We did a pretty typical warmup, then hit the reverse de la riva drill for use later in the class. I still can’t do that from one side, but the other side has actually gotten a little better. My partner said it was because I’m getting more up on my shoulders when I spin under from that side. Coach Frank gave us an option to just go halfway to help get the feel, and it also played into the technique of the night.

Review of lasso guard sweep:

  • Four fingers into the cuff of the sleeve on both sides
  • Shrimp to get shin to crook of the elbow
  • Shrimp to get the other crook of the elbow
  • Push butt up to tighten that hold
  • Turn to opposite hip to punch leg out and loop for lasso
  • Bait the pass, reach under other leg and load them up
  • Push/pull for the sweep

Coach Frank noticed in live rolls last week that lots of people were going for the lasso guard, but people were standing to defend. To remedy that, he showed us another sweep to use on a standing opponent:

  • Establish lasso guard like above
  • Move loose foot between opponent’s legs and hook the back of their hip
  • Hand to the back of trap foot to assist the…
  • Spin under a la reverse de la riva
  • Rotate hand to grip pants or ankle
  • Push up with lasso leg–opponent will roll, use that momentum to punch up the grip hand

Rolled with Norm first. I feel like these rolls are starting to follow some sort of script. They definitely all end the same. I can’t tell if I’m doing the same thing over and over and it’s not getting through to me, or if I’m becoming a little more aware of my base and am simply slowing down the inevitable sweep and submit. Still not passing, that’s for sure.

Rolled with Shawn and tried to keep scrambles going as much as possible. My cardio is better than his, so my strategy with him usually is to move, move, move and wear him down to a point where I can catch him. Didn’t work this time–he got a hold of me and applied pressure. Never really close to tapping, but I couldn’t make my way back to the top either. My half-guard options from the bottom right now only involve getting to the top.

Django was next. He’s gotten a lot better in two weeks. Fun to roll with him because I feel like I’m free to move around a lot and see what kind of weird positions we get into.

Dan the Man was next, and as always, the most fun. Lots of half guard reversing going on between us–me moving to top because I’m stronger and heavier, him moving to the top because he has better technique and is faster. The funny thing is that we both had the other’s lapel wrapped around a neck or an arm the entire time. It was like a race to see who could choke the other faster.