A punch is just a punch Mike...

So, tonight Coach worked in half guard from no-gi. We concentrated re-pummeling for the under-hook, protecting the cross face and working the grapevine on the legs. After that we worked a little position sparring. Now, I love to position spar, BUT not so much from half guard. You all know how much I LOVE training half guard lately :-p It really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be though. During sparring I even had a chance to roll with a couple really tough players, including Coach (who toyed with me like a giant lion playing with a little mouse - HA!).

Once again my money came after class during open mat. I had a chance to talk with Coach about my half guard issue. I actually broke down and admitted to him that I'm pretty much scared sh!#-less getting there. At this point he looks at me and says "you know, you really shouldn't be so upset that you haven't mastered half guard in two months." Whoop there it was! He followed it up by saying that Bruce Lee once said "when I first started training in the martial arts a punch was just a punch and a kick was just a kick. After training for awhile I learned that a punch was much more than just a punch and a kick was more than just a kick. After a lifetime of training I saw that a punch was just a punch and a kick was just a kick." What does this have to do with jiu jitsu you say? Well, it tells me that I have to give it time. I always tell people the biggest thing I love about jits is that it is a life long journey of learning, YET I then turn around and expect myself to conquer a position that I have never willingly gone to...in only to months. Ridiculous I say! I am hereby calling shenanigans on myself!

I talked with coach about some strategies to make it an easier transition for me. Like perhaps using it as a transitory position for getting to the back (which is a HUGE position in my "game"...if I can even say I have one!). He showed me a couple really good nuggets for shucking and taking the back.

So, in the end - yes Mike, a punch is just a punch. Don't expect a life time of skill and knowledge to come in some epiphany over two months. Enjoy the ride...even if that ride is getting it handed to you every time you attempt half guard. Sooner or later even a blind squirrel will find a nut in the forrest :)

Why do I fear progress!?!

Okay, so that title is no joke. Its actually frustrating the hell out of me! Half guard has me almost mentally paralyzed lately. Its not the "I don't know what to do from there" problem. Coach, my classmates, and close training partners work with me all the time. The problem I think I'm facing is the timing in my brain! I'm am literally scared blank when it comes time to transition. By the time I realize what I "should have done" its to damn late and I'm being mauled by friends. Last month it was that I was trying to force my way into half guard, this month the problem is I'm to damned scarred to transition when the timing is perfect for me! Makes you want to bang your head against the wall some times :)

But, in the end isn't it about learning this stuff first hand anyway? If we don't have these "lesson's in frustration" then I don't think we are really trying to push ourselves. Yes, I'm pissed at myself when the fight is over. Yes, I replay my rolls a million times in my head throughout the night when I'm at home. YES, I get very frustrated at what I think is a lack of progress on my part. But.....then I have to remind myself that these are just the trappings of an ego and its actually pretty awesome to get mauled by Dev on the mat because he wants exactly wants I want - one more nugget to squirrel away in our brains :)

So, in the end the day is still good, life is still good....and we have a brand new BJJ blue belt in our house. Chelle received here promotion from Coach tonight and I couldn't be more proud of here. She has come a LONG way since she first started training with me in ND. Life is good...

Chelle and Coach after her promotion tonight.

Good training, Good friends, and a week off because carting around kids :)

So, here I am. Yep, still alive out here in Cali. I figured I'd better put an update here lest you all think I've given up training for good :)

I went up to Wisconsin the weekend of 4 - 7 December for training. Red Dragon Academy hosted me once again for a weekend full of fun, bruises...and a little bit of blood and vomit (not at the same time of course!). The training was actually over three days, and I flew back home the following Monday (7 Dec).

Day 1 (Friday) - I spent time with just their black belts. We covered basic concepts of real firearms defense, specifically with the pistol. I talked a lot about the psychology of the defense first. My favorite part of the night is when I had one of their black belts hold a pistol on me and demand my wallet. I then asked the crowd what the best defense was for that...which got me several interesting replies. In the end I said I learned the best one as a police officer, to which I handed my wallet over to my assailant :) That got some snickers and a few laughs from the group. I asked them who in the crowd could run 800 feet per second, and then explained that's why I gave him my wallet. There was nothing in that folded leather that was worth my life.

We covered several pistol positions in from the front, side and back. Each one linked with the other and the basic techniques we use are all interchangeable to prevent the "Oh Crap!" mind dump that comes from finite motor skills.

Day 2 (Saturday) - We began with a good (muwahahahahahahahahaha - insert evil laugh!) warm up. We covered basic use of full contact striking, kicking and distance. Intercept techniques to enter into the clinch range, 50/50 clinch fighting, clinch/clothe fighting, take down defenses and three simple "triple threat" take down defenses.

Day 3 (Sunday) - Last day we covered basic fighting positions on the ground, how to get back up and re-engage the attack, striking and VERY basic submission potential from the ground.

