Still Working

Last night we started with an escape from front head-and-arm control.  I guess it's sometimes called the Schultz head lock--it's the grip with which Matt Hughes choked out Ricardo Almeida.  So we started with the escape from that control on the feet, then worked the same escape from the knees.  One was rotating the head to the inside and driving through your opponent, and if he keeps up with your rotation you just tap the far-side knee and he tips.  On the ground, we did more push-pull work, mainly the same techs that we did Monday.  The head-and-arm escapes took a lot of time, so we didn't have time to roll in class.

After class, though, plenty of time.  I started with Jon, and his size is brutal.  I don't have his strength, so I need to remember to use leverage better against him.  Holding him down is almost a lost cause.  I was able to scoot from my guard to his back and work from there; but it wasn't clean, it wasn't technical, it was a bit slap-dash.  I have success breaking my opponents down, but I need to start using their effort to gain posture as momentum to sweep.  Also, I need to remember to come up with a quick-and-dirty game plan before I start rolling with someone.  It doesn't have to be complete, it doesn't have to be a game plan to win, but it should be a plan of attack.  A position to escape from or a specific attack to work.  Some sort of goal.

I worked with Jeremy, Neal, and Zach after that.  I made it a point to get into bad spots and to get out of them.  Naturally, I didn't use the momentum to attack, because I wasn't thinking that far ahead.  But that seems to be the entire basis of push-pull.  Use what they give you, move what you can move---get them to react, predict and recognize the reaction, and use the reaction to start the process all over again.  Commit to the sweep and if they post their hand you grab the kimura and take it home.