Class #856
BJJ Globetrotter Camp (Sportoase Leuven), Fran Vanderstukken, Leuven, Belgium, 26/07/2017
Another excellent class, taught by a female brown belt. Fran focused on top half guard, with some connections to side control and a back take. You are stuck in a standard half guard. Sit on your heels initially, hands into their hips, strong posture. Grab a strong cross-face, keeping that pressure up all the way through. Pull out their far gi lapel, feeding it under their far armpit, passing that to your hand.
Lock that in, having turned your hips towards them. Bring your foot close to their bum, to avoid getting caught in the lockdown. Maintaining your cross face pressure, rise up enough to drive your bottom knee (not shin, just the knee) into their hip, then settle your weight back down. Pull their knee over, getting that supine twist (their knees go one way, their head goes the other). Grip the gi material by the knee, pull towards you, then push your leg free.
Keeping that lapel grip under their head as you move to side control, trap their arm by your hip. Move around their head, making sure the lapel grip has enough slack that you can move around. Once you get to the other side, grip your other hand under their head, then squeeze and drop your hips for the choke.
Next up, Fran upped the complexity. For whatever reason, the pass isn't happening. Reach your other hand on the inside, above their shoulder, switching the gi lapel grip. Bring your knee that is nearest the head into their side, in order to clear the way to pull them up in front of you. Also, swim your other arm underneath their armpit, establishing a gi grip with that too (that transition can be tough, I need to drill that lots to get it smooth). Yanking them up and across should be straightforward at this point, transitioning to the back.
Fran noted that she found it helpful to view top half guard as partway to the back, as you already have a hook inserted. All you need to do is pull their arm across, then with a gift wrap you can pull them straight into the back position. It's comparable to how technical mount is an easy transition to the back, just that your hook is lower.
The lesson finished up with two option from the opposite side pass. When you flipped over to the other side, you have the option of passing that side. You can also perform a rolling back take. Sit up from your position, bringing the knee of your trapped knee to the ground. Make sure you hook your foot over the back of their leg, this is very important. From here, you want to do a shoulder roll towards their legs.
As you roll, use your hook to bring their legs past you, progressing to the back. If you like, you could stop in the truck here instead. Be careful of your hook, as if you're lazy with it, they can reverse the momentum and take your back instead. Your hook needs to get down behind their knee ideally. The higher it is, the more likely they can adjust to dominate your leg instead.
Showing posts with label half guard back take. Show all posts
Showing posts with label half guard back take. Show all posts
26 July 2017
24 September 2016
24/09/2016 - RGA Bucks | Half Guard | Knee Shield
Class #769
RGA Aylesbury, (BJJ), Kev Capel, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, UK - 24/09/2016
Moving into groundwork, as they try to pass your guard, grab their far sleeve (i.e., the one on the side they're passing) with your opposite hand. Secure a good grip, then with your same side hand, grasp the meat of their hand. Use those grips to create a bend in their hand. Insert your knee shield, using that and your grips to pull them back into closed guard.
Alternatively, stretch them out with your knee, switching to pushing with your foot. Kev described this as a sidekick to their hip. Gradually transfer that pressure to your other foot, pressing into their other hip. At the same time, you're going to use the grip you have on their sleeve to do an arm drag, then take their back.
If you get your knee shield and then go for the sleeve, they might be savvy and pull it back. To do that, they are invariably going to bring their weight back slightly. Keeping your knee driving firmly into their hip, turn your torso completely away from them, so you're looking in the same direction they are. Walk back on your hands, until you end up knocking them over. You will probably find yourself in a sort of half butterfly. Grapevine your hooked leg to stuff their sweep attempt, bringing your other leg over the top of their knee. It's then a simple slide into mount.
Related to that, Stu made an interesting point when we were sparring. I tried to shin-on-shin sweep him repeatedly, but he kept getting his balance back. He explained that he was just walking on his hands until he could re-establish some base. That then enabled him to untangle his legs while still maintaining his balance. In terms of sparring, he also recommended combining the knee cut with a leg drag, by pulling them legs across if you can't land the knee cut. I think Donal might have shown me that years ago, but I've not been trying it: good reminder!
