Seminar Sazinho Sa

Noe and I got to participate in a great seminar last night.  There was kind of a scare when we first arrived at the gym.  Apparently, Sazinho had missed his flight from Newark to Syracuse.  Which normally wouldn't be a big deal, except he doesn't speak english and he doesn't have a cell phone.  I was so worried he wouldn't arrive until really late and I would miss the only night I was able to come to the seminar.

The seminar was awesome.  We went over by about 1.5 hours, haha.  I have been to enough capoeira workshops, batizados and other events to know that there was no way we were getting out of there at 8:30 last night.  I was happy that he kept us the extra time because I had to pay $75 smakers for one night - ouch.  Luckily, Noe and I figured out our money situation and were able to pull things together to participate.  We are blessed to have nice friends and a lot of support for our passion to train.

Anyway, we started with a light, I mean really light, warm up. We basically moved our hips around and stretched our arms a little bit.  Sazinho took the approach of just teaching us a bunch of techniques instead of only teaching a few and working us out real hard.  After the "warm up" we started with lapel defenses.  He had us do about 3 different lapel defenses.  Then he had us do a trick, or set up, where we bait the person with our forearm, so they grab your sleeve and you can break the grip and go straight into a single leg or high crotch.  It was pretty cool.  Then he had us work on a modified version of the fireman's carry.  Which was pretty cool and I think I might actually be able to use that one with a little more drilling, it seemed very comfortable for me.

We did so many techniques.  Actually before the fireman's carry we did an Osoto Gari defense.  It was really cool.  I will definitely be working on that one because the timing is so important it will take a while for me to be able to use that one.  It would have been nice to know about it earlier, like before I got taken down hard core in my last tournament.  LOL.  It was a little bit scary working on throws with so many people at the seminar, the gym isn't tiny but it's not that big.

We moved on to guard techniques.  First he had us do a basic choke from guard.  Then he showed us some techniques to choke with the lapel, where you undo the person's gi and wrap the bottom of the lapel around the back.  Then he basically showed us a bunch of variations on those chokes.

He finished up, by that I mean the last 40 min., by taking a question or two and breaking down some techniques that people don't usually understand.

One of the things that I really liked about the seminar was that he showed us a bunch of different options from each position we worked on.  Although I am not going to remember very many of the options, I think this is going to help me with learning concepts.  I feel like I am starting to understand what concepts are out there.  I don't understand the concepts yet but I am actually starting to see them.  It's like they always say you don't know what you don't know.  

Sazinho Sa Seminar Tonight

I'm so excited about the seminar tonight.  I am only disappointed that I will not be able to go both nights.  Last night Noe and I went to class even though we don't normally make the drive on Tues nights because I have a tax class that runs until 6.  We figured with the seminar coming up though we should just go to class because we couldn't go on Monday night.

Class was pretty fun last night.  We basically rolled the entire class, except the usual warm-up.  We started with situational rolling, which I am loving right now.  We started with each person in side control.  I am glad I got to work on my side control escapes.  I worked on a reversal and on pulling the person in to my half guard.  The one I really wanted to do was the escape to turtle position that Danny Ives helped me and Danny with during the last seminar.  Unfortunately, I couldn't remember all the details so I kept messing it up.  Hopefully I'll be able to get it next time.

Then we did the mount.  I tried a movement that I saw on the Saulo Ribeiro JJ Revolution 1 dvd the other day.  Again,  couldn't remember the details and I wasn't able to use it.  I was able to do my usual escapes successfully a few times though, with a much larger partner.  I also was able to work on my armbar from the mount, positioning, when it was my turn to be on top.

Then we just rolled a couple of rounds.

I hope I get to see Guybson and Sazinho roll tonight, that will be so cool to watch.

Finally a Return to the Mat

I was finally able to return to East West after what felt like an eternity away.  It is a sad sad thing when you can't remember the last time you were in class.  After getting past all the traveling, being sick, and dinners being hosted at the law school, I got to train again.

Sat class is supposed to be an open mat so we get the chance to ask as many questions as we want, instead of Guybson picking the moves we will be working on.  Open mat also means we get the chance to roll more than we would during a regular class.  We always start with the usual warm up though.  Guybson said yesterday that he is going to start adding different things into the warm up so that we don't get too used  to the warm up exercises.  I am happy he said that because I was starting to feel too comfortable during the warm up.  It seems nice when it's going on, because I don't feel too winded but when I reflect on it I know that I need the extra push.

Only one person asked a question, which I was really happy about because I don't know if I would have been able to absorb any more information that what Guybson gave.  Guybson basically talked to us about using one movement to fool the other person into thinking we are going for another movement.

