Mestre Kevin Chan

So... I've started going to class for two weeks now. Everyone there was very welcoming and I was made to feel at home. The structure of the classes run like this:

General warm up (stretching, pulse raisers)

Grappling-specific warm up (shrimping, rolling, pummeling, core exercises)

Techniques

Technique-specific rolling

3 to 4 x 5-minute sparring

Cool down

Since then,we've drilled the following:

Armbar from Guard (Bottom)

Kimura from Side control

Americana from Side Control

Guard Passing ( 2 variations)

Takedowns (Body lock and Judo throws)

Takedown transition to armbar

Butterfly guard and Sweep

Omoplata

Collar Choke from Guard (Bottom)

The classes are being run by Mestre Kevin Chan or Brown belt Dante or Purple belt Big Steve. Slightly different styles in teaching, wherein Dante and Big Steve are more technique-oriented whilst Kevin is more concept-oriented.

Case in point, in Kevin's class, he showed the concept of sensitivity thru pummeling and butterfly guard. He said that it's about being sensitive to your partners's actions and molding your body to conform to his body whilst adjusting your own body. It's about being loose enough to feel your partner, but maintaining sticky limbs.The sticky limbs concept is prevalent in a lot of martial arts disciplines. I can remember doing sensitivity drills in Escrima and in Jeet Kune Do.

In the butterfly guard, your legs are able to sense your partner's actions, and thru manipulation of your centre of gravity in relation to his,you are able to effectively execute a sweep/reversal without putting excessive force in the action. For a lot of beginners, strength becomes a substitute for technique,though this is only going to work if you are stronger than your partner.What if it's the other way around?

I've got notes on how to execute the above techniques. I just need to type and create links.

I'm going to sleep now.I'm tired and I've pulled a couple of muscles from yesterday and today. Oh, well.