I have been in a bit of a struggle lately because I started this whole blog on training and preparing for my competition comeback and yet my ability to train properly has been ruined by this "tale bone" injury. On the one hand I like to finish what I started. I like to persevere to the end. On the other hand, I like to give my all to the things I do. If I were single and without my family, my old self would surely have continued to train and compete. Now that I have a family and provide for them through this sport and art, I see the wisdom in being safe and patient.
I told everyone that I was competing and I had planned whole heatedly to train and do so. It started off well but after the tale bone injury I stopped grappling because it was making it worse. I didn't grapple for about 3 weeks but did continue to eat well and exercise. I couldn't exercise the way I really wanted to but I did exercise. I started rolling again about 2 weeks ago but still have to be very cautious how I do it. It doesn't really hurt when I roll, I am aware of it and feel it but when you roll you just don't care about those things. It is how it feels after I roll that matters. It starts to hurt again when I sit and do other things. It keeps it from healing the way I would like it to. The bottom line is that I haven't been able to train and i still can't train the way I want to for a competition comeback.
I could certainly go and compete and probably be fine. I would probably hurt my self a bit more but it would eventually heal and be better. I know I could push through it in the tournament. The bottom line is that I haven't been able to train properly for over 5 weeks now. If I went to compete I would only be about 60% of what I can be. I think technically, I would be fine but physically not where I want to be. The reason this is important to me is that I have already competed for fun and for the experience. I have won big tournaments and had my time. I want to compete again not for me but for you. If I am competing for you than I owe it to you to train properly and compete as close to 100% as possible. That is why I have to let this opportunity pass for now. I wanted to do it now because we will be having our 3rd baby soon (another boy!) and things will be busy again for a while. I am certainly not calling it quits though. I will compete again. There is a season for everything and when the time is right, I will be ready. The last time I competed was a super fight against Pablo Popavich, who is currently the #1 grappler in the world. The next time I compete I want to be right in that mix again. As for now you are just going to have to be happy with the ol' highlights video!!!
Showing posts with label Pan Ams Training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pan Ams Training. Show all posts
Monday, April 19, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Sometimes Training Hurts
The last week of training has been a little off. I hurt my sacrum about a month ago and it has been getting worse from training. It is hard to stay off your butt when practicing jiu-jitsu so I have been avoiding it as much as possible for now. At this point it is hard to even sit down. I saw a video like this one a while ago but this one is better because it is pretty much what happened to me...
One morning I was at the Clinch doing some training and playing with my son. I watched a video like this before hand and wanted to give it a try. I knew I could stand on the ball so I figured this was the next level. The first time I tried I nailed it. I did it probably 6 more times that morning no problem. Later that evening I tried to show off my new trick during open mat in front of a group of students and I wiped out just like that dude did. I think I crashed like 2 or 3 times pretty actually before I stuck it. I didn't make the connection until last week because it didn't bother me much at the time but grappling has made it worse over the last month. I have still been able to do some cardio but need to be very careful right now. I hope it heals up soon.
One of the reasons my wife and I decided to do the Gracie Diet was to hopefully get more energy. Between losing sleep and the constant energy it takes to entertain, teach and take care of our kids, we have been dragging a bit the last few years. About 2 weeks into the Diet we both have felt as if we had lost some of that fatigue. Last Friday my Mother wanted to have the kids over for for the night and we had a gift certificate to go the Bonefish Grill. Our littlest is almost a year and a half an this was the first time that both kids have been gone all night since she was born! So we took advantage of the night off and the gift certificate and went out to eat. On the way there we were trying to figure out what we were going to eat to stay close to the diet but as soon as we got there they asked us to try a sample of their Bang Bang Shrimp. We looked at each other and said O.K.! From them on it went down hill. We were like, "We haven't been out in forever. Let's just enjoy it." And we did! We ate all kinds of good stuff and enjoyed it. After diner we were going to go out for a coffee and by time we got to the coffee shop we felt like two slugs creepin in the door. We sat down at a table and talked about how tired we felt realizing that the food just wiped us out. We both immediately knew that this is exactly how we have felt the last few years. It turns out that our little night out was a good lesson and testament to the Gracie Diet.
