Writing a letter to my unborn son

I've started writing a letter (more of a guide) to my son. I want it to have my take on certain things, as well as guidance about how I did things wrong, and how he should try to do them better. It's sort of a 'book of the five rings' without the poetic feeling. I don't know exactly what will be in it,  I'm just sort of typing it when I feel motivated. It's very stream of consciousness.

I know these sorts of things are done when the parent is terminal w/ some disease and they want to leave a record for their child. I'm not planning on checking out any time soon. This is a 'just in case'. Plus, it's a great exercise for myself. It's a real challenge to think about how you think. Why you think it.

It's also hard to not sound self-righteous when writing something like this. I'll try to make it as true and honest as possible.

week of 8/20/12

pads: 1, 2, 2lk, cross block, 2lk
1,2,3, 2rk, cross block, 2rk



mitts: 1,2,slip,4,3,2, lft body shot

1,2,slip, slap, 5, 2, 3, rt body, left body




good sparring. Marcell likes to make it an mma fight without telling me... We clinched and he tripped me and followed me down and kept punching. It was good fun.




From D.G. from a class taught about 2 months ago w/ a guest instructor:

"-Taking the Back (1st Variation)

Starting Position: Place the right leg adjacent to the already turtled opponents right leg and then putting your left foot on the other side of his left ankle, basically resting on your right leg




Beginning Steps: Move your left arm around the back and grab the left lapel low enough to keep your elbow tight to your own body and pull back to lock the grip. Also grip the opponents right elbow with your right hand.




Crucial Move: Move your right knee next to their right ankle cocking your right foot outwards at the 3 o'clock position. Pull your opponent back towards you at a diagonal angle and release the elbow to go for their neck, they will defend the neck and at that point it allows you to put in your left foot hook.




Finishing Move: Roll to your left and put in your other hook all the while holding on the over under neck position. Finally rotate your right knee out and go back to the other side to finish the traditional collar choke from the back.




Very technical




-Taking the back (2nd Variation)

Same Starting Position




Beginning Steps: Move left arm around the back and grab the RIGHT lapel. If the person is turtled well you will need to open up yours and their right knee making a space between their tricep and ribs.




Crucial Move: Now you must target that hole made and reach into it with your hand followed by your head rolling forward




Finishing Move: Achieve side control by using your right hand to grab their left hand sleeve so that they cannot shrimp or escape and take side control.




Extremely technical, I found it easier to accomplish after practice but it is a move I would never have thought of at all. "




Tuesday: BJJ: worked on open guard passing, torreando and some other one. Mostly it was about rolling to recover guard. If you get juked out on a leg pass, and he's behind you pinning your legs, hip escape towards the side hes coming to, making space so you can duck your head where your hips are and roll, inverting and resetting the guard. Or you can do a 1/2 roll where you roll away to post, then swing your legs WIDE and high to re-engage him."

Tuesday/Thursday: BJJ worked the lasso hook and a few sweeps from there, as well as some transitions into omaplatas and triangles and armbars. The granby roll was taught as well. As the guy goes to pass, if he starts to get to your back, hip escape, and roll under yourself to recompose. This is a super useful skill for me. Lots of drilling. Scissor sweeps, defense of scissor sweep, attacking the posted arm w/ kimuras, omaplatas. Omaplata sweeps and transitions to mount from the position. Lots of good movement transitions. 

Good rolling.

Saturday; NOGI: Worked open guard. Rolling was good. I stayed in the center for quite a while. My open guard is getting  better. I did the granby roll, finished a choke or 2, took the back... I'm seeing my improvements. I'm in one of those improvement cycles. I hope it lasts a long time before I go back into a plateau.

week of 8/13/12

Monday: MT

Manu led class, went for 2 hours and 15 minutes or so.

