More Spider Guard Principles

• Having a grip and leg extended on your opponent's bicep while they are making their way to side control is still considered Spider Guard. As long as you have that grip and leg extended you have control and they can't pass.
• Don't extend both legs, that's a mistake. Extend one and pull the other, or even lasso grip. The key is to off balance your opponent, having both leg extended won't off balance your opponent.
• Work sweeps that Alex taught into my game:
• Hip under standing opponent.
• Over hook close leg and under leg hook.
• Hook your ankle behind their opposite knee.
• You can sweep towards their close leg and lead to a heal hook.
• Double legs under one knee up/one knee down opponent.
• Under hook with your arm and over wrap your leg.
• Single leg x-guard with other leg.
• Leg press and push your opponent up and sweep to combat stance.

Spider Guard Principles

Today we focused on Spider Guard. Some key tips include:

• For playing Spider Guard:
• Having your foot IN their elbow.
• Pushing their far arm and pulling their close arm when they shuffle side to side. After which, you then square up to make it hard to pass again.
• Alby, talks about lifting your hips for mobility.
• Kicking their hips away when they close the distance.
• For the leg lasso, keep your elbow down and lock your foot into their armpit.

• For passing the Spider Guard:
• Break their grips. Circle break.
• Get their leg off your biceps. Use BB Eddie's knee to forearm break technique. Bring their legs down as much as needed to use your knee.
• Get grips on both their pant legs. Drop both their legs down, pressure and then Toreando Pass.

Rolled with Nate and got stuck in half, knees on the mat. Prof. Dominic suggested to kick to the other side, so my butt is on the mat. I don't know what to call this position, but I'm going to call it reverse half guard. Nate suggests that when in postion, apply shoulder pressure, scoot my hips out, and kick out the other leg to use as a post from getting swept. Think of the other leg as a tail, without this leg post there, the opponent can swim their opposite arm into your face/chest and sweep you.

Passing Concepts

General De La Riva Guard Passing Concepts:

1. Unlock opponent's DLR leg hook.
2. Free ankle from opponent's.
3. Control opponent's legs to pass.

Standing DLR Pass (Starting grips = opponent's lapel and opponent's pants leg. Make sure for the lapel grip, your elbow is on top of your knee): 

1. Unlock opponent's DLR leg hook.
2. Pass opponent's pushing leg through and in between your leg.
3. Kick out your leg from opponent's ankle hook.
4. Kick out and pass your leg while maintaining control of opponent's pants leg into knee on belly.

Kneeling DLR Pass (Starting grips are the same as the Standing Pass):

1. Unlock opponent's DLR leg hook.
2. Kneel down to unhook your opponent's ankle hook.
3. Stand and kick out and pass your leg while maintaining control of opponent's pants leg into knee on belly. *NOTE* When passing here, the lapel grip changes into a fist pressure to prevent your opponent from moving.

(Sam's) Smash DLR Pass(Starting grips are the same as the Standing Pass):

1. Unlock opponent's DLR leg hook.
2. Pass opponent's pushing leg through and then smash down on it, overhooking the passing with a pants grip, while underhooking the opposite leg.
3. When ready control the pants grip and hop over.

General Spider Guard Passing:

1. Tuck your elbows to your stomach.

 Side Control Spider Guard Pass:

1. Tuck your elbows to your stomach.
2. Under grip the pants legs (maintain high posture).
3. Obtain a sleeve grip (this will dictate the passing side).
4. Under grip the pants leg o the sleeve grip side.
5. Step to side of the passing hips.
6. Yank and stretch out opponent into knee on belly.

Step Over Spider Guard Pass:

1. Tuck your elbows to your stomach.
2. Under grip the pants legs (maintain high posture).
3. Hip into your opponent and sit on their hips.
4. Step over your opponent and now you will be laying on their hips.
5. Underhook opponent's arm (to prevent them from taking their back).
6. Then pressure and pass into side.

Guard Passes From Hell

Tripod-like Guard Pass

Tripod-like Guard Pass:

• Start with an inside grip.
• Smash their knee down and drive opposite arm underneath opponent's other leg to grab their belt.
• Put your head down near their hip (close to the hand you have holding their belt). So you're basically in half-guard now.
• Put your butt in the air and remove your leg.
• Once your leg is removed, grab behind their neck with the hand that was smashing the knee.
• Obtain side control.

Tips from Justin about playing Spider Guard:

• Straighten your legs to stretch your opponent. When you opponent is stretch you are controlling him, and he can not control you.
• Anytime your opponent has a grip on your pant legs, you must work on breaking these grips as they can be used to pass your spider guard.

Need to work on maintaining the mounted position!!

This Week's Training

On Monday we went over the most basic guard pass. The one with one straight arm and other hand on opponent's hips. I get the concept in theory and in my mind I can do it, but in real life I still have trouble with this guard pass. I feel like my arms are too short and I have to move back as I'm posted up.

Yesterday was an awesome day because I got to roll with J (aka Justin). He's really good, better than the 4 stripe white belt that he displays. When we first rolled, I started out in his guard and his spider guarded me when I opened him up. He swept me with the spider guard sweep that I hate and mounted me. I didn't want him on top of me so I tried to get him into half guard, but really it ended up like a quarter guard. While in quarter guard, he did a Neto Roll, it caught me by surprised and I ended up in his guard again! Lots of things happened after which he submitted me with an arm triangle. After the match I asked him to show the Neto Roll and he said it's supposed to get my back from it.

I also rolled with Glenn. I had his back most of the time but he did a good job of defining. He's pretty good for only being a 2 stripes white belt. I ended up getting him in a rear-naked choke. Justin told me I could have finished him with a gi choke from behind: grab the lapel then grab their collar from behind, try to push their collar through my arm grabbing the label, what this does is brings my forearm grabbing their lapel closer to their throat. Pretty interesting choke for when you don't want to keep fighting for the rear-naked or traditional gi choke.