I nervously shift my weight from one foot to the other. I’m restlessly stretching my arms across my chest. It’s 9.30am on the first day of the Jiu-jitsu world championships. I can feel the sweat beginning to flow on my fore head. The sun is shinning down, I can hear the distant hum of an LA new helicopter. I gather my composure… and step into the Jacuzzi.
I am at the hotel near long beach harbour, nowhere near the venue for the worlds. I’ve decided to head down in the afternoon to watch the blue belts. I don’t stretch before entering a Jacuzzi, I may have been sweating in the heat though.
The first day of the worlds was a day of revelations. First and foremost; I am a shit blogger. If you are expecting any videos, you will be disappointed.I checked my cameras before leaving for the event and one had no space on the memory card and the other had one bar of battery. No time, No Camera, just used my phone. I was one of those people.I judge people using their phones as cameras to film tournaments. I mean really, is the quality of your 3 mega-pixel iPhone movie going to be watchable? So I just took a few sneaky photos.
It was really busy, and I saw quite a few ‘jiu-jitsu’ famous people. I have concluded three things, which are undeniable facts.
1. If Gabi Garcia is not on steriods, I'm a black belt world champion.
Trust me, she's even bigger in real life, and stacked.
2. Andre Galvao is more closely related to ape than man.
3. Jiu-jitsu is addictive.
I decided to pick one mat and just follow those matches, as with 6 matches it was easy just to jump around and end up missing the good stuff. I did see someone get clock choked to unconsciousness.
The bracket I watched was probably blue belt lightweight. There were some really good fights. Someone who looked like JT Torres’ little brother was crazy flexible and I backed him to win... He lost in the semi finals when his back was exposed during a sweep and got caught in RNC. Can’t argue with that. The final was one by a sweep. It disappointingly ended in a 50/50 guard stale mate. The guy who lost was on top and unfortunately something happened to his knee about 30 seconds from the end. The guy on the bottom wasn’t actively going for a leg submission but something happened. Which is the danger of that position. I wasn’t aware that 50/50 was allowed at blue belt now, or did I mistakenly think that it wasn’t allowed until purple belt. Another area of my game that I need to develop when I get back on the mats.
I will be back on Saturday & Sunday to watch some of the Brown/Black fights.
It's still looking pretty unlikely that I'll compete at the worlds. I have managed to negate my no rolling ban by rolling with my arm inside my belt. Here is a clip of me rolling.
OK. Fine. That's not really me, but that's where I got the idea from. It's more a game of survival rather than subbing blue and purple belts. However it does get me rolling at a high pace while protecting my arm.
I roll with my scrum cap on, so now I'm a scrum cap wearing, one arm using weirdo, which makes the white belts extremely upset if I beat them... I imagine, I'll let you know if I ever do.
I'm going to the ground control event tomorrow. I was registered but I'm definitely not competing. I have not really organised getting there, but I have a car, a sat nav and a phone for emergencies so I'm sure I'll get there. Going to watch the superfights. Not as super as the ADCC but still worth going. A word of warning to the organisers. I don't expect to pay for entry. You've already got £25 from me.
I went to training on Friday night.... not to train just to watch. This is worrying. I was utilised by Geeza as an example of the dangers of violently cranking kimuras. I thought a good contribution to the class.
I also took advantage of the time to get some photos of the inside of Gracie Barra Bristol. I say some photos. Actually I've only really taken photos of the mated area. But to me, that's the most important thing. And they have done it really, really well.
Maybe because it's new, or maybe it's just the layout of the room. There is a waist height wall running from reception along half the length of the matted area, creating a gallery effect, so that you can see the mats while still being separate. They've even set up a raised seating area so those (such as myself) not participating can watch in comfort. Or it could be the extra touches such as the big digital round timer and the large HD flat screen with other audio visual peripherals.
Geeza incorporated this into his teaching by hooking up his laptop and showing some competition footage as part of his teaching.... I would just play previous Mundials on a continues loop.
There is a shoe rack as you walk in. You are then confronted with the reception desk for signing in etc. before going through the hallway with a cabinet displaying various Gracie Barra branded merchandise on one side and the gallery on the other. This hallway has seating either side. At the end of the hallway is a changing room that will fit about 10 people comfortably, and a toilet. There is also a female toilet upstairs... I think.