First hour was warmups: jump rope 3x rounds, run and stuff. jumping jacks, burpies, stretching. Then we drilled the evasion. did combos along mat (1,2, switch lknees; 1,2,3,rtknees), practiced slip/slap/body/body/bob/weave/evade uppercut.
Thai Bag: 10 and 10 kicks, knees, combos
This was the first hour.
Next was 1 round of just boxing, working technical aspects and counters.
Then thai pads: 1,2,switch lkicks, check evade right kicks
1,2,3 rk, check evade lks
then mitts:
1,2,slip,uppercut, 3,2, switch knees
1,2,3,slip,slap, uppercut, 2,3, rknees
sparring 3 rounds
partner assisted abs, and pushups on ball
50 squats in a circle, jumping jacks, and done.
I was super smoked after this one.

Sparring went well. Since I'm aware of it, I'm flinching less and less, able to keep composure more, and counter strike when struck. I'm trusting my technique and it's paying off. I'm starting to think in combinations more. I need to think in combos coming off of body and head movement though. I think of when my initial attack angle is straight in, but when I do rapid side to side movement, I have to reorient and then go straight in. I need to try to move angles and attack off of that angle. Or start slipping and bobbing and fire out of that. I think this will give me a better chance of landing.

Tues: Rest. Too dead from Monday. I'm weak. :)

Wed: MT
Anthony was back. same combos as monday. Did a round of boxing, and then 3x rounds of MT sparring. Jeff told me my jabs were getting sloppy with my elbow flying out before I would jab. My kicks are getting sharper. I'm trying to get better at countering and throwing when my opponent throws. Jeff also mentioned he saw my eyes flutter when someone would start punching at me. I have to keep on the track of not bitching up and throwing back. I have been using my arms as bracers to jam up straight punches, and kicking under that to counter. It's working pretty good. I tried Anthony's combo today. right kick, left kick, right kick, switch... left cross. People are looking at the leg on that switch. I always find myself at the very edge of punching distance. If  I want to get better at boxing, I need to continue to work my footwork and bobs to get angles. footwork footwork footwork.

Thursday:BJJ
Worked closed guard. Great review. We worked both the technical arm bar, and the more explosive one, relying on hip movement. We also worked an omaplata off of an arm that gets out.
3 kinds of cross collar chokes, all starting off of the cross collar grip
1- reach other hand to opposite shoulder, make grip, and choke
2- reach other hand UNDER cross grip, grab lapel, choke
3- don't get as deep a cross collar hold, break posture, on that same side as cross collar, leave about 4-5" of space, use other hand, thumb in collar, circle opposite hand around the neck, finish choke. This one comes on SUPER fast.
drilled closed guard. Got 2 sweeps. One de la riva back take, and one scissor sweep. I also suck and keep giving up mid pass. I think once I stop quitting once I lose some position, I'll be many steps closer to blue belt. I think Raph respects aggression and no-quit attitude. I don't think he likes the way I get frustrated and just relent. Neither do I, and I'm sure it bothers me more. Gutting it out is hard for me. It's easier to rest while getting put into a worse spot, and then trying to fight out of it. That doesn't make any sense when I write it out, but that's what I do. DURRR.

Week of 8/7/12

Monday:

MT: 1,2,switch 2 lk, check, evade teep, 2x right kick
123, 2rk, chk, evade, 2xlk

mitts: 1,2,slip, 4,3,2 switch 2x left knees
1,2, slip slap 5,2,3, 2x right knees

sparring

Tuesday: 185lbs
BJJ:
spider guard to triangle. Worked on getting the angle. Align body to the arm that's pulled across.

tips for not getting stuck in triangle. Both arms in, both arms out. Got a few good sweeps off in drilling. Need to work on some spider guard sweeps. And transitioning into DLR.

