Layering (diary entry)

02.04.12

After a regular warm-up of rolls, breakfalls, snaking and crawls, the class did some low intensity sparring – touch contact striking, stand-up grip-fighting and ground sparring. We did a series of games to cover these areas too, including wrestling for a focus mitt and touch-the-head. These would be layered with tecniques and more intense sparring. The stand-up sequence covered a combination that blended two techniques from the same side, followed by a reverse one. Working a see-saw like action – a method first shown to me by Israel Robert McKenzie in the 1990s – the striker hits with the jab and as he retrieves the punch launches a front kick. I explained how this pushing kick was intended to unbalance the opponent and encouraged suggestions for a follow up technique. We ended up using the low round kick. Moving onto clinch, everyone pitted attack against defence in some specific sparring. On the ground we covered a simple De La Hiva/hook guard sweep. This was followed by some guard passing specific sparring from a long guard start position.