Sparring with Kev, he had a potent counter for the opposite side half guard pass I like to do. Before I switched to the other side, he was able to get a grip around my lapel, locking his arm to my back. To prevent my cross-face, he made enough space to jam his forehead into my arm (in my notes, I said 'eyebrow to armpit', to be specific ;D), so I couldn't drive my shoulder into to his jaw or neck. Bringing my hip down onto the ground, he moved smoothly into an ezequiel. He finished it with a fist, sliding that in as I bridge to turn. In the process of bridging, I opened up my neck. Normally the fist finish to an ezequiel is vicious, but Kev did a very technical version, it was on immediately without any of the usual nasty grinding. Black belt skills. ;)
RGA Aylesbury, (BJJ), Kev Capel, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, UK - 24/09/2016
Kev kicked off with a method for wristlocking when somebody is pushing your chest. Grab their hand with your opposite hand, locking that to your body. Your other hand grabs behind their elbow as you step towards them. Put your head on their shoulder and switch both hands to their elbow. You can then apply pressure for the wristlock. The competition application is when they grab your collar. Again, grab their hand with your opposite hand: aim to knock across, to create a bend in their wrist. Then it's the same as before, to get the wristlock.
Moving into groundwork, as they try to pass your guard, grab their far sleeve (i.e., the one on the side they're passing) with your opposite hand. Secure a good grip, then with your same side hand, grasp the meat of their hand. Use those grips to create a bend in their hand. Insert your knee shield, using that and your grips to pull them back into closed guard.
Alternatively, stretch them out with your knee, switching to pushing with your foot. Kev described this as a sidekick to their hip. Gradually transfer that pressure to your other foot, pressing into their other hip. At the same time, you're going to use the grip you have on their sleeve to do an arm drag, then take their back.
If you get your knee shield and then go for the sleeve, they might be savvy and pull it back. To do that, they are invariably going to bring their weight back slightly. Keeping your knee driving firmly into their hip, turn your torso completely away from them, so you're looking in the same direction they are. Walk back on your hands, until you end up knocking them over. You will probably find yourself in a sort of half butterfly. Grapevine your hooked leg to stuff their sweep attempt, bringing your other leg over the top of their knee. It's then a simple slide into mount.
Related to that, Stu made an interesting point when we were sparring. I tried to shin-on-shin sweep him repeatedly, but he kept getting his balance back. He explained that he was just walking on his hands until he could re-establish some base. That then enabled him to untangle his legs while still maintaining his balance. In terms of sparring, he also recommended combining the knee cut with a leg drag, by pulling them legs across if you can't land the knee cut. I think Donal might have shown me that years ago, but I've not been trying it: good reminder!
Sparring with Kev, he had a potent counter for the opposite side half guard pass I like to do. Before I switched to the other side, he was able to get a grip around my lapel, locking his arm to my back. To prevent my cross-face, he made enough space to jam his forehead into my arm (in my notes, I said 'eyebrow to armpit', to be specific ;D), so I couldn't drive my shoulder into to his jaw or neck. Bringing my hip down onto the ground, he moved smoothly into an ezequiel. He finished it with a fist, sliding that in as I bridge to turn. In the process of bridging, I opened up my neck. Normally the fist finish to an ezequiel is vicious, but Kev did a very technical version, it was on immediately without any of the usual nasty grinding. Black belt skills. ;)
13 August 2015
13/08/2015 - BJJ Globetrotter Camp | Knee Shield & Spider Half Guard
Class #659
BJJ Globetrotter Camp (Sportoase Leuven), Bruno Matias, Leuven, Belgium, 13/08/2015
The next gi session was with another Brazilian black belt, Bruno Matias (presumably from Checkmat, going by his patches). He had called his session 'half spider guard', which sounded intriguing. He started off with something I could recognise, the knee shield back roll sweep. That's also known as the Shaolin sweep, I'm told.
I have trouble with it, as I always end up going off to the side, mainly because I'm worried about crunching either their neck or my neck. The other tricky part is getting their weight properly distributed on your legs, so that it isn't a strain to roll them over your head. One day it will feel smooth and easy, but not yet. ;)
For the next one, they have stepped up one of their legs. The hand on your lower leg side is going to reach in to the leg that is up, on your knee shield side. Bring your hand in front of the shin, then use that as an anchor point to help you swivel through. Grab their trouser leg as you swivel through. Continue swivelling until you pop out behind them, grabbing the other leg with your other hand.
Adjust your grips, in order to enable you to go into a back take. Also adjust your legs, so they are hooking inside. From here, you could try kicking out the back of their knees, like on the standard de la Riva back take I taught a while ago. However, I'd be worried about their ankles given they may be sat on them at this point, plus it feels like they have a strong base to resist that push from here. I preferred the other option Bruno showed, where you come up onto your knees and take the back that way.
The final technique was a complex armbar from spider guard, or rather, the half spider guard referenced in the class title. Start in knee shield, grab their sleeve on the same side as your knee shield. Push your foot into their hip to create some distance. Switch your grip on their sleeve to your other hand, then bring your non-knee shield side leg over the top of their trapped arm, threading your leg through underneath (maintain your grip on the arm).
