Working with Brazil's Elite Paratrooper Force and Training With Blackhouse MMA

Post training at Blackhouse MMA.

Normally when I post the blog I recount the entire week and go into details about one or two of the days, this week I am going to focus about the amazing day I had this past Friday. As I am writing this I am still soaking it all in. While the week started with me having a bit of a flu bug it ended on a high note with memories I’ll never forget.

Group shot of Antoine and I with some of the army paratroopers we worked with.

Training Brazilian Paratroopers and Wrestling with Black House MMA at X-Gym

Friday morning I woke up, grabbed a quick breakfast and headed down the street to meet Brazilian Olympic Wrestler Antoine Jaoude. In addition to being an active competitor Antoine is involved in several training programs. The first project is a youth wresting program with in the UPP (favela pacification program). His program offers free wrestling training to kids in several of the pacified favelas here in Rio, with the hopes and intentions of opening more. Sports programs work hand in hand with the UPP to provide kids with opportunities they would not normally have had and also help strengthen and bolster the community. While driving past The City of God (a large pacified favela) he explained many of the programs there are and ways they are trying to raise money to further help children get the gear they need to train in their sports. It sounds like an amazing program and hopefully I will be able to go along to one of the training sites soon. Another program is helping train both BOPE and elite military forces in wrestling. As I have said before Brazil is revamping their military training and also creating armed forces sports teams to raise the caliber of both the military and Brazils international athletes. I went with Antoine to Vila Militar to help train members of Brazils Elite Paratrooper Force. Vila Militar is a large military training and housing area for Brazils more seasoned army personnel. The complex is in a beautiful area surrounded by large rolling hills. As we pulled up to the training complex we could see formations of paratroopers, with their red berets, drilling and running through training simulations. The training complex was a large building that was originally used to house the All Military games in 2011. Roughly a third of the floor space was matted off and used for boxing, wrestling, judo, mma, and bjj. When we got there a few guys (all blackbelts) were finishing up some bjj.

Antoine demonstrating a move.

Due to training obligations roughly half of the unit wasn’t present to train but we still had over 20 soldiers there ready to learn. Antoine then said to me “They are really excited to have you here, how about you run the warm up and show a couple of moves and then I’ll show a few things.” So I ran the guys through a wrestling warm up consisting of jogging, stance motion, and shot penetration drills. I chose to cover the basic arm drag series. The first movement was the arm drag to an inside step double with a driving finish landing in a cross body position. The guys all picked up on the leg attack quickly. The second attack I showed was an outside step to a lift and flare finish. This technique is a little bit more advanced and involves using your hips to elevate your opponent off of the mat, making it easier to finish the takedown. Antoine then showed a couple of ways to counter the arm drag as well as some counter offense from the positions it created. He then had the guy wrestle short 30 sec goes takedown only live matches. The wrestling was spirited and everyone having a military mindset was heavily on the attack and always seeking the offense. One of the coolest things about the program is that it is not only for enlisted men and NCOs but the officers as well. You had lieutenants working with sergeants and privates all with the goal of getting better.  The great thing about the training this way is that not only are the individuals of the unit getting better, the unit as a whole is developing and growing stronger. This feeling of unity that bonds them together is what will help them should they ever be called to a mission. It was a great honor to be able to work with them, and I hope I will be back there again in the near future to help them.

On Friday I also had another amazing opportunity. While driving to Vila Militar Antoine got a call from his brother, who is both a member of the navy and an active competitor in wrestling. On Friday’s his brother normally teaches wrestling to Blackhouse MMA at X-Gym, but due to a naval commitment wasn’t able to attend. So he had called Antoine and asked if he could cover for him (which Antoine agreed). Antoine then asked me if I was free and if I would like to go to Blackhouse with him and help/train. With Blackhouse having such a high caliber roster of fighters, I would have been crazy not to accept. We hurried over to X-Gym (traffic was horrible so it took a little longer then expected) and then headed downstairs to the 3rd floor where the Blackhouse training area is. X-gym has phenomenal facilitates and is absolutely beautiful. The weight room and large and modern and in the marital arts area there is a full cage and boxing ring, along with tons of bags and a large mat space. Blackhouse operates on a invitation only basis, and all of their training sessions at X-Gym are closed to the public. We were greeted by MMA coaches Josuel “Distsak” and Rogerio Camoes. As we were walking back to the mats out of the corner of my eye I saw ‘Jacare’ Souza getting ready to hit mitts in preparation of his UFC debut. I also see UFC fighters Paulo Thiago and Erik Silva coming off the mats (along with several other well known fighter). In total there were probably 30-40 guys in training, all in top notch shape. Antoine was introduced and he then introduced me to the class. Antoine then began to teach technique for MMA wrestling.

