I weighed in at 160.4 post-training this afternoon. That's exactly five and a half pounds above the maximum weight for the February Revolution tournament.
If I were a pro, that 5.5 would be a walk in the park. As a recreational jiu jitsu guy, I'm not so sure. The lightest I've competed at was about 158 or so in my last tournament several months ago. That was when the lightweight cut-off was 158.9. Now, I'm shooting for 154.9.
I'm not going to kill myself if I don't make it. This is a work-through tournament with some specific goals (takedown, guard pass, mount, double attack/keylock). If I do that against max 169.9 guys or max 154.9 guys isn't the point. I also wouldn't be surprised if there aren't enough blue belts to fill out the three divisions below the 169.9 max.
Then again, if BJ Penn can do it, then why can't I, right?
Rebecca bought me BJ Penn's unbelievable book, Mixed Martial Arts: The Book of Knowledge the other day. An incredible gift and a cosmic connection with jiu jitsu. Though the book is about mixed martial arts, Penn's specialty is jiu jitsu and there are tons of great ideas to be found. What's more, Penn does a lot of things from the guard that I've been trying to do: arm wraps, crossover sweeps. I was pleasantly surprised to see that many of the techniques he thought transferred well from jiu jitsu to mixed martial arts are many of the same techniques that I prefer to use myself.
Back to the pounds on the scale. The trick will be the weekend. If I can keep from gaining in my typical fashion, then there's a good chance that I'll be able to make the sprint to 154.9.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Best Training Evah
Not just because I got to roll with Rodrigo for 20-25 minutes straight, but also because I executed the best guard opener/pass I've done in many, many months just one sparring partner before that.
I've been trying to break my guard opening into the most basic steps possible. To get my basic positioning, I've got "Tuck. Hands. Shrug. Up." From there, I've got three moves: PTMU, the Saulo Step and today's feature, the Snatch and Go.
It worked flawlessly. With that sort of effortlessness that you learn to love when you do something in jiu jitsu right. I've been loathe to give my training sessions more than a B+ for one reason: usually my guard opening and passing sucks eggs, and for as long as I was unable to overcome some basic bad habits, I refused to give myself an "A" grade, regardless of how well I might have done in anything else.
But not today, baby. It was really an "A" training session--my first one in awhile. Here's hoping I can make a few good habits stick.
I've been trying to break my guard opening into the most basic steps possible. To get my basic positioning, I've got "Tuck. Hands. Shrug. Up." From there, I've got three moves: PTMU, the Saulo Step and today's feature, the Snatch and Go.
It worked flawlessly. With that sort of effortlessness that you learn to love when you do something in jiu jitsu right. I've been loathe to give my training sessions more than a B+ for one reason: usually my guard opening and passing sucks eggs, and for as long as I was unable to overcome some basic bad habits, I refused to give myself an "A" grade, regardless of how well I might have done in anything else.
But not today, baby. It was really an "A" training session--my first one in awhile. Here's hoping I can make a few good habits stick.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Babalu at the European Championships
Renato "Babalu" Sobral competing at the IBJJF European Championships in the Brown Belt Absolute Division this past weekend.
Check out that sparkling white Gracie Barra gi!
Friday, January 25, 2008
100 Things You Should Do Before Reaching Black Belt
Not sure if I ever posted this from Gracie magazine. But it is a true classic.
And don't forget the 20 Commandments at the end!
100 Things You Should Do Before Reaching Black Belt
And don't forget the 20 Commandments at the end!
100 Things You Should Do Before Reaching Black Belt
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Return of the Son of Damn Your Eyes
Not even a hint of cauliflower ear.
No staph, no ringworm.
No popped elbows, no tweaked knees, no twisted wrists or turned ankles.
No kinked neck. No seperated shoulders.
No chipped tooth, busted lip, or broken nose.
But I'll be damned if the jiu jitsu gods don't have it in for my eyes.
Or at least my left eye, which is once again suffering from another corneal abrasion. I made it out to the specialist in Renton who confirmed that the pain I had been suffering since Monday morning was in fact another attack of the Cornea Abrasion Without End.
The good news is that corneal tissue is allegedly the fastest regrowing tissue in the human body, with most abrasions healing within 24-36 hours.
The bad news is that I've already lost a week of training in advance of the Revolution event I still plan to compete in on February 9th.
It's a work-through tournament, so it's not as if a tremendous amount is riding on my performance on the 9th. Still, it's a major pain not to be on the mat with three weeks--now two weeks--left to go.
The specialist fitted me with a clear plastic lengs to protect my cornea from my eyelid while it heals. I'll got to get the lens checked on tomorrow afternoon (ahem, 48 hours after the lens was installed for those of you keeping track of time). The specialist I visited yesterday thought that I'd probably end up keeping the lens in place for another week regardless to make sure that the cornea had completely healed. So I'm not sure if I'll be training next week or not.
One thing is for sure, though: I'll never train without me pirate eyepatch again.
No staph, no ringworm.
No popped elbows, no tweaked knees, no twisted wrists or turned ankles.
No kinked neck. No seperated shoulders.
No chipped tooth, busted lip, or broken nose.
But I'll be damned if the jiu jitsu gods don't have it in for my eyes.
Or at least my left eye, which is once again suffering from another corneal abrasion. I made it out to the specialist in Renton who confirmed that the pain I had been suffering since Monday morning was in fact another attack of the Cornea Abrasion Without End.
The good news is that corneal tissue is allegedly the fastest regrowing tissue in the human body, with most abrasions healing within 24-36 hours.
The bad news is that I've already lost a week of training in advance of the Revolution event I still plan to compete in on February 9th.
It's a work-through tournament, so it's not as if a tremendous amount is riding on my performance on the 9th. Still, it's a major pain not to be on the mat with three weeks--now two weeks--left to go.
The specialist fitted me with a clear plastic lengs to protect my cornea from my eyelid while it heals. I'll got to get the lens checked on tomorrow afternoon (ahem, 48 hours after the lens was installed for those of you keeping track of time). The specialist I visited yesterday thought that I'd probably end up keeping the lens in place for another week regardless to make sure that the cornea had completely healed. So I'm not sure if I'll be training next week or not.
One thing is for sure, though: I'll never train without me pirate eyepatch again.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
The Revolution is Three Weeks Out
The Revolution event is three weeks from today.
In the six weeks leading up to the competition, I've trained seven times in the first three weeks. Nine would have been ideal. Eight forgivable.
Using Lloyd Irvin's notion that it takes 21 times to fix a bad habit, I thought that 21 classes that were tournament prep was a nice metric. Nine classes in the first six weeks and twelve in the second six would have gotten me there.
So I'm liable to fall short. I'd still like to get in the twelve trainings in the second six weeks, which means four classes a week for three weeks. That would be a perfectly fine 19. Even eighteen, which would work out to an average of three classes a week for six weeks, would be forgivable.
Mondays seem very doable, as do Wednesday when I do my work prep thoroughly the night before. Tuesday is the better night to train compared to Thursday. And it remains to be seen if I can get in there on Friday. Saturdays will be nice when I can get them. Maybe once a month, if I'm lucky.
A big issue: the weight. I was 170.4 with the gi before class. And 161.4 without the gi afterwards. I figure that nine pounds was about half gi and half water weight. It is a night-before weigh-in (thank God!), so I can push it in the final week if I have to. But I do need to get down below 154.5 to be sure of making the lightweight division.
I wouldn't be surprised if I end up getting grouped in with the 164.5 and under. But I want to get nicely under 155 in any event. My last tournament weight was at about 156 or something, and I felt great on the mat.
I think when I'm keeping my water intake up, not getting out of control on the weekends and training at least three times a week, I'm okay. I need to start taking more dietary advantage of working from home--instead of just the conditioning advantage (which is not bad, at all. Though more on that later ...). Rebecca made an unbelievable salad of garbanzos, red beans, and cooked carrrots in an olive oil, red wine vinegar and dill viniagrette this week. THAT'S the kind of food I need to eat more of. And bringing the regular green salads back into the lunch mix wouldn't hurt, either.
Given how disasterous the weekends tend to be, let's see if I can get on the official scale on Monday before class and weigh what I weighed after class today: 161.4. That would be a huge accomplishment, and nicely kick off the three-week cutting period. I'm basically looking to lose about 2.5 pounds a week--doable, with some discipline. If I can get to 161.4 before Monday's class, there's a good chance I'll drop 2.5 pounds by the time I'm done training that day ...
