Road map

Last week I was talking to my brother and he made one of the most interesting comments. He said that this should be the best time for me in jiu jitsu since I'm a blue belt. What he meant by it, is that I have a great foundation built and now it's time to play. Now is the time to figure out what works and what doesn't work for me and in essence mold my game.

With that in mind I've tried to create a game plan of sorts for my guard game. With this game plan I hope to focus on certain moves only to see if I like it or don't like it. From each position I want to achieve certain things and if I fail, I go to this and if I achieve it it opens up this. It'll look a lot like a choose your own adventure book, but I think this is exactly what I need. I need a structure of specific moves I want to work on and only work on those moves. Often times I've found myself rolling with no road map of what to work on or that I'm too scatter brained because that week I read this book or watched this video and have TOO many moves that are running through my brain.

Now this is the easy part, putting the game plan together, the hard part will be to see if I can stay focused for the next couple of months and continually work on these specific moves. Hopefully after a few months I can change certain areas of the road map for what I have discovered to work and not work.

One thing to note on my first go around of this road map is that I have not thrown in any submissions. My primary goal is to sweep.

1. Establish Butterfly Guard

Goal - control opponent by dominating limbs and create a reaction to achieve one of the following:

A.) Double underhooks
B.) Arm drag
C.) Head and arm control
D.) Guillotine

Combinations are key to achieving control. Don't expect to just jump into double underhooks or head and arm control. It will take a combination of multiple set ups to achieve one.

If unable to achieve goal:

- Half guard (see #2)
- Z-Guard (see #3)
- Escape or go to knees

1A. Double Underhooks

Goal - sweep or establish X-Guard

Sweeps (50)

- Often end up with over / under, so look for the Jean Jacque Sweep.
- Look for posted legs to be up to kick out.

Establish X-Guard (146)

- Hands in pit to set up.
- Remember to kick leg out to set up.
- Look for overhook (Sim Go Seminar)

Other considerations:

- Half guard (see #2)
- Z-Guard (see #3)

1B. Arm Drag

Goal - sweep, establish X-Guard, or take the back

Sweep

- Look for reverse sweep if posted leg (70)
- Utilize half butterfly sweeps
- Look for guillotine opportunities and use overhook

X-Guard (132, 137)

- Look to make opponent post leg to pull x-guard.

Take back

- Keep arm tight to body

Other considerations:

- Half guard (see #2)
- Z-Guard (see #3)
- Guillotine to set up arm drag

1C. Head and Arm Control

Goal - sweep, establish X-Guard, or guillotine

Sweep

- Jean Jacque sweep.
- One foot goes on thigh (same side of grip on arm)
- Look for kick out

X-Guard (125)

- Fall to side of head control pulling arm w/ you.
- Make sure leg is posted and use both legs to kick up.

Other considerations:

- Half guard (see #2)
- Z-Guard (see #3)
- Guillotine seems as like a good transitional move from here as well as arm drag.

1D. Guillotine

Goal - create a reaction or finish

Reaction - can work for head and arm control (see # 1C) or arm drag (see #1B)

2. Half Guard

Sweeps (79)

- Utilize half butterfly and z-guard
- Look for sweeping by grabbing leg

X-Guard (162)

- Need both hands past armpit

Other considerations:

- Go to knees or pull full guard

3. Z-Guard

- Look to take back.
- Utilize overhook for arm drag or take back
- Get into half butterfly to work sweeps
- Work to establish x-guard (Baret #79)

4. X-Guard

Opponent standing sweeps

- Push sweep (Ankle pick) (221, 225)
- Pull sweep (Attack knee) (241)
- Attack near sleeve and far sleeve (198)

Opponent kneeling sweeps

- Takedown (204)
- Far wrist attack (180)
- Back door