Monday, May 28, 2012

Week in Review


Start weight: 207.6
  • Mon 5/21:  Travel day - returned from New Orleans.  
  • Tues 5/22:  1.25hrs cardio/strength, including 1hr elliptical and 15mins lifting (left arm/shoulder focus). 
  • Wed 5/23:  1hr cardio, including 45min elliptical and 15min bike. 
  • Thurs 5/24:  1.25 hrs BJJ plus 1hr strength and conditioning.  
  • Fri 5/25:    1hr cardio, including 45min elliptical and 15min bike.
  • Sat 5/26:  1.5hrs cardio/strength, including 1hr weights/core and 30min elliptical.
  • Sun 5/27:  45min cardio, including 30 min bike and 15 min elliptical.  
Final weight:  206.2

***A note about start/final weights.  I record my weight each Sunday night before bed.  Sunday's are almost always food and rest days so it's usually my heaviest point of the week.    

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Seana's Fight

Seana Rossi passed away.  I got the news via her facebook support page while having dinner with BJJ friends on Saturday after a great tournament in Pensacola, Fl.  Her Professor Jorge Britto of the RJJA's Toronto BJJ academy promoted her to Black Belt in memoriam.  RIP Seana.  I never met you, but your life touched mine and many others.  Thank you for that.  

May we all continue Seana's fight to submit cancer.

Monday, May 21, 2012

Week in Review


Start weight: 208.8
  • Mon 5/14:  3.5hrs BJJ.  
  • Tues 5/15:  1.5hrs BJJ. 
  • Wed 5/16:  1hr BJJ.
  • Thurs 5/17:  1.5hrs BJJ.
  • Fri 5/18:    Rest day (travel to Pensacola).
  • Sat 5/19:  Florida State Championships (15 minutes grappling) plus 20min elliptical.
  • Sun 5/20: Rest day.  
Final weight:  207.6

Monday, May 14, 2012

Week in Review


Start weight: 207.4
  • Mon 5//7:  1hr strength and conditioning.  
  • Tues 5/8:  1.5hrs BJJ. 
  • Wed 5/9:  1hr BJJ.
  • Thurs 5/10:  1hr strength and conditioning.
  • Fri 5/11:    Rest day (travel to New Orleans).
  • Sat 5/12:  NOLA BJJ in-house tourney (20 minutes grappling).
  • Sun 5/13: Rest day.  
Final weight:  208.8

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Banged Up

A bit banged up from Tuesday's class.  My middle left toe is bruised pretty good at the base.  Walking with a bit a of a limp.  I went to the beginner class last night.  Only an hour.  Tough to bridge without pain.  Then I stubbed my big toe.  Ouch.  Plus...my right knee is acting up.  Frequent audible but painless pops in the front right side below the knee cap.  Must be miniscus.  Also right LCL is achy.  The past couple weeks are catching up to me!

Heading to New Orleans tomorrow.  Looking forward to the NOLA BJJ in-house tourney on Saturday, followed by a Crawfish Boil and after-party.  Then a hard week of training before driving to Pensacola for a tournament next Saturday, 5/19.

Until next time...some pics from last weekend's Grappling X courtesy Joey Hernandez Photography.


Pre-match #1

 Match #1

 Match #1 (about to get armbarred)

Match #1 (tapping)

 Match #1

 Match #1 (Post-loss encouragement from the Master)

 Match #2

 Match #2 (bread and butter sweep)

Match #2 (points!)

Match #2

 Match #3 (about to get armbarred)

 Match #3

 Trying to stay warm for Open Class that never happened.

Thanks Shawn for putting on a great tourney!


Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Toughest Class in a Long While

Master Saulo taught the noon class today.  Two other Black Belts, a Brown, and two Purples also showed.  I was the lone Blue.  No Whites.  Breathing hard and sweating after warm-up, grip breaking, and take down entries.  Transitioned to sweep / pass the guard starting from half guard.  We switched top/bottom and then switched partners for about 15mins.  Exhausted enough at that point.  Finished with 5 rounds of 8mins each with 60-90secs between rounds.