Your free hand grips their same side trouser leg. Spin on your shoulders (keep your head off the ground), pulling firmly on the sleeve and trouser grips you established. That should set up your armbar, though you'll probably have to wriggle your hips forward. Your sleeve grips will give you some control, hopefully providing enough time to solidify the armbar position.
My last class of the day would be less intricate, but more painful, as it was the dreaded art of takedowns (well taught by a friendly Irishman, but I hate takedowns ;D ).
Pictures courtesy of Vara from BJJ Globetrotters
BJJ Globetrotter Camp (Sportoase Leuven), Bruno Matias, Leuven, Belgium, 13/08/2015
The next gi session was with another Brazilian black belt, Bruno Matias (presumably from Checkmat, going by his patches). He had called his session 'half spider guard', which sounded intriguing. He started off with something I could recognise, the knee shield back roll sweep. That's also known as the Shaolin sweep, I'm told. I have trouble with it, as I always end up going off to the side, mainly because I'm worried about crunching either their neck or my neck. The other tricky part is getting their weight properly distributed on your legs, so that it isn't a strain to roll them over your head. One day it will feel smooth and easy, but not yet. ;)
For the next one, they have stepped up one of their legs. The hand on your lower leg side is going to reach in to the leg that is up, on your knee shield side. Bring your hand in front of the shin, then use that as an anchor point to help you swivel through. Grab their trouser leg as you swivel through. Continue swivelling until you pop out behind them, grabbing the other leg with your other hand.Adjust your grips, in order to enable you to go into a back take. Also adjust your legs, so they are hooking inside. From here, you could try kicking out the back of their knees, like on the standard de la Riva back take I taught a while ago. However, I'd be worried about their ankles given they may be sat on them at this point, plus it feels like they have a strong base to resist that push from here. I preferred the other option Bruno showed, where you come up onto your knees and take the back that way.
The final technique was a complex armbar from spider guard, or rather, the half spider guard referenced in the class title. Start in knee shield, grab their sleeve on the same side as your knee shield. Push your foot into their hip to create some distance. Switch your grip on their sleeve to your other hand, then bring your non-knee shield side leg over the top of their trapped arm, threading your leg through underneath (maintain your grip on the arm).
Your free hand grips their same side trouser leg. Spin on your shoulders (keep your head off the ground), pulling firmly on the sleeve and trouser grips you established. That should set up your armbar, though you'll probably have to wriggle your hips forward. Your sleeve grips will give you some control, hopefully providing enough time to solidify the armbar position.
My last class of the day would be less intricate, but more painful, as it was the dreaded art of takedowns (well taught by a friendly Irishman, but I hate takedowns ;D ).
Pictures courtesy of Vara from BJJ Globetrotters
13/08/2015 - BJJ Globetrotter Camp | Rolling Back Attacks
Class #657
BJJ Globetrotter Camp (Sportoase Leuven), Oli Geddes, Leuven, Belgium, 13/08/2015
I went straight from the plane to the train, then walked from Leuven Train Station to the Sportoase. There was already a class going on when I entered, but as it was wrestling I wasn't too concerned about missing it. I had plenty of time to get checked in with Vara at the BJJ Globetrotter desk, then get changed.
The class I wanted was Oli Geddes' session on rolling back attacks. This was perhaps a bit fancy by my standards and it was nogi: I almost never take the gi off for BJJ. Nevertheless, there were some useful techniques from quarter guard and half guard, handy given that it is currently half guard month back home at Artemis BJJ.
Oli kicked off with a rolling back take against turtle. Turn to face their legs, with your knee nearest their head looking to jam inside the space between their knee and elbow. Your other knee is blocking their leg, to make it harder for them to reclaim guard. With the arm nearest their head, reach over and grab their ankle (at least that's what my training partner Stacey and I ended up doing).
Your other hand grabs inside their leg, gripping the ankle. Lift that ankle up and outwards, to make it easier to get your waiting leg inside (slipping it under first), hooking around their leg. Thrust your hips into them, then diving over to the far side, roll over the shoulder nearest their head (I think? I need to check that with more drilling). Get past their hip, swinging through to grab their arm and take their back.
If you get part way through the back take, but can't reach their arm or hip to complete the motion, wrap up their near leg with your arms instead. Your legs will still be clamping around their other leg. Pull on their leg with your arms, extending into their other leg for the submission. You can put one foot behind the other for extra leverage. Note that this submission is entirely down to their flexibility, so it has some limitations.
