Tornado Guard

Looked forward to class today.  First time since returning from Rio.  Technique included a smash pass from top half.  Good technique for my body type and game, but I couldn't execute the pass during the specific training.  When on bottom I went tornado to defend against the pass.  First time experimenting with tornado.  It's definitely my type of guard.  Training included five, 6-min rounds with 90 secs break between rounds.  Got  a Purple, three Blues (two which are Juvenile World Champs), and a White.

Didn't have much for the Purple.  He passed my guard and got my back a couple times and tapped me.  I'm doing something wrong.  Worked a lot of inverted, tornado, and a mix of spider and tornado with one of the young Blues.  Got a knee bar set-up and curu-curu sweep.  Got tied up in 50/50 with the other young Blue and didn't know what to do.  He eventually untangled the mess, got to my back, and choked me.

Had a tough roll with the third Blue.  Much smaller, but very tough guy.  Visiting from Philly.  Lots of grip fighting.  At one point he snapped my grip so hard I tweaked my right pinky.  It's taped up now.  Very painful to shake hands or pick things up.  Not pleasant.  Ended up catching him in a gi choke.  Not sure what it's called actually.  Had a clock choke grip with him in turtle and me in north/south on top.  As I spun around to the back I secured the other lapel and he began to roll into guard.  Instead I used his momentum to put him in my guard in a way that busted his posture and tightened the choke until he tapped.  Surprised myself because it was absolutely improvised.

Worked a lot of arm bar set ups and attacks from closed guard with the White.  At one point he spazzed and tried to front roll out of an arm bar.  It racked my neck a bit.  Hmm...  I need to figure out how to execute arm bar and triangles from guard without putting my neck at such great risk.