and being more comfortable there. Over the last 2 months of playing more guard, I would say I dont have a good guard, but I have figured out how to get to recovery guards. I can get passed and be a lot more proactive finding and underhook or getting underneath my opponent to get to half or deep half.

Still a lot of work to do there.

In terms of guard, in my mind I have a map of where I want to be

Closed Guard
- collar choke
- armbar
- triangle
-hip bump
-back take
(I can do all these, but need to tighten them up technically).

Once they stand, sleeve grips to Day 1 sweep, or Leandro Lo Mermaid sweep

If i have to open my legs then I try to get to DLR. If I can get DlR im trying to get the DLR x hook in. Im more and more comfortable with DLRX as my strongest guard...but of course the battle is getting there.


Sometimes in training when I get the DLRX inm, guys just sit and let me come up...which kind of sucks. I find at MGA people still play guard more so sometimes I try to play guard and guys wont let me lo. My instinct is to just come up on top.




On top I love to half guard smash pass. Its my best move, but Im trying to add some variety to it. At the beinning of the roll im trying to control your hips to either side and go to work. If I cant get you to half, I can get you to butterfly and work from there. There's a skip leg drag to dope mount I've hit a couple times, that's a nice option 2 from the halfguartd pressure pass, and also getting around to the back side.

Ive also been playing a lot with leandro Lo passing from DLR. Stuffing the DLR hook, spamming for an underhook on that side and using active postinbg and pressure to get past.


I need to refine my closed guard and spider/lasso guard passing.... but Not enough guys are playing it on me


Im working with a few different finishes right now from side control...sharpening my north south and looking for farside armbars

Ive spent a lot of time with a lapel choke I learned from Bernardo, and I still hit it a lot, but I want to add some variety here.



I need to work on my standup in a major way too if I continue want to compete :(


>Bottom Game:
>
>- old school butterfly guard sweeps
>- transitioning to X-guard and subs from X
>- lasso guard and getting to omoplatas from it
>
>Top game:
>
>- leg drags
>- taking the back
>
>the main thing for me is the timing of everything. I'm a hair
>slower than more seasoned black belts (and younger, more
>athletic dudes)
>
>Competition:
>- pushing myself to my mental and physical edge and trying to
>find more in the tank
>- finding the guys who give me the worst time at the end of a
>sparring session and having them push me to the point of
>wanting to quit
>
>I got complacent right after getting promoted to black but now
>I got the hunger back. I also came to understand fully that
>there are no bad training days regardless of if you're the
>hammer, the nail or the wood being nailed.