The fights, I am afraid, are now finished. I was actually worried about hitting this stage in my training. It was a lot easier to train when I had a goal. I could plan and force myself to carry on because I knew if I didn't, I would fail. But now, I have no dead line. Now, I have to rely on will power to make sure I go swimming or the gym. I am still watching what I eat, but for how long?
I'll try and keep track on here how I am doing, but right now, I'm worried that I won't be able to work as hard or as long as I want to.
Tuesday, 26 May 2009
.8 Part 4 - The Bear
This is the final chapter of .8 and the commentary of my last fight with the very intimidating Adele.
After the last fight with Paul, I was done for. I was absolutely exhausted from that very intense confrontation. It felt like all my energy had been completely burnt off and I was left just a husk. I was praying my time had been served and all that was left announcing who would recieve a medal.
This however, turned out to be wrong. My name was being called again to fight Adele. As soon as it was announced, another fighter turned to me and said "good luck, he looks like a bear". Best way to fill me with confidence! I knew I had to be strong in this fight then, and not give him a thing. Either that or play dead.
Soon enough we were sitting back to back and my last fight was about to begin. I turned around and tried to over power him, and soon realised how insanely strong he was. He forced me to my back and all I could do was pull guard. Forcing my legs open with his brute strength he quickly moved to side mount. I was completely convinced I was going to be destroyed this fight, so I had to try and out technique him.
Walking my feet in yet again, I bridged him off cleanly and regained side control. Now it was time for me to take control of this fight. Keeping my weight low, I tried to climb round into full mount but ended up being trapped in his butterfly guard. Luckily this slipped into half guard, I could carry on with my work.
This is where he made his fatal mistake. The technique I attempted on Paul where the end of the round was called, Adele had managed to trap himself in. I clasped around his neck and kept my head down. He was either going to pass out or tap out. Slipping my leg over into full mount, I had him. My arms started to squeeze around his neck as he started to panic, desperately trying to shake me off him. It wasn't long until I could feel his hand tapping on my side. The fight was over, I had won.
After trying to regain his composure, we both stood up and my hand was raised. I had brought a medal back to my club. The rest of the event I spent relaxing, coming to terms with the fact I had come a very close second, a lot better than I could have possibly imagined. Watching the rest of the fights, it wasn't long until the day had come to an end and the medals were being awarded to the fighters. Time to go home and sleep.
Bring on next year =] Many thanks to all the organisers, the AMA, and everyone who competed on the day. See you all soon.
After the last fight with Paul, I was done for. I was absolutely exhausted from that very intense confrontation. It felt like all my energy had been completely burnt off and I was left just a husk. I was praying my time had been served and all that was left announcing who would recieve a medal.
This however, turned out to be wrong. My name was being called again to fight Adele. As soon as it was announced, another fighter turned to me and said "good luck, he looks like a bear". Best way to fill me with confidence! I knew I had to be strong in this fight then, and not give him a thing. Either that or play dead.
Soon enough we were sitting back to back and my last fight was about to begin. I turned around and tried to over power him, and soon realised how insanely strong he was. He forced me to my back and all I could do was pull guard. Forcing my legs open with his brute strength he quickly moved to side mount. I was completely convinced I was going to be destroyed this fight, so I had to try and out technique him.
Walking my feet in yet again, I bridged him off cleanly and regained side control. Now it was time for me to take control of this fight. Keeping my weight low, I tried to climb round into full mount but ended up being trapped in his butterfly guard. Luckily this slipped into half guard, I could carry on with my work.
This is where he made his fatal mistake. The technique I attempted on Paul where the end of the round was called, Adele had managed to trap himself in. I clasped around his neck and kept my head down. He was either going to pass out or tap out. Slipping my leg over into full mount, I had him. My arms started to squeeze around his neck as he started to panic, desperately trying to shake me off him. It wasn't long until I could feel his hand tapping on my side. The fight was over, I had won.
After trying to regain his composure, we both stood up and my hand was raised. I had brought a medal back to my club. The rest of the event I spent relaxing, coming to terms with the fact I had come a very close second, a lot better than I could have possibly imagined. Watching the rest of the fights, it wasn't long until the day had come to an end and the medals were being awarded to the fighters. Time to go home and sleep.
Bring on next year =] Many thanks to all the organisers, the AMA, and everyone who competed on the day. See you all soon.
.8 Part 3 - 5 Minutes in Hell
I know this is a bit late, but who cares, here is part 3 of .8
My second fight was against a rather slender fighter by the name of Paul. I never managed to get his surname, so we'll keep it Paul for now.
The fight was the longest any one had that day. The fight was pretty evenly matched throughout the first 3 minutes. After attempting a sliding collar from his guard, the fight was forced off the mat and had to restart from the centre again. After a quick tussle, he ended up in my guard and I managed to pull his arm through, ready for a triangle. This is where I start to hate gi fights. He grabbed hold of my trousers, basically invalidating my attempt at winning. Soon enough, he had passed my guard and had taken side control.
As he lay there, hoping I would gas and become utterly useless, I was slowly walking my feet in to my body, ready to attempt a bridge. Soon enough, he was over and I had taken control. A poor pass to full mount later, and I was again sitting in his guard. He had also managed to nab my arm ready for an arm bar. Thankfully my time at Jujitsu has taught me the basics of arm bar escape so his attempt became null and void.
