BJJ, Strength & Air Traffic Control

25Jan12

Max Effort Day

Close Grip Bench Press
175x3
195x3
215x2
230x1
235x1
245xFail

A1

Weighted Dips
+25x10
+35x10
+35x10
+25x10

A2

Cable Rows
195x8
180x9
165x9
150x10

Vanity

DB Side Raises
40x10
35x10
30x10
25x9 (drop set)

Notes

-ME work felt very strong today, way up from last week's showing. 245 was a failure in part due to a poor descent, though I'm not sure if I can handle it yet. For reference, my grip is with forefinger just outside the smooth part of the bar.

-Cable rows felt weaker than last week and missed a few reps, but I think it's due to supersetting them with dips to save time in the gym. Just assistance work so who cares.

BJJ

Tough class. Just didn't move very well and get smashed a lot...Hurt my fingers/hand so it's painful to bend at the wrist, got a cut on my toe with lose skin...Choked another big blue belt unconscious with my baseball bat choke. Learned the flower sweep from closed guard, an ultra-basic sweep I'd never learned before but picked up very quickly.
 
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Wow. You've choked two blue belts out since you got to the new gym? You hardly sound like the weakest blue there.
 
For some reason I thought you loved the flower sweep.

Do you still have that weird forearm pain you used to get?
 
TheAth-ah-lete said:
Wow. You've choked two blue belts out since you got to the new gym? You hardly sound like the weakest blue there.
Click to expand...

Hm, well..Let me just say that the guys I choked out were both wayyy better than me. Like, I pulled the choke out of my back pocket as a last resort, and caught them each once. Won't happen again with the individuals I'm sure, they just were surprised by it. I threw it on Goon at NAGA though he mounted me and it didn't work, but I'm sure I'd never come close to it on him again. It requires a certain amount of ignorance from your opponent because they help choke themselves.

Trust me, I'm still in the bottom 30% of blues here.


Corrosion said:
For some reason I thought you loved the flower sweep.

Do you still have that weird forearm pain you used to get?
Click to expand...

Oh yeah, I guess the sweep I do often is a flower sweep but I always knew it as a pendulum sweep and the set up was way different. I actually prefer this one I learned because it's telegraphed less.

EDIT: I do a gift wrap variation in my next post; that's what my pendulum sweep looks like. The one we learned the other night was just off of double elbow control.

Nope, forearm pain is gone! :)

Sobchak said:
All of it.
Click to expand...

The cheesecake and other awesome recipes plus macros for all of them are here. Let me know what you think:

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&...ODY3ZC00ZmZiLTliZjEtY2I1MzhlNzE3MmRm&hl=en_US

As far as tabatas go, I don't even do conditioning anymore. My lungs are feeling good on the mat from doing just BJJ, and I am trying to put on lean mass as you know. When I was doing them it was just tabata sprints, maybe 20:10 work:rest or 20:20 (seconds).
 
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26Jan12

BJJ (no-gi)

I've become more and more tired after BJJ and thus not logging until the next day, and then my memory is fuzzy. Got smashed a bit and did some ok work...Noticed some cool things about my stand up that is showing improvement such as getting my first ever takedown, against a good blue belt too, and sprawling VERY effectively against a good wrestler's takedown attempts several times. Standup is an area I have suuuuch little experience with, so there is tons of room for growth.

Worked a butterfly sweep, head and elbow, with a lot of reps.

A short clip of a roll with a nice dude. A few things I noticed were that I wasn't capitalizing enough on submission opportunities, instead showing complacency to move around and change positions without hunting to finish the fight. Gave up way too much space and gave up ground that I had won numerous times. Overall wasn't showing a very good gameness attitude, but I know I can do better. Tried working a key lock from mount without success, not sure why it wasn't working. We dialogue about it mid-roll a little bit.

 
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TheJewBear said:
I threw it on Goon at NAGA though he mounted me and it didn't work, but I'm sure I'd never come close to it on him again. It requires a certain amount of ignorance from your opponent because they help choke themselves.
.
Click to expand...

You actually surprised me with that choke. I used to love using it in practice because like you said, your opponent tends to tighten it up on themselves by taking mount or taking the back, exactly what I did with you lol To tell you the truth it took me a couple of seconds for what was happening to register when you hit that and when I mounted and tightened it up I was thinking "I am such a fucking retard, I used to use this choke all the time, wtf am I doing". It's sad watching my skills slowly slipping away :icon_sad:

I'm sure you could tap me out quickly if we actually rolled for real and if I came down to your weight. You game is pretty technical.


