Green belt

So, you’re an orange belt! Awesome! So, what does this mean? It means that you are at least an advanced beginner now and know some pretty cool stuff. You know all the main strikes, quite a few throws and are feeling more comfortable with the ground. Time to start applying your skills in sparring! Let’s go easy though, the last thing we want are injuries. 

Standing	Clinch	Ground	Self defence	Partner drills	Solo forms
Combos	Judo set 3	Guard retention	Hair grab defences	Defence drill 3	Heian sandan
Counters	Knee defence	Guard passes	Choke defences	Mount to mount
Boxing trapping	Throw combos	Guard sweeps	Bear hug defences	Defence drill 4	Heian yondan

Stripe 1

Combinations

Continue to study combinations that work for you. Use the following concepts when constructing combinations that work for you:

• Changing levels (high/low)
• Angles (inside/outside)
• Range (long/short distance)
• Techniques (punches/kicks/knees/throws/joint locks etc)
• Feints.

Judo set 3

Add new throws from the third go-kyo set. Make sure you have at least one forward, one back and one side throw that you are confident with. Consider self-defence applications for the throws you have learned.

• Minor outside hook (kosotogake)
• Lifting hip (tsurigoshi)
• Side drop (yokootoshi)
• Leg wheel (ashiguruma)
• Spring hip (hanegoshi)
• Lifting leg sweep (haraitsurikomiashi)
• Circle throw (tomoenage)
• Shoulder wheel (kataguruma).

Guard retention and recovery

You already know about the 5Ss (scramble, stand, sweep, submit and strike) when you are stuck on the ground. The guard is the preferred platform from which we can launch the 5Ss when we are stuck underneath an opponent on the ground. It then stands to reason that it is an important position that we need to learn how to maintain (and later improve).

So, what is the guard? It is any position where you are (at least partially) on your back, and using your arms and legs to control an opponent’s movement. Examples include closed guard, open guard, half guard, seated guard and more.

We will focus more about guard passes in the next level, but for the purposes of guard retention and recovery, it is important to know that an opponent may try to pass over, under, around or through your guard, and develop strategies for preventing them, or returning to guard after they have passed.

• Win the grips – get the grips you want while preventing the opponent from achieving their preferred grips
• Win the angle – keep your feet and knees facing your opponent 
• Control the distance – keep your knees and elbows close together and don’t let the opponent put their weight on your chest or stomach
• Protect your head – don’t allow them get the cross face 
• Escape – be on your side ready to sweep, submit, strike and scramble to stand.

Hair grab defences

I must preface this by saying that it has been some years since I have needed to practice hair grab defences, but understand that there are still some people out there with hair on their heads. The best illustration of how effective hair pulling can be may be Erik Paulson’s early MMA fights in the World Combat Championships.  Most defences maintain the grip and use the contact point to counter the attacker.

Defence drill 3 (blocks and counters)

The first level of this drill taught you blocks, this one teaches you counters.

Tori	Uke
Left jab	Parry and hook elbow joint
Right cross	Parry and reverse punch body
Left hook	Cover and elbow to jaw, attempting wrist lock on trapped hand
Right hammerfist	Ageuke and uppercut
Left overhand	Ageuke and haitouchi to groin
Right hook	Catch and shutouchi to neck
Left backfist	Catch and overhead armbar
Right elbow	Counter with elbow
Left body rip	Block and counter punch to solar plexus
Right uppercut	Block and nukite to throat
Clear hands neck clinch, left & right knee	Block and elbow thighs, break clinch
Head-butt	Block, slap ears, thumbs in eyes, twist neck, bicep bump, shoulder bump
Right and left leg kick	Leg check and nukite to eyes
Right body kick	Catch leg, elbow and knee thigh, ouchigari
Right leg kick	Avoid and rear bear hug
Push down hands and rear headbutt	Slap ears and grab ankles, bump hips with shoulder
3 front groin kicks	1. Right gedanbarai and nukite to eyes 2. Left nagashiuke and haitouchi to face/throat 3. Stomp on shin with right foot and superman punch
5 vertical fist punches to face	As level 1, but finish with kata-gatame choke
3 vertical fist punches to body	1.RH nagashiuke, trap and uraken to body 2.RH gedanbarai and body rip  3.LH nagashiuke, circle arm into body, RH haito is blocked, pull guard down, RH hook
Weave under hook	Push away and reverse roles

Heian sandan

This kata teaches a number of chokes, throws and wrist locks. See the video for details.

Sparring

Sparring is at the discretion of the examiner, but may include light boxing, judo, karate, kudo, jujutsu or MMA sparring. Be ready for anything!

Stripe 2

Counters

There are three levels to counters, listed below from the easiest to most advanced. At this stage, you only need to demonstrate the first level of counters to any/all strikes, but be aware and start thinking of the more advanced levels.

1. Block and then counter (go sen no sen) – counter after the attack
2. Simultaneous block and counter (sen no sen) – counter at the same time as the attack
3. Anticipated counter (sen sen no sen) – counter before the attack.

Knee defence

Knees from the clinch are difficult to see coming, especially when your opponent has you off balance. This segment will test your ability to use off-balancing, throws, catches and other counters against knees in the clinch.