Our 3 minutes were eventually up, and it was decided that we needed another minute for the judges to decide a winner. My energy was at this point running in the red, my mouth was completely dry and I was unable to regain control of my breathing. The match restarted and I hit him as aggressively as I could. I wasn't going to let this fight carry on any longer. This would be an unwise decision because in my haste, he managed to score a kesa getame scarf hold. I was beginning to panic, I bridged over and over, I wasn't going to lose via the first ground technique I ever learnt. The bridging failed, so I used the momentum to turn into him, breaking his grip.
Taking the mount, I nuzzled underneath his arm and wrapped up his neck for the choke. One of my favourite techniques, I rarely lose once I have the choke completely applied. Lucky for Paul, the minute of extra time was up and he was saved. A few more seconds and I could have won. Slightly annoying since this is the fight that cost me the Gold Medal.
Because they still couldn't decide who should win, it was announced we would have an extra 30 seconds to fight. I couldn't believe my ears. I was absolutely exhausted. I was shaking. Hadn't I done enough? I had dominated the previous round. "Begin" was called again and I mustered all my energy to attack him. All my energy was sapped but I didn't care. I needed to win.
The 30 seconds were up so quickly. Again I had dominated the round, attacking Paul as hard as I could. The rest is evolves into a nightmare. They still couldn't decide who should win, even after 4 and a half minutes. So they announced there would be another 30 seconds, and an extra referee to officiate the fight. Both of us were in agony. We were absolutely exhausted from fighting with everything we had. I remember thinking I had to harness every last ounce of adrenaline and aggression and give it my all for those last 30 seconds.
We sat back to back, my eyes shut, concentrating on just wanting to turn and maul him. We were both technically equal, so hopefully the fight would be determined on aggression. "Begin" was called for the last time and I practically ran at him. We tussled, completely forgetting any technical prowess we had, and instead opting for brute strength. He managed to turn me, but I managed to pull him straight into my guard. Pushing all his weight onto my neck, I returned the favour on his. It became a straight fight to choke the other person out. Neither of us wanted to lose. The bean bag came whizzing past us and the fight was over.
The ref explained the fight had been so close. It was the hardest decision of the day and I was willing him to raise my hand. Alas, Paul's was raised and I had lose the fight. Looking back, I do feel it was a very equal fight, but if I had just been given a few more seconds from that 2nd round, I could have easily won the fight. I walked back to the side of the mat and tried to catch my breath, my arms shaking, my head dazed. I thought that was it for me, no more fights, so I sat down and rested...
I was wrong.
.8 Part 4 - The Bear
My second fight was against a rather slender fighter by the name of Paul. I never managed to get his surname, so we'll keep it Paul for now.
The fight was the longest any one had that day. The fight was pretty evenly matched throughout the first 3 minutes. After attempting a sliding collar from his guard, the fight was forced off the mat and had to restart from the centre again. After a quick tussle, he ended up in my guard and I managed to pull his arm through, ready for a triangle. This is where I start to hate gi fights. He grabbed hold of my trousers, basically invalidating my attempt at winning. Soon enough, he had passed my guard and had taken side control.
As he lay there, hoping I would gas and become utterly useless, I was slowly walking my feet in to my body, ready to attempt a bridge. Soon enough, he was over and I had taken control. A poor pass to full mount later, and I was again sitting in his guard. He had also managed to nab my arm ready for an arm bar. Thankfully my time at Jujitsu has taught me the basics of arm bar escape so his attempt became null and void.
Our 3 minutes were eventually up, and it was decided that we needed another minute for the judges to decide a winner. My energy was at this point running in the red, my mouth was completely dry and I was unable to regain control of my breathing. The match restarted and I hit him as aggressively as I could. I wasn't going to let this fight carry on any longer. This would be an unwise decision because in my haste, he managed to score a kesa getame scarf hold. I was beginning to panic, I bridged over and over, I wasn't going to lose via the first ground technique I ever learnt. The bridging failed, so I used the momentum to turn into him, breaking his grip.
Taking the mount, I nuzzled underneath his arm and wrapped up his neck for the choke. One of my favourite techniques, I rarely lose once I have the choke completely applied. Lucky for Paul, the minute of extra time was up and he was saved. A few more seconds and I could have won. Slightly annoying since this is the fight that cost me the Gold Medal.
Because they still couldn't decide who should win, it was announced we would have an extra 30 seconds to fight. I couldn't believe my ears. I was absolutely exhausted. I was shaking. Hadn't I done enough? I had dominated the previous round. "Begin" was called again and I mustered all my energy to attack him. All my energy was sapped but I didn't care. I needed to win.
The 30 seconds were up so quickly. Again I had dominated the round, attacking Paul as hard as I could. The rest is evolves into a nightmare. They still couldn't decide who should win, even after 4 and a half minutes. So they announced there would be another 30 seconds, and an extra referee to officiate the fight. Both of us were in agony. We were absolutely exhausted from fighting with everything we had. I remember thinking I had to harness every last ounce of adrenaline and aggression and give it my all for those last 30 seconds.
We sat back to back, my eyes shut, concentrating on just wanting to turn and maul him. We were both technically equal, so hopefully the fight would be determined on aggression. "Begin" was called for the last time and I practically ran at him. We tussled, completely forgetting any technical prowess we had, and instead opting for brute strength. He managed to turn me, but I managed to pull him straight into my guard. Pushing all his weight onto my neck, I returned the favour on his. It became a straight fight to choke the other person out. Neither of us wanted to lose. The bean bag came whizzing past us and the fight was over.
The ref explained the fight had been so close. It was the hardest decision of the day and I was willing him to raise my hand. Alas, Paul's was raised and I had lose the fight. Looking back, I do feel it was a very equal fight, but if I had just been given a few more seconds from that 2nd round, I could have easily won the fight. I walked back to the side of the mat and tried to catch my breath, my arms shaking, my head dazed. I thought that was it for me, no more fights, so I sat down and rested...
