Christmas In Brazil, Rolling with a Gracie

Relaxing in the pool Christmas morning.

Due to Christmas this week was a little bitter sweet here in Rio. I am used to big family dinners and everything being completely covered in snow. Here in Rio things are a bit different; it's Nicole and I and the temperatures are HOT. Summer is in full effect here in Rio, so even with all the Christmas lights and decorations of Santa climbing down a ladder strung everywhere it can be difficult to get into the holiday spirit. But that's not to say we didn't have a good time. On Christmas Eve, while most of Brazil was eating the traditional family meal and celebrating, the CR crew got together and headed down towards the beach. We just wanted to get out of the house and see if anything was open, and as luck would have it one beach kiosks was open. We spent a few hours sitting with an ocean view, talking, and having a few drinks before wandering back home.

Some of the Christmas day pool fun.

On Christmas Nicole and I decided to celebrate by having a huge American breakfast ( a tradition both of our families have). We made pancakes (with real Canadian maple syrup—which cost an arm and a leg), bacon, hashbrowns, and toast with peanut butter. We made mimosas, something we were told is tradition in New Zealand, and ate outside with a view of Pedra De Gavea. It wasn't the same as with our families but it was great none the less. From there the party got started. It was a beautiful day and everyone spent it in the pool. At first it was just swimming and relaxing (ok maybe a drink or two) then someone had the idea of putting the mats (which float) in the pool, connecting them together and then trying to roll. Of course it failed, but from there a free for all royal rumble-esk game of tackling and grappling one another off of mats began. It lasted for a couple of hours. At one point singlets were put on and an actual wrestling match took place. In the afternoon some went to the beach while others continued to relax poolside. The day concluded with firing up the BBQ and grilling some steaks, chicken, and sausage. Everyone went to bed Christmas Night a very full, happy, and sunburnt gringo. It may not have been a “normal” or “traditional” Christmas, but I am willing to bet it's not a Christmas that anyone that was here at Connection Rio will forget.

Training

After open mat at Reyzinho's.

With Christmas Eve and Day falling in the middle of the week, it threw a wrench in everyone's normal training schedule. Even though that was the case there was still plenty of great training taking place. I put in a few good drilling drilling sessions and got some rolling in at the house. In both gi and nogi I really feel like I am opening up my game more. I am trying new attack and positions from both top and guard. Some have worked well.....others not so well. I am trying to integrate the new techniques in with my older more tried and true techniques. Right now when rolling sometimes I will be so focused on trying new things that I miss the opportunity to hit a move I have used more often (and had more success with) in the past. As my game evolves I need to be able to remember and use various positions and attacks, which in the end will make me a better grappler.

Fridays wrestling class at CR. Thanks again to Senki
Kimonos for all your support.

One training session that really stuck out for me this week was this past Saturdays open mat at Reyzinho's ATT. It really was an open mat session. There weren't a ton of guys there but the session was made up of guys from four or five different academies. Everyone was friendly towards one another and brought there own unique style of rolling. Other than me and one other guy, there was one brown belt, and the rest were black belts. I noticed one of the guys kept getting asked questions about different members of the Gracie family. I soon realized that it was Neiman Gracie. I had the opportunity to roll with him, talk about pressure and mat awareness. Whether from top or bottom he gave me constant pressure. From guard he was constantly pushing and pulling creating tension and keeping me from establishing an solid offense. With the constant tension any hint of me being off balance was noticed even before I could realize it and he would sweep me effortlessly. He is a really nice guy and it's always cool to get to train with a member of “the original BJJ family”. My other rolls went well, though I really noticed a few areas I need to work on. Especially some of my spiderguard defense and passing, I got caught in spiderguard several times and had difficulty mounting a solid offense. But this is why you train with better guys than you---to see where your weaknesses are and so you can work to correct them.

This past week also saw me start running mid to long distance again. Let me just say I hate distance running. So I look at it this way, it's not so much physical conditioning as it is mental conditioning. I am forcing myself to do get uncomfortable and do something I don't like to in the end get stronger mentally. It's that toughness that will help me persevere through any challenges.

Working on Weaknesses

Post wrestling and nogi at the CR house. Thanks to Senki Kimonos
for the new shorts!

It is officially summer here in Rio! While there has been a bit of rain lately, the sun has been out everyday and the temperature here has been high. Most of the house I has been enjoying the warm weather by heading to the beach, hiking, or swimming in the pool. We even have a few people who started to take up surfing while they are here in Rio (something I wouldn't mind trying again). Last weekend we had the CR end of the year BBQ, which was a great time. There was belly stretching amounts of steak, sausages, cheese on a stick, and much more. You would think that it would have given us our fill of the Brazilian churrasco but a few days later a group of us lighted up the BBQ and cooked---just goes to show you can never have to much grilled food.

Just a small amount of the food from the CR BBQ.
Photo by vitophotography.com

With regards to training I took it a bit easier. While in Gramado I banged up my shoulder a bit (and decided to train through it), so I opted to spend the week focusing on correcting issues with my technique and focusing on little details. One issue that I really started to address is my flexibility (or lack there of). I have never been extremely flexible, but I used to frequently do yoga and stretch after my workouts so it was never really an issue. Unfortunately though I have gotten away from it, and really started to notice just how inflexible I have become. While in Gramado I got some good stretching drills from Maurico Babuu, a former K-1 kickboxing coach, for kicking. I have combined those with stretches and BJJ specific drills to make a “corrective” workout to help make me more flexible. It's been humbling, but I have already began to notice some results. The biggest area has been with my hip movement. With my hips feeling looser I have been able to switch in transitions and maintain a more constant pressure from top. I had two guys comment this week on how crushing/smothering I felt from top so I must be taking a step in the right direction.

Talking shop before some nogi work.