I mentioned getting back to the conditioning issue. The LSD workouts are fine. But I need to be doing regular T and Berardi workouts. I should probably do 3T as my morning routine on training days, and extend it to the 39 workout on days I'm not training. But the short, intense interval work has got to be more in the mix. My recovery overall is not bad during training. But I'm lacking the GO in sparring, and I get initially--especially by a lot of the young 'n' hungry three-stripe white belt types. Three weeks of more appropriate conditioning and regular training should help fix that.
Technically, I'm moving back to the half-guard on the bottom, and abandoning Rap Star for a focus on butterfly/Cobra guard sweep work. I think this is the way to optimize my attributes, to simplify and specialize a litle bit this year. From the top, I'm still prefering the Saulo double-attack and the armlocks from crossbody (keylock, kimura, far side).
In the six weeks leading up to the competition, I've trained seven times in the first three weeks. Nine would have been ideal. Eight forgivable.
Using Lloyd Irvin's notion that it takes 21 times to fix a bad habit, I thought that 21 classes that were tournament prep was a nice metric. Nine classes in the first six weeks and twelve in the second six would have gotten me there.
So I'm liable to fall short. I'd still like to get in the twelve trainings in the second six weeks, which means four classes a week for three weeks. That would be a perfectly fine 19. Even eighteen, which would work out to an average of three classes a week for six weeks, would be forgivable.
Mondays seem very doable, as do Wednesday when I do my work prep thoroughly the night before. Tuesday is the better night to train compared to Thursday. And it remains to be seen if I can get in there on Friday. Saturdays will be nice when I can get them. Maybe once a month, if I'm lucky.
A big issue: the weight. I was 170.4 with the gi before class. And 161.4 without the gi afterwards. I figure that nine pounds was about half gi and half water weight. It is a night-before weigh-in (thank God!), so I can push it in the final week if I have to. But I do need to get down below 154.5 to be sure of making the lightweight division.
I wouldn't be surprised if I end up getting grouped in with the 164.5 and under. But I want to get nicely under 155 in any event. My last tournament weight was at about 156 or something, and I felt great on the mat.
I think when I'm keeping my water intake up, not getting out of control on the weekends and training at least three times a week, I'm okay. I need to start taking more dietary advantage of working from home--instead of just the conditioning advantage (which is not bad, at all. Though more on that later ...). Rebecca made an unbelievable salad of garbanzos, red beans, and cooked carrrots in an olive oil, red wine vinegar and dill viniagrette this week. THAT'S the kind of food I need to eat more of. And bringing the regular green salads back into the lunch mix wouldn't hurt, either.
Given how disasterous the weekends tend to be, let's see if I can get on the official scale on Monday before class and weigh what I weighed after class today: 161.4. That would be a huge accomplishment, and nicely kick off the three-week cutting period. I'm basically looking to lose about 2.5 pounds a week--doable, with some discipline. If I can get to 161.4 before Monday's class, there's a good chance I'll drop 2.5 pounds by the time I'm done training that day ...
I mentioned getting back to the conditioning issue. The LSD workouts are fine. But I need to be doing regular T and Berardi workouts. I should probably do 3T as my morning routine on training days, and extend it to the 39 workout on days I'm not training. But the short, intense interval work has got to be more in the mix. My recovery overall is not bad during training. But I'm lacking the GO in sparring, and I get initially--especially by a lot of the young 'n' hungry three-stripe white belt types. Three weeks of more appropriate conditioning and regular training should help fix that.
Technically, I'm moving back to the half-guard on the bottom, and abandoning Rap Star for a focus on butterfly/Cobra guard sweep work. I think this is the way to optimize my attributes, to simplify and specialize a litle bit this year. From the top, I'm still prefering the Saulo double-attack and the armlocks from crossbody (keylock, kimura, far side).
Coursework: Saturday Sweeps
We worked on a variety of drills today. The overall effect was to learn some new moves as well as get in some solid conditioning.
We started with some basic pummeling, then went into the armdrag against standing opponent drill that Rodrigo had us do before. Next were two-step and one-step armlocks from the guard. After that, we did two triangle choke attacks: one from a spider guard set-up, and the other a push-pull set-up against the guy's hands.
All good stuff. To add to the conditioning aspect, we only worked one side.
Rodrigo threw in two other techniques that were sort of combination moves. The first was a sweep off an armlock transition-to-omoplata attack from the guard. The second was a very nice sweep to use when you are on bottom in half-guard and the opponent is keeping his weight on you.
The sweep off the armlock comes when the guy tries to pull his arm out of the lock by stacking. You swing around and underhook his leg with your inside arm and transition to the omoplata on the opponent's other arm. What the underhook does is allow you to sweep him if he cannot be finished with the omoplata. You just continue rolling turning it into an omoplata sweep with the help of the underhooked leg.
The half-guard move was a way to get space at a minimum, and a sweep at its best. What you want to do is grab the opponent's collar behind the neck and, with your inside arm dive down and grab the pants of his trapped leg at the knee.
You don't just want to reach down, though. It is almost a dive where you want to get your head as far south as possible.
You want to free your hips. Kick your legs back against the opponent as you work your way almost into a shoulder stand. The deeper you dive with your head, the easier it will be to get up on your shoulders. This is what helps really get the leverage in your legs going--especially if your legs are on the short side.
To complete the sweep you just keep kicking back with your legs and rolling over your shoulder. It seemed weird, but once you got the hang of it a little bit, it was an amazingly powerful sweep from the half-guard. Definitely something to start working every time I am in half guard.
We started with some basic pummeling, then went into the armdrag against standing opponent drill that Rodrigo had us do before. Next were two-step and one-step armlocks from the guard. After that, we did two triangle choke attacks: one from a spider guard set-up, and the other a push-pull set-up against the guy's hands.
All good stuff. To add to the conditioning aspect, we only worked one side.
Rodrigo threw in two other techniques that were sort of combination moves. The first was a sweep off an armlock transition-to-omoplata attack from the guard. The second was a very nice sweep to use when you are on bottom in half-guard and the opponent is keeping his weight on you.
The sweep off the armlock comes when the guy tries to pull his arm out of the lock by stacking. You swing around and underhook his leg with your inside arm and transition to the omoplata on the opponent's other arm. What the underhook does is allow you to sweep him if he cannot be finished with the omoplata. You just continue rolling turning it into an omoplata sweep with the help of the underhooked leg.
The half-guard move was a way to get space at a minimum, and a sweep at its best. What you want to do is grab the opponent's collar behind the neck and, with your inside arm dive down and grab the pants of his trapped leg at the knee.
You don't just want to reach down, though. It is almost a dive where you want to get your head as far south as possible.
You want to free your hips. Kick your legs back against the opponent as you work your way almost into a shoulder stand. The deeper you dive with your head, the easier it will be to get up on your shoulders. This is what helps really get the leverage in your legs going--especially if your legs are on the short side.
To complete the sweep you just keep kicking back with your legs and rolling over your shoulder. It seemed weird, but once you got the hang of it a little bit, it was an amazingly powerful sweep from the half-guard. Definitely something to start working every time I am in half guard.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Cobra Guard Pummel to Sweep
Aesopian breaks it down into three steps. When the opponent successfully pummels for the underhook ...
Trap the elbow.
Shoot into Cobra Guard.
Sweep 45 degrees to the trap side.
Mighty, mighty Aesopian!
Trap the elbow.
Shoot into Cobra Guard.
Sweep 45 degrees to the trap side.
Mighty, mighty Aesopian!
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Coursework: Return of the Far Side Armlock
Tuesday night we worked on the far side armlock again.
This time Rodrigo broke the move down into two parts, which I thought was a great move.
1. Elbow over / Switch hips / Trap arm / Walk to north-south / Lock side leg sprawl and pitch lock to leg
2. Lock side leg step in / Turn and Pivot / Drop to Armlock
Here's an Abhaya version of it. I also found a Paulo Guillobel version. The big difference that Rodrigo emphasizes is somewhere between the two versions. Guillobel pikes up from the north-south position, while the Abhaya purple belt remains on both knees.
Rodrigo had us put the leg that is on the lock side out in a sprawl/straddle fashion, with the knee of the other side on the mat next to the opponent's head.
