Training with Mario Sperry and Luta Livre Super Fights

Luta livre fight at ALLDERJ Championship Fight Amador 4.
photo by mma4ever.com

So it’s been a couple of weeks since my last blog. I've tired to keep things updated as much as possible, but it`s just easy to get sidetracked when you have so much going on. None the less here is this weeks blog post---I’ll work to get back into the routine of a post a week.

Thanks to Senki for all the great new gear!

Also I would like to take a quick minute to thank my sponsor Senki Kimonos. Being on the mat and training full time I put a lot of wear and tear on my gear and Senki has been right there to make sure I never lack for great kimonos, rashguards and other training gear. I highly recommend you check out there store at www.senki.com.br. Thanks again!

The past couple of weeks have really made me stop and be thankful I am in Rio. I got in awesome training, biked along the ocean coast, competed in a super fight, and got some hiking in. The crazy part is this is becoming more and more the norm for living in Rio----TALK ABOUT A GREAT LIFE!

Two weeks I was called up and asked if I wanted to compete in a luta livre superfight for the ALLDERJ Championship Fight Amador 4. The event was set up by Eugenio Tadeu Gomes, and is organized to help raise funds for martial arts programs for kids. The event features luta livre and amateur MMA fights. I readily accepted the invite and immediately ramped up my training. Milton Viera and the guys at Rio Fighters pushed me hard and got me ready for the match. At the nogi luta livre classes Milton had me drilling anaconda choke variations in between rounds of rolling so the attack would be second nature to me even if I was tired during the match. As the match got closer I felt more and more confident with my grappling abilities.

Great to have a chance to train with Mario Sperry.

Heading into the final week of training there was a potential hick-up in my training when nearly all the bus drivers in Rio went on strike. I refused to let it hold me back from training though. I hoped on Nicole's mountain bike and headed into Humaita. The first part of the trip took me over a mountain, and placed me right along Sao Conrado Beach. From there I was able to follow the coastline all the way to Leblon. Once in Leblon I headed inland until I got to the famous Lagoa. By the time I reached Rio Fighters I had a good sweat going and was ready to train. Since the bus strike was on most of the guys couldn't make it to training, but if there is one thing I've learned here in Rio it's this; you never know who is going to walk into the academy and train. I'm sitting there on the mats stretching and in walks Mario Sperry with his training gear. With the low number, six guys (four of which were black belts) we decided to just have open mat and roll. After every roll Ze Mario would take time to break down a few things he noticed his partner needed to work on, showing us all proper technique, which we would work for a couple of minutes and then move on to the next roll. Soon it was my turn and roll with Ze Mario....and I felt like a child rolling against him. He positionally dominated me and played a pressure game like I have never felt before. The thing was though you could tell all that he was doing with exerting as little energy as possible. After the roll he gave me some good pointers and adjustments to make in top half-guard. We finished out with Ze Mario and Rogerio (another tough black belt from Carlson lineage) going over a back attack position which included finishing the rear naked choke the a palm to palm grip instead of the normal way. I had never really used the palm to palm way of finishing, but the way they showed it and their reasoning made sense.

The rest of the week of training went really good and heading into Fridays weigh-ins I felt great. I made the under 70kg weight limit fairly easily and felt strong and ready to compete on Saturday. The event was held at Delfim Academy in Tijuca. All the matches and fights took place in a boxing ring, and it had an old school feel to it. I had been instructed as to what time to be there, but I decided to show up a bit earlier instead of when everyone else was arriving. When I got there the announcer came up asked me how to say my name and I casually asked when things about what time I should be up, thinking he would say an hour and a half-two hours, I was surprised when he said `You're the third fight up and we should be starting in about 10 minutes.` Crap. I quickly got on the phone and let everyone know I would be up MUCH sooner than expected, and started to warm up and hoped both of the matches went the designated 10 minutes. They did not. Either way I was warmed up and ready to go by the time I was up. Eugenio sent a Brazilian guy to corner me and after he told me a few things in Portuguese, I stepped into the ring. The crowd was loud during the intros but as soon as the match started any noise there was I was oblivious to, I was just in the zone to compete. My opponent collar tied up with me and I hit a slide by to a single. He defended well and we repeated this several times. I really didn't care, I felt calm and stayed patient. Eventually I cut him off and dropped in on a double against the ropes, and dragged him to the mat. We landed in half-guard and I worked to pass, he started to stand and with my corners encouragement I dragged him back to the mat. He managed to reguard and the ref then restarted us in the center of the ring. After a bit of grappling I went for the double underhook pass. I pulled him up high and I could feel him try to roll through. I let go of him and as he rolled through to turtle I was already on his back, with one arm around his neck. I locked up the RNC palm to palm, just like I had been shown by Ze Mario and Rogerio earlier in the week and I got the submission. I would like to say thank you to my sponsors Senki Kimonos and Connection Rio. Also a big thank you to Dennis Asche who is a mentor, coach and above all a friend. Also to Milton Viera and everyone at Rio Fighters who helped me prepare for this competition.