Anyway, then we rolled 5 X 5 min rounds.  I actually only rolled 4 of the rounds because I was turning green, literally, and I was sure I was going to vomit.  I got to roll with a guy named Mike, he's one of the main guys I like to roll with.  Then I rolled with a couple of guys who are newer.  I also rolled with Noe.  I was glad that we managed to roll with each other without me hurting her.  It seems like I always end up catching her with my knee or elbow or something crazy.  I thought I did an ok job of transitioning yesterday.  I was trying to concentrate more on positions yesterday.  Although there are a few times during each roll where I forgot and was only concerned with trying to go for a submission.

Last night we watched the WEC fights.  But before we did, we watched like 1.5 hours of Saulo Ribeiro's Jiu Jitsu Revolution 1.  The stuff he covers in those instructionals is awesome.  I can't get over how cool these videos are.  I would really like to go out to Cali and train at his gym.

Lucky to Have Noe

I am lucky to have Noe for so many reasons but as it relates to this blog, I am lucky to have Noe because we can work on and talk about jiujitsu.  I think she might get tired of it sometimes.

As I was going over my schedule this morning I realized that I might not be able to go to JJ at all this week.  The Law School is hosting a very controversial speaker, one who advocates against gay marriage, tomorrow.  Then on Thursday our good friend is going to be having a concert.  Friday, Noe and I are going to two events, which are for the graduating law students this year - I can't miss that.  Basically, I am feeling a little bit bummed about missing so many classes but I am still very excited to be graduating.

Last night Noe and I were talking about the guard passing we were doing earlier in the afternoon.  One thing I noticed was that I get tunnel vision.  I was watching some matches on youtube the other day and I kept saying that both the ladies were getting tunnel vision and that they were missing great opportunities to go for subs or to change position.  So I think I already had it on my mind but I definitely get tunnel vision while I am rolling.  I think I will try some more of the JJ chess, that seems like an exercise that will help me to see more than just one escape or pass while I am rolling.

No Tournament for Me

I have had unexpected car problems and due to the cost of the repairs I will not be able to participate in the NY Open International Tournament.  Needless to say I am very disappointed.  These car repairs will also make it impossible for Noe and I to participate in the Sazinho Sa Seminar at the end of April.

I haven't really been able to train BJJ in over a week.  Being sick and traveling has really put a damper on my training.  Noe and I just got done working on some guard passing.  It was fun but Noe is still trying to recover from her injury and so she is still taking it kind of easy.  I am really glad we got to work on the guard passing stuff though because we have been watching the Saulo Ribeiro instructional dvd and Noe learned some stuff over the last couple of weeks.  I have been eager to try out this new stuff.

I got to go to the gym this weekend and lift some weights.  Man I felt so weak because that was the first time I had really done any exercise in like 7 or 8 days.  I am very sore today.  We went to Boston to visit our friends, Kaci and Tom.  Tom and I went to the Boston Sports Club.  It was a really nice facility.

We warmed up by jumping rope for about 5 min.  Then we checked out our pull up chops.  I did 7 pull ups, 6 or 7 chin ups and then about 6 modified chin ups, it was the ones with the grips like a rowing machine.  Then I did:
 
  3 sets of 20 reps of curls w/ 12 lbs barbells
  3 sets of 25 reps of squats w/ 25 lbs barbells - I alternated between this one and the one above.

  3 sets of 15 reps overhead press alternating with
  3 sets of 10 backward then 10 forward circular shrugs w/ 25 lbs

  3 sets of 20 w/ 50 lbs on the circuit trainer of tricep pulldowns with the rope.  I'm not sure how else to describe those.

  100 cruches with my legs up in closed guard position
 
  20 narrow push ups
  20 wide push ups
  10 spiderman push ups

 I stretched my legs a bunch in between all the sit ups and push ups.

 Then I finished up with 10 min on a stair climber.  It was the kind with actual steps that just rotate around.

Overall it was a good workout.  I was beat afterward.

Still Sick

Well I didn't get to train last night.  I only did a few things while I watched Danny and Noe work on guard passes and stuff.  It was good to watch them work on things though, even though I would have much rather worked on my guard passing as well.  I rode the stationary bike for a little while and then started lifting some weights.  Luckily Danny and Noe started giving me shit about not knowing how to be sick and I finally sat down, after doing a some sit ups, and relaxed.

On a side note - Noe went to visit Kansas City last week.  While she was there she got some short clips of my brother doing some of his Capoeira moves.  I wanted to share because they are cool and he is my bro.

Josh Video 1

Josh Video 2

Josh Video 3

This was after he did like a 2 hour capoeira class.  I don't know how he does it.  I didn't put the videos up in the right order or give them the right titles but you can figure that out when you are watching them.