Another big difference is that Rodrigo has us pitch down toward the legs rather than raising up, as both the Abhaya and Guillobel versions do.
The difference is that Rodrigo's approach provides mobility by keeping at least one leg up, while at the same time being able to keep your body as low as possible to prevent creating space through which your opponent can escape.
This time Rodrigo broke the move down into two parts, which I thought was a great move.
1. Elbow over / Switch hips / Trap arm / Walk to north-south / Lock side leg sprawl and pitch lock to leg
2. Lock side leg step in / Turn and Pivot / Drop to Armlock
Here's an Abhaya version of it. I also found a Paulo Guillobel version. The big difference that Rodrigo emphasizes is somewhere between the two versions. Guillobel pikes up from the north-south position, while the Abhaya purple belt remains on both knees.
Rodrigo had us put the leg that is on the lock side out in a sprawl/straddle fashion, with the knee of the other side on the mat next to the opponent's head.
Another big difference is that Rodrigo has us pitch down toward the legs rather than raising up, as both the Abhaya and Guillobel versions do.
The difference is that Rodrigo's approach provides mobility by keeping at least one leg up, while at the same time being able to keep your body as low as possible to prevent creating space through which your opponent can escape.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Coursework: Tournament Prep
First time training on a Monday afternoon. Pretty good turnout.
Today we did tournament prep. Three minutes of standing only sparring (light but real). Then four minutes of full sparring starting from standing and then continuing on the ground.
I'm still a little timid from standing, though I do very well when I attack. I'm still nervous about throwing people, so I've been relying on ankle picks a la Jacare as my "go to" takedown. I've tried a headlock throw that didn't end up disastrously, so maybe I can keep the kubi-nage in my toolkit.
Also doing a pretty good job defending the choke, although I'm getting caught in armlocks as a consequence. The main issue is moving from "defending the choke" to actually working to escape rear mount.
Today we did tournament prep. Three minutes of standing only sparring (light but real). Then four minutes of full sparring starting from standing and then continuing on the ground.
I'm still a little timid from standing, though I do very well when I attack. I'm still nervous about throwing people, so I've been relying on ankle picks a la Jacare as my "go to" takedown. I've tried a headlock throw that didn't end up disastrously, so maybe I can keep the kubi-nage in my toolkit.
Also doing a pretty good job defending the choke, although I'm getting caught in armlocks as a consequence. The main issue is moving from "defending the choke" to actually working to escape rear mount.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Coursework: More Takedowns and the Mount
More takedowns to start Thursday night's training. We worked pummeling for the most part, increasing the resistance gradually. Rodrigo showed us a takedown from the pummelling stance that allows you to trap the arm and the leg on the same side and go for a modified single leg.
To set up the takedown, let's say you've got an underhook on the left side and are cupping the elbow on your right side.
Slide your hand down the length of the guy's forearm, shoving his arm against his body. Drop to your inside knee as you move down, and reach around with your far arm and wrap up the guy's inside leg. Get deep, then stand up to get the takedown.
I want to make sure that I've got the drop leg right. I'm thinking that you drop on your inside knee--the same as you would for a duck-under. But I'm not 100% sure.
We also worked on maintaining the mount. It was sort of a free drilling/controlled sparring type of situation. It was nice to practice my mount escapes, really focusing on checking the hips, turning to my side, and escaping my hips back and away.
To set up the takedown, let's say you've got an underhook on the left side and are cupping the elbow on your right side.
Slide your hand down the length of the guy's forearm, shoving his arm against his body. Drop to your inside knee as you move down, and reach around with your far arm and wrap up the guy's inside leg. Get deep, then stand up to get the takedown.
I want to make sure that I've got the drop leg right. I'm thinking that you drop on your inside knee--the same as you would for a duck-under. But I'm not 100% sure.
We also worked on maintaining the mount. It was sort of a free drilling/controlled sparring type of situation. It was nice to practice my mount escapes, really focusing on checking the hips, turning to my side, and escaping my hips back and away.
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Coursework: Far Side Armlock
Wednesday afternoon we worked one technique. Over and over and over.
I'd love to see Rodrigo do more of this. It really helps cement a technique in your head. Personally, I wouldn't mind sticking to one or two techniques each class.
The far side armlock is a basic attack from the crossbody. What is nice about it is that though it has a lot of moving parts, you do not need to do the moves quickly in order to be effective.
From the crossbody, you want to reach around the guy's head with your north side arm and trap his far arm by gripping your collar. Sometimes it helps to open your hips up to the south in order to get a good angle for the collar grip.
Return to straight ahead, perpendicular side control. Keeping piked on your toes and a tight grip on the arm, move around to north/south.
Here's where things get tricky. Sprawl your lock side leg to the side, and lower your knee on the other side so that it is on the mat right by the guy's head. As you do this, drive your body to the south, taking the guy's arm with you.
Finally, swing across the guy's body and bring the sprawl leg up and under the guy's body by the armpit on the lockside. Use your opposite hand for balance. Squeeze the knees together, grab the guy's wrist, drop back and extend.
I'd love to see Rodrigo do more of this. It really helps cement a technique in your head. Personally, I wouldn't mind sticking to one or two techniques each class.
The far side armlock is a basic attack from the crossbody. What is nice about it is that though it has a lot of moving parts, you do not need to do the moves quickly in order to be effective.
From the crossbody, you want to reach around the guy's head with your north side arm and trap his far arm by gripping your collar. Sometimes it helps to open your hips up to the south in order to get a good angle for the collar grip.
Return to straight ahead, perpendicular side control. Keeping piked on your toes and a tight grip on the arm, move around to north/south.
Here's where things get tricky. Sprawl your lock side leg to the side, and lower your knee on the other side so that it is on the mat right by the guy's head. As you do this, drive your body to the south, taking the guy's arm with you.
Finally, swing across the guy's body and bring the sprawl leg up and under the guy's body by the armpit on the lockside. Use your opposite hand for balance. Squeeze the knees together, grab the guy's wrist, drop back and extend.
Monday, January 07, 2008
Coursework Addendum: Armdrags and Jayhawks
I forgot to mention one of the drills that we worked on Thursday night. An armdrag from the sitting or Cobra guard against a standing opponent.
The key thing here was the leg positioning. In a nutshell, you always want your legs to be butterflied, but open to the outside. That will mean having your inside knee up, your outside knee down and your inside arm up as you attack with the armdrag.
We worked it in a free form, moving back and forth and attacking with the arm drag when we were "ready." It really reinforces how those "jawhawks" I used to include in my jiu jitsu Tabata are a worthwhile exercise (and maybe one I need to put back in ...) I had a hard time both with the leg coordination and with the "lift off" of the jayhawk. I suspect the problems are related ...
The key thing here was the leg positioning. In a nutshell, you always want your legs to be butterflied, but open to the outside. That will mean having your inside knee up, your outside knee down and your inside arm up as you attack with the armdrag.
We worked it in a free form, moving back and forth and attacking with the arm drag when we were "ready." It really reinforces how those "jawhawks" I used to include in my jiu jitsu Tabata are a worthwhile exercise (and maybe one I need to put back in ...) I had a hard time both with the leg coordination and with the "lift off" of the jayhawk. I suspect the problems are related ...
Friday, January 04, 2008
Straight Outta Tatame
Some good rolling Thursday night ... and I'll admit that I'm really starting to love the new space. It's like a jiu jitsu treehouse.
Started off with some half guard work. My half guard needs a major overhaul. From the bottom, I've still got a problem with getting to my side. From the top, I was trying to work the sitout, but I'm still a little confused about how to use my legs to open up the half guard from that particular half guard pass.
Overall, very, very rough. Too much "wrestling". My half guard has really fallen off over the past year--more than anything else.
Got in some no gi work, Thursday night, also. Some good recognition of different no gi chokes: the mata leao, the katagatame, and even the north/south choke, which I didn't manage to really lock in well enough for the submission. Later on, I did a pretty good job of defending against the choke when I got caught in rear mount.
I got to work a couple of things from the bottom of rear mount. I was trying to catch the guy's leg when he was attacking with a body triangle. I managed to keep him switching, but wasn't able to reverse the position back to guard. I need to do a better job of transitioning into the guy's closed guard when I've got someone focused on maintaining the body triangle. I'm already at the point that guys are cautious about using it on me. I need to make sure that if I get a guy who is paying attention to my counter on the body triangle, that I do a good job of spinning into guard--especially when rolling no gi.
