Wed 23rd
Knee is still bad although I can walk a bit quicker and it isn't as painful - still no sudden movements or uneven weight on it and I haven't tried to do any type of quad stretch yet. I have an appointment on the 5th so that will get the ball rolling...
Mon 21st - some upper body stuff again...
Sat 19th
Trained with Jason and Ross Martin
A. Bench 5 x 5 /w. slingshot 85,85,90,90,90kg(x4)
B. KB Row 4 x 10/10 32kg kb
C. Shoulder Shocker c2.0
D1. Skullcrushers 3 x 10 30kg + bar
D2. Barbell Curls 3 x 10 35kg
D3. Band Pushdowns 3 x 20
Fri 18th - just did some sort of arm session
Wednesday, 23 December 2015
Sunday, 20 December 2015
Thu 17th
Trained in EC - knee was still feeling sore from Tuesdays treatment with Alex but I went anyway. Regret that decision now.
I did a thorough warmup and I was practicing single leg takedowns - I was just hopping on my left leg when I heard an almighty crack in my knee. I stopped for a second and then continued back take drills but the knee got a little more stiff so I stopped and called it a day.
Friday my knee was sore, felt a little unstable and sore to walk on, flexion was about 90 degrees.
Saturday much the same, I was in the gym for most of the afternoon and then walked into town and it go really sore.
I reckon duw to the fact that it has been so slow to heal, I am probably looking at surgery :( It is currently Sunday evening and I am icing it and keeping it elevated as much as possible.
Trained in EC - knee was still feeling sore from Tuesdays treatment with Alex but I went anyway. Regret that decision now.
I did a thorough warmup and I was practicing single leg takedowns - I was just hopping on my left leg when I heard an almighty crack in my knee. I stopped for a second and then continued back take drills but the knee got a little more stiff so I stopped and called it a day.
Friday my knee was sore, felt a little unstable and sore to walk on, flexion was about 90 degrees.
Saturday much the same, I was in the gym for most of the afternoon and then walked into town and it go really sore.
I reckon duw to the fact that it has been so slow to heal, I am probably looking at surgery :( It is currently Sunday evening and I am icing it and keeping it elevated as much as possible.
Wednesday, 16 December 2015
Wed 16th Dec
I haven't listened to all of this Eddie Cummings interview yet but there was a really interesting piece when he was talking about fighting against Tanquinho at ADCC,
16:23...
'As a fan theres that half second..where you're going for the heel hook and putting it in...where you celebrate a little bit in your head or you're like 'wow' I got the position I wanted and there is no place in your mind when you're competing against world class athletes / elite competition for anything other than strategic thought or an empty mind'.
I was watching this too (Rafa Mendes, Collar and Sleeve Guard) and at 7:12 it showed a solution to a problem I was having when I wouldnt get the opponents elbow away from his hip (push on the knee) - this happened me yesterday rolling with J...
I haven't listened to all of this Eddie Cummings interview yet but there was a really interesting piece when he was talking about fighting against Tanquinho at ADCC,
16:23...
'As a fan theres that half second..where you're going for the heel hook and putting it in...where you celebrate a little bit in your head or you're like 'wow' I got the position I wanted and there is no place in your mind when you're competing against world class athletes / elite competition for anything other than strategic thought or an empty mind'.
I was watching this too (Rafa Mendes, Collar and Sleeve Guard) and at 7:12 it showed a solution to a problem I was having when I wouldnt get the opponents elbow away from his hip (push on the knee) - this happened me yesterday rolling with J...
Tuesday, 15 December 2015
Tue 15th
ECJJA , going through a bit of a funk, feel sluggish, think the left knee is still playing on my mind a bit.
We did a lot of and then drilled 2 back takes
1. From front headlock position - pull partner forward and pivot to harness position, then switch knees and pull him onto his side / on you to take back
2. As above but as you try to pull opponent onto you, he bases strong and rolls the other way -> 'chop' top hook in first as you roll with him, and roll through to take back.
* Darragh was then talking about as you take the back, that is the best time to go for a finish (choke or bow and arrow) - while the opponent is worried about defending the hooks (his hands will be down).
We then drilled going for a finishing hold as soon as we took the back.
Darragh went more into this -> if you have the harness, think about the choke / finish, regardless of if the hooks are in or not. For instance, when I was drilling with Adam, I had the harness and he was sitting up (I was crouching behind him) looking to step one hook in but he was defending - I should have gone for the choke to distract him and then go for the hook.
When rolling with Darragh I made a few sloppy mistakes - I rolled into turtle to defend and went to grab his leg (grabbed in between his legs and he trapped my arm in a crucifix - I have to stop doing this!! or at least grab the outside of his thigh so he can't trap my arm). On the upside he said my arm bar defence was v good - little consolation.
Also, I have to work on when he stands up in my 50/50 - he stands up very early as I am trying to establish the guard - I need to be faster in pushing into his hips to keep him grounded or bail on it earlier - maybe into kiss of the dragon sweep??
Harness -> side control -> harness stops opponent sitting up onto you, come up onto your elbow , push opponent away
Mon 14th
Trained in ECJJA Bray, did 6 x 6 min rounds. Felt rusty as hell :( Knee was slow and clunky, just wasn't at the races and felt tired - I was tired driving to the gym and didn't sleep much all weekend, so maybe it was that. I will put this session in the 'at least I turned up' category.
ECJJA , going through a bit of a funk, feel sluggish, think the left knee is still playing on my mind a bit.
We did a lot of and then drilled 2 back takes
1. From front headlock position - pull partner forward and pivot to harness position, then switch knees and pull him onto his side / on you to take back
2. As above but as you try to pull opponent onto you, he bases strong and rolls the other way -> 'chop' top hook in first as you roll with him, and roll through to take back.
* Darragh was then talking about as you take the back, that is the best time to go for a finish (choke or bow and arrow) - while the opponent is worried about defending the hooks (his hands will be down).
We then drilled going for a finishing hold as soon as we took the back.
Darragh went more into this -> if you have the harness, think about the choke / finish, regardless of if the hooks are in or not. For instance, when I was drilling with Adam, I had the harness and he was sitting up (I was crouching behind him) looking to step one hook in but he was defending - I should have gone for the choke to distract him and then go for the hook.
When rolling with Darragh I made a few sloppy mistakes - I rolled into turtle to defend and went to grab his leg (grabbed in between his legs and he trapped my arm in a crucifix - I have to stop doing this!! or at least grab the outside of his thigh so he can't trap my arm). On the upside he said my arm bar defence was v good - little consolation.
Also, I have to work on when he stands up in my 50/50 - he stands up very early as I am trying to establish the guard - I need to be faster in pushing into his hips to keep him grounded or bail on it earlier - maybe into kiss of the dragon sweep??
Harness -> side control -> harness stops opponent sitting up onto you, come up onto your elbow , push opponent away
Mon 14th
Trained in ECJJA Bray, did 6 x 6 min rounds. Felt rusty as hell :( Knee was slow and clunky, just wasn't at the races and felt tired - I was tired driving to the gym and didn't sleep much all weekend, so maybe it was that. I will put this session in the 'at least I turned up' category.
Saturday, 12 December 2015
Sat 12th
trained with jason
A. Bench 5 x 5 (w/ slingshot) 85kg
B1. DB Shoulder Press 3 x 10; 17.5kg dbs
B2. Pendlay Row 3 x 10 60,70,70kg
C1. Knee Raises 3 x 10
C2. Ab Rollouts 3 x 10
D1. EZ bar curls 3 x 10 30kg + bar
D2. Band Pushdowns 3 x 20
D3. Tricep Kickbacks 3 x 10/10; 10kg.10kg. 8kg
Fri 11th
Just messed around and did a bit of hypertrophy work in a 30min window...
A. DB Bench 4 x 10; 2min rest 27.5kg dbs
B. Wide grip pullups 3 x 8; 2min rest
C1. DB Row 3 x10/10; 20kg
C2. Band facepulls 3 x 12
D. DB Curls 2 x 12; 10kg dbs
Wed 9th - Thu 10th
Flew to Birmingham and trained with Norbi
The first session we did looked at foot locks from 50/50 - just really focusing on the finishes. Everything is fairly on point, just looking to clean up a few things.
We looked at the cross footlock when the opponent defends by crossing his legs - post feet on floor,stick backside in air (face the floor) and then turn back in to finish foot lock, if the heel pops out it is a heel hook, but the ref won't see.
In 50/50, placing the soles of the feet on the opponents hips and pushing into him is really good for preventing him to turn to the outside to stand up (I need to get the feet here quickly to prevent my opponents from getting anywhere near standing up).
If opponent does turn to outside, get heel hook grip and as you fall towards his trapped foot, twist/crunch your shoulder towards your hip and finish the footlock (pulling your arms across your body)
On the estima lock, the inital grip, inside of elbow to his heel (to prevent him spinning out)
On the calf slicer when the opponent triangles legs - make sure opponents instep of triangled foot is near the achilles of his top leg - also the detail I was missing is to get a heel hook grip and lean back across opponent.
trained with jason
A. Bench 5 x 5 (w/ slingshot) 85kg
B1. DB Shoulder Press 3 x 10; 17.5kg dbs
B2. Pendlay Row 3 x 10 60,70,70kg
C1. Knee Raises 3 x 10
C2. Ab Rollouts 3 x 10
D1. EZ bar curls 3 x 10 30kg + bar
D2. Band Pushdowns 3 x 20
D3. Tricep Kickbacks 3 x 10/10; 10kg.10kg. 8kg
Fri 11th
Just messed around and did a bit of hypertrophy work in a 30min window...
