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. 

SJJSAF and Easter

Reping Senki Kimonos and Connection Rio at the SJJSAF  Panamericano.
Photo provided by SJJSAF/ Maury Figueira

It's been a couple of weeks since my last blog. Last weekend I didn't get a chance to sit down and write because after competing in the SJJSAF Panamericano on Saturday I just wanted to relax for the rest of the weekend. The tournament was ran extremely well, especially considering it was the SJJSAF's first tournament. It was also really cool (and a surprise) to watch multi-time World Champ Felipe Costa compete. Everyone one from CR happened to look up to see Felipe stepping on the mats directly in front of where we were sitting. It's always great to be able to watch a renowned athlete compete. He did nothing flashy and didn't come out overly strong, but he just kept a constant grinding pace that wore down his opponent and racked up the points.

The day was so-so for me. After starting the day strong with a 10-0 win, I may a few key errors in the Semi-finals and in my third place match, and took 4th overall. While is SUCKS losing (especially when I feel like I didn't perform to the best of my ability) the lessons I learned from those loses will help me to improve more than any training session. When you loose a match or a fight by making a mistake or not executing a technique properly it really burns it into your memory. I am looking forward to competing again and most importantly continuing to improve and get better.

Drilling at CR.
Photo by bjjpix.com

I do want to give a big thank you to my sponsors Connection Rio and Senki Kimonos for all your support. I would also like to thank Professor John Machado for allowing me to compete under his team RCJ Machado, all my teamates and coaches at Rio Fighters, and to Dennis Asche for making me better both on and off the mat.

This week was a bit lighter in training due to the holiday and a case of the flu. With the flu the timing couldn't have been worse. Nicole and I went over to a friends for his wife's birthday. He had spent all day preparing a TABLE full of traditional Korean dishes, and about 20 minutes before eating I started to get horribly ill. I ended up having to go back to the house, but don't worry, Nicole stayed behind to stuff herself and came back to CR and told me how delicious it all was. I spent a lot of time this week looking back over my matches, making notes, and fine tuning some technique. I was also a good time to reflect back on some goals and have some fun. That said I can't wait for the week to start on Monday with some hard training.

Cafe du Lage.

Like I said above because of Easter weekend a lot of the gyms were closed, but we had guys training here on the mats. I even got the chance to do some mitt and pad work with Nicole. I think she kind of threw off Adriano, the handyman, when he came by and she was hammering the mitts and throwing kicks to my body. For Easter we went to breakfast at Cafe Du Lage, in Rio's Parque de Lage. When we got there the line and wait was huge. Luckily we ran into one of my friends and training partners, Daniel, who was finishing eating with his mom and girlfriend. We sat down with them and he explained to the waitress that we were late to meet them, so as they closed the bill we ordered and had the table to ourselves when they left. Sure is nice having Brazilian friends. The Cafe is situated around a large marble pool in the middle of a mansion. Looking like a scene strait out of the Great Gatsby, you are surrounded by large archways and beautiful paintings. With the cafe being open air you can look up and get a view of Christ the Redeemer while enjoying your food or coffee. We had a delicious (and huge) breakfast of fresh breads, cheeses, jams, fresh fruit and juice, mini sandwiches, coffee and yogurt with honey and granola. Afterwards we walked all through the parks grounds, which included a waterfall, a large koi pond, and a castle tower. It made for a great Easter and a relaxing day.

Gearing up for Competition

Training with Nabas on the CR mats. Getting ready to
Represent Senki on the mat next week.

It's been a great week here in Rio, one full of fun both on and off the mats. Summer may be officially over but the temperatures are still in the low 30's (mid to upper 80's for those in the states) and sun filled. When not on the mat it's been perfect for relaxing at the beach or getting acai. On Saturday the entire house went to one of the various nearby beaches. Nicole and I went with several other people to Pepe Point on Barra beach. Named after a deceased hanglider, Pepe is where you find the young beautiful people in Barra on sunny days. We went down in the late afternoon stay until the sunset. On Sunday Nicole and I went to a friends house for a BBQ. There was a ton of meat and I probably ate a bit more than I should have. As we got back to the house a few of the guys were throwing on kimonos, so I threw on my Senki kimono and got a few rounds of rolling in. The first round I was still full of steak and chicken. But after a roll, a few burps and a near puke I felt good and got in a few more solid rolls. It was a great way to work off all that food.

At the beach relaxing with friends.

