Ivan
Black Belt
Hey guys, I'm back again with some more footage of me in the competition. This was my second competition ever and I won my first match by a triangle choke submission and lost my second match for entrance to the semi-finals by points. I have identified weaknesses in my grappling and I am already doing my best to correct them but if any of you have any advice or drills for me I am always extremely grateful for your feedback. For reference, I am wearing a blue, Gracie Barra Gi with a white belt in both matches. Here it is:
Match 1
For my first match, I was taken down quite quickly but managed to recover and retain guard. I am very comfortable playing open and closed guard so I was more than happy to play it, even though I knew I was already behind on points due to being taken down. Initially, I established my open guard by grabbing my opponent's heel and attempting to work for a De La Riva - I am very keen on perfecting basics and have been drilling this open guard a lot. However, although I was much calmer and more collected as well as aware of my actions than in my first competition, I was not yet comfortable enough to use it in a competitive environment.
I tried to go for a collar sleeve guard but in the moment, I was too caught up and forgot to switch my grip from the heel to the opponent's sleeve, instead placing me in an award mix between both guards that seemed to do the job. Although I was aware of this, I felt that I had enough control to hunt for my most successful submission, which is the triangle choke from open guard which I executed successfully. I taped footage from two different cameras together as the first footage had some camera shake and sometimes awkward angles. If you wish to see the other footage skip to timestamp 4:36.
Match 2
Match 2 was quite frustrating. You can see that as soon as it begins I am quickly taken down by an Osoto Gari throw (hope I spelled it correctly) and have my guard passed into Knee-On-Belly. I attempted to defend the knee on belly by framing away from the knee and re-establishing guard, but my opponent soon moved into mount. Although I usually have no issue escaping mount, I have never encountered an opponent that locked their legs underneath mount, which made it significantly harder to bridge and roll. I attempted to shrimp inwards and trap their leg into a half guard, but on the first occasion I was hit by an accidental elbow to the face, and on the second I was stuck in a neck crank that was supposed to be an Ezekiel choke. If any of you can recommend an escape or a way to break the connection between the opponents' leg should they lock them in this manner, I would really appreciate it.
I also attempted to throw my legs back and in front of my opponent to push him backward, but I have not drilled that escape very much. It was quite a difficult result to accept - had I won it I would have been guaranteed at least a bronze medal. I definitely feel that had I managed to escape mount I would have had the skills to win this, but it is what it is and I promise I will do better next time.
Thanks again for all your support, it means a lot to me. I have been a part of this forum for 4 years now I believe, and I don't think I would be at the level I am today if it wasn't for your advice and help.
Match 1
I tried to go for a collar sleeve guard but in the moment, I was too caught up and forgot to switch my grip from the heel to the opponent's sleeve, instead placing me in an award mix between both guards that seemed to do the job. Although I was aware of this, I felt that I had enough control to hunt for my most successful submission, which is the triangle choke from open guard which I executed successfully. I taped footage from two different cameras together as the first footage had some camera shake and sometimes awkward angles. If you wish to see the other footage skip to timestamp 4:36.
Match 2
I also attempted to throw my legs back and in front of my opponent to push him backward, but I have not drilled that escape very much. It was quite a difficult result to accept - had I won it I would have been guaranteed at least a bronze medal. I definitely feel that had I managed to escape mount I would have had the skills to win this, but it is what it is and I promise I will do better next time.
Thanks again for all your support, it means a lot to me. I have been a part of this forum for 4 years now I believe, and I don't think I would be at the level I am today if it wasn't for your advice and help.