Guard passes

Guard passes (getting past the opponent’s legs) are an essential skill for anyone with an interest in competitive grappling. To avoid submissions, all students must have a good understanding of opening and passing the guard. 

Opening the closed guard is a subskill of the guard pass. Use gravity and posture to create wedges with the elbows and knees to open the guard. You should be able to demonstrate at least two methods, including the standing method:

1. Launch from a safe position with double lapel grips and knees wedged under the opponent’s hips
2. Grab both lapels with the right hand high on the chest (like a punching motion toward the chin)
3. Control the opponent’s right hand with your left
4. Stand up starting with the left foot 
5. As you stand straight, pull their sleeve up with the left hand until the left elbow is inside their right knee
6. Push their left knee with the right hand.

Once the guard is open, you have four directions in which to pass the guard. An example of each is included below.

• Over – Leap frog pass, over under pass, long back step pass
• Under – Bucket pass
• Around – Toreador pass, leg drag
• Through – Knee slice pass.

Whichever pass you choose, keeping the following steps in mind:

1. Grips – don’t let your opponent control your ability to create angle with their hands and feet
2. Feet – point the opponent’s feet away from you
3. Knees – don’t let their knees point at you
4. Hips – pinch the hips, usually using an elbow and knee
5. Head – establish position by pinning the head and shoulders.

Choke defences

First thing – smile! A smile makes a choke far more difficult to finish. The muscle actions of a smile tighten the muscles in the neck that protect the arteries. If you know how to apply a choke, you understand the elements you need to neutralise to defend it. Always move away from the choking pressure. Some of the chokes that you will need to defend include:

• Two handed chokes from the front, side and back
• Rear, side (headlock) and front (guillotine) chokes
• Lapel chokes
• Thrust choke (Tsukkomijime)
• Baseball choke
• Side choke
• Triangle choke
• Sleeve choke (Sodegurumajime or Ezequiel).

Mount to mount drill

This drill introduces transitions from inferior to superior positions. Below is the basic version. Later you will learn different transitions and include submissions.

1. Start in bottom mount position
2. Upa escape to partner’s guard
3. Posture up and pass guard to side control
4. Switch base to mount
5. Partner repeats.

Sparring

Let’s aim for small improvements in sparring ability at each level. Choose a theme (footwork, angles, combinations, counters, feints, catching kicks, takedowns) and work on it until your weakness becomes a strength.

Stripe 3

Boxing trapping

Gain an advantage by trapping an opponent’s hands to create an opportunity to attack an undefended target. Tegumi drills introduced the concept, now let’s explore further. 

Throw combinations

Throws can be quite easy to defend if the opponent identifies them. Combine them to improve your success rate. The basic throw drill provides you with some great ideas. Remember to off-balance your partner (uke) and consider their likely reactions to your actions. When combining throws consider these things:

• Direction – try combining backward and forward, and left and right throws
• Grips – can you change throw without changing grips?
• Start thinking of strikes that might help set up throws

Here are some examples that work well, but feel free to experiment:

• Feint ouchigari to taiotoshi
• Ouchigari to osotogari (and vice versa)
• Ogoshi to taniotoshi (you will learn this later).

Guard sweeps

Not only do sweeps enable you to take the dominate position on the ground, even unsuccessful sweep attempts are excellent opportunities to set up submissions. All sweeps employ the following components:

• Trap – stop the opponent from being able to post in the direction you are sweeping
• Lift – usually achieved by getting under the opponent’s centre of gravity and using the lower body to compromise the opponent’s base
• Shift – adjust to a favourable angle and move the opponent past their centre of gravity 

Closed guard sweeps:

1. Scissor
2. Reverse scissor
3. Hip bump
4. Flower
5. Back take

Sweep standing opponent:

1. Sickle
2. Tripod
3. X-guard sweeps
4. Back take from X-guard

Butterfly:

1. Basic hook and knee kick hook sweeps
2. Rock to mount
3. Back take

Spider/Lasso:

1. Bicep variations

Half guard:

1. Pendulum
2. Ankle x 2
3. Back take
4. John Wayne
5. Dog fight

Bear hug defences

Bear hugs can be painful, but they are not the most dangerous attacks. However, the reduced mobility places the victim in danger of a secondary attack, or the victim may be transported for further assaults in another location. 

Defences vary depending on whether the attacker is bear hugging from the front, back or side and to what degree the arms are trapped. If the arms are free, strikes may be employed. If the arms are trapped, consider creating space and escaping downwards while defending chokes. Throws including sukuinage, hanegoshi and haraigoshi can be effective counters.

Defence drill 4

The section focuses on defending against punches when your back is against a wall and your opponent has hold of your clothing. There is a basic drill and we will expand on this with more aggressive defensive tactics.

Basic drill

1. Grab lapel
2. Hammerfist
3. Overhand right
4. Hook
5. Cross
6. Elbow
7. Body uppercut
8. Uppercut

Heian yondan

Many of these techniques deal with attempted grabs of the wrists and upper body. See the video for details.

Sparring

Keep experimenting at a light and playful pace.

Green belt test

The green belt syllabus is huge! Take your time to consolidate what you have learned, double check that you understand all grading criteria and good luck with the green belt test.