"App" of Inconvenience

If there be any inconvenience these days we are quick to complain. We have an "app" for just about everything. Don't get me wrong, I am a man who likes convenience but doesn't it spoil us a bit? Don't all these "apps" really just take away from our ability to mature as people. What ever happened to patience, endurance, dedication and self-control? The convenient lifestyle that we now live is like a snake and can distract us from what really matters, transformation.

I wasn't born patient, humble or self-controlled. These things first needed to be taught to me and then trained everyday for the rest of my life. I have never meet a patient child. Children are the model for impatience. Some are better than others but all children are extremely impatient. Impatience does not need to be taught. To this very day, I still struggle and battle with my impatience. I do make an effort to train myself in patience and yet I still fail at it constantly. In time I have gotten better with some things but all in all I am still very impatient. This is very evident now as a Father of three young children.

Is it bad to be impatient? Maybe I should ask the question differently. Is it good to be patient? Of course it is. It is good to be patient. It certainly isn't bad. Therefore, I would conclude, that which is contrary to patience, that is impatience, is not good. Nothing good ever comes out of impatience. When one is impatient they are also often angry, frustrated and lacking self-control. It is not healthy for us and it is not pleasant for those around us when our patience has run its course.

Martial Arts is meant to teach a person more than mere fighting skills but also the value in virtues such as patients, trust, humility, gentleness, peace, self-control and the like. It is now so convenient for people to train in MMA and step into the cage so quickly. People want to fight but not train properly. They want the convenience of fighting without the inconvenience of training. This is the difference between simply becoming a fighter and becoming a professional athlete. The athlete is dedicated and trains to win. The athlete develops character through the rigorous discipline of training for competition. When the "Martial Athlete" meets the "Martial Artist" a WARRIOR is born.

There is much to gain as a fighter through growth in character. Mental toughness increases through the testing and training of character. Character development is about denying yourself for the sake of others and or for the purpose of something greater than yourself. To deny the man within is quite the task. We are selfish by nature and tend to think of ourself before anyone else. To learn to "Love your neighbor as yourself" is nothing short of a miracle. God knows how much we love ourselves all ready. I have heard some people say that you have to learn to love yourself before you can truly love others but I beg to differ. Even the one who is down and depressed loves them self very well. In fact, they are putting their own conditions and anxieties above that of those around them. They are so wrapped up in their own conditions that it is all they can think about. They are concerned about their feelings, their situation, their in-ability to do something. They wonder why does this always happen to me? Perhaps if they were able to consider the conditions of others and deny their own for a time long enough to do their neighbor good, their spirit would be lifted. These tasks are impossible however without the transforming power of God. God is the one who changes our selfish desires and strengthens us to seek out others. The man who learns to deny himself has the ability to be patient, humble, and self-controlled. He knows how to remain calm in adversity. He knows how to compete even without the fear of what man thinks of him. He is humble in both victory and defeat.

I challenge all of you in this fast paced world to train yourself in patience. Take the road less traveled form time to time. Yes, the road of inconvenience and let God do His work in you. God uses inconvenience as the primary tool for building our good patience. Inconvenience is a training opportunity! The word inconvenience is a very selfish word within itself. It stems from self love and keeps use from loving our neighbor as we should. There is no "app" that make us patient faster. That would be to convenient! Let us learn to "Apply" inconvenience as an opportunity for spiritual growth.

Consider the Lord Jesus who so inconveniently set aside His throne to take on the flesh of man. Entering this world in the form of a baby to live the righteous life which we could not only to die a sinners death. A sinless man taking on the sinners death! And for what? So that we may be reconciled back to God and be given the desire to follow Him who saved us from our wicked intentions. I no longer desire the quick road but the one less traveled. The road that leads through suffering but ends in the glory of the Father. I now desire to let patience do its work knowing that patience leads to endurance and endurance to perseverance.

