Couple of my favorite videos

These are a couple of videos that I can't stop watching. Although I enjoy the tournament highlights of some of the greats, I can't help but be fascinated by the athleticism and speed of Andre Galvao and Ricardo Viera while they are training. They make it look so simple and seem almost weightless but are still able to maintain so much control and pressure on their opponents.

Won my first tournament at Purple Belt

So I decided to compete this last weekend as a warm up to the Houston Open next month. I knew this one would be a lot smaller so I was hoping to at least get a couple matches in win or lose. At least that was the initial plan. This was the first time I didnt get nervous at all leading up to it.

Once I got to the event I started to feel it a little, but it wasn't till I saw my bracket that the nerves kicked in. I only had 5 people in my division so the need to win instantly came over me followed by butterflies in my stomach. I then realised that no matter how many tournaments I compete in or how high in rank I achieve, I will always get this feeling. It is up to change my perspective and turn the nervousness into excitement. This isnt always easy to do, but I tried.

When they called my division, 2 of the 5 purples had left so we were now down to three. Unfortunately, I got a bye so I would end up fighting the winner of the first match and If I lost I would fight again for Second place.

My opponent was student from Gracie Barra, we talked a little afterwards and we was a real nice guy. He was able to dominate his first opponent for the win and was then alllowed approximately 10 minutes before he fought me.

I came out and pulled guard right off the bat. I went for the super duper but I knew I would have problems because when I watched his last fight, he doesnt like to pass to the side, he like to crawl up to mount. Baiting him wouldnt be easy. I stilled tried and got a sweep out of it and landed in his half guard. I passed and then went for the Aussie choke but was unsuccessful. We went back and forth the rest of the match, I went for a total of 5 chokes and my opponent just wouldnt tap. I was very impressed with his neck and calmness under pressure. The fight went the whole 7 minutes and i won 9-2 points. Here is the video below.

I realise that I have a lot to improve on but thats what will make me better for next month. I also for the first time started playing the clock and points. Well, till next time and thanks for reading.



Back to training

This week was my first week back after a long break and I can't believe how out of shape I felt after just a short period of time. I have about 5 weeks till the Houston open and I need to step it up. My wife signed up at Gold's gym so I received a free one month membership so I have been going there in addition to training BJJ. I started lifting 2-3 times and cardio about 2-3 times a week. Of course I feel sore this week but I actually feel a little better and was able to roll for 1.5 hours yesterday with minimal breaks.

I play a lot of quarter guard, Z-guard, Boca guard (whatever you want to call it) so I just wanted to post a video of one of the sweeps I love to execute. It is such a simple sweep but is so effective. The big trick is the setup though. I always make sure I push them back so I gain momentum for the sweep.

 
For some reason I can't find the original video I wanted to show but it is basically the same sweep. Only difference is that I keep my right leg between their legs so I am still in the quarter guard the whole time. If you don't know this sweep, you should give it a try.

My Gis

Right now I own four gis. Vulkan Pro light, Keiko summer weight gi, Shoyoroll Golden State, and Shoyoroll Compadre. All of these gis are white and A3 except the Keiko, which is an A4.

Usually the main problem I have with every gi I have ever bought is the sizing. I am not sure if it is just my body type, but the sleeves are always short. The best company I have gotten so far is the Shoyoroll. My two Shoyorolls are the ones I wear the most. Here is a quick review on each gi. I am more than willing to provide an indepth review upon request.

Vulkan Pro Light Gi:
I have had this gi for about 2 years now and hardly wear it. It is my lightest gi and feels real durable, but I just dont really car for the fit too much. I have however worn the pants a lot. Since I can't wear the Keiko pants I just wear these with the Keiko top.

Pros:
-This gi is very light which was great for the Florida summer.
- Minimal shrinkage

Cons:
- Top is very short. The second I start warm-ups, the gi top comes out from the belt.
- Gi is made for shorter/wider people. The top is also very baggy and the sleeves are a little short for me. A4 is just way too big.

Keiko Summer Weight Gi

I bought this gi about 1.5 years ago. I really like the way Keiko gis look. I have owned 2 other Keiko gis previously but they were A3 and they ended up shrinking too much so I sold them and got this gi in A4.

Pros:

- Light weight top feels great in the summer.

- Top fits me perfectly. This gi is made for tall skinny people.

Cons:

- Pants were HUGE. I have only worn them twice and had to put them in the closet since they look like JNCOs from the 1990s. Not only were they too big, they are also thick and heavy, this is very contradictory to the light top. If the pants were different, I wouldnt mind buying this gi again.

Shoyoroll Golden State:
I didn't really know anything about Shoyoroll prior to getting this gi but my friend bought 2 of these so I bought one from him. This has been one of my favorite gis so far and I have worn it the most.

Pros:
- This Gi also fits me very well.
- Both the gi top and pants are light and were very nice to wear in the summer.
- Pants tore after a year of wear and I used the logo from the gi bag to patch it up which was very convenient and I think it looks very nice.

Cons:
- This gi, as well as every Shoyoroll gi is limited and sells out in the first hour.

Shoyoroll Compadre:
I ordered this gi back in may and just got it late October. Though it was a long wait, I wasn't dissapointed when I got it. This gi fits me better than the Golden state and is much softer. I will try not to wear it out too much though since I plan on wearing it at my tournaments.