The only draw back I would say is the lack of showers. I know most people don't bother showering after jiu-jitsu (filthbags) but if you're a 9/10 of the sweaty man scale, such as me. 1 being Roger Gracie when confronted with this joker.
And 10 being that guy, you know the one, he's usually bald, and as soon as you start the technique, the TECHNIQUE mind you, not even the sparring, and he's in your guard leaning over you. You can see it glistening on his head, and it pools together on the apex of the baldness. Then one brave droplet detaches itself from sweaty mass of sweat and falls gloriously through the air to spatter on your cheek, probably getting you a little bit in the eye, to much apologetic wiping of forehead using kimono from sweaty man.
Don't be disheartened if you are a 10. I would definitely be a 10 if I didn't have so much hair to soak up the sweat, so no my friend, don't be disheartened because you are a 10 on the sweaty scale. Be disheartened because you are a 10 without the ability to grow hair.
For some people the shower thing could be an issue, not for most. I felt so comfortable and at home on the mats that this wouldn't deter me.
Anyway I'm really excited for the ADCC in Nottingham. I'm thinking about forcing some of my non-jiu-jitsu friends to come. Even though they probably wouldn't get it. Actually I'm thinking about forcing some of my non-jiu-jitsu friends to start up jiu-jitsu. There can never be enough spreadage of the jiu-jitsu lifestyle in my opinion. I'll leave you with this.
I think my world cup aspirations are lying in tatters. The ligament in my arm is either torn or sprained. If it was sprained it would have been better by now, so I've got about 3 months of non-jiu-jitsu months ahead of me.
My one hope is that it is only sprained and that because I only waited 4 weeks instead of 6 weeks to start training again, and continually only rest 4 or 5 days here, or a week there, I've only strained it and not given it long enough to heal. This sounds unlikely, but you don't know how stupid I am.
Let me give you an example, on Wednesday I went and trained at Gracie Barra Bristol, and can I just say at this point, I've never been more terrified in my life.
The Slaughter House? Ok I wasn't that scared. I'm liking the whole image.
I was pleasantly surprised when I walked in not to find people pulling guard on a bloody animal carcass hanging from a meat hook in the center of the matted area or practising over extending their arm bars on meaty cows legs with tendons popping all over the shop. None of that however, just some good, clean, family friendly jiu-jitsu being practised here. So back to my stupidity.
18.30: I'm going, but I'm not rolling. Just the technique.
19.00: Oh no, not the warm up. I hate the warm up. Why is it the more I get into jiu-jitsu, the less I want to run around in a circle and practice hip escapes and sit-thrus? Well it's just this and the technique tonight... it's a shame I don't really enjoy this. Then its just the technique I'll enjoy because no sparring.....
19:09: Dizziness from forward rolls, attempts to keep down food which I intentionally ate 2 hours prior to training and dread that we're going to do backward rolls soon.
19.18: A bit of positional sparring to introduce the technique and help us understand why the technique is relevant. Damn you Geeza! Damn you for your effective teaching methods and for making me confront my inner weakness at this early stage in the game.....
19.19: Well it is just positional and Luke (partner) knows I'm injured and is pretty respectful guy, we're not going to go at 100%. Note at this point, while this statement is true, even if Luke had been a 100kg beef cake, prone to the occasional bout of rip your arm of armbar roid rage, I would have made a similiar internal decision about positional sparring.
19.25: Positional sparring was great. Nothing to aggressive. Arm feels great.
19.48: Good technique. Well explained... more positional sparring. This doesn't count as rolling. It's positional. Positional sparring in which, even though we'd just been practising it, I managed to catch my new partner with the sweep. Great stuff.
20.00: Start of the nogi class. which was followed by nogi technique
20.40: Rolling. Well I'll just be off then guys. See you. Byeeeeee. Actually I'm rolling. How did this happen? But I rolled with a white belt and even though he was bigger and stronger than me, I was a lot quicker and managed to get to his back very quickly from there I didn't need to worry about my arm too much.
21.00: Session finished. No hurt arm. Good stuff.
21.01: Start POST training sparring. How did this happen? I have said this before but I will say it again. Why am I such a tit?
Now during this roll, none of the following was the fault of my opponent, it was all my fault, especially given the fact that I was a blue belt and he a white. He was lighter than me, but strong and athletic. And after about 30 seconds, in which he tried to pass guard and I ended vainly gripping stubbornly to his arm in a failed attempt to take the back... it was at this point that I new this was not going to be a light roll. I didn't tap though, I just squeezed harder.