If you are going for the back, but can't get hold of anything, you can still triangle your legs around the leg you do have. Pull down on their toes for the calf crush. Wrapping their leg with your arm can add in extra pressure.
We then moved to a rolling back take from quarter guard, a common position as you're passing half guard or they are trying to escape mount. Turn away from the foot they've trapped, adjusting your knee position so it doesn't catch on their leg. Roll inside (I think inside? Again, I need to check that during drilling), then you're back into the same position as before. Similarly from half guard, you can do this after moving into the opposite side pass.
In that opposite side pass position, adjust your feet so their leg is still controlled, then turn with your shoulder to begin another back take. I'm not totally clear on how best to adjust your feet: I think you hook your instep over their leg to trap it? I've seen this technique before, but the same thing confused me, along with the turn. Oli's instruction definitely helped, I just need to drill this more. Generally rolling back attacks are a bit fancy for me, but it's useful to have some options against quarter guard.
You can do the same back take from deep half, where this time you'll need to push on their head to step your leg through. However, I'm not sure I entirely got the rest of the technique. Once again, needs more drilling, I'll grab some people at Artemis BJJ when I get home. Judging by the picture Vara put on Facebook (there are loads on the BJJ Globetrotter group, so I asked if I could use them in my posts), it's the shoulder on the same side as the trapped leg, diving over to the opposite side.
Next up, more back attacks with Robson Barbosa.
Pictures courtesy of Vara from BJJ Globetrotters
BJJ Globetrotter Camp (Sportoase Leuven), Oli Geddes, Leuven, Belgium, 13/08/2015
I went straight from the plane to the train, then walked from Leuven Train Station to the Sportoase. There was already a class going on when I entered, but as it was wrestling I wasn't too concerned about missing it. I had plenty of time to get checked in with Vara at the BJJ Globetrotter desk, then get changed.
The class I wanted was Oli Geddes' session on rolling back attacks. This was perhaps a bit fancy by my standards and it was nogi: I almost never take the gi off for BJJ. Nevertheless, there were some useful techniques from quarter guard and half guard, handy given that it is currently half guard month back home at Artemis BJJ.
Oli kicked off with a rolling back take against turtle. Turn to face their legs, with your knee nearest their head looking to jam inside the space between their knee and elbow. Your other knee is blocking their leg, to make it harder for them to reclaim guard. With the arm nearest their head, reach over and grab their ankle (at least that's what my training partner Stacey and I ended up doing).
Your other hand grabs inside their leg, gripping the ankle. Lift that ankle up and outwards, to make it easier to get your waiting leg inside (slipping it under first), hooking around their leg. Thrust your hips into them, then diving over to the far side, roll over the shoulder nearest their head (I think? I need to check that with more drilling). Get past their hip, swinging through to grab their arm and take their back.
If you get part way through the back take, but can't reach their arm or hip to complete the motion, wrap up their near leg with your arms instead. Your legs will still be clamping around their other leg. Pull on their leg with your arms, extending into their other leg for the submission. You can put one foot behind the other for extra leverage. Note that this submission is entirely down to their flexibility, so it has some limitations. If you are going for the back, but can't get hold of anything, you can still triangle your legs around the leg you do have. Pull down on their toes for the calf crush. Wrapping their leg with your arm can add in extra pressure.
We then moved to a rolling back take from quarter guard, a common position as you're passing half guard or they are trying to escape mount. Turn away from the foot they've trapped, adjusting your knee position so it doesn't catch on their leg. Roll inside (I think inside? Again, I need to check that during drilling), then you're back into the same position as before. Similarly from half guard, you can do this after moving into the opposite side pass.
In that opposite side pass position, adjust your feet so their leg is still controlled, then turn with your shoulder to begin another back take. I'm not totally clear on how best to adjust your feet: I think you hook your instep over their leg to trap it? I've seen this technique before, but the same thing confused me, along with the turn. Oli's instruction definitely helped, I just need to drill this more. Generally rolling back attacks are a bit fancy for me, but it's useful to have some options against quarter guard.
You can do the same back take from deep half, where this time you'll need to push on their head to step your leg through. However, I'm not sure I entirely got the rest of the technique. Once again, needs more drilling, I'll grab some people at Artemis BJJ when I get home. Judging by the picture Vara put on Facebook (there are loads on the BJJ Globetrotter group, so I asked if I could use them in my posts), it's the shoulder on the same side as the trapped leg, diving over to the opposite side. Next up, more back attacks with Robson Barbosa.
Pictures courtesy of Vara from BJJ Globetrotters
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