Shrimping Ain't Easy

Two Things:
1) a sweep from bottom in semi-half-guard-ish position that I find myself in quite a bit while I monkey around
2) thoughts on basics and the like
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1) Hurt my knee recently during NoGi class. One of those things that happens, and I'm guessing, also in part comes from years of Judo. At any rate, I'm back to working on my bottom/sweeping game while liberally and safely going for submissions when possible, but no triangles and no rapid-fire armbars.

It is what it is, and as a result, I find myself in half-guard, full guard, and deep half as I monkey around on the mats in an effort to not completely stop jiu-jitsu while I'm hurt. 

At any rate, I began doing the following shin sweep (save the variation with the bottom side leg trapping the leg you're sweeping, and I too have found it works on a variety of opponents. I typically hit it with both knees inside the leg you're attempting to sweep, but this new variation with the bottom side leg helping to trap the leg you're sweeping worked for me the other night in class.

At any rate, it's from the Grappler's Guide (which also recently posted an old Judo pass I've been using since I was a white belt and one of the few head down/low posture passes I still use).



2) as stated above, recently hurt my knee during a failed takedown by a bigger guy (historically, this is how I got hurt in Judo. I've never been hurt by someone my size or within about 20 lb's or so).

At any rate, I'm back to playing my bottom game, defending guard passes, monkey-ing around and finding ways to come up on top/take the back that don't require one my legs/putting weight on that leg.
Some days, I end up defending guard passes the entire class. Other days, I find a route to the back and collar choke my way to the submission.
It's always interesting rolling when injured in that I find myself doing things differently than I would. I actually end up taking the back more often when injured, whereas normally I make my way to mount when not injured.

I also find that I can still shrimp, albeit more slowly, and more controlled with the use of one leg.
I shake my head when a white belt is repeatedly told to shrimp to escape, and sorta just flails around.

The shrimp works. The shrimp works even better if you begin before the other guy settles into his position.
I learned a loooong time ago in Judo, if you let the guy settle into the position or pin, getting out, even if it works, is an exhaustively daunting process.

So, shrimp, shrimp, and shrimp some more. Knee elbow escape I've also heard it called.

    - Happy Trainingz!