"And not only that but we also glory in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit Whom He has given us." ROMANS 5:3-5

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God." ROMANS 8:18-19

Commitment

"Till death do us part." What!? Most people of this day and age seem to be scared of the idea of commitment. In fact, the word commitment doesn't even carry the same weight as it used to. People make commitments all the time because they feel they can get out of them so easy. Sure, I will help. Yea, I'll be there...as long as...

"From this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health." These are some serious words y'all! For better, for worse!? You now most of us look out for the better. We make a commitment to do something but as soon as it gets hard we bail. As soon as things get a little complicated we second guess what we are doing and start looking for a way out. Committing to something for the better or worse is a serious promise. Of course I am using wedding vows as an example of commitment but what about all the other commitments we make as well? As I stated before, the word commitment just does not carry the same weight as it used to. We all fall short of our commitments. The truth is we fall short because we are selfish and prideful people. If things aren't going our way we look for the back door.

What if I told you that rather than running from commitments we should all strive to make commitments. I don't mean go tell everyone that you're in and that you will do whatever. Don't do that. That will get you in some serious trouble. What I mean is, thoughtful commitments are great opportunities for character building. Marriage is like a training ground for becoming a greater man or women. Marriage is not always a fairy tale love story and the honeymoon doesn't last forever but if you approach it as an opportunity to grow, to love and to serve than you will conquer all those "worse" moments. Marriage is a great blessing from God and along with parenting one of the most sanctifying commitments you will ever make. On the "better" days you are loving life and full of inspiration and on the "worse" days (when approached with commitment) you are being sanctified into a better, stronger human being. In reality, overcoming the "worse" moments brings you much closer with your spouse and or children and makes your marriage or parenting all that much greater of a blessing.

Let's put marriage and parenting aside for a moment and think about what other kind of commitments we make. Do you make commitments? Are you honoring them? I challenge you to honor those commitments. If you don't have many commitments, I challenge you to make a commitment. Start small and go from there. A warrior knows what the word commitment means. A warrior defends his country and team to the point of death if needed. It is a true virtue of the warrior and as martial artist we should all strive to develop strong commitment. We may not have to defend our country to the point of death but the Lord calls us men to love our wives as Christ loves the Church. Christ died for the Church. We are also called to love the Lord God with all of our heart, all of our soul, with all of our mind and with all of our strength as well as love our neighbor as our selves. To lay down our lives (own interest, own gain, own motives) for the sake of others. Without the ability to commit you will never experience the joy and honor that comes from serving others while overcoming adversity.

One of the reasons I am offering the Clinch Combat Club and building the Clinch Combat Team is to give you the opportunity to commit and be a part of something greater. No one has to join the club or the team. It is not a requirement for all my students. It is not a money maker of any kind. In fact, I am also in the process of adjusting my rates and memberships to make training more affordable in a hard economy. The commitment is for your gain and for the gain of everyone you are committing to. It is an opportunity for character building and stronger friendship. If you don't make commitments than nothing great is truly achievable.

Just in case I worded anything wrongly, I do have a great wife and a great marriage! lol

Train Hard, Fight Easy

It is so easy to get into MMA fights these days that people can enter the cage with little to no MMA training. A lot of people that fight really have no intention of pursuing an MMA career of any kind but they simply want to be able to tell people that they are MMA fighters. You can tell the difference between these kind of students and the students who truly want to be champions by the way they respond to your teaching, guidance and training. It is the job of your instructor to provide the proper teaching, guidance and training for you. It makes sense to listen. It has been said that if you train hard, you fight easy. This means that when you are training for a fight your training should be the worst part. If you go through hell when you are training, if you can last through the grueling workouts and survive the punishing training drills for at least 2 months, then you can survive 3-3 min rounds or 3-5 min rounds in the cage no problem.

My training philosophy for new students who are interested in becoming fighters is that first you learn to fight and then you train to fight. We have 2 different MMA class levels at the Clinch Academy. The first class is the learning phase which teaches you the moves that you need to know to be a successful MMA Fighter and Guide you on how to practice properly. The second level is the training phase where where you actually begin training for fights and recieving guidence on how to prepare for a fight. If a student starts from scratch I am looking for that student to spend about 150 hours in the learning phase before moving up to the training phase. The structure and pace of the two classes is completely different.

