While I was back at home for thanksgiving, at my home school, Joao lectured me on the guard after I experimented with Advanced rubber guard drills after class. I was skeptical about the Advanced rubber guard, as my previous posts show, but he is extre…

While I was back at home for thanksgiving, at my home school, Joao lectured me on the guard after I experimented with Advanced rubber guard drills after class. I was skeptical about the Advanced rubber guard, as my previous posts show, but he is extre…

After training on Saturday, I immediately signed myself up for a massage at Toppers.
Best idea ever.

I’ve been having this nagging tightness in my upper back around the shoulder blade region just to the right of my spine. When my arm or shoulder gets pulled forward (as in a hip throw) my right arm goes all numb and tingly. This is especially bad when I’m not thoroughly warmed up. Pulling down on my head as well as doing a backwards shoulder roll also produce the pain/tingly arm result. I think I wrote about this when it happened, but the short story is that I attempted to shoot in on Wilson Reis for a double-leg take down (HA!). He just stood there as I bounced off. I woke up on the mat to that strange numbness in my right arm, shook it off, and kept going.

So, this massage…
I see a guy named Joe at Toppers. Joe is a Cherokee and has tons of amazing stories about his life. He also has some sort of magical powers that work especially well on athletes. If I remember correctly, his grandfather was a healer, and the skill runs in his family. I’m not quite fixed yet, but I’m getting there. I’ll probably sign up for another on Wednesday.

I don’t have any notes on the women’s class today because I didn’t go… I slept until 12:30 PM!!! I haven’t done that since my early years of college. There is nothing more depressing than waking up when the sun is setting so I’ll really try to not make a habit of this. Also, I like the women’s class. It’s so laid back, just like me.

Also, I’m going to TRY TRY TRY to take notes on every class from now on. I’m saving them without publishing them, and then will go and publish them every other week. These posts will be in green or some other font color and wont be edited (so be warned!).

Hope everybody had a good Thanksgiving this past Thursday. Mine was pretty uneventful, but they usually are. Just a whole lot of eating.

Yesterday, I got into the gym to work with a buddy of mine I met at the gym. We started around 230pm and didn’t stop until 430pm. 2hours of rolling, and just drilling some moves we had difficulty with. It was determined that both of us absolutely hate being in side mount. Shrimping becomes a ginormous effort just to get the half guard or full guard back. So much of an effort, that we didn’t even bother drilling side mount escapes, lol. Throughout the roll, I was pretty good at maintaining the top position. Something, Ryan and Seph, have been talking about lately. Being on top is a good thing… a very good thing. This made me change my game up a bit. I used to pull guard immediately when we started rolling, but now, I’ll look for more control from the top. Even if it means wrastlin’ the dude from the knees. My guard passing has always been pretty damn good, so it makes sense that I go right to it, other than pulling guard, and then looking for a sweep. From beginning to end, I was submitted once, and I was able to submit him once as well. He got me with a kimura from side mount(hate that shit), and I was able to catch him in an armbar from full mount.

Of course, there are tons of things I need to work on right now, but the main one is finishing. I put myself in great positions, but I have a hell of a time finishing anything. This might be due to the fact that I kinda reserve my energy when rolling. I’m never full tilt, even in competition. I just need to get over saving energy, and go balls to the wall. Lots of stuff to overcome, but I’ve got the dedication to do it. Just a matter of keeping all this stuff in my head when I’m actually rolling.

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our colleague Kid Peligro, a senior editor of the ADCC News and a correspondent for our show, about the plans and preparations for the 2009 Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling World Championship. This event is by far the most important and prestigious grappling tournament in the world.

We discuss the regional qualifying tournaments going on right now for this tournament, the rules of this grappling event, the likelihood of many champion mixed martial arts fighters competing in this event including top heavyweight and pound-for-pound fighter Fedor Emelianenko and Dream middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called “The Heist”, by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

Posted 2008-11-30
by David Thomas

The team is getting ready to head to NAGA next weekend. Here are some thoughts to help everyone get ready for battle.

1. Stay hydrated. Keep taking small drinks all day. You’ll need to use the restroom continually, but it will keep your body ready to go. Avoid soda and caffeine.
2. Food. Eat a good meal the night before. Carb load, but don’t eat a huge breakfast. Starting with breakfast on the day of the competition you should be having very small snack-sized meals. Once I get to the competition, I won’t put more than a bite of a protein bar or half a banana in my belly every 2 hours. Before breakfast starts wearing off, start eating small, healthy snacks. I like dried fruit, yogurt, trail mix, and nibbles of protein bars. Power Gel is one of the best ways of getting quick replacement without putting “pukables” in your belly. If you eat or drink too much, you will puke.
3. Prepare to wait. The waiting puts a huge strain on your brain and your body during a competition. Bring a good chair and entertainment. The bleachers are the pits. Not every venue will have space for you to set up a cozy folding chair, but bring them just in case. iPods, games, books, cards, …
4. Watch your competition. This is a crucial intelligence gathering opportunity. Where are they strongest? Weakest? What is their coach telling them?
5. Warm up. Don’t fight with cold muscles. You will tire much faster, be much weaker, less flexible, and less in the “fighting mindset” if you don’t warm up. Warm up and get psyched for your match. The first match is always the hardest. Trust me on this. You’ll be very tired after your first match and you’ll think “I can’t do that again.” But you can. As your body gets into “battle mode” it becomes easier to fight later matches. Flow rolling is great for warming up.
6. Know the rules. We’ve discussed them in class. If you have any questions, ask. There will be a rules review before the competition. You can ask questions of the head referee then.
7. Kids: stay close. It may seem like fun running around a big venue space on a weekend, but don’t roam far, and don’t get in the way of the other competitors or officials. Always tell a parent where you are going if you leave the mat area.
8. Fight intelligently:
   Tips to managing your match intelligently

