drop seonagi defense was pointed out by grabbing opponent's shin with free hand). Finished with some modified timing (i.e. lead hand only, kicker vs. puncher). Real light and relaxed, but a good workout.
The lesson of the day was: "Capitalize...but don't get greedy" in all combat arts like being a predator there is a time to pounce, a time to attack furiously, and a time to retreat to repeat the cycle. When you initiate the attack you have to be relentless and committed but you cannot do that all the time nor can you keep at it (nobody sprints a marathon). Greed kills. If you see an opening attack, but don't lose good stance and guard for a "big" punch, make sure the position is secure before attacking with submission. If you're raining down blows that are powerful, damaging shots, but they bounce off his arms and shoulders this is diminishing returns, your investing and getting back minimal dividends. Similarly, tugging and dying while trying to finish the arm bar but then feeling yourself burn out and at risk for being passed or worse. Greed for the quick victory has turned a capitalization into a tactical error.
The biggest indicator of this is when you start hyperventilating when placed in a position of advantage. If you can suddenly hear yourself breathing excitedly, settle down, yes this is a capitalization moment but realize it for what it is and take what is given no more. I knock opponents out not when I concentrate on trying to KO them but when I play my game and stay fluid and relaxed. The easiest way to take someone down is when they do it for you, they pull, I push, they push, I pull. I don't force or take submissions, my opponent gives them to me. Know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em (with thanks to Nick).

Supplemental Training

As I'm cooped up studying for boards, anything to procrastinate. So a few of us got together today, we started with passing the guard with the off the wall person calling position. We then covered a flow:

• Kimura (inferior shoulder lock)
  
• Defends by straightening arm, take same-side (reverse) arm bar
  
• Pushes through, rotate 90^o toward other side for (crossbody) arm bar
  
• Pulls barred arm out, rotate 90^o back for triangle
  
• Defends by tucking arms, take oma plata
  
• (Technically, if partner defended oma plata by tucking arm and rolling to guard, this drill could be made continuous)

Played some king of the hill first take down. Its beneficial to take the angle step, I seem to hit more of my shots.
Lastly we worked some muay thai combinations enhancing the basic jab-rear kick and jab-cross-lead kick combinations:

Adding a middle beat (with props to JKD)

Double-rear kick

Jab-double cross-lead kick

Adding an end beat (with props to JKD)

Jab-rear kick-lead kick

Jab-cross-lead kick-rear kick

Entering/intercepting

Lead tiip-jab-rear kick

Lead tiip-jab-cross-lead kick

Premptive counterreaction

Jab-rear kick-tiip

Jab-cross-lead kick-rear tiip

Switch-up

Lead kick-cross-lead kick

Rear kick-lead hook-rear kick

Finished with some "tag team" timing where people switched out amongst the four people timing.

Today I saw the latest internet flurry about the overstuffed Chicago bodybuilder who trolled about MMA not being tough and eventually got an invitation to "spar" with Shonie Carter. Essentially, the "big" man was all big mouth and failed to show up and enjoy Mr. Carter's invitation. There are two annoying things about this incident

1. Why should the tools of the world get the chance to fight for free with a great fighter and cool guy like Shonie? I'd love to spar, wrestle, or grapple with Shonie, sure he'd whip my @$$ but it'd be educational and an opportunity that would not be commonly available.
   
2. Competition is tough, combat sports competition makes tough look easy. There is no intrinsic unit of toughness: wrestling, muay thai, MMA, boxing, judo, submission wrestling, and any other high impact/contact sport is brutality defined -- you're rewarded by hurting the other person without the excuse of putting a ball in the way of the playing arena. When people who do not compete make judgment it's just silly. When competitors decided to evaluate another sport they belittle themselves and show that they are insecure in themselves and their "art". If one defines toughness by who one can beat, there is a shallow answer for this, sneak up behind the toughest guy and waylay them repeatedly with a 2 by 4. Toughness is a significantly nobler trait than ones ability to hurt another...although it helps.