Got the leg cramps from hell Thursday night. Both inner thighs. First time I ever had cramps there (usually its hamstrings and calves). The culprit was clearly dehydration; it was the second time at the new academy that I rolled without Gatorade. That, plus the fact that I'd done a Berardi workout earlier in the day, probably had my thighs in ready-to-explode mode. So I need to watch this going forward.
Some interesting news: Cindy Hales will be fighting one of the best women mixed martial artists in the world, Megumi Fujii, on Valentine's Day in Japan as part of the SmackGirl promotion. Cindy joins jiu jitsu fighters like Bibiano and Rani who have been deemed quality contenders to some of the best fighters on the planet just because of their jiu jitsu ability, which says a hell of a lot about jiu jitsu as far as I'm concerned. An incredible opportunity for Cindy--win or lose.
Fujii has a lot of that crazy Japanese sambo shiite going on. She has been effective with an armlock and has a pretty nifty uchi mata. She's also got a lot of experience, which means that if Cindy starts beating her up a little, she might be able to withstand it better than many.
Megumi is definitely the favorite. But a Cindy Hales victory would not surprise me for a second. She's training Tuesday and Thursday nights with Gracie Barra Seattle which Thursday night meant some round with Rodrigo, Alex (who has been training with Marcelinho and I got to roll with a little bit), and Jeff from FosterBJJ, who's got some really good jiu jitsu from what I could see.
More info on Cindy's fight when I get it.
Also ran into Angela who, unfortunately, is out with a separated shoulder. If it is any consolation, it sounds as if she might have had a Mike Fowler Moment (meaning she got slammed while someone was trying to escape her submission attack). It sounds more like an accident. But Angela was elevated before she came down on the shoulder, which tends to shift the responsibility toward the one doing the elevating. But that's jiu jitsu. She sounds fine, seems to have a great positivity about it, and is expected to heal pretty quickly (though three months is three months).
All for now. I really need to retool my half-guard this year. But I'm not going to focus on it like I tried to do in 2007. From the top, there are some small details to focus on. From the bottom, some basic fundamentals I need to improve.
A good night. It is great to be back on the mat. It is also clear that my off-mat conditioning is helping tremendously (thigh cramps notwithstanding). My wind is good and when it's gone, I'm getting it back pretty quickly.
Started off with some half guard work. My half guard needs a major overhaul. From the bottom, I've still got a problem with getting to my side. From the top, I was trying to work the sitout, but I'm still a little confused about how to use my legs to open up the half guard from that particular half guard pass.
Overall, very, very rough. Too much "wrestling". My half guard has really fallen off over the past year--more than anything else.
Got in some no gi work, Thursday night, also. Some good recognition of different no gi chokes: the mata leao, the katagatame, and even the north/south choke, which I didn't manage to really lock in well enough for the submission. Later on, I did a pretty good job of defending against the choke when I got caught in rear mount.
I got to work a couple of things from the bottom of rear mount. I was trying to catch the guy's leg when he was attacking with a body triangle. I managed to keep him switching, but wasn't able to reverse the position back to guard. I need to do a better job of transitioning into the guy's closed guard when I've got someone focused on maintaining the body triangle. I'm already at the point that guys are cautious about using it on me. I need to make sure that if I get a guy who is paying attention to my counter on the body triangle, that I do a good job of spinning into guard--especially when rolling no gi.
Got the leg cramps from hell Thursday night. Both inner thighs. First time I ever had cramps there (usually its hamstrings and calves). The culprit was clearly dehydration; it was the second time at the new academy that I rolled without Gatorade. That, plus the fact that I'd done a Berardi workout earlier in the day, probably had my thighs in ready-to-explode mode. So I need to watch this going forward.
Some interesting news: Cindy Hales will be fighting one of the best women mixed martial artists in the world, Megumi Fujii, on Valentine's Day in Japan as part of the SmackGirl promotion. Cindy joins jiu jitsu fighters like Bibiano and Rani who have been deemed quality contenders to some of the best fighters on the planet just because of their jiu jitsu ability, which says a hell of a lot about jiu jitsu as far as I'm concerned. An incredible opportunity for Cindy--win or lose.
Fujii has a lot of that crazy Japanese sambo shiite going on. She has been effective with an armlock and has a pretty nifty uchi mata. She's also got a lot of experience, which means that if Cindy starts beating her up a little, she might be able to withstand it better than many.
Megumi is definitely the favorite. But a Cindy Hales victory would not surprise me for a second. She's training Tuesday and Thursday nights with Gracie Barra Seattle which Thursday night meant some round with Rodrigo, Alex (who has been training with Marcelinho and I got to roll with a little bit), and Jeff from FosterBJJ, who's got some really good jiu jitsu from what I could see.
More info on Cindy's fight when I get it.
Also ran into Angela who, unfortunately, is out with a separated shoulder. If it is any consolation, it sounds as if she might have had a Mike Fowler Moment (meaning she got slammed while someone was trying to escape her submission attack). It sounds more like an accident. But Angela was elevated before she came down on the shoulder, which tends to shift the responsibility toward the one doing the elevating. But that's jiu jitsu. She sounds fine, seems to have a great positivity about it, and is expected to heal pretty quickly (though three months is three months).
All for now. I really need to retool my half-guard this year. But I'm not going to focus on it like I tried to do in 2007. From the top, there are some small details to focus on. From the bottom, some basic fundamentals I need to improve.
A good night. It is great to be back on the mat. It is also clear that my off-mat conditioning is helping tremendously (thigh cramps notwithstanding). My wind is good and when it's gone, I'm getting it back pretty quickly.
Coursework: Takedowns
We worked three moves from standing.
The first was the kubi nage or headlock throw. Rodrigo broke it down into three steps.
1. Step forward with your lead or penetration foot. At the same time reach up for the collar tie with your lead arm and grab the guy's opposite arm at the elbow with the other. Keep it tight.
2. Step outside with your lead leg. It's sort of a standing backstep, lunging out with your lead leg to the outside. It might be easier if you skip step into that backstep.
3. Step back between the guy's legs in a classic reverse pivot. Bend a little at the knees and execute the throw over your hip. Don't forget to keep hold of the arm.
The second move was a counter to the standing guillotine. Rodrigo showed it to us as part of a failed single leg attempt, that left your head out. As with all guillotines, the trick is to look up and get your outside arm up and over the guy's shoulder.
From here you want to walk in the direction of your overhooking arm, looking up and lifting the guy at the leg with your other arm.
The last technique was one I really took to. It's really nice when you find a move that your body just knows how to do. Then again, I tend to be pretty good at anything in jiu jitsu that involves falling down.
The move was sort of a headlock counter-to-takedown. You have a guy at your side with a headlock on. You want to reach around and hook his waist with your inside arm and, bending over, put your hand (thumb down) on the guy's far knee
Step your inside foot behind him between his legs. Step around with your outside leg and turn into the guy. It will feel for a moment like you are sitting the guy in your lap before you take him to the mat on his hip. A very nice takedown.
The first was the kubi nage or headlock throw. Rodrigo broke it down into three steps.
1. Step forward with your lead or penetration foot. At the same time reach up for the collar tie with your lead arm and grab the guy's opposite arm at the elbow with the other. Keep it tight.
2. Step outside with your lead leg. It's sort of a standing backstep, lunging out with your lead leg to the outside. It might be easier if you skip step into that backstep.
3. Step back between the guy's legs in a classic reverse pivot. Bend a little at the knees and execute the throw over your hip. Don't forget to keep hold of the arm.
The second move was a counter to the standing guillotine. Rodrigo showed it to us as part of a failed single leg attempt, that left your head out. As with all guillotines, the trick is to look up and get your outside arm up and over the guy's shoulder.
From here you want to walk in the direction of your overhooking arm, looking up and lifting the guy at the leg with your other arm.
The last technique was one I really took to. It's really nice when you find a move that your body just knows how to do. Then again, I tend to be pretty good at anything in jiu jitsu that involves falling down.
The move was sort of a headlock counter-to-takedown. You have a guy at your side with a headlock on. You want to reach around and hook his waist with your inside arm and, bending over, put your hand (thumb down) on the guy's far knee
Step your inside foot behind him between his legs. Step around with your outside leg and turn into the guy. It will feel for a moment like you are sitting the guy in your lap before you take him to the mat on his hip. A very nice takedown.