I have to say that having a house full of training partners is one of the great things about staying here at CR. On a relaxing Sunday night we had six or seven guys rotating in. The belt levels ranged from blue to black, and I rolled with people from all over the world. It was a great clash of styles with really entertaining rolls. Rolling on Sunday was one of four sessions I got in this week on the CR mats alone. Throughout the week I drilled with several different partners. Some of the sessions were structured with exact techniques to be drilled and others were more exploratory flow rolls where the intent was finding ways into or out of certain positions.

Nicole draining my ear.

Most of the house is gearing up for the SJJSAF Pan Americano this coming weekend, myself included. The officials of the tournament were nice enough to arrange transport for the guys who are competing to get to the tournament on Saturday. It's nice because it is just one less thing to worry about on the day of the competition. Because of the tournament this weekend my focus has shifted a bit from MMA to training in the kimono. I still got hard MMA ground training and wrestling in this week, but even then I kept the the tournament in mind. I pushed myself to attack takedowns more relentlessly and when on the ground work to smash and pass looking more for submissions than working ground and pound.

In addition Nabas, a great BJJ competitor and training partner, and I were led through training sessions by Dennis. For those of you who have never trained with Dennis, it's an intense but great training. You get stronger not only technically but mentally as well. A big focus for me over the last couple of weeks has been working my takedowns in the gi and chaining my passes together. After not training in the gi for awhile it took me a bit to get used to breaking grips and the subtle differences, but after all the hard work things are feeling smooth and crisp. On Saturday's open mat at Gordo's I had a great intense roll with one of the younger blackbelts there. It was one of those rolls that took us from one side of the mat to the other. There was face grinding, elbow in the neck and sternum, hard scrambles and harder submission attempts. In other words I absolutely loved it, at a couple of more intense moments I even smiled. To people watching it may have looked like we hated each other or had some grudge, but we just both love to roll hard. Afterwords we shook hands talked and after open mat worked a couple of positions. Having rolls like that is exactly what I need to get me ready to compete. I have to say a week out from the tournament I am feeling great and can't wait to step out onto the mat and bring home some gold!

Enjoying Sporting Events at CR and Exploring Rio

Sparring at Rio Fighters, while wearing my favorite Senki
rashguard.

It's been a busy week here in Rio, full of fun, good laughs, and great training. Last weekend we had a huge house BBQ full of steaks, burgers, sausages and different salads. Everyone chipped in about 15R and we ate like kings for hours. When the BBQ finally died down we settled around the TV to watch UFC Shogun vs Henderson 2. Watching exciting fights with a group is always a ton of fun because everyone always gets into it and there is a ton of crap talking. This was especially the case this past weekend for Metamoris 3. Everyone chipped in and ordered the live stream of Metamoris, one of our guests has a portable projector which we used to project the event on the back wall of the living room. We rearranged the couches, chairs, and made space on the mats. Guys chipped in for snacks, chips, cookies, pizza, bacon wrapped hotdogs--- you know all the stuff that would fit right in with the Gracie Diet. Kevin, a guest from 10^th planet JJ, created a very in-depth betting system and just about everyone threw in there picks, for winners, submission types, and even what position the submission was hit from. In the end the pool was 55R and Irish John had a come from behind win to get the pot of cash. The event itself was entertaining but what made it was the in house commentary from people hoping to win the cash.

  

Nicole and I also had a chance to explore a bit more of Rio. On Saturday afternoon, we went to Parque de Lage in Jardim Botanico. The park is a huge estate built in the late 1800's by a wealthy European who had immigrated to Brazil. The grounds of the estate is filled with lush green plants, huge trees and quite a few monkeys. The main house is a massive stone building, with huge archways and marble flooring. The center of the house opens into a large courtyard, with big swimming pool in the middle. The old kitchen has been converted into a cafe/restaurant and the rest of the house is used by one of the local university's art program so as you drink your coffee you can watch aspiring artists paint. We got there about 45 minutes before they closed, but we really enjoyed it. After the park closed we walked a bit to the Jockey Club and caught a couple of horse races before heading back to Barra. Even after living in Rio for well over a year, there is still a ton of great new things to experience.

The manor house in Parque de Lage

Training

Over the course of the last week or two I have really started to ramp up my training, getting two sometimes three sessions in daily. A lot of it is official classes, but I am spending more and more time on refining and drilling technique both in grappling and striking. I've been working a lot on my butterfly guard and developing ways that I can using my wrestling to aid and strengthen my submission game. It's a trial and error process on my part, some things work great, others I get burnt on and find my self in a horrible positions or caught in a submission. A lot of the time though I am seeing the potential for things, I have to refine the techniques and mold them into something that will work for me.

Rolling with Milton.