The mat space at X-Gym

As everyone broke off to work the technique I had a moment of uncertainty. Here I was on the mat with elite level fighters, some of whom I regularly watch on Pay-Per-View, and to me it was difficult to imaging that I would have something of value to offer these world class athletes. But as I went around and started getting a bit more used to the environment the fan boy in me died off and my mentality as a wrestler and a coach began to take over. At first it was mainly telling guys when they were getting things right, then I started to be able to notice little things and make adjustments in technique where they needed to be made. For instance at one point I noticed that there was an overall adjustment that the guys needed to make, I relayed my thoughts to Antoine, who then translated it to the group for me. As he did I noticed heads nodding in understanding and appreciation. At this point I felt right at home and in the zone, I was able to give advice and guys were asking me to watch to make sure they were doing it right. Erik Silva then walked up and asked if I could watch him and Paulo to make sure they were doing it right, luckily I was able to keep my jaw from hitting the floor and watch them (they were doing it right). Antoine then transitioned the guys to live wrestling. It was the same as with the army, live 30 sec goes takedowns only, switching partners for five minute blocks with one minute rest in between blocks. The guys paired up and then Paulo Thiago walks up and asks to wrestle the first 30 sec go with me. I had been helping guys with technique and it was warm in the gym (about 80 and humid) so I was loose but far from warmed up; however when a UFC fighter asks to wrestle you, you don’t say no. The round started and I cautiously stalked forwards we hand fought and I went for a single, which Paulo defended, whizzered and tried to counter with an uchi-mata throw which I was to avoid. Time ran out. We then switched partners, everyone eager to have a go at the American wrestler. Soon I was wrestling Erik Silva, he is fast and strong but I was able to defend his attacks and hit an elbow post to a high crotch, I was in deep on the shot but Erik has great hips and it hard to takedown. I was cutting angles and trying multiple finishes, but I was unable to finish before time ran out. After a few goes, I began to realize just how not warmed up I was; my lungs were on fire and my legs a bit lethargic but I kept wrestling hard. The one minute break arrived and I was able to calm my breath and shake out my legs, by the time the minute had passed I was fully recharged and warmed up. I wrestled Paulo again this time he was able to use the overhook and hit the uchi-mata throw, but we quickly were up and I was back on the offense. My scrambling came out and even if I got put in tough spots I was able to work my way out and counter with my own attacks. At one point Erik Silva dumped me on my ass, but I scrambled, got my hips back, was able to front headlock and score. We rotated several more around, endless battles of attacks, counters, and counters to the counters. At times I was able to score and at other times I got scored on, but every round was competitive. As we finished we all lined up and I was asked to stand up front with the instructors. Distak, Rogerio, and Antoine spoke to the group and then the guys thanked me for coming in. The practice broke with there ending chant which thundered throughout the gym. Everyone went through the customary bowing and shaking hand and then disbanded. Rogerio personally thanked me and said that he hoped I could make it back in (talk about a feather in my cap!). Now I felt in a personal dilemma. I had my camera with me, and wanted a photo with some of the guys, but after working out end helping them I didn’t want to go all fan boy again. Imagine my surprise (and elation) when Erik Silva same up and asked for a photo with Antoine and I. I was in total shock to be asked to be in photo with a UFC star, not the other way around. Needless to say I pulled my camera out as well and made sure to get a photo of us all together. Erik, who doesn’t speak a lot of English, relayed how it was nice to work wrestling with guys who have experience in the sport and hoped we could be back in to help.

As I got home I was still on cloud nine. Not only did I have a great time training with both the paratroopers and Blackhouse, but it I was able to feel like I genuinely contributed to making them better. Situations like this past Friday serve as a confidence booster. It showed me that I do have the knowledge to be able to give instruction at an elite level. Most importantly it showed me that I deserve to be on the mat and training with high level athletes. I am excited to keep moving forward and growing in my training and see what new opportunities will arise.

Photo of Nicole and I in Arpoador

Weekly Training and a Look at Carlson Gracie Academy in Copa

After class at Carlson Gracie Academy in Copacabana. Photo by bjjpix.com

It’s been another great week here in Rio. New people have arrived and some friends who I have had the pleasure of hanging out and training with over the last couple of months are getting ready to leave. It’s always a bit weird having to say goodbye to friends, but I know that at some point or paths will cross again. The weather has shaped up to be beautiful as we get closer to Rio’s ‘winter’ months. The days are sunny and hot enough to enjoy the beach, and the nights are clear and warm creating the perfect atmosphere for relaxing outdoors at some of our favorite restaurants and beach-side stands. 

On a very cool side note I would like to say congratulations to one of my training partners Leozada Nogueira for winning the Brazilian ADCC trials in the under 77kg weight class. It is a great accomplishment, made more impressive by the fact that he submitted all of his opponents. Leozada will now be competing later this year in China at the ADCC Championships.

Leozada working a choke at the ADCC trials. Photo by bjjpix.com

Week in Training

Mondays wrestling focused mainly on misdirection attacks. With misdirection attack you faint an attack to one side to get your opponent to over commit to the defense and then change angles and hit the actual takedown to the opposite side. The key in this style of takedowns is to sell the fake. You have to make your opponent truly believe that the attack is coming from one angle when in fact it is coming from another. As such the better your opponent is on the feet, the more you have to sell the fake. There are a variety of both high and low level misdirection shots and a person who is good at hitting them can make it look like a thing of beauty.

On Tuesday Jeremy came to hold pads and worked our stand up. He worked with each one of us for two rounds while others did technical sparring. Technical sparring allows you to try new things without the fear of being punished, it also allows you to focus more on defensive techniques such as head movement and checking kicks (both things I need to work on). I have got to say it was nice to have someone holding pads for me that I could fully understand. While with the Brazilians I can get the jist and large concepts they are trying to get across, it was some of the fine details that I could work on with Jeremy. One of the new things I picked up is a nice little drill to get you used to pivoting on your foot when throwing kicks. This is something I rarely do and the drill helped me to put more power into my kicks (though there is still a ton of work to be done).