TheJewBear said:
A few things I noticed were that I wasn't capitalizing enough on submission opportunities, instead showing complacency to move around and change positions without hunting to finish the fight. Gave up way too much space and gave up ground that I had won numerous times. Overall wasn't showing a very good gameness attitude, but I know I can do better.
Click to expand...

I feel like I wasted a year of training because of this. Good thing you're aware of the problem. It's fun practicing movement and bragging about how it's a "gentle art" but occasionally you gotta remind yourself you're not out there picking daisies, you're practicing the not so gentle art of submission wrestling.
 
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27Jan12

3/3/3

Squat
210x3
240x3
270x8
Boring But Big
155x10
155x10
155x10

A1&2

Windshield Wipers
95x A lot

Landmines
95x10

Notes

-Trained with a new friend at his house/home gym. Really cool set up and first time using bumper plates!!!

-Top set felt strong. as fuck. Maybe having a partner training with me made me work harder, idk but I had two more left in the tank at least.

-The ab work was his idea and it was new to me, but different because my ab work is very frontal-oriented and never twisting. Probably why I look pregnant in clothes but you can see my abs with shirt off lol kind of weird.

BJJ (no-gi)

Will update later.
 
As soon as you lock up the figure four, your top elbow (your left in this case) should shoot down to the base of his neck creating a frame and separating his head more from his arm. You should be tight around the arm from all angles(i wish I could explain better). Drop your opposite (left) hip to the mat and do not raise up your right leg like that, bring it a little higher up his body to base and counteract your left hip pressing through him to the floor, but do not give any space for his body to move while you attempt to separate his arm from his body (essentially what you are trying to do. Like pulling off a turkey leg). Now the biggest problem I see if you bringing the elbow up towards the ceiling along with the right leg up. TONS OF SPACE! Try pressing his entire arm into the mat and pull his elbow into his body and down to his hip. Most of the time when I do this I am tight enough on the arm and crushing with my hips enough that just bringing the arm down is enough to get the tap. If not I very gently raise the elbow, BUT ONLY if the arm is already chambered low next to his body and blocked by my right leg, and I am always very careful at that point. The truth is once someone gets their arm put in that position it's so fucked that tapping is just a matter of time. I've also not seen many people experienced with this type of keylock so some are not expecting how quickly it comes on and may not be ready to tap if they are used to defending keylocks another way.

Similar principles apply to all double wrist licks and they are some of my favorite techniques.
 
TheAth-ah-lete said:
As soon as you lock up the figure four, your top elbow (your left in this case) should shoot down to the base of his neck creating a frame and separating his head more from his arm. You should be tight around the arm from all angles(i wish I could explain better). Drop your opposite (left) hip to the mat and do not raise up your right leg like that, bring it a little higher up his body to base and counteract your left hip pressing through him to the floor, but do not give any space for his body to move while you attempt to separate his arm from his body (essentially what you are trying to do. Like pulling off a turkey leg). Now the biggest problem I see if you bringing the elbow up towards the ceiling along with the right leg up. TONS OF SPACE! Try pressing his entire arm into the mat and pull his elbow into his body and down to his hip. Most of the time when I do this I am tight enough on the arm and crushing with my hips enough that just bringing the arm down is enough to get the tap. If not I very gently raise the elbow, BUT ONLY if the arm is already chambered low next to his body and blocked by my right leg, and I am always very careful at that point. The truth is once someone gets their arm put in that position it's so fucked that tapping is just a matter of time. I've also not seen many people experienced with this type of keylock so some are not expecting how quickly it comes on and may not be ready to tap if they are used to defending keylocks another way.

Similar principles apply to all double wrist licks and they are some of my favorite techniques.
Click to expand...

x2.

I can usually get the tap just by bringing the elbow by the hip.

Nice rolling...you seem to get the sweep at will.
 
TheAth-ah-lete said:
Stupid phone. Double wrist LOCKS not licks.
Click to expand...

2czsz2a.png
 
Want to address Ath's breakdown later, but in a rush to do errands and wanted to log real quick--


28Jan12

BJJ

Comp class, just rolling. Lots of higher belts, so I got to roll with a few purples and a good blue belt, plus a few whites. Tapped a white belt with a neck crank from half guard, first-time ever doing that. He was on his hip completely and I had double-hand head control so I just cupped and twisted his head towards me. I honestly don't know if thats a dick move or not.