I also spent a good deal of this week working to develop and improve my guard game. I have had a bit of trouble trying to find a game that really fits well with my aggressive style and more importantly I can carry over to nogi and MMA. I have a ton a respect for more sport specific techniques and positions but they just don't carry over. I am not saying I refuse to train them or acknowledge their value, it's just that at this time my focus isn't on learning the latest and greatest techniques in BJJ. Rather I started working a couple basic series from closed guard, half-guard, and reversal or escaping side control. With some experimenting and a lot of reps I think I have finally found a good fit for my style.

I also explored a few new ways I can incorporate my wrestling for BJJ. While teaching my wrestling class at CR, I trouble shot a few positions that guys wanted to work from. At first some of the positions I didn't have an immediate answer for so I started to play around and experiment. Soon my creative juices were flowing and I started to see new ways that I integrate wrestling for BJJ. We explored options from halfguard, open guard and various other positions. I was seriously smiling with excitement. After the training we rolled some nogi and I felt more inspired than have in a while. I was trying new things and snapping into attacks faster. I can't wait to start the week of training and experiment more.

Back stage at WOCS 32, with Rogerio Nogueira.

While I may not have gotten in much training, what I did get was some enlightenment on how to move forward with my training. It was nice to be able to relax a bit and enjoy Rio during the week. While not training I have spent time swimming, exploring, and longboarding. It was good for the body and the mind. I think being able to chill helped me to make some of the technical discoveries that I made this past week. I am excited to see what this next week brings and what new discoveries both on and off the mat I will make.

One Year in Brazil--A Quick Look Back

After one of CR's BBQ's. Photo by vitophotography.com

This week has marked a huge mile stone-- one year in Brazil! Over the course of this past year I have had some pretty remarkable experiences. From the beaches of Rio,to the tropical mountains of Friburgo, and to the southern City of Gramado I have had a chance to train and enjoy Brazil. This week I wanted to get a bit nostalgic and take a look back at some of the great experiences on and off the mat.

Post training with Dennis.

I have had the pleasure of training in some of Rio's most famous gyms--Nova Uniao, Carlson Gracies, Gordo's, X-gym, and Brazilian Top Team to name a few. At every academy I was greeted with smiles and welcomed warmly to the mats. Each gym had a different style, atmosphere, and unique way of approaching the arte suave. I have had memorable rolls with Dennis Asche, Gordo, Braga Neto, Kit Dale, Roni Yahya, plus I have rolled with countless other black belts whom have amazed me with their techniques. I even had the chance to roll in the middle of the jungle in Alex Davis' open air dojo. The world of jiujitsu has been opened up to me and I have a greater understanding and appreciation for the art as a result.

My remarkable training experiences hasn't just been in BJJ either. I have trained with (and sometimes gotten my butt kicked by) some of the best in the world of MMA. I have trained with guys like Eric Silva, Paulo Thiago, Gleison Tibau, Rony Markes, and Milton Vierra. In addition I have been on the mats and in the gym with some of the best like Jose Aldo, Dudu Dantes, and Jacare. Working out with guys like that, plus their excellent trainers has raised my game to higher levels. Not only that but seeing how the best in the world train has given me a much better idea of what it takes to be at the op of he sport.

Rolling at CR. Thank you to both Connection Rio
and Senki Kimonos for helping me live the dream.

In wrestling I have had a super fight for charity with one of the Brazilian National Team members and trained with Olympians and world class competitors at the FILA Training Center. More importantly I have been able to have a direct impact of spreading the sport of wrestling by helping Rio's youth train and compete in wrestling by working with the Antoine Jauode and the UPP Programs. Through wrestling I have gotten into famous and exclusive gyms and programs. I had the opportunity to work directly with Brazil's paratroopers as well as the elite BOPE force. I have also helped train some great fighters, guys I never dreamed I would be able to help. I think that's one of the biggest takeaways I have had this past year in Brazil-- That I deserve to be here working with some of the best in the world.

The move here though has been about more than just training though. It's been about new life experiences with Nicole and chasing our dreams. The two of us have had some comedic follies, for instance taking the wrong bus ending up in a unknown part of the city in a storm, with Nicole getting a tarp full of water dumped on her and as I was laughing getting splashed with dirty street water. We been to some great parties- New Year's on Copa Beach, Rock in Rio, Carnival, Cabaret Lounge champagne party, and see many great BBQ's here at the CR house- and relaxed along Rio's famous beaches. We have been able to see some of social issues that affect Brazil and how they attempting to be solved. Touring Complexo Alemao with BOPE and BBQ's in some of Rio's other impoverished communities have enlightened us to issues we had never been exposed to in the States. We have met and made friends with some great people from all over the world here at CR. It has really enlightened us to new ways of thinking and cultures, and has given us great friends to visit in the future. We have made memories together that will last us a lifetime.

In the past year I have grown a lot here in Rio, both on and off the mats. At the beginning of the move I had set a lot of goals for myself one of them being that in order for me to ever truly feel like I lived in Brazil we (Nicole and I) had to live here for at least a year. I realize it was a bit of a naive statement, but it was a goal I had set. Well the year marker has come and gone and we are still here going stronger than ever. I am excited to see what the next year brings as Brazil continues to feel more like home and less like a foreign experience.

Hard Training and Working on my Language Skills

Add caption

It has been an extremely busy week of training for me at the Academia Oxygym in Gramado. In total last week I put in 14 training sessions either in boxing, wrestling, BJJ, nogi, or strength/conditioning. Add to that teaching four wrestling classes, plus personal technical work with the guys getting ready for upcoming fights, and you have a pretty full schedule. That said, I don't mind at all; it has been great to focus on self improvement and improving the techniques of others.

Some of the fighters doing conditioning.