With my striking, I am finally feeling comfortable again. I went through a long period of just feeling out of rhythm when sparring. My feet might work well, but my hands wouldn't release combos. I might be throwing a lot of strikes but my distance was off and I was loosing position. Things like that. It was getting frustrating, but I have been putting in a lot of extra time shadow boxing, doing bag work, and hitting pads, and things are starting to feel good again. I still have a ton to work on, but I am making improvements. After a particularly hard sparring session, consisting of about 6 rounds of kickboxing, some grappling, and two rounds in the cage, Milton said I had sparred the best he had ever seen me spar. That's a great thing to hear after you feel exhausted from leaving it all out on the mats, it makes you hungrier and want to work harder because you know you are making the right improvements.

Lately a lot of my grappling training has been luta livre and wrestling, but in the last couple of weeks I have been making the effort to train more in the kimono. I've been drilling in the gi and on Saturday's I have been going into open mats and sparring the tough blackbelts at Gordo's. The intensity is high and I have been having a great time. I am looking to train in the kimono more and more, because I want to compete as much as possible. I feel great and I really have the competitive hunger again. I am planning on competing in two weeks in the SJJAF Pan Americano Championships. The next couple of weeks I am going to be putting in a ton of work and I can't wait to step back out on the mat and get some hardware.

Birthdays, Concerts, and Leg Locks

Another week down in beautiful Rio! This past week things finally “quieted down” and it was business as usual here. All the gyms were back to their normal schedules and packed with top notch blackbelts and/or fighters hungry to train after Carnival. You couldn't ask for better weather this week, the days are hot and filled with sun but as the Rio summer begins to wind down the nights are cooling off and are very comfortable. By comfortable I mean I can finally sit outside in a pair of shorts and be able to relax without sweating.

It's been a fun week both on and off the mat. On Thursday Nicole and I went to a Jack Johnson concert down at HSBC Arena. Jack Johnson has always been one of our favorite artists, so when we heard he was coming through Rio on his South American Tour we knew we had to go. We had a great time, and Jack played all of our favorite songs. Being there in Rio listening to him play was really a special occasion for the both of us. Early on it our relationship we spent a lot of time listening to Jack Johnson and talking how great it would be to travel and live somewhere tropical, so it was a really nostalgic moment for us. There were a surprising number of gringos there, many of whom walked up to Nicole, with her bright blue eyes and blonde hair, and tried to ask questions in horrible Portuguese. We must really be looking like we have mastered the city if people think she is a Brazilian. On Saturday afternoon Nicole and I went to one of her friend's mothers surprise birthday party. It was a day full of fun and there was a ton of delicious homemade Brazilian food to eat. When we left they pretty much had to roll me out of their house. They even sent us home with a big batch of chicken estrongenoff, which several of the guys in the house and I have been working our way through. It was really nice to be welcomed with open arms into the family and to make new friends. Plus it gave me a chance to work on my Portuguese as well. Other than Nicole's friends most of the people there spoke little to no English, so I had to either try to speak to them in Portuguese or just stay quiet. By the time we left my mind was a bit burnt out from talking and listening, but overall it went well. When we got back to the house their a large group of guys were seated around the TV watching the UFC 171. They quickly made room on one of the couches and I settled in the watch the main card of the event. Overall it was a great card with an even better main event. By the end of the fight between Johnny Hendricks and Robby Lawler guys were up on their feet and yelling at the TV. All in all it was a great day!

Coaching at Rio Fighters. Photo by M. Vieira.

In the gym training this week has been, as always, great. Like I said above with Carnival being over everyone returned to training with a new vigor. With everyone training hard it was impossible to not train hard as well. I have been coaching wrestling at Rio Fighters for two months and it's awesome to see how much the wrestling of the fighters there has improved. These guys are tough, hard working, athletic, but above all else they are extremely open to learning. Everything I teach they, try ask questions, and they are always hungry for more. In the next couple of months a few of these guys will be fighting, and it will be great to see them perform.

Teaching some technique.