I was wrong.
.8 Part 4 - The Bear
Saturday, 23 May 2009
Over and out... Almost
Just a quick blog, ill write up more when i get home. Tom lost his only fight, to the guy who eventally took gold. I lost my first, won my second, and lost my third, in a fight with the same guy from the first. Quite chuffed to be honest.
Bright and very early
According to the email, i was due to arrive here at 8:30 for the weigh in. Its pretty much bang on 8am so i get the feeling i may have been too prepared/eager this morning. Just waiting for tom to arrive now and we're ready to roll. Ill be posting fight results for me, tom and rich as we go, and maybe a sneaky picture or 2.
UMA WARS: The loser strikes back
Just a quick reminder for anyone who actually reads this, ill be competing in the UMA ground fighting championship tomorrow about 11, so expect blogs, and video when i return
Tuesday, 19 May 2009
The Demon Drink
Over the past 22 years, I have very rarely drunk, and never to excess. In 2 years, I don't think I have even touched a drop. So when it came to my mates pub crawl to celebrate him leaving this town for London, I thought why not? I had just won Silver in the AMA's, and the UMA's were 2 weeks away. What would one night do?
Apparently, a lot. I had no idea how high my standard had become. It was the start of what we be a rather empty week in regards to training. Due to one thing or another, I rarely found the time and before I knew it, I was in Great Yarmouth.
The Monday following the competition was Alton Towers. Tuesday I managed 50 lengths due to a lack of time, before skipping the gym that evening because of the party. Wednesday I was feeling rather rough, so just an hour of Grappling. Thursday I was teaching in Lichfield, so all I managed was 40 lengths before going to teach Jujitsu. Friday rolled around and I only managed 32 lengths quickly before having to rush to get ready.
Great Yarmouth was my biggest downfall. A lack of healthy food, and snacking being the order of the day. Come Monday and I was angry. Angry at myself. Angry at what I had done to my body. So I hit the baths and accomplished 70 lengths. Following work was an hour of grappling, and after what seemed like 20 minutes of swearing at myself during the car journey home, I hit the gym for some weights and hard cardio. I had no idea how out of shape I had become. Sweat was dripping down my forehead and my heart rate was hitting heights I had yet to see in my training. My time on the weights was very draining and I just felt displeased with myself.
So today I dragged myself back to the baths for 64 lengths, and I hope to hit the gym tonight, followed by Jujitsu. And although it is my friends birthday celebration tonight, I will not be drinking. I have a lot of repair to accomplish for Saturday. I need to work HARD.
Apparently, a lot. I had no idea how high my standard had become. It was the start of what we be a rather empty week in regards to training. Due to one thing or another, I rarely found the time and before I knew it, I was in Great Yarmouth.
The Monday following the competition was Alton Towers. Tuesday I managed 50 lengths due to a lack of time, before skipping the gym that evening because of the party. Wednesday I was feeling rather rough, so just an hour of Grappling. Thursday I was teaching in Lichfield, so all I managed was 40 lengths before going to teach Jujitsu. Friday rolled around and I only managed 32 lengths quickly before having to rush to get ready.
Great Yarmouth was my biggest downfall. A lack of healthy food, and snacking being the order of the day. Come Monday and I was angry. Angry at myself. Angry at what I had done to my body. So I hit the baths and accomplished 70 lengths. Following work was an hour of grappling, and after what seemed like 20 minutes of swearing at myself during the car journey home, I hit the gym for some weights and hard cardio. I had no idea how out of shape I had become. Sweat was dripping down my forehead and my heart rate was hitting heights I had yet to see in my training. My time on the weights was very draining and I just felt displeased with myself.
So today I dragged myself back to the baths for 64 lengths, and I hope to hit the gym tonight, followed by Jujitsu. And although it is my friends birthday celebration tonight, I will not be drinking. I have a lot of repair to accomplish for Saturday. I need to work HARD.
The Windy City UK
Great Yarmouth officially sucks. You wake up to some sunshine and upon exiting the caravan, you run back inside to get a jacket because it's SO BLOODY WINDY! I am so glad to be back in sunny Stafford. Never thought I'd say that. Feel dirty now.
Anyway, the Seminar, better write about that. It was a fantastic piece of martial arts instruction. To start it all off, our head Sensei, Rich, was asked to choose a student to take the warm up. After eyeing us all up, he chose Fletch. It was rather fortunate it wasn't me, I've been warned before for my kind of warm up =] you've never heard so many people whinge lol.
To help with the stretching, Master Hiron John decided to take over. I think in a previous life he was chief nut crusher in the Spanish Inquisition. I was stretching muscles I didn't know I had. And they didn't like it. They were sending pretty specific messages to my brain along the lines of "STOP! NOW!"
After what felt like a session on a self inflicted rack, we finally started learning some techniques. First, basic wrist techniques. This is where we begin to realise our club takes things rather seriously. Watching every one else, we weren't happy unless we were being struck hard or screaming. Overall, Master John imparted some very useful techniques, which I am positive shall be used again frequently.
Next up was Soke Cliff Witcher, a Jujitsu instructor. Finally, some techniques we could completely relate to. Soke Witcher utilised a very hard style of Jujitsu. I don't mean in the sense of difficult, just more striking related. We all thoroughly enjoyed the time he spent teaching and we will hopefully see more of him again soon.