Some of the biggest areas where I have seen improvement had been in my boxing. I have been working a ton with Jean Pierre, a multiple time Brazilian National Amateur Boxing Championship Finalist. I've worked with him a lot in the past and made improvements, but for whatever reason something just seemed to click this week. I felt a lot more relaxed smooth in my foot work and my combos were flowing smoothly. I have been able to get in some light sparring work. I can notice a big improvement in my angles and defense. I'm starting to perry and slip (even mixing in counters), which for me is something I have done very little of in the past. Don't get me wrong, I still have a ton of work to do, but I feel like I turned a bit of a corner with my stand up.

Before some gi training. Repping the Senki
brand throughout Brazil!

In the area of BJJ and Nogi I had a strong week as well. I learned some great new positional drills and some great techniques as well. While the majority of my focus for the week was nogi oriented I also trained in the kimono as well. The gi classes (as well as the judo) are taught by Edimilson Conceicao. Professor Conceicao is a black belt in both BJJ and Judo, and has many accolades internationally in both arts. His techniques are great and he breaks down everything into small step by step details, which really help to understand the techniques. Also being a judo instructor all sparring in BJJ starts on the feet. I really like it, because it has allowed me to work my grip fighting and control in the stand up. While I have a strong takedowns from wrestling, I have recently began to realize that takedowns in the kimono are a bit of a different game; which is requiring me to make adjustments and change some of my strategy. Starting on the feet adds a different (and fun) component to training, and is especially useful if you compete. In recent competition I allowed my opponent to control grips and play defensive or pull guard before I had a chance to mount an offense. So it is awesome (and enlightening) to get a chance to play around with the grip game in a training environment. Being in a new environment has really made me open up and try new things with my ground game as well. I have started working my half guard and playing a more open guard game in general. While I will always prefer a top game strategy, I have to focus on positions where I am less comfortable to make a jump to the next level. Its easy to stick with what you know, but as one of my favorite quotes go you have to be comfortable being uncomfortable.

Picking up on my Portuguese

Over the last two weeks I have seen a dramatic improvement in another area—my Portuguese. Over the course of the last year my Portuguese has been improving step by step; starting with only basic words and now being able to have conversations with people. The last two weeks here have been almost like an immersion course for me. In Rio I can often times get away with speaking minimal Portuguese. Though I speak Portuguese everyday, English is by far what I speak the most. Either I am at the CR house (where almost everyone speaks at least a bit of English) or I am with Brazilian friends who want to work on their English. Here in Gramado that has not been the case. For the last two weeks I am the only Gringo I have seen, and while a decent number of people speak English, most do not. So I was faced with a choice: either speak Portuguese or be very very quiet for the two weeks I am here.

Out in the City working on my Portuguese.

For the first few days I didn't say much (actually outside of coaching and training very little), but as I got more comfortable I started speaking more. Little by little I added my thoughts on training or different fighters, and soon progressed to talking about different topics and having actual conversations outside of martial arts. It has been great to start to get to know guys better on a personal level than just through the fight game. While I still get a bit lost in some conversations and large groups of people talking really throws me off, it has been great to pick up on my language skills and actually be able to give my input instead of just being a fly on the wall.

I have even been helping some of the guys down here with their English. While most of the time I am genuinely helping the guys it has given me the chance to have a little fun. For example Joilton (who finds it halarious to speak to me in Spanish instead of Portuguese) spent a day or two around the gym sharing his new English phrase 'I like big di--' I'll let your imaginations fill in the rest.

Exploring Brazil through MMA and BJJ-Training in the city of Gramado

Post nogi training. Representing the Senki brand throughout Brazil.
www.senki.com.br

 Normally I write writing about training and the BJJ lifestyle in Rio, but for the next few weeks I will be writing from Rio Grande do Sul in the city of Gramado. I am down here training with and helping coach the Oxygym Fight Team with Andre Benkei and his other coaches. I am here to help guys work on their wrestling for upcoming fights; along the way I am having some great new experiences.

The City of Gramado

Checking out downtown Gramado.

Gramado is about 125km from Porto Alegre and is located in Southern Brazil's more mountainous region. The area was largely settled by Italian and German immigrants in the late 1800's/early 1900's and the influence can easily be seen. When I first came into the city this past Thursday the first thing I noticed was that the city looks more like a European Alpine city with some Brazilian flair added in. The surrounding area is subtropical forests with tons of exotic pines and hardwoods with the bamboo and palms mixed in. One of the first places I was taken was a huge waterfall (several hundred feet high), which cascaded down into a huge valley below.

Over the weekend I had the chance to get out and explore more of the city. The down town area is a huge collection of shops and restaurants, micro-breweries and parks. We all spent a ton of time exploring the city and I am looking forward to getting a chance to see more of what it has to offer. The one thing I wished I would have brought is my longboard; the streets are in great condition with gentley sloping hills which would be perfect for cruising on my Bossa longboard. On Thursday night we went out to a local churrascaria (all you can eat Brazilian steak house). The waiters were dress in traditional guacho (Brazilian cowboy) clothing on their belts they carried a large knife to cut off slices of various meats table side. About halfway through the meal I realized it was Thanksgiving back in the States. I may not have had a turkey dinner, but I'll gladly take filet minon, ribs, and other tender cuts of meat instead.

The Training

As I said above while in Gramado I am training at Oxygym. Oxygym is a large fitness center in a refurbished warehouse. The gym has a large (and very modern) fitness area, with an assortment of treadmills, ellipticals, bikes and weights. Seeing all the weights put a huge smile on my face. Since being in Brazil I've only been able to use barbell free weights once, so the idea of having access to a full gym for two weeks sounded awesome. I quickly wrote up a simple lifting program that I have used before during heavy training. While its nothing special I have found this a good way to add strength without exhausting my body:

Day 1:

Dumbell Snatch 3 sets x 3 reps

Deadlift 3 sets x 5 reps 1 set x max technical reps

supersetted with

Overhead Press 3x5 1x max tech reps

Assistance Work

Romainian DL 4x6

Weighted Pull-ups 4x6

Core Work

Day 2:

Power Cleans 3 sets x 3 reps

Squats 3 sets x 5 reps 1 set x max technical reps

Supersetted with

Overhead Press 3x5 1x max tech reps

Assistance Work

Good mornings 4x6

Bent-Over Rows 4x6

Core Work

In addition to this I do two days of loaded carries, plate pushes/pulls, or sprint work.