Defending the armbar. Photo by bjjpix.com

Wednesday Night was the weekly CR academy visit; this weeks visit was at Carlson Gracie Academy in Copacabana. Carlson’s Academy is one of the oldest in Rio, having been in the same location for 40 years. As you walk up the steps to the third floor you come to a large wood door with the Carlson bulldog emblem on it. The Academy, while simple, is filled with history--photos and trophies from over the years are throughout the gym. Class was led by Alan Moraes, a 3rd or 4th degree black belt (I couldn’t tell). Class started with your typical jogging and cals, finishing with arm bar drills from guard and mount positions. The technique he showed was a crazy choke off of rolling through your omoplata (think Clark Gracie in Pan Ams this year). The move was drilled extensively and then the switch was made to live sparring. The live rolling at Carlson’s was extremely competitive, with everyone displaying their gameness in fight. The first roll I had was against a purple belt and we had an intense battle taking us from one side of the mat to the other. At one point he threw on a omoplata, he tried to hit the choke that we had just learned. I defended but as he rolled the omoplata came on strong and I tried to tap, but had to resort verbally taping because it came on that quick. It torqued my arm pretty good and I could feel it in my elbow, but I continued to roll. I rolled against several other high quality grapplers; each with there own specific grappling style, but everyone had the same mentality----attack. Whether it was sweeps, submissions, back takes, or guard passes, these guys were constantly on the offensive. The spirit and ideology of Master Carlson Gracie is alive and well in Copacabana and the academy continues to create and build future champions. 

Thursday morning I worked with the MMA and BJJ guys on wrestling. Reyzinho’s fight is next weekend in Sao Paulo, and he wanted to focus on some defensive work. First I went over and fine tuned some sprawl work and then covered the covered the front quarter nelson. I personally  have had a ton of success with the front 1/4 nelson in BJJ and MMA. A lot of times guys will shoot with their heads down or from a distance. In both instances it is easier to stuff the head and use the 1/4 nelson. Once you stuff the head if you circle around and keep pushing the head under his body it will flip your opponent over allowing you to bypass any guard passing and land in side control. The guys picked up on it and hopefully they will be able to add it to their games. I also ran through various ways of snap & spins go behinds to help build the muscle memory of instantly going behind and taking the back. Thursday afternoon was also Jeremy’s Gringo Nogi, We covered several takedown variations and sequences. When we moved to live rolling I was first going to sit it out because my elbow was killing me, but I had the adrenaline flowing and decided to roll anyways. I felt good, my movement and attacks both flowed hand in hand. On Friday I took it a bit easier, my elbow was bothering me so I just did light mitt work and some technical sparring.

Working to pass. Photo by bjjpix.com

Saturday the weather was beautiful and a group of us hit up the beach and enjoyed the sun. Afterwards we relaxed for a bit and then headed to CR HQ,  had a bbq and watched the UFC on fox. It was a great evening filled with friendly banter and of course lots of food.

WOCS 25, Weekly Training Review, and 8 Tips For Rio

WOCS 25 in Lagoa. Photo by Michael Patryn

This week was another great week of training down here. As always I learned a lot of great new techniques and worked hard at progressing and getting better. Also this week Nicole and I, along with other CR members, went to Watch Out Combat Show 25, a phenomenal MMA event here in Rio. Also this week I decided to include a couple of things to keep in mind for making the most out of a trip to Rio,  These included things I have learned from personal experiences plus experiences from others whom have made the trip down.

Week in Training 

Post sparring photo at ATT

Mondays wrestling was a great class, and we further worked on developing chain wrestling. We finished off with positional sparring working from tough positions. I like doing positional work because it forces you to work out of some of the worst positions possible (say your opponent is in deep on a double leg). This not only builds your defense and scrambling, but it makes you comfortable from fighting off attacks when you are in a bad position instead of just giving up a takedown. Tuesdays striking brought a new twist . There is a new guy training with us who is a very good muay thai fighter and he will be working with us on our stand up. He moves incredibly light on his feet, has good hands and chopping kicks (he dropped a guy on leg kicks alone during sparring). Wednesdays sparring was intense. I was able to get work against several different styles. The first guy I sparred was Emiliano, a CR guest from Uruguay. He is short, stocky, and a good muay thai fighter. The second guy I sparred against was Paulo, an experienced MMA fighter who is strong and tough with good takedowns. The third guy was Leonardo, a younger kid who is lanky and unorthodox in his striking and fearless when it comes to who he is sparring. Being able to work against the various body types and fighting styles forces me to adapt my style and work hard to impose my game on them. After the mma sparring I did several additional rounds of submission grappling matches against Leozada who is getting ready for the ADCC Brazilian Trials later this month. I had some hard fought rounds with him, and it was nice starting from our feet so I could blend my takedowns and wrestling with my grappling game. Afterwards I was asked by several of the guys if I was going to compete in the trials because they thought I would do well, but unfortunately the trials down here are for Brazilian citizens only. I will say though, to be asked by some top level blackbelts if I was competing because they think I would do good is a great compliment. Thursday brought another good day of wrestling; working on different leg attacks, such as swing singles and knee taps, plus striking to shots. For live we did takedown rotations, winner stays in. The rotations with fresh guys coming in keeps the pace and intensity high, forcing everyone to work hard.  On Friday I had a great opportunity to meet Fabricio “Predador”, owner of Pride Fight Wear, and was able to pick up some great training gear. I can't wait to wear my new gear this coming week.  Friday night several of us went to WOCS 25 in Lagoa. It was an awesome MMA event and had fights rivaling WEC and Strikeforce shows I had been to in the U.S. One of the cool things is that there were several guys I met at the RFT academy visit a few weeks ago who were fighting on the card. One of them Vitor Oristanio, only 18 years old, made his professional debut in an exciting back-in-forth fight in a classic luta livre vs. BJJ match up. Although he came up short he fought an awesome fight. It will be interesting to see where his career goes. Also there was a fighter from Gracie Barra in the Co-Main event, which won in what I would consider the fight of the night. The crowd's enthusiasm heightened the atmosphere as supporters of each fighter chanted loudly trying to drowned out the other. The fights were amazing and we can’t wait to attend another MMA event here in Rio.

