technique^3

I would like to take this opportunity to lament the fact that I am human. Or at least that I don't have super-human learning capabilities.

You see, I have always been terrible at bottom half-guard. It is one of those things where technique just never seems to stick. I am (really not that) okay at defending/framing, but I am definitely terrible offensively. I learn a sweep a trazillion times and continuously forget it.

On the other hand, I like butterfly guard. Though I have one major problem with that: I am bad at finding entries other than when we just start rolling from knees. (Thus it's also not very practiced.)

Once upon a time, I learned something to solve both of these problems. What was it? Getting a hook in from bottom half. (get a hook? oh, how novel.)

I remember being taught this twice since I have started BJJ. Once in my first two months of training and then again after about a year and a bit of training.

After the second exposure, I started using it during live rolling. I wouldn't say it was really effective, but hey, it was something. Getting the hook in was sometimes a struggle and I wasn't good at going right into a b-fly sweeping position, or any other extremely useful position for that matter. But then I just kept going for it.

Every time bottom-half showed up, immediately I thought, "hook!" and got my foot in one way or another. Eventually my entry was automatic, and my hooks were unstoppable. I had people's legs flailing around above me. I was throwing them back, getting underhooks while sitting up and going right into the b-fly sweep. In time, I was sweeping everyone left and right after just having been in bottom-half.

Just kidding! I completely forgot about it and stopped doing it.

I haven't found that I have done this before. Usually, once I start using something that works (sort of) in live rolling, I don't just stop doing it! I do know that I have to be taught something at least three times for it to truly start sticking. Well, it was shown in class this past week. (I would say "shown again", but amusingly, each time I've seen it has been at a different home club.) That is why my relationship with this hook has come flooding back to me. Here's hoping third time's the charm!

P.S. Happy nations' birthdays long weekend, Canada and USA! (Don't let that sentence fool you; I am not festively intoxicated.)