[FIGHT] Strapple: June Lessons

Getting to half-guard top 1

Down, your right hand on your opponent's hip cloth or upper left pant cloth, your left hand on your opponent's right leg cloth near his knee. Push down with head, raise ass, and take a big step over your opponent's right leg with your left leg. Keep control with left hand, hop over as in the half-leapfrog-in half-leapfrog-out drill. Push opponent's right leg straight as you bring your left leg over. Shut your groin tight to trap his leg before releasing your left hand grip. Now dig your left hand under and through bottom guy's right armpit and crook it out. Similarly, bring your right bicep in tight against his left armpit and post your elbow out for balance and to force his left arm outward, leaving both of his arms helplessly akimbo in snow angel position.

Getting to half-guard top 2

Instead of bringing your head down into his chest as in the above maneuver, keep a good posture and plant your left foot tightly in the space under your opponent's bottom. With some help from your left hand gripping Otherguy's right pant leg as before, bring your left knee down and over your opponent's right thigh to plant it on the ground, leaving your knee and the undersides of your left toes in contact with the mat.

Basic half-guard top position

Assuming your right leg is trapped with your left leg free along bottom guy's right abdomen, use your left hand to pillow under his head and your right hand to dig under his left armpit. With everything close to the ground, post out your right elbow to keep control and force your opponent's left arm into an outward and useless configuration. Grip with both hands on the fabric behind bottom's left shoulder blade if it will bring you in tighter.

Half-guard pass 1

From basic half guard top position, keep head planted on your opponent's chest, grumble your left shoulder into his face, and maintain osaekomi. Raise ass straight into the air, straighten right leg to ease the travel for bottom guy's legs to slip down, and use your free left foot to kick the half guard down until it is below your right knee. Be careful of bridges, which require you to abandon kicking with your left foot and to reestablish balance. When, for example, your enemy attempts to bridge to his right, you shoulder put your left knee back on the mat and shift your hips to the right in the same instant to create counterweight. Kick off with your left leg and free your right leg directly into kesagatame position. Or more likely, put a 90 degree crick in your right leg at the knee, and swing it to the left. Kick the remaining dregs of your opponent's half guard off with your left leg while freeing your right leg.

Half-guard pass 2

If bottom guy establishes a hold under both your armpits before you get to basic half guard top, then reach over his left arm with your right and thread your hand through his legs. Hook your right hand around the upper calf of his left leg. Keep pressure on him by reaching around his back with your left arm and gripping the fabric on his left shoulder, or even further down on his back if your arm length allows it. Swing your hips to the left and get your left butt cheek to the mat. Both the outside of your left leg and outside of his right should be flush against the ground, with your left knee up in his belly or higher, and your left foot on his lower right thigh, ready to kick it away. At roughly the same time, improve your right arm's control of your opponent's left leg by getting the back of his left knee onto your right bicep or in the cranny of your arm. You can plant your right foot at a right angle or otherwise change the angle of your right leg to create the necessary space. Kick away with your left leg and raise your opponent's left leg with power from your right arm to free your right leg. Leave your left foot pinned on the inner kneecap of his left leg as much as possible. Swing the right leg out with emphasis, leaving the left foot in position as a paperweight. Now get to side control by switching your base and bringing both knees up against his right ribcage, or by getting to kesagatame.

Half-guard pass 3

Same as above, except pull his left leg to you with your right arm bent at a right angle, using "jerk" strength. This creates space longways rather than sideways.