Later on in the roll he latched onto my bad arm. And went for what I like to call a text book non-armbar. It's when your passing and they are attempting to arm bar the wrong arm for the way their legs are and you usually end up with them in turtle, grabbing your arm and you on top. Of course there is the odd stage in-between the start and end point where you need to rotate your arm and move your body, which is never easy when someone strong and determined has a hold of your arm. I didn't tap, even though I was stressing my arm, and I knew I wouldn't be tapping due to having been caught.
No wait, more importantly it's training. Training is where you tap. But still in the back of my mind I'm thinking. This isn't an arm bar. I try and pretend that if I tap now, he'll think that this is a legitimate arm bar and he'll lose in competition when he tries it, but really, on my barely read blog, I am man enough to admit that I was too proud to tap to a white belt.
Now I am not doing jiu-jitsu again until I reach America and hope that it is only a strain. I can have a roll pre-Worlds, roll hard, and then go "wow, my arm is better, it was just a strain". Or more likely, roll and go no still hurting, definitely a tear. Just spectating for me.
Here is a video that I think jiu-jitsuers and no jiu-jitsuers will enjoy
YES! Mental. That actually works in REAL life. Or in Movie adaptations of real life.
And this one just for the jiu-jitsuers
Be advised that if you didn't watch that clip and immediately watch the other parts of the interview... you have been judged.
Unfortunately my camera was out of action when I went to the slaughter house. I will be going again tonight (not rolling, not even training) and if you are, like me, interested in looking at where other people train, then check here at the weekend.
I've spent the last two and half weeks in Portugal. Being here has been good, but my arm threw a bit of a pip poppity wobbily, i.e. it was popped a lot during training last week on Wednesday, even though I'd rested it for 10 days and it felt quite strong. This has thrown a serious spanner in the World Champion plans. I think it's too early to be worrying about that just yet though. Instead I'll just talk about training here in Portugal.
It was a good week and a great place to train, really friendly and still a high level of Jiu-jitsu given the lack of Brown/Black belts. I would say it was rather expensive at €30 for the week (probably got the tourist rate), but I don't mind supporting a great club that is spreading Jiu-Jitsu.
The obligatory post training photo.....
Soooo. Definitely just go there for training if you go on holiday to the Algarve. I know some of you do.
It's a little over one month until the worlds so I thought I'd take stock of the campaign so far.
Mental preparation - compete 6 times to condition myself to tournaments
- Competed twice, missed 3 tournaments due to injury or passport loss. Although on the mental side I've imagined how I'm going to win over 500 times. It's all about the mental visualisation nowadays anyway. No one needs to actaully do anything anymore, just visualise it. Or at least no one asks the loser if they visualised winning.
Technical preparation - Get insanely good at Jiu-Jitsu, having an almost Zen like ability to sweep, pass guard and mount people... with my eyes closed.
- I have not rolled properly because of my arm, but I have been doing a lot of yoga, working on my Zen and keeping my eyes closed, I'm particularly good at that last bit.
Strength and Conditioning preparation - Get fit enough to win 5 - 8 rounds on one day.
- I have started running quite a lot which is helpful for general conditioning, but when it comes to bjj, nothing beats rolling hard for a prolong period to increase your stamina. Not been doing that yet, but hope to start next week.
Nutritional preparation - Be healthy
- I've not got a diet plan. I'm not, only eating fruit grown by thai virgins and picked between dusk and midnight, nor am I eating only meat with 100g of carbs per month. I'm just eating normally. Tonight (visiting parents is great) I had grilled fish, boiled potatoes, cabbage with bacon and spinnach. I imagine this is a very healthy meal, but then yesterday I had ready meal pizza so......
I am drinking protein shakes.
Overall preparations are not going how envisioned it 4 months ago, however I have focused on jiu-jitsu.... and I love it. It's a big, no wait, BIG part of my life now, and I'm very happy about that. Or does that make me happy? I think a bit of both. I'm looking forward to this Summer, win or lose in June, I count myself very lucky to have found jiu-jitsu.
I was very bored and recently discovered this website as I was bored youtubes limited results.
There are some good videos of top players on there, although I'm pretty sure they are illegal to watch. I'm not hosting these videos, I'm just recommending them, I therefore absolve myself of any legal responsibilities in the same way the website does. Thank you FBI.
