Competition preparation

Competition preparation, four weeks

Conditioning early, sharpness late. This schedules the solo work only; sparring, weight and rest are for you and your coach.

Week 1: volume

Two conditioning rounds. Keep the form notes open.

Day 1: Conditioning round, about 13 minutes. Hip escape ladder, Bridge repeats, Breakfall and stand rounds.
Day 2: Off the back, about 9 minutes. Recover base from the back, Frame, swivel, escape, Bottom of guard: solo shapes.
Day 3: Conditioning round, about 13 minutes. Hip escape ladder, Bridge repeats, Breakfall and stand rounds.
Day 4: Base on top, about 11 minutes. Kneeling posture and combat base, Combat base to standing base, Sprawl from the standing base, Top position: solo base.

Phase cues for this week

Hip escape ladder: First escape. Post, lift, travel. Second escape. Same thing, other side. Third. Same distance again. Fourth. Same form as the first. Reorganise. Finish tidy, knee in front.
Bridge repeats: Bridge. Heels drive, chest turns. Bridge. Other shoulder. Bridge. Same height as the first. Lower. Under control every time.
Breakfall and stand rounds: Land and slap. Chin tucked, arms wide. Recover. Up to a seated base. Leg clears. Rear foot on its ball. Stand. Both feet set. Standing base. Ready for the next fall.
Recover base from the back: Post and turn. Make space first. Travel. Hips away from the post. Heist. Hips lift and turn over the hand. Knees. Head up on landing. Combat base. One foot posted, hips under the shoulders.
Frame, swivel, escape: Frame. Elbows in, forearms in front. Swivel. Legs to one side, shoulders down. Swivel back. Same again, other side. Post and turn. Near hand to the mat. Escape. Hips travel away from the post.
Bottom of guard: solo shapes: Swivel. Legs to one side, shoulders down. Frame. Elbows in, forearms up. Hip escape. Post, lift, travel. Shoulder rock. Hips over the shoulders, hands posted. Rock forward. Back to a sit.
Kneeling posture and combat base: Tall on both knees. Hips over the knees, hands in front. Post a foot. One foot forward beside the other knee, no lean. Combat base. Rear toes tucked, hands ready, eyes level. Return. Foot back, still tall. Other side. Same base with the other foot posted.
Combat base to standing base: Combat base. One foot posted, toes tucked. Standing base. Rise through the posted foot into a staggered base. Settle. Knees bent, weight over the balls of the feet. Post the foot. Lower with the same foot forward. Combat base again. Hips under the shoulders.
Sprawl from the standing base: Standing base. Staggered, knees bent, hands in front. Hips back, hands down. Hips shoot back as the hands drop toward the mat. Hips through the mat. Hips down and through, legs long, weight on the hands and the balls of the feet. Recover. Feet back under you. Settle the base. Ready for the next.
Top position: solo base: Combat base. One foot posted, hips under the shoulders. Standing base. Rise and settle. Sprawl. Hips back and down. Combat base again. Recover to one knee. Return. Foot back, tall.

Week 2: volume, then chains

Chains at pace once the form holds.

Day 1: Conditioning round, about 13 minutes. Hip escape ladder, Bridge repeats, Breakfall and stand rounds.
Day 2: Turning over a post, about 8 minutes. Sit-out from hands and knees, Hip heist to the knees, Sit-out and heist flow.
Day 3: Off the back, about 9 minutes. Recover base from the back, Frame, swivel, escape, Bottom of guard: solo shapes.
Day 4: Base on top, about 11 minutes. Kneeling posture and combat base, Combat base to standing base, Sprawl from the standing base, Top position: solo base.

