Another gap without posting for ages I have reasons but they mostly suck so I wont get into them. All I know is that yesterdays training put the fear into me to never stop bjj for such a long time again. I felt physically exhausted and actually unfit for the first time in ages and I hated it.
Just a few quick memo's to anyone who's stopped training for over a month 1) tape your fingers!!! (my skin had gotten soft ripped off on peoples gi's for anyone that hasn't experienced this it hurts like hell!) 2) Buy some gatorade and eat properly before (I felt literally every muscle in my body screaming out for fuel not a good feeling) 3) Keep a Strong mind even if your body is weak (its hard not being able to do what you used to find really easy but you got there before and with hard work you will again)
Last night was circuits where 3 people are in the middle and you drill certain positions today was guard and I got gassed so quickly and it was a rude awakening on how hard jujitsu is when your not above normal levels of fitness. It was a bit of an emotional session but i'm glad I pushed and got through it after weeks of making excuses and generally being a "big girls blouse" as my dad would say.
A bunch of the guys from the gym went to Brazil last night to train at Alliance in Sao Paulo, they are staying there 1 week and then going to Rio to compete. Having experienced Fabio and some of the other alliance guys teaching I am pretty jealous but it will mean they will bring back some new skills to share with all of us so I'm looking forward to that.
Planning on coming back to the UK for a couple weeks to see my family and friends. As cool as the middle east is the 50 degree heat is starting to get to me, even the short walks from the car are unbearable and I"m starting to get cabin fever from being cooped up. I really feel like a nice walk along the seaside and up by beachy head or sitting outside at a cafe in London as opposed to running from one air conditioned safe-haven to another. And it will be good to maybe visit a few different bjj schools get some new gi's and generally just enjoy jiujitsu with a variety of different people.
I'm off to have a read of all my other favourite blogs and plan some fun stuff for summer, maybe I'll even manage to convince my aching body that it can handle another session of jits tonight!!!
Me and bjj seem to have fallen out at the moment for a combination of reasons 1) I was sick with tonsillitis 2) my coach went back to Brazil 3) I'm pretty broke and jiujitsu is expensive. Its annoying everyday I don't go i get more angry at my self for not going but i cant seem to man up and just get back to training.
For the past two weeks I've binged on everything in sight so I decided enough was enough and started eating healthy again. Cooked a yummy chicken and roast pepper stew with wild rice. Other than that just steering clear of sugar its my biggest foe at the minute.
Decided that until I get back to jiujitsu I would start working out again
10,9,8s of bench press, floor wipers, dead lift, squats, bent over row over head press push ups and kb 1 hand swings with 30 seconds skipping at the end it takes roughly half an hour to complete but it kicks my ass think i could go slightly heavier on the weight next time though
today I just did a full body work out with light weights on the Swiss ball, 10-20 reps 3 sets I don't know if it was hard because I was a bit stiff from yesterday or if I just have become a useless fatty but this also kicked my ass and took about an hour including the warm up.
In other news an old student of Reza's has opened up a new school. I don't really know what to make of this, the thing with Bahrain is its so small that theres only really room for one of most things. For ages we only had one phone network and now a few competitors have sprung up and the amount of hullabaloo it has caused is actually pretty amusing. So whether the other school will be successful or not only time will tell.
I think i just see how well everyone else is doing with their training and I get jealous that I'm here in Bahrain and cant get to any of the competitions. Thinking allot about moving back to the UK or just anywhere else but need to get some savings together first.
Well to motivate my lazy ass here is the video of the woman's under 63kg final in AD which I was lucky enough to see in person. It was really kul to see female fighters at such a high level.
A forgotten post but thought I would put it up anyways :)
So much has been going on since I wrote last I don't know where to begin, there's been the Fabio Seminar, World Pros in Abudhabi, and most recently our coach Rodrigo went back to Brazil so now Reza is teaching all the classes again. I have a lot of feelings about all these things but at the risk of this blog post sounding like a teenage diary I'll make this more of a newsflash with those three things being the headlines if you will.