Within the gym is Academia Oxygym, where the martial arts and combat sports training goes on. The area has a large tatame area for striking or grappling, with another smaller tatame area in a separate next door. The academy also has a large cage which is perfect for MMA training. I have been to a lot of gyms in Brazil and I have to say this is one of the larger and more modern gyms I have worked out in.

Getting ready to box.

The training here has multiple classes in wrestling, boxing, muay thai, or submission grappling throughout the day and at night there are classes in either BJJ or Judo. Everyday there is also specific pro training for guys with upcoming fights twice daily at 1 and 6 p.m. As you can imagine I have been busy training my butt off. I am getting 2-3 sessions in a day depending on the day. I haven't had a chance to work my striking lately so it feels good to break the rust off and get some serious mitt work with the coaches and some good sparring in. On the grappling end, I haven't made it to the gi class yet but I got some great nogi training, which is taught by Edson Diniz. We worked a lot of half guard technique, including a really nice back take when you opponent has the whizzer. The back take fits perfectly into my game, and is great because I am working to develop a style of guard game that works well for me. I can't wait to see what the coming weeks bring for training and I am excited to soak of everything I can while training here. 

AlfaBarra Submission and BJJ Tournament--Competing in Rio

The days are flying by as we are nearing the end of our first year in Rio. With the year closing out, I have found myself looking back on some of the goals I had set at the start of Nicole and I's great adventure to Brazil. Some I have absolutely crushed, but some I still have on my list. One of my goals was to compete often. Unfortunately on that goal I fell a bit short. It wasn't intended, but I was focused on other things and it was easy to just say “I'll do the next tournament.” Well this last week I got back on the mat to compete in the AlfaBarra Submission and BJJ Tournament.

I decided to compete on short notice and got my registration done on Tuesday (which was surprisingly easy to do). The week was filled with a ton of training, a lot of live rolling nogi and drilling in the kimono. I made sure to not only drill the techniques that I use often, but also drill positions that I was not comfortable in such as escaping back, or working so escape/reverse from side control. On Wednesday (which was a Brazilian holiday) a large group of us in the house decided to get some good gi training in on the house mats. In my second roll, my partner tried to take my back launched into a deep choke using his kimono. I felt comfortable and was defending, then next thing I know I was back at home in Michigan dreaming of being out in the woods.....then suddenly I was back on the CR mats with a group of guys standing around me. I asked what happened and they told me I got put to sleep. I laughed, fixed my kimono and continued the roll. The rest of my rolling felt great I was incredibly relaxed and felt good in my transitions and guard passes. After training a few of us hoped in the pool and relaxed under the Rio night's sky. The rest of the weeks training sessions went good and I couldn't wait to step onto the mat on Sunday.

Skating in Flamengo in between training sessions.

Soon enough the week of training ended and the tournament arrived. For the submission category white and blues were together and purple, brown, and black belts were lumped into another category. There were seven guys in my weight, so in order to win it all I had to win three matches. In my first match, against a long and lanky opponent I locked up a body lock and took him down about a minute into the match. The rest of the match I played top and worked to pass. I bypassed his guard several times but my opponent was able to keep me from stabilizing the position, preventing my from scoring. In the end I won the fight 2-0. I didn't grapple bad, but I just didn't feel like myself in the roll. My next matched was much the same I had a couple of takedowns, and I few good scrambles but I just couldn't seem to get in my rhythm. I had a chance to watch my opponent for the finals, he played a good top game, but also had some great sweeps from bottom and overall seemed comfortable where ever the match went. As I started to warm up for my match I felt more relaxed, and started to remember my old pre-match rituals and warm up. I step out onto the mat feeling good, relaxed and ready to go. I quickly hit an elbow post to a double leg takedown right into the pass. I controlled the position and started to set up a cross side arm bar and then switched to a kimura attempt. He defended and tried to escape with a low single. I saw the opening and locked up a tight anaconda choke. I pressured the choke and felt him tap. The ref was on the other side and didn't see the tap, so I kept the lock (slightly lessening the pressure) and told the ref he tapped to which my opponent said he didn't. So I really really put the choke on, felt him tap again and waited or the ref to say stop. I finally felt like I hit my groove and rolled how I should have.

I tried to enter into the white and blue absolute but I apparently missed the sign up time, so I jumped into the purple, brown, and black absolute instead. In the first round my opponent was a muscle bound blackbelt who outweighed my by a bit, but I didn't care. I felt ready and was soon on the mat. I tied up with him, felt how he reacted, and broke away. I tied up again, knowing how he was going to react I quickly hit a Russian tie to a double leg. I cut the angle, finished the takedown and passed his guard....right into an anaconda choke. I hold was tight but I worked to defend, I could feel my neck cracking and popping and started to see darkness close in so I tapped. As I stood up and walked off the mats my friends Reyzinho and Humberto reminded me that we had worked escaping the choke from that position a couple of weeks ago, I completely forgot it in the heat of the moment

I waited for about four hours, cheering on my friends, until it was time to compete in the gi. My opponent quickly got his grips and jumped guard, hitting a sweep before I could set my base. To make matters worse in a scramble he got one hook in and locked in a rear naked choke. As I defended he got the other hook in scoring more. My main concern was the choke though, I defended as he squeezed, tried to improve the lock and then squeezed again. I kept defending, escaped the choke and escaped to my feet, as he stood I hit a lapel drag and attempted a back take, I scored a takedown but he was able to secure bottom half, the rest of the match was me, working to pass and score and him defending, blocking, and stalling with the lead. In the end I came up short. I was not happy (honestly as I am writing this I can feel the fire in my gut). Look, my opponent was good, he went on to win the division in a very dominating manner; but I didn't perform my best and I feel that if I had things would have gone differently. Afterward the match I threw on my shorts and went for a run down the beach analyzing my match as I ran... I came out slow and let him play his game instead of imposing mine. That's what pissed me off the most. I know I won a gold medal and I hit some new techniques I have been working on, but man finishing off the day with a loss leaves a bitter taste in your mouth.

