18. March 2010 by Don Ebuen.

6PM: Showed up for No Gi at West Coast. Great class tonight. Brian showed us some techniques from the seated position while your opponent is standing. The first technique was an offensive move from the ground. It’s very apparent you have to be very fast and precise to lock this in. From your back, spin 180 degrees. Your head should be almost in between your opponent’s feet. Roll up to your shoulders and shoot one leg between your opponent’s thighs (the higher up on your shoulders the better). Once you leg is through your opponent’s thighs, triangle lock your legs around his leg (above his knee). Press your legs back down and this will force your opponent to fall forward and your lock is set.

The next technique Brian teaches us is how to defend against it. The first option is by easily recognizing what your opponent is doing and taking a big step out. Easy enough and effective. Option 2 is more involved. Once, before being forced down by your opponent, dive forward. The further the dive, the better chance you will have escaping. Once you’ve dove to the mat, use your free foot and push yourself free from the hold.

Great class now it’s time to roll. We free roll 5 minute rounds. My first opponent is Mark (I’ve written about him in previous blogs). Mark is preparing to make his MMA amateur debut for West Coast at Evolution on March 26th (next Friday) which means he is FOCUSED. We roll for 5 minutes and Mark kicks my ass for about 4 of it. Next.

Next I choose to roll with Nate. Nate just received his pro card and is LEGIT. I outweigh Nate by about 40lbs and in Jiu Jitsu, that means squat when your opponent has the technique Nate has. 5 minute round. All Nate.

And last, I roll with Mighty Mo. A samoan 185 pounder who is also making his MMA amateur debut at Evolution. I battle it out with Mo for the rest of the session.

Great great workout tonight. Halfway through.

7PM: Gi class starts. At this point I am EXHAUSTED but right now, after missing a month, I’m playing catch up. Brian teaches us some breaks from the standing position when your opponent has you neck or your wrist. After some practice we move onto passing the Butterfly Guard.

We worked on this technique a few sessions ago from the standing position, this time he changed it up and taught how to pass when you’re stuck in the Butterfly Guard. Step 1: Slightly sprawl out of the guard to straighten out your legs. Step 2: Force one of his knees down towards the his other knee. Step 3: Simultaneously place your outside knee down between his top knee while applying your weight on him. STAY HEAVY. Step 4: At this point either way your opponent rolls, you will have one of two options. Option 1: If he rolls in the direction his knees are pointing, you can walk around and move in Side Control. Option 2: If he rolls away from the direction his knees are pointing, you can take Full Mount.

After the lessons, he opens the mat to free rolling. I’m still exhausted so I take the time to observe. There’s a couple of upper belt students in class so it gives me a chance to analyze their styles.

Day 20 Lesson of the Day: Taking time away has definitely cost me not just in learning techniques but in the way my body feels after practice. I’m definitely back to square one in that category. Not only do I leave tired, which is normal, but I leave and wake up the day so sore. I just need to rest and hope next week my body get re aquainted with the after effects and I don’t feel this way anymore. No more taking time off!!!!

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16. March 2010 by Don Ebuen.

Come enjoy an incredible night of Fights! MMA is coming to Oxnard like never before as National Fight Alliance hosts EVOLUTION on March 26 at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center. Come support Team Dojo’s own Jamie “The Ghost” Toney the 805 Pride Welterweight Champion as he defends his title and Jared “The Jackhammer” Papazian as he gets his second shot at Shad Smith.

There will also be some amateur matches featuring fighters from West Coast Jiu Jitsu!

It’s going to be an incredible night of action and music as recording artist and 805’s own El Nene performs his hot hit “Fuego”!

Don’t miss out. Go to www.nationalfightalliance.com or go into West Coast Jiu Jitsu in Oxnard for tickets!!!!

Hope to see you all there!!!

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16. March 2010 by Don Ebuen.

On Hiatus: I apologize for lack of updates on my training but I am back and in full force.

I was in Virginia for a month welcoming the birth of my second daughter Aven. A beautiful 8lb bundle of joy that gives me yet more inspiration to complete my quest successfully.

Prior to leaving for Virginia I noticed a sharp burning pain in my hip everytime I bumped it against something. No bruises, cuts or scrapes but an almost unbareable pain. When I arrived in Virginia, I was greeted by 40 degree weather and snow EVERYWHERE! I looked for a place to train and I came across Hybrid Martial Arts and Mr Dennis Hayes. Dennis is a black belt having studied Gracie Jiu Jitsu under Master Pedro Sauer. Like alot of serious practicioners (I’ve noticed), Dennis does not come off as a “rough neck, beat you down, I’m a bad mother f_cker” kind of guy. In fact he’s the complete opposite. Dennis look like a laid back guy that would avoid any confrontation at all costs. BUT, instantly I could tell Dennis is on that Level. The Level I noticed with Brian. When Jiu Jitsu is just natural movement for them and they have all the options in twisting you up and choking you out.

I showed up on the first Sunday I was in town and practiced a little with Dennis until my hip started acting up again. I had to stop for a few minutes and I described the pain to Dennis. He instantly said “You got a hip pointer”. I asked him what I can do for it and the answer was a disappointing “Nothing”. I went home that day and did some research on hip pointers and sure enough, the only remedy is resting it. I planned on returning to Hybrid on Tuesday but there was a change of plans…

Aven was born on Monday 2/22/10 at 6:57pm. So from that point on I was with her, spending as much time as possible with her until I left Roanoke on Saturday 3/13.

Thank you Dennis for your hospitality and I hope I can come back and visit you when I return to Roanoke again.

Back at West Coast Jiu Jitsu
It felt so good to be back at West Coast and back with the team.

The night’s workout started with a recap and practice on sprawling. I partnered up with Gladstone again. One of the things thats keyed to breaking your opponents grip on your legs during a double leg is the explosion into the sprawl. That initial drop and shooting your legs out makes it very difficult to hold on. Sprawling alone wont break you out of the double, a strong exploding sprawl will.

We move on to sweeping from the Butterfly Guard. The Butterfly Guard if done correctly can be one of the hardest guards to pass. You’re basically in the sitting position and with your knees out and your feet tucked in between your opponents thighs. With your thighs spread, it makes it difficult for your opponent to get around your legs and at the same time the placement of your feet between their legs will help you control and turn them over when you attempt the sweep.

The first sweep we practice from the Butterfly Guard is with wrist control. Step 1: Control your opponent’s wrists and make sure your hands are in the thumbs up position. Step 2: Roll to either shoulder. Be sure not to roll back but to the side. Step 3: Using your outer foot, lift your opponent’s leg and use the momentum to roll them over. Step 4: Mount.

The second sweep is used when your opponent is keeping their elbows in tight and their wrists close to their body. The motions are the same as the first sweep except instead of using their wrists, you control their elbows (thumbs facing up). The key is to proceed directly into the roll immediately after controlling the elbows.

The last sweep is used when your opponent stops the roll by posting his hand down. At this point you will still have control of his opposite elbow but you will have lost control of the arm he is posting. Change it up by controlling their neck now by simply hooking the neck with your free hand. Switch your body positon and use your opposite ‘outside’ leg and sweep them in the opposite direction using the hand on their neck to help with the sweep.

Excellent class tonight. Having missed a month of training, it was a great way to get back into the swing of things.

Day 19 Lesson of the Day: When you have something positive and important in your life, become addicted to it. Crave it. Want it. Need it. And most importantly, when you don’t have it….miss it.

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