No kani basami, no closed guard, no neck cranks. Also no jumping guard. No stalling, warnings for lack of attacks are penalized
TBH, I think heel hooks are out because you'd never get the Judo guys and even some of the other competitors to come into an event with heel hooks.
Omigawa vs Nakamura - relatively uneventful, a nice Haraigoshi to open from omigawa then ineffectual guard passing attempts, thank god closed guard disallowed, lack of points at this point having me wonder how a winner will be determined
Then some very ineffectual guard pass attempts and feet on hips
Some near back takes by omigawa due to lazy backstep attempts and back steps by Nakamura
With a last second kimura to armbar transition Nakamura ends fighting for the submission but walks away empty handed. So it's a draw.
Sakuraba vs Debana
Debana throws up some armbars with active hips, Saku looking mainly to pass, curious why no ankle or kneebar attempts from the legend, Saku hangs well considering the age difference and looks better than he did against Renzo at Metamoris (then again Debana is of course not in the same galaxy of skill at Renzo so...). Match ends in a draw. I begin to have the creeping suspicion that we'll see a lot of these semi positional battles.
At this point the commentary is pushing the Quintet is about being dynamic angle and commenting that Saku felt after his match against Renzo that the rules made it boring, though I wonder how this is much different minus the banning of heel hooks and closed guard.
I think in marketing something as being dynamic, you can confuse ineffectual movement and action with actual effective progression of attacks and position.
Kim vs Tokoro
Tokoro spins to his back with a flying armbar in 14 seconds
Tokoro stays on the mat and faces Yoon
Yoon diving forward looking for and scores a nogi Ezekiel within the guard. The ole' throat punch Judo inside the legs finish by surprise. (From what I've read, a Brazilian Judoka came to Gracie Barra way back in the day in Brazil and submitted a bunch of guys with the sleeve choke from inside their guard and his name was Ezekiel so it was thus named).
Yoon vs Souza
Yoon with smooth door sweeps and Souza sweeps to top and passed quickly with ease. Spins to kimura, Yoon on his side, Souza to the back then back to the armbar, loses it then back to heavy on the pass to 3/4 mount, then passed again, positionally all over Yoon on the mat.
5 minutes to work, still on top, Yoon unable to effectually recompose inside position with his feet, belly down to try and turtle by Souza gets back to mount.
Works to arm triangle but loses it, works to high mount and gets the armbar
Souza stays on to face Ishiii. Yoooooooo haha, after I started thinking it would be draws we get 3 submissions.
Souza vs Ishii
Hoping Souza loses so we can see Barnett vs Ishii....30 seconds in & Souza still on his feet. Way longer that I would have. Souza hits a Haraigoshi and knocks Souza down, then head down and attempting to walk around, Souza closes his guard but not penalty, Ishii onto an over under style pass with what must feel like a concrete dump truck of pressure. It's a 4 minute match so Souza just has to survive and Barnett will come on. Souza bravely shoots in for a double but Ishii stuff it and is back on the pass. He briefly passes but with hips square to the mat Souza recomposes. More hopping around to pass from Ishii, but not time enough to chase a submission. A draw.
Haleo takes it in a competitive battle with Judo Dream Team.
Up next is Polaris vs Sambo
Jones vs Verzbickas
Jones vs Grecicho
Jones to his Z knee shield then almost a triangle, Grecicho staying down on both knees so you know he'll be in trouble again soon.
Toe hold to kneebar attempt but too far down the leg. Jones on top then passes. Threatens a no gi Ezekiel but no dice. Jones to mount, more top position retention, overreaching for a toe hold, back to bottom position, chasing the foot, legs laced, back to the kneebar, ineffectual scrambling. Ends in a draw.
Marcin Held vs Tomasevic
Held pulls guard then sweeps, to the attack with a crunch armbar, Tomasevic over under pass and gets the pass. Held to the darce attempt ish, Tomasevic heavy on the pass, Held inverts and gets the kneebaaaaaaah! Held doing well chaining together his upper body submissions to get to the leg lock. His opponent also had time to defend the kneebar early but lacked the information to do so.
Held vs Teodoras
Held gets outside half guard and rolls through and hits a half kneebar type finish. Teodoras taps very early to this. Again, lack of basic leg lock info does someone in.
Held pulls ahead of Jones with two leg locks (and against a heavier opponent, and things look grim for Team Sambo.
Held vs Zaromskis
Held dives for an Imanari roll to sit, then back to the feet, Zaromskis shoots but stuffed, Held stuffs the shot, front headlock to the back take.
Held hunting for the Twister then banana split then gives it up to get to top position. Deep armbar but Zaromskis survives. Held all over him and Zaromskis tough to finish and escapes another armbar. Held doing the chasing, Zaromskis doing a good bit of dancing and not really in a position to pass or even begin to threaten Held. Zaromskis survives for a draw.
Polaris Team Moves on: Team Haleo vs Team Polaris for the final
Gregor Gracie vs Josh Barnett
Standing up in the clinch, 4 minute match due to the weight difference.
90 seconds left, Gregor picks up a single, Barnett not really committing to any takedowns. Arguing over the starting on the referee position, Barnett deep on an ankle lock but Gregor defends, Barnett dives on a low single, match ends. Draw.
Strauss vs Nakamura
Hoping to god it's more exciting that Strauss' Polaris match with Shields.
Strauss jumps to an armbar, a lot of semi closed guard here, wondering when the penalty comes. Allegedly a timer is going. Strauss back to closed guard. I start to doze off in recollection of his terrible Polaris match. Nakamura diving head low to try and pass but Strauss has butterfly hooks set. Strauss comes to top and chases the back after a lazy Nakamura dive over top to pass. Strauss takes the back and gets a body triangle then finishes with an RNC.
Strauss vs Tokoro
4 min match due to weight difference. Strauss tries to sit without contact but they make him stand up. Lazy shot from Tokoro. Strauss almost takes the back, a lot of movement on the feet. Handfighting. Strauss looks winded after one match. Strauss pulls to open guard. Tokoro stepping in to pass. Finally. A penalty awarded to both. Minute and 15 seconds left. Strauss on a front head lock. Step over to mounted arm in guillotine for the Win. Strauss tied with Held for two submissions wins so far.
Strauss vs Sakuraba
Strauss sits about a minute in. Sakuraba jumps over, Strauss sweeps to top, looking to stack pass, gets north south, heavy on the pass and settles in. Looking to lock up a kimura, Sakuraba defending. Strauss looks for a wrist lock but no dice. Strauss heavy in too, Sakuraba reverses and chases a leg lock, Strauss escapes, Sakuraba on top. Strauss lifts him up, comes up on the single and they separate. Remaining 2-3 minutes largely ineffectual on both sides. Draw.
Souza vs Uno
Delay early on due to eye poke. Low single to sits Uno down, immediate pass to armbar Bc Uno turns away and leaves his arm behind.
Souza vs Jones
Souza lets Jones bring the foot across the hip, then transitions to the kneebar and gets the tap.
Jones now tied with Held and Strauss for two submissions for the day.
Team Polaris shuts it down with a bunch of submissions and takes the inaugural Quintet title. Despite no heel hooks, I'll admit, this was a lot of fun to watch.Strauss, Jones, and Held each picked up two submissions apiece repping Team Polaris as the real submission hunters of the event.
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