Thank you to both Connection Rio and Senki for the great training gear
and opportunities in Rio!

It felt great to compete again though, to break off the rust and enjoy the feeling of winning, be pissed about the losses, and feel that overall rush of competition. I am ready to embrace training with a renewed vigor and purpose. Any stagnation I may have felt is gone and my motivation is stronger than ever. I can't wait to start get back on the mat and continue on my journey.

I would like to say thank you to my sponsors Connection Rio and Senki Kimonos. Senki has been providing me with great kimonos and other training gear, and I am proud to represent such a great company (www.senki.com/br). Also without the help of CR and Dennis Asche both on and off the mat, our (Nicole and I's) Brazilian adventure would have been much more difficult. Also I would like to say thank you to Professor John Machado, for allowing me to represent his team (RCJ Machado) in competition. I am thankful for the opportunity and look forward to representing the academy and my sponsors in future competitions.Ossss.

CR BBQ and Working My Guard Game

Just some of the people at Saturday's BBQ. Photo by vitophotography.com

It's been a busy week down here in Rio at the CR house. Since the start of the week the house has been full with BJJ enthusiasts from all over the world. Currently we have people staying here from the U.S., Canada, Ireland, France, the UK, Jordan, Germany, Netherlands and Poland. The belt levels in the house are as diverse as the people; there is a mixture of white, blue, purple, one brown and two blackbelts. With so much diversity we are constantly being exposed to new concepts and ideas involving both BJJ and life in general.

Because of the BJJ diversity in the house I spent a good portion of this week training with guys in the house. I got in several good drill sessions in with Mike, spending a lot of time on my guard game. Most of my game is either top or scramble oriented, so my technique from guard isn't as strong as it could be. It's not that I feel uncomfortable from guard its just that I tend to create scrambles to either escape to my feet or reverse, instead of using technical sweeps or working for submissions. While I have pretty good success with it, I recently realized I need to build a more technical guard game and show a little more diversity from bottom. Honestly some (and by that I mean a lot) of my technique felt loose and sloppy, which was both frustrating eye opening. That said I realize I need to work hard on it to turn the corner on my training. To make improvements you need to get out of your comfort zone, and that is what I am doing.

In my wrestling class I covered some techniques from the underhook series. I went through a basic snatch single, an ankle pick, and a knee tap attack. The nice thing about the series of attack is that it works great in both gi and nogi grappling. We spent a good hour and a half in the Rio sun drilling each attack. On Friday and Saturday a group of us got together and rolled nogi. We divided into groups some inside, some outside and we rolled 6 minute rounds for the better part of an hour. Overall I felt great, my cardio was strong (thanks to my recent sprint work), my top game and scrambles felt good, and I even played a little guard. With my guard I found varying success; I was able to hit a couple of nice sweeps, but I couple of times I got my guard passed and found myself getting smashed. In the end though it will only make me better.

CR BBQ

Photo by vitophotography.com

On this past Saturday CR had a huge sponsored BBQ, with many members of the BJJ and MMA community in attendance. Some of the guests included coral belt Sylvio Behring, Gordo, Terere, Liuz Dias, Cleiber Maia, Antoine Jaoude, and Claudinha Gagelha. Starting at noon we fired up the grill and continually had food cooking until after 6 p.m.. It was great to have so many members of the community here together with the guests here at CR, talking BJJ, swimming, laughing, and eating delicious food.

Also Bossa Boards founder Nicolai came over with some of his different designs and taught longboarding techniques. The road along the house was filled with gringos riding longboards with varying success. Having the different boards designs let people see just how each style handles and rides differently from the others. He even took a minute to switch out the bushings on my board and make a couple of small adjustments to make boarding better. Thanks Nicolai!

One of our guests Nico riding a Bossa longboard.
Photo by vitophotography.com

To finish the day off a group of us watched UFC 167 here at the house, while others went out to Copa to check out the nightlife. It was a great way to finish out the week, with friends, good food, and good times.

Luta Livre and Working Hard on My Portuguese

Longboarding through the streets of Barrinha.

Another week down and closing in on eleven months in Rio, and all I can say is that it just gets better and better. The weather started out a bit atypically, with several days of rain. For the weekend though the sun returned and it was perfect beach and skate weather. I just returned from skating though the streets of Barrinha (the neighborhood where the house is located). The temperature is about 73F (about 23) and the nights sky is clear, perfect for a relaxing longboarding session.

Rolling Luta Livre

After training at Equipe Pequeno

One of the highlights of this week was going with Alexander Pequeno Nogueira to his luta livre academy near Complexo de Alemao. On Thursday afternoon several of us met up, piled into Pequeno's car, and headed to train. Pequeno showed some great attacks from multiple positions from leg locks to a really nice armlock from top half. Some of the leg lock positions were a bit difficult for me (because I have a basic leglock game at best), but I really enjoyed the armlock from half. With the technique you bait the deep half, trap the arm that shoots under your leg, and attack arm lock.