One morning I was at the Clinch doing some training and playing with my son. I watched a video like this before hand and wanted to give it a try. I knew I could stand on the ball so I figured this was the next level. The first time I tried I nailed it. I did it probably 6 more times that morning no problem. Later that evening I tried to show off my new trick during open mat in front of a group of students and I wiped out just like that dude did. I think I crashed like 2 or 3 times pretty actually before I stuck it. I didn't make the connection until last week because it didn't bother me much at the time but grappling has made it worse over the last month. I have still been able to do some cardio but need to be very careful right now. I hope it heals up soon.
One of the reasons my wife and I decided to do the Gracie Diet was to hopefully get more energy. Between losing sleep and the constant energy it takes to entertain, teach and take care of our kids, we have been dragging a bit the last few years. About 2 weeks into the Diet we both have felt as if we had lost some of that fatigue. Last Friday my Mother wanted to have the kids over for for the night and we had a gift certificate to go the Bonefish Grill. Our littlest is almost a year and a half an this was the first time that both kids have been gone all night since she was born! So we took advantage of the night off and the gift certificate and went out to eat. On the way there we were trying to figure out what we were going to eat to stay close to the diet but as soon as we got there they asked us to try a sample of their Bang Bang Shrimp. We looked at each other and said O.K.! From them on it went down hill. We were like, "We haven't been out in forever. Let's just enjoy it." And we did! We ate all kinds of good stuff and enjoyed it. After diner we were going to go out for a coffee and by time we got to the coffee shop we felt like two slugs creepin in the door. We sat down at a table and talked about how tired we felt realizing that the food just wiped us out. We both immediately knew that this is exactly how we have felt the last few years. It turns out that our little night out was a good lesson and testament to the Gracie Diet.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
NY Internationals Training
It has been about 3 weeks since we started the Gracie Diet. At this point things are starting to get a little easier. One of my biggest issues with it so far is that, I just like to snack. Even with fruit I just like to have something to munch on. Late at night after class when I get home and eat dinner I like to then just chill for a bit and eat a snack after dinner. You can't really do that though. If you have a nice steak, potatoes and salad for dinner you can't eat fruit afterward (well at least for another 4 hours). I can eat nuts and veggies if I want but sometimes I would prefer fruit. The only way I can have fruit for snack is if I have fruit for dinner and that just doesn't make much sense. Other than these issues I am enjoying it and I do feel as if my energy level has picked up a little.
I must confess that last Tuesday one of my youth students braught me in a green slice of St. Patty's Day Cake. I brought it home and my wife looked at me and said, "What is that?". I said, "One of my students braught me a piece of St. Patty's Day cake." My wife then replied, "Are you going to eat it?" "OF COURSE!" I said. "How could I not eat this? It was a special gift." I decided not to eat it until after lunch on Wednesday because I was supposed to have someone come in and roll on Wednesday and I wanted to wait until after that to put any sugar in my body. So my wife and I said we would share it after lunch on Wednesday. It turned out that the guy never showed up. He was a De La Riva Black Belt and I was looking forward to the training but for what ever reason, these kind of things never seem to work out for me. Jacob and I still rolled for about an hour straight and got a good workout. Then when I got home and ate lunch I remembered I had a piece of cake to take care of. My wife, my pregnant wife somehow managed to decline her portion so I got me a cup of coffee and a fork and ate'er up! To be honest, I haven't really desired sugar all that much. I tend to crave fruit more than anything at this point. So that is a good change.
The NY Internationals are about 6 weeks out at this point. I feel like I have been getting some good rolling in and have also been stretching and exercising regularly. I am not trying to over do it though. When my body hurts, I try to listen to it. I don't know if it because I have trained in martial arts for so many years or what but my body just can't handle it like it used to. I have been doing this stuff for 25years now! My joints are a witness to it. In any case I feel like I am doing it right and will be fully prepared by May 1st.