Just one of the great fights to take place at WOCS 25. Photo by bjjpix.com

8 Tips for Staying and Training in Rio


1. Do your research- Rio is likely a much different place than home. As such it’s always good to get some info not only on the training but on customs, travel, daily life, climate, and attractions. You don’t want to come down here totally a miss from what there is to see and do.

2. Realize that in the end research doesn't matter- I’m sure your saying “Wait, what?!?” Listen, for all your best laid plans and research there are going to be a great many things the travel guides and websites have not alluded to. You will be surprised by things you didn't expect, and there will be opportunities that you never imagined. Do yourself a favor and just go with the flow, and enjoy the ride.

3. There is an adjustment period- Most likely your flying to Rio from some far off land, and after a huge trip it will take a couple of days to catch up on sleep, get your bearings, and to get used to the heat and humidity. Which leads me to my next point……

4. DRINK TONS OF WATER- The heat and humidity down here can sometimes be a bit overwhelming. Even just sitting at the beach and catching a tan can leave you a bit low on H2O. Make sure you drink more water than you think you need, and when given the chance to grab a drink during training do it. You are here to have a good time and get the most out of you’re training and staying hydrated will help you on your way.

5. Go on CR Academy Visits and Outings- Here in Rio there is top level training in every nook and cranny of the city. Each place has its own personal twist on technique and theory. While on your stay make an effort to expose yourself to these concepts and ideas. I guarantee it will add flavor to your training and give you once and a lifetime stories. In the last four months here I have trained with Bellator Fighters, former ADCC competitors, BJJ World Champs, Red Belt Grandmasters, witnessed youth and social BJJ programs, gone surfing with a Coral Belt, Met UFC fighters, and got a tour and look inside the training of the BOPE. If you want to make the most out of your trip get out and visit the academies.

6. Ask questions- There are people who have been staying at CR for several months and as such they know the lay of the land fairly well, don’t be afraid to ask them any questions you have. Remember at one point they were just as green to Rio as you, so no matter how little the question may be just ask and they will be more than happy to help.

7. Get out and see things- The training is phenomenal here, and if you wanted you could step onto the mat 2-3 times a day 6 days a week. Even though that is a ton of mat time, there is still a lot of down time. Use this time to rest up, but also to experience Brazil. Getting off of your computer and out of your room can be more relaxing and recharging for your next session than watching an episode of ‘Two and a Half Men’.

8. HAVE FUN! Brazil is an amazing place and who knows, your trip here might be a once in a lifetime deal (hopefully not) so remember the key here is to have fun. Hang out, go to the beach, BBQ, and enjoy yourself. Having fun on and off the mat, in combination of hard training is really what will help raise your game to the next level and give you the trip of a lifetime.

Gringo No-Gi, Academia Strauch, and Competition season

After a great wrestling session at ATT

With the passing of time comes the changing of seasons and as we enter Rio’s ‘fall’, temperatures are changing from hot as hell to just hot. I can honestly say I never thought I would regard a 75F (23.8C) night as cool/chilly temperature. I guess that is the happy price you pay when living in paradise. The changing of seasons has also brought a shift in the training atmosphere in the houses. Currently in the houses there are a lot of people preparing to compete in various tournaments throughout Rio (and Brazil) for that matter. It really adds to the houses creating the work hard, play hard attitude which makes being here in Rio so much fun.

Week in Training

Early Monday morning I hopped a bus and went into Arpoador (a small section of Rio between Copa and Ipanema) and hit a free open air gym along the beach. The place is old school with all the weights made from concrete, and offers a no frills barbell and dumbbell workout. I loved it- for the first time since moving down I was able to deadlift, squat, and perform various other compound movements. After I finished lifting I was able to cool off by hoping into the ocean and then caught a bus back into Barra to wrestle. Wrestling went good, we worked on chain wrestling, one guy slipping punches to a single leg attack and the other guy countering the attack, and then shooting in for his own takedown. Tuesday I mixed up training and went to the gringo nogi class taught by Jeremy DeNardo. As I have said before Jeremy is a great wrestler who has blended his wrestling into BJJ and MMA philosophies and I have learned a ton from him. The class was great, and it gave people in the houses opportunities to learn new takedown techniques, and also some great ground work. He showed an awesome (I mean one of the coolest moves I seen) way to take the back and choke from top half-guard that he learned from MMA standout and CR guest Peter Sabotta. The class was great and I got a chance to roll with some great guys, including the CR sponsored athlete Mike, who plays a smooth nogi game.

