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Welcome to the Happy Grappler. The key to a consistent practice is joy. As an aging athlete, I continue to seek out methods that help to keep a smile on my face, relatively fit and pain free. This is my mental graffiti. Enjoy!

Monday, August 20, 2012

Bronze


Well, we are back from another life changing experience at the open. Another has come and gone, this time bringing with it new revelations and experiences.

First off, the results. While I didn't have third place exactly in mind when I was training, I am happy with the result for the following reasons. I can absolutely state that I did my best and the guys were just better that day. What amazes me is even at the Senior 2 level for a tournament this size, guys are training full-time and putting everything on hold for its preparation. On the other hand, I put in about 8 hours a week in preparation. I was active on my feet and shooting for takedowns. I was also defending my back, which is an area that I must improve technically. I did feel that I was weaker when it came to defending my back, and in retrospect I did no ancillary s&c work which may be the culprit. Mentally, my preparation was the best it has ever been. The visualization, imagery and motivation work began to address issues that have been in place for a long time but unresolved. This week I will go to bjj twice and do nothing else to allow myself to recover. This week, I will also re-tool and re-calibrate my training plan in order to address deficiencies that were revealed on Saturday. I must also give some shout outs to people and things that were crucial in my preparation.

First of all, I must publicly thank my wife, Angie, for her tireless support and dedication. She is my balance and my voice of reason. Her objectivity helped me bring to awareness the areas that I need to address before my next tournament. She is always in my corner. I love her with all of my heart and am thankful for every second that we spend together.

I must also thank Professor Marcos Barros and all my peeps at Gracie Barra Springfield for their assistance in preparation. Professor Supple Leopard, Paul, WBW, Professor Greg, Gerrad, Myles, Judo Matt and everybody gave their all to help me prepare. We are truly a family.

If you ever need a hotel on short notice, Hotwire.com is the hook up. I have been using them for years and I have never been disappointed. Every time Angie and I go somewhere, we use them and so should you.

If you aren't listening to the Joe Rogan experience podcast, you should. I just started this weekend and finished Chael Sonnen, Sam Sheridan, Mike Dolce and Robb Wolf. I am going to listen o them all over because they are so full of information. I also plan to use some of the products mentioned on the podcast from onnit.com in the realm of nootropics. Several of my friends have used nootropics in the past, and while they are controversial, the proof of the pudding is in the tasting. Get ready for a lot of cussing, but if you can handle that, listen and learn.

If you are ever in the Chicago area and want good mexican food, the answer is Uncle Julio's. It is quick and delicious. It was probably the most nutritious thing we ate (confessional: the culinary debauchery that took place this weekend after 3 months of prep work was borderline criminal).

I am returning to the paleo method of eating and am attempting to eliminate the issue of yo yo dieting from my life. I truly believe that this will address a lot of my dietary issues.

As Carlos Sr. said, "There is no losing in jiujitsu. You either win or you learn."

Have a good one and thank you for taking the time to read my little corner of the net.

Oss.

Pee Ess and By the Way, I may go back to kettlebells and calisthenics for some conditioning and for jiujitsu inspiration I will be watching a lot of Marcelo Garcia and (I know you are going to tell me to shut my mouth) Eddie Bravo. But for this week, it is just bjj.

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