JKD & BJJ Last of '05

Due to circumstances beyond my control I was very late this evening. As such I got to do a few rounds passing the guard, I was playing with my arm drag / flower sweep combination. It has previously been shown to me that people do not like being swept or arm barred and will battle valiantly to retract the arm exposed by the arm bar / flower sweep combination. When they do that it lends itself nicely to attacking with the triangle, from which many submissions appear.
After class I did a few gi rounds and then switched over to MMA-style grappling (light punches from the knees). The switch for me is difficult, all the handles are different and every now and then you get popped. I revert to a closed guard which is fine to hug and control but does not lend itself as well to attacking as pure grappling. There is however a push-pull action with the closed guard, either keeping opponent as close as possible or pushing away and out of range -- the middle range favors the top fighter much more than the bottom fighter.
Because MMA has an added component on the ground, namely striking, I think that escaping position is easier, people are either to eager to strike or worried about getting struck such that their positioning loosens. At least this is true at the nominal level that I perform at. You can almost always shrimp out. Another interesting aside is that there are very few combinations thrown on the ground, even though its essentially inside ("dirty") boxing rotated 90^o, it would seem that combinations and trick plays would be as important here as they are standing up, if not more so given that you can get caught in a submission on the ground. Technical ground striking is especially important given how rapidly technique disintegrates in a fight, even the highly trained, simple stuff gets less polished. I'll have to do some experimenting.
This is the last class of the year and Jack wanted us to set some new goals for next year. I'll have to think about that.

Equilibrium's Gun Kata

After working out last night I watched the move Equilibrium. In this dystopian sci-fi movie "clerics" (essentially thought police gestapo) are one man weapons of mass destruction against enemies of state. In order to maximize their lethality they practice "gun kata" which are described as:

The gun katas. Through analysis of thousands of recorded gunfights, the Cleric has determined that the geometric distribution of antagonists in any gun battle is a statistically predictable element. The gun kata treats the gun as a total weapon, each fluid position representing a maximum kill zone, inflicting maximum damage on the maximum number of opponents while keeping the defender clear of the statistically traditional trajectories of return fire. By the rote mastery of this art, your firing efficiency will rise by no less than 120%. The difference of a 63% increase to lethal proficiency makes the master of the gun katas an adversary not to be taken lightly.

Although this is a fantastic description of enhancing martial arts prowess it brings up an interesting discussion about the concept of kata. Citing more factual sources, kata is literally translated as "form". It is defined as a "Japanese word describing detailed patterns of defense-and-attack movements practiced either solo or in pairs" (wikipedia.org) and "is practiced following a formal system of prearranged exercise...is the best way of defense and attack in various cases, being theoretically systematized" (kodokan.org).
Thus in its loosest interpretation properly performed technique in a non-competitive, non-self-defense, non-"live" setting is kata. It is the pursuit of perfection of technique, whether you are throwing jabs, setting up armbars, shooting a double leg, or performing nijushiho ("94 steps" a traditional karate form). The difference is in context of training, when drilling a jab, armbar, or double leg we perform in a artificial and theoretical shell, but then we take what we've learned and test its application by sparring, rolling, randori, or reality-simulation training; something that rarely happens with most traditional martial arts, theory is performed one way while application is performed in another or not at all. In reality-based training (e.g. sparring) theory breaks down because of the addition of numerous annoying variables, i.e. different physical attributes (size, strength, speed), experience, environment, etc. However, without the theoretical basis of kata applied training is useless if not detrimental.
The "gun kata" described in Equilibrium presents the idea that it is based on a scientific analysis of data, it is statistically the best way to cause mayhem. There are a finite number of ways to do things with the humanoid body and when something works for us, we assume this is the best and only way for things to work. Everyone "knows" how to run, but high-level athletes who do run are taught to do so by coaches and trainers, its not poorly instinctual ability. Scientific analysis of stride, posture, materials, breathing, diet, supplemental weight training and the like has contributed to faster runners.
In the martial arts, we supposedly train a form that is theoretically the most efficient way to maim the other guy but based on little or no scientific evidence. Sure, the stories say the grandmaster of the style was breaking limbs and ripping hearts out, and if you, too, put pressure here and force there, your opponent's spine will pop out his @$$. However, nobody's seen it done since the grandmaster's time, the techniques been through several people (ever play "Telephone" as a kid?), and you couldn't test it anyway as the uke would die (sudden, forceful ejection of the vertebrae will do that). More applied styles, that is, styles that fight have more evidence to support their theory, such that boxing, muay thai, sport jiu-jitsu, submission wrestling, and mixed-martial arts show us that techniques work and evolve with time. We've observed the knockout punch work and seen it improve, compare Dempsey to Ali to Tyson, we've seen the technical advancement of mixed-martial arts fighting, watch an early Ultimate Fighting Championship and watch one now, they are miles apart.
We still deceive ourselves, because different teachers and coaches have different success with the material. From them we get a perspective on the art, not the art itself. In addition we often rely on what initially works well for us, without analyzing what would actually work more often. For example, big, athletic guys advance more slowly than smaller, less athletic guys in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, because the less "gifts" you have the less hard you have to work at being technical. The more athletic may win more often initially but they grow very slowly, the less athletic have to analyze and adapt (as well as get beat up a lot, at least initially).
With the data available to us today in the form of the internet, DVD, video, and television we can begin to scientifically analyze what we are doing as teachers and competitors. There is a best way to do things but we will argue with poor evidence rather than approaching the problem systematically, since dogma and tradition are safer than questioning the lore of the masters. However, the flip side is sacrificing on an artificial altar of science by constant questioning at the expense of training what works. The sample has to be larger than one's own experience in order to synthesize an adaptable perfect kata.

