Dave is a perfectionist and in starting the new location he wants it to be built in exacting vision.  This means the vibe, the facilities, the organization, the attitude, and of course, the techniques.  To accomplish this, we started from the beginning - ukemi, shrimp drills, proper hand positioning, etc.  These are the foundation of the house we all are trying to build day in and day out, and I have never taken the time to reset and really learn this core.  Some people may be bored with this material, but I find it so valuable.  Somehow inside I believe that doing these fundamentals right is the single most important thing I can be doing.  I just think that if I have this solid base in place, I can add to it - without it, I will somehow be floating aimlessly.  Been there, done that.

One of those fundamentals is the shrimp move.  It is essential, but it never felt right to me.  I always had to work so hard.  It was frustrating and I never knew why.  After a few weeks of doing shrimp drills and hearing Dave explain the movement over and over it finally clicked.  Said another way, the movement became clean.  It was now somehow easy and natural.  The difference?  I started to roll on my shoulder before moving my hips away.  This created some space and removed the friction from the mat.  Very simple, but I never really knew why it was so tough.

In last night's class was another of those moments.  We were working the standard armbar from guard.  Like you, I have seen about a thousand people teach this move, but Dave's armlocks are second to none.  What is cool is that he is constantly evolving.  I guarantee you that he did not do his armlock this way 5 years ago.  The main differences from the traditional approach are that he crossed his legs and used the off hand in a type of rubber guard.  It makes this move very hard to counter. (note - he does not always cross, but he showed that last night).  Just another example of a core move that I have struggled with and now hope to hit much more often and with more confidence.

See you on the mat!

photo credit: San Diego Shooter

I have to credit SBGi with first opening my eyes to the importance of posture.  For a long time I was caught in the technique arms race fueled by books and dvds.  Devouring everything in my path and hoping to remember it all.  Needless to say, it failed.  SBGi emphasizes posture first and technique second.  This concept helped me to focus my game on more simple elements and begin to put the pieces in place.

In our recent classes with Dave, he has opened my eyes to an even more fundamental element of bjj - movement.  We have all been to classes or seminars where everyone shrimps down the mat.  This is a fundamental movement.  We all know we should do this, we all know it somehow is important, but I know for me, I have always ignored training this movement.  Why?  Simple - It's just boring to do movement drills.

In class last week Dave did a few demonstrations that were really impressive and have caused me to refocus on movement drills a bit more.  The main one was his performance of the shrimp movement from side to side.  He did this effortlessly without letting his hips hit the ground.  He then continued that same movement by going a full 360 degrees.  This means starting on his back, shrimping away, going to the knees, and returning to the beginning position.  It was like watching a gymnast - smooth, fast, precise.

His second demonstration was all about using your shoulders and elbows for movement.  He "walked" up and down the mat on his shoulders and then again using his elbows  - connecting these movements by showing how they enable his mobility when rolling.  In both, he was scary fast.

This is clearly the type of natural, instinctive movement that top players have and more and more I can see it when I watch him roll.  Obviously a Judo background helps, but I believe anyone can get there with focus.  I plan to try.

The above was an interview I did last week with Dave after class.  I plan on doing a series like this on various topics from competition, to developing a game, and more.  Let me know if there are any topics or questions you'd like to see covered.

What I like about Dave's approach to the position is that he emphasizes control instead of the finish.  In his view, if you can control the position then the finish is easy (relatively).  I think this model of thinking applies in many, many areas.  We have all heard the maxim "position before submission" and this is no different.

The seminar started with two ways to take the armbar.  The first was if you held side control (cross sides top).   Your opponent turns into you with an underhook.  You take the top arm, secure a kimura grip and walk your hips in tight to their shoulder, finishing in the SAP.

The second entry was via mount.  More often than not, Dave holds a low mount (ie. legs crossed, hips low).  So we started there, gained head control, disrupted their posture, and trapped the opposite side elbow, driving it up slowly towards their head.  From there, we moved to an S mount, and then the SAP.