Rolling at Academia Strauch. Photo by bjjpix.com

Wednesday’s sparring session was intense. I really started to blend together my strikes and takedowns working offensively. Even though I felt really good I still have a lot to work on. The great thing about this group of guys is while sparring is hard, afterwards we can all sit back and talk about our rounds or head down to the beach. Wednesday night was the weekly CR Academy visit. This week was Academia Strauch in Copacabana. Master Strauch is a red belt grand master in BJJ and he welcomed us happily into his academy. Although in his early 60’s he moves with the agility of a much younger man and taught some great techniques. The rolling was spirited yet fun and the overall atmosphere was of a love for competition. A couple of unique things stand out about the training; one being that during live rolling they play music, something that is very common in the U.S.,  but here in Brazil Academia Strauch is the only academy I have been to that has. Also they did a king of the mat takedown competition, another thing that I haven’t seen much of here in Rio. After training we played a game. We formed a 5 on 6, team vs. team competition where the goal was to submit everyone on the other team. As people tapped they were out. As Strauch put it “I love a good gang fight”. We quickly went out against the other team, a grabbed a guy and then from behind had someone take my back, I battled back and forth with the two guys, a one point I was caught in a double armbar (one guy on each arm) but somehow I managed to escape. Suddenly I had another guy jump on, then another. I managed an anaconda choke on one guy getting the tap. He was quickly replaced by another guy and I found out I was the last guy left on my team. I went defensive blocking choke and keeping my limbs safe. Then I heard counting, and thought it was a countdown to the game finishing. However I soon realized the counting was going up and more hands and bodies were jumping on me. At that point there were ten guys on me and I still managed to survive long enough for time to run out, securing the victory for our team.

Trying very hard not to get submitted durring the Battle Royal. Photo by bjjpix.com

Thursdays wrestling was great. Now that the guys have a base of moves for wrestling we can start each practice with drilling takedowns. The drilling has helped me feel more solid with my technique. The live goes were great and I felt good both offensively and defensively. The class sizes have been growing steadily and we had a great session.

Friday morning boxing session covered various slips and catch drills, all designed to help improve our defense. Luta Livre was great as well with Leozada showing some solid, yet unconventional submission techniques.

Saturday’s sparring went great and I again felt good in my transitioning of attacks. After training we spent the afternoon at the beach. Nothing caps off a great week of training better than sitting on the beach catching a tan, swimming in the ocean and enjoying a large acai. Saturday night we went across the street to 399 and caught Jungle fight 50 on the flat screen. The card had two guys fighting on it from the MMA camp, Thiago ‘Tractor’ and Uziel ‘Maruim’. Both guys fought incredibly hard, with Thiago picking up the win, and Maruim losing a very close decision. Great job to both guys!

It’s always great to see people you know compete and do well. I know that they, as well as the rest of the guys competing (whether in BJJ or MMA) train incredibly hard and have put a lot of time in. I got to say seeing my friends compete and be successful are getting my competitive juices flowing and I am starting to get the itch to compete again.

Some of the other Connection Rio guys and I watching some great rolling. Photo by bjjpix.com

Training and Celebrating Holidays in Brazil

This week brought the closing out of March and almost the 4th month of being here in Rio. As always the training was great and the week brought lots of fun new experiences. After spending the day on the beach thinking about the past week, I am again reminded of how blessed I am to be down here with Nicole living out our dreams. 

Some of the guys after boxing training.

Week in Training

On Monday morning we started off with wrestling. We worked takedowns off defending leg kicks from various ranges and set ups. One guy would throw a combo ending in a leg kick and the other guy would step in to close the distance and work to the takedown. We then worked re-shot, first stopping our opponents attack and then countering with our own attack. During live wrestling I felt good but I realized where I need to work. My counter offense is good but I need to work on my initial attacks and chain wrestling off of my offense.

Tuesday morning was boxing. After warming up and shadow boxing, we did various boxing style foot work drills to help us flow and create angles with our attacks. I then hit mitts with Jean Pierre, who stresses quickly stepping in, firing off your shots, getting out, and changing angles. While there is a bit of a language barrier I can understand the concepts and tips he is trying to give (it just might take him repeating a time or two). In the afternoon was luta livre training. The techniques were great as always but it was the rolling that really stands out in my mind. It was intense and fast paced, and I felt great. I was constantly on the offensive and working hard to scramble. This isn’t to say I didn’t get my ass handed to me by the Nogueira’s. It is a truly humbling feeling rolling hard and great (I really feel like I made a jump in my game) but still get it handed to you repeatedly. It can be frustrating, but I can tell I am making improvements. Instead of reacting I am forcing guys to react to me and building my game. After training I went down for the beach and took a nice long run. I am not the biggest fan of running but there is something about being able to run along the ocean, the sand under your feet, the waves crashing in right along side you that is calming even if your are running.

On Wednesday was sparring. Some of the guys with fights in the next few weeks performed hard sparring rounds, while others did a more technical sparring session, throwing combos into shots with the other guys used head movement and positioning to defend. The high caliber of fighters in this training camp created some great sparring rounds, it was like watching Bellator or UFC level action right in front of you. The techniques and fighting spirit put on display were awe inspiring.

