Nogi: So I don't hate it.

For the longest time, I've hated nogi. I simply deplored it. It was too fast, slippery, disorganized and just plain not enjoyable for me.

I've come to realize that was less a function of nogi itself and more a function of my inability.

I rolled nogi today, for the first time in over a year. I had no plans to, but showed up at an odd class, because I had to move things around today. When I realized that's what we'd be doing, I was disgusted.

Then I began to roll. While I certainly had issues with wanting to get grips that weren't to be had, I really had a great time. My escapes worked fine, my half guard game was key, I finally finished an RNC and felt like I knew what was going on most of the time.

So, I guess what I've realized is that nogi wasn't too fast, slippery, or disorganized for me. Rather, I was too slow, lacked the control and more importantly the knowledge to make it work for me. I relied on the gi to slow things down for me.

So, maybe....maybe I'm ready to give it another chance.

Great night

I love judo and BJJ sparring nights. I love technique nights too, but there is something about the cardio push that I get on nights that I attend two classes in a row.

Tonight was a great night. We went over some great foot sweep options, which is something I've been looking forward to getting better at. It's very much like ball room dancing, gone wrong.

Sparring tonight too was a blast. I was able to stay in for every match and actually go after it, so my cardio is improving. I was also able to pull some things off, so my technique is improving.

I'm starting to feel like I belong amongst the better people there. I'm still at the bottom of the totem pole, for sure, but I'm not hopelessly out of place. I give them something worth working on, even when they work me pretty good.

Intensity

We're recently increased the intensity with which we train. Ed has really been pushing us during regular technique and sparring class, toughening everyone up.

I think as his black belt inevitably approaches, he's beginning to come into his own on how he wants to operate the school. It's neat to see happen.

What that means for me though is a very tiring Wednesday and Thursday. I do drilling on Wednesday night, then turn around and do judo (with sparring) and BJJ back to back on Thursday night. It's exhausting, but really pushes me harder than any competition ever has. In fact, the toughest competitions I've ever been in have been the in-house competition followed closely by every sparring class I've ever been to here.

When I also add in my Tuesday night practice at home and the occasional Friday/Saturday morning that I can go, I can get up to around 5 training sessions a week.

What I'm needing to do now is to change my life when I'm not training. Too much I've been living the days that I'm not training just like I always have. Poor diet, no exercise beyond grappling. I think it's holding me back and it's certainly stalling me in my physical abilities. Sure, technique can overcome a lack of strength and cardio, but combining them all would be the better course.

I'm also noticing, now that I get into better shape with the increased training, that there is a difference between rolling light (meaning not muscling) and rolling lazy. There are times when I need to roll with conviction, seeing the technique and moving with purpose.

After: Best of the Best

I had a good tournament today, doing well in my match for a gold medal.

I started with an uchi mata taken down, landing in half guard. I kept my pressure low and got my knee out of the half, setting up a knee cutter pass to the opposite side. After settling into side control to get my pass points, I jumped to knee on belly and held that for points, using it to transition to mount afterward by faking a baseball bat choke to get his arms high.

From mount, I kept moving up until I could isolate an arm across center line and took a technical mount. After trying to feed his collar or get the arm, I transitioned to his back and worked on gi chokes.

Ultimately, I won on points which was fine.

I need to work more on finishing from the back and on transitions from knee on belly. I jumped to mount fine, but I'm sure there was some other opening there that I missed.

What was ultimately the best part of the competition was getting to do very well directly in front of Rodrigo Vaghi and my fellow teammates. It led to Ed giving me my fourth stripe, which is a huge deal for me. It means that I'll likely be in the next crop of blue belts, which is a really big deal in Vaghi terms. He's notoriously stingy with belts and is very protective of the integrity of the art, which I can appreciate having come from a belt mill.

Before: Best of the Best

Just figured I'd post a before discussion here, noting that I'll be competing tomorrow at the Best of the Best BJJ tournament tomorrow.

