I Get Delirious

Weight: 222.2

No not the song...But My thought process...In order to go where you have never been, you must do what you have never done...I wish to place not in my age group, but in the adult premier division at Pan Ams and Mundials...Now at Brown belt I have placed at Mundials as well as at Brazilian Nationals so I am confident in my skills to a point, but the Black belt class is a bit different...I am not able to be a full time training competitor as most of the successful(i.e. CHAMPIONS) guys at black belt are...I know I am at a disadvantage because of age as well as my relative age (in experience) in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu...That said, it does not change what my goal is...There fore I must find a way around the obstacles to get to where I wish to be...My workout yesterday consisted of 12 Ten Minute rounds with 3 minutes rest between...When I got to teach class and participate in our wrestling drills (Led by Coach Nate Schaffer) I was honestly drained, dazed,and confused....I still pushed through, as this class is getting one of my deficiencies (good take downs and take down defense) cleaned up....It's really funny though...As I get better with wrestling and judo and more concise in my guard game...No one wants to stand with me...go figure, they still try to pull guard on me first, because they don't wish to play in my guard...That has forced; probably since Brown belt, me to improve at passing and top submissions as well as position maintenance...The passing game I have has increased in pressure but needs more precise technical detail in it...That said, I am certain I have improved to the point where it will be a big surprise to those who choose not to test what is still the weaker side of my game (take downs)...I hope to make people pay for this error in thinking and look forward to testing it at the highest level...Anyways, my training has to be better and in order to be ready I have to increase what I do in load and focus...That workout the other day though left me wondering if I am over training to the point I am losing the ability to retain the gains from what I did...I do know that I can push through that many matches and be effective for the majority of them...I have a bit of a test coming up...We shall see where I sit, as I will use this to open my game up way beyond what I would do normally...I just hope not to be punished for it and look stupid...God has blessed me imensely, so I have to try to understand that to give Him the glory first, then give my best, and let it fall where it may...I hurt all over, and having to have another back procedure done, but can't (b/c of stupid insurance glitch), is making things very dim for me being able to actually achieve what I have laid out for myself...but...I fight on...


ThoughtS For The Day: (Judges 14:6) - The Spirit of the LORD came upon him in power so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands

(1 Timothy 4:8) - For bodily training is beneficial for a little; but godly devotion is beneficial for all things, as it holds promise of the life now and that which is to come.

You Are Nothing Without Focus

Don't Remember His Name, But He Competed at a NAGA I Worked In Georgia...
He Is Completely Blind and STILL Placed In His Divison!!!
He Is A Hero Of Mine...A Real Inspiration
He Didn't Complain Nor Make Excuses!
God Is Great!

Weight: 222.6

Life comes at you from all directions...Health fails, money leaves, people leave or they stay around and cause chaos and confusion, work...is work...And you must deal with it all. It's amazing how things and negative energy from people can affect your own energy and life and actions in a given discipline....I deal constantly with the realization that God has given me something in Jiu-Jitsu that I am meant to do. Hidden in that is to realize limitations exist, whether or not you choose to break down those barriers is up to you...All the aforementioned ills befall those of us who are not fortunate to have sponsors to allow us to train and teach all the time and this hinders our focus from being finely tuned as it must be to reach certain heights we may wish. Thus, I am in a position to always have some sort of struggle and strife to overcome while attempting to reach for what I wish to accomplish...Though I am blessed immeasurably by having my gym and being able to teach and thus give me peace of mind and a source of calm in my life, I am not a great business man, nor very good at marketing in the sense some do it, so it doesn't afford me the luxury of being able to train as I should to reach the goals I have set...In as much, the goals I have reached and the person that I am seem not to be enough to have a large sponsor be interested as they support other athletes in the sport....That said...The couple that I do have are truly wonderful, and I am happy with them as I understand that they stand behind who I am and who I can be...Just hard to see how I am not enough in other ways...

Anyways, on to Jiu-Jitsu...the theme of focus comes in the vein of training...I have been preparing for tournaments and working diligently, or so I thought, towards getting myself to a place where I'd like to be. That said, due to my recent performances, I have seen a tendency to be a bit too error prone in my game...this has come from the way I train, and somewhat due to being able to be sloppy sometimes and still not be threatened...For some time, even back when I was training at Allen's I wasn't really training...I was more teacher, that trainer, as I'd get questions during the time I would have been drilling, working, rolling, etc...It got to be really hard to prepare and focus upon a straightforward plan of attacking the holes in my game as I needed to...This became moreso amplified when I started my own gym as I care so much for the success of my students, that I started feeling as if I could slide by without the full bore, hard core workout sessions I had been accustomed to...that said, I have started back working and training with Marcus more frequently, and the feeling of just training and learning all in the same session is back...I have to be on point the entire time we train or I will get killed, so I work more technically correct, more muscularly forceful, and more mentally aware...I am taught again to be patient, but this time on an elite black belt level so that my game can adapt and be successful...My weaknesses in sweeps and passing are really very minor. In just a few sessions on top of what I already train alone and with my students, my sweep game and passing game has taken off and grown by leaps and bounds...Developing a pressure in the timing and assertiveness of passing as well as once in dominant position is one of the main aims of training now...I am more apt to work sweeps more patiently and have a tad more confidence in opening my game up now as well to include some traps and techniques I have not used in competition before...Being forced to work patiently but diligently and pulling the trigger without thought or wasted motion, as well as feeling the way through positionsis making me advance again...I have a lot to work on, but I am so happy that even through all the pains and struggles in my every day life which were robbing me of the ability to concentrate on my own training and goals has all but disappeared in the wake of starting to actually "train". I still worked out and worked on things harder than alot of folks I know, but to be successful where I wish to be, there had to be more. Well, sweeps, passes, pressure, and pulling the trigger on some new submissions is on the agenda, and it WILL get done...Being on the Podium at Pans and Mundials at Adult is the goal...It can be done...So, I fight on...