A. DB Bench 4 x 10; 2min rest 27.5kg dbs
B. Wide grip pullups 3 x 8; 2min rest
C1. DB Row 3 x10/10; 20kg
C2. Band facepulls 3 x 12
D. DB Curls 2 x 12; 10kg dbs
Wed 9th - Thu 10th
Flew to Birmingham and trained with Norbi
The first session we did looked at foot locks from 50/50 - just really focusing on the finishes. Everything is fairly on point, just looking to clean up a few things.
We looked at the cross footlock when the opponent defends by crossing his legs - post feet on floor,stick backside in air (face the floor) and then turn back in to finish foot lock, if the heel pops out it is a heel hook, but the ref won't see.
In 50/50, placing the soles of the feet on the opponents hips and pushing into him is really good for preventing him to turn to the outside to stand up (I need to get the feet here quickly to prevent my opponents from getting anywhere near standing up).
If opponent does turn to outside, get heel hook grip and as you fall towards his trapped foot, twist/crunch your shoulder towards your hip and finish the footlock (pulling your arms across your body)
On the estima lock, the inital grip, inside of elbow to his heel (to prevent him spinning out)
On the calf slicer when the opponent triangles legs - make sure opponents instep of triangled foot is near the achilles of his top leg - also the detail I was missing is to get a heel hook grip and lean back across opponent.
Tuesday, 8 December 2015
Tue 8th - ECJJA
I wasn't sure about this session as the knee wasn't great - we drilled some takedowns (of course!) the knee was a bit sore but held up. A little sore afterwards but no worse than before I went in.
We did ten minutes drilling 2 takedowns.
You have opponents collar (when going for takedown, really hang out of their collar)
Takedown 1 -> when opponent has foot forward on same side you have his collar - drop down to knees under and at a right angle to him, under hook his leg with free arm, keep head up -> fireman's carry / throw.
Takedown 2 -> when opponent has foot forward on opposite side to where you have his collar, drop the same knee down first and hook around his far leg (hang out of his collar) go to single leg
After the takedown drills we looked at 2 techniques to attack the back.
1. Get harness and look to isolate opponents near arm with your legs (if he is a low level guy he will probably grab your leg and make this easier). If opponent rolls, go with it, keep your chest behind his back so he cant get it to the floor, make sure you triangle arm towards his legs - use legs to get armbar (flare out knee and extend hips) or else go for choke, one handed and pull elbow in to finish (sharper choke with the blade of the forearm)
2. If opponent rolls ad you can't get his arm with your legs, keep tight harness and sprawl on belly (like warmup drills) come up tight behind opponent and step bottom hook on floor or try to trap his arm and then get second hook in.
After this we did rounds of positional sparring - as it went on I was getting good success with attacking the back and getting the hooks in - once or twice I made the mistake of getting too high up on the opponents back and he tripod up to escape. I enjoyed this drill as I am weak attacking the back.
I had a round with Patch that went well, I managed to get single leg x from a few angles and get a double straight footlock, I got a single leg x sweep and came up on top (left knee felt ok doing this) and managed to fight some scrambles , knee shield pass, stay heavy and stay on top.
I also rolled with S and had a bit more success with the open guard and getting single leg x position once or twice. I was just happy the knee felt OK and didn't flair up afterwards.
I wasn't sure about this session as the knee wasn't great - we drilled some takedowns (of course!) the knee was a bit sore but held up. A little sore afterwards but no worse than before I went in.
We did ten minutes drilling 2 takedowns.
You have opponents collar (when going for takedown, really hang out of their collar)
Takedown 1 -> when opponent has foot forward on same side you have his collar - drop down to knees under and at a right angle to him, under hook his leg with free arm, keep head up -> fireman's carry / throw.
Takedown 2 -> when opponent has foot forward on opposite side to where you have his collar, drop the same knee down first and hook around his far leg (hang out of his collar) go to single leg
After the takedown drills we looked at 2 techniques to attack the back.
1. Get harness and look to isolate opponents near arm with your legs (if he is a low level guy he will probably grab your leg and make this easier). If opponent rolls, go with it, keep your chest behind his back so he cant get it to the floor, make sure you triangle arm towards his legs - use legs to get armbar (flare out knee and extend hips) or else go for choke, one handed and pull elbow in to finish (sharper choke with the blade of the forearm)
2. If opponent rolls ad you can't get his arm with your legs, keep tight harness and sprawl on belly (like warmup drills) come up tight behind opponent and step bottom hook on floor or try to trap his arm and then get second hook in.
After this we did rounds of positional sparring - as it went on I was getting good success with attacking the back and getting the hooks in - once or twice I made the mistake of getting too high up on the opponents back and he tripod up to escape. I enjoyed this drill as I am weak attacking the back.
I had a round with Patch that went well, I managed to get single leg x from a few angles and get a double straight footlock, I got a single leg x sweep and came up on top (left knee felt ok doing this) and managed to fight some scrambles , knee shield pass, stay heavy and stay on top.
I also rolled with S and had a bit more success with the open guard and getting single leg x position once or twice. I was just happy the knee felt OK and didn't flair up afterwards.
Monday, 7 December 2015
Mon 7th
A. Bench -> build to heavy 5 reps 70/80/85kg x 3
B. Blackburns x 2 rounds 2.5kg plates
C. Walking Lunge 3 x 10/10 20kg dbs
C1. DB Row 3 x 12/12 20kg dbs
C2. KB Shrugs 3 x 12 32kg kbs
D1. Knee Raises 3 x 10
D2. Plate Russian Twist 2 x 10/10 15kg
* I felt a bit tired this morning and took everything a bit light - bailed on the 4th and 5th rep of the bench as I felt my back a tiny bit (nothing afterwards) then at one point I stumbled on a bench walking by and my left knee did a big pop and hasn't been right all day. It feels like the mensicus, a low level pain and a little unstable if I have my foot flush on the floor and turn my knee. I am nervous about it...
Fri 4th / Sat 5th
I did some light upper body rep stuff - Christmas party on Sat night as well (a fair amount of alcohol consumed!) Sunday was a write off!
A. Bench -> build to heavy 5 reps 70/80/85kg x 3
B. Blackburns x 2 rounds 2.5kg plates
C. Walking Lunge 3 x 10/10 20kg dbs
C1. DB Row 3 x 12/12 20kg dbs
C2. KB Shrugs 3 x 12 32kg kbs
D1. Knee Raises 3 x 10
D2. Plate Russian Twist 2 x 10/10 15kg
* I felt a bit tired this morning and took everything a bit light - bailed on the 4th and 5th rep of the bench as I felt my back a tiny bit (nothing afterwards) then at one point I stumbled on a bench walking by and my left knee did a big pop and hasn't been right all day. It feels like the mensicus, a low level pain and a little unstable if I have my foot flush on the floor and turn my knee. I am nervous about it...
Fri 4th / Sat 5th
I did some light upper body rep stuff - Christmas party on Sat night as well (a fair amount of alcohol consumed!) Sunday was a write off!
Friday, 4 December 2015
Thu 3rd Dec
I opted against training in East Coast today. Left me feeling annoyed but my left knee doesn't feel right - it is not sore as such but something feels funky in there - I think it happened after Jesse sprawled on my shin in training in Tuesday and there was a load popping noise (no pain though).
I have been ignoring sleep and diet too - so on a bit of a downward spiral, need to turn it around!
S&C evening
A. Barbell Split Squat 4 x 8/8; 2 min rest 40, 50, 55, 57.5kg
B1. GHR 4 x 6
B2. DB Split Squat 3 x 8/8 (left leg only) 10kg dbs
C1. Goodmorning 3 x 10 20, 30, 30kg
C2. Knee Raises 3 x 10
D. Plate Russian Twist 2 x 10/10 15kg
Left knee felt a bit funny afterwards - especially later in the evening, not sure if it had as much to do with the drop in temperature either.
I opted against training in East Coast today. Left me feeling annoyed but my left knee doesn't feel right - it is not sore as such but something feels funky in there - I think it happened after Jesse sprawled on my shin in training in Tuesday and there was a load popping noise (no pain though).
I have been ignoring sleep and diet too - so on a bit of a downward spiral, need to turn it around!
S&C evening
A. Barbell Split Squat 4 x 8/8; 2 min rest 40, 50, 55, 57.5kg
B1. GHR 4 x 6
B2. DB Split Squat 3 x 8/8 (left leg only) 10kg dbs
C1. Goodmorning 3 x 10 20, 30, 30kg
C2. Knee Raises 3 x 10
D. Plate Russian Twist 2 x 10/10 15kg
Left knee felt a bit funny afterwards - especially later in the evening, not sure if it had as much to do with the drop in temperature either.
Tuesday, 1 December 2015
Just a note to jot down - whenever I am passing against D or S, knee slice with right knee towards their right, I always get pushed forward, I need better posture when passing (like when Roli was over and he was talking about it, Beastie Boys style) and like Norbi, keep shin / weight on opponent, watch head too far forward so that they can kick me over them. Need to explore this more....
