Complexity Rating ★★
Cardiovascular Rating ★★
Purpose
Develop well timed leg and hip movements to recompose Guard.
Develop a smooth and effective pathway for passing the legs when an opponent Leg Pummels.
Description (For the purposes of this drill the “assisting partner” will be the student executing the Leg Pummel)
Training Partner Starting Position. A good training partner will start in the Side Control bottom position by laying on their back with their legs bent and their feet flat on the floor. The hands will be in the Home Alone Position.
Practicing Student. The practicing student will start in a Triangle Sit perpendicular to the assisting student. The knees of the practicing student should be touching the torso of the assisting student. The hands will then be placed on their knees.
To execute the drill. The assisting student will place their outside hand on the practicing students shoulder nearest the head. The inside hand will then be framed on the hip of the practicing student. Carefully, the assisting student will give a partial Shrimp and then raise their outside leg and bring it over the practicing student’s head. Once over the head, the ankle and lower calf should be placed in the space between the practicing students shoulder and ear.
The practicing student will take their hand that is closest to the assisting student's head and place the forearm on the top of the assisting student’s hip. The practicing student will take their other hand and grip the fabric on the inside of the assisting student’s bottom knee. Next the practicing student will apply pressure with the neck and shoulder towards the assisting student's head by leaning into the leg. This pressure, combined with the pinning of the assisting student’s bottom knee, should increase the space enough to switch sides.To switch sides the practicing student will slide the knee closest to the assisting student’s head onto the thigh of the controlled knee grip. Once the knee has been placed on the thigh, the hand controlling the pants can be released and used to assist in base/balance management. The practicing student will then slide between the assisting students legs taking care to apply heavy pressure with their upper body, neck and shoulder. As the practicing student is sliding through, they should pivot their body until they are in a Side Control position. The hands will then be removed and they will break contact with the assisting student.
The assisting student will then partially Shrimp their back away from the practicing student and reset their hands. Once the space is enforced, and the orientation of the body has the chest facing the practicing student, they will lift the outside leg, bring it over the practicing student’s head and place it in the space between the neck and the shoulder. This should be the starting position and allow the movement to be turned into a drill.
Common Mistakes
Advise the assitings student to not kick the assisting student in the face while bringing the leg over the head.
Some students are more flexible than others. The pressure of the upper body created by turning into the back of the assisting student’s leg should be tight but not painful. Make sure the students communicate with each other throughout the drill. If the pressure is too much, have the practicing student apply more pressure to the forearm along the top of the hip rather than the shoulder/neck on the back of the thigh/calf.
When sliding the knee across the thigh it needs to be above the grip on the knee. If this space is too crowded then the upper body needs to stretch the assisting student more to get additional space. If the assisting student is not flexible enough for this to be the answer, simply have the practicing student take a grip slightly lower on the pant leg.
Testing Threshold
Time 45 Seconds
Requirement 13 Repetitions