Geoff having a well-earned night off from training, so Dion took the class with help from Melissa.

First night back at training for Johnny Bares, fresh from his division win at US GrapplerQuest and a Caribbean holiday, and full of slick moves from Renzo Gracie in NYC. Welcome back bro'!

Began with a warm ups and drills in open guard and a quick review of the X-guard. However, focus of class was on attacking the turtle position.

Dion went through two ways to approach attacking the turtle without making use of the Clock Choke.

(1) The turtle-to-side control-to-mount-to-side mount-to-choke routine:
(a) Use belt and collar to open space between opponent's knee and elbow on their RHS. Insert left knee and keep weight on their back.
(b) As opponent tries to put us back in guard, use right forearm under neck and barrel them down to side control. Remember to keep your left knee in front of theirs. Their arm will be trapped across their body, so slide down and bulldoze forward again to tighten the arm-enclosed side control.
(c) With their arm trapped, it is easy to switch base toward their legs and mount up without resistance.
(d) Slide your left arm under their head and grab their trapped right arm at the wrist, which should now be wrapped across their face. Release your own right hand and base out in the mount to avoid the bridge-and-roll.
(e) Slide up to side mount pushing your chest on the back of their right tricep and torquing with their right arm.
(f) Using right hand, pass their right lapel into your left hand and release their wrist. Finish the single-lapel choke, or switch to arm bar for variation.

(2) The Nagoya BJJ turtle rollover to side control:
(a) As for (a) above.
(b) You try to put your right hand under their chin for either technique (1) above or for a Clock Choke. However, the opponent is on to your plan and defends the neck area with his/her right hand.
(c) Take your left knee out from under their body and in its place slide your right hand. Grab the far lapel with your right hand - thumb in, fingers out. Walk your body around toward their legs keeping your weight on your opponent.
(d) With your left hand 'open the door' by pulling out their left knee. This creates a space between their left knee and elbow.
(e) Dive your left arm and head underneath their body, hooking their leg as you go, and roll.
(f) You will roll 270 degrees to side control position. Release right hand from lapel and quickly secure side control, or go straight for armbar.

This gives two high percentage options for attacking the turtle position, in addition to the Clock Choke, as first attacking options.

Finished with a few 1-minute rounds of free sparring starting from the turtle position. Good class with some enthusiastic rolling and everyone got the techniques down tight.

Dion.