Tue 1st - ECJJA
We did 8min blocks of drills - initially starting in closed guard, standing, opening, passing, mounting, opponent sweeps and repeats cycle. Then doing the same from side control.
Darragh was saying he did this in the States with Julian and how it is similar to a boxer and pad man, as your technique improves, go faster - obviously partner needs to give back realistic resistance.
I had a few rounds, both M and S bashed me. I was trying not to resort to strength or anything 50/50 (not that it would have helped!) but I just wasn't at the races at all. With S my passing was non existent, I really need to work on passing a lot more. When I was swept and trying to go to single leg x, I thought I had it but after I thought I countered his foot work, he put all of his weight towards the side I was trying to put my foot on his hip, which seemed to kill my guard and smash me knees together.
Afterwards I asked about this and he was saying to get a cross collar grip and any time I feel my knees coming together - do all I can to keep them away - use the cross collar grip to keep opponents head away, hip back out and reset, even pulling single leg x again after the retreat.
He was saying that I was throwing everything into trying to get that single leg x but I need to be more crafty. The likes of D has developed those abductors over time doing this movement and is strong in these positions too.
Rolling with D I felt I did ok defending but again when I end up in no mans lad, looking for some sort of RDLR guard, he always closes the distance and smashes me - I should retreat and try to force him to my right side. He also got me with the kimura trap when I was in sit up guard - I need to be aware of the arm behind me.
So and so session, I was happy to get the tough rounds in but I just feel like I am a few steps behind the top guys, its a bit frustrating but it is what it is. I have 8 weeks to work hard and improve, if I can do well against these guys, competitions will be easy.
Mon 30th
S&C - SDSC
A. Barbell Row 20 x 10reps (1st 5 = 45kg, 2nd = 50, 3rd = 55, 4th=60kg)
B. Accumulate 50 chins / pullups
C. DB Curls 5/10/15 (heavy/med/light) + 10 ez bar curls x 2 rounds
* fun session but at about 1am I woke up with both forearms going into spasm! I need to up water intake and get more sleep, still feeling a bit burned out
We did 8min blocks of drills - initially starting in closed guard, standing, opening, passing, mounting, opponent sweeps and repeats cycle. Then doing the same from side control.
Darragh was saying he did this in the States with Julian and how it is similar to a boxer and pad man, as your technique improves, go faster - obviously partner needs to give back realistic resistance.
I had a few rounds, both M and S bashed me. I was trying not to resort to strength or anything 50/50 (not that it would have helped!) but I just wasn't at the races at all. With S my passing was non existent, I really need to work on passing a lot more. When I was swept and trying to go to single leg x, I thought I had it but after I thought I countered his foot work, he put all of his weight towards the side I was trying to put my foot on his hip, which seemed to kill my guard and smash me knees together.
Afterwards I asked about this and he was saying to get a cross collar grip and any time I feel my knees coming together - do all I can to keep them away - use the cross collar grip to keep opponents head away, hip back out and reset, even pulling single leg x again after the retreat.
He was saying that I was throwing everything into trying to get that single leg x but I need to be more crafty. The likes of D has developed those abductors over time doing this movement and is strong in these positions too.
Rolling with D I felt I did ok defending but again when I end up in no mans lad, looking for some sort of RDLR guard, he always closes the distance and smashes me - I should retreat and try to force him to my right side. He also got me with the kimura trap when I was in sit up guard - I need to be aware of the arm behind me.
So and so session, I was happy to get the tough rounds in but I just feel like I am a few steps behind the top guys, its a bit frustrating but it is what it is. I have 8 weeks to work hard and improve, if I can do well against these guys, competitions will be easy.
Mon 30th
S&C - SDSC
A. Barbell Row 20 x 10reps (1st 5 = 45kg, 2nd = 50, 3rd = 55, 4th=60kg)
B. Accumulate 50 chins / pullups
C. DB Curls 5/10/15 (heavy/med/light) + 10 ez bar curls x 2 rounds
* fun session but at about 1am I woke up with both forearms going into spasm! I need to up water intake and get more sleep, still feeling a bit burned out
Friday, 27 November 2015
26th Nov - ECJJA
FELT DRAINED TODAY! Diet and sleep has been poor since the Madrid Open and there is probably a come-down of sorts, I just noticed I felt gassed but especially my grip died a death quickly. My knee actually feels ok though, still clunking and clicking but no pain.
We did the loop choke from the toreando pass when opponent turtles to try to go to single leg and also the knee slide pass and roll into kimura trap.
We did some guard passing drills and I was out for a lot but a the very end got passed as I was gassed (annoyed about this). Darragh was talking about being the passer - if someone is in sit up guard and you cant get them onto their back - pass low - as they want to get underneath you get rid of the space underneath you.
I did 5 x 5min rounds, grip was gone afterwards.
FELT DRAINED TODAY! Diet and sleep has been poor since the Madrid Open and there is probably a come-down of sorts, I just noticed I felt gassed but especially my grip died a death quickly. My knee actually feels ok though, still clunking and clicking but no pain.
We did the loop choke from the toreando pass when opponent turtles to try to go to single leg and also the knee slide pass and roll into kimura trap.
We did some guard passing drills and I was out for a lot but a the very end got passed as I was gassed (annoyed about this). Darragh was talking about being the passer - if someone is in sit up guard and you cant get them onto their back - pass low - as they want to get underneath you get rid of the space underneath you.
I did 5 x 5min rounds, grip was gone afterwards.
Wednesday, 25 November 2015
No training today but I just watched this video again, Enrico Cocco v Seph Smith. It looks very similar to the Kimura Trap set up yesterday that we did after the knee slide pass - this one is against a position similar to single leg x. I am just pasting it in here as reminder to try out at some stage...
Tuesday, 24 November 2015
Tue 24th - ECJJA
We did the same drills from last week - DLR to back take, I tried to smoothen the transition where I hook opponents far leg and grab his free leg at the same time.
Then we did 2 techniques -
1. Loop choke from Toreando pass. As you complete Toreando pass and keep chest heavy on opponent (in side control and he tries to come up onto his knees for a single leg) open his jacket and feed lapel to the hand on side that isn't being double legged, other hand loops behind under his armpit behind his head and roll under to set up loop choke - like in the video below
2. Kimura trap from knee slide pass. As above, as you pass, opponent comes up and tries to get single leg - weave (right) arm around and under his arm pit and lock up kimura grip as you roll over his shoulder, get knee inside and go for armbar or take his back.
Very similar movement to the following video...
Did a few rounds - 1 with D, felt like my sit up guard is getting better but he did get my back and I was in trouble fast - got my arm trapped by his legs, need to be tuned in to this happening sooner! Also felt good for 50/50 but need to work on when opponent stands up. Did 2 rounds with Gar, 1st he shut me down in side control, good pressure, although I swept him into his closed guard at the death (was down on points) and second time around I was using my sit up guard again and getting into single leg x frequently. Decent rounds, feel like I am getting sharper - need to work on the 5050 and fine tune things (again, look into when opponent stands and what to do from there)
We did the same drills from last week - DLR to back take, I tried to smoothen the transition where I hook opponents far leg and grab his free leg at the same time.
Then we did 2 techniques -
1. Loop choke from Toreando pass. As you complete Toreando pass and keep chest heavy on opponent (in side control and he tries to come up onto his knees for a single leg) open his jacket and feed lapel to the hand on side that isn't being double legged, other hand loops behind under his armpit behind his head and roll under to set up loop choke - like in the video below
2. Kimura trap from knee slide pass. As above, as you pass, opponent comes up and tries to get single leg - weave (right) arm around and under his arm pit and lock up kimura grip as you roll over his shoulder, get knee inside and go for armbar or take his back.
Very similar movement to the following video...
Did a few rounds - 1 with D, felt like my sit up guard is getting better but he did get my back and I was in trouble fast - got my arm trapped by his legs, need to be tuned in to this happening sooner! Also felt good for 50/50 but need to work on when opponent stands up. Did 2 rounds with Gar, 1st he shut me down in side control, good pressure, although I swept him into his closed guard at the death (was down on points) and second time around I was using my sit up guard again and getting into single leg x frequently. Decent rounds, feel like I am getting sharper - need to work on the 5050 and fine tune things (again, look into when opponent stands and what to do from there)
Monday, 23 November 2015
Sat 21st Nov - Madrid Open 2015
Managed 1st place master 1 medium heavy and bronze in the absolute division, I got caught in a deep armbar so I cut my losses and bailed out on the nogi division (which I somehow ended up 3rd place in). the knee held up ok, clicking and clunking coming out of deep flexion but no real pain. Happy and relieved with the outcome.
I felt relaxed for the most part, a little nervous before the matches but I was able to control my breathing and stay task focused and also managed to tell myself the heavy legs etc. were just an illusion.
Final Medium Heavy...
Quarter Final Absolute division...
I made a silly mistake in the absolute semi final, actually got beaten inside 10 seconds! Just a really stupid mistake when the guy pulled guard, I left my arm out stretched and he took advantage. I was upset as I lost to him in the final last year and was feeling good and looking to redeem myself. Maybe I need to pull my guard first next time and start fast. I probably got too confident and relaxed - I definitely wasn't anxious or nervous, a new departure for me, being over confident!
