Great turnout for a Monday. About 25 on the mat.

I'm assuming that everyone is gearing up for John tomorrow. Whatever the reason it was a good session. I personally gained several good points from John’s seminars in Auckland and Hamilton and was extremely keen to put them into practice.

Although I didn't cover all of them, I got a couple of the main points across and everyone clearly got the picture. Started with a little chat, first I had to explane the new Gi (red Koral – I’m thinking of making everyone call me Sensei) Then went over a lot of the tips I posted in the blog below. Just a few little things that will make everyone’s seminar a better.

We then quickly went through the Basic sweeps. Starting with the concept of the Closed Guard player needing to initiate the control. Eg: closing the space between us, gaining his 3 controls. Deep in the collar, at the cuff and feet crossed. Every time you take closed guard these things should be automatic.

Then we had to slightly modify our basic sweep, Same 3 controls. Our partner starts their pass, we open our legs, hip out as far as possible, trying to get our bum inline with our shoulders. Then we slip our shin across their middle and hook our foot around their side. Straighten our upper body up to create more distance. Then pull them right forward to get their weight off their legs and scissor our legs to knock them over!

Then Hooking sweep. Same 3 controls, Our partner starts their pass, we hip out the same but this time kick our heal to our but then swing the hook in to the back of their knee and switch our hips back. We need our hooking knee to be facing out to help “Stick” the hook. We then pull them forward and sweep, keeping the hook stuck until we mount…

Then Back sweep. Same 3 controls, our partner stands up, we keep our legs locked shut, gaining a free ride under their base. Grab their heels, open our legs, drop our but to the ground and squeeze our knees. Push our heels to the ground and sit them on their butt. Post. Wait. As they sit up (because it’s a live drill) grab their neck, and posting the whole time slide around to the right until you gain mount.

Front Sweep. Same 3 controls, Partner stands up – with bad posture. Control their hands/cuffs, feet in the bikini line, push them back for a reaction (again requires a “Live” partner) collapse our knees slightly, take the weight and redirect them to the roof. Control their forward fall, place their head on the mat and look in their ear (Check for wax) roll them over and maintain control until mounted high.

Now put it all together!!! As a quick drill, with the emphasis on recognising and establishing que’s. Partner starts to pass, Scissor sweep, and roll back to guard. Partner starts to pass with their leg back, hook sweep, and roll back to guard. Partner stands up with good posture, back sweep, roll to guard. Partner stands up bad posture, front sweep, and roll back to guard and repeat.

This is a concept that I have tried to explain several times but as always John has given us a way to make it easier to understand and implement. I have always talked about Switches, or recognising when the fight has changed and quickly adjusting. This is that concept done in a way that everyone on the mat can relate to. It can be applied to every part of the syllabus and it’s something that I will implement without hesitation. Look out for it. Remember though, stay relaxed, do it, don’t think about it, take the que and act! Relax! Smooth and efficient!!!!!

On a side note, at work, they’ve made some changes to my run that I have been asking for since I suffered the pneumothorax last Christmas and the result is a little more down time, allowing me to post stuff like this. Lets hope it lasts.

See you Wednesday for John……