It is important that students understand this format. You say you want to be a fighter than show me. Dedicate yourself to learning and once you have successfully completed the learning stage devote yourself to training. Show me that you have what it takes to be a fighter. Show me that you are willing to put in the time and work that it takes to succeed. To those who actually put in the work this isn't a long process. Good attendance goes along way. Work ethic goes along way. Be the first to arrive, the last to leave and put every minute you are there to work. I am not trying to hold anyone back. I want you out there competing if that's what you want. Represent baby! Just do it the right way.

The bottom line is, your character, your determination, your skill and dedication are all visible with your training partners. Plenty of people say they want to be MMA fighters but it's not true until your character, determination, skill and dedication all agree. No matter what anyone says, the people at the gym know who the true fighters are. If you want to be a fighter, I support you. In fact, I salute you. Let's go baby! But remember it's not train easy, fight hard --- it's train hard, fight easy!


..................

If you are a fellow believer this is also an important message for you. Do you say you are a believer? What does your life reflect? Are you learning the knowledge and training in the wisdom of God's Word? Is Jesus Christ your savior and homeboy or is He your LORD and Savior? The believers around you know. God's Spirit confirms the faith of another through their new desire to know, love and serve the Lord and His Church. Just as the fighter has to train hard so the Christian has to fight the good fight of faith. The Christian has to "work out" his salvation and put it to the test. A fighter should let their instructors do their work in them, follow his guidance and devote themselves to training. A Christian must let the Lord do His good work in them, study His Word and devote themselves to repentance and the practice of righteous living. It is easy to tell who the real believers are by how they recieve the Lord's teaching, guidance and training.

The Necessity of a Team

Is it important to train with a team? Now a days it has become more and more available to train at home if you choose to do so. Why should you pay the money to join an Academy when you can round up a few buddies and train in the garage from You Tube? First off I am certainly not against using You tube as a training tool. I am also not against training at home. In fact, you should train at home and use You Tube as a tool to help. Is it a replacement for joining an Academy? Absolutely not.

What are the benefits of joining an Academy?
When you join an Academy you are committing yourself to something bigger than merely learning to fight or get in shape. You are committing yourself to a vision and a body.

Vision- When you join an Academy you are accepting the Vision of the the Academy you join. You should be made aware of that vision before joining and make sure that your heart is in align with it before committing yourself to that Academy. Dedicating yourself to a vision brings more to your whole life and unites you to all your training partners who are also dedicated to the vision.

Body- The body that you are dedicating yourself to is not just the one you are transforming through training but it's the body of people whom you have committed to share in a vision and purpose with. All your training partners become united with you in your goals. It doesn't matter what they are. If your goal is to be a fighter than you need to have a solid team of training partners pushing you and supporting you. When you go and compete it is not just you who wins or loses, it's the whole team. Your team will also hold you accountable to make sure that you are doing things correctly in and out of the Academy. A good team should inspire one another in life and serve one another as needed.

Why is this so important?

To share in a vision and a body does wonders for your training. Not only does it make it purposeful and meaningful but it sets the stage for the champions attitude. You may be able to go places by training at home but when you hit the big stage, you are going to need a real deal training team to help you prepare for and reach your goals. By joining a team and uniting in a vision you are all ready setting your mind on things bigger than your own gain. You are not training or fighting for your own glory anymore but for the glory of the team. A humble spirit is the key to learning and true success. This begins by joining a Academy. A place where you come to learn and to serve. A team can also push you when your weak and make you work harder than you ever would when you are training alone. Dedication and perseverance excel your ability to the next level.