GJ Active Mount

In grappling we often talk about a dynamic or active guard, a guard that is used to attack, to threaten both submission and sweep. We rarely say this for any other position, be it mount, side mount, or rear mount and these positions often become thought of as more static but still attacking positions, but they involve as many overt and subtle positioning and attacking details as an active guard. There are versions for controlling an opponent, versions for pinning, and versions for submission. The guard has numerous variations: closed, open, spider, koala, De La Riva, triangle, hooks inside, half, X, and the list evolves every year. We rarely distinguish variations of the mount, side mount, or rear mount. For example a grapevine mount (pinning) is different from a high mount (submissions), an S mount and a knee up mount are different attacking position but rarely do we address, discuss or analyze the finesse of these mount variations as much as with the guard.
Practice was small, Joe, Matt, Paulo and myself, so we did a lot of grappling starting with 3 min of passing the guard, switching and then rotating through three rounds, 10 sec breaks only. Paulo brought up a good point that breaking the guard and passing is done primarily with the hips, the arms and legs are just assisting.
With the above discussion of the active mount, we then proceed with a mounted flow using different mount "positions"

• From the high mount attack with americana (superior shoulder lock)
  
• Defends by turning on side and threading arm through, change to knee up mount (knee up on far side from defending arm / same side as americana), switch to armbar
  
• Defends arm bar, post up to remount or to be more fancy:

  (for the longer legged) insert shin (foot toward head)
  

  Use attempted arm bar to lever up and switch to S mount, then lift head go for mounted triangle
  

  insert knee (foot toward feet)
  

  Trap far arm to floor with shin (arm trap mount?), use same side hand to control this arm as you cup the neck with the other, transition through to mounted triangle

We finished by wrestling 3 x 5 min rounds from the feet or knees as people desired.

GJ Takedowns and timing

Today we worked some drills to improve the angle on the shot:

• Triangular stepping: Use a 45^o off angle step to move around a stationary partner, then shoot at 90^o angle back again. Use rear leg triangle step to use same lead shot, use lead leg triangle step to use opposite lead shot
  
• Triangular stepping of a circling
  
• Spider drill to shot: Do the spider man drill until partner calls out "shot", instantly shoot from this position

In addition we worked king of the hill for first point, minute takedown drills, muay thai timing, and plum/knee play.
We also covered some basics of the plum:

first when clinching, insert hands in sequence not simultaneously

attach at neck and then move up

use pulling of the head and pushing of the elbows to break posture

when in trouble

Hug

Straight arm to face

Snake through and reclinch

Over-under lever

Under-over lever

Sweep elbow over top

Break balance (push-pull arms/arm head)

JKD & BJJ "The Texas Twins"

Today we were visited by our good friends Mark and Nick Reding from Texas where they run a JKD and BJJ school. They are scared of me and ducked me during post-practice rolling, despite their excuse of weighing 60 lbs. less than me and rolling lots of hard rounds with a lot of technical purple and brown belts. Scared I say! (although they are really, really tough and beat on me mercilessly every time they come up from Texas).

