Conditioning / Nutrition / Takedowns / Guard Passing
These are the four horsemen of my jiu jitsu competition career. When these horsemen are in gear, I win. When they are not - as has been the case throughout my purple belt campaign from March 2009 to the present - I lose. Key to winning instead of losing, at this point, seems to be in dealing with these four dark riders.
Conditioning:
At purple belt, I'm fighting for 7 minutes. And typically I've only got the juice for about 4-5. An annoyingly high amount of this problem is psychological. I remember in my last match actively hoping not to end up in another tie at the end of regulation and be forced to go into overtime (as I did in the summer of 2009).
The psychology aside, I need to make sure that my off-mat conditioning is consistent late in the game. In the runup to the last tournament, my off-mat conditioning fell off in Weeks 6 and 7, just when I needed it to be peaking.
Specifically, I'm going to be working on Power-Endurance during this 8 Week Camp. I'm never going to be a cardio machine. But I think I can use a Fedor-like "wait and explode" strategy to maximize my power advantage at this weight and minimize any endurance disadvantage. There are strategic implications to this. But right now, increasing aerobic capacity early and lactic capacity late - while maintaining natural explosiveness - is the off-mat conditioning key.
On the mat, my goal is to average at least four training sessions a week during the 8 Week Camp. Going into the March revolution earlier this year, my four-week training average was 4.25, a solid number that I would like to top for July.
Nutrition:
Fear of missing weight has too often led to competing on an empty stomach. The first strategy to deal with this is to consistently weigh under 162 in my post-training weigh-ins for the first four weeks of Camp and under 162 in my pre-training weigh-in for the final four weeks.
Sticking to my conditioning and training routine will go a long way toward keeping my weight down - as will a few overdue dietary adjustments.
I'm also including rest under nutrition. Eight hours of sleep every day (note that Fedor takes nine) - even if that includes a midday nap.
Takedowns:
To steal a line: I win most of my jiu jitsu matches before I lose them.
More often than not, I'm up 2-0 at some point early in my matches. That was true even in March of this year when I felt woefully unprepared in my takedown game - yet still managed to get the Rip Cord / Jacare takedown to go up 2-0.
For July, I need to have all six of my main takedowns down pat: how to set them up, how they work, and what I do if the takedown is effectively countered. I think my takedown game is top-notch - arguably the best part of my jiu jitsu - and with some modest but consistent attention over the next 10 weeks, I should be fine.
Here the focus is two-fold: tempo training with lunges and split squats to ensure adequate conditioning and specific muscle endurance, and 1-2-3-4 step technical solo drilling will be key.
Guard Passing:
What can I say? When I pass the guard I win. When I don't pass the guard, I lose.
Although my guard passing game is nowhere near my takedown game, I think what helps the former will improve the latter. This means specific muscle endurance conditioning (the tempo training), as well as 1-2-3-4 step technical solo drilling for technique.
My guess is that my competition pass will be the Flat Pass. I've found that working a standing pass first and getting the bottom guy oriented and focused on a standing guard passer is a nice way to set up the drop to the mat and drive for the Flat Pass. I've especially been successful with this approach when guys try to go for handstand sweeps and underhook my leg and I am able to attack their underhooking arm for a handcuff set-up for the Flat Pass. Weak attempts at arm-warp guards have also been a good opportunity to attack with the Flat Pass.
But again, the key is to initaite the game by standing. Frustrate his ability to sweep you with your superior balance and patience. Then, as he begins to consider back up options, attack with the pass.