   • Take the time to get your points on your way through the match.
   • Remember the 3 second rule: stay in position for 3 seconds to get your points.
   • If you are down on points, you must work hard to overcome this. If your opponent is winning, you may notice he starts to stall (he stops working and holds his position). It is crucial that you do your best to turn up the heat on a staller. Even though it is officially against the rules, most refs don’t take action against stalling (unfortunately).
   • Remember the knee on belly position. It is the easiest 2 points to get that most people never take advantage of.
   • Always defend yourself aggressively when you are in a bad spot. Kids: If your opponent puts a submission move on you (like starts an armbar), you must show the referee that you are working to escape it or he will stop the match even before you tap. This is especially the case for chokes. I’m glad refs do this, since it is the best way to be safe with kids on the mat.
   • Be technical, not sloppy. Set up a submission as technically as you know how to. Pass the guard the way your coach taught you. People tend to go a little too fast in competition; often this speed outstrips their technical ability.
9. The mind game. It is absolutely true that 80% of your fight is mental. It doesn’t matter how tough your opponent looks. They all tap if you put the right moves on them. Trust your training and believe in yourself. Never let your opponent know you are nervous or tired. If the ref stops the match to restart you, jump up and show the opponent and his coach that you have enough juice left for 1000 fights (especially if you are just about out of gas!). It is especially fun if you stand up first and offer your opponent a hand standing up. It sends 2 great messages: you are a great sport, and you have more juice left than your opponent. Never groan or yell during the match. It may end the match immediately (a yell is a tap to most referees).
10. Bring cameras. There is nothing more valuable than getting your matches on video.
11. Cheer on your team. If you aren’t on deck for a match, you should be at mat side when a team mate is competing. Give them words of encouragement, but don’t disrupt my coaching. If your coach is saying something, keep your cheers in check for a moment. We are a team in a sport of individual competitors. One of the only ways you have to show team unity is being there for your teammate’s matches.
12. Keep your coach in the loop. If you are going to compete in the next 10 minutes or so, get word to your coach. If your coach is busy with another match when yours is called, tell the table officials (each mat has a separate table) that your coach is busy elsewhere. They will almost always delay a match (they’ll bring the next match on) to allow for the coach to get there. Don’t stress out about it.
13. Be a good sport. Shake your opponent’s hand before and after the match. Also shake the hand of your opponent’s coach after the match. Even if you’re upset about a loss or exhausted, crawl over and shake their hand and tell them “good match.”
14. Show up clean. Make sure your nails are cut and your gi is clean. A good ref won’t let you compete otherwise.
15. Be on time, but don’t be surprised if they don’t start on time. They never start on time, but you should be ready anyway.
16. Don’t worry about winning. Of course you want to win, but if this is your first competition, you will learn valuable lessons regardless if you win or lose. Enjoy yourself and try your best. You will make mistakes but you’ll get them corrected over time. Tap if it hurts. No biggie.
17. Pre-register. Don’t ever register the day of the competition. The reason these things never start on time is that too many people procrastinate getting themselves registered. This creates impossible problems for bracketing.
18. Train hard and get ready. Cross train for better cardio and strength.

Read more at http://austinjiujitsu.com/ajj/articles/competition-preparation.html.

The Abu Dhabi Combat Club tournament is a prestigious, invitation-only grappling tournament that invites fighters from across disciplines to compete in their international competition. I’ve always been fascinated with the ADCC tournament since I began…

The Abu Dhabi Combat Club tournament is a prestigious, invitation-only grappling tournament that invites fighters from across disciplines to compete in their international competition. I’ve always been fascinated with the ADCC tournament since I began…

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman begins by discussing the important role of women in the combat sports and the need for them to have equal opportunity with men.

In the main interview segment on this show, we speak with actress, model, and performer Amber Lee Ettinger. She has recently gained much notoriety for her performance as Obama Girl in the wildly popular music video “I Got a Crush on Obama”. This video, by the way, was not affiliated with the campaign of now-President-elect Barack Obama.

We discuss with Amber her experience in playing Obama Girl, the impact this video had on the American presidential election, her previous experiences as a ring card girl at numerous boxing cards, what her current and future plans are, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called “The Heist”, by musician Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

Last night was an awesome wake-up call for me.

After Grapplers Quest I was swinging on a high from the win and felt like I was making strides, leaps and bounds, in my wrestling game. Pondering the art of moving from defense to offense and escaping side control 24/7 was paying off. I felt my defense slowly improving even at the expense of concentration at work.

Then I hit a plateau. Two weeks ago I had a particularly difficult Tuesday practice: one of those that you know shouldn’t be that tough, but for some reason ends up throwing you through a loop. From there it was all down hill. Well, not down-hill per se, but flat; absolutely flat. That was at least until my Boston trip last weekend which must have flooded my head with so many techniques and made me so physically exhausted that I started to slip this week. Just about everyone I sparred with took me down with a double-leg, which is NOT supposed to happen. My gi stand-up defense should be decent enough that that never happens without some sort of struggle. And it was… until this week.

Then there’s the sorry state of my open guard on bottom. Whatever happened to that? What ever happened to “you shall not pass!” Or if you do, I’ll just take your back?

Then there was Sharon’s wake-up call last night which may or may not pull me out of this slump. We started talking about game plans, which started with, “what pass do you go for normally?” I couldn’t answer that question… I started mumbling about standing passes and resolved with something like, “well, it’s more organic anyway…” She laughed, and that’s why I realized that the one major thing I had wanted to work on this year had completely fallen by the wayside.

So, back to the drawing board.