Phase cues for this week

Hip escape ladder: First escape. Post, lift, travel. Second escape. Same thing, other side. Third. Same distance again. Fourth. Same form as the first. Reorganise. Finish tidy, knee in front.
Bridge repeats: Bridge. Heels drive, chest turns. Bridge. Other shoulder. Bridge. Same height as the first. Lower. Under control every time.
Breakfall and stand rounds: Land and slap. Chin tucked, arms wide. Recover. Up to a seated base. Leg clears. Rear foot on its ball. Stand. Both feet set. Standing base. Ready for the next fall.
Sit-out from hands and knees: Hands and knees. Head up, hands under the shoulders. Step the foot up. One foot beside the hand so the hips can lift. Leg swings under. Post on the hand; the far leg swings under as the chest turns away from the mat. Sit facing away. Hand posted behind, free hand in front. Second sit-out. Repeat from hands and knees.
Hip heist to the knees: Seated, hand posted. One hand behind, the free hand in front. Hips lift and turn. Drive through the planted foot; the hips rise and turn over the post. Knee finds the mat. The free leg swings under and the knee sets down facing the post. Hands and knees. Head up, base wide. Again. From the seated base, other side if you can.
Sit-out and heist flow: Sit-out. Leg swings under. Heist. Hips lift and turn back over the post. Sit-out. Same thing, other side. Heist. Back to the knees. Hands and knees. Breathe here.
Recover base from the back: Post and turn. Make space first. Travel. Hips away from the post. Heist. Hips lift and turn over the hand. Knees. Head up on landing. Combat base. One foot posted, hips under the shoulders.
Frame, swivel, escape: Frame. Elbows in, forearms in front. Swivel. Legs to one side, shoulders down. Swivel back. Same again, other side. Post and turn. Near hand to the mat. Escape. Hips travel away from the post.
Bottom of guard: solo shapes: Swivel. Legs to one side, shoulders down. Frame. Elbows in, forearms up. Hip escape. Post, lift, travel. Shoulder rock. Hips over the shoulders, hands posted. Rock forward. Back to a sit.
Kneeling posture and combat base: Tall on both knees. Hips over the knees, hands in front. Post a foot. One foot forward beside the other knee, no lean. Combat base. Rear toes tucked, hands ready, eyes level. Return. Foot back, still tall. Other side. Same base with the other foot posted.
Combat base to standing base: Combat base. One foot posted, toes tucked. Standing base. Rise through the posted foot into a staggered base. Settle. Knees bent, weight over the balls of the feet. Post the foot. Lower with the same foot forward. Combat base again. Hips under the shoulders.
Sprawl from the standing base: Standing base. Staggered, knees bent, hands in front. Hips back, hands down. Hips shoot back as the hands drop toward the mat. Hips through the mat. Hips down and through, legs long, weight on the hands and the balls of the feet. Recover. Feet back under you. Settle the base. Ready for the next.
Top position: solo base: Combat base. One foot posted, hips under the shoulders. Standing base. Rise and settle. Sprawl. Hips back and down. Combat base again. Recover to one knee. Return. Foot back, tall.

Week 3: sharpness

Fewer rounds, full recovery, every repetition clean.

Day 1: Two escapes, about 8 minutes. Hip escape / shrimp, Reverse hip escape, Hip escape to reverse escape.
Day 2: Turning over a post, about 8 minutes. Sit-out from hands and knees, Hip heist to the knees, Sit-out and heist flow.
Day 3: Base on top, about 11 minutes. Kneeling posture and combat base, Combat base to standing base, Sprawl from the standing base, Top position: solo base.

