Sengoku II

First a shout out to Melody from the Handler. Today was fight day. We were loaded on buses at 1130 hours headed for Ariake Stadium. When we got there we were ushered in to the blue locker room which was a series of small, black curtain partitioned cubicles with tatami mats, water, sandwiches, and a live feed from the ring. This was followed by lots of waiting momentarily disrupted by pre-fight events such as a brief medical check, getting used to the ring, and an equipment check. I also wrapped Dan's hands with a new variation of my MMA wrap. Essentially a 20 layer knuckle pad and a 10 wrap wrist support on which a single legal layer of tape was applied across the knuckles and then reinforced with strips applied lo longitudinally and then laterally. IMHO this resulted in not only a fist like tempered steel but an adequate grip surfac.
	At approximately 15:30 I started to warm-up Dan up with short (1 minute) rounds focusing on different reactive or power elements of the game. Reactions included covering or evasive defense, sprawling, and following a stunned opponent for the finish. Power rotations included kicks, knees, ground and pound from mount, knee on stomach, and guard, as well as knees from the side mount. At the time I did not quite realize I was demonstrating all my JokerjitsuTM training secrets in front of Renzo Gracie and Team Roger Gracie. I'm expecting a coaching job offer any day now (that or a dollar bill in my Sprawl shorts) After we warmed up the fighter introduction was to start so we waited at the runway to the arena. Sengoku put on an awesome light show with flames and in-door fireworks so loud we were warned to shield our ears. After that we sat waiting in the bullpen, the second fight of the evening. You can see from the video that is a good fight. They traded some blows before Dan was taken down, he escaped from the Pyle's jiu-jitsu attack and place his wily opponent on the defense. Dan remained in good control for the rest of the round, until the end where he was caught in a triangle. It is heart wrenching to see such hard preparation end in defeat and as a corner and training partner I can only feel that in some way I failed my team mate. My favorite bout of the evening was the Barnett v. Monson fight. These two look like characters from 300 but sweating and bleeding right in front us. They are also friends but that didn't slow them in trying to dispatch each other. The blows that these two traded would have felled oxen and yet they absorbed them repeatedly in their battle. They were more like big cats from the same pride, playing ferociously for blows and submissions.

Kawamura and Randleman prepare to engage


Roger Gracie and the Handler share a smile.

Barnett vows to win by break dancing, Jeff "Teddy Bear" Monson to counter with karatay

Proud For a Chance to be at the Sengoku 2 Press Conference

Today was a jam packed day of sight seeing both as tourists and as mixed-martial arts enthusiasts. As we left the hotel we thought we had found the Sengoku equivalent of the UFC Hummer...a lambroghini. Only later did we learn that Dan's contract only had provisions for a palanquin, which he took for a test drive.

Team Handler started the day by going to Asakusa and visiting the Sensoji Temple on what was apparently a festival day. The temple grounds and surrounding market streets were jam packed with teams carrying portable shrines and playing drums. It was a neat sight to behold as fantastic, gold plated shrines were hoisted or pushed through the streets while supporters chanted and strained to move their sacred items. We toured the Sensoji Temple, cleansing our hands at the spring of Kannon, the goddess of mercy. We placed an offering of incense, too. We then wandered the small shops surrounding the temple. I picked myself up some super comfortable tabi. At about 1100 we headed back toward the hotel so Dan could finish dropping weight.

	Despite the hotel not allowing people with tattoos in their sauna, Dan prevailed through a combination of a sweat suit, jump rope, and hot water. Weigh-ins were interesting, the super heavies strolled onto the scale, while the the lighter fighters were stripped to their skivvies and less (I saw a whole lot more Kevin Randleman than I wanted to see). Dan made the 76 kg weight class at 75 kg and change. His opponent, Mike Pyle, did not weighing 76.25 kg even after stripping to his birthday suit. Pyle was the only fighter not to make weight. He goes into tomorrow's fight with a 1 point deduction and a pay cut on his purse. Immediately after weigh-ins the Handler did his thing on a peanut butter and jelly bagel and we then trooped out to Queen Isetan for more binging...er...strategic refueling. Despite not cutting weight I participated in this exercise as only a good team mate should. At 1400 the Sengoku press conference was held to present the fighters. I had flashback to Bloodsport as a disturbing techno mix was used to introduce the fighters. This was followed by the most idiotic reporter Q & A ever. Reporters from various hardcopy and virtualcopy sports publications asked a series of the most ill-prepared, poorly researched, and just plain stupid questions ever: "Kevin Randleman in an interview you said you were afraid to fight" "Afraid to fight, I love to fight, did you write that about me?" The reporter nearly fainted. "[Fighter X] what is your game plan?" To which Josh Barnett eloquently ripped said reporter a figuratively new excretory orifice. "[Fighter X] what have you been training" The results of which became paraphrased in the title after Monson and Barnett were asked this question Mssrs. Barnett, Monson, and Randleman are gentlemen with keen wits, much to the detriment of the media present.
I have no idea why all of the largest fighters are looking at me like I said I had carnal knowledge of their mothers (which I absolutely, positively have never done). These guys are intimidating enough individually let alone when measured in tonnage.
I got a chance to get a picture with two of my combat sports heros, Stitch (on the left), and Erik Paulson (on the right). Stitch is the best cut man and corner in the business period. Erik Paulson in hands down one of the icons of MMA not only as a fighter but a coach. Maybe some of their knowledge and experience will diffuse...