I must confess that last Tuesday one of my youth students braught me in a green slice of St. Patty's Day Cake. I brought it home and my wife looked at me and said, "What is that?". I said, "One of my students braught me a piece of St. Patty's Day cake." My wife then replied, "Are you going to eat it?" "OF COURSE!" I said. "How could I not eat this? It was a special gift." I decided not to eat it until after lunch on Wednesday because I was supposed to have someone come in and roll on Wednesday and I wanted to wait until after that to put any sugar in my body. So my wife and I said we would share it after lunch on Wednesday. It turned out that the guy never showed up. He was a De La Riva Black Belt and I was looking forward to the training but for what ever reason, these kind of things never seem to work out for me. Jacob and I still rolled for about an hour straight and got a good workout. Then when I got home and ate lunch I remembered I had a piece of cake to take care of. My wife, my pregnant wife somehow managed to decline her portion so I got me a cup of coffee and a fork and ate'er up! To be honest, I haven't really desired sugar all that much. I tend to crave fruit more than anything at this point. So that is a good change.
The NY Internationals are about 6 weeks out at this point. I feel like I have been getting some good rolling in and have also been stretching and exercising regularly. I am not trying to over do it though. When my body hurts, I try to listen to it. I don't know if it because I have trained in martial arts for so many years or what but my body just can't handle it like it used to. I have been doing this stuff for 25years now! My joints are a witness to it. In any case I feel like I am doing it right and will be fully prepared by May 1st.
Monday, March 08, 2010
Training for NY Internationals
Last week was a bit better than the few weeks before. I got some good rolling in during the week and finished off good on Saturday during open mat. The Gracie Diet is beginning to get a little easier. Most of the junk that we can't eat is out of the house at this point so now it is just a matter strategic grocery shopping. Although she is pregnant, my wife is still pretty disciplined in the grocery store. So I think we should be good to go. The diet was a little rough last week. We were eating pretty good but not planning very well. Between Tuesday night and Wednesday night we ended up eating way too much fruit and cheese. Wednesday night in class I was holding my stomach and when I got home...well, you don't really need to know the rest. In any case, my wife had the same problem. So we learned our lesson and are dividing the meal groups up a little better now. One of my favorite eats right now is a frozen banana and watermelon smoothie. It works like this:
1. Freeze some bananas so that they are totally frozen. We keep a stash frozen always.
2. Chop up some watermelon and place them in the blender. I use 1/2 of a small watermelon. The Gracies would say to recycle that back through the Gracie juice bag to avoid pulp. I don't have one yet so I just keep it as is.
3. Add just a squirt of apple juice. Use either some freshly juiced apples(preferred)or buy 100% organic apple juice from store
4. Blend the watermelon and apple juice.
5. Add about 3-4 frozen bananas in the blender. Break them into small pieces.
6. Blend with the juice.
Tip: If you want it to be like a smoothie you don't have to put in 3-4 bananas. You might try less bananas or more juice. To make it like ice cream use more frozen banana. I usually make it thick, put it into a bowl and eat it like ice cream. It takes longer to eat this way and is more filling. This recipe is for one person, one meal. You can also slice some cheese to eat with it.
It is a better alternative to ice cream for sure. We have been eating banana ice cream for about a year now even before actually sticking to the diet. I saw this video last year and have been doing this ever since. We do have a champion juicer and are able to do it this way but I bet not everyone has a champion juicer so the blender works fine. I found that it is fairly easy to make it in the blender especially if you want to add to it a little.
I am anxious to see how I feel by the end of the week. Today I feel pretty good. I am ready to train hard and really put the diet to the test.
1. Freeze some bananas so that they are totally frozen. We keep a stash frozen always.
2. Chop up some watermelon and place them in the blender. I use 1/2 of a small watermelon. The Gracies would say to recycle that back through the Gracie juice bag to avoid pulp. I don't have one yet so I just keep it as is.