Single leg defense #1 (weak/low head post)

Opponent has the single locked (ankle snared between knees and hugged at knee), the head is either low or weakly placed on your pectoral, push the head down and hook your leg to the outside. Begin sprawling the snared leg down and back hard, while dropping hips down. Sprawl him to the floor.

Single leg defense #2 (strong head post)

Push head away and reposition top of your head into the side of his neck/face. Unhook snared leg to outside. Grab underneath his near arm and hug proximal to his far elbow. Kick down and away against hugging arms. Strong head pressure, provoking an arm wrench sensation.

On the ground we worked on the triangle, using a set-up off one hand controlling your chest the other controlling your abdomen/belt.

• Push the low hand down as you pop the same side leg up over his shoulder, no swinging it wide. Set a preliminary triangle to hold the position.
  
• If you need to adjust, cross hand arm control and cross hand shin control (of your own shin, the one over the shoulder), now place the free foot in the hip and readjust the angle in the direction his inside arm is pointing.
  
• Reacquire the triangle, by tucking the distal shin of the over the shoulder leg under the free leg's knee joint. The three dimensions of the triangle are (1) increasing the angle (2) pulling him in toward your center (i.e. doing an abdominal crunch), and (3) bring your free leg to your butt.
  

Triangle reactions

Posturing up, extending inside arm?

Cross your free leg over your "shoulder" leg to form armbar

On the side where opponent's arm is inside, grab the kimono and push into the side of his neck for choke

If opponent doesn't tap, they will create space, pivot to oma plata by spinning toward partner's legs on inside arm side and extending legs away from your head. Control across the hips, sit up, throw legs away from opponent, slide out and away laterally to tighten and extend hips for shoulder lock.

Stacking you

Jeff helped me a lot with this today (he helps me with everything but I can't tell him that). Underhook the opponent's leg on the over the shoulder side. Control inside arm with same side hand. Extend up and then sweep 90^o from your body on the arm control side and transition to armbar (unhook legs and throw free leg over head.

Wrestling today Jack said I had a very solid base mostly because I'm not incessantly moving, I'm confident in it, and I'm thinking about dropping my pelvis through the floor. Another helpful element was blocking the guard before it's set-up. If someone is going to guard they think it is a strong position for them, so stop them. Simplest way, start with the knee up and prevent them from closing. Also two ways to better pass from double under the legs.

• Create double leg underhooks and clasp hands, suck into belly. Begin to pass by gripping cross collar and passing on this side. As you pass keep weight down and free other leg underhook to grip the pants and push his butt down to prevent the roll.
  
• Alternatively should he roll, stop following his motion and go the opposite way to clock choke position (which explains why everyone, but Jack, rolls into my guard when I escape from 4 points, they roll "with" me, while he rolls "against" me).
  

GJ MESHworkTM

In the spirit of silly, commercialized martial arts acronyms, I have come up with my own: MESHwork^TM (Multiply Entwined Skill Hierarchy). A mesh is a material composed of many linked rings, for example chainmail or a wool sweater. An effective combat "game", in both sport and self-defense, has to be composed of an interlinking network of techniques. Very few things come as ones, in order to effectively strike combinations of alternating appendages, targets, and levels are used. A jab sets up a cross, which sets up a hook, which sets up a cross, etc. To throw or takedown misdirection by another intended throw or takedown sets up the next one, pushing in one direction creates weakness in another. In BJJ the expression, "If one door closes, three windows open" describes attacking or positioning and "opening" submission attempts. On a more complicated level, hit some one if our want to submit or throw them, that is, combining skills from "different arts" But these movements have to be cohesive and goal oriented to create a chain, a net, a flow, or a meshwork of offensive and defensive skills. Although technical excellence of solitary combat skills is critical, I think weaving these skills together, although technically challenging make the practice of them dynamic, alive, and more applicable. In real life, whether in the squared circle or the concrete jungle, we don't do one static event, we string together a montage of many dynamic ones.




