Knee Rider's uncreatively titled training log: 100% tedium guaranteed.

Morning workout

5 sets of 3 tuck jumps (2mins rest)

1mile run - time 8mins 22 secs

 

Frustrating, but I sprained my wrist on Saturday when wrestling and it still feels a little touchy especially to put weight on. Staying home tonight and going to see how it feels by Saturday. RICE all the way.

 

Morning workout: bagwork

Went to the gym this morning to work the bag.

My right wrist is still sore so focussed on jab, lead hook, lead uppercut in isolation and combination.

5x5min rounds with 60secs rest in between.

Combos worked:
Double jab
Jab, hook
Double jab, hook
Double jab, hook body then head
Jab, hook body then head
Jab, double hook head
Jab, double hook body
Jab head, jab body

You get the idea.

Trying to jab on exit and use movement to circle the sway of the bag sometimes clinch and hook on exit (leaving a nice sweaty smear over it... Soz).

Bunch of guys there from the fight team sparring. Really wanted to join in. Probably go next week hand permitting.

 

Sessions 1 and 2 Mma + BJJ + sparring session

So my wrist felt better (better enough to go to class) today.

Class 1: MMA

Warm up

Shooting double shot for shot.

Doubles drill - tied to resistance band by the waist, shoot and drive through repeating opponents and carry them to end of mat for 1:30. (This was actually bloody knackering)

Technique: Half guard lock down and lock down escape.

This was actually fantastic for me as I've been caught in this technique a few times and had to tap to what I now understand was a toe hold.

The lockdown is simple and effective and the toe hold only takes a bit of feeling out. The escape was simple and I'd already half got there through instinct during the times I've been caught in it but missed how to free my leg.

Key notes defence: straighten locked leg with toes down (ball of foot on mat) to battle lock. Insert other leg heel up under opponent's heel. Raise heel on locked leg to butt, freeing it. Collect opponent's legs with brackets ng foor and hide previously locked leg. Work to pass.

BJJ Gi:

Warm-up

Guard passing isolation spar

Class material: lapel choke from half guard top.

Sparring 2 x 5min rounds

Sparring went well. I hit the lockdown escape too which I was pleased with.

Standup sparring 3 x 5 mins with fighters.

Held my own OK against one and two. Got totally pummeled by third (and he was going easy on me). Got rocked a bit and was a little disheartened. I coulded touch him and he was using a pressure style to essentially swamp me at about 5O% - 70% power. I think I hit one inside leg kick and a cross the whole round.

 

Morning workout

Went down to gym this morning to work out my 5-3-1 training maxes and template using the wendler app.on a 12 week cycle using conservative 1 rep max figures I'm aiming for:

Squat: 125kg
Deadlift:125kg
Bench: 99kg
Press:79kg

My strength is pretty low at the moment. Probably the lowest it's been in about 7yrs. So even those modest numbers look quite intimidating ATM. I'm going to take it steady and make sure skill training takes priority. Should be working out 2 to 3 times a week depending on how my body feels.

 

Sessions 1 and 2: MMA and GI BJJ

MMA: Class material: double leg defence once taken down - controlling head (pushing to opposite side) and technical get up to sprawl. Blocking jump with whizzer and nearside leg. Shrimp to knees, free far leg, sit on back/shoulder and kick out.

Warm up

Shadow boxing with sprawl shouts into clinch sparring for rounds.

Basically 45mibs of solid double legs and escape sparring.

Absolutely knackering

Full sparring 3x5 mins rounds

Im not going to lie I got my ass handed to me tonight. Out muscled, out manoeuvred and out worked. I didn't get tapped but I got punched to bits and positionally dominated. I was in bits at the end but stayed for...

BJJ Gi: class material: passing open guard, knee shield.

Warm up

Guard passing isolation spar

Drilling material

Full rolling 3x5 mins

By this point I was really hoping for some chilled technical sparring but the guys I ended up pairing with are all guys who give tough rolls and who I usually controll so they came gunning at 100% competition roll levels and I got utterly utterly smashed.

Really bad night to be honest. Just one of those sessions where you have to 'eat bitter' and suck it up.

 

Morning workout

531 on squat and military press this morning.

Starting very light and following program to the letter so as to avoid A) burn out B) injury and to facilitate constant incremental progress which I can run in tandem with my skill work and hard training sessions.