Well I'll kick things off with a run down of the world pros easily the best competition I've ever been to. We arrived into Abudhabi earrrly in the morning and went straight to get weighed and signed in. We weighed without gi which was different to most of the tournaments I have done. Girls were fighting under 63kg or over and I had no problem making under 63 without the gi. The same could not be said for my team mate who had to do a few laps in the sweltering heat before their weight checked out, lay off the mcdos Ali hehe.
We got checked into the hotel, which was soo big it kind of reminded me of the battlestar galactica or something! All meals were provided in a privet hall that they had set up to feed all us hungry fighting types and probably to keep us away from more esteemed guests. The rest of the guys headed back to get some zzzs and I hung around chatting to some of the other competitors as my fight wasn't until the next day.
In typical Arab style and to avoid the heat, as the fights were outside in a tennis stadium, fights started around 6pm and went on till about 12pm. The first day no one managed to place in their weight categories despite winning a lot of fights and we went back to the hotel for the second buffet meal of the day and the guys decided who would go in for the open weight.
The next day I was fighting first against Hillary Williams which was pretty kul but also kind of psyched me out waay too much, as reza said I already gave up before I even fought. Crazily for the Middle East it started to rain just as we were about to fight so there was alot of lingering before, I don't even really remember much just that she pulled guard and I could not posture up at all then I tapped to cross collar choke. Actually You can watch it here :)
The rest of the female fights were really good to watch my friend Jess from South Africa won her fight with a really good arm bar from guard. I've never seen first hand girls fighting at such a high level so it was inspiring to watch. By the end of the day two of the guys managed to place third in the open weight category which was really good for us having such a small team.
All the final matches would be fought the following day. While over on the mats drilling some techniques I nearly had a heart attack when the mother of all fireworks displays went off in the middle of the competition, some people had to fight under this huge distraction of lights smoke and ruble that was raining down onto the mats. To most of the fighters credit they fought on seemingly unbothered by all the ruckus, I guess too focused to be rattled by the noise but it was very odd, and it happened every day.
The day of the finals was also the day we were heading home on an 11.30pm flight or something but the guys had to stay till the end to get their medals and it was nice to watch the ceremony. We had to do a crazy mad rush to get to the airport in time but luckily we made it because by this point I was getting tired and grumpy. The winners of both the under 63 and over 63kg female finals were both from Alliance Luanna and Gabi. I know that some of the guys are going over in July to train at alliance in sau paualo. I'm saving like crazy to be able to go but it might not happen this year.
So there you go better late than never the Abu Dhabi world Pro trails for the 2011 tournament are already being organised as we speak I was talking to Ze Macerlo when he was down to do our grading and he is in Abu Dhabi planning how the European and UK trails are going down. Good news for all you female fighters there is now a white/blue belt category and while I think the weight categories are still under or over 63 this means that they are taking us female fighters seriously and after the performances from last years competitors I'm not surprised! So train hard and go for it I say with $3000 prize money up for grabs and everything free if you ace the trials this is a must do competition :) check out here for more info http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Professional_Jiu-Jitsu_Cup_2011
I recently had to confess to Rodrigo how terrible I am at omoplata after him always pointing it out and me just ignoring him and hoping he didn't notice. I don't know why but its just a move I have never been able to master. Today we spent a while after morning class drilling omoplatas from every imaginable position and now i"m thinking arhhh why did i never put in the time to learn this before! I want to try it out on people now i feel all restless and will probably dream of it tonight as i usually do after staying up too late and watching videos on youtube, bjj can be hella obsessive sometimes.
The way Rodrigo taught omoplata from guard was different than I remember learning it before or the method described in my two go to bjj books "essential guard" and "jiujitsu university".