After training pizza

The rolling was intense, not mean or ill spirited, but intense. It's been a while since I have rolled with pure luta livre guys, and I forgot just how fast paced they roll. The first roll I did, I initially approached it a bit too lax. Before I knew it I got snapped into an anaconda, defended, then got my back taken and got caught in a deep rear naked choke and was forced to tap. Getting my back taken and submitted so fast is something I am not used too, and I ramped up my intensity as well. I hit a double from the knees, passed into side control and went for a cross side arm bar. He defended and we ended up on our knees again. I hit a slide by, took his back and hit a choke of my own. The rest of the rolls were much the same, hard fast paced sparring, with a constant change of positions. Besides the more active rolling pace another difference was the types attacks the luta livre guys were going for. I found myself defending leg locks, bicep slicers, and shoulder locks. I had a ton of fun rolling, and after training I hit the sauna to relax and stretch.

A large group from the gym headed out to get pizza after the training and asked if I wanted to go, it was a great opportunity to relax and get to know the guys better. I have been working hard and speaking more Portuguese, so it was great to talk only in Portuguese and get to know the guys I was training with more.

While it's not essential to know speak the language down here in Rio, knowing a little bit will go a long way. A fairly large number of people speak at least a little English. Most academies will have at least one person on the mat who can speak to you. That said knowing even a little Portuguese will take you a long way. The Brazilian people are incredibly helpful and nice people, so making an effort to know your basic, greetings/please and thank yous will make any person here more willing to go that extra mile to make sure you get what you need or where you want to go. 

Working Through Frustrations in Training and Longboarding Through Rio---BJJ Lifestyle at its Best!

You would be hard pressed to find a better place to live and train than Rio de Janiero. After training with world class athletes, you can sit back and enjoy a cold acai or fresh agua de coco. In your down time you can swim in the pool or head to the beach and soak up some sun. If you feel like being more active you can go for a hike along Pedra de Gavea's jungle path, or hop on your bike or longboard and ride along the city streets and beach side bike paths. Nicole and I were talking today and she brought up a great point; back in the U.S. everything was done with thoughts/plans for the future, but here in Rio you focus more on the present. You can just enjoy what you are doing at that moment take everything one day at a time.

Just before the start of the afternoon BJJ training at NU. Photo by
JFC Jarutas

Week in Training

Me next to my seminar flyer in N. Friburgo.

I started my training this week a day later than normal (on Tuesday), because of a skin infection that showed up on Friday. Despite the late start to the week I still got in 10 training and /or conditioning workouts in. With striking training I learned some great Thai combos, involving work from the clinch. My training partner for much of the time was Milton Vieira. As we trained we played around with possible grappling transitions from the clinch work. Later in the week, while teaching, I was able to incorporate the muay Thai techniques into wrestling takedowns for MMA. The new position in striking led to a personal revelation on new ways to work wrestling. That is one of the great benefits of having great instructors and having a mind opened to learning new things.

After one of the training sessions Milton asked if I wanted to roll. Of course I said yes. We spend the next 15-20 minutes rolling. I felt great—my movement and transitions were smooth. I was able to work some offense and force Milton to react to my game, for a couple of moments that is. Any attack I made was quickly defended and countered. He is a world class grappler and the positions he was able to launch submissions from was mind boggling. After our roll Milton spend another 15-20 minutes showing counters to several submissions that he had tapped me with. All this just because he is a nice guy who likes training with me, you can't ask for anything better.

Me with Reyzinho Duarte who fought at Bitetti 18.

Training in the kimono at Nova Uniao also went good this week. I got in some good drilling with Dennis and some other guys, and also some great afternoon training under Fernando Bruno as well. With training everyday multiple times a day it is sometimes easy to get frustrated with your performance at any given training. This was the case earlier this week with one of my trainings. I set high expectations for myself in training, so when I felt a little rigid and stuttering in my game and not performing how I would like I walked from training frustrated. But on the bus ride home and later that night I was able to look back on that training, and pull away positives from my training. Yes I may have felt slower and rigid, but I saw openings and tried several different submissions I have been drilling and I was able to hit this certain pass I have been working on. Also even though I might now have rolled the best I trained hard and didn't give up. It's important to realize that just because a training session doesn't go the way you want it to doesn't mean that there was no positives to take away. It's all a matter of perspective and sometimes you have to look at things from a different angle. Doing this will help you continue past frustrations and in the end become better. This can be easier said then done. One of the things I have started to do is write my thoughts and ideas after my training sessions down. I'm not consistent with it 100% of the time, but when I sit down and write my thoughts on individual training sessions it helps me to analyze and reflect on my game more, and will hopefully lead to greater and faster improvement.

Bitetti Combat and Longboarding Through Rio

This past Thursday was Bitetti Combat 18 in Botafogo and large group from CR was in attendance. The fights were action packed and technical, with a fast paced main event ending in a nasty KO. There is something to be said for the crowds at MMA events here in Brazil, chants of team names, and cries of “Jiu-Jitsu” or “Luta Livre” often fill the air. You never know who will be in attendance at the fights either. I was able to meet MMA legend Paulo Filho, and see him give fight advice and tips to some of the guys backstage. Often times famous coaches, such a Murilo Bustamante of BTT, will be in attendance to corner members of their teams.

Longboarding along the beach, with Sugar Loaf in the background.
Photo by Dennis Asche.

This past week I was also able to start up a new hobby, one that I wanted to start for a long time,-- longboarding. Connection Rio is working with Bossa Boards to soon bring another aspect of the BJJ lifestyle to people staying here. This past Monday I received one of the newly made boards. The style of board responds similar to how a snowboard responds and after a little bit of practice and help from Dennis I was skating along Flamengo park. The rest of the week I took any opportunity I could to get out and skate throughout the streets of Barra and along Rio's beach side bike paths. It not only has been fun learning to skate this past week but it also has saved me a ton of time traveling from one training to the next. Just writing about longboarding is making me anxious to be able to get out and skate tomorrow in the hot Rio sun.