Thursday morning's wrestling training was fast paced and drill filled. Since a lot of the fighters have a basic understanding and good technique with wrestling it allows for more intense drilling and positional work. We drilled heavily on go behinds, stand ups, and res-shooting off of escapes. We then drilled various slips and counters into attacks. The live portion of class was filled with various positional sparring as well as live goes for takedowns. As I have said all these guys have been around the fight game a long time and it has made them crafty. Multiple times they would try to hit a move, that I would rarely see outside of a good wrestling room. This is what I love because not only is it making their games better but it is forcing me to improve and have more mat awareness. It feels great being pushed and I honestly feel like I am making a jump in my game. Thursday night I threw on the gi and trained at ATT. It was the first time in about a month that I trained in the kimono, and while it felt weird at first, it also felt good and slow down the pace and work on solid technique. Reyzinho showed some nice chokes from side control, which I am excited to add to my game. Two of the guys who train at ATT are the Manager of 399 (Thiago) and manager/owner? of Alves (Ricardo). Both are great guys and when you go out for a drink or some food its great to see friends and training partners. Even if we are only walking buy both guys are quick to wave and shout out a hello.

Ricardo, Myself, Thiago, and Reyzinho in front after training in the gi.

Friday morning striking class went great. We had a group of fighters come in to train. The guys can from a striking background and their movement and positioning showed. We covered various combinations, most of the combos coming off of catching or parrying the jab. The format of positional sparring, where one guy throws a combo and the other guy is reacting does a great job at making a person get used to blocking and catching punches, without having to worry about getting your head knocked off. I feel like in the last couple of weeks of striking that I am getting back to where I was technically as a boxer and that I will only continue to progress as time goes on. The training was the last one for the weekend to allow people to spend the holiday with their families. It was nice to have a long weekend but I am looking forward to Monday when training starts up again.

Emiliano (from Uruguay) and I after a hard Luta Livre session

Holidays in Brazil 

The adjustment of moving to (or staying for an extended period of time) can, at times, be difficult. Overall getting used to Brazil and adjusting to the lifestyle has been a fairly easy transition. The times that it can be difficult is around the holidays. I come from a very large family that celebrates any (and all) holidays, so living so far away can make a person feel a bit homesick. One thing that has proven nice is every person in the CR houses is in the same boat as you. So as the holidays come, the people in the houses come together as well. Typically this happens in the form of lighting up some coals and barbequing in the CRHQ garden. On the day of a BBQ (or the day before if the store will be closed) everyone heads to the local Mundial (large grocery) and picks up supplies. Everyone chips in, so the food itself is communal, with everyone who grills cooking their ‘specialty’. Having so many people from all over the world brings great culinary diversity into the house. This weekend there was grilled flank steak, pork tenderloin, a mint basil chicken, balsamic veggie salad, thinly sliced juicy steak, and Hawaiian pineapple burgers. Add to this tons of dipping sauces, and lots of beverages and you have yourself a great holiday feast. So while I was not home with family this past Christmas, or for this weekends Easter celebrations, I was here in Brazil celebrating with a very different ‘family’, but one that still made me feel at home.

Training With Brazil's National Freestyle Wrestling Team, New MMA Camp, and Exploring Santa Teresa

Looking out over Rio from the top of the Parque Das Ruinas.

The week has flown by. As I sit here typing, I am amazed at all the opportunities that come up here in Rio. My knee is finally back to 100% so I was able to dive head first into hard training. I also was able see some parts of Rio that I hadn’t seen yet.

Training

After Saturday Morning Sparring Session.

This week marked the start of a new MMA training camp. While the last camp had a lot of younger fighters prepping, this one is full of seasoned, battle tested veterans of MMA and BJJ. From the end of April to early May several fighters including Pequeno Nogueira, his brother Leozada, Edson Diniz, and Reyzihno Duarte have fights lined up throughout Brazil and South America. Needless to say, training will be intense in the coming weeks. The location of the training camp has also changed. The camp is being run at the newly formed American Top Team Barra Da Tijuca, run by Reyzihno. It is located about 30 seconds away from the CR flat. The training area is great; plenty of mat space and the whole area is surrounded by a cage. In addition to the members of the training camp, a lot of guys from ATT who recently moved back to Brazil are coming in to train during sparring and no-gi classes at night.