He starts by gripping the arm on the same side and has a lose cross grip on the collar and brings his knee up with the foot sitting on the hip He then puts his other foot on the shoulder and pushes it back using it to turn his body and straightening his other leg at the same time securing the arm in the omoplata position. He straighten both legs keeping a tight grip on the arm and forcefully brings them down together which gives alot of momentum and he is able to sit up quickly and change his leg positioning to secure the position. He switches grips on the hand so his arm is able to block any attempt to escape by jumping over and then holds the belt and moves his hips out to flatten the opponent He uses pressure with his two forearms to secure the submission. It took a lot of drilling but I think I'm slowly getting the hang of it.
Demian Maia omoplata
Referring to the aches and pains part of the title I am feeling soo stiff taking tons of vitamins for my joints "joint care" from seven seas 2 a day and 1 evening primrose and fish oil hopefully if i keep taking them religiously the stiffness in my hands will cease. I'm also trying to stretch my hands and try to work on my grip strength more and use a lot of hot water then joint ease cream in the morning haha crazy but I think the joints in your hands need to be taken care of and mine are pretty overworked at the minute! Skipped evening class the last two nights and feel a bit better but still not fresh, maybe I'm over training slightly so will try cut back a bit and so lots of yoga and keep eating more as I find it hard to eat enough at the minute.
Any other painful hand relief methods would be most appreciated I know rest is probably the best but TIJ!
After going to the UK I realised how much I miss being able to train with soph and do things like ladies open mat, so I'm hoping that I can inspire ladies in Bahrain and the Middle East to give Brazilian JiuJitsu a try! If your reading this and don't have the faintest idea what BJJ is or what a typical class would involve then don't worry, when I first started I didn't have a clue what I was doing and had a very limited experience of martial arts hopfully this post will help you to gain a better understanding.
What is Brazilian Jiujitsu (or BJJ for shorts) Brazilian jiujitsu was developed as a means of self defense against larger stronger individuals. The aim is to get the fight to the ground using a throw, takedown or pulling gaurd (see in the video how pippa (blue gi) pulls gaurd on leoni). Once the fight is taken to the ground you will need to reach a dominant position from which you will try to make your opponent submit or tap by applying a choke or joint lock (at the end of the video leoni successfuly reaches the mount position and manages to pass pippas defenses and get an arm bar submission making pippa tap out and winning the fight).
Helio gracie, who developed the art of bjj, was a small guy and would have been unable to successfuly beat bigger stronger opponents if he relied only on strength.
Many of you may feel more comfortable practising standing martial arts such as karate, taekwondo or kickboxing as the actions of punching and kicking are more familiar, bjj may seem daunting as it focuses on fighting an opponent from the ground and you may not understand the complexity of what is going on when watching people wrestling for the first time. However don't be put off by the unfamiliarity, Bjjs advantage is that smaller weaker opponents can develop the skills of leverage, positioning and working with momentum to defend and attack bigger stronger individuals. For this reason it makes it an excellent form of self defense as it lets you develop a sense of control and co-ordination needed to protect your self if you are ever thrown to the ground.
What will a typical class involve? Class will usually begin with a warm up which can sometimes include specific condidioing drills to improve fitness. The coach will then show a few techniques whereby people will partner up and practice these positions. If your new your first class will usually involve going over some of the basic positions with the coach or one of the more experianced students, so don't panic about getting thrown in at the deep end, there will be plenty of help available and you can go at your own pace. After a you have become more familiar and condfident with some of the basics you can put what you've learnt into practice by rolling (another term for wrestling or grappling) with your training partners. The aim here is not to kill each other or see who is the best but simply pracice and develope your technique when under a bit of pressure.
