Attack the scapula! (diary entry)

26.03.2024 Hour four of my client's Submission Grappling course focused on developing a move known and made famous in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu circles as the omoplata. Back when I was regularly BJJ grappler it became one of my few "get out jail free cards" that was in my muscle memory and pulled out in desperate moments. The omoplata is known as the coil-lock in Catch Wrestling and ashi sankaku garami (leg triangle entanglement) in Judo. BJJ's name, which translates from Portuguese to mean scapula, is a great way to confirm the external objective of the technique. A common problem I encountered during my early grappling days was making shapes and then trying to make them work. Tonight's lesson was all about understanding exactly what made the technique effective by making the target area the central focus of the lesson. We warmed up with five minutes of dynamic stretching/muscle activation exercises followed by 4 x 2 minute rounds of partner work warm-ups with active rests - 2 x touch the head open guard games, 2 x one-for-one rolling and active rests of crawling exercises (bears, gorillas, snakes, lizards, crabs and sit-outs). Then we broke down the initial part of the omoplata attack. My client repeated pushing off the hip with one leg, gripping the arm and hooking his leg behind the scapula. We discussed possible alternative roots here such the reverse arm-bar, gogoplata and triangle choke. Then we drilled triangling the legs and gripping around the waist. Finally, we drilled the full submission. Next week, we will explore the technique more with specific games/sparring and also combination and counter moves. https://clubbchimera.com/services/