I've made it another day....but I can't seem to find my legs!

Today was heavy thrust day - legs and shoulders. I felt I had a great workout this morning and was able to push more weight that I though I could have (safely of course). Shoulders went well to and I walked out feeling great......dramatic pause.......until I spent 8 hours sitting in class learning Italian. About half way through the day when it was time to stand up and go to lunch I was pretty sure someone had snuck in and replaced my legs with those of a 120 year old arthritic man! GOD BLESS motrin!

Jiu jitsu was awesome tonight. I arrived about 45 minutes late for class because I stayed home until 7pm to study Italian (stupid verb conjugation!). I drilled the leg pass from class with John T. for about ten minutes until it was time to roll. Then, of course, I got to roll with John. Now, for those of you who don't know John he's a bit bigger than me (by about 30 pounds), solid base, great jiu jitsu fighter and a solid purple belt. Sooooooooooo, you can probably tell how well that went for me :) I did my usual "I'm scared" tactic by pulling him into guard and holding on for dear life! I rolled with Billy S. next and continued my attacks to get to, and stay in mount, with a solid base. Coach asked me to roll with a brand new guy next (literally his first class with us). Small guy, 140lbs, but a lifetime of wrestling (high school and collegiate) under his belt. He was quick and strong but still had the Greco habits. Once he looses those he'll be a monster! During open mat I rolled with Coach for about 4 rolls. Man, its amazing what you learn while getting your backside handed to you. He knows that this is the "month of the mount" for me so I got to feel his solid, irreversible mount a lot during the rolls :) He gave me a couple great nuggets in between me panting for breath and gagging from my verps though.

I was really struggling with going to class tonight because I feel so overwhelmed in my Italian course. The pull to stay home and go over my vocabulary even one more time is very tough to ignore, but I have to tell you that I feel like a million bucks after an hour on the mat! After I post this I'll get my snack and study for another hour before I hit the hay and start it all over again tomorrow. Good times :)

"The key to a great mount is a relaxed mount"

- Daniel Thomas

MEDIC!!!! I can't feel my chest Sarge....I'm cold...

Is it bad that 12 hours after your chest workout it feels like someone took an ice pick to it? I had a great workout this morning, using principles stolen from my wife's trainer (don't tell her honey!) and I feel it afterwards. I did not crap out my colon during the workout though...which I was thankful for :)

On the flip side Jits was awesome tonight! Coach had use work on a double hooks in butterfly sweep. An oldie, but a goody! I love the basic and this is a staple everyone should have in their arsenal. We worked both the basic harness grip (one over, one under) to trap and arm and then use timing and momentum to roll back, kick the leg and sweep them into number two hold down. The key to this one tonight was something I hadn't seen before though. You tuck the leg down that is on the same side as the over arm. This sets up a nice variation that we worked on as "option 2". Option 2 happens when your opponent posts out and you can't get them over. You're basically going to ride the wave back so the sit on their knees and then you do a knee up position smash pass to number two hold down. Short, sweet and to the point. Love it!

Rolling went well tonight. I started with Billy, always a good roll. Next I got Rennato, but his nose started bleeding (NO, I did not punch him!) about three minutes in so we had to stop, clean him up and get him some ice. I got another fairly young white belt after that and we worked slow for him. I used each roll to work my "month of the mount" them and secure the position and land my one of my "3 set" combos from their. Lastly I rolled with Coach. As always he makes you feel great...right up until I think he gets tired of letting me flail around...then, BAMB. So sorry Mike but you're going to tap on this arm bar :) I love working back control with him because he's very patient and will let you get just far enough that you think you have a chance and then expose every weakness in your position. Lessons I shant forget for next time :)

All in all it was a good day. I blew past 170 grams of protein, had a great morning workout and an awesome jiu jistu training session. I just truly fear not being able to push myself out of bed tomorrow morning...dun dun duuuuuuuuuuuuuun!

My good Lord...how in the heck do you eat 170 grams of Protein?

No joke there. I'm dead serious. I have to take in 170 grams of protein per day right now. I gave it the old "college try" today and came in at 165. I seriously thought I was going to explode. Thats a lot of damn protein! Lean meat, cottage cheese, tuna whey protein....a partridge in a pear tree. I think I at it all spades today. I call shenanigans on protein! Okay, not really. I get to re-attack it tomorrow when the real work starts at 0530. My body is really going to need it!

More to come I guess...

Why sure.....I'll share you pain.

So, Chelle has a full week of training under her belt for a body building competition. She's doing awesome (contrary to what she thinks) and I'm really impressed with the fortitude she's showing. Now, I've been a fitness addict for several years now...thanks to my wife...and have tried a lot of differant events. A dozen half marathons, the big sur full marathon, triathlons, mud runs, bike rides (cycle...not motor), climbing, jumping, hiking, jiu jitsu...well, you get the picture. HOWEVER, Chelle and I have always shared training cycles when it comes to this stuff. If I'm training for a marathon she usually picks a half and trains for it. If she's doing a tri, I usually find the little boy division to compete in. Get the picture? Soooooooooo, she decides to train for a body building competition. I'm not in anyway interested in competing in one myself so don't get the wrong idea, BUT I am VERY interested (as a coach myself) on what it takes not only mentally, but physically as well, to train for one. And this brings us to my title.