After the press conference we toured the Edo-Tokyo museum. This museum documents the engineering and cultural history of the grand city that would become Tokyo, we came across this plaque describing the tea ceremony. The city of Edo was filled with high-ranking warriors, then, just as the city of Tokyo is filled with high-ranking warriors, now.

The Handler trains to pick-up an old school fight purse	Joker uses the implements of an Edo era corner man

Public Relations

The great thing about having Dirk and I as cornermen (at least in our opinion) is that not only do we help Dan train and do a bang up job in the corner, we also do hair, find groceries, act as translators, and do some tour guiding. Remember us the next time your fighting in an exotic locale.

	After trimming up the Danhandler's WarhawkTM and WarchopsTM it was time for the photo and video session followed by the prefight interview. It was neat to see the mean mugging of the fighters and the differences between a great fighter pose and greater fighter technique. After getting Dan in all sorts of intimidating postures they did a brief video session of Dan throwing some looping punches (so that they could still film his face) as well as something where he basically made a wanking motion in front of his face (we were all a little unclear of the cinematographic value of these maneuvers). Dirk even got in on the action as Dan's simulated opponent. During this it became clear that "the Handler" had not translated well into Japanese. Sengoku had apparently renamed him the "Human Wrecking Claw Machine" or something like that. As with stereo instructions translating nicknames too many times between languages does little to improve them. After that Dan gave a terrific interview. He talked about his training graciously mentioning not only his BJJ coach Jackson McVicker but also tossing a shout out to myself and Goshin Jitsu. Dan was asked about his fighting style, his goals for this fight, and the future. He was asked about one of his wins by "verbal submission", a fight in which Dan broke his opponent's jaw and had to tell the referee that his opponent had quit because the other fighter was unable to relay this message adequately. He was asked about the WarhawkTM and his family, too. He also talked about what a great city Tokyo was. All in all he did a great job supporting feminism, proclaiming his humanitarian status, and vowing to pulverize his opponents.

We had a hiatus after the morning's media blitz so we decided to get some pictures from the top floor of our hotel. I lost a camera shoot out with Dirk and then after grabbing a sushi lunch (well I did, Dan's eating micromeals to make weight and Dirk did not agree with sushi) at an awesome nearby supermarket Queen Isetan we made a brief foray into the city. Dan and I found a sweet little park with huge koi and multitudinous turtles. We also cut through some more of the shopping districts and alleys before heading back to the hotel for the fighter's meeting.

I've been to a lot of fighter's meetings for MMA, muay thai, and sport jiu-jitsu. This was my first real fighter's meeting with introductory comments from the World Victory Road CEO and a detailed, translated, summation of the rules by the Sengoku staff. We finally clarified the weight class and the rules (news for us: stomp OK, soccer kick bad, no elbows 'tall to the head). The taping of hands is militantly observed, there is absolutely no lubrication of the body (including no petroleum based jelly to the face), and urine drug screening occurs not once but twice after the fight. In addition I'm sitting in the same room as Roger Gracie, Jeff Monson, Josh Barnett, Yuki Kondo, and Kevin Randleman. Not to mention fighting legends like Erik Paulson and Stitch (the cut man you always seen on the UFC. Monson's neck is ripping out of a black T-shirt that says "George Bush and Sons, Family Butchers Since 1991". Josh Barnett looks like he is descended from the Greek Titans after they moved to California and started surfing. The Monster Kevin Randleman is the nicest guy, always saying hello to us as we see him about the hotel, he's also a lot shorter in person than I expected. Yuki Kondo looks like he's in the wrong weight class.

For our training session today we decided to head down to a local park, Kiba Park, to sweat and hit some pads. I held a series of rounds for both Dan and Dirk. We worked on basic MMA boxing skills, clinch striking, and level change reactions. Dan and Dirk both worked real hard, impressing a few late afternoon Tokyo denizens and children playing ball.

After training in the hot Japanese sun we headed back the hotel for a shower, grabbed quick spot of sumo on TV, and then took the Tokyo metro down to Ginza. We walked through the area marveling at the huge, high class, high price stores for jewelry, leather wear, and perfume. We eventually ended up at my favorite building, the Sony Building which showcases new and emerging technologies from Sony. Dan caught me cheating on my laptop with a Vaio UX and although tempted by the duty free offers I could just imagine the trouble one would have returning product a Pacific Ocean away. We continued down to the outer wall of the Imperial Palace and wander in the area between in the Inner and Outer walls. We saw the Sakuradamon gate and witnessed the beautiful Tokyo skyline at dusk. As night fall gloomed and belly's rumbled we headed back to our hotel for chow.

Stage I: Get to Japan

I am here in Japan with Dan "the Handler" Hornbuckle and my co-corner Dirk Anderson for Dan's debut in Sengoku vs. Mike Pyle. We left 5/14 from Champaign, IL and after a 13 hour flight arrived the evening of 5/15 in Japan. Tokyo is an amazing city from what little we saw taking the car from the airport and wandering around briefly this evening to find dinner. As soon as we got checked in we did some training to get the kinks out, looking to work each range in an MMA fight. Dan looks phenomenal and has brought his A game. His combination of athleticism and technical skill will be a lot for any opponent to deal with.

