Farewell To One Of Our Coaches

Lately, I haven't really been training too much because my left hamstring is injured. I also can't believe how long it has lasted and how it affects other parts of my body like my ankle and back. But when I found out that Alex Cone. was leaving San Diego, I had to throw on my gi and be there for his last couple days.

I first met Alex in 2010, when I was a white belt and he was a purple belt. Back in the day he was teaching Sunday classes. Those Sunday classes were the bomb! I remember those days, it would be me, Alex Cone (purple belt), Terence Mooney (purple belt), and Brian Leslie (white belt). I learned so much from those guys in that one day. It was basically my Q&A session of the week, and to clean up anything I didn't understand taught that week or troubleshoot problems I was having. The bonus was back then Alex was teaching some advance moves during those Sundays. I took those secret Sunday moves and used it on guys the following week. I made so much progress as a white belt because of Alex Sundays.

Now I'm a purple belt and Alex is a brown belt. I have learned a lot of my moves from Alex. What I have been learning lately from him are:

• the mental aspect of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
• be aggressive during rolls
• don't be afraid to try new things even if they don't work, just keep trying different things
• grips! He said my game would be SO MUCH BETTER if I have the right grips

I hope one day in the future to roll with Alex. He'll probably be a black belt next time I see him, maybe I'll be one too.

Purple Belt!

After being choked unconscience, one black eye, a sprain shoulder, numerous knees to the nose and mouth, I am a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. BJJ is a puzzle I'm still working on solving and looking to improve at it day by day: cardio, conditioning, and technique.

Observations From Yesterday's Class

Need to work on improving my guard:

• Prevent Toreando Pass
• Prevent Leg Drag Pass
• Don't butterfly (double leg hook) a standing opponent. They can just hop over it and mount you.
• Don't be on your back for butterfly guard. Kick your opponent and sit up. Worst comes to worst, retain guard.

Dangling limbs:

• Even from bottom side. Watch out for the Kimura.

Feed LA Seminar At Gracie Barra Mission Viejo

Wayne, his cousin, and I attended this seminar.

Budo Jake taught techniques from turtle position:

• Crucifix from top of turtle
• RNC-crucifix from top of turle

AJ Agazarm taught techniques from half-guard:

• Tripod to side control from top of half
• Tripod to reverse side control from top of half
• Tripod to reverse side control to knee-on-belly to arm-bar (top of half)

Kayron Gracie taught techniques from guard:

• Breaking the straight arm collar grip to wrapping their arm (key elements include: bending opponent's wrist and using your leg to bring them in for the wrap)
• Wrapping their arm to triangle
• Kimura when opponent is defending their arm in the triangle choke. Switch folding legs to alternate triangle, then bridge and frame their defending arm. The bridge makes room for you to sneak in your second arm.

Pic or it didn't happen :P

4th Stripe Blue

Still wearing my mouthpiece for this photo...

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.

Improving My Passing Game

Alex was trying to help me improve my passing game. I showed/reviewed the following two passes:

1. Margarida Pass - Like the knee slide pass, but grab their lapel and tuck your elbow in and down. You use their gi instead of an underhook.
2. Smash Pass - Put your head on the passing side. Hip down smashing their leg. Underhook if possible. One of the key components is to control their arm on the passing side, try to pull it off the ground. This is Alex's favorite because once you're smash passing, it's hard to stop. Can't seem to find a video though.

Baseball Bat Choke With Magid Hage

I wrote about getting Baseball Bat Choked from the bottom last week and how cool it was to see Magid Hage pull it off on someone in a big competition. Well... Magid Hage IV stopped by Gracie Barra San Diego to teach a Baseball Bat Choke seminar. It was awesome! Apparently, Prof. Dominic has known Magid for at least 8 years and keeps calling him "Little Magid". Magid is not very little anymore.

He taught us different variations:

• Starting with both people kneeling.
• From Half Guard bottom.
• From Half Guard top:
• Passing to North South
• Kicking over to Scorpion
• From opponent's Closed Guard

I also had the pleasure to roll with Magid during interval training. I got Baseball Bat Choked from everywhere!! Even knowing about the technique after the seminar I couldn't prevent it, his hands are huge, and this grip is deadly!

Of course my eyes are closed! :P

Baseball Bat Choke From The Bottom!

I wrote about the baseball bat choke from the bottom in my reflections from last week. Now here are two videos of Magid Hage IV from Gracie Barra Escondido pulling it off in the Abu Dhabi Pro Trials. Very cool to see a move you learn last week successfully pulled off in a big competition.