After the break, we did some Wing Chun and Kempo Karate, which was a fun change, but not particularly up my alley. I am a grappler, pure and simple. Following the warm down, we chatted a bit with our instructors and left to carry on with our holiday. So thank you to everyone who attended, it was an enlightening experience. My only piece of criticism, we could have done with some more mats for a bit of grappling. Oh well, maybe next time.
What really made the weekend for me was spending time with the other 8 instructors from our club. It's a very rare opportunity we're in one place, so hearing all their various backgrounds and ideas on martial arts reignited my love for Jujitsu, which had started to wane in recent times. I think I was just becoming burnt out and tired, but that has now all changed and I can't wait to teach and train again.
PS. I haven't forgotten about .8 Part 3 and 4. Just been a little busy, but I will get to writing it up.
Anyway, the Seminar, better write about that. It was a fantastic piece of martial arts instruction. To start it all off, our head Sensei, Rich, was asked to choose a student to take the warm up. After eyeing us all up, he chose Fletch. It was rather fortunate it wasn't me, I've been warned before for my kind of warm up =] you've never heard so many people whinge lol.
To help with the stretching, Master Hiron John decided to take over. I think in a previous life he was chief nut crusher in the Spanish Inquisition. I was stretching muscles I didn't know I had. And they didn't like it. They were sending pretty specific messages to my brain along the lines of "STOP! NOW!"
After what felt like a session on a self inflicted rack, we finally started learning some techniques. First, basic wrist techniques. This is where we begin to realise our club takes things rather seriously. Watching every one else, we weren't happy unless we were being struck hard or screaming. Overall, Master John imparted some very useful techniques, which I am positive shall be used again frequently.
Next up was Soke Cliff Witcher, a Jujitsu instructor. Finally, some techniques we could completely relate to. Soke Witcher utilised a very hard style of Jujitsu. I don't mean in the sense of difficult, just more striking related. We all thoroughly enjoyed the time he spent teaching and we will hopefully see more of him again soon.
After the break, we did some Wing Chun and Kempo Karate, which was a fun change, but not particularly up my alley. I am a grappler, pure and simple. Following the warm down, we chatted a bit with our instructors and left to carry on with our holiday. So thank you to everyone who attended, it was an enlightening experience. My only piece of criticism, we could have done with some more mats for a bit of grappling. Oh well, maybe next time.
What really made the weekend for me was spending time with the other 8 instructors from our club. It's a very rare opportunity we're in one place, so hearing all their various backgrounds and ideas on martial arts reignited my love for Jujitsu, which had started to wane in recent times. I think I was just becoming burnt out and tired, but that has now all changed and I can't wait to teach and train again.
PS. I haven't forgotten about .8 Part 3 and 4. Just been a little busy, but I will get to writing it up.
Friday, 15 May 2009
Thanks for the warning
Im currently sitting in a haven entertainment centre, otherwise known as the 7th circle of hell, enduring motown covers and very light entertainment, in a town that is so windy it can ask for a wind farm. Why didn't anyone tell me what great yarmouth was!? Lol
Tuesday, 12 May 2009
.8 Part 2 - Into The Boyd!
It wasn't long till the fights had begun. The lighter weight categories went first, with some great performances from some very talented fighters.
Soon enough, it was time for the heavyweight category, my category. As it seems to be the way with these competitions, my name was called first to face Danny Boyd, a man with atleast 6 kilograms of weight on me, and it was mostly muscle. I could feel the adrenaline start to build. Was this going to be a repeat of the last competition at the UMAs where I was as much use as a poorly made training dummy? Or was my training going to pay off? Sitting back to back, my heart was racing, while all my technical knowledge decided to abandon me. Game plan? What game plan?
The pat on the back came and we were off, face to face with my first challenge. The rest I am afraid is pretty much a blur, apart from a few moments of disbelief that have stuck with me. Within the first 50 seconds I had managed to take his back and apply a rear naked choke. Much to my disbelief, my arm was finding its way around his neck. But this would not be my time to shine because he managed to just wedge his chin into the gap, breaking the hold. It wasn't long till I had slipped round into guard, losing me my first chance of the fight. All hope was not lost though because the next weapon in my arsenal came to mind, the body scissors. Within seconds it became clear that this man was immune to my body scissors, a weapon which I have used to great effect in my training fights. Years of thai boxing, athletics and cycling have left me stronger than the average bear, and I usually can score a pretty fast tap out when it comes to my guard. This however would not be the case with Danny. A few seconds of squeezing and I had realised the technique was useless. Time for plan B, the triangle. To my absolute amazement, I managed to get my legs around his head to score one of my favourite moves, but still he would not tap. No matter how red his face went, or how blood shot his eyes became, he fought on like a machine. It was a pretty sloppy triangle to be fair, I just could not get my legs into the right position so I just hoped for the best. After what seemed like an eternity, time was called. Was the fight going to be called? Had I done enough? He hadn't tapped, but I dominated most of the fight, so I was sure points were going to be enough.
To my amazement, extra time was called. My legs were weary, my arms exhausted, my mouth completely dry. Within seconds we had started again. I managed to over power him onto his back and take side control. My hope was that I could either snag his arm for an americana, or hope a pin would be called. After a minute, extra time was stopped and I was praying that the fight was over, and I had scored enough points to win. I had dominated the round yet again, surely this was going to be it?
OF COURSE NOT! An extra 30 seconds of extra time were needed to decide who was the winner. Trying to bring my breathing and heart rate under control, I calmed myself down as we sat back to back for the last time. I wasn't going to let this go down to the wire, I was going to hit him hard. I charged at him as fast as I could, taking his back yet again. This time my arm found its mark and secured his neck. He rolled forward, hoping to shake me from his back, but it was too late, I was already looking to secure my hooks and finish this fight. Within 9 seconds of it beginning, he was tapping and I had won my first fight.