I got two Blacks (including Master Saulo), a Brown, and two Purples.  Saulo sucked the life out of me.  His weight distribution and placement is impeccable.  I literally felt like I'd died.  I had ZERO power to bridge and hip escape.  I managed to sweep him once and as I began to pass his guard via x-pass, he rolled out and I tried to follow to take the back but ended up on bottom.  He caught me via arm bar when I tried to escape the wrong direction and bow and arrow choke when I waited too long to implement a back escape.  Other rounds went a little better, although by the time I got to the two Purples my muscles were useless and I flopped around like a rag doll.  Toughest class in a very very long time.

Perplexing highlight of the day was my round with one of the Blacks.  Got a couple sweeps, a guard pass or two, knee on belly at least twice, and...wait for it...near side arm bar.  Hard to imagine it was legitimate.  But after the tap, when I chuckled and asked him why he let me have it, he sort of scolded me and told me to stay focused and keep training.  Also, the last minute or so of the round  he escaped my knee on belly, swept me, and really started attacking after passing to knee on belly.  He was relentless in the top attacks up to the buzzer.  I didn't really have anything left and couldn't have survived much longer.  Strange round.  Not sure what was up.

Monday, May 7, 2012

Grappling X, San Diego

Had three fights this weekend at Grappling X.  Only 3 in my division (Blue, 181-200lbs, 30+) and it's a double elimination tournament.  Lost my first fight miserably.  I attempted to pull open guard and botched it.  Fought hard to get half guard only to have him smash and flatten me out.  He passed and before long it was knee on belly, back, who knows what else, before he finished with an arm bar.  Miserable showing.

Contemplating the beat down aka match #1.

My second fight started off just as badly.  I botched a drop seoi nage.  Horrible timing and execution.  The guy took my back almost immediately.  Hooks and started sinking bow and arrow grips.  I thought I was done.  But fortunately Saulo's Jiu Jitsu University White/Blue survival/escape techniques kicked in.  Stabilized, scooped, escaped.  I don't recall all the details or sequence, but I know at some point in the fight I took him down, swept him, passed his guard, and took his back before time ran out.

The final round was a re-match with the guy who destroyed me the first time.  Surprisingly I came out confident and had a nice foot sweep take down attempt.  He fell, but scrambled and I didn't get the take down points.  Again, I don't recall all the details, but I know at some point he tossed me hard.  Judo throw.  Almost knocked the wind out of me and he was in side mount.  He progressed to knee on belly and I escaped via underhook to belly down to turtle.  He spun around to back and I rolled out to recover open guard.  I left my right arm exposed while trying to create space to set the spider in bicep with my left hand/foot.  Before I could sink the grip he pounced and caught the arm bar.  Silly mistake.

I signed up for the Open division, but no one else 30+ signed up.  So they put me in with the Adult Open.  Cool.  A fight's a fight, right?  Only problem was that my opponent backed out as we were about to step on the mat.   Another UNIJJ teammate won his semi match and the loser of that bracket didn't want to fight again so that allowed UNIJJ to close the Open division: Gold through Bronze.  Gold had to win two matches.  Silver won one match.  Bronze (me) didn't fight at all but just happened to be there when two others bowed out.  Pleased to close out the division for my team, but lame that both my potential opponents bowed out.


Lessons learned?  Same as last weekend.  My "training" game has little to no resemblance to my "competition" game.  I'm not nearly aggressive enough.  I'm too lazy or scared or both to attempt to implement fundamental techniques when I know they are there for me to take.  I don't use my hips and core enough leaving my competition game much more rigid compared to my training game, which is generally far more fluid.

Example of my lazy technique.  Had I reached under the arm to cup the bicep instead of over and behind I would have had more leverage to drag the arm.  Had I extended my right leg and hips, I could have made the arm drag a little easier and improved my angle for a triangle.  Instead he stacked and I had to scramble to recover guard.  Boo.  

