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Lesson: Basic Spider to Base Check
The practicing student will start in the Closed Guard position by laying flat on their back and allowing the assisting student to Triangle Sit between their legs. Once in place the practicing student should close their guard around the assisting student by crossing their ankles around their back. The practicing student will then take two same side cuff grips.
To set up the Spider Guard, the practicing student will maintain their double sleeve grips and enter with their legs like they are doing a Scissor Sweep. This will place one knee across the beltline and the second leg along the floor. Once the leg is across the belt line the practicing student will reorientation the knees towards the ceiling and position both feet on the hips. If done correctly this will leave the practicing student with one knee between the student’s arms and one knee on the outside of the arms. Both of the practicing student’s knees should be close to the shoulders of the assisting student with the knee between the legs providing a strong frame against inward pressure.
Next the practicing student will create tension on the sleeve grips by gently pulling on the sleeves and then partially extending the legs to push the assisting student away. This should partially off balance the assisting student. During the off balancing, the practicing student should adjust their outside knee to the inside by guiding the arm over the top of their knee with the sleeve grip on that side. Note- The knees will disengage from the assisting student’s chest as the legs are extended.
Once partially stretched, the assisting student will pull back with one of their arms. If the assisting student communicates that they can not pull back an arm, then the practicing student is over stretching with their legs or pulling too hard with their arms. The practicing student should then allow a little slack into the sleeve by limiting the press/extension with their legs.
As the assisting student pulls back with their arm, the practicing student will remove the same side foot from the belt and place it on the bicep. Once on the Bicep, the practicing student will remove the slack in the sleeve by pulling on the Cat Grip and partially extending the leg. This should create a controlling push/pull control over the arm, shoulder and back of the assisting student.
Using the foot on the hip, the practicing student will make a slight hip movement angling their lower back away from the foot pushing off the hip. This should be accompanied by an extension and rotation of the assisting student’s elbow away from their body by manipulating the push/pull control over the bicep. The further the elbow is extended from the assisting student’s body, the more control the practicing student will have.
To reinforce the existing Kuszuhi created by the foot on the bicep, the practicing student will take the foot off of the hip and place it on the assisting student’s far knee. To create a powerful Kuzushi, that often results in a sweep, the practicing student should push away with the foot on the knee while rotating the elbow of the bicep control in the same direction as the knee is being pushed. Lastly, the practicing student should make an exaggerated pull on the assisting student’s sleeve on the same side as the foot is pushing on the knee. This can be accomplished by an extension of the body and a slight turn of the chest towards the floor. This will take some practice to develop the perception but can easily be accomplished while the assisting student is on their knees.
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