Two good things about these entries.  First is that they are very common and great to drill.  The other was that they demonstrated both a headside and legside armlock.  This forced you to think about how you were controlling the positon as what you do is different depending on the grip.

I have talked about this before, but there are three basic ways to control from the SAP: Posting, Extending Your Body Flat on the Mat, and Leg Control.  My personal favorite is leg control when I want to control while finishing, but more and more I think that against a really explosive opponent, I may use the extended body position.  Just something I need to play a bit more with.

The seminar was a good mix of new material (ie. details on gaining S mount) and things I had seen before (securing the SAP).  This gave me a chance to review what I knew, but also clean it up a bit.  A good example of this was the technique to switch between arm positions.  I "thought" I knew it and realized after watching Dave last night what component I was missing.

Thanks to Dave for putting on these free seminars.  I know everyone in the program appreciates it!

Paul

JUJI GATAME

FREE to all students of AKA and Pleasanton Guerrilla JJ programs.

I will be teaching a seminar reviewing the Standard Armbar Position. I will add a different entry from the back position and show how to abort the SAP when you lose control.

If you missed it the first time do not miss it this time. This is a continuation of the last friday seminar but also can be experienced as a stand alone.

Begins 630pm
Ends 830pm

at The American Kickboxing Academy Also known as The American Guerrilla JJ Academy!
AKAGYM.com

photo: GymJones

The new training partners and environment have been great to shine a light on aspects of my game that need some serious work.  There is nothing like a few challenging rolling partners to really help you assess where you are weak.  I'll paraphrase Dave from a conversation we had after class the other day, "If no one capitalizes on your mistakes, you never really know they are there."  Very true.

One thing I have also figured out is that there is always a limiting factor - a weak link in the chain that causes you to lose a match. It could be poor technique, poor timing, or something as obvious as being out of shape and gassing.

Currently my biggest weakness isn't my guard, my submission defense or anything else technical.  It's just simple cardio.  I get tired way, way too fast.  This causes a bunch of problems and I never again want this to be the case.  The first is that when I roll I can't bring my best game because I am exhausted.  This short changes myself and my training partners.  In addition, the lack of wind hurts my development since I roll less, thereby getting less experience, starting a viscious cycle.  Next week I am going to start 2x a week of Crossfit workouts (M/W) to begin the process of improving my cardio.  It will take some time, but it is simply not optional.  I hope that I am in good rolling shape within a month or so.

Once I eliminate the first weakness I will move onto my second one - positional control.  Being able to really slow a game down on top and control the pace while limiting your opponent's movement seems to be a big transition point in ones game.  From what I have seen, purple belts do this well, while most blues (myself included) do not.  So I hope to really emphasis slow deliberate movements from the top.  That is not to say they have to be constricting, but I should be controlling and ahead of the next position as it arises naturally.

Next in my chain of weaknesses is positional escapes.  I know that this should probably go before positional dominance (cause what if you can't ever get top!), but for me personally, I just feel better right now about my escapes.  I have decent luck getting out of bad spots but a harder time locking my opponent down.  

Now there are lots and lots of things to work in bjj, but I hope to focus on these three for a bit.  If any link is broken in the chain I find myself in trouble.  If I am tired, I can't bring game.  If I can't control the guy on bottom I can't ever get a chance to use my subs and of course, if I can't get away, then I can't ever attack.  So for me to have the submission oriented game I want, I need to start a few steps back, work on the foundation, and build up some of these basis skills.

Back to the drawing board...

I am always aware of the danger leg (the one that can put you back in guard), but other details have been lacking.  In addition, I find that too often I learn a specific move from a specific position, but cannot connect it to anything else I know - leaving islands of understanding.  Stated another way,  I don't really have a clear, automatic route to my control positions.  This drill I hope will solve that after a few months of drilling.  On to the drill...

Position 1: Side Control Top

Begin on your opponents right side in side control.  Left hand over the opponent's head, controlling their neck with your elbow.  The other hand controls with hip/leg, protecting from guard replacement (ie. the danger leg).  The lower body is sprawled squarely with your upper body weight chest to chest with your opponent.