Yes, I'm taking the plunge. This will be a completely different way of eating and working out for me. I'm not "big guy" to begin with so we'll see where this leads. My workouts have always centered around endurance, aerobic stamina etc. That changes on Monday. No more head to toe 5 sets of 12 reps workouts for this guy. I have to swallow my pride, actually put weight on the bars and try not to crap my colon out :) I think this is going to be one hell of a learning experience for me. I just hope my intestines don't shoot out on a squat or my arms don't fall off the day after I lift them :)

What is this Jiu Jitsu you speak of?

Seriously! I'm started to forget what the gym looks like. Okay, well its really not THAT bad but it sure feels like it lately. Its amazing how life can sneak right up behind you right when you're getting a good grove and then smack in in the back of the head with a STRONG dose of reality. I recently began my language course at DLI (26 weeks of Italian). I know, I know...dude you're freaking out over Italian!?! Thats like spaghetti, pasta, vino, mozzarella right? Not quite. In addition to DLI, I thought it would be a smart idea to start another (yes, I said another...as in one more time) master's degree in December 2009. So, not only do I have 100 vocab words a night to memorize, I also have research to do for two master's classes. Plus, the kids have lessons and life's, Chelle is in class every night of the week this month from 6pm - 10pm and I do have to sleep once in awhile. So anyway....where was I?

Oh yeah, jiu jitsu! Didn't make it to the mat on Wednesday because it was the second day of class and we had a retarded amount of homework. Tonight class is a no go again because Chelle has class (no jokes here...yes, I know I don't have any class - HA!) and Kaelyn is going to a school dance with friends so my "built in" babysitter is out for the evening. Why do teenagers insist on having lives!?!

The positive side is, I guess, that I have been able to consistently get up at 5:20am every day and get my first two workouts in. At least I won't be a big 'ol fatty when I eventually do get back to the mat on Monday....I just won't know how to roll :) So, here's to hoping the coming weeks calm down and I can regain some of my sanity on the mat!

Another week down...

I've been a bit of a slacker with posting over the last two weeks I must admit. I've trained though I swear :) Last week Monday was a second Christmas for me because coach worked an entire sequence on going from mount to back! Are you kidding me!?! Its like this guy reads minds or something. Perfect for exactly what I'm working this month. On Wednesday we worked a great step by step setup for the omoplata...some thing that I rarely ever try because I just don't feel confident enough with it. Coach walked us through really securing the position before attempting any sub and his process, as usual, made perfect sense for me. Dev has a great breakdown of it on his blog.

This Monday (18 Jan 09) we worked the good 'ol basics! We started with the 5 point arm bar from the guard. Next we moved to transitioning to a triangle choke if your opponent pulls his arm out to defend. Third came attacking the arm that is left inside your legs and applying the omoplata from last week. Lastly...and this was my favorite of the night....was attacking the arm that was left in with an arm bar. Basically you will secure it from the opposite side with a good grip, take the same side foot and put it in the hip to shrimp out for position, lock the opposite side leg up at the neck like your going for a gogoplata and then secure your free leg around the head for the arm bar and hip up. I don't do the explanation just! Trust me... it was BA!

Rolling has gone good over the last week. I have been purposely rolling with those at my level or below so that I can focus on technique for my "month of the mount" right now. I'll use the same philosophy on Wednesday and then ask those who crush me to roll next week. This way I can end the month with my ego in check :)

Also, on another important note, Chelle has committed to competing in a female bodybuilding competition in May of this year in Southern Cali. She started a new blog to document her training, ups and downs emotional and anything else that happens to her while training. PLEASE check it out.

Old man cards and knee injuries

Well, no class for me tonight. On Wednesday night while rolling with Dev we ended up in a weird upside back control reversal (with me on the bottom attempting the reversal) and I torqued my left knee. It was a bit stiff that night immediately afterwards so we took it easy and just walked through my new game plan for this month. But by the time I got home and got out of the shower my left knee had a nice size (golf ball) knot swelling up under the knee cap. When I woke up on Thursday not only was it still a bit swollen, but it has also starting bruising very nicely :) So, my much better half, being the sports therapy awesome trainer that she is, has convinced me to pull my old man card tonight and stay home.

So, instead of training updates I'll just load a couple pictures from my promotions in Wisconsin :)

Dan and I after he received his blue belt.

Jared and I after he received his brown belt.

Both Dan and Jared have trained a long time and poured their hearts out in training for not only themselves, but for their teammates as well. Congrats guys!