Squat:

Warm up sets

Main lift:

37.5 x 5
42.5 x 5
50 x 6

Military press.

Warm up sets

Main lift:

27.5 x 5
32.5 x 5
35 x 6

Stretch off.

Sort of embarrassing to be seen handling such low weight but you've just got to get over it and play the long game I guess! Session felt really great and I've eaten so just need to chill and save myself for MMA and jitz tonight. Thank you, summer holidays!!

 

Thanks, Frodo!

 

Session 3: Gi BJJ

Fell asleep after dinner and slept through start of MMA! Pulled myself together and got to Gi though.

Class material: passing de la riva

Leg drag, smash legs to pass.

Key notes: push forward and cross face while inserting knee behind smashed legs. All weight through hops and shoulder.

Warm up

Guard pass isolation sparring.

Drilling

Rolling 1x5mins 1x15min round.

Rolling went ok tonight. I was fresher so that helped. I'm trying to work on open guard and defending the pass. Using a combination of spider, butterfly and de la riva. Sweeping mostly with tripod sweep else achieving closed guard.

I'm noticing that my rolling has gotten a lot lighter just lately. This partially good as it means I'm muscling less and using more technique (trying to) but it also appears to be a product of me not being able to fully switch on in terms of intent/intensity when I need it. I'm being to passive where occasionally a bit of grit/aggression would see me win the exchange ie for position or grips. I'm not sure what to make of it. I think I'm just going to keep showing up, keep trying to remain technical and just ride it out.

 

Sat in A&E waiting to get my hand x-rayed... Only took 3 weeks for me to decide being unable to support myself on it without searing pain might be an issue.

 

Yikes! Hope all is OK (that it is isn't broken or anything), and Dr.s have a fix.

 

No fractures! docs say its just tissue/ligament damage ie I am a massive wimp

so all good.

one more week of rest recommended then to GP if no improvement.

 

Well thats your love life on hold.......

 

Well, my missus IS recovering from major surgery... so you aren't too far wrong :cry::cry::hat:

 

I got back from a Judo session about 2hrs ago... Absolutely loved it. Competitive club with a good bunch of stout, strong stoic guys of high skill.

My hand is better and I'm back to MMA next week. I wanted to try judo as I'm becoming really interested/fixated with standing grappling and thought I'd follow the ubiquitous advice, espoused so frequently here to put the U in Judo. Seriously considering just doing BJJ and judo with a bit of standup sparring with the fight team on Saturdays from now on

Randori feels very different to clinch work in Thai and MMA. The gripping game is different and proximity is actually completely different: there is a lot of arms length to up close to arms length going on and that takes a mental and physical adjustment... As does breaking the habit of looking for knees and collar ties. Randori is still unbelievably fun. Managed to stay relaxed and loose and even hit an osoto gari in between getting flung about. Took a quite nasty throw at the end where the guy (brown belt) landed on me and I could feel it in my organs. Judo is awesome.

Basically it felt good to step on a mat after over a month off and I'm fully converted to the somewhat hidden gem of judo practice.

 

Judo is awesome, but can be hellish hard on the body, ive found newaza with them (under judo rules too, lots of differences to standard ibjjf ones) really tighens up my game in unexpected areas.

 

I'm still stiff two days later and have bruises all over my body(especially the arms).

I think I've already learned that in Judo, unlike BJJ, it's better to relent to the throw, get up and attempt to return the favour, rather than try to fight against it/defend in the way you might during a sweep or submission in jujitsu. At least at the beginner levels anyway... but I'm sure I'll be counter hari-ing everyone in like a week, yeah...yeah?

I've decided I'm going to be focussing pretty heavily on grip fighting and foot sweeps during randori for now, trying to time the feet and get a solid position of control, both of which I'm hoping will better facilitate an opportunity for attempting forward and backwards throw entries later down the line.

 

Like bjj, grips are important....... BUT if you start grip fighting a decent dan grade player, theyll out grip you and throw you on your head!

When im with better players (i.e. most people) i like mutual grips and lots of chain attacks, youll get thrown more, but youll also throw more

Then with the kyu grades I alternate between using grip fighting and favourite throws, and only using counters.

I also suck at judo, so maybe dont do what I do.