Definitely feeling the benefits of new team and training partners. I tried to get as much done as possible regarding work, before I left, so that I wouldn't be rushing around and this helped a lot. I kept the food in check and the diet felt good as well, I was happy that I had a lot of the controllables sorted out leading into this.
Managed 1st place master 1 medium heavy and bronze in the absolute division, I got caught in a deep armbar so I cut my losses and bailed out on the nogi division (which I somehow ended up 3rd place in). the knee held up ok, clicking and clunking coming out of deep flexion but no real pain. Happy and relieved with the outcome.
I felt relaxed for the most part, a little nervous before the matches but I was able to control my breathing and stay task focused and also managed to tell myself the heavy legs etc. were just an illusion.
Final Medium Heavy...
Quarter Final Absolute division...
I made a silly mistake in the absolute semi final, actually got beaten inside 10 seconds! Just a really stupid mistake when the guy pulled guard, I left my arm out stretched and he took advantage. I was upset as I lost to him in the final last year and was feeling good and looking to redeem myself. Maybe I need to pull my guard first next time and start fast. I probably got too confident and relaxed - I definitely wasn't anxious or nervous, a new departure for me, being over confident!
Definitely feeling the benefits of new team and training partners. I tried to get as much done as possible regarding work, before I left, so that I wouldn't be rushing around and this helped a lot. I kept the food in check and the diet felt good as well, I was happy that I had a lot of the controllables sorted out leading into this.
Thursday, 19 November 2015
Thu 19th - ECJJA
Enjoyed this session, enjoying bjj generally at the moment, feel like I'm learning every time I'm on the mats.
We did lots of DLR drills - taking the back. -> come up onto elbow (of arm that is on the dlr hook side) grab opponents belt - post outside foot to floor -> this is where I observed Darragh really 'hang' out of opponent as he transitioned to Dlr hook hooking opponents far hip and at same time grabbing that leg so opponent can't back step to defend. Then get second hook in, both hands on opponents belt and sit him down -> get harness FIRST and then hooks.
*If opponent defends (as you grab his belt he stuffs non Dlr leg to go to knee slide pass) -> use inside hook to 'hoosh' him forward, as he steps forward, bring non Dlr leg to his thigh and regain DLR guard -> from here you can got to the back as per first technique. (I noticed that the opponents foot on the Dlr side was off the floor when Darragh was unbalancing opponent)
** Also on the above, Darragh was showing when if you off balance opponent and he drops to his knee (again, on the DLR side, his foot is off the floor) you can underhook the leg which he has the knee on the floor and go to waiter sweep, or x guard or 50/50. (drill this after Madrid Open!)
I had a good roll with D. I managed to get to single leg x and off balance him there by kicking him over me but as he said, after that sweep I just stopped - I need to keep moving forward and attacking. I felt pretty good in defence and playing single leg x. When he began to knee slide pass on his side, I just trapped his leg and held on -> afterwards he was saying I should have come onto my bottom elbow, make space with a frame with my top forearm, move back and bring my top knee inside to regain guard. I was just prolonging the inevitable, need to make space and then reset and play guard again.
* Knee popped a few times - didn't feel sore but Jesse stopped at one stage to ask if I was ok. I could feel it for the rest of the day and the back is very tight this evening...
Enjoyed this session, enjoying bjj generally at the moment, feel like I'm learning every time I'm on the mats.
We did lots of DLR drills - taking the back. -> come up onto elbow (of arm that is on the dlr hook side) grab opponents belt - post outside foot to floor -> this is where I observed Darragh really 'hang' out of opponent as he transitioned to Dlr hook hooking opponents far hip and at same time grabbing that leg so opponent can't back step to defend. Then get second hook in, both hands on opponents belt and sit him down -> get harness FIRST and then hooks.
*If opponent defends (as you grab his belt he stuffs non Dlr leg to go to knee slide pass) -> use inside hook to 'hoosh' him forward, as he steps forward, bring non Dlr leg to his thigh and regain DLR guard -> from here you can got to the back as per first technique. (I noticed that the opponents foot on the Dlr side was off the floor when Darragh was unbalancing opponent)
** Also on the above, Darragh was showing when if you off balance opponent and he drops to his knee (again, on the DLR side, his foot is off the floor) you can underhook the leg which he has the knee on the floor and go to waiter sweep, or x guard or 50/50. (drill this after Madrid Open!)
I had a good roll with D. I managed to get to single leg x and off balance him there by kicking him over me but as he said, after that sweep I just stopped - I need to keep moving forward and attacking. I felt pretty good in defence and playing single leg x. When he began to knee slide pass on his side, I just trapped his leg and held on -> afterwards he was saying I should have come onto my bottom elbow, make space with a frame with my top forearm, move back and bring my top knee inside to regain guard. I was just prolonging the inevitable, need to make space and then reset and play guard again.
* Knee popped a few times - didn't feel sore but Jesse stopped at one stage to ask if I was ok. I could feel it for the rest of the day and the back is very tight this evening...
Wednesday, 18 November 2015
Tuesday, 17 November 2015
Tue 17th - ECJJA
We looked at 2 guard passes against knee shield - weave and squash (?)
A tonne of nuggets in todays session!
First big thing was the footwork when passing - keep the knee on the floor, 'windshield wiper' over opponents bottom leg, he shouldn't be able to stop it.
Pass 1: When going for the leg weave pass make sure to flatten opponents knee shield and then 'sprawl' onto his hip, as you turn hips slightly in the direction his knees are pointing, do the windshield wiper step over this leg - as you pass, push the crown of your head into his shoulder and stretch his leg back with your grip to flatten him out.
As you do this pass, you can hop over his legs to the back.
Even when passing you can do this windshield wiper step to clear the opponents bottom leg, makes guard much easier to pass.
When passing half guard / knee shield, make sure to trap his bottom leg so that he can't regain guard / closed guard. If passing on knees, bring your free leg up into his hip armpit and keep it tight so he can't get his leg out.
Pass 2: If opponent has his knee shield vertical and you can't stuff it, your arm on that side traps his shin and grabs his belt or pants, squash his shin so he can't extend that leg. Other arm grabs opponents pants (be careful of kimura) and stuff this between legs and go for over-under pass.
I was having some success with these passes when rolling. Mentally I felt good rolling today, felt confident passing and I was making sure to try the above passes (getting some success - especially the over under pass, need to practice and drill these a lot!)
Some ideas...
I rolled with D - I avoided spiral armbars but got caught with standard armbar! He was passing on my left side (his favourite side) I need to keep him away more when I am in RDLR guard, I resetted well a couple of times but when he passed I completely capitulated.
Left knee held up ok aside from some clunking noises in deep flexion
Sun 15th
A. Airdyne 5 x 20sec @97%; 3min rest 13/14/12/13/12 cals
B. Battlerope 5 x 20sec @95%; 3min rest
C. Row 10 x 30sec on / off
Sat 14th
A. Barbell Split Squat 3 x 8/8; 2min rest 50kg + chains
B1. GHR 4 x 6
B2. DB Bulgarian Split Squat 3 x 8/8 left leg only 10kg dbs
C1. Knee Raises 2 x 10
C2. Abwheel Rollouts 2 x 10
C3. Russian Twists 2 x 10/10 15kg
C4. KB Side Bends 2 x 10/10 28kg
Friday, 13 November 2015
Fri 13th Nov
SDSC - some hypertrophy work, woke up a little sore this morning (neck and right elbow) so I wanted to do low CNS work in the gym and get the blood flowing...
A1. DB Shoulder Press 3 x 10; 1min rest 22.5,20,20kg dbs
A2. Barbell Curls 3 x 10; 1min rest 32.5kgs
B1. Prone Incline Flys 3 x 10; 1min rest 6kgs
B2. Skullcrushers 3 x 12; 1min rest 20+bar, 25+bar, 25+bar
C1. DB Lat Raise 3 x 10; 1min rest 8kgs
C2. DB Hammer Curls 3 x 10 15kgs
D1. Band Pushdowns x 40,30,25
D2. DB Shrugs 3 x 12; 45kg dbs
Thu 12th - ECJJA
We looked at passing DLR guard - I noticed when Darragh steps over the non DLR leg and gets his hip heavy on opponents shin, the inside of that leg is on the floor, to get hip lower. He said you could also squat onto opponents shin and this may suit me better due to poor flexibility!
The counter to this pass is as soon as the guy steps over yoru foot, use this foot behind his knee to kcik him over you so he steps forward - unlike the video here where he transitions into x-guard, on the bottom you can work straight into the technical stand up sweep
To counter this counter (when you are the guy on top), as the guy is bringing your leg onto his shoulder to go to x-guard, do a 'disco' step right over his head and 'slide' on his thigh into side control and go for the under hook straight away too.
Rollling went so-and-so, 5x5 min rounds. I rolled with Sam and he mauled me pretty much, very heavy mount. I need to be better at passing guard, string passes together - I had a small window to pass when going for the over under pass but he got his foot on my shoulder - need to get lower.
With Darragh I am running into problems when he is doing a knee slide pass versus my weak RDLR - I need to frame more and keep him away from me as he is passing - I must study the Ryan Hall guard stuff more. I'm embedding the below video to remind me to watch it! ...
