I just "rolled" for the first time

[qeySuS]

Wasnt anything extravegant, but as some of you know i've been fascinated by grappling and MMA for a while, been watching a lot of videos and trying to pick up moves just by watching it and going over stuff in my mind, and you may also know that a few of my old friends are practicing what they call "Shootfighting" but it's basicly them trying to grapple. I've really wanted to join in but i havent had the money to buy a gym card at two places (since if i wanted to hang out at the other place i couldnt just be there without being a member).

Well anyways my friends know i'm really interested in grappling, and my friend (who's the one i really look up to he's always very dedicated to his training) asked me if i wanted to roll a bit, i told him i'd never done it before but i'd love to try. So we went into the kitchen (big kitchen) and got it on (friendly of course).

We started on our knees, grabbed hands and i managed to trip him over into half mount i think it's called (where one leg is still trapped by your opponents two legs (who's on the bottom)), but quickly slipped out of it into full mount where he completely locked up my arms, how here i got totally clueless, i had no idea how to get my hands free, i basicly decided to wait for him to move because he's strong and i was totally stuck, he tried to bridge me off him which loosed up his hands enough for me to get my hands free, but somehow i lost my balance in the progress (propably thought too much about the hands) and i had him in my guard, this is where he started to do some weird submission attempts i've never seen before, (from the guard) he was locking up my hands which kinda hurt but i was sure it couldnt do anything to me so i just let it go and sure enough he gave it up, he also did a variety of neck cranks i didnt know existed and they kinda hurt but same thing, they were annoying but not enough to tap. I almost got a triangle choke but he stood up before i managed to lock my feet up, and at this point he sat back down and went for a heelhook, i was actually kinda afraid then knowing heelhooks are kinda dangerous and can hurt you bad, so i rolled out of it like Igor did against Valentijn, and somhow we ended up rolling around and i basicly got his back, quickly sunk my hooks in and got a rear naked choke. Now it took like 20 seconds to get my choke in cause he was fighting hard, but once it was in i was holding it tight for like 4 seconds (i was kinda afraid he wouldnt tap cause he's a proud guy), but somehow he just grabbed the hand that was pushing down on his head (the one not around his neck), and held it and eventually escaped, at this moment his girlfriend walked in and thought we were fighting for real and we stopped and shaked hands and explained what we were doing. I'd like to know what the counter that move would be or how to hold the rear naked more hard, ebcause i've never seen anyone use that move to escape a rear naked choke (actually if it gets sunk in i've never seen anyone escape it).

Anywho, this might not seem like much but it was just so much fun and i enjoyed it a lot, it was also kinda cool for me because now although i'd still like to join the guys and roll with them i dont feel like i'm loosing out on a whole lot, if i get more money sometime i'd love to trian with them though, we could buy instructionals and try to make something work. Even though he's not theg reatest groundfighter he's a standup monster (going to compete in Thailand in a few months). Also thought it was pretty cool i was trying to do things i'd seen before without thinking that much, guess watching and analyzing moves is good for SOMETHING (although i'd propably get smoked by anyone with more then 3 classes from a good instructor)

On a sidenote it was weird how when i stood up and went back to the couch it felt like my hands were numb, filling up with blood and stuff, also got a bit of a headaiche (prolly cause of the neckcranks).

Just thought i'd post a MA related thread

[Ryu]

Does your friend have any formal training in a grappling art? Or are they just wrestling from videos, etc? It sounds like your friend made some errors but I'm glad to see you guys are working out well. Be careful though if they don't have any real training background. Grappling can be extremely dangerous if you don't know what you're doing, or you haven't had at least a couple years of formal training in it. Need a base before you can really be a "grappler".
Anyway, other than that it sounds good.
As far as the rear naked, if he's trying to pull your hand off, you can switch it up and snake it under his chin. This reverses the choke (you're choking with the opposite arm then you were before)
You shouldn't really be pushing "down" on the head. A good rear naked is from the constriction of pushing your elbows together, and bringing your shoulder blades together. Think of how a soldier puffs his chest out and brings his shoulders back when they yell "attention!"
Don't force the choke, it should be smooth and tight.

But be careful. I'd say join a gym to get some instruction. After you have instruction under your belt then you can do it on your own. But injuries can really start happening if you make a mistake.

Ryu

[qeySuS]

That would be the reason i'm going to USA this summer (in all likelyhood) to train in BJJ because there are no schools around, but my friends are just trying out stuff on their own, they've been training Muay Thai every day for about 3 years now and have gotten a bit intersted in MMA so they've been grappling a lot too.

So no neither one of us had any training, i thought about going for a leg lock of my own (just watched Pedro Carvalho's heelhook tape ) but i decided not too since i had no idea how much pressure to put on it. Propably could have done a lot of things better but i figured it would be pretty safe (until i saw him going for the heelhook).

I dont considder myself a grappler btw not by a longshot It was just something i've been wanting to try for a while, he initiated it and i figured what the heck.

[Ryu]

Hey more power to you.
You should do it. And good luck to you with your trip to the US too. Hope you find some good places to train.

I need to work more on my boxing myself actually. I'm training it everynight. Sounds like your friends are close to pros!

Take care and good luck!

Ryu

[Merryprankster]

qeysus,

please be careful when an inexperienced person has a heel hook on you. If you are going to use them when you play, practice rolling out of them EVERY day. I have a more or less permanently weak MCL from a toe and heel hold applied too quickly in a training environment... hate to see a heel hook applied too fast.

By the time a heel hook hurts, the damage has been done, and I mean that seriously.

As for some advice on the rear naked choke, squeeze the elbows in, shoulders high, and the extra pressure comes from expanding your chest as you inhale (like a soldier as Ryu said.)

Also, I know you are going to try and train with Chris Brennan. Is it his live in program?

[Ryu]

When I was 18 and training with some guys just out of High School, I used the heel hook against one of my friends in a fight. (We sparred extremely hard...even stupidly) Well he didn't tap because the pressure didn't come on until the last few seconds, and I being completely stupid didn't know how dangerous they were, and I ended up almost breaking his foot. I'll never forget the sound either... I was mortified, and he wasn't too happy either. He couldn't walk for a few weeks...it was really really stupid. I used to be good with heel hooks, but haven't really trained them much anymore... Merry is absolutely right about them.

Ryu

[Ryu]

I was also put into a great heel hook by a pro fighter from Hook N Shoot too once. I much rather give them out then take em LOL.

Ryu

[qeySuS]

Yah i've been reading on grappling forums and on the UG and such about it and everyone says they'r a pain and are banned to be used by newbies in most events, and some teachers dont teach them until after a certain amount of time. So i definetly knew that was something i wanted to get out of quickly, i just remembered Igor rolling like hell when Valentijn went for his leg So that's what i did and it worked.

And Merry yeah if i go it'll be his Live in program for about 2.5 months (get a 2-3 month summer vacation from school). I got like 750$ now but i've been working like a madman with school, should be able to get around 2000$ before i go, then i'll just have to put the rest on my card and work it up when i get back

[qeySuS]

Btw we'll find uot when they come back from Thailand if they'r pro's or not, they'r only 18 but they train (at least last time i knew) every day, and the guy i rolled with used to basicly live there, training his shins between practices and such.

So some kickboxer from USA came by last year and told them they were better then a lot of the pro's in USA and should be competing, so now they decided to go to Thailand and compete, i just hope they get back in one piece, then we'll know at what caliber they are at least.

[Merryprankster]

Cool.

If I were single with the freedom to go anywhere or do anything, I'd probably take advantage of that

Military and GF