I was the best dressed kid at the country jamboree in my new gi at yesterday's class. Well, that isn't quite true. Three guys, including Coach, wore red Gameness gis yesterday. It's a well documented fact that two colors, red and yellow, make things faster. Look at all the Honda Accords and Civics that all the kids drive. Just adding a yellow or red Yokohama or Toyo sticker will add, shoot, at least 5 HP. So, bottom line, while my new blue gi was styling, I can't compete with a red one... much less the triumverate of red. Maybe someday they'll make one in yellow....
Anyway, class was good. We worked on two passes, one from guard and the other from half guard. The first technique is done by getting low with your head in the bottom guy's sternum while controlling his arms. Then, work one arm down and pass it underneath the bottom guy to secure a good strong grip with your opposite side hand. To create the space for this, you can bring up the opposite side leg or even tripod up on both legs for a second. This is done only to create enough space under the other guy's hips to pass his arm under. The legs come back down once a strong underhand grip is obtained. Then it's just a matter of walking around, controlling with that arm and moving into side control.
I tried a couple of times to get this to work in sparring, but two things were confounding me. First, I've found that when I'm in someone's guard, they almost never stay in closed guard. They're working to sweep me almost right away. The second, and probably the biggest obstacle, is that I couldn't manage to control the other guy's arms.
The second technique was a pass from half guard. This one is very similar to the full guard pass. First thing to do is to flatten the bottom guy out. To do this, just walk around until his shoulders are flat to the mat. Get low and control the arms. Then get a strong grip around the bottom guy's thighs, putting shoulder pressure on one of his hips and pressure from your head on the other side (the side opposite where he would normally push it to create room to get back to guard). Then bounce up strong to break the half-guard and move around (or over) the leg to side control. Then make him pay. Well, technically, I guess that last step is optional.
I really like this technique. In sparring last night, I was able to get this pass to work several times. One of the keys to both of these techniques is staying low. If you get too high on the guy's body, it'll be harder, if not impossible, to execute the pass.
My new, blue HCK gi came in, too. It's a bit higher grade than my white one. I feel a little foolish with so many gis, but I don't like having to wash them all the time, and since our last power outage, I have learned the value of having more than one. Besides, with 3 quality kimonos, I shouldn't have to buy a new one for many years to come.
One last note, I was given my first stripe on my white belt. I'll try not to let my new lofty station in the school go to my head.
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Anyway, class was good. We worked on two passes, one from guard and the other from half guard. The first technique is done by getting low with your head in the bottom guy's sternum while controlling his arms. Then, work one arm down and pass it underneath the bottom guy to secure a good strong grip with your opposite side hand. To create the space for this, you can bring up the opposite side leg or even tripod up on both legs for a second. This is done only to create enough space under the other guy's hips to pass his arm under. The legs come back down once a strong underhand grip is obtained. Then it's just a matter of walking around, controlling with that arm and moving into side control.
I tried a couple of times to get this to work in sparring, but two things were confounding me. First, I've found that when I'm in someone's guard, they almost never stay in closed guard. They're working to sweep me almost right away. The second, and probably the biggest obstacle, is that I couldn't manage to control the other guy's arms.
The second technique was a pass from half guard. This one is very similar to the full guard pass. First thing to do is to flatten the bottom guy out. To do this, just walk around until his shoulders are flat to the mat. Get low and control the arms. Then get a strong grip around the bottom guy's thighs, putting shoulder pressure on one of his hips and pressure from your head on the other side (the side opposite where he would normally push it to create room to get back to guard). Then bounce up strong to break the half-guard and move around (or over) the leg to side control. Then make him pay. Well, technically, I guess that last step is optional.
I really like this technique. In sparring last night, I was able to get this pass to work several times. One of the keys to both of these techniques is staying low. If you get too high on the guy's body, it'll be harder, if not impossible, to execute the pass.
My new, blue HCK gi came in, too. It's a bit higher grade than my white one. I feel a little foolish with so many gis, but I don't like having to wash them all the time, and since our last power outage, I have learned the value of having more than one. Besides, with 3 quality kimonos, I shouldn't have to buy a new one for many years to come.
One last note, I was given my first stripe on my white belt. I'll try not to let my new lofty station in the school go to my head.