Phase cues for this week

Hip escape / shrimp: On the back, feet planted. Knees bent, both feet flat, frames in front of the chest. Post and turn. Near hand posts on the mat and the body turns onto that shoulder. Drive and travel. Push through the planted foot; the pelvis lifts and travels away from the post. Reorganise. Top knee comes back in front of you before anything else. Reset. Back to the seated base without pulling on the neck.
Reverse hip escape: Feet planted. Both feet flat, knees bent, frames in front. Heels in, load. Draw the heels toward the hips and lift the hips a little. Hips toward the head. Push through both feet; the hips slide along the mat toward the head. Walk the feet in. Feet back under you before the next push. Again. Second push, same line.
Hip escape to reverse escape: Hip escape. Post, lift, travel sideways. Reorganise. Top knee back in front. Reverse escape. Both feet push; hips toward the head. Walk the feet in. Under you again. Hip escape again. Same frames, other direction.
Sit-out from hands and knees: Hands and knees. Head up, hands under the shoulders. Step the foot up. One foot beside the hand so the hips can lift. Leg swings under. Post on the hand; the far leg swings under as the chest turns away from the mat. Sit facing away. Hand posted behind, free hand in front. Second sit-out. Repeat from hands and knees.
Hip heist to the knees: Seated, hand posted. One hand behind, the free hand in front. Hips lift and turn. Drive through the planted foot; the hips rise and turn over the post. Knee finds the mat. The free leg swings under and the knee sets down facing the post. Hands and knees. Head up, base wide. Again. From the seated base, other side if you can.
Sit-out and heist flow: Sit-out. Leg swings under. Heist. Hips lift and turn back over the post. Sit-out. Same thing, other side. Heist. Back to the knees. Hands and knees. Breathe here.
Kneeling posture and combat base: Tall on both knees. Hips over the knees, hands in front. Post a foot. One foot forward beside the other knee, no lean. Combat base. Rear toes tucked, hands ready, eyes level. Return. Foot back, still tall. Other side. Same base with the other foot posted.
Combat base to standing base: Combat base. One foot posted, toes tucked. Standing base. Rise through the posted foot into a staggered base. Settle. Knees bent, weight over the balls of the feet. Post the foot. Lower with the same foot forward. Combat base again. Hips under the shoulders.
Sprawl from the standing base: Standing base. Staggered, knees bent, hands in front. Hips back, hands down. Hips shoot back as the hands drop toward the mat. Hips through the mat. Hips down and through, legs long, weight on the hands and the balls of the feet. Recover. Feet back under you. Settle the base. Ready for the next.
Top position: solo base: Combat base. One foot posted, hips under the shoulders. Standing base. Rise and settle. Sprawl. Hips back and down. Combat base again. Recover to one knee. Return. Foot back, tall.

Week 4: taper

Short sessions. Shapes and a reflection.

Day 1: Foundations first, about 9 minutes. Kneeling posture and combat base, Back breakfall, Seated base.
Day 2: A familiar flow, about 10 minutes. Seated base, Hip escape / shrimp, Frame / hip escape, Seated reflection round.
Day 3: After class, about 9 minutes. Class sequence recall, Forearm frame / solo, Seated reflection round.

Phase cues for this week

Kneeling posture and combat base: Tall on both knees. Hips over the knees, hands in front. Post a foot. One foot forward beside the other knee, no lean. Combat base. Rear toes tucked, hands ready, eyes level. Return. Foot back, still tall. Other side. Same base with the other foot posted.
Back breakfall: Squat. Low, arms in front, chin tucked. Sit back. Back and down, never straight down; chin stays on the chest. Land and slap. Rounded upper back on the mat, both arms slap wide, palms down. Recover. Sit up, then back to the squat. Land again. Same slap, same tuck.
Seated base: Sit tall. Hips under you, one hand posted behind, the other free. Settle the post. Weight into the posted hand without collapsing the shoulder. Small weight shift. Move a few centimetres and feel which foot would push. Hold. Breathe. Nothing else moves. Shift the other way. Same shift, other side, same posted hand.
Hip escape / shrimp: On the back, feet planted. Knees bent, both feet flat, frames in front of the chest. Post and turn. Near hand posts on the mat and the body turns onto that shoulder. Drive and travel. Push through the planted foot; the pelvis lifts and travels away from the post. Reorganise. Top knee comes back in front of you before anything else. Reset. Back to the seated base without pulling on the neck.
Frame / hip escape: Frame. The shape of the arms first. Post and turn. Near hand to the mat, turn onto the shoulder. Travel. Hips away from the post. Frame again. Re-present the frame from the new spot. Check the arms. Elbows still inside the shoulders.
Seated reflection round: Sit. Choose one moment you understood better today. Shift. Record one question. Sit. Choose the drill to revisit. Hold. Close the notebook.
Class sequence recall: Sit. Start position of the technique you are recalling. Frame. Name the problem the technique answered. Sit. Write the step you want clarified. Hold. Read it back.
Forearm frame / solo: Arms at rest. On the side, elbows near the ribs. Elbows in. Elbows stay inside the width of the shoulders as the forearms rise. Frame presented. Forearms in front of the chest at about a right angle. Hold the space. Structure without locked elbows. Release. Back to the seated base.

A schedule of solo plans, not a claim about how fast anyone learns. Sparring, rest, weight and anything with a partner are between you and your coach.

Open this month in the app ↗

Other progressions: Beginner, four weeks · Intermediate, four weeks. Read warm-up and cool-down before the first week.