Training 2015/06/26 #025 -- guillotine defense and double lapel grip break

It was a fun day. We do some warm-ups and a bit of no-gi rolling. It feels good to take off the jacket for a bit. Ironically, we later learned a technique that required the drill. First, some review:

Guillotine defense
I've talked about this one before I think. Basically, you go for the double leg and you screw it up. Maybe you were tired. Regardless, you get caught in the guillotine. The first thing you need to do is defend.

• Brace your outside hand just above your partner's knee. Ideally, you want your fingers in (i.e., between their legs) so you will have to rotate your hand. This hand is to prevent your opponent from lifting you up. For me, I kind of wedged by elbow into my hip so that I was supported. 
• Move the other hand up over your partner's shoulder in a klondike grip. This hand probably isn't as important as the other one. It's really to prevent your partner from rotating. Sensei suggested that we take a very deep grip but, since we were no-gi, I found myself looking for a grip on the shoulder blade.

We didn't do the next steps but I remember what they are. Step around and block their knee with yours. You essentially want to be cross body and take them down. You will be in side control. Go for the kimura on their wrist, etc.

Double lapel grab to chin strap

This technique is a bit of a home brew but is great. On the syllabus, it is listed with title:

• Double lapel grab, cross under and pull far elbow across while stepping to side with chin strap takedown

Perhaps it would be shorter in Japanese. Regardless, the approach is relatively simple. In the past we had talked about doing an ikajo-style defense but this one works better.

• Your partner takes a double lapel grib
• Lower your base and stay loose
• Reach under their arms and grab their opposite elbow from underneath.
• Pull your elbow to your hip while rotating. By connecting their elbow to your hip, you are very strong and you have all of the leverage. Ideally, this rotation will give you kuzushi.
• Reach around their back to secure the chin strap. This move is kind of like an arm drag to take their back. In this case you want to reach around to grab their chin with a kind of sokumen entering move.
• Pull their head up in back in the opposite direction. This move will really stretch out your partner and they will go down. It should feel like that tipping sensation you get with shiho nage. As they go down, get your knee into their belly. Their hand will probably still be caught up in your gi so you now have options: armbar, bow-and-arrow with the chin strap, etc.

I like this move because it really demonstrates a lot of basis (e.g., connection to centre, kuzushi, etc.). It also works in a very small radius with some tight hip movements. We also tried it from a suwari/kneeling position and it still worked.