Training at Alliance HQ: Week 5

Monday:

Grueling warm up with Lucas for the 6:30 class. Then we went over some half guard passes. Shin through onto hip, control the knee and pull your leg out. This was always my half guard pass of choice but it was nice to revisit it and correct a bunch of details that made it lower percentage. Then we drilled the leg hook (on their knee) pass. Switch head to other side, free your leg, control their arm and slide up to Kesa. Switch hips back into classic side control. Rolled with a large white belt and armbarred him once, took his back, etc.

Main class was more warm ups. Felt like I was gonna die. Techniques were footlock escapes;  sitting on their leg or passing over their knee if they go belly down. Had some good rolls with other blue belts and worked my guard a bunch.

Tuesday:

Fundamentals class was a take down w/ sitting down from headlock (extending your leg through theirs). Then a standing guard pass w/ knee cutter and step back...more or less my pass of choice, except I'm adding a needless step of switching the sleeve grip when I could just pass to the other side. Noted. Also went over a "retard sweep" as Josh calls it from half guard.

Main class was a very nice spider to X guard transition, which I really loved. Switch sleeve grip to cross grip and pass behind their leg, grab the same side collar and sweep and pass to side control.
Gauntlet training was with Austin, a Brazilian blue belt, Julia (the blue belt Mundial gold winner), and a white belt whom I armbarred. I was able to play more guard with Julia this time and almost get under her to take the back, but she stopped me in time before passing and crushing me.

Thursday:

Guillotine standing defense at the fundamentals class. Cross leg grab and lift them into side control + knee buckle defenses. Then some knee on belly techniques: near side armbar, farside armbar, cross choke. All very nice to revisit and correct problems to make them more successful.

Partnered up for drill warm ups, then worked one of Lucas's favorite De La Riva passes. On the leg that's on your thigh/knee pushing you back, you grip the inside of the gi by the ankle with your other hand on the same side lapel. Step back then forward again, trapping that leg between yours. Cut down on the hooked side, then back the other way over their leg and pass. Switch grips to the back and if they try to turtle, take the back and collar choke them.
There was actually no rolling today, only drilling from DLR. We drilled the pass and defending guard, winner stays on top. This meant that my guard got a TON of work. LOL. I was paired with a purple belt and a blue belt who was better than the purple and will likely be promoted next month at the Grand Opening if he tests well. I worked into the 3 man gauntlet about 25 times. My fingers got WRECKED from those grips. I lost to the blue belt every time, but the purple wanted to play guard a couple times and we switched. I was able to pass 1 time which made the night awesome. Also took his back off reverse DLR while he was trying to pass, and nearly mounted one other time but he stopped it with a butterfly hook. All in all I would say I "won" 2 times out of maybe 25 attempts. I consider this a victory!

No Jits until Monday or maybe Tuesday because I'm busy this weekend.