Ciudade Marvellosa-- The Marvelous City-- That`s what they call Rio, with being here for over a year and a half now experiencing great training, new things, and making new friends I can see where the nickname came from. Right now Rio is abuzz with World Cup prep. Buildings have started to hang Brazilian flags and green/gold streamers from buildings. Side walks and roads are being painted with murals the unity of all the countries coming together in Brazil for the Cup. I know there has been discussion and controversy about many Brazilians feelings towards the Cup, but as it draws closer the Brazilian people seem to be dawning their futbol jerseys with smiles a festive outlook.

This past weekend has been an incredibly relaxing one. Saturday afternoon Nicole and I went to a fashion and food expo in Leblon. The expo was in a social club along Lagoa, with the expo being on the second and third floor of one of the buildings. They had live music on the balcony (and also a bar) so we had a couple of cocktails, listened to music, and watched the sunset. From there we made our way over to Botafogo where we went to bar that is known for having great burgers. It was a really offbeat place, and reminded me of a lot of the bars in the U.S. The burgers were amazing. By far the best Nicole and I have had while living in Brazil. On Sunday Nicole and I spent the afternoon riding the endless waves in Ipanema on our Bossa Boards. We skated up and down the road along the beach only stopping to grab an agua de coco and to do some swimming. It may be late fall here, but the temperatures still hit in the mid 30s today and there wasn`t a cloud in the sky. To cap the day off we grabbed some acai before making the short trip back to Barra.

Training

On the training front things are going great. I have been made aware of and have been working on a few weak spots where I need to improve. That`s one of the great things about having so many top level training partners and coaches here in Rio; they can identify weak spots and how to correct them before bad habits form. It`s been paying off, the other day I was told by one of my training partners that my ground game is evolving into a dangerous, technical, and dynamic style. In fact I was even told my kicks suck a lot less, they are still not good, but they just suck a lot less.

For all the compliments though another thing about the training here in Rio is that it keeps you humble. The high caliber of training partners lets you know there is always somebody better than you (in some aspect) out there.

Braga Neto and I after his CR in house Seminar. 

In the last couple of weeks two different situations really stand out for me. One was an awesome opent mat at Rio Fighter. The Saturday open mat sessions are all gi rolling and you never know who will be showing up. On this particular Saturday there were several Carlson Gracie Sr. blackbelts and BTT lineage guys there. I have never felt a pressure game like I had from these guys. During one of the rolls I actually felt myself heavily gasping for breath solely from the guys halfguard top pressure. I mean I have been smashed before, but the constant pressure throughout the entire roll was something new. It wasn`t just when they were on top either. From guard they were constantly squeezing with their legs, pulling and breaking posture never allowing me to set up. It was nearly as exhausting as when they were on top. It was a light bulb moment and new appreciation for the pressure game (of which I was already a fan) I now have a basis and a goal in mind of just how much pressure I need to have on my opponent.

This past Friday there was another golden opportunity to improve my ground game. This time I didn`t have to leave the house as it was right here on the CR mats. BJJ World Champion and UFC Fighter Antonio Braga Neto came to do an in house seminar here at Connection Rio. Essentially the most of us from the house (plus a few from Gordos) got a small group lesson from a former world champ-what more could you ask for? Braga Neto did an excellent job breaking down techniques and concepts into the most minute little details so we could full understand the technique. I learned several new details on a standing pass I try often (with varied success) and also from some of the positions in guard I like to work from, I am excited to drill these techniques some more and see the difference they make in my game.