SDSC - some hypertrophy work, woke up a little sore this morning (neck and right elbow) so I wanted to do low CNS work in the gym and get the blood flowing...
A1. DB Shoulder Press 3 x 10; 1min rest 22.5,20,20kg dbs
A2. Barbell Curls 3 x 10; 1min rest 32.5kgs
B1. Prone Incline Flys 3 x 10; 1min rest 6kgs
B2. Skullcrushers 3 x 12; 1min rest 20+bar, 25+bar, 25+bar
C1. DB Lat Raise 3 x 10; 1min rest 8kgs
C2. DB Hammer Curls 3 x 10 15kgs
D1. Band Pushdowns x 40,30,25
D2. DB Shrugs 3 x 12; 45kg dbs
Thu 12th - ECJJA
We looked at passing DLR guard - I noticed when Darragh steps over the non DLR leg and gets his hip heavy on opponents shin, the inside of that leg is on the floor, to get hip lower. He said you could also squat onto opponents shin and this may suit me better due to poor flexibility!
The counter to this pass is as soon as the guy steps over yoru foot, use this foot behind his knee to kcik him over you so he steps forward - unlike the video here where he transitions into x-guard, on the bottom you can work straight into the technical stand up sweep
To counter this counter (when you are the guy on top), as the guy is bringing your leg onto his shoulder to go to x-guard, do a 'disco' step right over his head and 'slide' on his thigh into side control and go for the under hook straight away too.
Rollling went so-and-so, 5x5 min rounds. I rolled with Sam and he mauled me pretty much, very heavy mount. I need to be better at passing guard, string passes together - I had a small window to pass when going for the over under pass but he got his foot on my shoulder - need to get lower.
With Darragh I am running into problems when he is doing a knee slide pass versus my weak RDLR - I need to frame more and keep him away from me as he is passing - I must study the Ryan Hall guard stuff more. I'm embedding the below video to remind me to watch it! ...
Tuesday, 10 November 2015
Tue 10th Nov
ECJJA. Did some guard passing drills - basic stuff from DLR (stuff I need to work on!). Then we did 3 x 5min round of guard passing drills which was tough and then 5x5min rounds.
I felt like I was getting better in the rounds but Tom from Fergal's bashed me - I was annoyed as I was just 'off' and too passive. He got shin on shin and kept getting me into single leg x. He would go straight for toe holds from here an put the pressure on - something I need to do but also need to stop the shin on shin a hell of a lot earlier. Same when he mounted me, I basically gave up! I didn't get too bogged down by it afterwards as I am still only getting back into it but I need to be more aggressive, even when tired!
* Knee was clicking and clunking a bit but no real pain going on. Felt a little slow in a few scrambles but that is 2 days of hard rounds and it hasn't gotten worse.
Mon 9th Nov
Trained at East Coast Bray. Did some drills with Adam and then a couple of roudns (3 x 6mins)
Got a good roll under single leg x sweep on Adam and just felt a good low in those rolls. Rolled with Darragh and he put the heat on, it was good, afterwards he said he felt my defence was getting stronger and that I am improving in ways that I probably amn't aware of.
* Afterwards my knee felt a bit off - at the gym in the evening I stepped over something and there was a big 'clunk', it was a bit unnerving but no pain. I stretched a bit when I got home that evening.
ECJJA. Did some guard passing drills - basic stuff from DLR (stuff I need to work on!). Then we did 3 x 5min round of guard passing drills which was tough and then 5x5min rounds.
I felt like I was getting better in the rounds but Tom from Fergal's bashed me - I was annoyed as I was just 'off' and too passive. He got shin on shin and kept getting me into single leg x. He would go straight for toe holds from here an put the pressure on - something I need to do but also need to stop the shin on shin a hell of a lot earlier. Same when he mounted me, I basically gave up! I didn't get too bogged down by it afterwards as I am still only getting back into it but I need to be more aggressive, even when tired!
* Knee was clicking and clunking a bit but no real pain going on. Felt a little slow in a few scrambles but that is 2 days of hard rounds and it hasn't gotten worse.
Mon 9th Nov
Trained at East Coast Bray. Did some drills with Adam and then a couple of roudns (3 x 6mins)
Got a good roll under single leg x sweep on Adam and just felt a good low in those rolls. Rolled with Darragh and he put the heat on, it was good, afterwards he said he felt my defence was getting stronger and that I am improving in ways that I probably amn't aware of.
* Afterwards my knee felt a bit off - at the gym in the evening I stepped over something and there was a big 'clunk', it was a bit unnerving but no pain. I stretched a bit when I got home that evening.
Sunday, 8 November 2015
Sun 8th Nov
A. Airdyne 5 x 20sec; 3:40rest @95%
14/13/13/11/13cals
B. Battle Rope 5 x 20sec; 3:40rest @90%
C. Row 8 x 30sec; 30sec rest @80%
144/141/141/140/142/146/142/143
D. Wrist flexion / extension 3 x 10/10
Sat 7th Nov
warmup/prehab: glute walks, band hip extensions
A. Barbell Split Squats (w. chains) 4 x 8/8; 2min rest 50kg+chains
B1. GHR 4 x 6
B2. Bulgarian Split Squat 3 x 8 (left leg only) 10kg dbs
C1. Knee Raises 2 x 10
C2. AB Wheel Rollouts 2 x 10
C3. Plate Russian Twists 2 x 10/10 15kg plate
C4. KB Sidebends 2 x 10/10 28kg kb
D. DB Incline Curls 3 x 10; 90sec rest 15kg dbs
A. Airdyne 5 x 20sec; 3:40rest @95%
14/13/13/11/13cals
B. Battle Rope 5 x 20sec; 3:40rest @90%
C. Row 8 x 30sec; 30sec rest @80%
144/141/141/140/142/146/142/143
D. Wrist flexion / extension 3 x 10/10
Sat 7th Nov
warmup/prehab: glute walks, band hip extensions
A. Barbell Split Squats (w. chains) 4 x 8/8; 2min rest 50kg+chains
B1. GHR 4 x 6
B2. Bulgarian Split Squat 3 x 8 (left leg only) 10kg dbs
C1. Knee Raises 2 x 10
C2. AB Wheel Rollouts 2 x 10
C3. Plate Russian Twists 2 x 10/10 15kg plate
C4. KB Sidebends 2 x 10/10 28kg kb
D. DB Incline Curls 3 x 10; 90sec rest 15kg dbs
Saturday, 7 November 2015
Fri 6th Nov
pretty much a beach muscle session, tired today so I didn't get a lot done!
A1. DB Press 3 x 10; 20kg dbs
A2. Barbell Curls 3 x 10 32.5kg
B1. Skullcrushers 3 x 10 30kg+ezbar
B2. Lat Raise 3 x 10; 8kg dbs
C1. Band Pushdowns 3 x 25
C2. DB Hammer Curls 3 x 10; 17.5, 17.5, 15kg dbs
Thu 5th ECJJA
Worked on mount attacks - mounted triangles. Did 3 7 min rounds - knee felt OK. I am getting some of my timing back but need to be more 'energetic' rolling, passing guard - string attacks together.
Need to re-jog my memory on 5050 attacks when opponent stands up (obviously make sure he doesn't stand up first!)
* Went to Alex after East Coast. He worked on the inside of my left thigh / vmo and then did acupuncture. He is happy with my range, reckons the mcl is '90% there'. Feels Madrid is maybe a little premature but still a good test to see where I'm at. I will go back to him the week before hand.
pretty much a beach muscle session, tired today so I didn't get a lot done!
A1. DB Press 3 x 10; 20kg dbs
A2. Barbell Curls 3 x 10 32.5kg
B1. Skullcrushers 3 x 10 30kg+ezbar
B2. Lat Raise 3 x 10; 8kg dbs
C1. Band Pushdowns 3 x 25
C2. DB Hammer Curls 3 x 10; 17.5, 17.5, 15kg dbs
Thu 5th ECJJA
Worked on mount attacks - mounted triangles. Did 3 7 min rounds - knee felt OK. I am getting some of my timing back but need to be more 'energetic' rolling, passing guard - string attacks together.
Need to re-jog my memory on 5050 attacks when opponent stands up (obviously make sure he doesn't stand up first!)
* Went to Alex after East Coast. He worked on the inside of my left thigh / vmo and then did acupuncture. He is happy with my range, reckons the mcl is '90% there'. Feels Madrid is maybe a little premature but still a good test to see where I'm at. I will go back to him the week before hand.
Tuesday, 3 November 2015
ECJJA
Did mount attack drills, nice details - trying to work on counterbalancing my weight away from my 'trapped' / choking arm. As Darragh said, in context mount drills are 'easy' to defend, the guy on bottom is full of energy, in a real round there are steps to get there, he is tired, demoralised, being dominated, he is easier to beat. It is hard to replicate this in drilling.
Having said that (!) Darragh caught me with a couple of nice spiral armbars from mount, as I was defending, he would attack the other arm, really nice stuff. Constantly stringing attacks together.
I had 3 7min rounds, felt tired today, didn't eat much before hand, maybe it was this. I was having a lot of success with the crosscollar / DLR grip I saw on the below breakdown recently and was able to get to single leg x and even get the ankle pick (nearly fell into a triangle though!!) Gonna work on this guard more.