3. Add just a squirt of apple juice. Use either some freshly juiced apples(preferred)or buy 100% organic apple juice from store
4. Blend the watermelon and apple juice.
5. Add about 3-4 frozen bananas in the blender. Break them into small pieces.
6. Blend with the juice.
Tip: If you want it to be like a smoothie you don't have to put in 3-4 bananas. You might try less bananas or more juice. To make it like ice cream use more frozen banana. I usually make it thick, put it into a bowl and eat it like ice cream. It takes longer to eat this way and is more filling. This recipe is for one person, one meal. You can also slice some cheese to eat with it.
It is a better alternative to ice cream for sure. We have been eating banana ice cream for about a year now even before actually sticking to the diet. I saw this video last year and have been doing this ever since. We do have a champion juicer and are able to do it this way but I bet not everyone has a champion juicer so the blender works fine. I found that it is fairly easy to make it in the blender especially if you want to add to it a little.
I am anxious to see how I feel by the end of the week. Today I feel pretty good. I am ready to train hard and really put the diet to the test.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Competition Revision
Since I haven't competed in 5 years and I know that I really just don't have the desire to stay active in competition anymore, I originally decided that I might as well do the Pan Ams. This would be a good experience for me and a world class tournament to compete in. A few other people jumped on board wanting to go compete as well and as we thought about it, we came to the conclusion that it would be best for us to compete in the New York Internationals. They are held by the same promotion but are in New York instead of California. They are also a month later giving us a little extra time to train being that the snow put a damper on some of the last few weeks.
There isn't much info posted yet about the event but you can check out what is available at the ibjjf website. Trust me, I need the extra time to train. Last week was not very productive because I had too many business demands to take care of for tax season. I rolled a little bit on Saturday and pretty much got pushed around by Josh Troy for about 20 min before falling prey to his rear naked choke. He took some competition advice I gave him to heart and well, it worked. Later that night I took my wife and 2 kids (well..3 kids if you count the one in the belly)out to eat at Miyakos Hibachi Grill and I was a bit disappointed because I can never catch that darn shrimp! My reflexes are good. Why can't I catch the shrimp? I think I am going to add that to my training regimen and will go and test myself once again a week before competition. I will let you know how that turns out. Maybe I can take my camera with me...
On the flip side, my wife and I decided to put the family on the Gracie Diet. We have done this at times before just to learn about it. This week was the first week so we haven't done a perfect job. It takes a little getting used to. It is not so much that it is hard to do but you really have to learn to plan your meals accordingly. We always eat fairly healthy but we have been wanting to enhance our diet for a while now. We watched a movie called "The Beautiful Truth" last week and that kinda topped off our desire for an even healthier diet. Here is a quick video on the documentary.
It was interesting...
In any case we are are both excited about pursuing the Gracie Diet. One thing I have noticed with having children and losing sleep among ageing and other things is that I just don't have as much energy. My hope is to regain some energy by eating properly for energy. I will keep you updated on how the diet is going. We are off to a good start this week and I feel really good about this decision. It is a decision that you have to make with your family. Everyone has to be on board to really make it effective. At this point competition is two months out. I am ready for some good training, stretching, shrimp catching, fighting and eating to be fully renewed come May 1st!
There isn't much info posted yet about the event but you can check out what is available at the ibjjf website. Trust me, I need the extra time to train. Last week was not very productive because I had too many business demands to take care of for tax season. I rolled a little bit on Saturday and pretty much got pushed around by Josh Troy for about 20 min before falling prey to his rear naked choke. He took some competition advice I gave him to heart and well, it worked. Later that night I took my wife and 2 kids (well..3 kids if you count the one in the belly)out to eat at Miyakos Hibachi Grill and I was a bit disappointed because I can never catch that darn shrimp! My reflexes are good. Why can't I catch the shrimp? I think I am going to add that to my training regimen and will go and test myself once again a week before competition. I will let you know how that turns out. Maybe I can take my camera with me...
On the flip side, my wife and I decided to put the family on the Gracie Diet. We have done this at times before just to learn about it. This week was the first week so we haven't done a perfect job. It takes a little getting used to. It is not so much that it is hard to do but you really have to learn to plan your meals accordingly. We always eat fairly healthy but we have been wanting to enhance our diet for a while now. We watched a movie called "The Beautiful Truth" last week and that kinda topped off our desire for an even healthier diet. Here is a quick video on the documentary.
