Ate some tomato meat sauce over rice at about 4. Neck and upper back was stiff from the last class, so I popped 2 Ibuprofen before heading out to class. That’d haunt me.

During the first few takedowns I had 2 or 3 vertebrae go “pop!” in my back and 1 in my neck. I actually think those were good pops as my back now feels pretty normal again. Victory was short-lived, however, as I felt something complain just above the left knee on the outside when I got Osoto garied and my sciatic nerve has been talking to me ever since. Gassed pretty quickly, as usual, and got heartburn – no more tomato sauce before class, apparently! This cardio issue is really starting to get me down, too. I’m pretty useless halfway through a roll and I don’t have much game to begin with. Enough bitching – here are the notes!

Takedown class – started with pummeling drills and got yanked around by the big blue belt. Worked pulling with the underhook, 3 pummels then shoot for underhooks, then 3 pummels and step to the t position for the bodylock takedown (that’s where the pops came in). Worked Osoto in phases – the hands, then the hands and twist and leg grapevine, then the takedown, then we did the hop-in drill up the mat and down, then the snapdown series with an osoto gari. Last was several rounds of gripfighting. Messed around with overhooks – I should watch that Rob Koll video for some tips on how to make them work. I keep brainfarting and not using the right grip brakes on the lapel – one hand pushes inside of grabber’s wrist while opposite hand grips gi and pushes along with a body twist.

Ground class – Worked with one guy that I couldn’t even get my legs around for closed guard – that was interesting.

Kick sweep series and roll to knee on belly, mount escape flow drill, closed guard to spider guard transition, then closed to spider guard with the sweep. Spider guard sweep with the leg reaping the downed knee demonstrated, and a new drill, the spider guard sweep against a posted leg was shown. Details: perform spider guard transition and go for gas pedal sweep, but top man posts the leg rather than leaving knee on the mat. Bottom hooks leg with instep and hip escapes, dumping top man onto the opposite side of the hooked leg.

Spider guard demo by Larry showing ease of access to triangles, omo platas and sweeps with the spider guard.

Rolls

1st – tried mount escape with limited success – top man often just hit S mount. Did get it to work but then got stuck under the top man trying to roll him. Stephan Kesting’s sweep might have been good to try here. There are some good half guard tips here(Kesting again!), particularly for a position I get stuck in all the time – he uses a butterfly hook to pop someone up to recover guard when they’ve crossfaced and flattened the bottom man.

Tried the Kurt Osiander move against knee on belly and got armbarred instead of getting the single. I see I probably should have went for his second escape, as the guy already had the position on me. I was reaching up while mounted, too. Got head and arm guillotined as well from a kneeling position. This defense might be worth a go.

2nd roll – Tried kesagetame escape and was stymied by a turn to side control and a posted arm. Got my gi bottom gripped and couldn’t break out. Got rear mounted. Have no real game plan when starting.

Attempt to address issues in order:
Kesting’s Kesagetame escapes

Beyond Grappling kesagetame escape

Grip fighting upon entries I’m diddling around too much with the initial grip fighting, but I think that’s largely because I have no real goal or passing game.

Haven’t watched this one all the way through yet, but it looks promising.

I tried working this against the rear mount but didn’t get too far and don’t think I did it properly at all. Then got tired, got stupid, and got choked.