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Week in Review


Start weight: 209.8
  • Mon 4/30:  1hr strength and conditioning.  
  • Tues 5/1:  1.25hrs BJJ. 
  • Wed 5/2:  1hr strength and conditioning plus 1hr cardio/core (30mins elliptical, 15mins stairs, and 15 mins core).
  • Thurs 5/3:  1.25hrs BJJ.
  • Fri 5/4:    1hr strength and conditioning plus 1.25hr cardio/core (60min elliptical and 15min core)
  • Sat 5/5:  1hr cardio (30mins elliptical and 30 mins treadmill).
  • Sun 5/6: Grappling X tourney.  3 fights.  About 12mins total fighting time.  
Final weight:  207.4 (I blame the 4 servings of chicken and dumplings for dinnner.  YUM!!!)

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Made Weight

197.2 at the official Grappling X weigh-in this morning (no gi).  2lbs heavier than my high school graduation weight.  I woke up 202.8 and needed to be under 201.0 by 10am.  Headed to the gym for cardio.  30min elliptical and 30min treadmill jog with sweat pants and hoodie did the trick (and then some).  Just got back from lunch.  Soooo good to eat and hydrate.  I'll be 205 by fight time tomorrow (210 with gi).  

Thursday, May 3, 2012

To Cut or Not to Cut...

Woke up 203.8 and weighed 202.2 after a tough round of training today (almost identical in format as Tuesday...except tougher guys on the mat today).  Have to be under 201.0 by 10am on Saturday for Sunday's Grappling X Tourney.  Almost there.

Prior to training I chatted with Master Saulo a bit about the upcoming Master/Senior Worlds in Rio.  (Details forthcoming, but it sounds like a trip of a lifetime and I can't wait.)  I mentioned I'm half way through my cut to make Medium-Heavy for the comp.  He was supportive until I said I have to cut 15lbs between now and the end of July.  Said that's too much to cut because although I may have 15lbs of fat, I need to put on muscle.  And, even if I could cut enough fat and still put on muscle, I shouldn't because he wants me to enjoy Rio.  He says we'll be gorging on acai and Brazilian BBQ leading up to Worlds and told a story of another student who tried to cut and he was miserable on the trip.  

Hmm...  I can't ignore these great words of wisdom.  My plan is to continue eating healthy.  This cut has been great.  I feel terrific and I don't want to revert back to old dietary habits.  Smaller portions, little to no red meat, more fish, less beer, and 10x the veggies.  I also want to retain my cardio routine and resume swimming.  If these new habits, coupled with my existing 2-3x per week BJJ and 2x per week strength and conditioning bring me down to ~180, great.  That would give me 7-8lbs to play with in Brazil.  If I don't drop that much weight, no sweat.  I'll compete at Heavy.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Lots of Sweat

Only three showed to the noon class today.  Me, a Purple, and a Blue.  Professor had us do a short warm-up followed by 15mins of grip fighting (rotating, round robin).  I was reminded, yet again, that my grips are terribly weak and I have limited ability to break opponents grips.  After 15 mins of grip fighting, I was already drenched and breathing heavy.  We transitioned to 20mins of 3min round robin rounds starting from turtle.  Switched top to bottom after the first points scored.  Finished with 30 mins of 6min rounds starting from de la riva.  Again, round robin with top/bottom switches after 3mins.

By the end, I could barely move.  My muscles were rubber and the guys, both ~20lbs lighter than me, were pretty much having their way with me by the end.  I tapped four times.  Twice to the Purple (kimura variation and choke from back) and twice to the Blue (arm bar from guard and choke from back).  The Blue started BJJ about four months after me.  Funny.  I remember a time, back in the day, when I could turn him into a pretzel.  No longer.  Sheesh.  To be young again.   I really opened up my game against the Purple.  Experimented with open guard.  De la riva, reverse de la riva, inverted, 50/50, inverted 50/50, X-guard, and bit of half guard.  Got several sweeps and near sweeps.  Paid the price via back take for experimentation multiple times.  But I'm pleased with the experimentation.  Purple seemed pleased too.  Said I threw things at him that really made him work to retain base.

With both guys, I tried my best to hold my ground, not give up sweeps, and not bail to turtle.  I remained disciplined at first, but fatigue got to me and by the end I found myself giving up sweeps and retreating to turtle far too much.  Bleh.

203.0 post-train.  Woke up 206.0 and had breakfast, lots of coffee, a protein bar, lots of water, and coconut water before noon training.  So...I must have sweat a lot in class today.