Training Gi, Rolling Nogi,and Hard Thai Boxing

It's been a long hot week here in Rio de Janiero. The temperatures have consistently been in the mid 80's (roughly 30C), and the sun has been throwing down some intense rays. With the heat a post training agua de coco or acai serves as a well deserved treat and recovery aid. It never gets cold here but as we head into summer I am getting reminded of what Brazilian summer feels like, and it's a good thing we have a pool in the front yard to help keep cool throughout the day! We just finished out the weekend here at CR with a massive BBQ. Three different cuts of beef, burgers, two types of sausages, and a table full of sauces and salads, has left the entire house in a bit of a food coma...everyone is looking forward to working of all this food with a great week of training.

Connection Rio BBQ.

Week in Training

With the return to a more normal schedule after traveling last week I put a lot of time into training this week. I had at least two training sessions a day Monday-Thursday, with a long training session on both Friday and Saturday.

After wrestling training.

In BJJ I had several hard drill sessions with Dennis. The focus for the last few weeks of drilling has been attacks from top, with a heavy focus on transitions from one submission to the next with little to no hesitation. When we first started drilling I felt clunky and slow, using only a couple of submissions and not keeping great positioning. This week though I really started to notice an improvement. I felt better, more relaxed, and a greater sense of purpose in my movements. I also opened up my submission game, being more aware of available chokes or locks. A few of the guys in the house were also training for the Brazilian Nogi Championships this weekend so several times throughout the week we rolled nogi. We broke into groups, some grappling on mats by the pool and others on the mats in the house. With training so much in the gi lately it felt great to take off the gi and get some hard submission grappling in. Nogi favors my wrestling a bit more and it was nice to open my up my offense a bit. You hear a lot of people that for nogi or MMA that training in a kimono is worthless, but I have to disagree. After so much gi training, a more methodical pace focusing on technique instead of athleticism, I felt a noticeable jump in my nogi technique. I recognized openings, stayed calmer when in bad positions, and had an overall higher confidence in my game. Milton Viera was on the mats a lot this week for MMA training and after the training sessions he would world or discuss/show anaconda choke attacks. A new world of ways to attack the anaconda has been opened up to me. He showed transitions to the anaconda from bottom halfguard, from a double underhook pass, and even transitioning to the anaconda when a guy has your back. You can be in almost any positioning and somewhere somehow there is an opening for the attack. Once you realize some of the different ways to set it up, you can really notice the openings for the submission. A few times this week I was able to throw a quick attack and work the adaconda.

Photo of Alex and I rolling at the farm.

I put a lot of work into my muay thai training this week as well. One of the sessions was an intense drill session fallowed by “body hardening” drills. One person would throw specified strikes on their partner down the length of the mat and back. We went through the drill with leg kicks, front push kicks and round house kicks to the body (among other things). The drills were set to the pace of your partner. Some guys went lighter, others (including my partner) did not. Having a 5'3” 160 pound ball of muscle throw fast hard kicks on your legs and body is not most fun I've had (couldn't walk right for a day or two), but it toughens the body and mind. Later in the week I went in early to get a little extra training with one of the guys, Daniel. Daniel has won championships in muay thai and kickboxing in both Brazil and Europe. He took a lot of time to work one on one with me on correcting my both my kick defense and offense. I have noticed a steady improvement in my muay thai, but I again noticed a jump in my game after the work I did with him. Again it was great having Milton in training with us, he showed some great MT combos for MMA, that was good to land both powerful shots and set up the takedown.

I enjoy writing this blog every week, because I get a chance to sit down and review my training from the previous seven days. I really helps remind me of how many great friends, training partners, and coaches I have down here Rio. I am a believer that the best investment you can make is in yourself. That's one of the main reasons Nicole and I moved down here. With surrounding myself with such great people and putting in a ton of hard work I can feel my investment paying off in dividends.

View of the evening sky in Nova Friburgo

Wrestling Seminar, Waterfalls, and Rolling in the Jungle

Group shot after my seminar in Nova Friburgo at Academia Fight Co.

I am struggling to write out this weeks blog, not because of a lack of eventfulness but because it is hard to put to words the amazing experience of this week. It was truly a fun filled week with many new adventures. This past Saturday (the 19^th) I had the opportunity to teach a wrestling seminar at Academia Fight Co. in Nova Friburgo, a small city about 140 km north of Rio. The gym, ran by Anderson Franca, is home to many talented fighters including UFC striking phenom Edson Barboza. Nicole and I went up a couple of days early to enjoy a mini-vacation and some R&R.

The view from Alex's farm.

On Thursday morning Nicole and I packed up our bags hopped a bus to the Rodavario (Rio's main bus station) and took a coach bus about 2 hours north to Cachoeiras de Macacu, where we were picked up by Alex Davis and taken to his farm. For those who don't know, Alex is a judo and BJJ blackbelt and manager to some of the biggest fighters in MMA. Besides being a figure in the martial arts world he is a strong advocate for environmental conservation and has his property set up as a pristine natural environment. His 7.8 million square yard farm, much of it Atlantic Rain Forest, was breath taking. Nicole and I spent our mornings laying in a hammock, reading, and sitting down to a Brazilian style breakfast (breads, cheeses, fruits, granola, and of course coffee). On Friday afternoon Alex's brother Andy, who is an ecologist in the U.S., took us along a trail up through the jungle. As we hiked he explained the wildlife and history of the area. One of the more interesting things was their water system, which used a piping and filter system working with the change in elevation to bring water from the nearby mountain stream and into the house. So the water we drank from the tap was pure mountain water, no chemicals added. Our final destination was a large waterfall about 100 feet high, that cascaded into a large pool. We took the chance to swim, sit under the water fall and enjoy the refreshing mountain water. Friday evening Alex and I went out into his outdoor dojo (yes that's right Alex has an outdoor dojo) and rolled. We started first at a flow and then picking up the pace. Being an accomplished judoka one of the first things I noticed with Alex's game was his grip game. He has a great feeling for changes in pressure and adjustments, which made hand fighting and rolling fun. We spent the better part of an hour transitioning from position to position and enjoying the arte suave. I have to say rolling in an outdoor dojo, surrounded by jungle and mountains was one the coolest and most fun experiences I have had so far in my BJJ journey.