* left knee felt a bit tender afterwards, I had to rush into work so I didn't get a chance to ice it, I'll stretch and ice and try to get to bed early.
Having said that (!) Darragh caught me with a couple of nice spiral armbars from mount, as I was defending, he would attack the other arm, really nice stuff. Constantly stringing attacks together.
I had 3 7min rounds, felt tired today, didn't eat much before hand, maybe it was this. I was having a lot of success with the crosscollar / DLR grip I saw on the below breakdown recently and was able to get to single leg x and even get the ankle pick (nearly fell into a triangle though!!) Gonna work on this guard more.
* left knee felt a bit tender afterwards, I had to rush into work so I didn't get a chance to ice it, I'll stretch and ice and try to get to bed early.
Monday, 2 November 2015
Anaerobic Alactic Endurance :(
I have Madrid in mind so this needs to be done...
A. Airdyne 5 x 20sec @95%+ ; 3:40rest 14/13/13/13/12 cals
*5min rest*
B. Airdyne 5 x 20sec @95%+ ; 3:40rest 12/12/12/12/13 cals
*5min rest*
I found that walking around during my recovery made my legs hurt less than just sitting down. Left shoulder felt a bit 'impinged' - keep an eye on this!
A. Airdyne 5 x 20sec @95%+ ; 3:40rest 14/13/13/13/12 cals
*5min rest*
B. Airdyne 5 x 20sec @95%+ ; 3:40rest 12/12/12/12/13 cals
*5min rest*
I found that walking around during my recovery made my legs hurt less than just sitting down. Left shoulder felt a bit 'impinged' - keep an eye on this!
Saturday, 31 October 2015
SDSC
Sat 31st Oct
A. KB Floor Press -> Get Up -> Seated Press 5 x 5; 1min rest 12kg kbs
B. Barbell Row 20 x 10reps; 1min rest 40kg for first 10, 45 for next 5, 47.5kg for last 5reps
C. Chins accumulate 50reps mixed grip around 12 mins
D. Barbell Curls 3 x 12 25kg
Just wanted to try something different for the rows, low mental effort, felt good, probably could have started heavier
A. KB Floor Press -> Get Up -> Seated Press 5 x 5; 1min rest 12kg kbs
B. Barbell Row 20 x 10reps; 1min rest 40kg for first 10, 45 for next 5, 47.5kg for last 5reps
C. Chins accumulate 50reps mixed grip around 12 mins
D. Barbell Curls 3 x 12 25kg
Just wanted to try something different for the rows, low mental effort, felt good, probably could have started heavier
Friday, 30 October 2015
S&C SDSC
Fri 30th Oct
Did some glute band walks, glute bridges and some balance work on the wobble board to warm up (definitely feel balance improving, can squat fully on board now)
A. Split Squats (w chains) 4 x 8/8; 2min rest 50kg + 30kg chains
B1. GHR 4 x 6; 1min rest
B2. Bulgarian Split Squats 3 x 8/8 (left leg only); 1min rest 10kg dbs
C1. Knee Raises 3 x 10
C2. Ab wheel rollouts 3 x 10 (on knees)
C3. Plate Russian Twist 3 x 10/10 15kg
C4. KB Side Bends 3 x 10/10 28kg kb
trained on my own, Friday night, EVERYTHING felt tough!! A was a serious grind, felt dizzy after the 3rd set! Abs spasmed after second set of Russian Twists too, not sure why everything felt so difficult, happy to have gotten that one done!
Did some glute band walks, glute bridges and some balance work on the wobble board to warm up (definitely feel balance improving, can squat fully on board now)
A. Split Squats (w chains) 4 x 8/8; 2min rest 50kg + 30kg chains
B1. GHR 4 x 6; 1min rest
B2. Bulgarian Split Squats 3 x 8/8 (left leg only); 1min rest 10kg dbs
C1. Knee Raises 3 x 10
C2. Ab wheel rollouts 3 x 10 (on knees)
C3. Plate Russian Twist 3 x 10/10 15kg
C4. KB Side Bends 3 x 10/10 28kg kb
trained on my own, Friday night, EVERYTHING felt tough!! A was a serious grind, felt dizzy after the 3rd set! Abs spasmed after second set of Russian Twists too, not sure why everything felt so difficult, happy to have gotten that one done!
Thursday, 29 October 2015
BJJ East Coast
Thu 29th
East Coast BJJ - 1.5hours
Working on the takedowns from Tuesdays session, about 20mins of arm drag takedowns then from there we did 5 7min rounds of rolling. The knee felt ok and fitness is improving but what can I expect after 4 months off??
I rolled with James and got myself into an omoplata position and I forgot the roll Norbi showed me - must look back over this! Rolled with Marko and he pretty much shut me down in side control - need to look back over the lapel escape Norbi showed me ALSO not fucking concede position so early!! Rolled with Ariel, I was happy with the ability to get to single leg x, I fucked up against Marko, as I used the single leg X to footlock position to come up on top I gave my back and ended up in a scramble where I ended up on bottom - as I come up, DO NOT let go of his leg I was attacking, that way he cant go to my back.
* An observation of my self talk - when in trouble against Marko was I was thinking not to register for Madrid, mind wandered totally. When I was against Darragh on Tuesday I was just thinking of the immediate tasks to improve my position. Should be looking to go to half and then deep half etc.
I was happy the left knee held up to the 5 7min rounds, it felt a bit clunky in deep flexion but no pain. It was a little 'hot' afterwards but not really painful in anyway - shoulders and elbows feel sore already though!!!
Wed 28th
No training at all - not much of anything really -should have put at least 30mins aside of stretching or yoga. Just by writing this I am hoping to make myself more accountable.
East Coast BJJ - 1.5hours
Working on the takedowns from Tuesdays session, about 20mins of arm drag takedowns then from there we did 5 7min rounds of rolling. The knee felt ok and fitness is improving but what can I expect after 4 months off??
I rolled with James and got myself into an omoplata position and I forgot the roll Norbi showed me - must look back over this! Rolled with Marko and he pretty much shut me down in side control - need to look back over the lapel escape Norbi showed me ALSO not fucking concede position so early!! Rolled with Ariel, I was happy with the ability to get to single leg x, I fucked up against Marko, as I used the single leg X to footlock position to come up on top I gave my back and ended up in a scramble where I ended up on bottom - as I come up, DO NOT let go of his leg I was attacking, that way he cant go to my back.
* An observation of my self talk - when in trouble against Marko was I was thinking not to register for Madrid, mind wandered totally. When I was against Darragh on Tuesday I was just thinking of the immediate tasks to improve my position. Should be looking to go to half and then deep half etc.
I was happy the left knee held up to the 5 7min rounds, it felt a bit clunky in deep flexion but no pain. It was a little 'hot' afterwards but not really painful in anyway - shoulders and elbows feel sore already though!!!
Wed 28th
No training at all - not much of anything really -should have put at least 30mins aside of stretching or yoga. Just by writing this I am hoping to make myself more accountable.
Tuesday, 27 October 2015
BJJ East Coast
BJJ ECJJA am class
Tentatively writing this, the knee held up so far :)
We did some take down drills (badly needed for me!) Lots of arm drags
Tentatively writing this, the knee held up so far :)
We did some take down drills (badly needed for me!) Lots of arm drags
- Arm drag to trip / single leg
- Arm drag to ko uchi gari takedown
- 'No gi' arm drag when opponent posts on your shoulder (do the wax off Mr. Miagi and then the above takedowns)
I did 4 rounds and bar catching my big toe, my left knee felt ok. I rolled with Arbo, got some nice RDLR sweeps. Rolled with Jesse, got an arm drag takedown and toe hold and breadcutter choke. Rolled with Lyndsey and got an arm drag take down. Rolled with Darragh and got crushed - he went for the safada and I caught a guillotine grip - I stayed too tall and pulled guard - I should have sprawled back and then went for the guillotine (have more confidence!!) I was trying active posting when trying to pass but over committed and he got under me and it was all down hill from there. Happy the knee held up and enjoyed it.
Monday, 26 October 2015
Mon 26th Oct
I had planned a session but then some members came into the gym early so I just ended up playing around a bit...
A. Handstand hold practice
B. Pushup Ladder 10-1
C1. Standing Press 3 x 10 30kg
C2. Muscle Snatch 3 x 5 30kg
D. Pullup Practice
E. Core 2 rounds ->
Knee Raises x 10 / Ab Wheel Roll Outs x 10 / Plate Russian Twists x 12 each side / Side Bends x 15 each side
Sat 24th Oct
Glute walks / banded glute bridges
handstand practice
A. Banded RDL 4 x 6 80/90/110/120
B1. Walking Lunge 3 x 10/10 20kg db's
B2. Chins 3 x 10
C1. Barbell Row 3 x 10
C2. Glute Ham Raises 3 x 6
D. Curls x 20,20,10 empty bar
Fri 23rd Oct
A. Bench -> build up to heavy 5 reps 70,80,85,90kg
B. Close Grip Bench 3 x 10 50kg + chains, 50kg + chains, 50kg
C1. EZ Bar Curls + chains 3 x 12
C2. DB Shrugs 45kg dbs
C3. Bandpushdowns x 3 sets 25,25,50
I had planned a session but then some members came into the gym early so I just ended up playing around a bit...
