This week, class has consisted of a.) learning how to heel hook properly from open guard and how to turn/roll with them if they start turning. Basically gotta catch the heel almost like a Rear naked Choke, tight and back. Gotta control the knee and pull it in towards me and step the outside leg close to his hips while falling on my shoulder with his leg. Then gotta keep my knee up so he can't sit up, and arch away! Rolling with him is just that. b.) Also learned how to sweep from Z guard and how to better do a deep half so its not dangerous with triangles. To sweep from z, grips should be hand on open knee and hand on hand over your legs. go like you are doing a scissor sweep so they base out but then pull them over the other side. While doing so, make sure that your knee pushes their arm out and lift on their knee. Eventually switch hips and kick their leg out (and kick your leg out so you're not stuck in half guard!). Deep half is pretty basic this time. Go under their middle if in half guard, roll to the side they are giving you. Go around them if they let you, but if they sit back then make sure to almost "double under" the leg, and bend it so they have no leveerage. so basically gotta bend the knee normally but also bend the leg so that we are opening their hips.

Another quick note. I can't believe 2 months ago, october first I broke my finger! Trying to get back into it has been tough, but I think I'm coming along. No rolling yet, but at least I'm drilling and trying to get in shape.

Passing Trying to remember some passing details that I learned from class and from a training partner recently. We learned that its okay to pass and open guard in no gi if you hook the arm over the thigh (REALLY hook that hand over their thigh) I learned from the classmate how to pass open guard by using two arms to pull the leg over and then to split their legs with my knee while their legs are facing downward. Or I can pass by basically grabbing one leg, keeping it between my knees and holding it there with my arm (keep arm tight, or kimura or he can sneak his legs out), wrap the other leg and start pressuring forward as I pass. And finally, to really pressure someones guard gotta "plank" into his legs. I totally realize this isn't a fully thought out post, but I'm hoping this will help me remember some passes.

Blue belt second stripe

I received the second stripe on my blue belt recently. It felt great knowing that I am progressing and that I am being noticed by my professor. I feel like I am now actively interested and asking advice from the upper blue belts and other more advanced practitioners at my gym, trying to glean anything from techniques or just tips on positions or "invisible" jiujitsu. So far asking around has helped my game dramatically, or to fill in spots that seem to be missing from my game. I wonder if its because I'm now asking the right questions or if I am now able to understand fundamentally WHY we need to do a certain move or hand placement or what have you. I think I'm realizing that some moves are actually a representation of an fundamental idea in jiujitsu. Its applicable in a broader sense. For example, one move that is more a representation is that of an under hook, and once I realized that I was able to dominate most white belts because they wouldn't know to fight for the under hook. I'm not saying there is a magic move that will make me better over night, but I think I should look beyond the moves themselves and try to see WHY or WHAT makes a move great. I hope this realization will help me improve my game.

Blue belt 1 stripe reflection

So I think at this point in my Brazilian jiujitsu life, I've come to realize something about where I am as a 1 stripe blue belt. For the longest time, I've always relied on the same basic moves to get past guards or to sweep from under half guard (aka toriano(spelling?) pass and underhook to take the back). These used to be my bread and butter, especially against high white belts and even some lower level blue belts. They would never fight for the underhook, or if they did give it up, they would never counter it with a whizzer or change their base. Its at the point where I can now probably win or have an advantage over a 85% of the white belts out there, win or have an advantage against 25% of the blue belts, be about even for 50% of the other blue belts, and get COMPLETELY dominated by the other 25% of the blue belts. I think its at a point where I need to vary my game, to focus on a position and really learn it to be able to handle all situations. This includes facing a white belt but also against more advanced blue belts. I think I've learned that the point isn't to do the same thing if its not working, but to learn now moves. I'm currently in a situation where I am trying to learn how to be more effective in my half guard. People have mentioned that I get the underhook and that I tend to get on my hips pretty well, so what am I doing wrong? Some people say that I shouldn't just sit there, since I apparently don't move enough. I should focus on pushing them in one direction or another, perhaps shrugging them upwards while flaring my shoulder, or to shrimp under them and push on their hip, or even to push against them and shrimp away. These are pretty basic things I should be trying to do, and if I force them off their base enough, I might be able to rely on the sweeps that I've been doing before (underhook, friendship sweep, or go to guard).

Fighting for a sweep from half guard

One thing I'm trying to practice more of is how to sweep better from half guard. I used to be able to either sweep by taking underhook and taking someones back, but people have become more aware of this as blue belts constantly stop me from doing this. I can sometimes get the deep half guard and get on top that way, but every once and a while I will get in really big trouble from there as a blue belt will just sit back and really shut me down and/or pull me into a triangle. I need to start thinking more about other moves. I need to focus on trying to create space, to bump and push them and to create a little wiggle room. I need to think about moving myself instead of moving them to escape. Moves like the friendship sweep, moves where i bridge and pull on their hip if they're based funny. Or just something as simple as trying to shrimp away from them so I can get my leg hooked inside so i can pull them towards me and roll them over. Of course, I can always try going to guard as well.

Better Base = Lower Hips

One thing I would like to make note of, is that when I first came back to rolling I noticed that I would fight to escape and get on top, only to be swept fairly consistently. What the heck is wrong with my base? One thing I have been told to do more is to keep my hips lower. I of course try my best to really focus my weight from my chest to their chest, but that isn't enough. I also need to focus on keeping my hips connected to the ground and really force my weight downwards. My hips should not be over them, they should not pushing into them, but they should be driving down towards the ground and as low as they are. I'm hoping this will help me not get swept so much when in side control!

One year after surgery

Its been about a year since surgery. Although honestly I've been back to jiujitsu and rolling since January (or roughly 9 months after surgery). I have to say it was worth the wait. At first, there was a lot of stretching and being hesitant for some moves as I wasn't sure about my shoulder still. But as time went on, I've noticed that my shoulder is pretty good. Its not 100%, but its certainly close. I am excited and happy to be rolling/drilling again! I'll try and post thoughts on jiujitsu again and things I would like to remember or revelations that I might have to remind myself of the things I do here.