GJ: Stop Looking Constipated

There are very few true bad @$$ess out there. I mean seriously few. When I observe anyone that I consider significantly less than dangerous attempt by facial contortions to increase their tough guy aura I usually worry that they are severely constipated and may be about to $h!t themselves. Don't get me wrong I've had some awful looking grimaces on my face when I've fought, sparred, or wrestled the guy that is weight-wise approximately two of me. However I don't have a facial seizure then I'm hitting pads, shadowbox, or drilling a technique with a cooperative partner. Think about it, if the muscles of the face which are entirely not involved with executing the action are tense, how spastic is the rest of you. Besides which I don't to be the guy training with someone who pooped himself.

So do what you have to do to chillax: meditate, pray, listen to music, do some yoga, have sex (by yourself or with a consenting partner of legal age), or huff the boo (please note Jokerjitsu does not condone illicit drug use). Your cardiovascular reserve will "increase" exponentially because you won't be wasting valuable ATP, oxygen, and thermal capacity in muscles you don't need or that may be working against you. This is supposed to be fun, the last time I checked having a tonic seizure was not part of that definition.

In order to expedite a little of the Dude in all of us we started with playing the "Prison Shiv" game. In it you play tag except everyone is it and you have to tag between the shoulder blades. You try to tag as many and be tagged as little as you can. In between we did the Spider-man drill and shadowboxing.

Rounds:

1. Striking extension

   We lined up at a fixed interval in order to force full extension on strikes. Remember that stepping, body rotation, complete (non-locked) extension and rotation of the upper extremity deliver the maximal distance and hence kinetic energy (longer distance over shorter time equals higher velocity).

   
   

2. Mobility pads

   Holding for a regular striking round but forcing maximal movement. That is, the holder advances, retreats, and circles the fighter more than they hold strikes.

   
   

3. High/low cover

   Simply defense from the powershot, the high cover being the head shot and the low cover being the body shot. Remember that the shield is the same, the forearm and upper arm guards the ribs and the glove the head. Keep it close and gently lean into the shot. And always, always react.

   
   

4. Pitterpat Pyramid

   30 second intervals initiated with increasing number of push-ups and followed by pitterpat drill, reseting each 30 seconds. Thus 1-2-4-8-16-32-16-8-4-2-1 push-ups, each set followed by pitterpat. Nobody looked too tough after this drill.

   
   

With the advanced guys we partnered off and traded 4-count kick combinations, defending body and head shots, taking lower extremity kicks. Subsequently we caught the last kick and delivered a return 4 count. Thus catch, deliver first kick to the anterior or posterior side of the base leg, anteriorly just above the knee or directly to the medial or lateral surface, posteriorly directly to knee or more inferiorly to the calf. One can retain the caught leg and deliver the first punch or dump the leg and deliver the punch. Subsequently finish with another punch and kick.

Next we took the kick punch entry to clinch. Either a front or rear kick to initiate, one punch to close and then throw a hard underhook as if it was a third strike. Finish with an appropriate takedown, such as an same-side outside leg reap.

We worked some G & P skills after that. Two separate rounds were used. The first placed one partner inside of the guard of the other, the top partner threw a few punches to the gloves of the other. The bottom partner then clinched and swept, going to mount. The newly mounted partner escaped the guard and the round reset, with the players in opposite positions. The other round used the throw dummies. One partner coached while the other worked the bag from the sidemount, knee on stomach, and mount positions. In addition, they took the bottom position, benching the angled bag and scooting their lower half from one side to the other of the bag.

Also I suggest everyone reread my notes on Black Holes.

BJJ: The Arm Drag

1. The Arm Drag From Hooks Inside Guard
   

   Your opponent is attempting control both pant legs. Set-up a same side pistol grip of one sleeve. Free your hook and kick past your partner as you reach across with your free hand to cup the triceps and arm drag. As you do scoot your body to this side. Immediately try to place the center of your chest between the shoulder blades of your partner while locking the seatbelt grip. The hand that goes to the far side will reach under the far arm grabbing the opposite hand that comes in over the shoulder. Insert your other hook and attack the neck.
   

2. Pulling to the Rear Mount
   

   You attempted to take the back but your opponent grabs your leg preventing you from being able to get to the rear mount. Scoot away and grab the iliac crest (the hip) on the far side and drag them to their side. Cross your ankles to lock one leg in place. Pull with your seatbelt grip or attack the neck to straighten them out. Place your second hook and re-attack the neck
   

3. Calf Slicer
   

   You have performed the arm drag but cannot obtain rear mount control, turn towards your opponents legs, inserting your one hook between the calf and thigh of your opponent. Grab both feet and pull towards you, flattening or forcing your opponent to their back. Put your free foot on the medial side of your ankle and pull on the distal part of their leg (not the foot).
   

I am by no means a wrestler or judoka but I can on a good day make people fall down, here are some brief notes on low-line shots:

Set-up

Shots work best when the other guy is thinking about something else, like punches or a different take down.

Penetrate

Aim to place your penetration step on the toe line of your opponent's lead foot.

Lower your level

In order move someone, you must in some fashion load their center of mass. By lowering your level you are able to deliver more of your kinetic energy below their center of mass, forcing them to move. Thus a low-line shot needs a drop in your center of mass without losing the solid posture required for a combat chassis.