The benefits to joining and Academy are endless. I don't say this because I want your money. I will go as far to say that joining a team is even better than taking private lessons. Financially, I get paid alot more if you take private lessons than if you get a membership. Private lessons just like home training are best as a supplement to training with a team. Private lessons are a great way to excel your technique and understanding but without the diversity of a team you are missing out on many great blessings. When you join a team you are not just becoming a great fighter but a disciple. Uniting in a vision and body and training in the way of it makes you a disciple.

Now for all my Christian family I want you to also consider the necessity of Church. If you label yourself a Christian but are not a part of God's vision and purpose for His disciples, you need to step back for a minute. God did not come to this Earth to save a person. He came to save a body! The Church is the body. "The Church" is the collective group of all Christian disciples, living or dead. If you are a part of that body you need to be united with the body and God's vision for it. If you do not desire to be in Church and to serve the body of Christ there is a big problem. God does not support this idea that you can worship and serve him outside of the Church.
Consider

Matthew 15:20.

20For where two or three are gathered in my name,there am I among them."

and further more consider

1 Timothy 3:15
15if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.

2 Corinthians 6:16

For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,

"I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people."

Ephesians 2:22

22In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

1 Peter 2:5

5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

God in Scripture rarely addresses man as individuals. He addresses man as a body. The Church is the body. All though God's presence is everywhere, His dwelling is within the Church. I am not talking about the Church building but the body of believers who meet within the building. Can Church exist outside of the building? Of course. God's Spirit is not confined to the walls of the Church building. Church occurs when the Holy Spirit draws like-minded living Christians together for the purpose of fellowship, sharing in the Word, sharing of material goods, sharing of the Gifts, and community prayer and praise in Jesus' Name. If you are a believer and a part of the the "Church Body" than you should also be in regular attendance to serve it as God ordained...at a Church. Think. Can you really be a part of "the Church" and not be a part of "a Church" by choice for an indefinite time? If you are in the body your desire will be to unite and take care of the body.

Just as it is great to join an Academy there are still plenty of people who join and don't unite to the vision and body of the Academy. It is the same for the Church. Some are there for selfish gain, some for conscience sake, some to make a good impression. Not everyone who attends a Church is a part of the Church body either. These people may even be believers but God doesn't care for mere believers, He wants disciples who live for His glory.

There are many reasons to join a Church and there are many reason to join an Academy. It is important to know and understand the vision of either before joining them. Sadly, because of our sinful nature and because there are many within the Church who are not united to the body, there is much division within the buildings. It is important to know the essential truths of Christianity and to find a Church that preaches and lives both in Truth and Love.

Hebrews 10:24-26

24And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

26For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,

Technique vs Principle

Jiu-Jitsu is probably one of the most technical martial arts on the planet. The more you pay attention to detail and master your technique the more efficient you will be on the mat. Although Jiu-Jitsu is so well known for it's technical effectiveness there are many other factors which come into play. While technique plays a huge role we can excel our game tremendously if we enhance our overall fitness, muscle memory, mental health/stability, spirituality and understanding of Jiu-Jitsu principles. I would like to focus in on the understanding of Jiu-Jitsu principles in this article. Although the title and essence of this article is "Technique vs Principle" I will also explain why they go hand in hand.

What is Technique?

To have technique is to have a certain skill or ability to perform a specific task. We can look at technique from two different perspectives.

1. One can have a lot of techniques.
2. One can have a lot of technique.

In Jiu-Jitsu, the one who has a lot of "techniques" has numerous ways to take down, control, sweep and submit his opponent from each position. He is like a walking Jiu-Jitsu Encyclopedia. The one who has a lot of "technique" in Jiu-Jitsu may or may not have a lot of "techniques" but in either case is very masterful in his performance.




What is a Principle?

The word principle can take on different meanings. When I use the word in this article I am referring to the law and understanding of how things work. The concept of understanding how things work in Jiu-Jitsu can be broken into these 5 areas:

1. Balance
2. Leverage
3. Timing
4. Motion/Direction
5. Flow/Resistance

Ex: Basic Principle of Balance - The more points of balance a man has, the stronger his base will be.



Unless your this guy at least!