About 5-10 minutes after my match everybody arrived, needless to say they were all really bummed they missed the match. Regardless we settled in and enjoyed the rest of the evenings fights. As celebration we went out to Frontera, an all you can eat pizza place about 15 minutes from the house. They have about 12 different kinds of salgado /(more traditional pizzas) and 7-10 desert pizzas. I GORGED myself and by the time we left I pretty much had to be rolled home. The next day Nicole and I hiked around the trails of Pedra de Gavea to work off all the pizza we ate. We only went up to the half way point, ship rock, but we spent a ton of time checking out the different plants and animals along the way. There was a large group of monkeys, that we watched swing from tree to tree as they made their way through the forest.

After a great training session with Nabas, Dennis, and Hywel. Photo by HT

For this past week I didn’t take any time off I was back on the mats, really focusing on improving technique. It was a good way to heal up and still work to improve. Heading into this next week I am ready to put the peddle to the floor and start training hard again.

Being a Student of Your Art

This is what I get to look up and enjoy everyday.

Summer has closed out here in Rio and it is creeping towards winter in South America. That said mid-fall for Rio is a bit different than back home in Michigan. Instead of leaves changing colors/ falling off of trees and frost (maybe even snow), we have shorts and T-shirt weather during the day and a need to wear a pair of jeans if you are out at night. The days are no longer sweltering, they are comfortable and perfect to enjoy an agua de coco at a beach kiosk and enjoy Rio's beauty. I have had several chances to do just that as I rode Nicole's new bike from Flamengo to Barra, fallowing the ocean the majority of the way. I rode past Sugar Loaf, along Copacabana and Ipanema Beaches, and caught the sunset as I rode past the favela of Vidigal. To finish the ride off I rode/ran with the bike (where it was too dark and curvy for a driver to see me) over the mountain leading into Barra. Also the other day I rode around Lagoa to Humaita and back to go train. While it is somewhat taxing, it has been a great way to enjoy where I am and to spend time thinking.

Reping Senki while Sparring at Rio Fighters. Photo by M. Viera.

Since competing a month ago I have been doing a lot of thinking and envisioning what direction/path I want my BJJ and MMA training to head towards. Doing this has made me reflect on what makes successful, world class, or even masterful athletes/martial artists. Obviously you have your basic principles of hard work, dedication, and perseverance-- but I think it lies a bit beyond that. The principle I keep coming to is one I learned from one of my best friends and training partners I had in my wrestling career, Eracleo Vallejo. He preached in order to be a member of the elite in wrestling you had to become a student of the sport. So for this weeks blog I wanted to visit some ways I have tried to embrace the roll of a student in my training here in Brazil, and I hope it can help some people develop on their path.

Being a student of the sport/art is about more than just getting on the mat and training---not that there is anything wrong with just training. (To be honest when I first started BJJ/MMA it was just a way to stay in decent shape and learn something new, I had no idea it would be something I would be doing for the rest of my life.) Being a student means embracing the entire art and having it present throughout your day.

Sitting VIP at the Copa Podio.

