APH-2025-081

Overview:

• Quarterly Goal: Emphasize better rather than more or harder.
• Monthly Focus: Bad Position / Addressing Deficits
• Weekly Objective: Back Attacks / Defense

Intention:

Being well recovered today, the goal was go hard, with a competition mindset and really push the “development” day in Kyle’s class.

Warm Up:

• 10-20 minute: drilling / creativity: back takes from front headlock position (armbar and strangle finishes)

Work:

• 3 x 4 minutes (2-top, 2-bottom): score-or-recover-guard from front headlock
• 3 x 4 minutes (2-top, 2-bottom): same, with submissions added
• 6 x 1 minute: first to score-or-submit
• 3 x 2 minutes (1-top, 1-bottom): back escape (no leg hooks for back person)
• 3 x 2 minutes (1-top, 1-bottom): mount escape (no underhooks for top person)

Reflection:

What worked well:

• The aggressive collar tie and defensive wrestling strategies have been working well, specifically to set up hip-connected takedowns and to defend with downblocks.
• My heel hook setup and breaks feel lightning fast and razor sharp.

What didn’t:

• I’ve already pointed out to myself that I need to not get frustrated or rush the process myself, trust that openings will present themselves. During one round I got entangled in a double headlock and lost what had been a good scrimmage.
• I’m glad that I’m seeing more guillotine opportunities with these setups, but the attacks themselves were rushed and I didn’t finish any of the submissions.
• Regarding the back attacks, if someone balls up hard, separating their elbows to establish your (leg) hook controls is really hard.

Plan for next time:

• Trust the process and look for opportunities, don’t rush or force things (standing).
• The same is true for any given attack.