A. Handstand hold practice
B. Pushup Ladder 10-1
C1. Standing Press 3 x 10 30kg
C2. Muscle Snatch 3 x 5 30kg
D. Pullup Practice
E. Core 2 rounds ->
Knee Raises x 10 / Ab Wheel Roll Outs x 10 / Plate Russian Twists x 12 each side / Side Bends x 15 each side
Sat 24th Oct
Glute walks / banded glute bridges
handstand practice
A. Banded RDL 4 x 6 80/90/110/120
B1. Walking Lunge 3 x 10/10 20kg db's
B2. Chins 3 x 10
C1. Barbell Row 3 x 10
C2. Glute Ham Raises 3 x 6
D. Curls x 20,20,10 empty bar
Fri 23rd Oct
A. Bench -> build up to heavy 5 reps 70,80,85,90kg
B. Close Grip Bench 3 x 10 50kg + chains, 50kg + chains, 50kg
C1. EZ Bar Curls + chains 3 x 12
C2. DB Shrugs 45kg dbs
C3. Bandpushdowns x 3 sets 25,25,50
Friday, 23 October 2015
Thu 22nd Oct
(another tentative comeback!!)
East Coast - am, technique and drills
Back to basics - some pointers...
Low Mount - low posture, counter balance weight w/ free hand, big toes touching (keep feet under opponent)
High Mount - high posture, feet glued on opponents hips
* If feet end up under opponent in high mount -> go back to low mount
(another tentative comeback!!)
East Coast - am, technique and drills
- Pummelling drills - 30sec easy / 30sec fight
- Leg pummelling drills
- Then mount drills 1 min on top / 1 min on bottom, - felt good here, was able to sweep and hold position.
Back to basics - some pointers...
Low Mount - low posture, counter balance weight w/ free hand, big toes touching (keep feet under opponent)
High Mount - high posture, feet glued on opponents hips
* If feet end up under opponent in high mount -> go back to low mount
Thursday, 22 October 2015
Wed 21st Oct
band walks, banded glute bridges, hip mobs (barbell step overs)
A1. VMO Squats 3 x 12
A2. Glute Ham Raises 3 x 6
B1. Chins 4 x 8 (pullups x 3, parallel grip x 1, chins x 1)
B2. Prone Flys 4 x 8 6kg
C. Shoulder Shocker
D. Plate Russian Twist 2 x 10/10 15kg
*did the first set of squats with 10kg db but me knee was clunking at bottom position (turning my left foot out more helped stop this) got a bit tender so I just did bodyweight for second two sets. Later in the evening my knee felt a bit sore - at the back of knee, like a few months ago - maybe knock these squats on the head for a bit
Tue 20th
Was meant to do some bjj today but with some of the A&E symptoms coming back I decided to give it a miss - sleep is not great and I will really have to address this going forward and helping with recovery.
band walks, banded glute bridges, hip mobs (barbell step overs)
A1. VMO Squats 3 x 12
A2. Glute Ham Raises 3 x 6
B1. Chins 4 x 8 (pullups x 3, parallel grip x 1, chins x 1)
B2. Prone Flys 4 x 8 6kg
C. Shoulder Shocker
D. Plate Russian Twist 2 x 10/10 15kg
*did the first set of squats with 10kg db but me knee was clunking at bottom position (turning my left foot out more helped stop this) got a bit tender so I just did bodyweight for second two sets. Later in the evening my knee felt a bit sore - at the back of knee, like a few months ago - maybe knock these squats on the head for a bit
Tue 20th
Was meant to do some bjj today but with some of the A&E symptoms coming back I decided to give it a miss - sleep is not great and I will really have to address this going forward and helping with recovery.
Tuesday, 20 October 2015
Mon 19th Oct
I did about 30minutes of stretching in the AM to loosen out after all the sitting in the car all weekend (driving to Ballina with Jason to see the girls at the Push Pull Championships)
Then I did 3 x 10 bodyweight variation of cyclist squats - heels together and on a plate, knees out to the side. At first the left knee felt a it clunky in deep flexion but no real pain or discomfort. As I warmed up there was less of this going on, I will incorporate these into my training for a bit and see how it goes.
** Also in the evening I started to get some symptoms of what had me in A&E earlier in the year, so I may give BJJ a miss tomorrow and just look to rest for a day or two.
Sun 18th Oct
A. Chain Barbell Split Squats 4 x 8/8 48kg + chains
B1. DB Seated Press 3 x 10 20kg
B2. Barbell Curls 3 x 10 30, 32.5, 32.5kg
C1. DB Lat Raise 3 x 10 10,8,8kg
C2. Skull Crushers 3 x 10 30kg + bar
C1. Band Pushdowns 3 x 20
C2. Hammer Curls 3 x 10 17.5, 15, 15kg
Fun workout - arms and shoulders were SMOKED afterwards
Fri 16th
Went to Alex and he reckons I can do one light BJJ session next week and all going well, 2 the following and try to build back up again! Also he measured both legs and the left is now 1/8th smaller than the right, so were getting there.
PM -
A. Bench 10 -> 1 70kg
* in between each set do 10 barbell rows 50kg
fun workout , serious chest doms afterwards!
I did about 30minutes of stretching in the AM to loosen out after all the sitting in the car all weekend (driving to Ballina with Jason to see the girls at the Push Pull Championships)
Then I did 3 x 10 bodyweight variation of cyclist squats - heels together and on a plate, knees out to the side. At first the left knee felt a it clunky in deep flexion but no real pain or discomfort. As I warmed up there was less of this going on, I will incorporate these into my training for a bit and see how it goes.
** Also in the evening I started to get some symptoms of what had me in A&E earlier in the year, so I may give BJJ a miss tomorrow and just look to rest for a day or two.
Sun 18th Oct
A. Chain Barbell Split Squats 4 x 8/8 48kg + chains
B1. DB Seated Press 3 x 10 20kg
B2. Barbell Curls 3 x 10 30, 32.5, 32.5kg
C1. DB Lat Raise 3 x 10 10,8,8kg
C2. Skull Crushers 3 x 10 30kg + bar
C1. Band Pushdowns 3 x 20
C2. Hammer Curls 3 x 10 17.5, 15, 15kg
Fun workout - arms and shoulders were SMOKED afterwards
Fri 16th
Went to Alex and he reckons I can do one light BJJ session next week and all going well, 2 the following and try to build back up again! Also he measured both legs and the left is now 1/8th smaller than the right, so were getting there.
PM -
A. Bench 10 -> 1 70kg
* in between each set do 10 barbell rows 50kg
fun workout , serious chest doms afterwards!
Monday, 12 October 2015
Oct 12th
Early morning session after client...
* walked to and from work (10k total) knee felt fine
Did some yoga poses to get started 1min each - deep squat (feeling less pressure on my back, posture still sucks) / Standing splits/ Forward Fold / Hip Flexor stretches (back knee off floor, cant get elbow to touch hte ground, did last week!)
A. Barbell Split Squats 4 x 8each leg 40,45,50,50kg *did a couple of extra reps on left side
B1. Glute Ham Raise 3 x 6 (felt these after the GHRs on Saturday)
B2. DB Lat Raise 3 x 10 8kg
C. DB Calf Raise 2 x 12/12 12.5kg
D1. Plate Russian Twist 2 x 10/10 15kg
D2. Plank 2 x 30sec
Very low intensity session, arm is still recovering from the tattoo. Left knee is feeling better under load - felt better (less sore, more stable) doing some trampoline work and wobble board stuff too
Early morning session after client...
* walked to and from work (10k total) knee felt fine
Did some yoga poses to get started 1min each - deep squat (feeling less pressure on my back, posture still sucks) / Standing splits/ Forward Fold / Hip Flexor stretches (back knee off floor, cant get elbow to touch hte ground, did last week!)
A. Barbell Split Squats 4 x 8each leg 40,45,50,50kg *did a couple of extra reps on left side
B1. Glute Ham Raise 3 x 6 (felt these after the GHRs on Saturday)
B2. DB Lat Raise 3 x 10 8kg
C. DB Calf Raise 2 x 12/12 12.5kg
D1. Plate Russian Twist 2 x 10/10 15kg
D2. Plank 2 x 30sec
Very low intensity session, arm is still recovering from the tattoo. Left knee is feeling better under load - felt better (less sore, more stable) doing some trampoline work and wobble board stuff too
Sunday, 11 October 2015
September - October 2014
Sat 10th Oct (84kg first thing in the am)
band glute walks and band glute bridges to start
A. RDL 4 x 6; 2min rest (80,100,100,100kg)
B. Walking Lunge 4 x 10 each leg; 2min rest 20kg dbs
(did 3 sets of 10 Bulgarian split squats on left leg w 10kg)
C. Glute Ham Raise 3 x 10
The above is a pic of my legs - the left around the time of the comp in July / Aug. I was horrified when I stopped to look at my leg one day and see how small the left leg had become. I have just been doing single leg work since, peterson steps initially and then Bulgarian split squats, walking lunges with a few extra sets / reps on the left leg. I can still feel the left glute not firing as well as the right.
On the left pic I did not have much range (couldn't sit on my heels and especially not without pain). On the right I have full knee flexion and extension. It feels a little swollen / stiff at times after stretching but no sharp pain that I was getting initially. I am still not training BJJ yet.