Monday morning was wrestling where we ran through some snap down attacks from the clinch as well as punch combinations to leg attacks. On Monday afternoon I went down to the beach to do a workout consisting of pushups, pull ups, and plyometrics. I happened to have my phone on me and about 5 minutes into the workout I get at call from Antoine Jaoude. Antoine is very good wrestler, having represented Brazil in the Olympics and other distinguished tournaments such as the Pan Ams. I had met Antoine through Dennis, and we have been communicating back and forth for some time. Anyways, Antoine called to say he was on his way to the new FILA training center and wondered if I wanted to come along to train with him and his friend. Of course I jumped at the chance, I quickly ran back to the apartment, grabbed my wrestling gear, and got picked up by Antoine. Since Rio is hosting the 2016 Summer Games, they have performed an overhaul on their Olympic training. One of the major changes in the training platform is a working relationship with the Brazilian Military. Olympic hopefuls as well as national team members in varying sports can now receive a military commission and train for large international events nearly full time. The addition of these international competitors to the Military force also raises the level of sports training within all the branches of the armed services. This has led to the creation of the Military Olympics here in Brazil which helps build a following for the Olympic sports. Actions such as these help to build sports, athletes, and the military simultaneously. The FILA wrestling center is located on a large naval base near GIG Airport. The base also houses other Olympic sports athletic teams such as boxing and weightlifting. Only an hour before I was on the beach working out, and then there I was heading into a Brazilian military base getting ready to workout with the national team as they begin their training for the Pan Ams.  CRAZY. We made our way into the gymnasium; the newly donated mats by FILA which were designed to look like the Brazilian flag, where filled with members of both the men’s and women’s national freestyle teams. Overseeing the training were former coaches of Bulgarian and Cuban National teams, as well as renowned Brazilian wrestler Daniel “Pirata” (whom is Jose Aldo’s wrestling coach). The Team was already fast at work and we quickly changed and got warmed up. The Bulgarian Coach was a small in stature but  was incredible on the mat. He was a former Olympic and World champion and has coached the Bulgarian National Team as well as the French Olympic Team. He worked closely with four of us, going over the intricate details of throws, counters and set-ups to attacks. One of the set-ups was a counter off of an elbow post (one of the most used set-ups in college wrestling); it was a simple technique but one I had never seen before. I mean it was something so simple that I couldn’t believe I had never seen it, my mind was blown. The whole training experience was great, but it was that one move that I am still sitting here, six days later, happy that I learned.

Tuesday morning was striking class with boxing coach Jean Pierre Abreu. To start Benkei ran everyone through footwork drills and core work. Then Jean Pierre held mitts and had us work combos against each other. Jean Pierre has more a Cuban Style of boxing. Instead of a lot of lateral movement, the Cuban style seems to be a quick dart in then jump back out. It’s a different style then I am used to, but it brings good elements to add to my game. The biggest thing I have to work on with my striking is using/gauging my distance and remembering to stay relaxed. On Wednesday I got some great cardio and footwork drills in. Thursday was wrestling where we again used various striking and slips into takedown. This time we added more chain movement into finishing the takedown. We then did situation wrestling from various positions such as slipping the jab to work for takedowns. On Friday’s striking class I felt a bit better with my movement and distance, feeling a lot lighter on my feet. Friday afternoon was a great Luta Livre session. We drilled several foot-lock escapes, which are always good to know. BJJ isn’t huge into the leg lock game but in L.L. and MMA its far more common, at first foot locks were really foreign to me but the more I drill them, the more I am getting comfortable with hitting them and working hard for escapes. Just another tool for the toolbox. When it came to the live rolling I felt good and was actively going for new attacks that I had recently learned. It’s sometimes hard to be able to internalize moves when over the course of  hard training because you are simply exposed to so many techniques, so it was great to feel the positions, realize the attacks, and go for them.

Saturday morning brought sparring. We each had three five minute rounds of sparring. In some cases grappling and ground and pound were allowed but what Benkei really wanted us to work on was working angles and transitioning from strikes to takedowns. Sparring was intense, but not ill willed. While hard shots were thrown nobody was trying to knock the other guys block off. Sparring this way allows for people to get better and not just get shell shocked from having bombs thrown on them. Overall, I felt I sparred well but the good thing was that it allowed Benkei and I to see areas where I need to focus and hone in on.

Santa Teresa

Nicole and I at the Selaron Steps.

Saturday afternoon Nicole and I headed into Santa Teresa, a small part of Rio known for being more ‘Bohemian’. The trip there was relatively quick and easy, taking a bus and the metro to get close. Santa Teresa is located high up on a hill overlooking the Bay and most all of Rio. To get up to it we walked up the Selaron Steps in Lapa. The steps are a giant display of art work made from tiling from all corners of the world (we even found a tile from a local place back home). The steps were amazing to see, the colors and designs jump out at you in comparison to the buildings close by. In S.T. we checked out the Parque Das Ruinas a old derelict colonial mansion that has been preserved for people to walk through.  Santa Teresa is filled with small art shops where you can watch artists paint, and lots of small restaurants and botequims (small little bars with plenty of cheap snacks). We made out way to Bar Do Gomez, one of the oldest botequims in the area and had some of there famous snacks including Bolinhos de Bacalhau (salted cod fish balls). They were delicious. The area of Santa Teresa has a very relaxed atmosphere, which felt very much like back home. We had an awesome time and we plan on making fairly regular trips back into the area to enjoy what it has to offer.

Intense Training at Renovação Fight Team

The CR Crew with the RFT Team in Botafogo. Photo by bjjpix.com

Rio de Janeiro is a place of great beauty, wonder, and excitement. On a personal level Nicole and I have been planning and making excursions around Barra and throughout Rio. Last Sunday we went down to a small private beach not far from the CR houses called Joatinga. The beach is surrounded by cliffs and as the tide comes in the sandy beach is virtually engulfed by the ocean. Nicole and I went in the late afternoon and took some small snack items and watched the the large waves thunder against the cliff side as the sunset. It’s the small moments like these that really makes us realize that Rio is a paradise.  This weekend we are headed into the more Bohemian part of town, Santa Teresa, and we are looking forward to seeing what this little piece of Rio has to offer.