One training that really stuck out in my mind was training leg lock defense. One thing I that surprises people who roll in an MMA setting (and myself included) is just how many leg locks some of these guys will go after. I'm not just talking about straight ankle locks or toe holds, people will go after knee bars and heel hooks and seize on any opening. This is something that at a lot of places around the world is viewed as almost taboo. I remember I when rolling back home, unless I really trusted the person to know what they were doing, I would tap to heel hooks attempts and ankle locks fairly fast. Down here though, at least in the MMA and luta livre world, its a different story. I had a very decorated black belt explain it to me like this. A leg lock is just like any other position, you have to work both the offense and the defense to get comfortable with it. He said when people refuse to train the positions because they view it was dangerous that they leave themselves more open to injury because they have not learned how to properly defend and counter them. Milton taught the class and showed some excellent technique. He built the techniques around several leg lock situations that he saw while watching the UFC Fight Night that had taken place the weekend before. He used situations that were fresh in our minds and used those as reference points. He even covered some leg lock defense and counter work from 50/50. The defense work from 50/50 was good, but the counters were mind blowing. He showed countering to straight armlocks and some transitions from there. You know it was good stuff when you have about 7-10 blackbelts staring open mouthed at the technique. In rolling that day I was able to use some of what I learned, as some of the guys were feeling extra leg-locky that day. Overall within the world of leg locks I am feeling a bit more comfortable with the positions and as I was told I am approaching it as just another set of techniques needed in the world of grappling. I still tap fairly quickly in some situations, but that is more from knowing when the guy has the submission locked in tight rather than out of being uncomfortable with the position.

Carnival Happens

Carnival Music Truck at a bloco.

It has been a busy few weeks here in Rio. And this is the first time in the last two weeks I have had a chance to sit and write up a blog. You may be wondering what happened? Carnival happened. While it officially lasts for only 5 days it's pretty much a week and a half long affair. A lot of my time leading into Carnival was spent training or welcoming a ton of new guests to CR. When Carnival did start I did make it to a few blocos on Barra beach, and spent some time celebrating with friends For those who don't know Carnival blocos are the staple of Rio Carnival. They are large street parties/ slow moving parades that are scattered throughout the city and at various times. They can vary in size and theme. Some are smaller traditional blocos for the family and others are huge and crazy. How crazy? Real crazy (some blocos attract 50-100 THOUSAND people). Most have live music of various kinds and lots of dancing. Another common theme for blocos are dressing up. This year was my second go around for Carnival, last year in 2013 I was less than impressed with Brazilian standard for costumes; it was pretty much cheap version of halloween. The girls mainly dressed as cats and the guys in drag. This year though the Brazilians really redeemed themselves. I saw Mario and Luigi's, blind futbol refs, indians, a beach singer (with his girlfriend who was dressed as a campfire), doctors, and smurfs. That was just the guys. For the women's costumes there were belly dancers, snow whites, police, angry birds and less than inventive girls just in their bikinis.

At the beginning of a bloco in Barra

The blocos I went to were smaller, about 5-10 thousand people. I didn't stay the whole time but both lasted about six hours, with the huge buses with live bands playing music slowly making their way along parade route. Both of the blocos I went to were along the beach so at any point during the day I could just duck out of the crowd and jump into the ocean to cool off. While I had a lot more fun this year at Carnival there are definitely a few downsides. One major downside is that training can be limited to downright non-existent during the 5 days. Most training sessions will be open mats and you aren't guaranteed to have a lot of people there to train. But that's where being here at Connection Rio helps. Even with the city being on a 24/7 party schedule for Carnival there were guys in the house who either wanted to drill or roll here on the mats. While most of the academies were closed at least 3-4 days of Carnival most guys only took one day off the mats. Don't get me wrong though there was plenty of time for guys to go out and have some pretty hilarious stories in the morning. Including someone who paid their bar tab in a club by giving them a sock full of money. We got this story (and a whole lot of other ones) after he showed up the next afternoon when he came staggering through the door with only one sock. The moral of his story is if you tell everyone at the club you're a millionaire be prepared for a millionaire’s bar tab.

After training at Bope HQ

Another major downside to Carnival is the traffic. Because there are blocos throughout the city a ton of the streets were closed off. This left the bus routes messed up and trying to get form point A to point B in a vehicle a very time consuming. For example on Saturday I met up with Antoine and Dennis to go train at BOPE HQ. The trip itself should have taken about an hour but because of having to change routes because of blocos took close to two hours. The trip took longer than expected but it was definitely worth it. While at BOPE we trained with the CO and a couple of his guys. The training was relaxed but competitive. We rolled several rounds of submission grappling starting both from the knees and from standing. There were several tough luta livre and BJJ blackbelts there so the rolling was top notch. After grappling we did a couple of rounds of boxing and MMA sparring. The focus was more on movement and technique than hard sparring, which was good to get timing down and to try new things. I have to say it's a pretty unique feeling to be training and look over and have about 10 guys in full tactical gear and assault rifles watching and nodding. After about an hour and a half the training wrapped up and we slowly headed back to Barra trying to weave our way around the blocos.

Overall I had a lot more fun at this years Carnival. I knew what to expect and how to navigate the city better and I think that is one of the reason why I enjoyed it so much more this year than last. I had my fun in the sun, relaxed at the beach, and got in some great training. This is what being in Rio, embracing the BJJ lifestyle is all about.