I'm pretty excited about getting to compete again, which will make my third time this year. I've had a fairly decent year, winning more than I've lost, so I'll take it.

My hope is that I can just maintain that trend as I move up in levels of competition, winning more than I lose.

I'd like to be in better shape, but I've just come off a teaching position at Creighton Law (trial team) which was taking much of my time. My team did well, taking second at the Quinnipiac Mock Trial competition, so I'm glad that I was a part of it.

That being said, I'm a bit softer and less well conditioned than I'd like. The up side is that I'm at least more proficient in take downs and take down defense than I've ever been, having taken judo for the last 3 months. I'm very comfortable from a standing position and will be looking for take downs whenever possible. Someone my size should really try to start from a top position.

We'll see what happens when I report back tomorrow night.

It's been a while.

A lot of personal life is going on right now, with Zac starting school, Julia starting preschool, my friend Shane moving in and two exchange students moving in.

Add to that the fact that I start teaching my law school class soon and I'm a little busy.

That being said, I still manage to make it to Tuesday night judo and sparring regardless of what happens the rest of the week. Wednesday night, a fair regular class night, will be off for the next two months as it is one of my teaching nights. Additionally, Saturdays will be off the table, so I'll be clinging to Tuesday and every other Friday terribly (not to mention Thursday night at my house).

Anyway, in judo tonight we worked on the Tai Otoshi body drop. I like these sort of techniques where I allow their moment throw themselves with just a little redirection. I feel much better about a throw like this than I do with a hip throw or even Uchi Mata.

Judo and sparring, August 3, 2010

I'm exhausted. It was exceedingly hot tonight. Great workout, but my ears are still ringing.

Judo, we worked on the entry, completion and variations on kata garuma or the shoulder wheel, fireman's carry. Though there is some question about this "leg" first technique in modern judo competitions, it is still a very good throw for BJJ.

I like it because it makes it easy for me to get under people shorter than me, especially if I take a knee.

We worked on the basic throw, dumping it short and then how to make the throw work on a defense sprawl (by moving legs, windshield wiper style, towards their feet.)

We also worked on some arm triangle enteries from mount and kesa gatame.

In sparring tonight, I got smashed a lot. I need to work on side control escapes very badly. Towards the end of sparring, I got fairly decent at getting my knees with a strong underhook.

I also liked very much moving to north/south to get them on a side and to isolate an arm. I found it very effective.

I need more work on staying low in butterfly AND in having more than one sweep there. I need to rewatch Moura Robison and the counters he uses to still get the sweep.

Closed guard sweeps.

Today we worked the transitions in closed guard sweeps like the knee push or scissor sweep.

After doing the sweep, you can begin to set up the cross collar choke (in case you are bridged over right away) or swinging into an arm bar after being rolled.

I'd prefer to maintain the position though and was shown how to avoid the upa and bridge by sliding into S-mount.

Following that, we worked on using an arm drag to set up the pendulum sweep or to get head and arm control for a sweep into mount (and eventually side control, to finish the arm triangle). I have a very hard time getting my arm in the right place. I'd like to pretend that it's because I have enormous, python-esque biceps, but really I just need to get better about getting deeper with the arm.

Finally, we worked on closed guard sweep when they stand up. It's the classic arm under to shoulder, push into that knee with your hips and then walk your arms around to get into mount. I like this sweep, but see myself transitioning into De Le Riva more and more now.

Finally,

Foot locks and knee bars

So, we worked on some regular entries and then some interesting entries to some foot locks and arm bars today.

First, we worked the standard straight ankle lock from combat base. I need to work on bringing my foot to the right place to keep separation, but more importantly, I really need to get the feel of what my body is supposed to do to make the lock work. It's just very new for me to be messing with, but I need to start somewhere.

Next, we worked on the same submission, but getting it from side control when a person goes knee to elbow. If you raise your knee closest to their feet, it moves that ankle into attack position. You can then stand, turn and drop into an ankle lock, but one that is cross body.