Next... .8 Part 3 - 5 Minutes in hell
Soon enough, it was time for the heavyweight category, my category. As it seems to be the way with these competitions, my name was called first to face Danny Boyd, a man with atleast 6 kilograms of weight on me, and it was mostly muscle. I could feel the adrenaline start to build. Was this going to be a repeat of the last competition at the UMAs where I was as much use as a poorly made training dummy? Or was my training going to pay off? Sitting back to back, my heart was racing, while all my technical knowledge decided to abandon me. Game plan? What game plan?
The pat on the back came and we were off, face to face with my first challenge. The rest I am afraid is pretty much a blur, apart from a few moments of disbelief that have stuck with me. Within the first 50 seconds I had managed to take his back and apply a rear naked choke. Much to my disbelief, my arm was finding its way around his neck. But this would not be my time to shine because he managed to just wedge his chin into the gap, breaking the hold. It wasn't long till I had slipped round into guard, losing me my first chance of the fight. All hope was not lost though because the next weapon in my arsenal came to mind, the body scissors. Within seconds it became clear that this man was immune to my body scissors, a weapon which I have used to great effect in my training fights. Years of thai boxing, athletics and cycling have left me stronger than the average bear, and I usually can score a pretty fast tap out when it comes to my guard. This however would not be the case with Danny. A few seconds of squeezing and I had realised the technique was useless. Time for plan B, the triangle. To my absolute amazement, I managed to get my legs around his head to score one of my favourite moves, but still he would not tap. No matter how red his face went, or how blood shot his eyes became, he fought on like a machine. It was a pretty sloppy triangle to be fair, I just could not get my legs into the right position so I just hoped for the best. After what seemed like an eternity, time was called. Was the fight going to be called? Had I done enough? He hadn't tapped, but I dominated most of the fight, so I was sure points were going to be enough.
To my amazement, extra time was called. My legs were weary, my arms exhausted, my mouth completely dry. Within seconds we had started again. I managed to over power him onto his back and take side control. My hope was that I could either snag his arm for an americana, or hope a pin would be called. After a minute, extra time was stopped and I was praying that the fight was over, and I had scored enough points to win. I had dominated the round yet again, surely this was going to be it?
OF COURSE NOT! An extra 30 seconds of extra time were needed to decide who was the winner. Trying to bring my breathing and heart rate under control, I calmed myself down as we sat back to back for the last time. I wasn't going to let this go down to the wire, I was going to hit him hard. I charged at him as fast as I could, taking his back yet again. This time my arm found its mark and secured his neck. He rolled forward, hoping to shake me from his back, but it was too late, I was already looking to secure my hooks and finish this fight. Within 9 seconds of it beginning, he was tapping and I had won my first fight.
Next... .8 Part 3 - 5 Minutes in hell
Monday, 11 May 2009
.8
After what feels like a long recovery period, here I am, laptop in hand, finally able to write up my report on an absolutely splendid tournament.
From what could have been a weekend of complete failure (due to my own very smart decisions), I actually walked away with a sense of triumph. Time to bring some medals back to the club.
Friday night, after probably the longest exercise session of my life, I decided it would be best to for go on any exercise during Saturday, and instead opt for some sparring to ensure I was still on my game. This helped in that I was able to just practice a few things against differing partners, but also almost ruined my chance of fighting after a nasty knee strike to my shin, which left me lying on the floor and unable to walk. A few hours of ice packs and painkillers later though and I would be limping like a pro.
The second brilliant decision came in the idea that I would stay out in town clubbing till 2am, go home, get to sleep by 3, wake up at 5:50 and get ready for the tournament. And that is exactly how it happened. By 7am I was ready and raring to go to Leigh, a good 1 1/2 hours drive from Stafford, much to my brothers disdain. By the way, I must thank Sean for dragging his sorry ass out of bed so early on a Sunday morning to stand in a freezing cold dojo armed with a video camera. I would have probably ended up going insane without a friendly face to talk to between rounds, so thank you.
Anyway, we finally arrived in Leigh around 8:30am, to the stark realisation that I was the first competitor to the dojo. Luckily for us, the owners had already opened up, allowing me to get changed and weigh in. Now, Friday I had found out this tournament actually had weight categories, with a 75-82kg Light Heavyweight category, and a 82-88kg Heavyweight category. According to my scales at the time, I was exactly 82kg, so I tried everything in my power to limit how much I had to drink and eat, to make sure I made it into the LHW category. Come Sunday morning, the scales in my bathroom signified I had won and reached 80kg. This however would all be for nought at my weigh in. 82.8kg. POINT EIGHT OF A KILOGRAM OVER! Therefore, I would be the lighest in the Heavyweight cagtegory....great.
To Be Continued...
Weight:12 Stone 13 Pounds
Resting BPM: 47
Fridays Exercise: 34 Lengths in the pool. Weight Training centred around Biceps, Triceps, Pectorals, Deltoids, Trapezius, Latissimus Dorsi, Abdominals, Obliques, Quadriceps, Hamstrings and Gluteals. 30 minute exertion on the recumbent bike. 98 Lengths in the pool.
Saturdays Exercise: 2 Hours of Grappling.
Yesterdays Exercise: AMA Jujitsu Ground Fighting Tournament - 3 Fights.
From what could have been a weekend of complete failure (due to my own very smart decisions), I actually walked away with a sense of triumph. Time to bring some medals back to the club.