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Straight Outta Tatame
A little Hilo Guard, nothing special, but it was good to see me working to put pressure on the hips. Managed a nice manuver to get the arm wrap, but got a little confused about where to go to initiate Rap Star. I felt the kimura opportunity come and go, and then thought I had a chance at the off-armlock. A little scrambled, but it was nice to see the images flashing before my eyes ...
No spider guard, which was a little negative. And I bailed to half-guard twice, which was another negative even though I managed a keylock submission from the bottom the second time.
Got caught in a basic choke from rear mount. I just gave up on the position and didn't really work my main Saulo positional escape, at all. I remember the choke escape that Mamazinho showed us--and that Rodrigo reminded me of afterwards. I just didn't fight.
This is something I need to make a focus of training in 2008. My cardio is perfectly fine and my conditioning is probably as good as it has been in months if not years. So while I'll cop to being scatterbrained in mid-roll, I cannot allow myself to blame fatigue. Moving and failing is different from deciding not to move and failing.
Did some good work in maintaining the mount. I also hit my first armlock in many, many months. It was a little sharp, I was catching a guy who had abandoned his arm as he was trying to roll out of mount. I went belly down--Fedor-style--with the armlock and my partner cried out immediately. I released the hold, but it was a little late and he needed to ice his elbow afterward. Hopefully, I'll see him again next Wednesday and he'll be okay. He seemed alright afterwards.
Overall: Not a bad first day back. If I'm going to make the armlock my attack then I need to learn how to gauge it. Quick to position. Slow to finish. Again, the armlock is my submission for the year, so I shouldn't have to feel like I've got to turn into Minotauro or Paulo Filho in a month. Study the entries and set-ups, see how quickly I do and do not need to move ... Patience.
I've been surprisingly vulnerable to chokes over the past several weeks. I always think that you are most vulnerable to whatever techniques you yourself are weak at. Generally speaking, I feel very comfortable standing and increasingly comfortable defending my arms. No surprise that my takedowns and arm/shoulder attacks are my most effective jiu jitsu.
All this and no talk of guard passing?! I decided to stick to the Saulo ground pass. I know: I should have worked the Margarida or the Cesar/PTMU. But I really, really would love to master the Saulo ground pass and figured as long as I stuck with it for the entire training session, then it would actually be perfectly fine.
As it turned out, the times I really committed to the Saulo, it worked. I bailed on it a few times. But it worked enough times for me to realize that it is just a matter of imposing my (meager) guard passing will. My base didn't feel perfect, and I was trying to remember to sit to open the legs.
Again, if I'm going to do the Saulo, then I need to stick with it every time I'm opening the guard for the whole session. No weak Saulos as an excuse to avoid the Cesar or Margarida passes!
No spider guard, which was a little negative. And I bailed to half-guard twice, which was another negative even though I managed a keylock submission from the bottom the second time.
Got caught in a basic choke from rear mount. I just gave up on the position and didn't really work my main Saulo positional escape, at all. I remember the choke escape that Mamazinho showed us--and that Rodrigo reminded me of afterwards. I just didn't fight.
This is something I need to make a focus of training in 2008. My cardio is perfectly fine and my conditioning is probably as good as it has been in months if not years. So while I'll cop to being scatterbrained in mid-roll, I cannot allow myself to blame fatigue. Moving and failing is different from deciding not to move and failing.
Did some good work in maintaining the mount. I also hit my first armlock in many, many months. It was a little sharp, I was catching a guy who had abandoned his arm as he was trying to roll out of mount. I went belly down--Fedor-style--with the armlock and my partner cried out immediately. I released the hold, but it was a little late and he needed to ice his elbow afterward. Hopefully, I'll see him again next Wednesday and he'll be okay. He seemed alright afterwards.
Overall: Not a bad first day back. If I'm going to make the armlock my attack then I need to learn how to gauge it. Quick to position. Slow to finish. Again, the armlock is my submission for the year, so I shouldn't have to feel like I've got to turn into Minotauro or Paulo Filho in a month. Study the entries and set-ups, see how quickly I do and do not need to move ... Patience.
I've been surprisingly vulnerable to chokes over the past several weeks. I always think that you are most vulnerable to whatever techniques you yourself are weak at. Generally speaking, I feel very comfortable standing and increasingly comfortable defending my arms. No surprise that my takedowns and arm/shoulder attacks are my most effective jiu jitsu.
All this and no talk of guard passing?! I decided to stick to the Saulo ground pass. I know: I should have worked the Margarida or the Cesar/PTMU. But I really, really would love to master the Saulo ground pass and figured as long as I stuck with it for the entire training session, then it would actually be perfectly fine.
As it turned out, the times I really committed to the Saulo, it worked. I bailed on it a few times. But it worked enough times for me to realize that it is just a matter of imposing my (meager) guard passing will. My base didn't feel perfect, and I was trying to remember to sit to open the legs.
Again, if I'm going to do the Saulo, then I need to stick with it every time I'm opening the guard for the whole session. No weak Saulos as an excuse to avoid the Cesar or Margarida passes!
Coursework: Butterfly Guard
Now that I'm getting the hang of my paying writing job, I'm going to try and step things up here at side control.
Most important, I want to make an entry called "Coursework" for every class I take. This post will be limited to what was taught in class, no sparring notes, no drill notes, no ruminations and philosophizing--just the class, ma'am.
This afternoon was my first class back on the mat in several weeks. I think the last class I took was also a Wednesday, days before the Revolution tournament in Bonney Lake on November 10th.
I say that because we were working on the butterfly guard then, and worked on it again this afternoon.
Today, Rodrigo was basically teaching us another pass of the butterfly guard.
You are in your opponent's butterfly guard. He's got the overloop arm around your back, hand on belt and is probably working to turn his body sideways to get ready for the sweep.
On the same side of the overloop arm, you want to reach under his leg or hook on that side and grab the pants of his other leg at the cuff. With your other hand--the hand your opponent wants to trap--reach up and grab the guy behind the neck at the collar, thumb-in.
Be willing to move a little to make it easier to grab the pants at the cuff. Stepping up to a knee on the side you are trying to grab can help create space.
Once you've got your grips, bring your elbows in and lean forward, putting your weight on the guy. You are going to want to move, a sort of "sprawl walk" around in the direction of leg you have trapped.
He may roll to his side as you move around. Not a problem. Use your shoulder to flatten him out.
We spent some time working on this pass, as well as some time just practicing on balance when the guy on bottom has a good, butterfly guard and is working to off-balance you. One key Rodrigo mentioned was that if the guy has a good hook on one leg and is elevating it, you need to sit and put all your weight on your other leg.
"Sometimes you have to give," is how I think Rodrigo put it, and you can feel the jiu jitsu. Rather than fighting the hook when the guy's got it in pretty good, let him have the hook, but shift your base so that the hook is ineffective. In fact, if the guy overcommits to the hook, he might become all the more vulnerable to getting his butterfly guard passed.
Most important, I want to make an entry called "Coursework" for every class I take. This post will be limited to what was taught in class, no sparring notes, no drill notes, no ruminations and philosophizing--just the class, ma'am.
This afternoon was my first class back on the mat in several weeks. I think the last class I took was also a Wednesday, days before the Revolution tournament in Bonney Lake on November 10th.
I say that because we were working on the butterfly guard then, and worked on it again this afternoon.
Today, Rodrigo was basically teaching us another pass of the butterfly guard.
You are in your opponent's butterfly guard. He's got the overloop arm around your back, hand on belt and is probably working to turn his body sideways to get ready for the sweep.
On the same side of the overloop arm, you want to reach under his leg or hook on that side and grab the pants of his other leg at the cuff. With your other hand--the hand your opponent wants to trap--reach up and grab the guy behind the neck at the collar, thumb-in.
Be willing to move a little to make it easier to grab the pants at the cuff. Stepping up to a knee on the side you are trying to grab can help create space.
Once you've got your grips, bring your elbows in and lean forward, putting your weight on the guy. You are going to want to move, a sort of "sprawl walk" around in the direction of leg you have trapped.
He may roll to his side as you move around. Not a problem. Use your shoulder to flatten him out.
We spent some time working on this pass, as well as some time just practicing on balance when the guy on bottom has a good, butterfly guard and is working to off-balance you. One key Rodrigo mentioned was that if the guy has a good hook on one leg and is elevating it, you need to sit and put all your weight on your other leg.