Rolling with Alex in his dojo.

Soon after we finished rolling a thunderstorm hit and after dinner we sat out and watched lighting light up the night sky. The silhouette of the mountains against the bright flashes of lightning was one of those sights that makes you stand in awe of the world around you. I went to bed listening to the sound of rain and the rushing river nearby. On Saturday morning the sun was up bright and I got some yoga in outside on their stone patio. After a relaxed breakfast Alex and I headed down to the river for a swim. The water was cool and refreshing, and so clean you could drink straight from the river. We sunned ourselves on the rock, talking BJJ and life. Over the course of the two days at the farm one of the best things was Alex's stories. He had stories from the old school days of judo and BJJ in Brazil, about the history of Brazil, and some far out stories of some of the things he has seen living in the jungle. Next Nicole and I packed our bags and took a bus to Nova Friburgo, a 30 minute ride winding through the mountains. Alex's daughter, Michele, and her husband Anderson picked us up and took us to their gym. The gym was very nice. The upper level has a nice weight room and the lower level has a large mat space and full sized boxing ring. After a quick lunch we headed back to the gym for the seminar. The seminar went great and I had 29 fighters show up. The seminar lasted around 2.5 hours, going over positions for grappling and MMA, both attacks and counters. Everyone seemed to pick up the techniques fast and the time flew by. Afterwords we had a quick meal of fresh fruit and juice. That night Anderson, who is a huge sushi enthusiast, made platters—yes platters, of sushi. We spent the night eating sushi and watching the UFC fights.

Sunday afternoon we headed to the bus station and traveled back Rio. The trip was an amazing one, one that is hard to describe. I made new friends, had new experiences and above all had a chance to stop and think about my goals and direction I want to move in. I am starting this week with a new sense of inspiration and motivation, knowing that if I continue to work hard many more great things are yet to come.

The BJJ Lifestyle and New Sponsor

Drilling on the CR mats, with my new Senki Kimono. Photo by Davey Morehead.

The sun is beginning to set here in Rio and members of the house are beginning to trickle in. Some from the beach, some from climbing Pedra de Gavea, and some from grabbing an big acai from the bakery down the round. Each group is filling the others in on the adventures and scenery they have taken in today. The house is quite full and we currently have guests here from eight different countries around the world. Living with such a diverse group has made it possible to learn different styles of BJJ and different social perspectives as well. Here at the house we share and intermingle our food, sayings, and customs, coming away with a better sense of the world. With the “broadening of your horizons” and the excellent training so readily available around every corner, CR is the perfect place to come and experience the BJJ lifestyle.

After a sport specific BJJ conditioning session.

As always my training this past week was great and normally at this point I would go back through some of my training and recount a couple of stories. This week though I want to focus on a bit different topic--- the BJJ lifestyle, as I see it, here at Connection Rio. To me in a nut shell the BJJ lifestyle is about passion, growth, and a desire to make the best possible version of yourself. In the last 10 months here in Rio I have seen people from all walks of life come through CR. Some are business professionals looking for a BJJ vacation, some are seasoned competitors looking to sharpen themselves, some are here trying jiujitsu for the first time-starting anew. But all are here to do something that they love and have fun doing. In the house at any point during the day there is somebody on the mats drilling or talking technique before the next training. It builds up a strong community within the house, that fosters an almost selfless attitude to spur improvement. If you have a problem with something on the mat in a class all you have to do is ask about it when you get back to the house and before you know it a group will be on the mat covering the positions and trying to fix what went wrong. The passion for BJJ and the bond formed on the mat carries over to time spent not training as well. A community and network of friends gets created, and when people return home these friendships will span the globe. You going on a trip somewhere in Europe? Pop in at an academy where one of your friends you met in Rio trains and I can almost guarantee you will be accepted in as family. I have seen it over and over, people with little other than BJJ in common becoming the best of friends because of the shared passion for the art. The BJJ lifestyle is also one of self discovery. Many people come to CR not sure what direction they want to head in life, but through living more in the moment and relaxing they see a path begin to get laid out in front of them. I consider myself as one of these people. I fell in love with the BJJ lifestyle and learned from my first trip to Rio what path I wanted to take. I don't mean to say that you have to make BJJ your life to live the lifestyle. I have met a lot of Brazilian Jiujitsu enthusiasts, who may only train 2-3 days a week back home, learn to not worry as much about the “what ifs” in the future, and enjoy the “now” of their day to day life because of the relaxed and fun nature of BJJ here in Rio.

With Ze Luiz owner of Senki Kimonos, my new sponsor.

New Sponsorship!

I am proud to announce that I have a new sponsor to help me on my BJJ/MMA journey-- Senki Kimonos. With over 10 years in the business Senki owner Ze Luiz has been offering high quality kimonos and fightwear for affordable prices to people all over the world. All of there products are 100% percent made in Brazil, which is always a comfort to know that your gear was made in the birthplace of BJJ. I met with Ze Luiz earlier this past week and he provided me with a bundle of new training gear, 2 new lightweight gis, 2 rashguards, and 2 Senki T's. The gear fits great and I quickly put it to the training test, which it all passed with flying colors. I am grateful and honored to be sponsored by such a respected brand here in Brazil.

To take a look at their great selection check out the Senki Website:

http://www.senki.com.br/