6 Jan 10

Tonight's class was great. Coach drilled us on an oldie but a goody :) The five point armbar from guard. We started with the basic crossing the arm over the center line of the body, heel in hip to trap the arm, kick up into opposite shoulder and move into position looking into opponents ear, leg over head and then WHAM-O :) Coach labeled it "isolation, domination, dislocation" -ha! The variation I liked tonight though was adding an extra step after you've kicked up into the shoulder and moved into position. At that point you lock your other leg over their shoulder and cross your ankles to pinch down on them as a hold position. Then you can transition to the armbar and submit.

My first roll tonight was with Billy S. Always a good fight. I kept my theme for mount going and worked positioning to stabilize the mount and immediately secure high mount to work from. When he tried to roll I just transitions to back control and worked submissions from there. Next I rolled with Coach. Yeah, what can I say but butt kicking - hee hee. Its always awesome to roll with him though because the fluid technique and application of what he is doing is almost poetry in motion...even if it did feel like my head was going to pop off when he bow and arrow choked me. Both times..... Last I trained with Dev. We scrambled for a little bit and then my old man body tweaked my left knee. After that we took it slow for the remainder of that round and a second one. He helped me dissect my mount plan for the month and came up with some really good points (as usual). I think my flow is solid, but it will be even better after Friday when we dissect it a little more. I can't reveal the secrets yet - HA!

Anyway, great night overall and I'm looking forward to Friday!

Concluding the month of Half Guard

As usual my buddy Dev keeps me honest. He very nicely reminded today that I have not wrote any conclusion on my "month of half guard." Well, to be honest with you it was actually two months of half guard. After the first month I still really couldn't even begin to wrap my head around using it, so I had to work it again for another month. I have to say that I'm really glad I did. between Coach and Dev I really learned some great stuff.

What I found out about myself is that I'm still pretty nervous about working from half guard, which is weird considering I train under a half guard master! But, jiu jitsu is an individual journey, as he will be the first to tell you, and my game is my game :) Both Coach and Dev helped me to see the importance of recognizing when half guard is the best option...like when my guard is getting past. Don't wait for a scramble to get there. Recognize that you can initiate the transition yourself and make it YOUR position. From there I can still work to get to my "happy place", which is back control.

I also had to let some pride go, check my ego and be reminded that "a punch is just a punch". There's no magical, super-delicious, ultra secret half guard truths that I'm just not getting. Like everything else in BJJ its a position with lots of options, which I still have to learn and drill. In the words of Coach - "don't get mad that you didn't master a position in a month." :)

So, in the end it was a great two months that probably taught me more about myself then it did about half guard...but is that so wrong!?! Next time this cycle comes around I truly believe that I will be mentally, as well as physically, ready for it.

First class of the new year

So, there I was....sitting in class thinking "man, I haven't trained in almost a month"...and you know what happened? I trained like it. Dang it! The technique was sweet because Coach taught us a reverse triangle from back and side control. We started working the farside armbar from knee ride and worked setting a good, tight armbar. Next we worked the reverse triangle from side control. Then it was time to put the two together for a flow drill...awesome! We also got work it from back control and even got a little position sparring from the back that made me very happy :)

HOWEVER, when it came to rolling I really was a slacker. I rolled with Billy and focused on getting to mount and holding it for subs (which is my new theme), or rotating to the back if he tried to reverse. Next I rolled with Alex and played the same game. The last roll (and we only did three tonight) I sat out and watched. Why? I have no idea. I wasn't tired by any stretch. I guess my head still wasn't on the mat yet. But the week is young and Wednesday is a whole new training session!

So anyway, its official. Its the month of the mount!

So long '09...

Well, its officially four days into the new year and the first training night back in Monterey so I figured I'd better post something before I head out to class and take my beating :) 2009 was an amazing year in life and training. I had more time with my wife and kids this past year than I've enjoyed in the last six. We have grown so close as a family. Training has been amazing too. There's nothing like a solid year of good training with great friends under an amazing coach to hook you even more...if that was possible to begin with!

Looking back though everyone usually asks themselves what they've learned from the previous, and well, I'm no different.

1. Faith and forgiveness are everything. Faith in God, family and friends must be the corner stone of a healthy life. Learning to forgive is much, much harder than expecting people to forgive you...but will release more baggage than you even realized you had!

2. Setting the bar high is perfectly acceptable with goals. Not reaching those goals even when you give 100% just as okay :) I've always told my friends and students that if you set the bar at mediocrity you'll hit it every single time! So I've always expected much, much more from myself than from others around me. The lessons for me here last year didn't come when I reached goals I set, they came from when I didn't reach them and re-evaluated and re-asserted myself for multiple attempts at them!

3. A punch is just a punch Mike :) Learning is a lifetime project.

4. Speak less and listen more. Its amazing what you'll learn! Yep, this one was a tough lesson for me :)

5. And last, but certainly not least, tell those in your life - family and friends - how much they mean to you as much as you can. Our days are numbered...and we don't know the total.

Thank you to each and everybody who has helped me stretch and grow throughout this past year. I can't wait for more of it this year!