New to the Gi

[Paul Cresswell]

Hi Guys

I have recently started training in the Gi. I have trained KB and MMA for a while now. I had no intention of every seriously training in the GI. After stuggling to find regular places to train either KB or MMA following a move to Germany with my career, I decided to gie the Gi a go.

All of my grappling experience has been No-Gi and quite MMA specific. I did compete at one of the Angrrr Management Grappling Tournaments though and did OK (Finalist in my weight catgory and semi finals of the absolute). I mistakenly considered myself to be a 'ok' grappler until I trained with people whos main training is grappling (mine was kickboxing). Needless to say I well and truely got my ass kicked while wearing the Gi.

I have been training BJJ with Gi for since Feb now and I am loving the art and the ammount of new stuff im Learning and the speed in which im improving. It has really benefited my No-Gi game too, especially with defense / escapes etc.

Each session I set myself a challenge for the things I want to do in sparring as I keep relying on triangles, Last week was armbar from mount, yesterday was armbar from the bottom. etc etc. I somehow even managed some kind of Aoki style gogoplata from mount yesterday which was nice.

I was wondering if anyone can recommend any drills that I can do solo to help improve my hip movement? Also are their any instrutionals that you can reccomend?

Sorry for the long post, I just wanted to share some of the backround into my new journey with BJJ.

Cheers

Paul

[Rob T]

Sounds like you train pretty well mate and congrats on realising how the gi helps you improve :)

For hip movements, shrimping is the main thing you can do on your own. Do it using both feet, bottom foot only and top foot only - all to both sides. Sit-outs are also good for hip movement from a top game perspective.

[The Natural]

Hi Guys

I have recently started training in the Gi. I have trained KB and MMA for a while now. I had no intention of every seriously training in the GI. After stuggling to find regular places to train either KB or MMA following a move to Germany with my career, I decided to gie the Gi a go.

All of my grappling experience has been No-Gi and quite MMA specific. I did compete at one of the Angrrr Management Grappling Tournaments though and did OK (Finalist in my weight catgory and semi finals of the absolute). I mistakenly considered myself to be a 'ok' grappler until I trained with people whos main training is grappling (mine was kickboxing). Needless to say I well and truely got my ass kicked while wearing the Gi.

I have been training BJJ with Gi for since Feb now and I am loving the art and the ammount of new stuff im Learning and the speed in which im improving. It has really benefited my No-Gi game too, especially with defense / escapes etc.

Each session I set myself a challenge for the things I want to do in sparring as I keep relying on triangles, Last week was armbar from mount, yesterday was armbar from the bottom. etc etc. I somehow even managed some kind of Aoki style gogoplata from mount yesterday which was nice.

I was wondering if anyone can recommend any drills that I can do solo to help improve my hip movement? Also are their any instrutionals that you can reccomend?

Sorry for the long post, I just wanted to share some of the backround into my new journey with BJJ.

Cheers

Paul

dude..i feel ur pain..lol..

i have woren the gi training 3 times in the last 10 days and im having my ass kicked bigtime and its doing my head in..

But i am going to stick with it spilting the sessions up as the instuctor see's appropriate. I am like urself a nogi competitor from a primarilary mma background and since training with 'pure bjj'ers' i have had a really difficult time..their guards are very tricky and they have alot of tricks to break posture and set up the differant subs..i f*ck&ng love it..:D

what can i say..i am converted..;)

[Paul Cresswell]

what can i say..i am converted..;)

I'm with you on that one.

[TRIBULUS]

there's quite a good one you can do against a wall, hard to describe though, sit with your butt against a wall and the soles of your feet flat against it, knees bent, put one foot over the other, toes pointing down and spin through in a controlled manner. You can probably find someone doing it on youtube. (although please ignore anything by Ari Bolden)

[david5]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLXNFRuQZ_U

good instructional this one actually

[TRIBULUS]

that's the one, it can be done in a very small space as well which is handy.

[david5]

i do it and variations a lot as a warmup drill

[TRIBULUS]

getting good at that is the start of a good upside down guard (which is very cool.)

[david5]

yes, it's awesome. i've been playing with it a bit, but only basics. i use it a lot tostop people passing my guard by going upside down and reguarding. works really well as i'm very inflexible.

[The Natural]

Cannot access this stuff at thye minute but i think that i understand the drill that u are talking about!!

David a quick question about using the upside down guard = at what point do u abandon ur normal guard and revert to the upside down guard.

Is it a case of using it when all else fails

I cant find the question mark on this shite keyboard...lol..

[david5]

well, people use it in different ways. someone like ryan hall has developed his much more and will actively spin into it and wait for his opponent to engage or attack from there.

i personally use it if i thnk my guard is about to get passed, i go upside down, work my legs back in and respin to an open guard, or shoot for closed guard or a triangle/omoplata.

i don't think it's a last resort but it depends on your mindset and respective strenghts, if my upside down guard was better than my haf guard then i'd go upside down first off, you see what i mean.

upside down is a good attacking position, especially if you like leg locks too. BUT, i feel sweeping is VERY limited from this position.

DISCLAIMER: as i said before, i've not put in a great deal of time to this position and by no means consider myself an authority on the subject

of course, in mma sparring i only do the first one, as hanging around there will see your face caved in.

[Rob T]

Haha, yeah, upside down guard in MMA would be interesting!

[rjd]

we use a Roleta drill where you hold the feet of the opponent an spin into inverted guard and back while he trys to pass if this helps?

[The Natural]

well, people use it in different ways. someone like ryan hall has developed his much more and will actively spin into it and wait for his opponent to engage or attack from there.

i personally use it if i thnk my guard is about to get passed, i go upside down, work my legs back in and respin to an open guard, or shoot for closed guard or a triangle/omoplata.

i don't think it's a last resort but it depends on your mindset and respective strenghts, if my upside down guard was better than my haf guard then i'd go upside down first off, you see what i mean.

upside down is a good attacking position, especially if you like leg locks too. BUT, i feel sweeping is VERY limited from this position.

DISCLAIMER: as i said before, i've not put in a great deal of time to this position and by no means consider myself an authority on the subject

of course, in mma sparring i only do the first one, as hanging around there will see your face caved in.

Lol..inverted guard in mma would def get u disfigured for sure..:D

thanx for sharing..it is something that i have been messing around with but with no great direction if i am honest..

[The Natural]

we use a Roleta drill where you hold the feet of the opponent an spin into inverted guard and back while he trys to pass if this helps?

Have u any clips on this being done..i think i know the drill that u speak of but im not 100% sure!!:cool: