The Techniques:
MUC- This is still one of the hardest parts of this coursework, as silly as that sounds. I'm comfortable with the movement, the default position, and physical aspects. It's the request, tell, yell thing I have trouble with. I feel I'm getting loud with my command to stop right there (bang without the flash), but I'm just not. I need to practice this in earnest.
shooting pattern interrupts- During the drills working the 3 of the draw-stroke, several times I'd run dry. I would look down, reload the gun, and resume shooting the drill. Craig corrected me and said I should put in some sort of pattern interrupt. He recommended throwing a jab, and eye jab, or do the first step/stomp of a modified takeoff. Just to remind myself that I should NOT stand in front of a guy to reload. It's so obvious, but I've ground that training scar pretty deep. I'll work on it.
foot work- I have a bad tendency when dealing with UCs (and in boxing and MT), to go straight back at least a few steps until I think about it and start to circle. This happened every time I was engaged in MUC and wasn't immediately thinking about it. It happened in my 2 on 1. I went back, thought about it, side stepped, and then planted. It got me swarmed, taken down, where I was completely screwed. I just need to work this.
standing grappling - We probably do less than 5% clinch work in MT in the intermediate class at Madhouse. So I have done some clinch work, but it's still lacking. I have a lot of problem getting the escapes (duck unders, arm drags) and have a lot better work with tie ups (seat belt, entangled arm drag). I'm going to concentrate on entering the clinch, getting a tie up, and throwing some punches on the push off. I think this will get me used to the range and balance issues.
disarms- This time I had a lot less trouble making sense of the disarms. I was having trouble with in-holster retention though. I wasn't using a holster, which might have been part of it. Also my partner was a 230lb dude who wasn't a very good training partner. What eventually clicked for me was trying to fold and do a crunch on the gun, locking it in with my gut and hips. My mistake before that was dropping my hips back and away, giving a clear line to withdraw the gun.
grounded grappling- I felt like I did pretty well on this. The BJJ is making it way easier to move on the ground, get feet in, and make space. A few times, though, I reverted to 'sport' jits and would reengage my opponent into guard instead of making space and doing a get up. Craig told the story of a cop who was training a lot of Judo and was on a foot pursuit and the BG turned around, and instead of protecting his dome, he grabbed the BG's lapels, and got KTFO. He reverted to his sport. This isn't jits, it's gun grappling. However, sports jits DOES improve your overall chances in the evo's, and therefore by extrapolating, hopefully in a real-world encounter. When I was the BG, I admittedly played a simple positional control game, trying for side control, mount, knee on belly, etc. I did almost no striking.
level changes- Craig made mention that my level changes are inconsistent. Sometimes I drop my head, sometimes I lean back, sometime I do it right. I think maybe some light Olympic lifts and more wrestling will help with this.
drawstroke- I feel like my drawstroke is pretty on-point. My 3 is a little bit low, but on the drill alternating between 4 and 3, my group was within a 6" diameter circle. I'll work with the SIRT on getting my 3 higher and more level with the target. It can always be faster, though. I'll work on my shooting skills, while keeping an eye on the larger picture.
cardio, fuel economy- My improvements in cardio in the last year significantly improved my enjoyment of this class. I was able to pay attention to small details, watch other evos more closely, and was able to do my MT class on Monday. However, in the 2 on 1, I COMPLETELY gassed (watching the video is painful). So more MMA training and everything should help this.
Strength - always need more. deadlifting and oly lifting is in my future.
The Mental side:
Being on the bottom of a 2 on 1 is terrifying. As you feel the lactic acid build up, and your strength leave you, it really becomes dire. I'm still reflecting on the emotions I was feeling, and what it means for me. The experiential nature of this training is probably the greatest benefit. Being in the deep deep hole, way behind the power curve, is scary. Experiencing this feeling is the sort of thing that makes me want to initiate more and more. Step off cross, eye jab, grip on the pistol, SOMETHING. I refuse to go down with 2 dudes trying to kill me. I will not go to the ground... mobility and consciousness!
Gear:
Walther PPS - This gun is extremely cool. Nice glock-ish trigger. Good size. Only just slightly larger than the pf9, with a seemingly more robust design. Feels more sturdy. I ran pretty fast splits on 3 targets side by side ( no timer though). Extremely shootable. I'll seriously consider getting one based on Craig's and Matt's recommendation. This coupled with the Vanguard2 will make a formidable combination.
Vanguard2 - Very cool design. I don't know that I'll buy one for a glock though. I think it's better for an even smaller hideaway gun. I think I have figured out that the clip draw with a double action small gun is the way for me to guarantee I have a gun on, even when on the way to the gym. For tuck-able, secure carry of a striker fired pistol, the vanguard is slick.
Diamond back DB9 - 6+1 9mm in a pistol that disappears between your closed hands is a very neat idea. However, Paul (not Gomez) mentioned that there was some extraction issues. I'll let the early adopters pay for the research before I consider jumping on that.
My glock is the dirtiest glock that Shane has ever cleaned. I wear that badge proudly. The trigger press in my gun is SO MUCH cleaner. It performed perfectly for me.
"the goal is to keep the goal, the goal" -Dan John
No comments:
Post a Comment