Friday night, after probably the longest exercise session of my life, I decided it would be best to for go on any exercise during Saturday, and instead opt for some sparring to ensure I was still on my game. This helped in that I was able to just practice a few things against differing partners, but also almost ruined my chance of fighting after a nasty knee strike to my shin, which left me lying on the floor and unable to walk. A few hours of ice packs and painkillers later though and I would be limping like a pro.
The second brilliant decision came in the idea that I would stay out in town clubbing till 2am, go home, get to sleep by 3, wake up at 5:50 and get ready for the tournament. And that is exactly how it happened. By 7am I was ready and raring to go to Leigh, a good 1 1/2 hours drive from Stafford, much to my brothers disdain. By the way, I must thank Sean for dragging his sorry ass out of bed so early on a Sunday morning to stand in a freezing cold dojo armed with a video camera. I would have probably ended up going insane without a friendly face to talk to between rounds, so thank you.
Anyway, we finally arrived in Leigh around 8:30am, to the stark realisation that I was the first competitor to the dojo. Luckily for us, the owners had already opened up, allowing me to get changed and weigh in. Now, Friday I had found out this tournament actually had weight categories, with a 75-82kg Light Heavyweight category, and a 82-88kg Heavyweight category. According to my scales at the time, I was exactly 82kg, so I tried everything in my power to limit how much I had to drink and eat, to make sure I made it into the LHW category. Come Sunday morning, the scales in my bathroom signified I had won and reached 80kg. This however would all be for nought at my weigh in. 82.8kg. POINT EIGHT OF A KILOGRAM OVER! Therefore, I would be the lighest in the Heavyweight cagtegory....great.
To Be Continued...
Weight:12 Stone 13 Pounds
Resting BPM: 47
Fridays Exercise: 34 Lengths in the pool. Weight Training centred around Biceps, Triceps, Pectorals, Deltoids, Trapezius, Latissimus Dorsi, Abdominals, Obliques, Quadriceps, Hamstrings and Gluteals. 30 minute exertion on the recumbent bike. 98 Lengths in the pool.
Saturdays Exercise: 2 Hours of Grappling.
Yesterdays Exercise: AMA Jujitsu Ground Fighting Tournament - 3 Fights.
Sunday, 10 May 2009
Hell yeah!
Friday, 8 May 2009
Pre Fight Prep
This Sunday is my first fight of the month, at the AMA Jujitsu Ground Fighting Tournament, which means I have to mentally and physically prepare for the onslaught that awaits me. So, town Saturday night? :)
I have been trying to plan for this date all week. Making sure I get the right exercise on the right days, to make sure I have enough time to recover. Also, making sure I have the right nutrition to maintain my strength.
Here is what I've figured I should do:
Friday - Lunch time swim, gym this evening with work on endurance and strength, followed by another swimming session. Supplement this with protein, carbs, creatine and vitamins/minerals. Ensure lashings of Deep Heat before bed.
Saturday - Lunch time swimming session, followed by sparring session. Avoid gym today, but still supplement with protein, carbs, creatine and vitamins/minerals. Use more deep heat throughout day.
My theory is I need to make sure I can get in a little strength training and endurance training today, but use tomorrow for resting and light training. All the while, saturating my body with all the various nutrients to make sure I am completely on my game. This is just an experiment to see what works best for me, kind of like the dry run before the big tournament on May 23rd. I''ll try and keep regular tabs on how well I'm feeling.
Yesterdays Exercise: 50 Lengths in the pool. 2 hours of Jujitsu (teaching).
I have been trying to plan for this date all week. Making sure I get the right exercise on the right days, to make sure I have enough time to recover. Also, making sure I have the right nutrition to maintain my strength.
Here is what I've figured I should do:
Friday - Lunch time swim, gym this evening with work on endurance and strength, followed by another swimming session. Supplement this with protein, carbs, creatine and vitamins/minerals. Ensure lashings of Deep Heat before bed.
Saturday - Lunch time swimming session, followed by sparring session. Avoid gym today, but still supplement with protein, carbs, creatine and vitamins/minerals. Use more deep heat throughout day.
My theory is I need to make sure I can get in a little strength training and endurance training today, but use tomorrow for resting and light training. All the while, saturating my body with all the various nutrients to make sure I am completely on my game. This is just an experiment to see what works best for me, kind of like the dry run before the big tournament on May 23rd. I''ll try and keep regular tabs on how well I'm feeling.
Yesterdays Exercise: 50 Lengths in the pool. 2 hours of Jujitsu (teaching).
Thursday, 7 May 2009
Actually...that explains a lot
I don't know what this says about me, but I love research. At least every day I can be found looking into the most bizarre facts. This becomes even worse when I have my mind set on something. So instead of researching into the history of ham for example, I'll be looking into the best exercises you can do, and their drawbacks.
Thus, swimming became the target of a good knowledge thrashing. Apparently, even though swimming is a fantastic exercise and has helped me considerably, the cooling of the water helps lower your metabolism. This can cause you crave copious amounts of food post workout.
Now this explains an awful lot. Over the past week, after swimming, I find I am incredibly hungry and tend to want to snack quite a lot. True, I have scuppered my bodies plan by just having fruit available 90% of the time, but the rest of the time, I just want to eat and eat and eat.
Obviously, to someone who wants to lose weight, this can be a drawback. Therefore, in the interest of science, I conducted an experiment yesterday. Straight after my swim I went home and had a protein shake. A little will power later and the need for calories had subsided.
