Foster BJJ and MMA

Just finished my last of five classes as a visitor to Foster BJJ and MMA located in Kent, WA. Coach Foster and his team were very gracious and supportive. Glad to meet and chat with Steve a bit too. Wish I could have made more classes, but I'm visiting family and ... well ... life interrupts.

10:20-10:30a: Pre-work out stretch. A bit sore today from last night's workout. Mostly thighs (why???) and neck is a bit tight (understandable given the neck drills).

10:30-11a: Warm-up jog/sprints/walk, hip escape and alligator drills, core work and stretches.

11-11:25a: Technique. Almost the same closed guard technique taught by Bill last night. Coach Foster showed a slightly different posture. Also worked the full pass to side control as opposed to pass to half guard. Saulo's book has a very similar break pass (25-4), but haven't had the opportunity to practice. Some good stuff to chew on.

11:25a-12p: Rolls. 4 mins each. Rolled with Linisha (White Belt), Dave (3-stripe White Belt), a Blue Belt whose name escapes me, and Coach Foster. Didn't have a whole lot to offer today. Spent a lot of time in side control while rolling with Dave and the Blue Belt. Not fun, but I fended off numerous attacks and managed a couple escapes. The Blue Belt caught me in an arm bar. Saw it coming...but...alas...couldn't do anything in time.

Coach Foster was very generous with his time and allowed me to work with him for three consecutive rounds. Helped me secure mount survival posture to allow a higher probability hip escape. Also demonstrated that, although I feel unstable in seated mount (or half mount), as long as I have my mounting foot tucked into belly and my opposite knee in the upper back / lower head area (and tight), the position is fairly secure even for a big guy. I just need to make sure I secure the position with proper technique and trust my BJJ. From there, a number of attacks open up. Most importantly, however, I learned that a few additional inches of hip spread in my base makes a huge difference when trying to avoid sweeps and maintain posture. That little tip should improve my game quite a bit. It was an aha! moment for sure as I recalled countless times I've been swept by upper belts who took advantage of this hole in my game.

12-12:15p: Mopped mats.

I had a great time at Foster BJJ and MMA. Met some great folks and learned a lot. Looking forward to next year when I'll be back in town and can see how everyone's progressed.

Leave tomorrow for a family reunion in Grayland, WA. Hope to make it back to San Diego in time for Monday evening class, but I'm not going to sweat it. Three more weeks at UNIJJ before heading back to NOLA BJJ.