Thought for The Day:

Genesis 32:24-26

24And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.

²⁵And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.

²⁶And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.

SAINTS....WORLD CHAMPIONS!.....WHO DAT!

Check The Bicep Baby...
WHO DAT!

Weight: 221.2


A day I never thought I would see in my lifetime came last night. The Saints...My favorite team of all time, who stuck with us fans, and whom we stuck by through the lowest of the lows....are the SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS!!!! First Our President ...Barack Obama....and Now This!!! Man! What blessings!



Thought For The Day: Not even the most evil of intentions can dull the brightness of God's blessings!

Pesadelo Unplugged...Tournament Day and Trip Home

Weight: 222.2

Well I get absolutely NO sleep due to the time change and the normal performance anxiety associated with a big tournament, so I am up and at em on time. I walk into the venue and see the team forming and feel at ease. Not sure why, as I honestly do not feel prepared fully, but I am ok. Drink my red bull I get my sammich (Proscuitto Ham is abundant over here and is the bomb!) and have one of the little cups of coffee...These things are so strong it's ridiculous...Well anyway, in about 10 minutes I am wired! I get my GI on and I am really inspired by seeing all the world class champions on the Alliance team...It's really an honor that they make me feel like such a part of the group...
I make my way to the bullpen and get my stretching and warming up in...Due to the fact I am on the first side of the bracket, I get called first...Two matches and two triangles later, I am champion of my weight division!!! The opponent in my gold medal match was jacked...He was a very nice guy and really strong... when I locked the triangle on at the end, even though I had the angle correct, I could not even get my legs connected for it...So I improvised and used the side of my arm to close the choke!...

Anyways, I sat after that to watch some GREAT matches in the adult division! Our guys put on a show and I really was happy to see how well we were doing and even with not a full contingent there! My open weight comes up and I go through my first two opponents triangle and triangle...My passing needs work seriously though...I ended up facing Ramon Jamur in my third match(Quarter finals)...He got the same takedown I had seen him do throughout his weight division and his first open match...I had made my mind up to jump guard, but was still too slow...I have to improve my decision making at this level is I wish to be successful...He worked to pass the entire time but I was confident he could not...My mistake was that I worked to aggressively to finish him from horrible positions...I should have worked and been more confident in my sweep game to get to the point I wished to be..I had more than enough opportunities, even when he tried to hold on to stall, but I did not pull the trigger...at the end, I came to a kneebar attempt as well as a very tight straight ankle lock which he defended only b/c he had about 20 seconds to hold out...I know it was close as he had to attend to it at the medics after, but it was too late, so my lack of preparation and bad decision making kept me from the medal podium in the open weight breaking my streak started at purple belt...:(

Later that evening, we found out that the Alliance team placed First in Adult, Female, and beginners, and second in Master/Seniors...The masters (Jacare' and Fabio) honored me with giving me the Master/Senior trophy to take home with me. I was told by Fabio I was the type of fighter they could count! Between that and Jacare' telling me he was proud of what I had done and who I was for the team, I really was moved! This meant a lot to me! :)

The team went to a churrscaria and then we drove around a bit through the town seeing the sights before going back into the hotel...I stayed up through the night to be sure to make it to the airport on time...No sleep really is catch up tome and my ribs for the first time are REALLY aching...Especially on the flight from Lisbon to London...Note: British food is freaking horrible!...Cold salmon chunks, green onions and some little black things..capers i think...are NOT supposed to be in a sandwich...anyways...I get to London and I am treated to being able to sit in the Admiral's lounge to make it through my four hr layover! this secret lair has juices, sodas, wine, beer...food and FREE internet....I catch up on good food and emails and get ready for my trip home...Once on the plane, I must reiterate....ANYONE farting on a plane on a trip of longer than 45min, due to the fact planes recycle air, should be stabbed in the neck and/or stomach, and then thrown from the plane! It was so bad, I honestly tuned around, looked in the faces of the two folks behind me and said "REALLY!? Damn...." ...dunno which one it was, but they are dying inside and should see a doctor!...It was almost as bad as the dude who had obviously shat himself, and had the security line in London parting like the red sea as he tried to make it to the AA desk...Ask me about that sometime...But dude smelled like Bagasse (look it up on google...naaaasty)...
I arrive home, hurting and tired as I had only slept perhaps two hrs of the flight, but it's on to the gym to teach...I hope I was coherent but I am certain I was not...LOL I felt better after class as my students always work hard and are good folks...Finally it was home to sleep...I hate the length of travel, but even the worst feelings at the beginning, turn into decent trips ....
I do have new inspiration from some of the younger guys on my team and Fabio having faith in me and my skills, as well as seeing Helvetio and Megaton as well as The General compete in the Adult division....As I had planned to compete in the Adult division Mundials as well as Master/Senior Worlds, and due to the fact I felt I could have competed well in the Euro Championships Adult division had I done so, I plan to enter Pan Ams at Pessadissimo in the Adult division and I WILL be on that podium...I will use a tournament or two before that as a tune up at adult as well...I have much to work on, but, I should be able to with what God has given me. It is a daunting task but I only have a limited time to be able to reach my goals...So....I fight on....


Though For The Day: Today, nobody cares; but tomorrow they will.