Weight: 224.8
Training is draining....(Hey I made a rhyme!:))...but it is in a good way that it drains me...that said, a new hole has opened up in my guard game that it took the passing game of Marcus to detect...Defending the knee through pass, I am having a brain freeze it seems and rotating my hips the wrong way to defend and thus at times giving the pass easily...this is being worked on, but in the state I am in currently as for health and mental focus(or lack thereof), it seems not to be getting solved quickly or efficiently enough...I have a few new goals to shoot for...Not only to medal at this year's Pan and Mundial tournaments at Adult, in addition to defending my title at the Master&Seniors World championships, but to repeat in being a medalist at Adult in Pan and the World Championships next year when I turn 40(Turning 39 in a little more than 2 weeks from today). Even at the prime of one's life and Jiu-Jitsu career, this is something that only a tiny percentage of people ever achieve...In my declining state of physical being, coupled with the inability to focus solely on training, will be made exponentially more difficult...On top of this all, the sponsorship I do have covers registrations for tournaments, but nothing else...Which means any trips say to Brazil, California, etc for these championships comes out of my pocket....My extremely midget-short pockets...So anyways, Jesus bore his cross without lamentation....I have to just suck it up; as my time to be even close to being able to be even remotely competitive is drawing to a close...Whatever must be done to carry through until then, I will do...
Anyways, on to training...preparing for a tournament in the gym is necessary, but to truly get ready for what you will need to do to be victorious in battle is to actually contest matches when and where it counts...That being said, I will be preparing myself for Pans and Mundials at the Adult level starting this coming weekend in Houston...In addition to being able to see my students perform, I will also be making my debut as a referee in the IBJJF as well as competing with the caliber of competitor I will have to face and defeat in order to achieve the goals I have set...With a monster like Bruno Bastos in my division, my task is definitely not easy, also, as I will put my name in the hat for the Absolute division, with such names as Bill Cooper, Raphael Lovato, Jr., Rodrigo Pinheiro, Marcelo Azevedo, Gustavo Pires, Brad Court, etc etc etc, I should get a true and accurate gauge of where my training has placed me as well as what is needed to work more on...My takedown game has become much more solid, as has my pass game, which I am certain will be tested as most competitors I face look to pull guard as they wish to negate my strength of playing guard...I do hope that I get to work stand up to truly see where I am though as I am going to open my game up much more than usual...A lot of the half and open guard sweeps I use in practice, I think need to be tested at the highest level now...The holes in my game should be more evident after this weekend as they have become in my work and training with Marcus...That has yielded so many results as it is comfortable to feel the need to work hard every second,and to truly be able to learn from the little losses in battles as well as know when certain thins work, that they are ready for prime time as if they can work with him, I do not see many out there who they would not work against...
Physically, my lower back is locking up again...The muscles there, in my hips and in my mid-back are in a constant state of flexion, and I am in pain pretty much all the time...My shoulders, especially the left one, have something blocking or grating on my nerves so that my forearms and hands are affected a LOT!...That said, I do have that familiar, good-sore feeling after training again...I relish that feeling, and just knwo that if I can make it through the way I feel health-wise, and deal with the money/emotional/interpersonal problems of every day and still get to where I wish to be, then I can be truly proud of achievements gained....In that vein....I Fight On....
Thought For The Day: Ephesians 6:13 - Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
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