Turn the Corner

Explosive shooting delivers a large amount of kinetic energy, in order to prevent a take down your opponent must expend a force opposite your own. So as soon as you are inside, turn the corner driving the force in a perpendicular angle against their weakest muscle groups.

BJJ

1. Midline (Belly) Guillotine

   This guillotine is set-up from the double wrist control, to ensure that you are close enough to jerk the head. Use one hand to jerk your opponent's head toward your midline, lay your abdomen on the occipital surface of their neck. Hook the other forearm under their chin (gently) chopping up. Pull up into the anterior surface of their neck while pushing down into the posterior surface of your head with your belly.

   
   

2. G & P Defense to Figure 4 Arm Bar

   Your opponent is in your guard and throws a looping punch. Cover and simultaneously throw a face shot (palm heel, punch, eye jab). Wrap the punching arm, placing your forearm proximal to your opponent's elbow. Use the hand you struck with to put pressure on the shoulder, and form a figure 4. Their forearm should be trapped under your armpit. Use your "check hand" to hold their shoulder in place, as you elevate the forearm on the wrapping arm, placing pressure on the elbow joint. Thus your hand and armpit apply pressure inferiorly while the wrapping forearm applies pressure superiorly. If they roll their arm, switch to a straight sameside armbar using the the leg.

BJJ: Attacking the Turtle

We reviewed methods for attacking the turtle as presented by the Kyle Watson. The basic control position is the sprawl, laces in the dirt, with the hips directed into the head and shoulders of your opponent. With the kimono, grab the triceps area and push into the mat. The techniques reviewed were:

1. Clock Choke (relógio)

   Assume rear side control. Personally like to insert the knee after I grab the cross collar but that's probably because I have large thighs and usually end up defeating my own choke. The hand closest to your opponent's head grabs the cross collar. The other hand can control any portion of your opponent, the pant leg at the hip or ankle, the far wrist, or even sliding your triceps on the near side of the face. In any case the choke works by cropping your weight across the your opponent's neck and shoulders, placing maximal torque on the spine while simultaneously pulling your elbow toward the ceiling.

2. Anaconda Choke

   From the sprawl, insert one hand to grab the cross collar, while the other arm overhooks and then reaches back toward you. The cross collar grip should be snug but not tight as you will need a little play. Dive your head into the "hole" created by your over hook arm, rolling your opponent to their back. As you transition, your choke will tighten while your other hand pops beneath their head, this is accomplished by hip heisting from parallel supine position to a perpendicular (prone) side mount.

3. Crucifix Choke

   Assume rear side control, with the hand nearest the head pull their near hand away and hook with your near leg, underhook the opposite arm with your other hand. You can attempt to arm bar with your legs and pelvis by sliding distally on the first snared arm and extending your legs. If this fails, transition control of the arm to your other leg and somersault forward, landing on your back with your opponents limbs outstretched laterally. The hand of the arm that has arm control should go to your ear (imagine you have an earache). Now use your free hand to reach around your opponent's neck and grab the collar closest to your head. The arm control forearm now drops posterior to the neck to complete the choke.

4. Figure 4 Turn Over

   Start in the front sprawl, insert one overhook, place your opposite hand on the occipital surface of your opponents skull, and complete a figure 4 with the overhook. Using this increased leverage push your opponents head toward your knee on the overhook side to roll them to side mount.

5. Atomic Wedgie Rear Mount

   From rear side control secure a grip on your opponents belt with your inferior hand, transition behind them while standing, pinching with your shins. Secure the grip on the opposite side of the belt. Stand and jerk them upward to open the access for the hooks, and tehn drop your weight backward into the rear mount position.

6. The Flip Over

   From the rear mount position, dismount and turn 180° leaving one hook in and standing next to your opponent. With your far hand grab the skirt of the gi while at the top grab the collar, sit while lifting your opponent with the hook and skirt grip to flip the to their back. You should end in a position to cross arm bar or with your opponent's head on your inner thigh while the calf hooks the far arm. From here you can choke.

JKD & BJJ "The pointy end goes into the other man."

Filipino kali is used in Jeet Kune Do not only to teach the use of a weapon for self-defnse, e.g. a stick or knife as well as a rolled newspaper, car antenna, screwdriver, or bat, but also to translate the body mechanics of fighting with weapons to that of unarmed fighting. The complex motor skills need to whip a stick or sword around are difficult skills to master and the thought process may have been, if these skills are hard they may help hone the simpler (unarmed) ones, see for example the Dog Brothers series on stickfighting concepts in MMA called Kali Tudo. However this translation is not always obvious. Today I used some simple stick drills to highlight the offense and defense similarities in unarmed combat. There is one caveat, whenever one trains with weapons from fists to nuclear missiles always remember that it is applied to a specific target. Thus when we do a stick drill we are not merely waving the stick around we are picking a target and attempting to damage it because of the inherent properties of both weapon and target. In each drill use both a stick and a boxing glove

Jab

Using the high-low-high stick jab drill, envisioning targets at the throat and just distal to the knee cap, the footwork and energy of the unarmed jab is developed. After 90-seconds of the drill, drop the stick and go into 90-seconds of jab panatuken (3-strike drill).