Supplementation - I have increased BCAA intake and sipping 2 litres of water + Peptopro throughout the day and also taking GLC2000.
Wed 7th Oct
Fresh ink, so less training again this week. Sleep has been terrible, so it is no bad thing.
In Zen Buddhism, an ensō is a circle that is hand-drawn in one or two uninhibited brushstrokes to express a moment when the mind is free to let the body create.
The ensō symbolizes absolute enlightenment, strength, elegance, the universe, and mu (the void). It is characterised by a minimalism born of Japanese aesthetics.
Drawing ensō is a disciplined-creative practice of Japanese ink painting—sumi-e . The tools and mechanics of drawing the ensō are the same as those used in traditional Japanese calligraphy: One uses a brush (筆 fudé?) to apply ink to washi (a thin Japanese paper).
The circle may be open or closed. In the former case the circle is incomplete, allowing for movement and development as well as the perfection of all things. Zen practitioners relate the idea to wabi sari, the beauty of imperfection. When the circle is closed, it represents perfection, akin to Plato's perfect form (Plato), the reason why the circle was used for centuries in the construction of cosmological models, see Ptolemy.
Usually a person draws the ensō in one fluid, expressive stroke.[1] When drawn according to the sōsho style of Japanese calligraphy, the brushstroke is especially swift. Once the ensō is drawn, one does not change it. It evidences the character of its creator and the context of its creation in a brief, contiguous period of time. Drawing ensō is a spiritual practice that one might perform as often as once per day.
Mon 5th Oct
I did some trampoline work initially as per Alex's recommendation. The knee didn't feel great doing it - almost like landing bone on bone (almost reminded me of some of the sensations I experienced after the mcl reconstruction)
A1. RDL 4 x 8 100, 90,90,90
A2. DB Bench 4 x 12 27.5kg
B1. DB Walking Lunge 4 x 10/10 20kg dbs
B2. Chins 4 x 8
Wed 30th Sep
I have been doing more hypertrophy style work during the injury and it has given my joints a chance to heal somewhat, I'm enjoying not being completely beaten up after training too. It brings back something Dan John said about the importance of hypertrophy for the 'older' athlete. This training plus the lack of conditioning through rolling has seen my weight hit an all time high of 85kg. Did has not been perfect by any means lately but the fact I did no resistance training for the first half of 2015 I would be certain that not ALL of the weight gain is fat! I am still undecided if I will make the permanent move to medium heavy when I return to competitions - I think a contributing factor to being injured has been under eating so I may well look to put on some size and stay up there, I am probably feeling better for it now truth being told....
Some German Body Composition style training (fun!)...
A1. DB Shoulder Press 3 x 10 20kgs
A2. Barbell Curls 3 x 10 32.5kgs
B1. Prone Incline Flyes 3 x 10 6kgs
B2. Skull Crushers 3 x 10 28, 30.5, 33kg
C1. DB Lat Raise 3 x 10 10,10, 8kg
C2. Hammer Curls 3 x 10 17.5kgs
D1. Band Pushdowns 3 x max (45, 25, 20)
D2. KB Shrugs 3 x 10 32kgs
band glute walks and band glute bridges to start
A. RDL 4 x 6; 2min rest (80,100,100,100kg)
B. Walking Lunge 4 x 10 each leg; 2min rest 20kg dbs
(did 3 sets of 10 Bulgarian split squats on left leg w 10kg)
C. Glute Ham Raise 3 x 10
The above is a pic of my legs - the left around the time of the comp in July / Aug. I was horrified when I stopped to look at my leg one day and see how small the left leg had become. I have just been doing single leg work since, peterson steps initially and then Bulgarian split squats, walking lunges with a few extra sets / reps on the left leg. I can still feel the left glute not firing as well as the right.
On the left pic I did not have much range (couldn't sit on my heels and especially not without pain). On the right I have full knee flexion and extension. It feels a little swollen / stiff at times after stretching but no sharp pain that I was getting initially. I am still not training BJJ yet.
Supplementation - I have increased BCAA intake and sipping 2 litres of water + Peptopro throughout the day and also taking GLC2000.
Wed 7th Oct
Fresh ink, so less training again this week. Sleep has been terrible, so it is no bad thing.
In Zen Buddhism, an ensō is a circle that is hand-drawn in one or two uninhibited brushstrokes to express a moment when the mind is free to let the body create.
The ensō symbolizes absolute enlightenment, strength, elegance, the universe, and mu (the void). It is characterised by a minimalism born of Japanese aesthetics.
Drawing ensō is a disciplined-creative practice of Japanese ink painting—sumi-e . The tools and mechanics of drawing the ensō are the same as those used in traditional Japanese calligraphy: One uses a brush (筆 fudé?) to apply ink to washi (a thin Japanese paper).
The circle may be open or closed. In the former case the circle is incomplete, allowing for movement and development as well as the perfection of all things. Zen practitioners relate the idea to wabi sari, the beauty of imperfection. When the circle is closed, it represents perfection, akin to Plato's perfect form (Plato), the reason why the circle was used for centuries in the construction of cosmological models, see Ptolemy.
Usually a person draws the ensō in one fluid, expressive stroke.[1] When drawn according to the sōsho style of Japanese calligraphy, the brushstroke is especially swift. Once the ensō is drawn, one does not change it. It evidences the character of its creator and the context of its creation in a brief, contiguous period of time. Drawing ensō is a spiritual practice that one might perform as often as once per day.
Mon 5th Oct
I did some trampoline work initially as per Alex's recommendation. The knee didn't feel great doing it - almost like landing bone on bone (almost reminded me of some of the sensations I experienced after the mcl reconstruction)
A1. RDL 4 x 8 100, 90,90,90
A2. DB Bench 4 x 12 27.5kg
B1. DB Walking Lunge 4 x 10/10 20kg dbs
B2. Chins 4 x 8
Wed 30th Sep
I have been doing more hypertrophy style work during the injury and it has given my joints a chance to heal somewhat, I'm enjoying not being completely beaten up after training too. It brings back something Dan John said about the importance of hypertrophy for the 'older' athlete. This training plus the lack of conditioning through rolling has seen my weight hit an all time high of 85kg. Did has not been perfect by any means lately but the fact I did no resistance training for the first half of 2015 I would be certain that not ALL of the weight gain is fat! I am still undecided if I will make the permanent move to medium heavy when I return to competitions - I think a contributing factor to being injured has been under eating so I may well look to put on some size and stay up there, I am probably feeling better for it now truth being told....
Some German Body Composition style training (fun!)...
A1. DB Shoulder Press 3 x 10 20kgs
A2. Barbell Curls 3 x 10 32.5kgs
B1. Prone Incline Flyes 3 x 10 6kgs
B2. Skull Crushers 3 x 10 28, 30.5, 33kg
C1. DB Lat Raise 3 x 10 10,10, 8kg
C2. Hammer Curls 3 x 10 17.5kgs
D1. Band Pushdowns 3 x max (45, 25, 20)
D2. KB Shrugs 3 x 10 32kgs
80kg on the left July, 84kg on the right Oct
A new beginning
So here we are again. I consciously chose not to update this blog and on the recommendation of a sports psychologist last year, return to writing as that apparently encourages better memory retention, unfortunately handwritten diaries don't have search functions...
I may stick to written format for my BJJ training, but for tracking S&C sessions and injuries, this has proven most beneficial over time.
The main reason for this is that I have torn my left medial meniscus. I am guessing it happened around the time of the KLEOS NO GI competition on the 12th of July 2015. I am 3 months down the road and still no BJJ. I have competed a lot this year but missed a lot of competitions now, and as it stands it looks like I will have no more before 2016.
Also a lot has changed in my personal life. I am single 6 months and living with my parents again. That has taken a huge amount of adjusting and affected my training somewhat - most definitely my already fragile mindset around competitions. I am hoping that when things settle and my injury heals, I will be back competing in a fresh state of mind and from a point of just wanting to showcase my ability and not putting undue pressure on myself in an attempt to prove myself to people that don't matter.
Of course the other big change is that I am now training with East Coast Jiu Jitsu. This was a challenging move at first that felt strange but that was also at a time that my life was going on autopilot. As things have settled I have really been feeling the benefits of the move, to be surrounded by people that are as fanatical about BJJ as myself and to be in a competitive but supportive environment has been a huge change. It has also re-enforced the sayings that 'you are the average of the people that you surround yourself with' and the tired (but true) memes of 'surround yourself with lions if you want to be a lion' etc. - I can feel the benefits already and it has really prompted me to be extremely protective of who I let into my circle going forward and even to look for a similarly strong and productive environment in other endeavours - such as work and trying to learn from those that are where I want to be.
I have been looking at what I can do to control as much of my 'controllables' as well as possible so I am now working with Mike at Unorthodox Nutrition to help with my diet and recovery. I have also subscribed to Yogaforbjj to try and address a serious weakness of mine with regards to flexibility and along with addressing my mindset, this will hopefully help with my recovery.
It has been a period of forced growth and I am hoping this will reflect in my jiu jitsu and training when I am healed.
I read the following bullet points in The Chimp Paradox and although at first glance they may seem defeatist or pessimistic, it is actually somewhat liberating and noting that how we feel is under our control and tempered by our expectations.
- There are no guarantees
- Life is unfair
- The goalposts change
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| A sign of things to come |
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