This is a basic principle of balance but when you apply it to your take downs, positions and sweeps in Jiu-Jitsu you become much stronger. When I am on top controlling my opponent I want at least 2 points of balance at all times. If I can have 3 or 4 than it's even better. If I am on the bottom of the guard I want to focus on eliminating my opponents points of balance to sweep him. With a proper understanding of how these concepts work, good technique can manifest naturally.

So which is greater, technique or principle?

As stated in the beginning, one can have alot of techniques and another can have alot of technique. There are some grapplers who have an enormous amount technical knowledge. They can give you over 10 set techniques from any position at any given time. They have been taught techniques and have repeated them over and over again and have developed good muscle memory to execute those techniques swiftly without thought while on the mat. Yet when you ask them why they do something a particular way, they don't really have an answer. They may even get defensive about it. You might call this type of grappler, a "Book Smart Grappler". We all know plenty of kids who go to school and get straight A's because they are very book smart. They learned and memorized the answers but when you ask them a question that wasn't in the book they just stare at you with a blank look on their face.

There are also grapplers who don't have such a wide range of set techniques but have a real in depth understanding of the techniques they know. This grappler may not have learned and memorized all the answers in the book but if you ask him a question he doesn't know he could probably still come up with a really good answer. This is the "Common Sense Grappler". If you ask him a question concerning a situation that he has no specific technique for, he can give you and explain his answer in great detail because of his understanding of how things work.

The Book Smart Grappler is a very effective grappler in that he has technique after technique to fall back on when his opponent does this or that. He has answers for almost every situation and his body uses the techniques he has trained automatically. The Common Sense Grappler may or may not have this vast knowledge of techniques but truly understands and focuses on the principles of Jiu-Jitsu and is also a very effective grappler because the techniques he does use are almost unstoppable. He has such a great understanding of how to use his body to manipulate yours that you feel like your wrestling with an immovable force. The Common Sense Grappler understands how to shut down your game and pursue theirs. This grappler also has the ability to adapt and create techniques on the fly.

So which one is better? This question is to general to really have a decisive answer. I can not simply say one is greater than the other. Good technique must include principle and an understanding of principle must lead to good technique. The difference is that you can have someone who has good technique which must include good principle but they may not necessarily focus on understanding the various principles of Jiu-Jitsu. They have been taught techniques and have repeated them over and over again. They have learned the techniques very well but may not ever have studied the principles of those techniques.

In the end you can have good technique without a detailed understanding of how things work but you can't have a detailed understanding of how things work and not in time have good technique. Applied principle always leads to effective technique. This is the difference between learning technique and studying it. It is not that one is greater than the other because in a sense you can't have one without the other. However, if you focus on understanding the principles of Jiu-Jitsu, the technique's you do know will be very pure and effective. Not only that but you will have the ability to create and express techniques in a way that is inspiring to others. To me, that is true art. My hope is to have alot of technical techniques. To be a common sense grappler with book smarts!

Purposed for Another Day

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!!!

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

Closed For New Year

Clinch Academy is closed for New Years Eve. Happy New Year!!

The Jador says hello!

Jason Bariatti says "Hi and Merry Christmas" from Afganistan! Some of you may not know him but Jason has trained a good bit with us and is now back in what he calls the Stan. He says he still gets to train jiu-jitsu with his team twice a week. If you take a good look at his right hand, you can see that he never went to the doctor to get his pinky fixed. It is a little limp and seperate from the other fingers holding the gun:) Darn combat challenges...:)

No Youth Class

!! Youth classes are closed today !!

When public schools are closed the youth classes are closed as well.
Classes will be made up on a Saturday after new year. Parents will
be notified of the date.

Adult classes are still on for tonight and tomorrow night and then we
will be closed for Christmas Eve and resume practice on Saturday.

Congrats Joey Kirwan! & Clinch Is Closed Today!

!! THE CLINCH ACADEMY WILL BE CLOSED TODAY DUE TO SNOW !!

The combat challenge will be re-scheduled for another date.