The Benefits Of BJJ Like all martial arts bjj can help to boost your confidence and self esteem by making you feel you have a greater sense of the capabilities of your body. Training regularly can improve your physique in two ways. 1) Grappling has a high energy demand meaning a large number of calories are burnt when training which can assist in reduced body fat. 2) Grappling also helps to develope lean body mass (mucles) which increases your metabolic rate, which is the best way to maintain a healthy weight in the long term. When i started BJJ i Couldn't do even half a push up and weighed about 67kg after about 6 months of training 3 times a week my weight had done down to 60kg and I can now happily rep out real push ups with the guys. I also compeated in a number of tournaments and felt more confident. Training gave me the chance to meet new people and be sociable in a healthy environment, it made a change of scene from the constant partying I had been doing at uni.
I hope this has helped some of the ladies to see that BJJ is a great martial art to learn and one that woman can really excel in. Don't be put off if the class is full of big grunting men, most of them will not be phased by your presence and go out of their way to make you feel welcome and help you out. Don't just take my word for it check out a whole host of other blogs by female authors that love jiujitsu at http://bjjgrrl.wordpress.com/women/women-resources/
If your in Bahrain and are interested in starting a class check out Reza's martial arts accadamy there are classes 6 days a week 10am-11am then 7-8.30pm its located in Sar/diraz I will post a map soon! I would also be interested to hear from any females training in or near Bahrain i.e abu dabi, dubai qatar, kuwait, and hear some of their experiances on training out here so leave a message if you or anyone you know wants to arrange a womans only training session like the ones going on in America, stockholm and the uk.
This clip shows how BJJ can be used by woman to fight a stronger opponent using good technique
Just a quick post :) Primark have some t-shirts that are quite good for training they are long, stretchy and have a high neckline, there are a whole range of colors to chose from, I got pink blue black and green. I get one size smaller than usual so its extra tight. At 2 quid a pop they have to be my bargain buy of the holiday, If you want to be even more economical then you can wear your normal t shirts backwards so they are more bjj friendly!
If your feeling like spending a bit more cash then I love the tatami rash guards, they are tight and don't make me feel like I'm being strangled. Some of the other rashgurds for females are such a thick material and better suited for surfing. They are available in pink and black and cost reasonable 10 pounds (some rash-guards can cost up to 40quid!)steel
Well I'm having a quick holiday back home, it started with a 7 hour flight via Doha 1 night in London then off to my aunt's 25th wedding anniversary, which, for a huge family event went down without any drama or scandal as can be the norm when my family are all contained in one place. Amazingly my nanny wasn't wearing anything covered in sequins or from topshop, my crazy aunt managed to avoid seducing any of my cousins friends the underage drinkers did so responsibly, and the dinner was yummy. I am somewhat worried that with an average of 3.5 puddings a day and an extremely large Scottish cooked breakfast that i will go back to Bahrain a kilo or 2 overweight so when i got back to eastbourne i stocked the fridge up with everything healthy and wholesome my chocolate detox begins now!
Back to BJJ, I went training at canton last night, I was a bit nervous but once I saw all my old friends I had a great session. We started off with a quick warm up maybe ten minutes compared to the half an hour at reza's which considering my numb feet made me very happy. We then drilled 5 different take downs 20 times each including a 3 judo take downs which i can never remember the name and 2 single leg take downs. Tolly let me do the stretching and I threw in a few yoga moves which was met by a lot of grunting haha i love me some stretching. I really liked the moves we drilled, I had nearly forgotten all the attacks I knew from side control so it was great to go over some and fun to have Sophie back to drill with. What was even nicer was having a good 5 rolls at the end it was good to test some of the stuff I had learned at reza's with the guys here, although I was so excited that my usual slow and steady approach was replaced with wild all out combat!
I am very tempted to go to slough tonight and see all the guys from BTT but i think my mum would kill me, and I want to go see Anna and check out her gym in Worthing on Thursday so tonight I think I will go for dinner with her and my brother in Brighton. I'm even more tempted to stay a bit longer but I need to get my ass back to Bahrain and work so I will try to enjoy every minute of my hols and squeeze in as much bjj time as possible!
