Week 46: leg locks

No Lee tonight so Pete took the class.

Despite the soaring temperatures outside we started with the no grip grappling drill.

Leg lock from the open guard position. Start is if going to pass with shin over their thigh and make sure that the foot is placed deep under their thigh. When you look to pass with the shin it will be much deeper and have an opening of the hips preventing him from escaping easily to another position. Instead of passing hold the high leg and sit back as you come under his leg with yours. You are essentially clasping his leg between yours. Now that you have his leg clasped you can begin to work on the lower part of his leg for the submission. We looked at 2:

Achilles compression: With his toes under your armpit insert your inner forearm bone against his tendon to apply pressure.



Heel hook: this is a much more devastating submission due to the potential long term injury the leg can suffer. With his toes under your armpit roll towards them lifting the far side shoulder off the floor. This will allow you to sink his heel into the elbow crease of your arm. He is now seconds away from a 2 month limp.

Free form grappling

Free form with Seb and came away with a left black eye lid.

Week 45: ground fighting

Injured wrist so spent the night taking pictures and videos.

Nice brutal warm up from Joe involving lots of level changes, lifts and stomach churning spins.

Opening drill was being out of striking range and looking to shoot in for the single knee capture. Striking was then added to mix.

Next drill which they spent a good amount of time on was grappling to the point of submission, holding the submission then giving the partner a chance to develop an escape for the submission. Lots of rounds of this.

Final drill was several rounds of free form grappling with striking. Lots of good videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTxutPWsCgI

Week 44: clinch and takedown

Opened by working the single knee tap drill. Good drill to develop discipline in posture and hands and body as there can be the tendency to become wrestlers can crouch with short arms.

This then progressed into single leg capture. This time we had to capture the single leg and pick the leg up off the floor then battle for the takedown whilst the defender has to maintain balance and recover his leg.

Next drill was no grip clinching. No grip in that the palms could not be closed.
This led nicely into the next part of the lesson focussing on clinch. Lee began by stressing the importance of footwork in the clinch when manipulating another.

Essentially the footwork is lengthen then shorten, driving from and off the back leg. You will only be effective in the clinch when applying the other correct aspects of posture; hips back, concave back, eyes to eyes and at least one primary grip. First was working no grip using footwork to move your partner. Secondly was with grip. Of course you begin to use your arms more and concentrate less on the legs. Finally it was against resistance. It became apparent here why the legs need to be used. You will be ineffective without using the legs plus run the risk of gassing the arms from the clinch battle.

Light to medium sparring free form standing. One looks to shoot for the double or single knee capture whilst the other needs to use footwork and sprawling to avoid going down.

Freeform sparring from the knees with striking and submissions. I had Milzy then Joe. I came away with a lumpy and purple forehead plus a torn wrist. How I love MMA.