Pesadelo Unplugged (2010 Euro Championsips Vol1)

Pictures to come later...No Internet Access From My Laptop Right Now!

Weight: 228

Last week, went to the Abu Dhabi Pro Trials...I subbed my first three opponents, and popped a rib in the semi-final to claim third place...I tried to continue after some medical help but the pain was too great...So I was not able to secure a trip to Abu Dhabi later this year...Honestly, had my jiu-jitsu been on point as it should have, I would have been ok to get tot he top of the podium. that said, my training has worried me. I do not feel I am doing enough, nor am I able to focus on developing my game to the point it needs to be to accomplish my goals for this year nor next. Even when I do train, it does not seem I am putting forth enough effort or perhaps I am just not talented enough to reach my goals...I dunno, but, I have been feeling my age a bit lately...
That said...I left for Portugal a day ago, feeling very anxious and upset for some reason. Honestly felt on the verge of breaking up and giving up. Just the rigors of life and the grind of trying to overcome and adapt to my limitations got to me...And I honestly was 2 seconds from notgetting on the plane...I prayed and pushed and got on the plane...Oh and I´ve said this before...but people who fart on airplanes....ESPECIALLY 9 hour flights should be shot and thrown from the plane! Anyways...took some sominex and made it to London...Was still feeling down but anger at Sprint made me a little better...These asshats sold me a phone...and didn´t tell me that because I have a spending limit on my account, that it could not be activated for use in Europe which was why I bought it in the first place...Anyways...They credit me $100 for the inconvenience and tell me I can return the phone then basically say go jump in a lake...Sprint can eat a fat diseased baby rhinoceros scrotum!
Well the flight to Lisbon was cool...Any I got into my hotel which is in walking distance to the venue for the championships only to find some really snotty treatment...No internet service in the room(it didn´t work), and no alarm clock..normally I wouldn´t care but with the time difference(+6 hours) I am worried about waking up on time...Won´t be staying at the Altis Park again if I come! Should have stuck to the Dom Carlos Park!
I get up the next day to get to the championships to find my weight division and open weight are moved to Sunday...So I watch some good Jiu-Jitsu...Saw Tarsis and Bernardo do very well to be third in the adult black belt open and really thought with some missed referee calls they should have won...Anyways...I get back to the hotel, and had the most succulent veal and sauteed potatoes with proscuitto(sp?) hame ever!!!! Anyways, as I type this I am full as a tick and just worried that I will look stupid tomorrow. I have a tough match for the final of my weight division at about 5am home time! and then around 845 am or so the open weight begins with about 24 people in the bracket...We will see how I do...
It feels really lonely being here and so isolated...Being able to get on the net for a while and now having a calling card helps a bit but it isn´t like home...Beside all that I feel like I am just not where I need to be skills wise and my ribs are killing me still...Through all this, I am praying hard, and having faith...only with God´s help can I make it as I have never felt like this...I fight on...

Though For The Day: Psalms 23: 1The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Learning From the Student...Aha Moment!

Weight: 222.4

I feel tired...Sore...Banged up...and More alive than I have ever been....In other words, I am back to hard training for the upcoming goals and tournaments. I have really come to the realization that I do not fit anywhere but on the mat. It gives me a way to deal with the problems of everyday life. Even in the difficulties it presents, it does not take the life and joy out of me the way issues of the world, people, and things can do. I do not know why it is this way, but I am happy as at least I do know where I should be. That said I have set about closing up holes in my game which need to be fixed as well as improvement in some areas...I have worked on preventing the sweep from standing in open guard whether by De La Riva or X-Guard or regular push back sweeps...My Balance and stance as well as pressure need to be improved 100 fold to be able to get to where I wish to be...That said...I have also needed to improve on the idea of "aliveness" and not losing position at all...This aliveness is akin to being immersed IN the moment...That allows for the ability to maintain and improve position to give more time to work for the submission, while keeping you safe and preventing yourself being threatened. I have endeavored to work on my safety in closed guard, breaking and passing with extremely heavy pressure while switching from pass to pass relentlessly in order to place pressure upon my opponent until they crack and I take advantage of the end game. Everyone has known me for my guard game and feel they must get to guard before I do to avoid my strong suit. Well through a lot of specific work, I have worked to round out my game to the point the strength of my guard may even be less than the strength of my pass and submit game. With my attributes, I have worked and wished to become able to pass through all of my opponent's defenses (i.e. get to mount), and finish there most often with the palm up/palm up cross choke (eventually working to include the Ezekiel choke), as well as the S-Mount armbar. This not only made necessary an expertise in passing, but also a much better knowledge of the body's mechanics and physiology to be able to exploit leverage to my advantage as this is a very difficult position to hold...I worked diligently on this and felt I was making good progress and through several rolls with very good defensive opponents I have achieved control and the finish on probably 80-90% of the opportunities though this must increase to at least 95%...Well I have found that threatening with both position and varying submission set ups while improving my position allowed me to bring my opponent to the golden decision...This is where they have to give up something...Either give the sub immediately or give better position, then where they are forced to give the choke or the arm but they cannot defend both.
I had a student wish to learn to maintain mount and work the cross choke...In preparing to be able to give him good detail and help in private lessons I worked on getting to that position and finishing with just that on everyone...In doing so, I ended up in the position and I had been having problems because of the proper way to finish the technique causes very bad pain in my surgically repaired hand as it is not healed fully...Well during this time, I remembered what I have learned and been told literally hundreds of times in learning the cross choke, as well as what I have taught....but I had an Aha Moment!...I worked to turn my wrists and in doing so worked in perfect harmony with the proper pull of my forearms and elbows and felt that feeling where everything is soooooo easy as BJJ is meant to be that I KNEW I finally did it correct. I had been doing it and finishing it b/c I could basically overwhelm an opponent and they made mistakes enough to give it to me even though it was not technically perfect. I went to repeat this in practice several times and I finally got it. though I will have to work on it more and ask some who know much more than me to help to improve it even further, I know now I can do this on those of my level and feel confident in it. Was a great feeling to get something right after years of trying. I fight on...


Thought For The Day: Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer. Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. -2 Timothy 2:3-7