All in all it was a LONG three days for those involved and they were absolutely exhausted by the end. There was a butt load things covered this weekend, of which I expect them to remember maybe two or three techniques :) That's the nature of the beast in a weekend training camp though. You cover the four fundamental ranges of combat (stand up, clinch, ground and weapons) and then hope at least the philosophy sticks.

Also during the weekend I had the privilege of promoting two long time friends and students of mine. Jared S. earned his brown belt under me and Dan D. earned his blue belt. Both are great people, great friends and solid martial artists that have a passion for realistic and practical training. I'm so very proud of both of them!

Here are two photos of the weekend taken at the end of day two. I'll post the pics of Jared and Dan's promotion as soon as I get them.

Here's the group "trying" to be serious. You can see

new Brown Belt Jared S. on the left side of the photo.

...And here's the "no so serious" group :)

Training after the return was pretty much Nil. Between Hunter's cub scouts, volunteering at my church, Kaelyn's concerts and running the heathen's around I had NO time for Mikey. Its okay though. I counted this as my second week of the year that I took off from training. I try to completely veg for at least two separate periods during the year to let my body fully rest. I'm ready to go punish again starting tomorrow. Good times :)

2 Dec 09

Workout: Strength Training, Core workout

Cardio: Bike, speed ride 9 miles

BJJ: Tonight was a great night of training! I'm using December as my second "month of half guard" to really expand on the HUGE hole in my game that is my half guard. Tonight coach showed a great reversal from half guard starting from when your opponent tries to push your top leg down for a sprawl out pass. When they push your leg down you get a cuff and elbow grip on the hand that is same side as your half guard and you pull it cross body. Next you reach over their back and grab their armpit. After that you roll them over the side that you are grabbing and take a modified S mount....or in Coach's words a "half S mount" position because you're still "half inside their half guar" :) From there we worked the sliding collar choke, one arm strangle choke, rolling them to back control and then performing both chokes again.

I drew all white belts for rolling tonight. I spent my time getting some good positions and "trap shooting" subs for the first three minutes of each roll. After that I put myself in bad positions not only to work my defense but to let my partners work some offense. It was a great rolling night not getting crushed by Dylan, Mark or Dev :)

After class I sat on the mat and talked to Dev about a cool break down for two positions in half guard. My preferred position is knee low on the side of the leg and a lock down on my opponent. Dev's favorite is the "93" position with a high knee bracing on the ribs of your opponent. What I loved about Dev's explanation of both positions was basically a near and a far breakdown. For me I go to "stone squirrel" with the under hook. For the far position I need to keep one hand bracing near my opponents hips and the other protecting against the cross face. The "93" position is all about keeping the spring loaded in your leg, not letting your opponent swim under for an "arm under" pass or lock you down by grabbing your belt at your back. I have to say THANKS to Dev for always training with me, putting up with my crazy questions and being such a great friend. He scares the CRAP out of me on the mat but he's one of those guys I wouldn't ever want to go through training without! Thanks bro!

30 Nov 09

Workout: Strength Training, Core workout

Cardio: 9 mile speed ride on the bike

BJJ: Tonight we worked on reversing someone when they are in the "knee up" passing position inside your guard. The basic techniques was to sit up when your opponent goes "knee up" and looks like he's going to do the pass of '09. Then you hook your same side arm around the leg that is up and grab your own lapel with that hand. Next you perform a "modified" technical stand where you only go to your knee and not all the way up. Then you drive forward and push your opponent down to the mat, making sure that you put your head inside the landing pad by their shoulder. All thats left after that is to pass their legs and take side control. Next he covered a variation that involves your opponent grabbing your knee so that you cannot pull back into the technical stand. For this one you are going to grab that same wrist with your leg hook arm, use your free hand to grab the lapel, and then pull/push them over the shoulder on the side that they grabbed your leg. Lastly we worked on two variations of the reversal that covered your opponent standing instead of staying in the knee up position. The principle was still the same but instead of going to a modified technical stand you stood all the way up.

Rolling was really good. First I rolled with Rachelle and worked her offensive game. Next I rolled with Billy S. (white belt) and tried my back control defense stuff. After that I rolled with Dev K. (blue belt) and we worked him getting to side control top and me getting to half guard. Basically we scrambled until one of use reached our desired position and then we reset and went at it again. BUT, by the end we started just going for it like usually and I tried to resort to my back control game which I am very comfortable with. First time I went to all fours to work my defensive game and he pressure back on me, grabbed my leg and sleeve and rolled me with something that I had never seen before. It was another "Aha" moment for me....which I seem to have a lot of with Dev :) Great night over all though.

So, my evaluation of the "month of the half guard" is simply this...I still have no idea what I'm doing...but I do finally understand a lot of what I'm doing wrong. I was trying hard to force myself into half guard from positions that I had solid control already at instead of sliding into half guard when it was most advantageous for me. Sooooooo, I plan to extend the month into December and use my new outlook to try again!