This contrasts to my time spent in the gym where I am usually dripping with sweat before I return home, and do not wish to eat for hours. So maybe I was looking at this all wrong. I was becoming reliant on swimming as my main source of weight loss, when in fact it was keeping me pretty static. My plan has now changed in that swimming will be my main endurance related exercise. It may not have helped with my weight loss, but I have come on leaps and bounds when it comes to grappling endurance.
My weight loss regime is now going to include the gym at least 3 times a week, with heavy dollops of sweaty cardio. On a side note, my calipers should be arriving either today or tomorrow, allowing me to keep track on how this plan is developing.
Yesterdays Exercise: 50 Lengths in the pool. Weight Training centred around Biceps, Triceps, Pectorals, Deltoids, Trapezius, Latissimus Dorsi, Abdominals, Obliques, Quadriceps and Gluteals. 30 minute exertion on the recumbent bike. 1 1/2 hours of heavy grappling training.
Thus, swimming became the target of a good knowledge thrashing. Apparently, even though swimming is a fantastic exercise and has helped me considerably, the cooling of the water helps lower your metabolism. This can cause you crave copious amounts of food post workout.
Now this explains an awful lot. Over the past week, after swimming, I find I am incredibly hungry and tend to want to snack quite a lot. True, I have scuppered my bodies plan by just having fruit available 90% of the time, but the rest of the time, I just want to eat and eat and eat.
Obviously, to someone who wants to lose weight, this can be a drawback. Therefore, in the interest of science, I conducted an experiment yesterday. Straight after my swim I went home and had a protein shake. A little will power later and the need for calories had subsided.
This contrasts to my time spent in the gym where I am usually dripping with sweat before I return home, and do not wish to eat for hours. So maybe I was looking at this all wrong. I was becoming reliant on swimming as my main source of weight loss, when in fact it was keeping me pretty static. My plan has now changed in that swimming will be my main endurance related exercise. It may not have helped with my weight loss, but I have come on leaps and bounds when it comes to grappling endurance.
My weight loss regime is now going to include the gym at least 3 times a week, with heavy dollops of sweaty cardio. On a side note, my calipers should be arriving either today or tomorrow, allowing me to keep track on how this plan is developing.
Yesterdays Exercise: 50 Lengths in the pool. Weight Training centred around Biceps, Triceps, Pectorals, Deltoids, Trapezius, Latissimus Dorsi, Abdominals, Obliques, Quadriceps and Gluteals. 30 minute exertion on the recumbent bike. 1 1/2 hours of heavy grappling training.
Wednesday, 6 May 2009
She is so gonna regret this...
Right, my sister has told me she aims to lose about a bit of weight, so she can go on holiday in 8 weeks. If my recent record is anything to go by, weight loss is not my strong point, fat loss is. Also, going by what I have been talking about in these blogs, she's going to be exhausted.
So, swimming at least 4 times a week. Gym at least twice. Some boxing. Some jogging. And regular sit ups and leg raises.
Her goals are obviously a lot different to mine. Mine was to gain endurance and strength. Improve my ability to fight. Therefore, I'm going to need a good think.
So, swimming at least 4 times a week. Gym at least twice. Some boxing. Some jogging. And regular sit ups and leg raises.
Her goals are obviously a lot different to mine. Mine was to gain endurance and strength. Improve my ability to fight. Therefore, I'm going to need a good think.
Ok, this is where it gets tough...
First off, I'm writing this from my phone. How swish? I know it's old and common technology to those on the bleeding edge, but I'm still impressed.
Ok, the reason for this is I'm starting to plateau. I work my absolute arse off, doing more exercise than any other time in my life. I eat the food that would be practically alien to me 6 months ago, and I have cut out so many things that I used to love. SO WHY THE HELL AREN'T I LOSING WEIGHT!?
This kind of diet is obviously there to induce some form of misery because I just want to gorge out. Would it make that much of a difference? I used to eat a fatty sandwich every other day, with exercise only about twice a week, with generous helpings of chocolate and sugary drinks. In those days I was the exact same weight as I am now. Me thinks I need to invest in some body fat callipers to keep better tabs on changes. There are obvious muscle improvements, but the new statistic should help me considerably. Time to go shopping =]
Weight:12 Stone 12 Pounds
Resting BPM: 59
Yesterdays Exercise: 2 x 50 Lengths in the pool. Weight Training centred around Biceps, Triceps, Pectorals, Deltoids, Trapezius, Latissimus Dorsi, Abdominals, Obliques, Quadriceps and Gluteals. 2 x 20 minute exertions on the recumbent bike. 2 hours of Jujitsu.
Tuesday, 5 May 2009
Kind of Bored...
So I thought I would keep a tally of how much I'm doing. This way I can keep an eye on if I am doing more of less each week. The time frame is 12pm on 28/04/2009 to 12pm on 05/05/2009.
Roughly in that time frame I have completed...
5.2 miles of swimming.
5.5 hours in the gym (with 2.2 hours of cardio).
3.3 miles of jogging.
7 hours of martial arts.
Doesn't seem like a lot does it?
Roughly in that time frame I have completed...
5.2 miles of swimming.
5.5 hours in the gym (with 2.2 hours of cardio).
3.3 miles of jogging.
7 hours of martial arts.
Doesn't seem like a lot does it?
Monday, 4 May 2009
Feeling Proud =]
This morning, I woke up, and spent most of my day working my ass off. After taking my resting BPM (59...XD) I went straight down to the swimming baths and hit 66 lengths in an hour, a personal best. Before I could rest, I was over at the gym for 3 x 20 minute sessions of cardio, and 3 sets of weights, again working on the same muscles I have been concentrating on. I feel really good after today, a really good endorphin feeling, and I am really finding my feet with my training.