Real Life Interruptions to Training

I am headed back to Ithaca from Albuquerque.  I have been on the road for the last 4 days.  Let's just say I haven't been doing much to get ready for that tournament coming up.  :-T  I did manage to do a little bit of weight lifting during the trip and I also played a little basketball.  The basketball was actually pretty difficult, for one thing I suck at basketball and for another the altitude out here is ridiculous.  I was breathing heavy from running out onto the court.  The altitude combined with the realization that the game I agreed to play in was an actual game with referees and everything, which I incorrectly referred to as umpires when we arrived.

I got sick on the second night of my trip.  I think I either have strep throat or a sinus infection.  I am not sure but I have not been feeling very good.  Also, lucky for everyone traveling with me I have had very limited speaking abilities.  My former roommate, Mark, just kept saying "oh sweet freedom" the whole weekend.  Haha not really but I'm sure he was thinking it.

I thought I was going to get the chance to roll with a friend of mine this weekend but that didn't happen because of my illness.  So basically I have lost out on 5 days of training.  Plus I am sure I will not be able to go to class tomorrow.  Actually I would like to go to watch, as long as Noe is going to participate that will work but I'm not sure I can spend 3 hours in the car if at least one of us is not participating.

It's so dry out here, I need to drink some water.  How did I survive two summers in Albuquerque?

Adding in Some Extra Conditioning

Yesterday morning, I worked out at home for a little bit, then I did both muay thai and  BJJ.  I was thinking I could add just one or two conditioning type work outs to my week to gear up for the NY Open tournament on May 1.

Morning Workout
I didn't do anything too crazy in the morning.  I warmed up with high knees, jumping jacks and mountain climbers.  I just alternated through the three until I was breathing really heavy.  I did some bjj individual exercises, the first was like this butt scoot thing I saw on a video of Saulo Ribeiro and the second was a movement where you start on your stomach and swing your legs all the way around so that you go from your stomach to your ass back to your stomach.

Here's where I saw the Saulo stuff.  And this is the link for the Rickson Gracie moves.

Then I did about 50 safe get ups with an 8lb medicine ball.  I added an extra scoot at the beginning, so I just scoot my butt back and then get up.  Followed by 3 sets of 30 reps of 30 leg reaches with the medicine ball, where you hold your legs straight up in the air and reach for your feet.  I did 2 min. of ginga, the basic capoeira movement, in between each of the 30 reps.

Then I just did some side crunches - 4 sets of 25 each, right and left = 1 set, so 100 side crunches.  Then the last thing I did that was hard was 10 reps of abs on the stability ball.  I started basically in a push-up position with my feet on the ball.  I pushed the ball out to the left then to the right and then rolled it backwards, I don't know if that has a name, that shit was hard though.  I only did 10, with all three motions together counting as one.

Evening Classes
I was late for BJJ, it sucks living so far away from the gym because if I am like 5 min late getting on the road it makes me like 10 min late for class, don't ask me how that works.  Anyway, they were warming up when I got there.  We usually do the same warm up.  I don't normally get really winded until we get to the shrimps.  I don't know why shrimping around the mat makes me sooo winded and tired.  That's why I did some shrimps at home the other day, I figure I need to work on those muscles getting used to the motion.

We did a butterfly sweep.  I worked with a guy who has only been to maybe 2 BJJ classes.  He wasn't too big so that was nice.  I rolled with him after we did the positions.  He was a pretty good partner to work with.  I had to roll with another guy who was a beginner, but this was his first class.  I got pretty nervous as soon as we started moving because he was just using every single muscle in his body.  He wasn't a huge guy but he was really strong so I was kind of scared that he was going to end up hurting me.  He was totally gassed when we got done and I was barely breathing faster than a usual rate so I was glad, because then I know I wasn't just trying to fight his muscle with mine, I was using technique.

The last person I rolled with was Maggie, she is going to be coming back until the end of April.  I'm glad she was there, it's been a long time since she was in class.  Soon Noe will be back and there will be 4 women in class again, until Maggie moves.  Haha and then we are moving.  It kind of stinks for Beth because she will be the only woman until someone new starts or until one of the junior girls starts coming to the Adult classes.

Muay Thai class was good.  I wasn't tired during the warm-up at all.  I actually didn't get tired until after the warm-up, basically once we stopped moving, then my body just started feeling really tired and ready to sit down.  I didn't sit of course.  We worked on some jab cross escapes and then hook escapes and some thai clinch.  Then class was over.  MT felt like it went so fast.  It was a good workout though.

Conditioning by Myself

Since there wasn't class yesterday and Noe is gone and I didn't have any friends who could come over to work out - I had to work out alone. It was all good though because I got some good conditioning in.