Pros:
- Nice weave, and very soft.
- Minimal shrinkage
- Fits my body perfectly. I originally wanted the A3S but I am glad I went with the A3.
- Not the lightest gi but not too heavy for the summer time.

Cons:
- Took 5 months to recieve this gi in the mail after I ordered it.
- The lining in the gi is rough and is a little irritating, but I dont notice it once I start rolling.

Promoted to Purple Belt!

I received my purple belt the other night from Professor Marra and Gustavo. It is definitely an honor and I am very excited to be able to compete next year at a higher level. I have been training for about 3.5 years now. It has been a tough journey with multiple injuries and deployments which stalled my training. I am not one to chase belts and wouldn't really have cared if I stayed blue, but I have won my last 3 tournaments and placed 2nd the two before that so I feel like I am ready to compete at purple.

I would like to thank Professor Marra and Gustavo, I have learned so much from them this last year. It is tough moving to a new place, but luckily I am in a city with a great Jiu Jitsu academy. Everyone at the academy is real friendly and opened up to me the second I walked through the door. I would also like to thank Daniel and Danny at Capitao. This is the school I was training at prior to Texas. Daniel is a passionate coach and believed in my jiu jitsu. I love his style and my game came straight from him. Lastly, I would like to thank my teammates from both Marra Senki and Capitao, everyone is real tough and dedicated and I was pushed to the limit every training session. although you compete one on one, Jiu Jitsu is truly a team sport and I would not be where I am today if it wasn't for all of you.

Now, my next decision will be whether to cut weight or gain a few pounds for this next tournament. I currently weigh 184 and will have to weigh in at either 181lbs or 194lbs (with a gi on). When I am in the 170s, I feel and look too light. I think the best choice for me is to slowly gain weight through lifting and eating right. Another reason to gain weight is that I will have a slight advantage when I compete in the open weight division.

I will have till next week to decide. This is when I will start my focused training for the Houston Open. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone out there. Be safe and stay healthy.

Abu Dhabi Pro Trials San Antonio

One month prior to the tournament I realized that I needed a game plan. I am usually not one to pull guard, but since I hadn't practiced judo in about a year I knew I was rusty at throws and takedowns. I decided that I would pull open guard right away and bait my opponent into a  choke. This is a choke that I've been practicing for over a year and felt pretty comfortable with.

The result, I fought a total of seven matches. Four in my division (183 lbs), and three in the absolute. I was able to catch 5 of those opponents in the choke, one in a bow and arrow, and I lost my final match to a ref's decision (0-0 points).

My first match was against an opponent from Brasil 021. I didn't really get a chance to talk to him so I don't know too much about him or his school. After we shook hands I immediately pulled guard. He felt pretty aggressive so I baited him and caught him with the choke. He didn't tap and ended up going to sleep. I was't really sure what the proper ettiquite was so I just sat facing away at the edge of the mat till the ref revived him. Total match time was approximately 10 seconds.

Second opponent, I also didn't have a chance to talk to. We shook hands and I pulled guard just like the last match. The whole match looked identical to my first match (he also didn't tap and went to sleep) Total time around 15 seconds.

Third opponent's name was Ray. He trains at a local school, and from what I heard is a very good school with tough students. Ray beat one of my team mates in his last match, but I was able to watch and realize that he had a strong guard. After we shook hands, we both sat to pull guard, and I felt that he wouldn't budge so I decided to go for a pass. I was able to pass but couldn't establish for the 2 points. He was able to recover and eventually got a sweep on me. I felt that I could have defended the sweep a little better but didn't mind too much because he would have to go into my guard. Once I was on my back, I caught him with the choke and forced him to tap. Total time around 2 minutes.

First match in absolute division

Fourth opponent is from Austin I believe. His name was Justin and from watching his other matches he moved really well from the top and bottom. Since I didn't want to stray from my gameplan I pulled guard right off the bat. He felt pretty quick and I knew he was anticipating the choke since I constantly heard his coach yelling  "watch the choke". I used a modified spider guard set up a triangle. Once I shot my hips up, I was able to lock the figure four immediately. I was certain there was no way he could out. I just had to get the arm across his chest, but he stood up and I pulled his way out. I think I was focusing too much on the arm that I didnt put enough pressure keeping him in (lesson learned). Once he got out, He tried passing again. I still kept hearing "watch the choke" so I knew I had to really bait him. I got my grip, let him pass to side control and then locked in the choke. The struggle lasted about 10 seconds but then I felt his body go limp. I turned to the ref and said "I think he's out" and the ref stopped the fight. Total time was approximately 2 minutes.
 
Since this is getting long, I will summarize the absolute division. All three opponents were in the over 202 lbs division, since all the little guys got eliminated the first round. My first match lasted about 15 seconds. I caught my opponent with the same choke and he went to sleep. Second match, My opponent pulled guard. I passed, he turned, I took his back and put him in a bow and arrow. Final match, I pulled guard and began with my attacks. I was unable to sweep or submit him. I felt like he was playing defensively in my guard and didn't really attempt to pass to often. Eventually, time ran out and the decision went to him.

I came real close to winning the all expenses paid trip to Abu Dhabi but came up short. I did learn a lot though and made some new friends. Big props to all who competed. It takes a lot to go out there and give it everything you got. Although it hurts to lose, I learned more from my one loss than I did from the other six matches.



Starting next year, I plan on competing a lot. First order of battle, Houston Open in Feb. Training has already begun. Thank you for reading.