Congratulations to Joey Kirwan for an awesome performance last night at VFL! Joey had one of his most dominant performances yet. Joey landed a big left hook in the beginning which sent Phillip back into the cage as Joey followed with a few more strikes Phillip crouched down and Joey worked for a guillotine choke. Eventually in Phillips guard Joey passes and worked side control up against the cage. Joey landed some vicious knees and elbows to the body. After wearing him down with the ground and pound, Joey secured a key lock from the side and submitted Phillip in the first round.

Great Job Joey!

Rubber Guard Work Shop

Tomorrow
Open Mat from 11-12


High and Rubber Guard Work Shop from 12-1:30

Learn how to control and attack from the High Guard and Rubber Guard!

Cost = $20

All proceeds will go to a family in need for Christmas. BDR Express will also match our donation so please come and be a part of this blessing!

Frederick News Post Article

Check out our new Frederick News Post Article!

View Here

"Shogun Fight" Results

Picture of Jacob choking Brad Pole in the Baltimore Sun!


Congratulations to Jacob Kirwan, Joey Kirwan and Paul Mann for there performances at Shogun Fights, Marylands 1st MMA promotion!

Jacob was 3rd on the card and started the night off with a quick guillotine choke victory over Brad Pole. Jacob sangged the single leg as Brad secured a decent Guillotine choke of his own but Jacob worked his escape and switched it up and choked Brad very early in the 1st round.

Joey took stage next in the Clinch Academy line up and his opponent Dan Root went for a single after a quick exchange of punches. Joey tried to reverse the single and ended up on the bottom of a scramble. From the half guard Joey tucked in deep and looked to get Dan of balance but then turns in and Dan takes his back for a momnet but Joey manges to reverse him and get side control. After a few strikes from side control Dan moved toward his knees and Joey takes his back and sinks in the Rear Naked Choke for the win! Great fight for Joey Kirwan!

Paul finishes us off with a battle against Carey Vanier who is one of Greg Jackson's upcoming fighters. Vanier with a record of 7-2 looked to be a tough opponent. Paul and Carey exchanges some strikes and eventually Paul pressed him against the cage and took him down. Carey managed to scramble back to his feet and they exchange some more strikes. Again they get to the ground this time with Paul on the bottom. Paul then took an elbow to the back of the head witch left him a bit dazed. Yamasaki stopeed the match and warned Carey. Round 2 looks pretty much the same with some good exchanges. Paul also takes and knee to the groin and Carey is warned again. Soon after Paul landed a nice left hook on Careys jaw but Carey was smart and clinch. Carey eventually scores a big takedown and begins to take control on the ground with a flurry of strikes as Yamasaki stops the fight mid way through the 2nd round. Although Paul lost it was a very exciting fight and I look forward to seeing Paul fight again and take control at 155lbs!

It was a great show if skill for the Clinch Academy fighters! I am well pleased. Good job guys!

RE-GRAND OPENING SATURDAY!!!

RE-GRAND OPENING SATURDAY

Tomorrow from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

11a.m-1p.m.

Will be our FREE MMA Seminar! Learn the 3 pillars of MMA!
We will have a 15 min warm-up followed by 35 min of Stand-up practice, 35 min of take down practice and then 35 min of grappling practice!

1:30-2:30 p.m.

Will be our Clinch Combat Challenge. Come and watch as Clinch Academy Students take each other on!

Beginner Submission Grappling

Brad Gibson vs. Kenny Vongnaraj
Thomas Prather vs. Spencer Strube

Beginner MMA

Mark Kroh vs. Chris Workman


Youth Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Garvin Thomas vs Max Caywood


2:30 -4 p.m.

Watch Pro MMA Fighters Jacob and Joey Kirwan as they go through a grueling training session one week before their
Fights in Baltimore at the 1st Mariner Arena on the 24th! Tickets will Also be available for their fights next weekend.

Also enjoy watching other students train during our open mat session!


Come join us. Celebrate! Even if only for a moment. You could win 3 months of FREE training!!