For example above a small piece of a brazilian jiu-jitsu or submission wrestling MESHwork^TM (OK, I'll stop) using the strong basic three of

• Kimura or inferior shoulder lock
  
• Guillotine
  
• Hip bump
  

Each one can be used directly to submit or sweep, but provokes a defensive response that creates an opening for the other two and can in turn branch off into other techniques. Note that sound, simple moves can be strung together to create complex combat "gameness". Fancy is not required, nor is rapidly switching moves, commit to one see where it goes and what it opens.

On to the application in practice: light warm-up with shadow boxing, pummeling, ogoshi uchi komi, and circling for the shot (i.e. shuffling in a circle and shooting off this movement).

From there we worked into striking to takedown combinations:

L Kick - Cross - L Hook - R Knee - To ogoshi (hip toss)

Displace partner's hips with your hips, head locking if taller, at hip if shorter

Corkscrew Shot

Shooting off your striking lead: Jab - Cross - Rear foot triangular advance (45^o step with rear foot), recenter - take shot off lead leg (good choices are an ankle pick or collapsing with hands at far ankle, shoulder at knees)

Shooting off your striking rear: Jab - Fake Lead Hook - Lead foot triangular advance (45^o step with lead foot), recenter - take shot off rear leg (double leg)

Option #1: Rear double, continue circle started by corkscrew and takedown with rear double leg

Option #2: High crotch, re-grip, step hips in and lift

Thai "figure 4" clinch

Jab - Cross - Side cover (lead hook to head) with "praying mantis" hook at neck - lead knee - elevate cover elbow and duck under to thai "figure 4" clinch. Lead hand is at neck, rear hand has forward pressure on triceps. Alternatively (with no gloves or MMA gloves) figure 4 over arm just distal to shoulder. Keep kneeing.

Arm drag: Drag down and backward straight to floor

Release grip and slide down to double leg

Ankle/leg pick: Drag with neck control hand, lift near ankle and dump or insert inside of near thigh and lift

Sambo hip toss: keep neck control, reach over with other hand, step hips in and throw hip toss from "outside"

Reviewed the armbar-flower sweep flow. Noted the possibility of trying to open with a sweep to secure the strong armbar position.

Thai pads

1. Reaction
   
   
   
   • High cover (cross) 3 / Thai / Knee
     
   • Side cover (L hook) 3 / Thai / Knee
     
   • Leg cover (leg kick) 3 / Thai / Knee
     
   • Inside high cover (R body hook) L uppercut - cross - L hook
     
   • Inside side cover (L body hook) R uppercut - hook - cross
     
   • Catch (jab) - parry (cross) 3 / Thai / Knee
     
   
   
2. Kicking Combinations
   
   
   
   • Kicking combinations #1-4
     
   • 5 count #1 LK - C - LBH - LHH - RK
     
   • 5 count #1 RK - LH - C - C - LK
     
   • 5 count #1 LK - C - LH - C - LK
     
   • 5 count #1 RK - LH - C - LH - RK
     
   
   
3. Knee Combinations
   
   
   
   • LKn / RKn - C
     
   • J - RKn
     
   • J - C - LKn
     
   • Kicking combinations #1-4 (knee variation)
     
   • Flying knee for variety
     
   
   
4. Conditioning: 70 kicks/70 knees (1-2-3-4 kicks alternating 10 knees x 7)
   

A second aside: As a coach and competitor in "different arts" I often see people who train like me describing themselves as an aspect of one of these "styles". If I train both striking and grappling, I'm well rounded not a striker who also rolls a little. The difference between one art and another is largely geometrical, in this example one usually occurs in a vertical plane (standing) and the other in a horizontal plane (lying on the floor). Many of the same attributes and concepts lend themselves to both "styles". Yes there are technical facets that are different and favor different attributes but looking past this at the deeper context of what you are doing lends itself to greater proficiency at not only the "style" you are currently practicing but the other ones you train. I've heard the quote "it's not martial arts, it's martial art" understanding the broad brushstrokes makes filling in the fine prose a lot easier.

In jiu-jitsu size does NOT matter

Despite evidence to the contrary