Used my baseball bat choke a lot today. Went with a big, maybe 200lb 3-stripe purple belt from the feet and pulled closed guard. Got my grips and faked a sweep, let him pass and twisted, spun it hard hard hard until finally I noticed he was out. Ungh! Head coach noticed and told me to lift his feet and in a couple of seconds he was awake. Marks third person I've choked unconscious in less than a month with this choke. Every time I use it though I feel a little uneasy, because it's like the ONLY thing I get consistently against people better than me. The purple belt then proceeded to tap me pretty easily from his high guard with an arm bar.

Went with a good blue belt, tapped him with the baseball bat choke too and otherwise had a VERY even and good round with tons of sweeps between us and good movement.

Not much else to comment on...I've been feeling competent somewhat using the baseball bat choke from other setups, such as the conventional side control attack. Used it today against a smaller purple belt, and ALMOST got it but he survived. I need to keep working it to perfection because it's already a good move in my arsenal.

Some right calf cramping and pain, otherwise injury-free. Conditioning felt weak today though.
 
29Jan12

Repeated Effort

DB Incline Bench
70'sx11
65'sx12
65'sx10
65'sx10

A1

DB Nosebreakers
45'sx5
35'sx10
35'sx10

A2

Chins
19-20 (PR)

Weighted Chins
+90x3 (PR+Rep PR)
+45x8

Wide Grip Chins
10



Notes

-The 19th rep of chins is very sketchy. I know I had 20 in me for that set, but it may have to be called 19 at the moment or until I can do a perfect clean set of 20. On the other hand, what max effort set of anything is going to look perfect and clean.

-Wide grip chins for v-taper brah. Seriously though, I've become a little enamored by training for hypertrophy and aesthetics. Not ready to leave the board for bodybuilding.com like LIKKUID though ;)

BJJ

Re-learned the butterfly sweep we went over earlier this week. Small class tho so got some one on one instruction and got details cleaned up; namely, pushing off of your non-sweeping foot is crucial to getting power and when I started focusing on it while drilling, it felt more like a powerful judo throw than a gentle sweep.

Rolling, went with everyone, who were all white belts, and my BB instructor. Got a lot of good stuff from the feet, including my baseball bat set up from standing and then spun to north/south. It wasn't instant for the tap and I had to hold on for a good while, but also I think it was my timidity because, honestly, I didn't want to choke a white belt unconscious. My instructor would probably have had a word with me if that happened, so I was cautious but I know it'll work in competition better. Also got the ankle pick takedown we learned my first week here. Loving the progress!

Got lots of good stuff on the whites and my movement was extremely aggressive, quick, automated, internalized and stoic. Overall felt great! Left with some pain in my shoulder muscle belly which has been there all day strangely, and some hip pain but not too bad.
 
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TheAth-ah-lete said:
As soon as you lock up the figure four, your top elbow (your left in this case) should shoot down to the base of his neck creating a frame and separating his head more from his arm. You should be tight around the arm from all angles(i wish I could explain better). Drop your opposite (left) hip to the mat and do not raise up your right leg like that, bring it a little higher up his body to base and counteract your left hip pressing through him to the floor, but do not give any space for his body to move while you attempt to separate his arm from his body (essentially what you are trying to do. Like pulling off a turkey leg). Now the biggest problem I see if you bringing the elbow up towards the ceiling along with the right leg up. TONS OF SPACE! Try pressing his entire arm into the mat and pull his elbow into his body and down to his hip. Most of the time when I do this I am tight enough on the arm and crushing with my hips enough that just bringing the arm down is enough to get the tap. If not I very gently raise the elbow, BUT ONLY if the arm is already chambered low next to his body and blocked by my right leg, and I am always very careful at that point. The truth is once someone gets their arm put in that position it's so fucked that tapping is just a matter of time. I've also not seen many people experienced with this type of keylock so some are not expecting how quickly it comes on and may not be ready to tap if they are used to defending keylocks another way.

Similar principles apply to all double wrist licks and they are some of my favorite techniques.
Click to expand...

Ok, I see it now and hear you loud and clear. I remember and know I need to drive that elbow against their ribs, and often do this very well when throwing on the key lock from half guard or side control. I almost never get them from the mount though and for some reason, the positioning threw me off and I felt totally lost as to how to finish it.

So keep my legs down, keep the weight on him but rotate and twist the arm off of his body. Don't post up on either foot, right?
 
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