New York; Front and Center

I plan to visit 3 gyms today. I have Sitan, The WAT and Vladislav Koulikov on the list. I would have to travel to Queens, lower Manhattan, and then to Warwick NJ. I was excited to see the city from the bike. I unloaded all the unnecessary gear so I could ride a bit more aggressively to match the cabbies in “the city”.

First stop was Sitan gym. On the way over I got to cross the Washington Bridge and the Brooklyn Bridge. I can’t even begin to imagine the amount of vehicles that pass over them on a daily basis. I pity the semi truck drivers that have drops and pickups in the city. Washington bridge was an easy ride but Brooklyn was being working on and every 40 feet or so I would hit a hump and Cindy would try to buck me off. I arrived at the gym and could see a receptionist and a trainer inside. I was relieved because the schedule said they wouldn’t be open. I parked and started to take off my rain gear as it was raining on the way in. I geared down and strapped it down and turned around towards the gym only to see the lights off and doors shut with no one inside. While I was gearing down whoever was inside had geared up and hit the road. Hands dropped a little and head sank a bit thinking about the missed opportunity to train here. But luckily food always makes me feel better, Next door was a little Arabic place and I ordered a Kabob Gyro. The owner barely spoke any English, anywhere else and you could not get away with this but being that it was New york he was just fine. The shop was located smack dab in the center of an Arabic community and English took a back seat while their native tongue reigned supreme. Unfortunately the food did not raise my spirit, as the meat was overcooked and tough.

By this time it looked like I was not going to rain anymore so I was glad I didn’t need my rain gear. I asked Siri to take me to the WAT and was back on the road. The WAT is located in Lower Manhattan, in between several judicial buildings. Everywhere I looked there was no parking at the curb. Whatever parking was allowed was eaten up by scaffolding from construction companies working on the facades of buildings. The last bit of curbside was taken up by film production trailers. The crew taking a cigarette break at the back of one of the trailers chuckled as they looked on at me circling around looking for a spot to park. I started a parking spot “sweep”. With the location as the epicenter I would circle around, first a one block radius, then 2 and so on. I got to about 6 blocks and decided to call the gym to ask about parking. I knew I was in serious trouble when the reaction to my question of parking resulted in a laugh from the receptionist. I needed to cut my losses and at least try to see Vlad and do some combat Sambo. This greenhorn is learning quickly. Next time I will know where it is, park outside of the city, and take the subway into town to train.

Warwick is about 50 miles NW of the city. I left just in time before the traffic started and was out in the country quick. It’s a very nice ride up to Warwick from New York. You end up climbing into the hills and passing several crystal clear reservoirs. I stopped at Monksville Reservoir and looked over the dams edge. I could see all the vegetation and hundreds of fish swimming through the underwater forest. I could spot a dozen or so fish nests where the vegetation gave way to some sandy surface. It was hard to believe that such city madness was only about 30-40 miles away from where I was. Grabbed a coffee and a sandwich at a coffee shop in Warwick, needed some calories for training.

Made it to Vlad’s with 2 minutes to spare. Here are some of the things we worked on. You will have to excuse my terminology as I do not work on groundwork enough to know all the correct terms, work in progress.

1. The first position is the one that the rest of them were built on. From a single arm clinch position; to break the clinch pivot your shoulder into opponent’s forearm. As soon as hold breaks with your hand opposite of bumping shoulder grab hold of opponents wrist with a full grip having the thumb wrap around the wrist. Pull the wrist in towards yourself and focus your body weight through your shoulder on the back of the opponents shoulder using the arm as a lever. Practice controlling your opponent walking forward, backward, and side-to-side.

2. Repeat all of step one and add a single leg take-down. From controlling position pull opponent back and push forward exposing a single leg. Drop your level to take control of opponents leading leg. Bring the leg up between yours and wrap both hands around the leg allowing the back of the opponent’s knee to rest in your forearms. You must keep you head erect at all times and apply pressure to opponent’s chest to counteract his ability to counter. From here leave your rear leg planted and use it as an axis on which to spin. As you pivot drop the level of your hips forcing opponent to the mats.

3. There are 2 ways that the opponent can counter your single leg take-down. The first is a counter with the hand up against the side of your head. When opponent posts out and starts to push your head away reach in and bump his elbow upwards and step in for a double leg take down or suplex or any other options available to you. The opponent can also post out with the forearm. From this position use his non-posting arm and to the side and under the arm posting. Use his other arm to cross and break the forearm counter allowing you to step in for the double leg take down or whatever is available to you. From this position we work a suplex and a hip bump and sweep. For the suplex come under, do the heavy lifting with big muscle groups (legs, glutes and some back) and pivot over to the direction opposite of the one your head is in reference to the opponent’s body. If your head is on the right side lift up and pivot to the left and visa versa. For the leg sweep step in and to the side. Once on the side of your opponent thrust your hips into his (using big muscles to do the heavy lifting), breaking his contact with the ground. As legs fling up kick them in to swing legs in a parallel direction to the ground ensuring that they don’t land into a standing position. Drop the opponent like a sack of potatoes.

4. I will try to explain it as best I can, it will be a bit difficult and if you see me let me show you to make it a bit more understandable. If your opponent has you on the mats with control of one leg, come up and step over opponent’s back with free leg. Once on the back, reach under and grab hold of your ankle of the leg that is being held onto by opponent. Lock in and roll over. From here take your time to adjust to lock the ankle that you are holding onto behind the knee of your free leg. Once locked in keep scooting back to tighten the triangle and bring hips upward and to the side to finish the choke.

5. If you find yourself mounted on the back of your opponent the opponent could stand to try to shake you off. To stand the opponent will need to post out one leg. When he does pivot on his back to loop your forearm in under his posting knee. Keeping your ankles wrapped around the inside of opponents thighs, roll opponent over, using the leg you just grabbed as a lever. As you roll over start to climb the grip from behind the knee to his ankle pulling back and maintaining control of his hips with your ankles.

I have passed by New York several times never venturing into it. I learned a lot this time around and will plan accordingly next time. This trip into the city, just like the prior one, again boggled my mind with the amount of diversity. New York is a world, filled to the brim with all of her diverse cultures and all that comes with them. I did not run into any attitude, it could have been the skull mask and Harley that made me the more dominant one in all of the interactions. Being on the bike this time and not a passenger I left feeling accomplished. I made it out alive and I actually had a blast doing it. I would wiz by traffic cops, in between cars, and in narrow spaces that only a bike could fit through. I worked with the environment to get around quickly and somewhat safely. I got my New York riders badge that day and was crossing the Washington Bridge on the way to Hackensack with a smile.

My host family greeted me with a warm meal and the soft couch waited for me patiently as I finished eating.