It was interesting...
In any case we are are both excited about pursuing the Gracie Diet. One thing I have noticed with having children and losing sleep among ageing and other things is that I just don't have as much energy. My hope is to regain some energy by eating properly for energy. I will keep you updated on how the diet is going. We are off to a good start this week and I feel really good about this decision. It is a decision that you have to make with your family. Everyone has to be on board to really make it effective. At this point competition is two months out. I am ready for some good training, stretching, shrimp catching, fighting and eating to be fully renewed come May 1st!
Monday, February 15, 2010
Pan Ams Training (Week 2)
Last week my training schedule for the pan ams was certainly a little off. I started out with a good work out on Monday and another on Tuesday but then the snow put a damper on things. On top of the snow my kids got sick and sleep has not been well. I rolled with Jacob alot on Saturday during open mat and I was pretty fatigued due to lack of sleep. Today I went in with my son and played for a while but I also used him as weight to do some push ups and crawls with him on my back. I did a few sand bag exercises today as well but I am still a bit sleep deprived and tired. I struggled through it today. This is all part of being a warrior I suppose. The energy is not there, the desire is in and out, but I am still game. You can't choose how your going to feel on the day of battle you can only decide how you are going to react to the feelings you get.
Other than focusing on getting in competition shape right now I am also putting together my game plan. To me it is important to put a very basic game plan down on paper and to train accordingly. The game plan will include about 3 moves I choose to execute from each position. These techniques are the moves that I am going to focus on, drill and use when I roll. I am still in the phase where they may change a little based on what I think will be most effective come game day. Every time I roll I am anaylizing which techniques are the easiest and most effective for me and then I make the proper adjustments on paper. Putting it down on paper makes it much easier to stick to when you roll. It gives you a focus that is hard to capture when you don't wright it down. It is also much easier to anaylize and make changes when nessecary. It is almost like making a list to take to the grocery store. If you make a list then shopping is quick and easy. You have meals pre-plannned and you buy accordingly. A list keeps you focused on what you need so you save time and money. If you don't make a list you are going to waste time wondering around and you will end up buying things you really don't need. Writing your game plan down on paper is going to keep you from wondering aimlessly on the mat. It will save you time and energy.
Other than focusing on getting in competition shape right now I am also putting together my game plan. To me it is important to put a very basic game plan down on paper and to train accordingly. The game plan will include about 3 moves I choose to execute from each position. These techniques are the moves that I am going to focus on, drill and use when I roll. I am still in the phase where they may change a little based on what I think will be most effective come game day. Every time I roll I am anaylizing which techniques are the easiest and most effective for me and then I make the proper adjustments on paper. Putting it down on paper makes it much easier to stick to when you roll. It gives you a focus that is hard to capture when you don't wright it down. It is also much easier to anaylize and make changes when nessecary. It is almost like making a list to take to the grocery store. If you make a list then shopping is quick and easy. You have meals pre-plannned and you buy accordingly. A list keeps you focused on what you need so you save time and money. If you don't make a list you are going to waste time wondering around and you will end up buying things you really don't need. Writing your game plan down on paper is going to keep you from wondering aimlessly on the mat. It will save you time and energy.
Monday, February 01, 2010
We'll see what happens!
It has been 5 years since my last competitive match. My last match was a super fight against the current number 1 grappler in the world in my weight class, Pablo Popavich. He just recently beat Marcelo Garcia in Abu Dhabi. It was my first super fight and Pablo beat me by decision after a 10 min match. I was starting to break through as a competitor. Three months after that match I got married to my lovely wife and three more months after that my wife was pregnant with our first child. Now we have two children and a third one due in August 2010. I thoroughly enjoy and love my family. My priority and desire is for my family above all things. For this reason I have not competed since I got married. My energy has been occupied with my family and my desire to compete simply has not been there.