If you'd rather try a knee bar, go to knee on belly....but with the opposite knee. You can rest there, seeing what is given. You can attack a toe hold, pull the knee bar or do a nice spin to mount.

Finally, we worked on the proper way to pop up and spin for an arm bar from knee on belly or when you've got someone in north/south with a trapped arm. I need to get this pop better. I think I can work on this by putting my punching bag on the floor and popping up on that.

Dog tired.

It was hot today. So hot, they turned the AC on....still super hot.

Judo was great. We worked on side sacrifice throws. First, we worked on Yoko Otoshi. I really feel like this throw would work really well against wrestlers, who give you so much energy coming right into you. I think that kazushi is vital here, because you must redirect them passed you. Otherwise, you're pulling them down into side control.

We worked something similar, which was like a combination of a side sacrifice and the beginning of a seoinage. Instead of much torque though, the energy came from the fall. I felt very comfortable with this throw and not as much with yoko otoshi.

For sparring, I was jelly, which is good because it forced a little more technique out of me. I couldn't rely on strength at all, because it was spent. I did some decent low mounting from side control and a nice omoplata sweep. I'm also getting quite comfortable with my low posture Tozi pass. I'm noticing that guys are actually not breaking my posture as much as they used to, which is good...I can start working other passes now.

Triangles, oh my!

So, I worked today on triangles from guard, mount and side control.

For the guard triangles, I need to be better about getting my hips high and biting with my leg. When I get that leg bent properly on the bite, I can produce a lot of downward pressure and fend off them most common pre-locked defense which is posturing. Once locked, I need to work more on creating my angle, dealing with then "in" arm and being prepared to switch (depending on the angle I'm at) to the arm bar or omaplata OR shoulder crawl back to avoid the stack.

For the mount triangle, I need to get better positioning and maintain more weight on the chest when setting this up. Yes, I'll probably always roll to guard to finish this....personal preference, but I need to have it essentially done before doing so.

From side control, I didn't like any of the entries. I'd just rather get mount.

Week three of judo

This was a great week. I got through without hurting myself and was feeling so good that I stayed after for sparring in BJJ. Great workout and I'm wiped out.

Judo started with a nice practice for the entry to Ippon Seoinage. I prefer the drop version simply because I feel like I have a hard time getting underneath people, but that will come with time.

Then we spent some time working on Tomoe Nage and different variations of this sacrifice type throw. I really enjoyed this throw a lot because I feel like I can create quite a bit of speed by letting my enormous mass fall backwards.

Finally, we spent time working on holding and escaping different pins, from side control, to kesa gatame and north/south with double underhooks.

I felt so good after class that I was able to stay for the BJJ sparring session, where I received a thorough beating.

Judo class two:

First, I injured myself again. Yippee. Once again, doing cartwheels. My body does not like cartwheels and I will be cheating during cartwheel time from now on. I pulled something in my gluts....so that's just great. Another week of one and done training.

Judo = 2, Allen = 0.

And yet, even with the injuries and the frustration, I can't help but want to go back. I learned so much this week that is useful.

First, during warm up drills, we worked the entry into the classic osoto gari, which can be a terribly nasty throw if you get it the way it's supposed to be done. Once again, I thought I knew this technique from my last school, but I'm finding out more and more that I'd benefit greatly from some mind bleach for most of my previous "learning."

Next, we worked on the entry into Hiza Guruma, and I really like this technique a lot. It really seems like something that would work well when being driven by my opponent. I'd just step to the side a little, kazushi and trap the knee. After I got the motion of it, it felt really good.

Finally, we did some sort of foot technique, which I can't remember the name of. It was not a following foot sweep where you ankle sweep the following leg, but rather, when moving side ways, you block the leading ankle when the two legs come together.