Lead Hook

Using the high-low-high pattern to emulate the the lead hook. The initial forehand has many of the same torso driven power delivery of the hook. Again 90-seconds of stick work followed by 90-seconds of lead hook panatuken.

Lead Upper Cut

The upward figure eight pattern is similar to the lead upper cut. Repeat as above.

Slipping the jab

Using the middle range passing drill, where a forward angle with a triangular step is necessary to avoid the angle 1 we can emulate slipping the jab. As they strike with the stick you defang the snake and pass the hand, stepping with your rear foot to not only off-angle but to close on their flank. Then you pivot bringing all off your weapons against their backhand. In the unarmed version you slip the jab without checking it.

Slipping the jab/cross

The downward backhand (angle 2) emulates a cross, the lowering of your level and the roof block prevent the stick from landing. In striking your opponent has measure you for the jab and knows you will slip off angle, they then try to catch you with the cross and your merely bob and weave to the opposite side.

During the BJJ portion I reviewed the figure 4. We covered the drills we worked on Wednesday. We also did:

Round the world version for the neck

From standing, figure 4 guillotine, pivot your partner for rear naked choke from both sides, and then finish another figure 4 guillotine from the front, switch after each set

The Clockface

From side mount do the americana, followed by the straight lateral arm bar (figure 4 the arm pointed directly perpendicular from your opponents body), and the kimura, then switch sides by jumping from one knee on the stomach position to the other. You should tap your partner in each position, relax it and allow the to "escape" the next one before resubmitting them.

We finished with two rounds of using only figure 4 submissions. Remember with the figure 4 that a stable, locked grip is key. The hand on your opponent must fully surround the appendage you are submitting while the opposite arm must encircle this appendage and have a thumbless grip attached to your wrist. This grip should be immovable thus your wrists should be straight and you should be holding them at roughly your peanut butter jar point (the place in front of your abdomen where you would open a tightly stuck jar of peanut butter). Be as relaxed as possible as you tighten the submission, you should ooze into place gently taking as much slack out of the submission until it is as tight as you can make it without effort, then apply the muscle. In order to tighten the shoulder locks bring your partners elbows in the direction opposite their hand is pointing, for ankles try to put their foot to their butt.

Grueling Days of Summer

This evening we trained in the Bugeishako (my garage) our warm-up and conditioning consisted of

• Lower body: 1 minute rounds of kicks starting with one and going up to five, alternating each minute for a total of 10 minutes.
  
• Anterior core: Two minutes of crunches while throwing the medicine ball, one minute rest before doing leg lifts with the medicine ball.
  
• Posterior core: 20 second neck bridges, 10 second alternating side plank x 10 rounds.
  
• Upper body: 20 seconds pitter pat, 20 seconds holding, 20 seconds push-ups w/ 10 second hold while being kicked in the abdomen.

After this "light" warm up we worked on grappling technique, specifically the figure-4. The Figure 4 allows you to do several things (1) it locks your grip, securing you to the extremity you want to submit, (2) it gives you a 2-on-1 set-up allowing you to recruit more muscle groups than your opponent for controlling an extremity, and (3) it increases your leverage on the extremity you want to submit. Thus given (1) it is important to lock your grip even if that means riding your opponent until the submission presents it self. The drills we worked are the following:

Surrendering Gorilla Drill

Place your partner in the guard position, they put their hands on their knees and flare their elbows (the Gorilla) use your same side hand to grab their wrist and then do a sit-up reaching over their arm and secure your figure-4 grip by grabbing your own wrist. This is the kimura or inferior shoulder lock set-up position, notice if your partner's hands point inferiorly (i.e. down) it is a same side grip with an over hook figure-4. Repeat on the opposite side.
Now your partner holds their hands up (the Surrender) do a sit-up and use your cross hand to grab their wrist, then slide your same side hand beneath their arm to finish your figure-4 by grabbing your cross hand wrist. For the americana or superior shoulder lock set-up position your opponents hands points upward or superiorly, it is cross hand grip with your same side hand underhook figure-4.

MALrotation (medial ankle lock rotation)

Start with a reverse knee on stomach, i.e. with one knee on your opponents hip and lower abdomen, facing inferiorly, use the hand nearest the midline to grab the lateral side of your opponents foot. Slide your other hand beneath their calf and lock your figure-4, then fold the ankle medially and inferiorly (i.e. toward the buttocks). Next transition around the leg, and stand with one foot at midline and the other laterally toward the side you same from. Use the hand farthest from your opponent to grab the plantar and lateral surface of their foot and then reach over their shin to secure the figure-4. Again try to force their foot to their buttocks, they may turn over partially in the process. Repeat this on the opposite leg, and then transition around to the hip on this side and set-up your reverse knee mount to repeat the first ankle lock described.

Happy Submission Feet

Sit with one of your partners legs between yours and drifting over your hip. Lock a figure four by looping your same side hand around the leg and then placing your cross hand on their shin, cinch the grip by grabbing your own wrist. Pinch with your knees (your midline leg should be bent with your foot under your partners posterior and your other foot in your opponents hip, with the toes diverted laterally) Roll to the side the submission is locked and arch while raising the arm beneath the leg. Then switch the legs tapping the other side.

We finished by first rolling rounds where we could only submit one another with figure 4's and then with rounds using our full arsenal.

