Arm-bars

4/19 - Downtown

Job is kindof a cluster, so haven't been able to do as much BJJ as I'd like. Sad for me. This is a quick set of notes, as I don't have much time.

Today we worked arm-bars. Started with a setup from guard.

1. Wrap their bottom gi jacket around the outside of their R arm, grip with your R hand and pull it toward your mid-line. Grip their L shoulder or collar with L hand. L foot on their hip, R leg across their back, L foot across the back of their neck.

If they try to block by bending their arm and gripping their other bicep, use both of your hands to pull their wrist to your opposite shoulder (L) for an americana. If they pull their arm out, grip their other arm (L) on the tricep with your L, lower R foot to their hip, elevate hips up and turn L foot so that the top is cupping the back of their neck. Bring L leg over the front of their face.

2. Pendulum Sweep: If they stack you during the initial arm-bar, pendulum sweep by cupping the outside of their far ankle (R) with your R hand, dropping L leg toward your head and then sweeping low and away, circling towards them as your R leg kicks up into their L lat. Should end up in full mount.

3. Arm-bar from mount notes:

• If you stack your feet, put the foot that's across their body over the foot that is across their face. If they try to push up, it will make life difficult for them.
• You should have the arm closest to their hips free so that you can base out if they do try to push up on your legs.

4. Breaking Defensive Grips: If they protect by putting the hand of their trapped arm on their other bicep and their free hand on the underside of the leg that's over their face, you can do one of several things (assume you have an arm-bar on their R side)

• Use the foot that's across their body to push the arm off.
• Relax, wait for them to relax, then use your free hand to push/pop their free forearm away from you
• Post on your R hand, lift your hips slightly and twist toward the direction of their hips while you flare your L elbow (you should have their R arm trapped with your L arm). 
• Do the same thing, but on the opposite side. This more risky though, b/c now you don't have an arm to post toward their hips if they get in a position where they can lift the leg that is over their face.
• Pull their bent arm tight into you, gable grip your hands together and twist your upper body only toward the L.
• If the above doesn't work, feed  your R arm on the inside of their elbow, pull your L arm out, then feed your L hand over the top of their arm and back to your L (basically inside out). Pull your R hand out, gable grip your hands together and twist to the L.

Rolled with Antone, who had a bow and arrow very tight with 30sec left but I was able to hold out just long enough. He had it though...another 5-10sec and I would've tapped.

Roll with Jason (B) who I briefly had in a head-arm type choke from turtle but that didn't last long. He got me several times, I don't remember with what.

Roll with Julio, who decided to take off his gi top at the start of our roll. I left mine on, so I was at a distinct disadvantage. Not to mention he's bigger and a brown belt. But, whatever. He was mainly interesting in smashing my guard and damn near smashed my wrist when he was going for something. He let me work top mount for a minute, which I couldn't take advantage of other than to try to maintain it for as long as possible.

Not my best class, but I did learn a number of very useful nuggets on the arm-bar.