On the Move Again (diary entry)

07.06.12

Once again, we refocused on the whole issue of moving. Positioning and transitioning go hand-in-hand. However, it is the last thing that most of us see. It is very easy to be technique-led. And it is a common mistake to just look at the surface of the technique – the end result – rather than understand the underlying principles. Understanding principles, rather than just doggedly sticking to patterns and shapes, would be a reoccurring subject in tonight’s workshop.

Unlike our normal warm-up, we isolated certain movements and went over them to the point of fatigue before switching – overloading the mind/muscle connection.

Movement exercises included:

Blitzing (running and striking coordination)

Shifting and striking (more structured moving and striking)

Side-stepping (with variations)

Bear crawls – backwards and forwards (arms and leg coordination for scrambling on the ground)  

Crab crawls – backwards and forwards (shoulders, triceps, core and legs workout for scrambling underneath an opponent)

Snaking/shrimping – backwards and forwards (essential base movement for attack and defence when fighting underneath an opponent)

Commando crawls – backwards and forwards (close to the ground scrambling from the top position in ground fighting)

Seal crawls – backwards and forwards (latissimus dorsi workout for developing dragging motions in grappling)

Double leg takedowns

Agility exercises (footwork around cones with guard up):  

Running in and out and around cones – forwards and backwards (basic hand/leg movement)

Shifting in and out and around cones – forwards and backwards (structured hand/leg movement)

Pogo jumping – forwards and backwards (developing explosive power in the calves)

Leg whip – forwards and backwards (keeping balance when moving)

Sprawl/double leg takedown – (coordinating defence and attack)

Zig-zagging two people – (timing and coordination exercise)

We then moved onto mirror-chasing. Five markers are set out between two students. One marker is placed at the corner of the mats and one in the middle. One student leads and moves between the triangle of markers on his side, using rolls, break falls, sprawls and various footwork. The other tries to keep up, mimicking the movements on his side.

This exercise was then transferred into a focus mitt coaching exercise. It was our regular proactive coaching with the student mirroring the footwork of the coach and the coach using a flash-pad approach (targets only momentarily appear) with feedback (coach strikes as soon as student reveals an opening). However, the previous exercise had a pleasing transference of basic principles.

Submission Clinic

We looked at submissions from the position today. Following on from the previous lesson, movement again was important. The clinic began with a series of movements around the body from the top position. This is a basic pattern that teaches the student to move from one side to the other. Once the pattern is learned the student reverses it. The important thing here is to remember the principle of correct pinning, getting the hips down and minimizing the gaps.

Once this was in place we looked at basic submissions from each of the positions – Americana arm-lock from side control, arm-bar from scarf-hold, Kimura arm-lock from north-south and then a standard arm-bar. Each flowed as a series of contingencies. We then did the flow-attack, sparring exercise. Both students roll through ground positions, one-for-one, reversing each other’s position. Then, without out warning they are ordered to fight from wherever they are.

The session was finished with some standard stretching exercises.  

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