Week in Training

Photo by bjjpix.com

The pace of training for me was a bit slower than normal this week, my knee was still bothering me so my primary focus was on technique work. This week marketed the end of the six week MMA camp for the Brazilian Fighters, who’s overall games have jump up considerably. It will be interesting to see where some of these guys end up in the future, there is some real talent in that group. On Mondays wrestling session we covered  leg attacks off of offensive strikes, as well as attacking for the takedown as a counter to an opponents strikes.The primary focus on using punches and slips to close the distance and create an angle of attack. I did wrestle one round live with Pequeno and then decided against any further live goes. On Tuesdays Luta Livre session Pequeno went over back attacks to the arm triangle. The one I really took away from the class was a roll off of the claw ride when your opponent is turtled up. In recent years the claw ride has been extremely popular in American Folkstyle Wrestling. The position is really familiar and comfortable for me so to learn a great choke from it was awesome. I again opted to err on the side of caution with my knee and didn’t live roll. I knew I was going to need my knee feeling good for the next day.

Working for the takedown against Bellator Fighter Sergio Junior. Photo by bjjpix.com

Renovação Fight Team

Wednesday morning was the weekly CR academy visit. This weeks visit was at famed Luta Livre school Renovação Fight Team (RFT) in Botafogo. Over the years RFT has turned out many great grapplers and MMA fighters. The building has that old school gym feeling where you just know hard work is being put in. The training area is all business with hard matting and heavy bags lined up against the wall. Soon the mat was filled with people doing there own pre-training warm ups, rolls, stretches, light bag work, etc. The official warm up consisted of jogging, and various movement (high knees, skips, etc) one of the warm up exercises was sprawls down the length of the mat. On the second round sprawling down the mats Mike, the new CR sponsored athlete sprawled just as I was and I caught his heel right under my eye splitting me open. While not deep it immediately swelled and started pouring out blood. When I went to get it cleaned up the head instructor gave me a look of ‘seriously? During the warm up?’. I put Vaseline on it and went back to training. The warm up ended with several rounds of one guy shooting a double, and the other catching, sprawling and hitting a choke. The technique that where shown was an ankle lock off of a guard pass, and an arm lock from bottom. The biggest thing that jumped out at me was just how long the moves where drilled. Each guy spent at least 10 minutes hitting the technique over and over before switching positions for the other guy to work. During the entire technique period several coaches were walking around making little adjustments to ensure the technique was being hit properly. The high reps plus the close eye of coaches is what brings RFT fighters levels to such a high game. After the technique we got to the sparring portion of class. The instructor explained there would be eight, six minute rounds, and because of the high number of people in class people would have to rotate in. I start to roll, one of the first things I notice is that these guys are good at hand fighting. Sometimes with guys they are more relaxed and have a tendency to ‘hang’ on their ties, but not at RFT. Movements were quick and explosive, openings hard to come by. I hit a slide by on the guy and he quickly readjusted but when he did he his weight was forward and I was able to hit in a front headlock. I quickly extended him locked up a grip that Pequeno had shown and  rolled into a choke. I wasn’t able to finish a scramble happened and he managed to work his way behind me, instead of sitting in turtle I exploded up hit a switch and took him down. Time ran out. Then I noticed something, A LOT of the guys sitting the round out were watching me, I had a couple of guys approach me to roll but then a guy stepped in and said he was with me. I hit a knee tap from the knees putting him on his ass, where he pulled guard and slammed a triangle and got the sub. I wasn’t the happiest. The rest of the roll was intense with me threatening with several arm locks and him countering a leg lock of mine with a knee slicer (on my bad knee..OUCH). I rotated out for a round and then I rolled against a big welterweight who fights in Bellator. It was a fast paced roll, starting with him trying to arm drag and me re-dragging him and getting one hook in, then he escaped and it was on. For the rest of the day people where asking me how my neck felt from all the cranks he hit, and he was cranking them. They didn't really choke me just twisted my head in various ways it was not meant to go. For all this though I kept trying to gain the offensive going for arm locks, chokes and even a flying triangle.  Towards the end I also started to get a feel for when he was going for the cranks to I was either able to escape them or avoid getting caught in them. In the end he was baiting his leg for me to attack so he could attack my neck again. He was stepping in heavy and offering up his lead leg. I decided that if he was going to give it to me I was going to take is and put him on his ass or back. I powered through on a Barza-Gar double (which kept my head on the inside to avoid his neck cranks and took him down flat on his back. I was working to pass his half guard when time ran out.  The last guy I rolled with was more my size, but was an animal. He was hitting techniques to set up submissions on me that I had never even ran into before. Being that he was a smaller guy it was a rapid fast paced roll with one of us working for a move and the other rapidly working the counter. Turns out that the guy also fights in Bellator and has a great MMA record. When it was all said and done the mats were covered in sweat and we jogged for a cool down. I felt right at home at RFT, the people were nice, the technique and rolls were great, and the overall class warm up to cool down had a very strong wrestling practice feel to it. I can’t wait to make it back there!

Working for the finish. Photo by bjjpix.com

The rest of the week I again focused mainly on technique and decided to take the weekend off to let my knee heel up. It is feeling great now and I am exciting to get back into intense workouts and hard training!