Since then, my Academy has grown and re-located to a much bigger and better facility. I also have built a solid team of fighters who have had much success in both MMA fights and grappling competitions. The only reason I ever competed in the first place was to prove that even though my BJJ has been for the most part self-taught, that my technique is good. I guess after my match with Pablo I was content with what I have done. Not only that but my other fighters prove the level of our training time and time again. I am not one who needs to be seen as the best because I simply don't like that attitude.
With all of that said, I have had some students getting on my case about competing. I mentioned last year to them that I might like to give a shot at the Pan Ams in 2010. They have been holding me accountable to my words. All though I really don't have a strong desire to compete I am planning on it. I think it would be good for our school and I know my students will enjoy it. The Pan Ams are about two months out and I have officially begun training today. Let me tell you, I was beat! As far as the average person goes, I know I am in good shape but competitive shape is another story. When I roll, I like to use little energy so I generally don't exert alot of energy when I roll. I like positional dominance and leverage as my friend. So I am in good shape from rolling but not in a competitive sense. I have not done anything extra in a long time.
About a month ago I began doing some push ups and squats to strengthen my joints a little. I have had alot of joint problems and injuries I think from not doing the extra work to strengthen my joints and to protect my body in the last few years. Today, I attempted to go through one of the workouts that I used to do regularly a few years back. I start with some body movement drills and then I begin to hit the crawls workout and finish with a good balance ball series. I barely made it through the crawls today. I make sure to do it all with my Gi on so that I get used to it being in the way through alot of these exercises. The movements aren't quit as easy with the Gi on. I have a very specific way I like to do the crawls as well. I do each crawl slowly the full length of the mat and then each crawl quickly. It is pretty exhausting when you do them with out breaks. So I was beat today after my work out but I plan on continuing and improving.
I am going to keep you all updated about my training right here and will even post videos of some of my workouts. I plan on doing a weekly blog about it for the next 2 months leading up to the Pan Ams. My hope is that as I begin training and writing about it that my desire will also continually increase to compete. By the time the Pan Ams get here, I am hoping to be hungry. Anyway, we'll see what happens!
Since then, my Academy has grown and re-located to a much bigger and better facility. I also have built a solid team of fighters who have had much success in both MMA fights and grappling competitions. The only reason I ever competed in the first place was to prove that even though my BJJ has been for the most part self-taught, that my technique is good. I guess after my match with Pablo I was content with what I have done. Not only that but my other fighters prove the level of our training time and time again. I am not one who needs to be seen as the best because I simply don't like that attitude.
With all of that said, I have had some students getting on my case about competing. I mentioned last year to them that I might like to give a shot at the Pan Ams in 2010. They have been holding me accountable to my words. All though I really don't have a strong desire to compete I am planning on it. I think it would be good for our school and I know my students will enjoy it. The Pan Ams are about two months out and I have officially begun training today. Let me tell you, I was beat! As far as the average person goes, I know I am in good shape but competitive shape is another story. When I roll, I like to use little energy so I generally don't exert alot of energy when I roll. I like positional dominance and leverage as my friend. So I am in good shape from rolling but not in a competitive sense. I have not done anything extra in a long time.
About a month ago I began doing some push ups and squats to strengthen my joints a little. I have had alot of joint problems and injuries I think from not doing the extra work to strengthen my joints and to protect my body in the last few years. Today, I attempted to go through one of the workouts that I used to do regularly a few years back. I start with some body movement drills and then I begin to hit the crawls workout and finish with a good balance ball series. I barely made it through the crawls today. I make sure to do it all with my Gi on so that I get used to it being in the way through alot of these exercises. The movements aren't quit as easy with the Gi on. I have a very specific way I like to do the crawls as well. I do each crawl slowly the full length of the mat and then each crawl quickly. It is pretty exhausting when you do them with out breaks. So I was beat today after my work out but I plan on continuing and improving.
I am going to keep you all updated about my training right here and will even post videos of some of my workouts. I plan on doing a weekly blog about it for the next 2 months leading up to the Pan Ams. My hope is that as I begin training and writing about it that my desire will also continually increase to compete. By the time the Pan Ams get here, I am hoping to be hungry. Anyway, we'll see what happens!
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