What "I need a partner" means

So today my BJJ coach was out of town teaching a seminar. During practice I was assigned teaching duties so I showed some conditioning/technical flows and some technique (more below). At the end of practice open roll started and I called for a partner. No response. There were six rounds of grappling before I left and of those I wrestled three. The folks that wrestled me are all a lot smaller than me yet we have a good technical rounds. I can count on the fingers of one hand those willing to grapple with me in a class of 30+. Back when I started and even now if someone senior to me says "I want to roll," I sprang at the opportunity, when I'm at practice I want to train as much as I can. There is no winning or losing in practice merely learning. As I get older and my schedule more full I find by making it into practice I'm just grateful and happy to be able to train. It angers me to think that people would want to take that away from me simply because they are concerned about winning or losing.

Today the flows we worked were straight arm to oma plata with your partner puling the arm out of the armlock and rolling trough on the oma plata, this was continuous for one side. We also worked on the kimura, straight, and americana arm locks from the side mount before transitioning via the knee on stomach to the other side.

Moving Again

This week we lost the use of the South Wright Street Martial Arts Facility (SWSMAF) essentially a beat up warehouse for the University's Print Services and Refrigerator Repair divisions. We had approximately 900 square feet of matted floor, a heavy bag stand, and lockers for our equipment. It was moldy, dusty (note the filter in the corner) and had no shower or locker room facilities. Yet it was a place to train, to temper our minds and bodies in the fires of adversity and painful drills. The genetic matter in the form of blood, sweat, and tears left on these walls and mats could probably be enough to clone anyone of us. For now we are exiled back to my bugeishako.
Yesterday we reviewed the flow..er...no the windmill sweep. This sweep use cross arm control and a same side under thigh "hook" to lift your opponent while you sweep the leg closest to the cross arm control side wide and through their base. Sit up to mount. Should they reposition their leg for balance, immediately switch to arm bar. An another variation places one foot in the hip, control the outside pant leg on the opposite side, retain same side arm control with the foot in the hip side. Bump your opponent toward the pant leg controlled side. They will base, free your arm control and cinch this hand in, re-bump to the sweep.
Today we worked some basic conditioning rounds, both sides with thai pads, one minute rounds of:

1. Kicks, alternating, five each side
   
2. Kick-knee, alternating, five each side
   
3. Knee-kick, alternating, five each side
   
4. Kick-sprawl, alternating, five each side
   
5. Kicks, alternating, five each side
   
6. Kick-knee, alternating, five each side
   
7. Knee-kick, alternating, five each side
   
8. Kick-sprawl, alternating, five each side
   
9. Kicks, upward pyramid, one side
   
10. Kicks, upward pyramid, the other side

Next for our core we worked one minute on, one minute off (10 minutes total): 3, fall, n punch sit-ups, stand up, pick your partner up and turn them, 3 body punches, fall, n punch sit-ups, stand up, pick your partner up and turn them, repeat. The n increases each time.
For our upper body we did one partner 20 seconds pitterpat, both partners 10 seconds push-ups, other partner 20 seconds pitterpat, both partners 10 seconds push-ups. Repeated for 5 minutes.
Then we got into our pad rounds:

1. Basic Thai
   
2. Ground n' pound especially working from inside the guard, passing to the side, and the mount. The emphasis was on heavy hands in the ground engagement.
   
3. Knee drills: the distance drill, the three knees three punches drill, and the three knees turn drill.

JKD & BJJ A simple way to pass

From inside the guard control the lapels bilaterally and then knee walk backward stretching your opponents guard. Roll up to your standing, and then kneel with one knee up to break the guard. Once the guard is broken drop this knee to the floor on the same side as your rear knee. The shoulder on this side should also drop and you should control the underhook. Slide low and tight to pass the guard.

The creative juices are brewing once more

Yes I have a more hectic schedule and yes my software wasn't working, erasing a few blogs but I think I want to write some more, because it's good for me. This evening we worked a few rounds of pads:

1. Focus mitt combinations
   • Jab-cross-lead body hook-rear upper cut-cross-lead head hook (Body 3-Upper cut 3)
     
   • Jab-cross-*pause*-jab-overhand-upper cut-cross (2 into 4 angles).
   
   
2. Thai pad rounds: Leg evasion skills building
   Specifically using any of the four count kicking combinations and then reacting to the kick to the lead leg with a leg evasion followed by "Thai" reaction (cross-lead hook-rear kick). The holder could then vary the flow by doing nothing, forcing the leg evasion with cross-hook-cross (3) reaction, or holding for the opposite kick. This emulates the disposition of a flurry, do you reset your range, ready yourself for counter attack, or continue to hunt an injured opponent.
   
   
3. Thai pad rounds: Tiip combinations review
   • Tiip-2-lead kick
     
   • Tiip kicking combination #1 (Tiip-cross-lead hook-rear kick)
     
   • Tiip kicking combination #3 (Tiip-cross-lead hook-lead kick)
     
   • Tiip-rear kick
     
   • Tiip-lead kick
   
   
4. Defensive flow
   Both sides are wearing boxing glove, the feeder throws a tiip which the fighter deflects with the lead hand and follows with 3, then high covers the cross followed by three, then low side covers the body hook followed by three, then catches the kick (either right or left side) and either strikes off this or dumps the feeder. They then reset.