I really enjoyed it, but I need to get my body used to these movements so that I can stop injuring myself. I think that my two years of BJJ is giving me the wrong mindset here. I feel like I should just be able to go in an immediately work things, but I need to take a step back and start over from scratch. This is a new art and I'm going to have to acclimate.

Injuries

So, this is something that I haven't discussed, but it is an inevitable part of training in any serious martial art.

My back is terrible and has been for over a decade. It's better now than it has ever been, but it simply is not every going to be well. At best, it will be better than it is now....meaning that it will cause me problems on a less frequent basis.

Anyway, my back is acting up after judo and has caused me to miss some training. I hate, I repeat HATE, missing training. I just feel all lost and out of sync with everything. Hopefully, I will come back hungry and ready to work on new things, as I have in the past.

When I can't train, I spend a lot of time reviewing old techniques, watching videos and chatting about BJJ, just to keep my mind on it. It reminds me of something my old guitar teacher said. He said that if you are going to train guitar, you have to do more than just play. You have to listen, keep the guitar out, make guitar friends, talk about the guitar, go see live shows, do seminars, etc. You have to immerse yourself in the culture, so that it intersects with more of your life than just class. That makes you miss it and still relate to it, even when you have missed a class or two.

So, I've done the same with BJJ and can't wait to get back to the mat.

Judo, first class.

It made me both nervous and excited to be trying something new. Judo is, for me, the perfect compliment to BJJ, so though I'm taking an entirely different art, I really just see it as an extension of my BJJ game.

You start standing in any real competition in BJJ, plain and simple. You have to be able to get to the ground safely....to have a plan, which would help settle nerves. Wrestling and judo are the options, and from what I've seen I prefer judo...not for any particular technical reason...I just prefer that way it looks. Stately.

So, today I had to get used to some new warm up drills which will start to instill in my mind how to do certain falls, sweeps, reaps and steps. They were very foreign feeling at first, but just like with BJJ training the idea is to take something foreign and through repetition make it natural. I expect it to be a few months before I even feel comfortable with my steps. I actually feel very natural falling though. I'm not sure why. I just instinctively get that I'm supposed to slap my hand and catch myself. I've got decent balance too, so that's a good thing.

Today, we worked on the entry to the uchi mata, with various grips. Now, I know the names change with the varying grips and I need to learn all of that, but basically, the idea of the throw was the same....reaping the leg. I need to get better about cheating outside about 1 inch and reaping the leg rather than the groin.

July 2, 2010: Escaping Back Mount

So, who likes having their back taken and getting choked? Not me and so I was glad for the information in today's class.

We worked on the "scoop" escape from the back mount, the idea being to slide low in order to avoid the choke, keeping the elbows in to avoid the arm bar.

Once low, kick a leg out like a bridge to release a hook. Once that hook is released you roll away from it and onto the remaining hook.

We also worked another escape where you drop to a side and put your back on the ground, much like we were shown by Rodrigo Vaghi.

The most interesting one we worked was when one has been flattened out on your stomach. From there, you must kick a leg out to release a hook, and bring that knee to your elbow, closing off a side in turtle. You can repeat and end up in full turtle or roll the person over.

Got a stripe.

I had both a good and bad night tonight. I got a stripe and that's good. I got one stripe though and that's annoying to me.

Now, it's not the fault of the school. They've seen me for a total of three months and granted me a stripe, when others did not get one. I'm very appreciative. What bothers me is that I've been at this now for over two years. There are people (not at this school) that started after me and they have blue belts that are legitimate.

It just really makes me angry at my first school and the number that they pulled on me. It wasn't a total waste, but it probably only counts for about 5 months of training at a real school. It's a bit discouraging, but I have to put that behind me and just focus on what I've done here. It's a fresh start and I'll just have to focus on the positives...they noticed me and gave me credit for good work....and unlike my last school, where everyone got promoted on a regular schedule, my stripe means something here.