"Sometimes you have to give," is how I think Rodrigo put it, and you can feel the jiu jitsu. Rather than fighting the hook when the guy's got it in pretty good, let him have the hook, but shift your base so that the hook is ineffective. In fact, if the guy overcommits to the hook, he might become all the more vulnerable to getting his butterfly guard passed.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Mario Sperry in Seattle
Marcelo Alonso is bringing jiu jitsu and Vale Tudo legend Mario Sperry to town for a three-day seminar in the second half of January.
Mario Sperry Seminar.
The sessions are:
Thursday, January 18: 9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Seattle
Thursday, January 18: 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Puyallup
Friday, January 19: 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Seattle
Saturday, January 20: 11:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Seattle
I'm not sure if I'll attend or not. I've been off the mat for awhile, and really haven't trained regularly in months. There are also some other issues that may or may not make it an event I want to participate in.
But getting to meet Mario Sperry is a pretty big attration, I'll admit. And that is especially so since I missed a chance to train with both Minotauro AND Anderson Silva earlier this year.
Mario Sperry Seminar.
The sessions are:
Thursday, January 18: 9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Seattle
Thursday, January 18: 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Puyallup
Friday, January 19: 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Seattle
Saturday, January 20: 11:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Seattle
I'm not sure if I'll attend or not. I've been off the mat for awhile, and really haven't trained regularly in months. There are also some other issues that may or may not make it an event I want to participate in.
But getting to meet Mario Sperry is a pretty big attration, I'll admit. And that is especially so since I missed a chance to train with both Minotauro AND Anderson Silva earlier this year.
Friday, December 21, 2007
First Six Weeks
In one sense, I'm ecstatic that I managed to complete my six-week strength and conditioning program, the one I set out for myself in part as preparation for training in 2008. Although I missed a workout today since I'm in Tucson, and couldn't do much on Thursday either, the six weeks were a success in terms of doing what I had set out to do.
What was not so successful was my on-the-mat training, which was non-existent through this time. I refuse to be too hard on myself about it. The new job is without a doubt the most challenging gig I've yet to sign on to. And while I don't regret making the move for a second, it has meant sacrificing my on-the-mat time while I got acclimated to the new schedule (and while I waited for my Cobra to kick in).
I'll be back in Seattle on Thursday afternoon, the 27th. Ideally, on the 30th, I'll swing by the new Sunday conditioning class that Jesse is running in the new facility, say "hi" and see where I'm at conditioning-wise. I don't expect to be in great shape, meaning great "jiu jitsu" shape. But I am hoping that the six weeks I've spent on the treadmill, rolling around on the carpet and tossing dumbbells around will keep me from looking completely godawful when I'm finally back on the tatame.
For January, the plan is to shorten the duration and up the intensity: Berardi, 3T and Beaster workouts, with maybe an LSD once a week. The Revolution tournament is scheduled for February 9th, and it will be in Seattle (West Seattle High), so it should be packed. If all goes well and I get the training in that I think I need, then I'm going to go ahead and get my competition hat back on.
By "training I think I need", we're talking three days a week, on average. Tuesday and Thursday nights for sure, with some more work Monday, Wednesday or Friday afternoons. Wednesday would be the easiest, followed by Monday and with Friday a distant third. In a perfect world, I'd get in both a Monday and a Wednesday, but there's no point in overpromising. Unfortunately, the way 2007 went, two days a week would be an accomplishment.
Lloyd Irvin says that it takes 21 days to break a bad habit. My goal will be to get in 21 top quality training session between now and February 9th--the day of the tournament. Practically, that is 21 sessions in five weeks, since the sixth week is the week of the event and I'd love to have worked hard enough in the previous five weeks to be able to decelerate some in the final week.
But I'm getting ahead of myself, a bit. As far as the recently-ended six weeks are concerned, I'm happy for the conditioning work I did, and happy about the resistance work I did. Chalk one up for the preseason. On the 30th we get ready for the real thing.
What was not so successful was my on-the-mat training, which was non-existent through this time. I refuse to be too hard on myself about it. The new job is without a doubt the most challenging gig I've yet to sign on to. And while I don't regret making the move for a second, it has meant sacrificing my on-the-mat time while I got acclimated to the new schedule (and while I waited for my Cobra to kick in).
I'll be back in Seattle on Thursday afternoon, the 27th. Ideally, on the 30th, I'll swing by the new Sunday conditioning class that Jesse is running in the new facility, say "hi" and see where I'm at conditioning-wise. I don't expect to be in great shape, meaning great "jiu jitsu" shape. But I am hoping that the six weeks I've spent on the treadmill, rolling around on the carpet and tossing dumbbells around will keep me from looking completely godawful when I'm finally back on the tatame.
For January, the plan is to shorten the duration and up the intensity: Berardi, 3T and Beaster workouts, with maybe an LSD once a week. The Revolution tournament is scheduled for February 9th, and it will be in Seattle (West Seattle High), so it should be packed. If all goes well and I get the training in that I think I need, then I'm going to go ahead and get my competition hat back on.
By "training I think I need", we're talking three days a week, on average. Tuesday and Thursday nights for sure, with some more work Monday, Wednesday or Friday afternoons. Wednesday would be the easiest, followed by Monday and with Friday a distant third. In a perfect world, I'd get in both a Monday and a Wednesday, but there's no point in overpromising. Unfortunately, the way 2007 went, two days a week would be an accomplishment.
Lloyd Irvin says that it takes 21 days to break a bad habit. My goal will be to get in 21 top quality training session between now and February 9th--the day of the tournament. Practically, that is 21 sessions in five weeks, since the sixth week is the week of the event and I'd love to have worked hard enough in the previous five weeks to be able to decelerate some in the final week.
But I'm getting ahead of myself, a bit. As far as the recently-ended six weeks are concerned, I'm happy for the conditioning work I did, and happy about the resistance work I did. Chalk one up for the preseason. On the 30th we get ready for the real thing.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Results of the First Annual No-Gi Mundial
Are here ...