.Next we worked on the chutes and ladders concept, using pressure at one level to set-up an easier takedown at another. We worked four examples of this:

1. The upper body combat chiropractor to the double leg, if you can don't even free your grip, just loosen and drop.
   
2. The hip toss (ogoshi) to the double leg, attempt the hip toss, as your opponent hops/pivots around your hip shoot your double. Alternatively use the uchi-mata (a hip toss but with a reap to the medial part of the thigh opposite the reaping leg) if they again do not fall, do a low line shot to the base leg.
   
3. Soto-makikomi to re-soto-makikomi, in this throw you initially overhook the arm and then turn 270° pulling your opponent over your back. Sometimes they don't fall, at this point, cut your far shoulder to the floor and repeat the throw over a smaller turning radius or reap upwards with the near leg.
   
4. Arm pull single to clothes line, in this use two hand to pull your opponent's hand to his foot and shoot for the low single, if they fall great, but if not they will most likely pop up and try to get this leg out of the way, i.e. run backwards, you can then go for this throw and then chase them, shooting one hand for the cloths line and the other in the opposite direction at their hip pushing up.

Lastly we worked two grappling drills one using the kimura from side mount followed by climbing to knee on stomach and jumping to the otherside. This repetitively drills alternating sides with a dynamic transition. We then worked a new flow, specifically arm bar from guard, your opponent pulls out leaving the reverse (scoop) arm bar on the other arm, if they bend the arm, attack with kimura after returning to the guard or triangle position. If they fight out spin to the opposite side arm bar, allowing the drill to repeat.

Don't show me you can hit hard, let me feel it and never have the chance to see it

I came up with this today as I was holding, lots of folks like to pose as if to demonstrate that they are hitting hard. Don't worry your opponent or coach will know from the impact, you don't have to show them. Today I worked on some clinching concepts:

1. "Garage Door" or cover lift

   With this use the cover with a partial duck, to pick up the punch and then wing the elbow up, to work into the clinch on the outside of the arms.

2. Cover check

   As you cover, extend the opposite hand to catch the cover side neck, followed immediately by a knee

3. Flurry clinch

   To often we separate striking from clinching, I think this is an error, if we want to set up a shot, we would tap or misdirect, why not do the same but with punches, really fast and hard ones, too. Thus throw five "shots" (in the striking not the wrestling sense) but only three punches, e.g. jab-cross-lead hook-rear clinch neck-lead clinch neck

I also did some FUN (frigging unholy nastiness) with some Tabata rounds, I included:

• Striking Spider-man
  
• Medicine Ball Push-ups
  
• Cover Push-ups
  
• Pistol Squats
  
• 3 push-up alternating with climbers
  
• Alternating one leg on the ball squats
  
• High Knees
  
• Happy Feet

Rules

Yesterday we had a balmy winter day and did some training following our run to the Hill with intervals of sprints, shadowboxing, and push-ups. We then worked kicking and knee combinations alternatively on the pads to finish our warm-up. We then did two sets of 2 x 2 minute rounds on the focus mitts of:

1. Head/Body Reactions

   We used high and side cover to enter in to cross-lead hook-cross, in addition we used the lead and rear body cover enter into lead uppercut-cross-lead hook and rear uppercut-lead hook-cross, respectively.

2. 3-Parry-3-Side Cover-Reverse 3

   Jab-Cross-Lead Hook-Parry (Cross)-Cross-Lead Hook-Cross-Side Cover (Lead Hook)-Lead Hook-Cross-Lead Hook

On reaction drills it is especially important to not to celebrate, admire your handiwork, or run out of gas at the end of your combination. All fight exchanges have a beginning, a middle, and an end. On a provoked reaction or action reaction, when your done, be sure that your disposition of the situation is enough. When I train someone on pads and they complete their combination, if they look expectantly at me with puppy dog eyes begging for praise they get swatted...hard. The time to relax is when your are well back out of range and can then watch your opponent fall down.
We switched to the thai pads and did two sets of 2 x 2 minute rounds of:

1. 2-Kick Follow-ups

   We covered two variations here:

   • Jab-Cross-Lead Kick-Cross
     It is very important to shield (i.e. pre-cover) when entering for the punch, the impulse to generate kick power drops the hands away from the head, so when closing for the final punch, be sure to protect yourself from an intercepting punch.
   • Jab-Cross-Lead Kick-Lead Knee
     Use the kick to punish and then re-cock and throw the knee.

2. 1-Kick Follow-ups

   We covered two variations here, note that these combinations are a good way to train the flow into the Superman fake, since they basically do that but include rather than fake the rear kick.

   • Jab-Rear Kick-Rear Knee
   • Jab-Rear Kick-Cross-Rear Hook-Cross
     It is especially important here to reacquire your original lead so that you can go right back into the your punching combination.