Wednesday: 187lbs
MT:
same combos as Monday.
Brutal cardio today. I was worn out from Tuesdays circuit at the end of class.
The notable thing was the pre-sparring conditioning. 1minute of each. 1,2,3,2rks, 1,2, 2lks ; l and r kicks, no switch, just hip rotation, feet not staggered ; teeps ; side knees

Sparring went really well. I felt like I had more time to see and react to punches. I concentrated on not doing the 'you go, I go' method I have been doing. I if I saw an opening, i would attack. Lots of teeps and jabs. I am having good luck with a rear leg teep, then as soon as it plants back, throw a low rear kick. Terry is still giving me good pressure. He doesn't let me get my punches off, likes throwing hooks. I am trying to do touch-and-go when he comes in and not get stuck in cement when I catch a flurry. circle, jab and teep. Either people are going easier on me, or I'm getting better. I need a beefier mouthguard for MT. I got caught on the chin w/ a glancing cross, and my jaw is a bit sore today. Will order one soon.

Thursday: BJJ

Drilled open guard sweeps. Spider guard, leg lasso. Several pushing sweeps from here. As well as passing open guard. grips on knees, tug to pull hooks out, drive knees aside, get weight down.

Saturday: 3 mile run 100 pushups

week of 7/31/12

Skipped MT on monday. My lower back was sore from Saturday's No Gi.

Tuesday: BJJ

Jamal was teaching us. Jr. and I rolled a bit before class. My 'rolling' goal today was to be frustrating and if I ended up in turtle or side control, I wanted to go for single legs. I think I reached my goal.

We drilled some knee on belly ride stuff on a heavy bag before class.

We worked arm bars, and sweeps from the arm bar, and if the guy pulls the arm out, go for an omaplata.
We also worked the turtle position, the clock choke, and a variation of the clock choke when you can't get the other hand in. You just use the forearm of that arm and pivot around it while applying pressure.

We worked a setup for a clockchoke that went like this:
from top of the turtle position, get a hook in, take his back, wait for the points, get the clock choke grips, switch the top hook to an outside hook, let go of the bottom hook, use top hook to encourage him to roll over back into turtle, then complete the clock choke.

We did a 1/2 guard sweep before class too. It was a 10th planet sweep using a lockdown, an overhook on the leg with your top arm around back of his thigh. Swim bottom hand under his bottom thigh, pull weight on top, extend and swipe lockdown across floor to put pressure on his knee to encourage the sweep.

Kimura sweep: when in side control, grab kimura grip on his trailing arm (where his legs are), finish the kimura if possible, or just use it to apply pressure and roll away w/ his arm, forcing a sweep.

To defend that move. try to grab your pants and move your legs around to his head, trying to walk around the top, as you circle, eventually you'll pull his arm out of a strong grip, and you can arm bar him.

Hill People Gear - Recon Kit Bag

I just received my HPG kit bag. I was debating whether or not to pick it up, but I justified it because I'll be spending a lot of time training around my house, and want to be able to comfortably carry a gun while running. I have the pistol wear 2 for under the t-shirt carry. But quite honestly, I am starting to run out of reasons NOT to be more overt when I run in my neighborhood. I can also carry a bigger gun, and it doesn't sit over my belly, which needs to move for me to breath. The PW-2 will be used for when discretion is more important, like during a race.

Unfortunately, I haven't been for a run with it yet, since I've been at the gym quite a lot. I'll try to make time this week to actually get some miles in it.

It's designed to be worn under a pack, and even docked to a pack in lieu of straps in the front. It's got a rather wide space envelope as a result.

The flat profile does two things. It keeps everything nice and tight against your chest, so it doesn't bounce too much, and it prevents me from putting too much crap in it. If there's space, I'll fill it with stuff. Also, pardon my slouch.

The back mesh is comfy and distributes the load well. You can see the shock cord stabilizer (an add on accessory) at the bottom to prevent it from flopping up and down as you run. 

I wove a punch dagger between the shingle and the bag.... just 'cause.

The drawstroke. I'm not totally stoked about how the bag opens, since you're ripping zippers open 90 degrees from their designed path. We'll see how it holds up. Regardless, you have to get a grip inside the panel where the pistol is held.