A few highlights:
Adult:
1- Gracie Barra
2- Guerrilla JJ
3- Alliance
Master & Senior:
1- Megaton
2- Gracie Barra
3- Alliance
Juvenile:
1- Team Mica
2- Roger Gracie Academy
3- Renzo Gracie
Female:
1- Gracie Barra
2- Alliance
3- Maui JJ
Black Belts:
Rooster
First Takeo Tani Gracie Barra
Super Feather
First Samuel Braga Gracie Barra
Second Caio Terra Cesar Gracie
Third John Ramirez BJJ Revolution Team
Third Leandro Escobar American Top Team
Feather
First Rubens Maciel Alliance
Second Shane Rice Rickson
Third Magno Gama Renzo Gracie
Third Diego Correia Relson Gracie
Light
First Jeff Glover Alliance
Second Daniel Aguiar Renzo Gracie
Third Diego Saraiva Knuckleup
Third Joao Silva Aloisio Silva
Middle
First Pablo Popovitch Team Popovitch
Second Daniel Correia Relson Gracie
Third William Cooper Alliance
Third Lucas Leite Brasa
Medium Heavy
First Marcel Louzado Brasa
Second Luke Stewart Ralph Gracie
Third Joao Felipe Oliveira Gracie Barra
Third Tony Eduardo Lima Ralph Gracie
Heavy
First Roberto Camargo Gracie Barra
Second Fabio Leopoldo Renzo Gracie
Third Alexandre Ferreira Gracie Barra
Third Matheus Costa Ryan Gracie
Super Heavy
First Vinicius Magalhaes Team Quest
Second Christiano Lazzarini Gracie Barra
Third Roberto Abreu filho American Top Team
SuperSuper Heavy
First Bruno Paulista Gracie Barra America
Second Jeff Monson American Top Team
Third Rodrigo Medeiros Brasa
Third Jose Mario Mac Cord Brasa
Open Class
First Jeff Monson American Top Team
Second Bill Cooper Alliance
Third Cristiano Lazarini Gracie Barra
Ryan Hall won the Adult Purple Belt Light
My division(s):
Adult Blue Belt - Light
First Sean Roberts Ralph Gracie
Second Chris Saunders Brazilian Top Team
Third Sean Robinson BJJ Revolution Team
Third Juan Nunez Cesar Gracie
Masters (30-35) Blue Belt - Light
First Michikazu Moriuchi Bevely Hills JJ Club
Second Bradley Pitchard Gracie Barra
Third David Callaham 10th Planet
Third Chad Conte 10th Planet
Seniors (36 to 40) 1 Blue Belt - Light
First Sam DiMaggio Gracie JJ Academy
Second Takuya Sato Hollywood Bjj
Third Joe Solis Neutral Grounds
Third Ray Borel LDMA
Seniors 2 (41-45) Blue Belt - Light
First Dale Kersting Megaton
Second Rod Roberts Gracie Barra Costa Mesa
A few highlights:
Adult:
1- Gracie Barra
2- Guerrilla JJ
3- Alliance
Master & Senior:
1- Megaton
2- Gracie Barra
3- Alliance
Juvenile:
1- Team Mica
2- Roger Gracie Academy
3- Renzo Gracie
Female:
1- Gracie Barra
2- Alliance
3- Maui JJ
Black Belts:
Rooster
First Takeo Tani Gracie Barra
Super Feather
First Samuel Braga Gracie Barra
Second Caio Terra Cesar Gracie
Third John Ramirez BJJ Revolution Team
Third Leandro Escobar American Top Team
Feather
First Rubens Maciel Alliance
Second Shane Rice Rickson
Third Magno Gama Renzo Gracie
Third Diego Correia Relson Gracie
Light
First Jeff Glover Alliance
Second Daniel Aguiar Renzo Gracie
Third Diego Saraiva Knuckleup
Third Joao Silva Aloisio Silva
Middle
First Pablo Popovitch Team Popovitch
Second Daniel Correia Relson Gracie
Third William Cooper Alliance
Third Lucas Leite Brasa
Medium Heavy
First Marcel Louzado Brasa
Second Luke Stewart Ralph Gracie
Third Joao Felipe Oliveira Gracie Barra
Third Tony Eduardo Lima Ralph Gracie
Heavy
First Roberto Camargo Gracie Barra
Second Fabio Leopoldo Renzo Gracie
Third Alexandre Ferreira Gracie Barra
Third Matheus Costa Ryan Gracie
Super Heavy
First Vinicius Magalhaes Team Quest
Second Christiano Lazzarini Gracie Barra
Third Roberto Abreu filho American Top Team
SuperSuper Heavy
First Bruno Paulista Gracie Barra America
Second Jeff Monson American Top Team
Third Rodrigo Medeiros Brasa
Third Jose Mario Mac Cord Brasa
Open Class
First Jeff Monson American Top Team
Second Bill Cooper Alliance
Third Cristiano Lazarini Gracie Barra
Ryan Hall won the Adult Purple Belt Light
My division(s):
Adult Blue Belt - Light
First Sean Roberts Ralph Gracie
Second Chris Saunders Brazilian Top Team
Third Sean Robinson BJJ Revolution Team
Third Juan Nunez Cesar Gracie
Masters (30-35) Blue Belt - Light
First Michikazu Moriuchi Bevely Hills JJ Club
Second Bradley Pitchard Gracie Barra
Third David Callaham 10th Planet
Third Chad Conte 10th Planet
Seniors (36 to 40) 1 Blue Belt - Light
First Sam DiMaggio Gracie JJ Academy
Second Takuya Sato Hollywood Bjj
Third Joe Solis Neutral Grounds
Third Ray Borel LDMA
Seniors 2 (41-45) Blue Belt - Light
First Dale Kersting Megaton
Second Rod Roberts Gracie Barra Costa Mesa
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Sprint Workouts
I won't have much access to equipment for the week I'll be in Tucson. So in addition to heavy reliance on the 3T to keep me in shape, I'm thinking it might be a good time to integrate sprint workouts.
Sprint Workout
If I can find a place to run that won't completely freak out the in-laws neighbors, that is ...
At a minimum, there should be some good hiking.
Sprint Workout
If I can find a place to run that won't completely freak out the in-laws neighbors, that is ...
At a minimum, there should be some good hiking.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
The Good News, The Bad News
The good news is that I've managed to stick with my six-day a week strength and conditioning program over the past four weeks. In two weeks, I'll be headed for Tucson for Christmas for a week. After that, I shift into Phase 2, the power and power endurance program.
The bad news is that I haven't been on the mat since before the Revolution tournament in November. Sure, there was a bunch of stuff going on with the change in location to the new school. But the fact of the matter is two-fold: (1) I've been trying to adjust to a new job and work schedule with a 4:30 wake up call, and (2) I have no health insurance.
I'm doing better at time management in response to the first issue. I had thought that I might be able to train during the day on Wednesdays with the new job. And that might actually happen. But in order to do that I need to spend some time Tuesday night working on Wednesday's content. It's very doable. But I do have to make the time to do it.
We'll see. The more important obstacle to training right now is the lack of health insurance. I'm in the gap between when my old insurance ended and my Cobra begins. I'll get coverage from my new job in February at the beginning of the month. But I just don't think it makes any sense to roll the dice and hope I don't get injured--not when I can wait a month or so until the Cobra kicks in sometime in late December and not have to worry about it at all.
All this writing for and talking with traders has convinced me of the importance of hedging your bets.
I'm still aiming for the February Revolution tournament with the idea of building up through the July event and winning first place in November, a little over a year from now. My weight this morning was 157, which is perfect. And my body is just starting to settle into parts of the strength and conditioning workout, which sets me up perfectly for the power and power endurance program that comes next.
The bad news is that I haven't been on the mat since before the Revolution tournament in November. Sure, there was a bunch of stuff going on with the change in location to the new school. But the fact of the matter is two-fold: (1) I've been trying to adjust to a new job and work schedule with a 4:30 wake up call, and (2) I have no health insurance.
I'm doing better at time management in response to the first issue. I had thought that I might be able to train during the day on Wednesdays with the new job. And that might actually happen. But in order to do that I need to spend some time Tuesday night working on Wednesday's content. It's very doable. But I do have to make the time to do it.
We'll see. The more important obstacle to training right now is the lack of health insurance. I'm in the gap between when my old insurance ended and my Cobra begins. I'll get coverage from my new job in February at the beginning of the month. But I just don't think it makes any sense to roll the dice and hope I don't get injured--not when I can wait a month or so until the Cobra kicks in sometime in late December and not have to worry about it at all.
All this writing for and talking with traders has convinced me of the importance of hedging your bets.
I'm still aiming for the February Revolution tournament with the idea of building up through the July event and winning first place in November, a little over a year from now. My weight this morning was 157, which is perfect. And my body is just starting to settle into parts of the strength and conditioning workout, which sets me up perfectly for the power and power endurance program that comes next.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
The Plan Week One
In spite of the tribulations of adjusting to my new work schedule (pros: work from home, cons: 4:30 a.m. wake up call), I've done a pretty decent job of sticking to my workout schedule. The idea is to spend the six weeks between now and Christmas building up my basic strength and cardio. Then spend the six weeks after I get back from Christmas vacation in Tucson preparing for the Revolution Event in early February.
For the first six weeks, I'm focusing on core resistance work and treadmill cardio. I'm still tweaking things. This week I got in three resistance workouts (Monday, Wednesday and Saturday) and two cardio (Tuesday: LSD, Thursday: Beaster). I'd orginally planned for three and three. But three and two wasn't bad for the first week.
I wasn't able to train jiu jitsu this week, in part because Rodrigo has decided to leave the Tully's location and lease a new facility a mile or so north in the same area. Things with Tully's were getting really played out and I suspect Rodrigo might have felt jerked around by those guys.
Classes start Monday, and I'm looking forward to seeing what the new place is like.
I've figured that I don't think I'll be training much during the day. I could be wrong about that. But I think the better option is to use the time I have here at the house to get in the conditioning that has started to prove elusive. So instead of trying to squeeze in 30 minutes on the treadmill sometime between six and seven in the morning, I can get in a workout when I've finished the bulk of my daily tasks for The Man sometime around one in the afternoon.
We'll see how it works.
For the first six weeks, I'm focusing on core resistance work and treadmill cardio. I'm still tweaking things. This week I got in three resistance workouts (Monday, Wednesday and Saturday) and two cardio (Tuesday: LSD, Thursday: Beaster). I'd orginally planned for three and three. But three and two wasn't bad for the first week.