Keep an Open Mind

One of the biggest keys to becoming a student is keeping an open mind. The moment you close off your mind is the moment you stop progressing. Staying here at Connection Rio I have seen various styles from all over the world, and no one style being better than the others. Someone may have the complete opposite game and mentality than you, but being open and realizing that their style offers value you can add new aspects to your game and strengthen existing components.

Meeting Danny Castillo at the Copa Podio.

Study

An integral part to being a student is to develop a study habit. I spend a lot of time reading, watching and listening to all things pertaining to my training. Whether it's reading articles on nutrition or sports psychology, listening to interviews with guys like Dominic Cruz to gain insights to footwork and methodology, or watching film on matches, I spend a lot of time trying to study up and gain more knowledge. Being here in Rio I have the opportunity to watch world class grapplers and fighters roll everyday, and I am able to study first hand what they are doing to make themselves the best. I seek out people with similar backgrounds who have made it to the upper level of their arts and I try to see how they have adapted what they know to form a unique style. For example, last night I went to the Copa Podio with a bunch of people from CR, and one of the matches was a submission only nogi match with Danny Castillo and Haider Rasheed. Danny Castillo, who is a talented MMA fighter, comes from a wrestling background (much like me). I spent the entire match with my eyes glued to the mat, watching to see how Danny used his wrestling with his BJJ. Everything from posture, where he put his hands, and how he wins in positions that I find myself in. Watching that match has given me some ideas for techniques I want to work on and use.

Studying some great technique on the mat.

We also live in the information age. With one search or click we can get thousands of articles or posts providing you with detailed explanations of techniques, theories, and concepts. Obviously some things need to be taken with a grain of salt, but if you wade through the clutter you can find some really good stuff out there that may make you rethink things or help you step up another rung on the ladder. Beyond the internet there are books and videos in which you can learn any techniques imaginable. Things like this can help you concentrate on all the little details that techniques hold. Plus it can give you something to talk about if you ever get a chance to meet some of the great instructors who releases these instructionals. For example we have a guest, who recently returned from Sao Paulo, where he met Saulo Ribiero. Being an avid reader of Saulo's University of Jiu-Jitsu, when he met him he told him how much he enjoyed his books (even reciting the chapter's). Saulo, being impressed, took a few minutes to talk with him and answer some questions. Which brings me to my next point---

Ask Questions

There is a saying that there is no such thing as a stupid question. While that could be debated, I do feel like you are better off asking a bunch of questions at every training then someone who never asks anything. It can be difficult to speak up in the middle of a class and ask for clarifications on techniques, but I can almost guarantee that someone else in the class has the same question, and oftentimes one little detail can be the difference between a technique working or not. If you have a specific question on a certain position it's always good to ask your instructor one on one. This can be especially useful when you have someone who is credited with being an innovator of a specific move or position. For example Gordo, who is credited with really popularizing and developing the half-guard, actually teaches very little of the position in the daily classes. BUT we have had several guys come through CR who took privates with him asking questions about half-guard, who have walked away with a completely new understanding of the position. A lot of these guys aren't just mid-level belts, a good many have been blackbelts who have been around the sport for over a decade. I have found in almost all cases asking, “How can I do this?” or “How did you do that?” or “Can you explain this?” Can lead you a a better and stronger understanding of things.

Having fun doing what I love.

Have Fun

I believe, at least for me, this is the biggest piece of the puzzle. Like they said in the Shining, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” You got to have fun with things and enjoy the journey. When you put to much pressure on having to learn and get better I have found it can sometimes be more difficult to progress. Even though I said above I watch fights and competitions to study, I also make sure to take time and enjoy things. Last nights UFC fight between Matt Brown and Eric Silva is an excellent example. I ate popcorn with the guys and enjoyed it for what it was, a great fight. I may go back to try to take something away from the clinch work that was displayed, but at that moment I was screaming at the TV with everyone else. I'm not saying that everyday is going to be fun and enjoyable, the process of improving can be extremely difficult, but it is important to realize you started in your art because you enjoy it and have fun doing it. As I always tell myself before competing, go out there and have fun, your doing this because you enjoy it not because you hate it.