I should be quite a pain in the arse at my first competition next week.
I should be quite a pain in the arse at my first competition next week.
Booyah
3.3 mile jog, 100 sit ups, 150 bicycle crunches and 100 leg raises. Tomorrow should be better.
Sunday, 3 May 2009
Ahhh sweet failure, my musty mistress...
Friday was supposed to be a day of absolute torture. A nice casual swimming session first thing in the morning before work, followed by a heavier session in the pool for lunch. After work would be a 2 hour affair with the gym, with a 1 hour chlorine chaser.
This however fell apart from the crack of dawn. Well, I say the crack of dawn, I actually woke up late, meaning no time for swimming. So, I thought I would swim my ass off at lunch, which I did. After completing 54 Lengths (1350 metres) I carried on with work until 5pm. Here is where my plans really went to shit. I was invited out to China Town in Birmingham for an all you can eat buffet. To a fitness fanatic like myself, an all you can eat chinese is like a greasy slice of kryptonite. 8 dishes later, all my hard work had been completely undone. I could barely stand up right with how much I had eaten.
Bring on Saturday. Revenge would be mine...
And that it was.
Soon after awaking Saturday morning I was packing my towel and heading off to the swimming baths. On a side note, I never want kids.
After attempting to accomplish some laps in the main pool, I was forced into the lone lane meant for serious swimmers. A great decision on my behalf, because I managed more laps in one sitting than ever before. 64 laps in just over 1 hour, which is pretty much exactly 1 mile.
Before I could give myself a break, I was home and downing a protein shake, ready for the next 2 exercise sessions. Over at Beaconside Sports Centre, we had managed to procure the room for a couple hours for a bit of Martial Arts training. In other words, beating each other senseless. It all started off with some innocent "rolling" and ended up with us donning gloves and laying into each other. After some sweat angels, we called it a day and the other guys left to lick their tired wounds. Meanwhile, I changed into some more comfortable attire and headed straight into the gym. I worked mainly on the same muscles as every other time in the gym, except this time I worked especially hard on my cardio. 40 minutes of pretty intense action on the recumbent bike.
Another protein shake to chase down all the carnage I had caused and my day was over.
TODAY, after sleeping in till 4pm (seriously!) my intentions of swimming and the gym had been all but shattered. So now I intend to don my sexy looking shorts and go for a 3.3 mile jog around Stafford, followed by a nice work out with my dumbells. That is what I hope will now happen, place your bets neowww if you think I'll end up doing something completely different.
This however fell apart from the crack of dawn. Well, I say the crack of dawn, I actually woke up late, meaning no time for swimming. So, I thought I would swim my ass off at lunch, which I did. After completing 54 Lengths (1350 metres) I carried on with work until 5pm. Here is where my plans really went to shit. I was invited out to China Town in Birmingham for an all you can eat buffet. To a fitness fanatic like myself, an all you can eat chinese is like a greasy slice of kryptonite. 8 dishes later, all my hard work had been completely undone. I could barely stand up right with how much I had eaten.
Bring on Saturday. Revenge would be mine...
And that it was.
Soon after awaking Saturday morning I was packing my towel and heading off to the swimming baths. On a side note, I never want kids.
After attempting to accomplish some laps in the main pool, I was forced into the lone lane meant for serious swimmers. A great decision on my behalf, because I managed more laps in one sitting than ever before. 64 laps in just over 1 hour, which is pretty much exactly 1 mile.
Before I could give myself a break, I was home and downing a protein shake, ready for the next 2 exercise sessions. Over at Beaconside Sports Centre, we had managed to procure the room for a couple hours for a bit of Martial Arts training. In other words, beating each other senseless. It all started off with some innocent "rolling" and ended up with us donning gloves and laying into each other. After some sweat angels, we called it a day and the other guys left to lick their tired wounds. Meanwhile, I changed into some more comfortable attire and headed straight into the gym. I worked mainly on the same muscles as every other time in the gym, except this time I worked especially hard on my cardio. 40 minutes of pretty intense action on the recumbent bike.
Another protein shake to chase down all the carnage I had caused and my day was over.
TODAY, after sleeping in till 4pm (seriously!) my intentions of swimming and the gym had been all but shattered. So now I intend to don my sexy looking shorts and go for a 3.3 mile jog around Stafford, followed by a nice work out with my dumbells. That is what I hope will now happen, place your bets neowww if you think I'll end up doing something completely different.
Friday, 1 May 2009
A reminder for myself
Exercise on:
Monday - 32 Laps in the pool. Grappling Session.
Tuesday - 34 Laps in the pool. 32 Minutes on Recumbent Bike (400 calories). Weight Training centred around Biceps, Triceps, Pectorals, Latissimus Dorsi, Abdominals and Obliques. Jujitsu Session.
Wednesday - 34 Laps in the pool. Grappling Session.
Thursday - 32 Laps in the pool. Jujitsu Session (mostly teaching).
Plan for tomorrow - 32 Laps x 3 in pool. Gym session.
Monday - 32 Laps in the pool. Grappling Session.
Tuesday - 34 Laps in the pool. 32 Minutes on Recumbent Bike (400 calories). Weight Training centred around Biceps, Triceps, Pectorals, Latissimus Dorsi, Abdominals and Obliques. Jujitsu Session.
Wednesday - 34 Laps in the pool. Grappling Session.
Thursday - 32 Laps in the pool. Jujitsu Session (mostly teaching).
Plan for tomorrow - 32 Laps x 3 in pool. Gym session.
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