Position 2: Switched Hips

Switch your base to face their hips, your left hip is now on the mat.  Use your outside leg (right) for base and kill the near side arm by scooting back into them (ie. drive your rear up towards their right armpit).  Your inside knee remains tight to their body and your toes of your inside foot are on the mat driving forward pressure. 

Position 3: Mount

The hand near their legs pushes the nearside leg away (towards their feet) and then pulls the other knee to your right side.  While hovering and driving with forward pressure, swing your right leg over for a mount with your foot landing flat on the mat loudly.  Be wary of the bridge, but when you feel safe, secure the far elbow with a same side grip, pulling yourself into high mount. 

Position 4: Switched Hips (opposite side)

To dismount, your right elbow moves to the right side of their neck.  From here, drop your right hip to the mat while keeping pressure with the back of your left heel on his right hip or quad.  Imagine squeezing your right knee and your left heel together.   You should be able to hold this position with good control.  From here, dismount by swinging your left leg back.  You should end up facing the hips of your opponent.  It is the exact mirror of where you were before mounting.

Position 5: Side Control Top (opposite side)

Bring your right hand to the mat, protecting against the danger leg while you sprawl your legs back to return to the beginning side control position we started with.  Remember to remain on your toes, hips low, driving down and in, chest to chest and your high elbow on their neck, driving their head offline if possible.

Position 6: North South with Elbow Control

Bring your left knee to their left hip, now that you are safe, move your left arm to the far side of their body, being sure to trap their right elbow with the crook of your elbow.  Trap their left elbow by gripping it with your right arm.  Pulling up, slide your left knee underneath the near side arm to a solid control position.  Your weight is on their chest, head low, and your right leg is out for base.  I also liked keeping a base hand planted on the far side.

To move to North South, use your right hand, press their left hand/wrist/elbow to their body and sprawl your chest on it, trapping their arm.  As you sprawl, keep low and sag your weight to the near side of their head.  Also be sure to trap both elbows, optionally grabbing the belt.

To continue around the head, simply raise your hips a bit and walk your torso to the other side of their head.  Then sprawl out again to pause in this control position, feeling your weight.  Next begins the movement back to where it all began.

To get there, bring your right knee up and beat their right elbow.  As you drive that knee up into their armpit, your right hand controls their left elbow.  As this point, you are now facing their head, controlling both elbows.  Be sure to keep your head and chest low with pressure.

Lift the opponent up a bit on their side, using your left hand to pull up on their elbow, driving weight into them.  Your right knee slides from their shoulder to their hip, never leaving their body.  Once it reaches their right hip, replace it with your right hand, bring your left elbow next to the left side of their neck and sprawl out with pressure, chest to chest.  You are now back in the beginnining position, ready to begin the circle again.

I am super excited to work this drill.  I really need a lot of work on this to make it automatic so I can roll fluidly.

Disclaimer

This above is just my recollection and notes from class and I hope they are accurate.  I write this down mainly to help me remember all the little details.  If it helps you out, awesome, but please don't mistake this as me trying to teach this material - I have a long way to go.  I do like sharing it with others in the bjj community and I sincerely hope that it gives people an idea of just how detailed Dave is in his instruction.  Every day is more gold so join us if you can.

Hope to see you on the mat!

Paul

Wow, tonight's class was great on so many levels. The focus was side control escapes.  Of course it all begins with posture, so Dave spent quite a bit of time talking about the correct posture and establishing that position early.

Once we had the fundamental concept down, we worked the primary escapes: going to the knees or recovering guard, depending on what hand position your opponent is using.  I really liked the way Dave taught guard recovery.  A new detail for me was using the outside leg to hold the opponent and even act as leverage to recover the position.  Simple and very effective.  The other cool thing was our movement to get to the knees was the same one we used in the last two classes as a warm up.   I think that gave us all a nice lesson in how that warm-up is really applied on the mat.

