5.25.08 #55

Gi with Ferret

Tonight we started with the review of the gi cross choke and Ferret showed me some different variations most with the thumb in instead of the palm in. Take mount, put the thumb in with the right, hand to the floor, press the forearm against your opponents neck, base out to the same side of the hand in the gi, reach back across with your left hand and choke out your opponent grabbing underneath the gi and get the choke. Another variation off of this, is when you are based out to the left, with the right hand in, you slide around your opponents head, come back and smash the head with the left elbow and get the choke. Both very nice setups off of the gi cross choke, with a different hand grip.

Then we moved to throws. Ferret showed me several different throws and trips tonight, but I rep'd two, both judo throws. We worked on my foot work and I need to work on bending down and getting my leg high into the air with the throw. You have to control your opponents wrist and that is where a lot of the power for the throw comes from. The second throw was based off of the first and instead of a forward through, when you kicked your leg back, you spin and hook your opponent with that leg and throw them to the ground and land on top of them. This was more forceful throw then the first. Next week, we will rep both of these throws as well as learn a hip toss.

We finished tonight with what worked out to be two twelve minute rounds. The first round, I was very proud of myself, I was able to run several moves that we have learned over the last few gi classes. I was able to pass Ferret's guard and take control of the first match. I tried to get the clock choke and several other moves when Ferret turtled. Ferret got into my guard and stood up, I tried for the arm bar, he pulled out, I tried for the oomoplata sweep (it wasn't pretty) but I was able to eventually get back on Ferret's side and take mount again. When Ferret worked out of that, I gave up due to exhaustion. The second twelve minutes, Ferret turned up the heat. I was able to defend all of Ferret's insane gi attacks and chokes. He had my left arm so caught up in my gi, I couldn't move it. One move, lead to another move and then finally I was sprawled on top of Ferret and he had two finishes he could of taken and I tapped to the heel hook.

I am happy with my gi game and I am shocked to say this, I am enjoying rolling in gi and learning more gi moves. If I get a chance to do another tournament, I think I will enter in gi too!