Tonight we worked on something I thought I knew pretty well, the scissor sweep. Of course, they showed more details than I'd ever seen on it before. Thankfully, it integrated quickly into what I'd already done....so it's nice that I'm far enough along to learn what they show very quickly, the first time, and I can spend the rest of the time getting reps to gain memory of it better.

We also worked on the arm bar from mount, and how to best set that up slowly and the triangle set up if they do the hitchhiker escape. I need to get my hips off the ground for triangles.

Rodrigo Vaghi Seminar

What a great seminar. Almost too much to fit in my head.

We started with butterfly guard passes, focusing on killing the hips, getting our head lower than the person, pinching our knees together and then flattening them out. Then the "twitch" to get a two on one leg position, raising then knee closest to the head to use to push the knee out of the way for the pass.

To counter that, we learned to frame the head and arm, avoiding the cross face and either "x" the far leg by reinserting our hook that was cleared or preparing to swim with the underhook if they switched hips.

Next we worked on transitioning to the x-guard from butterfly if they attempted to cross grip our leg and swing it by to pass. That led to a nice x-guard sweep. We also learned how to avoid the x-guard sweep by putting our knee the chest, getting a cross grip with the hand nearest their head and then putting our knee on the mat (twisting in) when the extended the X.

Finally, we worked on back escapes, remembering to keep our core, block our face and neck, straighten a leg then fall immediately to the side....not backwards. We use the leg opposite the direction we fall to frame against the ground so that we can not be pulled back up. We then use the arm closest their feet to brace their top knee and start shrimping towards their feet. The knee grip allows us to ensure that they can not sit back into mount and we end up in their guard.

It was a great time.

Tournament for stripes.

Mid-American is having Rodrigo Vaghi in town, teaching and grade BJJ students out. We had a number of blue belt promotions this morning and one purple belt.

I was expecting to just roll a bit and show technique for stripes. I was, however, mistaken. Instead, we weighed in for a round-robin tournament. It was very good to compete again so soon after my last tourney, because I felt that I could immediately apply lessons learned from there....and I did.

My first match went well, as I started in guard and managed to pass guard twice, using two different passes. I was pretty happy with that situation and won on points.

My second match was a loss, but one that I don't feel bad about. The guy I faced is a stud (Abe Wagner from TUF 10) and won the entire weight class. I shot a weak double leg (I'm staring judo soon....enough of this) and ended up with him on my back. I defended well, at least well enough, and avoided the choke and the arm bar attempt, ending up in his guard. I fought to break his guard, but he was just very strong and harassing, with an active guard that kept me unsettled. I attempted a low posture pass, but he stuffed it and got back up to his knees, pushing me over into my guard, though I never really got to establish closed guard and didn't shrimp fast enough to avoid the pass. He smashed me in side until he got me to move my arm out of position and then he got the Americana on me. I need to protect my arm more.

My third match went well, though also a loss. I attempted a few sweeps, but eventually pulled guard. I tried my flower sweep twice, a pendulum, he was too locked in posture for a hip over, nothing seemed to be working. I went to open guard and ended up in De La Riva, which is too loose for me....but it worked, so maybe I just need to get over it. I got the sweep from there. Somehow, or another, he ended up in knee on belly on me without getting any pass points and our time ran out. 2 to 2. Sudden death overtime. So, I attempted a drop Seoinage which didn't work and ended back up in my guard. I rolled to an omaplata which I just could not turn into anything, either the finish or the sweep, and he ended up passing guard. I need to work the mechanics of that betters, so that I don't waste the opportunity again.

My final match was probably my favorite (though I like the 3rd very well too, from a technical stand point). I shot a double, again, that went no where and the guy swarmed me like a pack of wild dogs. He was all over me. I turtled to weather the storm. He pulled me over and I turtled again, avoiding the hooks. Finally, I was able to Granby Roll to guard. I held him there for some time, looking for collar chokes. He stood in my guard and I went to spider guard and tried a sickle sweep from them, which unsettled him so he dove back into my closed guard. He left his arm on my chest, so I arm dragged it across and trapped it there, looking for a pendulum type sweep. He changed his base to defend it, so I started creeping around to his back, finally taking his back and keeping it when he rolled over to his back. I worked a clock choke but he started to spin hard, so I moved to mount and started a collar choke again. Once his hands got high, I shot my knees up his arm pits and found that one of his arms was just dangling in front of me....Americana from mount.