You rip it open until it stops. The vertical path stops the horizontal path from opening the whole kit bag like a taco. There is no 'retention' in the bag. The gun just uses gravity to stay put. I plan to carry a J-Frame in it, so hopefully it won't be an issue. There's a strip of vertical velcro that I might be able to use to keep the pistol still if it's a problem. Test runs will help me figure it out.

Avoid flagging yourself when drawing by keeping the angle of the muzzle down, and your off-hand elbow splayed out. I realize this isn't a perfect, efficient, AIWB draw stroke, but sacrifices have to be made.

The press out.

There is a flat admin pouch in front of the pistol pouch. You can see my ITS EDC trauma kit, phone, and keys fit nicely.

Having the mag shingle on there allows me to quickly outfit it for a range session or for teaching. The elastic pouches could also easily be used for snacks, phone, other gear that needs to be on hand.

This is smart kit. I'll make it dirty with  few months worth of use and will report back, or update this.

week of 7/23/12

Monday:

MT: Pads: 1,2, switch, 2x lk, check, step rt knee
1,2,3, 2x rk, check, step lk

pads: 1,2,1,2,slip, 4, 3, 2, switch, 2x left knees
1,2,1,2, slip, slap, 5, 2, 3 , 2x rt knees
10 punch, slip, sliap, 5,2,3,2, step, 2
6punch slip, 6punch slap

Clinch work: went over some cool ways to regain dominant position:
elbow bump, bump elbow above while ducking under, take back
cross face, swim outside hand back in
'always be close'
'grip at the crown of the head'
as soon as you get a grip, off balance him or throw a knee'
'never duck out of the clinch, because of North-South Knee'


'running man knees, kick leg back bring up and around, impacting on floating ribs'

'tall guys, work plum, shorter guys, work body lock w/ head pressure, aim knees at thighs'




Tuesday:

BJJ

guard opening: same as before

arm bar: break posture, use attacking side leg to trap ops same side leg, use opposite leg to fling across the back while escaping hips, trying to get perpendicular. leg on attacking side then goes up and over head, finishing arm bar.




- don't keep hands in bad position, stay tight, explode out. I got caught in 3 triangles. none were finished, but I was still in a bad spot. My arm positions are as they are when we are drilling, and I'm not getting my head in the game. I need to be more mindful of elbows and arms. I successfully did an arm bar, though I was super stacked when it happened. also got a few good sweeps. If Jr. doesn't get his blue belt months before me, then something is broken. Dude is just flowing so well. I need to study more closed guard attacks and hold positions. For instance, the overhook that reaches back under and grabs the opposite lapel. I know there's several chokes and sweeps from here, but I couldn't pull any off.




Wednesday:

MT:

same combos as monday.

The interesting thing was sparring. Anthony sparred a round with me. It is eye opening to realize just how bad you are. His ability to read my intentions, and abuse me at will was just awesome. He swept me 4x or so. He head kicked me at will. I was in awe. It's an honor to be able to spar with someone as good as him, even though he was probably going at 10%, it was still great.




Thursday:

off




Friday:

KB work alternate 1:00 KB, 1: jump rope

pass the kb around the body, 2 arm swings, left arm swing right arm swing, l arm clean press, r a c p, 1arm snatch, r arm snatch, l high pull, r high pull

then some abs and mobility work.




dry fire.

1. 20 reps of Wall Drill from extension, 2H

1. 5 reps of Wall Drill from extension, SHO

1. 5 reps of Wall Drill from extension, WHO

1. 20 reps of Wall Drill from press-out, 2H

1. 5 reps of Wall Drill from press-out, SHO

1. 5 reps of Wall Drill from press-out, WHO

http://pistol-training.com/archives/5185

Saturday: No Gi
Wrestling:
double leg takedowns, all about angle. These guys are doing it how we did. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVi2pzMgt6U&feature=share
the drills are smokers, walking while shooting, alternating legs, taking turns getting the penetration step. Wrestling practice is brutal, but I need to keep it up. The constant pressure is something I'm missing.