At this point Dave touched on what I found as the most valuable part of the class - his idea of Jiu-Jitsu Radar.  If your opponent is in front of you, in between your arms, he is in your radar.  The goal is to keep them there - if you lose them, they are likely on your back.  Not good.  So Dave has a great drill to practice this with an opponent where a willing partner walks around you in a circle while you keep them in your radar.  I think this is a fantastic way to warm up - I'll definitely be using that a lot.

During the rolling at the end of class I tried to focus a lot on this radar concept and it felt great.  I of course have a lot more work to do to make it natural, but it is a solid addition to the game.  I think if anyone gets really good at these fundamental movements/transitions they become a lot harder to deal with.

I have to say that if you can make these classes, sign up now.  Dave is giving a detailed. step-by-step masterclass in the fundamentals of bjj.  It is structured and organized.  This is a real rarity in bjj circles and it is giving me an opportunity to review all the basics from a completely fresh perspective.  It is so nice to just be a student of the game again, and my mind is racing.

The other great thing is the new training partners.  Roscoe and I had a chance to drill and roll today for the first time.  I loved it.  He definitely pushed me on all aspects of my game.  He is technical, strong, and doesn't give an inch.  His early posture is really strong as well and even on top I struggled to get into an attacking mode.  I know I will benefit greatly from working with him in the coming months as he gives me a level of skill to shoot for.  I hope I can give something back to his game in the process.

You never know how things are going to turn out at a new school, and like anyone I was a bit nervous about the change, but this is just really fun.  Lots of new faces, fantastic instruction, and a technical (but not too serious) environment.  It is exactly what I need at this point in my development.

Tonight was the 1st class at Dave's new academy in Pleasanton.  The mats were pretty crowded with about 20 guys showing up, about half of which I had trained with at my bjj club.  It was great to see a bunch of friendly faces.  All in all, pretty good for a first day with no marketing.  That says a lot about Dave's reputation - This is gonna grow fast.

We started the class with some standard warm-ups.  Light jogging, forward rolls, snake moves, jumping jacks and more.  After about 10 minutes, we moved on to Jiu-Jitsu 101.  This is a progression of moves that compose a simple cycle of mount escape, guard opening, guard passing, mount and repeat.  It allows each person to work the progression in a smooth flow.  As much as I had already done this, I still picked up some great little details, as follows:

• When mounting, keep upper body pressure on your opponent.
• When controlling from side control, face the legs to strengthen your posting leg base.
• In taking mount, control an elbow to enable a climb to high mount.
• When bridging to escape mount, use the off hand to drive a high underhook.

After working this sequence, Dave moved on to explain the 50/50 drill.  This is essentially isolation training a specific position and working with limited resistance.  The goal is for each person to gain confidence while working slow enough to notice the movements of their partner. 

With the drill explained, we worked two positions.  First was escaping mount.  Second was opening and passing the guard.  I love these drills and it always reminds me how far I have to go in this art.

To close the class Dave talked a bit about his philosophy and his idea that "Control is the ultimate expression of Jiu-Jitsu" really hit home with me.  Whenever I find myself flailing around trying to work a technique I'll remember that statement, slow down, and think.

Overall it was a big day.  I learned a lot and can see that a new door opened for me and my training partners.  There will be new techniques, a new philosophy, new challenging partners, and a new environment.  This will make all of us stronger - without a doubt. 

Looking foward to Thursday when we will cover side control...

Great news! I thought it would never happen but it seems that Dave is going to be teaching his unique brand of Guerrilla Jiu-Jitsu in Pleasanton, CA.   This has been talked about for a while, so it was nice to get the email this week that everything is now locked and loaded.

The school location will be a part of VIPMMA. Dave will be teaching Tuesday and Thursday 6-7pm (plus rolling time). He may also add a Saturday class depending on the number of people who sign up.  Classes start Tuesday January 6th.

If you want to sign up, please do so via Dave's wife, Shumei. She can be reached at 408.890.0100 or email shumei@davecamarillo.com. Please do let Shumei know that you heard about the new location from me.

I'll certainly be signing up for the classes to I hope to see you all on the mat with Dave in the new year!!

Paul