Most importantly, Rodrigo and Ed both watched my matches and had good things to say, so I'm on my way to ranking with them.

Monday Night Class

Had a great technique class today, though it was seriously hot. The thermometer said over 95 degrees for at least a few minutes in there.

We worked triangles for a long time and got to see a few set ups, which was good since I failed my triangle attempt at my last competition.

We also worked on the entry to the arm triangle from mount and a sneaky secondary attack, in the form of an ezekiel choke. Very nice.

We also worked a nice little flow drill to feel some transitions. We started mount and pushed the arm for an Americana, slid up to S-Mount on the defense, worked the arm bar, allowed the roll out and set up the triangle, allowed them to sit out and switched to the omoplata and then finished with a toe hold. It was nice.

Finally, I got to roll with Matt for a while and work on my half guard passing. He's so good at getting under you for the sweep.

Cornhusker State Games

I had a great day today, winning a silver medal in the Jiu Jitsu tournament at the state games.

I won and lost, and while losing is not fun it is educational and something I needed to do. To this point, I'd been undefeated and really need a loss so that I could stop dwelling on losing as being the worst thing that could happen.

I was able to execute a game plan, to some extent. I finally got a finish in a competition, a bow and arrow choke, in a match that I had to work from being down in points to get the victory.

Things change, things stay the same.

So, in honor of the change in schools, I've reinstated the Thursday night BJJ gathering at my house. Call it show and tell. We get together, perhaps roll and I share the most recent techniques I've seen or have interest in.

We work together, everyone gets a say. It's good because we have a few new people to lean on for solid new techniques.

Anyway, I'm going to be competing a week from today...or yesterday (it's really early) in the Cornhusker State Games. I'm usually very much about going for a take down, but I'm concerned. Not about getting taken down, but about the mental aspect of being out of my comfort zone.

I've gotten very comfortable with guard and getting sweeps. A sweep is something that I can build off, psychologically. That gives me momentum in the match. Sure, a take down does too....but is my take down game safer than pulling guard? That's a good question.

While I get to practice guard all the time, my take downs are suspect and rarely used. Also, if I do get the take down, that starts me at a point in my game that is....well, not weak, but less certain. Maintaining top pressure, passing guard, not getting reversed or trapped in a half-guard game. I think I have tools there too....but honestly not the types of tools that excite me.

So, that's the big question. Do I pull guard? Tough call. I mean, the result would ultimately be the same as a take down, if I get the sweep....except that the bulk of my sweeps land me in mount or KOB position....much more dominant than a take down, which at best nets you side control (normally) or being stuck in their guard....

I think I'll discuss that with the "show and tell" group this week.

Different World

So, a lot has happened since I last posted.

I left Tiger Rock over some differences of opinion which don't need to be repeated. Simply put, it was time to move on.

I am now training at Mid-American Martial Arts (the MAMA's boys), under Ed Shobe (a Rodrigo Vaghi brown belt) and Anthony Carlson (Rodrigo Vaghi purple belt).

The attitude, training and atmosphere are entirely different. I moved from being on top of the heap at my old school to something close to the bottom, in terms of skill level. Everyone there simply knows more...like they've been training with a brown belt constantly or something.

This move came at a good time, when I felt like I had no reason to train any longer. I felt lost, without direction or instruction, trying to tackle an art that is monumentally difficult.

I'm finding it hard to set aside my past two years of training, but I really need to for the sake of my progression. Simply put, it has to mean nothing to me to start completely from scratch and relearn everything.