I wasn't able to train jiu jitsu this week, in part because Rodrigo has decided to leave the Tully's location and lease a new facility a mile or so north in the same area. Things with Tully's were getting really played out and I suspect Rodrigo might have felt jerked around by those guys.
Classes start Monday, and I'm looking forward to seeing what the new place is like.
I've figured that I don't think I'll be training much during the day. I could be wrong about that. But I think the better option is to use the time I have here at the house to get in the conditioning that has started to prove elusive. So instead of trying to squeeze in 30 minutes on the treadmill sometime between six and seven in the morning, I can get in a workout when I've finished the bulk of my daily tasks for The Man sometime around one in the afternoon.
We'll see how it works.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
The Art of Jiu Jitsu, Part 5
"How did Ricardo Arona get in my guard? Maybe he took me down, it doesn't matter. Maybe I just woke up one morning and Ricardo Arona was in my guard. Here's what I'm gonna do."
--Mario Sperry, from an instructional video/DVD.
--Mario Sperry, from an instructional video/DVD.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Nate Diaz v. Ryan Hall
Arguably two of the top American purple belts in the lighter divisions competing against one another ...
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
The Plan
I'm trying to break the next training period into two six week periods. Monday, November 12 through Friday, December 21, when I leave for Tucson for Christmas vacation. And Monday, December 31 through Friday, February 8, the day before the Revolution tournament.
My goal in the first six weeks will be to train three times a week. I want to focus on escapes (from rear mount, mount, side control, north-south, triangle choke) mostly, as well as movement from the top and sweeps from the guard.
Conditioning-wise, I want to do a generic Phase I cardio/strength type of program. Three days of core-based, weight lifting each week. Three days of LSD cardio each week. This is all geared to raising my fitness foundation, a little more strength and a little more breath.
In addition, I'll do the Tabata and abs Tabata an alternating mornings, starting on Monday.
In the second six weeks, I'll switch my training to four times a week, with only two conditioning days on Saturday and Sunday. Training focus will be on the competition gameplan; namely, whatever was working in the previous six weeks.
The conditioning workouts during the second six weeks will be the 39: Tabata + Berardi + Beaster.
It's basic periodization. But hopefully it will leave me with better awareness on the mat, and ready for the "shock" of competition several Saturdays from now.
I suspect there will be other tournaments. The Spokane guys have been doing a lot with MMA lately, but I wouldn't be surprised if they put together an event or two in 2008. And I'm pretty sure that there will be a Gracie Barra Seattle event sometime in the spring--probably between Revolution events in February and July (late April/early May?).
But I'm going to stick with this schedule with the hope of peaking in early February. If everything goes well, then I should be able to adjust the periodization (i.e. 2-4 wks Phase I/4-6 wks Phase II) to fit the tournament schedule.
My goal in the first six weeks will be to train three times a week. I want to focus on escapes (from rear mount, mount, side control, north-south, triangle choke) mostly, as well as movement from the top and sweeps from the guard.
Conditioning-wise, I want to do a generic Phase I cardio/strength type of program. Three days of core-based, weight lifting each week. Three days of LSD cardio each week. This is all geared to raising my fitness foundation, a little more strength and a little more breath.
In addition, I'll do the Tabata and abs Tabata an alternating mornings, starting on Monday.
In the second six weeks, I'll switch my training to four times a week, with only two conditioning days on Saturday and Sunday. Training focus will be on the competition gameplan; namely, whatever was working in the previous six weeks.
The conditioning workouts during the second six weeks will be the 39: Tabata + Berardi + Beaster.
It's basic periodization. But hopefully it will leave me with better awareness on the mat, and ready for the "shock" of competition several Saturdays from now.
I suspect there will be other tournaments. The Spokane guys have been doing a lot with MMA lately, but I wouldn't be surprised if they put together an event or two in 2008. And I'm pretty sure that there will be a Gracie Barra Seattle event sometime in the spring--probably between Revolution events in February and July (late April/early May?).
But I'm going to stick with this schedule with the hope of peaking in early February. If everything goes well, then I should be able to adjust the periodization (i.e. 2-4 wks Phase I/4-6 wks Phase II) to fit the tournament schedule.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Done and Back Again
I didn't compete at the Revolution tournament yesterday. Truth told, I got ready to leave the house Tuesday night, ready to train and train again the following night in last minute preparation for the event. But a quick check of the website clued me in on the fact that the new room we were switching to at the Tully's location wouldn't be ready until Monday, November 12, the Monday after the Revolution.
In the meanwhile, the Bellevue academy would be open Wednesday and Friday night.
I don't want to make it sound like the deal killer. My training leading up to the Revolution was pretty rotten. I had little to no explosion, very poor hip movement (always a bad sign of drive and willpower), and just wasn't making it to class consistently.
To add to that, I started a new job this week. And though ultimately I'm thinking that the new gig will actually be a huge boost to my training, the first few days of distraction (and 5 a.m. wake-ups calls!), seemed to take their toll.
I made it to class in Bellevue to let Rodrigo know. I didn't want him to think the turmoil of the new room was responsible for my opting out of the Revolution yesterday. The simple matter is that when it was all said and done, I just wasn't ready to compete.
I made the beautiful drive up to Bonney Lake Saturday morning to support the guys and see some great gi jiu jitsu. The place reminded me of Flagstaff, just gorgeous country. Maybe it was the elevation.
The venue was solid, a high school gym with nice raised bleachers on one side. And our guys did very well, particularly Saule. It was exhilerating to see so many of our guys compete, including Jesse. I missed Casey's and Andrew's fights, unfortunately--the higher belts going first at this event. But I did see a heart-breaking first fight with Lindsey, who was up 12-0 before getting caught in a traingle (Lindsey came back in his second fight to win by double digits).
Great event, IMO. I don't regret missing it as a competitor--and I'm not just saying that because I got a T-shirt. 2007 has been a bit of a lost year for me jiu jitsu-wise, as injuries, then the book, then the new job seemed to have set the tone for what I could and could not do this year on the mat.
In the meanwhile, the Bellevue academy would be open Wednesday and Friday night.
I don't want to make it sound like the deal killer. My training leading up to the Revolution was pretty rotten. I had little to no explosion, very poor hip movement (always a bad sign of drive and willpower), and just wasn't making it to class consistently.
To add to that, I started a new job this week. And though ultimately I'm thinking that the new gig will actually be a huge boost to my training, the first few days of distraction (and 5 a.m. wake-ups calls!), seemed to take their toll.
I made it to class in Bellevue to let Rodrigo know. I didn't want him to think the turmoil of the new room was responsible for my opting out of the Revolution yesterday. The simple matter is that when it was all said and done, I just wasn't ready to compete.
I made the beautiful drive up to Bonney Lake Saturday morning to support the guys and see some great gi jiu jitsu. The place reminded me of Flagstaff, just gorgeous country. Maybe it was the elevation.
The venue was solid, a high school gym with nice raised bleachers on one side. And our guys did very well, particularly Saule. It was exhilerating to see so many of our guys compete, including Jesse. I missed Casey's and Andrew's fights, unfortunately--the higher belts going first at this event. But I did see a heart-breaking first fight with Lindsey, who was up 12-0 before getting caught in a traingle (Lindsey came back in his second fight to win by double digits).
Great event, IMO. I don't regret missing it as a competitor--and I'm not just saying that because I got a T-shirt. 2007 has been a bit of a lost year for me jiu jitsu-wise, as injuries, then the book, then the new job seemed to have set the tone for what I could and could not do this year on the mat.
Friday, November 02, 2007
Interview with Rafael Lovato Jr.
Here's a short interview with Rafael Lovato Jr., courtesy of OntheMat. Lovato Jr. is widely believed to be the top American competitor in jiu jitsu (i.e., gi). There are a couple of interesting things that he has to say about his stellar performance in 2007, but perhaps the one comment that really caught me was this:
Gumby: Rafael Lovato Jr. World Champion Black Belt. Has it sunk in yet?I remember reading somewhere that another top black belt, Felipe Costa, never won big at a tournament until he was a black belt. It is something to think about the next time I get the willies about competing (or, rather, anxiety about not winning all the time).
Rafael: Not really. I dreamed about winning the Mundials for so long. I never won it at any of the lower belts, in fact the only title I had was a Pan-Am gold as a blue belt. After that the best I did at the other belts was third place, so it is still very hard for me to believe. I still feel like I can be so much better and I look forward to continually improving and hopefully winning the Mundials again.
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