At the end of our practice, I did some fast boxing timing with one of my students. This was probably a bad idea, as he came out whipping really fast, tight combinations at me. I haven't purely boxed in months, so the first thing I thought about was kicking him and then realizing that I shouldn't, as I registered the shouldn't part he pasted me. OK. So as we exchanged again I thought about clinching, nope can't do that either, before getting swatted again. After several exchanges each time getting the worse of it, I invoked senior privilege and bowed out (that and I was hacking up a lung...yeah that's the ticket). Joe, my student, started boxing about a year ago and has been competing and training in this almost exclusively for the past six months. I've been training guys for mixed-martial arts and been sparring more in that line. Given a set of rules, boxing, I was spending a large amount of processing time, remembering what I could and couldn't do, time that I couldn't give up to someone as fast as Joe. And as each time he was getting the better of it, I was scrambling to some up with something.
This is both the boon and ban of rules. Rules can refine skills to incredibly high levels. No one would argue with punching superiority of a boxer, the elbow-knee clinch dominance of the thai fighter, the takedown skills of a wrestler, and the submission skills of a sport jiu-jitsu expert. By playing within in the context of given rules, these combat athletes have refined their tools to be the best for those rules. However, they are also purely functional within those rules. Mixed-martial artist like to point out then that they are the superior fighters as mixed-martial arts incorporates "everything". This is a fallacy on two levels, (1) to refine skills in one area it is better to return to the source, I'd rather learn to box from a boxing coach and then have an MMA coach integrate that into a MMA game and (2) MMA has its own rules that gamemanship can exploit, not everything is legal and depending on the mechanics of the fight can favor certain elements of a fighters style. Here's another example:Another problem with rules is the unreality they impose on any "live" situation from a match in ring or self-defense fight for your life. In training we often impose rules on sparring, self-defense scenarios, or drills. This is done to protect ourselves and often to emphasize an attribute to technical point. To paraphrase Tony Blauer, All training is fake, just try to train the most realistic fake stuff possible. Thus when someone drills combination X, followed by combination Y and their willing partner moves the right way, the desired result Z, they form a rule in their head. When I do this, this happens, however when dealing with an unwilling opponent and then X + Y suddenly doesn't equal Z. Rules then are a necessary evil, understand where they conflict with reality and why they do so, find ways to train around this unreality, but recognize that the rulebook isn't always what you think it is.

Channelling the ancients and realizing they aren't always right today

Sombrada
The sombrada middle range flow pattern (using the right hand to wield the stick). The entire pattern is given in a continuous loop from the perspective of both partner A and B. Numbering in red is from the offensive perspective, while numbering in yellow is the mirror image, that is how those lines of attack appear to the defender. Download written version (PDF).

Small workout today in Bugeishako starting with thai pad warm-up:

1. Kick for kick
   
2. Deep knee-head knee (same side)
   
3. Curve knee-deep knee (same side)

Next we worked on some boxing combinations:

1. 3-High Cover 3 (J-C-LH-cover-C-LH-C)
   
2. Reverse 3-Side Cover Reverse 3 (J-LH-C-cover-LH-C-LH)
   The reverse 3 combination is good versus someone with the opposite lead, i.e. orthodox vs. unorthodox because it sets up the outside angle off their weaker side.
   
3. J-C-Side body cover-Rear uppercut-LH-Side cover-Lead shovel hook-Bob and weave rear hook-rear ripping hook
   Be sure to pivot and reacquire your target after the ripping hook, either to continue attacking or exit with long distance shots.
   
4. J-Body C-LU-Overhand-LH
   Remember to change levels and throw the cross straight, almost as if taking a shot (well you are but not in the wrestling sense). Although the shortest distance between two points is a line it is sometimes safer to change levels and then through, mostly because you are harder to hit and can protect yourself better. For the uppercut make sure you travel cleanly up the "channel" between the guard and to the chin.

When striking look for the channels created by a persons guard, as you fire straight down the centerline the outside or circular strikes open up, e.g. hooks, overhands, and kicks. As you throw "bombs" the center line or "channel" widens, so switch back. Low shots open up the high line and vice versa. As the guard composed of the hands and arms drift away from the body more shots open, angling of the arms away from the body opens the floating ribs, chin, and top of the head to curvilinear shots. The hands drifting away from the face creates "chaff" of low density, its distracting but powering through it and looking for straight and curved channels to the head has high yield. Think of an electron, the lower energy electrons are "nearer" (classically not quantum mechanically) than the high energy electrons. You want to use minimum energy on defense and keep the guard close to the body.
We also covered some basic ground work, some slightly different things that I like to do:

Guard checking to stand-up

Frame hard and quick, insert this same side knee and push, place the opposite foot in the hip, free your knee leg to push/kick to the chest or face, post back on the opposite side and lever yourself to the upright position.

Sameside straight arm lock from guard

From the guard, cover the looping G n' P cross. Reach across with the other arm, catch at the elbow and pull. Loop your cover arm around their arm. Slide out to this side, top foot in the hip, knee on the shoulder, bottom foot on the hip knee pinching the trapped arm's shoulder. Scoop just proximal to their elbow, over your bowed body.

Sameside straight arm lock from side mount

Your opponent tries to bench you, transfer to knee on the stomach, and pop their arm outward, catching it between the crook of your neck and shoulder on the side inferior to them. Scoop the arm, proximal to the elbow, joint for the lock.

Remember that fighting is not a complete enough science to harbor universal truths. While there have been a series of excellent approximations of combat laws, they do not always stand the test of time nor the rigors of interpretation and transmission. Teaching and training based on repeatable results is unfortunately not as appealing or as easy as taking things on faith. Questioning the mechanics and the concepts of ones art is a difficult thing to do, especially in the increasing commercialization of martial arts, if the results come back negative that can place one in the red. Also if you continue to question, you can never rest, removing the goal and continuing the journey is the true path to combat enlightenment.