Fortitude...Focus...Finish...I Got To Do Better...

Weight: 200.0

***UPDATE 16:35***
Went to see the doc today...Not good...L5 and S1 are degenerating more, which has been causing the low back lock ups and the pain down my leg along with the feeling that feels sort of like a groin pull...Anyways...Another epidural procedure with the added hip joint injections along with an injection of a different sort to provide support for the vertebrae which is banging on my nerve...
As for this, Ive been in a horrible mood because I'm always hurting...Not meaning to be so, but just wears on me so that a lot of times I have no patience...I'm glad that the cervical pain is relieved but still when I am having issues just walking without pain it sucks ass...So hopefully the people I've been short with or been an asshole to, will forgive me.
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Well this turned out to be a nice trip, even though focusing on the task at hand, was pretty much impossible. We had a pretty uneventful trip out. Ron and I traveled together. I got lucky and bumped up to First class, which helped a lot with my back and legs being tight. Kelly was already out there as was Kell. We went and got a good breakfast served up by Alma at our favorite Denny's...then headed to Cal St Dominguez Hills...Getting to the tournament, it seemed as if it was a tad bit smaller than normal (I'd say about 600 competitors approximately)...I would attribute it to having the NO-GI portion in conjunction with this tournament for the first time. My head was not all there, but I felt ready and strong...Met up with Jackjitsu from http://www.jiujitsuforums.com (go visit them and stay a while...is a very nice forum with good folks!) as well as Dirtyrancher from there...Also, got to meet with a producer I went to Southern University with who wants to (hopefully) use me in a reality-based show about competing/life/etc...That picked me up a bit, and once I saw the folks out there doing their thing, I got my head more into the tasks at hand...Met up with Tyler (http://www.gomgi.com) and Jake from Harligen BJJ as well...Was a good feeling to be back around the scene and good people...Ron and Kell were up first and both of them dominated their matches...Both took home Gold in their respective GI divisions...Ron didn't compete in the absolute...Kell did and won one and lost his second I think but he still did very well! Very proud of both of their performances...Kelly took first in his division as well and took third in his Absolute division losing a tough match to the eventual winner...Myself I got through my one match in my division and three in my absolute division all by submission, but very sloppy. It was as if I was not there. Things I'd worked on from months and had become a part of my jiu-jitsu lexicon just disappeared. I made little mistakes that were just inexcusable. Though I came out of it with two golds, it was not how it should have been. I need to really work on the mental aspect of my game, because life does not stop. I only have a few years left to be able to do this, and don't want to waste opportunities because of my own inability to stay in the moment. The night after the GI matches, we went to get some food at Chili's and I had no appetite for some reason...Ordered my ribs and potato soup (my usual at that spot) and ended up just forcing myself to have the soup and took the ribs with me...Unfortunately, my lack of focus had me to leave the ribs in the car when the valet took it to park over night...Made for a VERY bad smell in the car in the morning which added to the funk of the car. When we got the rental it smelt (yes, smelt) like raw ass and fish...we didn't notice until we got out of the parking lot as we thought it was in the air, but after a block with the windows down, and then staring at each other to see who was the offensive odor person, we realized it was probably the shampoo in the fabric...Anyways...The next morning we head back out for some good conversation and food at Denny's close to the tournament...We hit the venue after that, and get into the competition...Ron takes his division to get the gold as does Kelly....Kell doesn't compete in No-Gi and we find him over helping out with a table officiating!...I take my place and get my division win, then get ready for the Absolute...I get three straight submissions in the absolute but Ron misses all those and only gets my loss in the final on tape :(. I got a really nice transition from top in half guard to armbar that I haven't seen done before...I am currently looking online and asking about it, so that if it is something unique I can name it. Would be nice to have a move I came up with! :)...After the tournament, we went off to the mall to get chair massages and to visit our favorite store (Men's Land)...They always have the newest gear and kicks that I can't get in TX...Too bad I was broke as the ten commandments...Always seem to see stuff you'd like when you can't afford to buy it...Ah well, we went back tot he hotel to kill time...Got free drink tickets (too bad I don't drink) and had the best $15 burgers you ever want to eat!...Caught the 12:30am red eye back to the chicken fried nation...Kelly got stuck as his was a stand by flight and had to spend the night ...He got on the 8am flight the next morning...As for me and Ron's flight, it was good...I didn't even realize I was in the air until we touched down...This trip, though productive, and definitely full of opportunities for me to improve as far as what I need to work on, was not really enjoyable due to the mistakes as well as due to the weight of life on my shoulders...The return to "real life" was made a little less bearable because of that...Now in addition to my to do items, I have to go get checked out for my pre-op on my lumbar procedure and to see that my nerves are working correctly in my neck and shoulders...Hopefully all that works out...Anyways...check out some play by play after some pictures....




Here are my two final matches in the absolute of the GI portion of the tournament. I'd been concentrating VERY hard on my Judo throws and wrestling, as well as take down defense. I could not get anyone to stand and be able to work takedowns with me though. Ah well, mo betta for me. In the semi-final my opponent wanted to avoid the takedown game and wanted me to pull guard (he told my teammate this after the match)...Well better for me as that is a strength of mine, even though I came into this tournament to work throws, passing, and top game...The one thing I did feel good about, was that even as my hips were not getting out and I was not working the way I should, I made my mind up to try some things other than the norm, and got the finish with a cross choke from guard after working several different lapel chokes etc...The second opponent wanted to pull guard and I feel that my height and my specific work avoiding guard pulls allowed me to negate that....Got a sweet pass on that match too but sucked ass as I went to mount VERY incorrectly and worked in a cross choke but also set that incorrectly...Once again, I allowed a position change too easily...Even though I feel strong there, I have to break that habit if I ever wish to advance in skill/rank/ability. That is a dangerous game to play even with how I feel I operate there...That said I did get the finish but my control was not there at all...Anyways, LOTS for me to work on from these and the other two absolute matches(finished by toe-hold and armbar respectively)...Here are those vids...


GI Absolute Semi-Final Match




GI Absolute Final Match



This match is particularly disappointing as I make several little mistakes which added up to the loss. My focus was NOT there, and it is particularly disappointing as I felt my technique was in order for what I was planning to do. The preparation was ok, though my focus in training was off, so perhaps that is why things turned out as they did. Even though I get him in the triangle a couple times, I do not stick with the choke, I strain too much on the squeeze twice, and I do not rotate my knee and switch my hips correctly, which makes it much harder to finish. In addition, I give up the reversal to allow for a quicker submission, even though I have worked on passing and submitting from that very position. Had I finished, this would have been ok, but, sometimes you don't. In addition, I did not move to the omo plata as I've been training to do when the triangle is blocked nor did I work on the several ways to break into the keylock or armbar(I worked this one PERFECTLY in the semi-final match, but my cameraman [thanks Ron!] missed the whole match)...Honestly, I am disgusted with my performance here, and have too many things to work on now. Does make me go back to hating No-Gi though, so maybe there's a plus! lol I just have to get better and make certain that the things I've been adding to my game are actually implemented and acted upon. Also, have to work on eliminating these imperfections.Here's the video (unfortunately the other matches in the NO-GI were somehow missed...Dunno why or how but Ron didn't get em...:(:(:( )...


NO-GI Absolute Final Match



The battle is just beginning...I fight on...


Thought For The Day: Art begins in a wound, and is an attempt either to live with the wound or to heal it.