I warmed up with 3 rounds of 30 second intervals. (1) High knees to (2) jumping jacks to (3) burpees. That totaled about 4:30. It got my heart rate up and I was sweating.

Then I moved into 100 shrimps.

I put the weight vest on, 20 pounds man - whew. I basically did lateral slides. I faced one direction (we'll call it left) and went down and back, the length of my living room, which is HUGE, just kidding it's about 12 feet I think. So I went down and back and that counted as 1. I did 10 of those then went straight into 100 squats. Then I faced the other direction (right) and repeated, including the squats. I tried to move my feet as quickly as I could and keep my knees bent so that I was staying low. Anyway, I did 5 sets. 1 set = 10 reps going each direction, so 20 total lateral slides, with 100 squats after each, so 200 squats.

I basically thought I was going to throw up after that, and during most of it. Plus the weight vest just felt like it was crushing my body. I couldn't move any direction without feeling a bunch of pressure. It was good though because the position I felt the least pressure in was when I was standing straight up, which is the best way to stand if you are out of breath.

So then I stretched for close to 25 min.

Then I did 100 thigh squeezes, holding my legs up like you have someone in your guard and flexing the way you would at the top of a crunch, with a pilates magic circle. Those things are really cool because you can really get your inner thighs.

The last thing I did was this jumping thing. I had initially planned to do 3 sets but I only made it through one. My legs were so wabbly (if that's a word). Basically, you start on your knees and jump up to a standing position, then you jump up and bring your knees to your chest, like when you do a burbee. I did 20 of those and went straight into 25 pushups. I took the weight vest off before I stretched so I wasn't wearing it when I did these leg exercises.

Then I had to hurry up and get ready to go pick my friend, Marina, up because we went out to a bar called Bar. LOL. So I had to hurry and feed the pets. I ended up taking off without making a protein shake. I think that I am much less sore when I have a protein shake right after I work out. It usually seems that way, but I'm not sure if that is true or not. If anyone has some insight I would appreciate it.

Nothing Special to Report

Our school didn't have class yesterday and there is no class today because of Easter. When Guybson made the announcement at the end of class on Thurs. I felt very deflated. I know I should be excited that this means I have more time to study but I was so disappointed. I have a lot of tax reading to do and I am really behind in Financial Institutions. Well I'll be studying all day today and all day tomorrow.

I went to both No-gi and traditional BJJ class. We always have these awesome wresting coaches there for the no-gi classes. One of them works with the Cornell wrestling team and Coach Mills, is really good but I'm not sure about his background, I do know that he was on the Olympic team in the 80's. I don't know that much about wrestling but through doing martial arts over the last 9 years or so, I can tell when someone knows what they are talking about.

Anyway, he had us work on counters to single leg and high crotch takedown attempts. I also learned the difference between the two the other night. I don't know if I am remembering this correctly but a single leg is when the person has their head on the inside, on the person's midsection, and a high crotch takedown is when the head is on the outside of the body. The mechanics are very similar between the two and they each have their own advantages.

I had to work with the hugest guy there. When we initially started he and I looked at each other and then both looked around the room and everyone else was pared up already. Then I said "well this doesn't make much sense does it" and he just kind of blankly stared at me. Come to find out a little bit later, when he spoke for the first time, that english is not his first language. Ha ha so I'm thinking he didn't even know what I was saying earlier. Anyway, he was a really good partner to work with. He doesn't seem like he has done wrestling or JJ before but he was really good at controlling his body, he didn't throw me around like a rag doll, even though he easily could have. He obviously lifts weight because he was so huge, like at least 6 ft. tall and buff as hell, maybe 230. I'm not sure, when they are that big I am really bad at guessing their weight.

I ended up rolling with him for the situational rolling exercises we did at the end of the class. When we were about to start I was a little scared but this was probably the best experience I have had rolling with a huge guy. Well maybe except with a few of the guys I rolled with from Kansas City, but they were all more experienced. Anyway, I got pretty winded and tired during the rolling so I was pleased about that.

The BJJ class was pretty normal. We worked on the an escape set up to a sub. We were escaping the position where the person who was in your guard ends up with your legs over their shoulders and they are controlling you by holding your belt and usually they can just throw your legs off to the side and take side control. Anyway, guys do that to me a lot so it was helpful.

We rolled 3 rounds but I sat the last round out because I think I bruised my one of the bones by my elbow and I smacked it on someone's knee or shin or something. It was hurting so I didn't want to make it hurt even more. Being in pain during the hour and a half drive home, especially when I'm by myself, is no fun. I'll be glad when Noe gets back :-)