BJJ, Strength & Air Traffic Control

23Apr13

BJJ (no-gi)

Matt taught tonight; went over a failed hip bump from guard to an arm trap into a triangle and then two triangle escapes. One that I was familiar with but he added a variation and extra detail.

Rolled with a bunch of tough guys; several blues, purples and browns and one current UFC fighter. Nothing too noteworthy
 
TeddyRoosevelt said:
How was that? And how is his gi game as compared to those who only train gi BJJ?
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He's the guy I've wrote about before who uses can openers and is very aggressive and strong. He's only a blue belt in the gi but feels like a black belt pretty much.

I survived with him decently today and threw on a triangle that caught him. Was underhooking his free arm and finishing it but the buzzer rang. He told me he, "five more seconds!" My crowning achievement ;)
 
TeddyRoosevelt said:
Steroids and can openers are a magical combination.
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I'm not saying he juices, but his strength and aggression is what I IMAGINE someone who juices would feel like. Because I have NEVER felt it like that from anyone else before, ever. Could just work really hard in the gym and have great genetics, though. :shrug:
 
24Apr13

14g BCAAs, 5g beta-alanine

Bench
215x6
195x8
185x8

Incline DB Bench
140x9
140x8

LISS
10 minutes treadmill walking @ 15% incline

Notes

-Big strength drop in bench. Fat is flying off, though.

BJJ (no-gi)
Brown belt taught tonight; warmed up with a snap down to double leg when they resist back up and expose their lower body. Then went into a triangle defense where you bury your trapped hand in their thigh and dig your chin into the crook of your elblow. Alternately off of this, the attacker can underhook that arm if he sees any space, figure four his legs for a bicep crusher.

Finally, an armless triangle off of a double under stack. Grab their head with your right hand, and bring your left forearm blade across their neck on the right side. Grab an underhand grip on your left calf, bringing it over his neck horizontally and lock up the triangle using your own forearm to cut off his carotid. Really liked this one a lot since off of the double under stack I'll usually underhook the left arm, kick and rip it up right into a triangle. This is a nice different option off of that set up.

Rolled from the feet for 3 minute rounds. Went with a couple of very big blue belts, a couple of purples and the brown belt instructor. Nothing too noteworthy except that I had a hard time finishing big guys from the back, and when we got all slippery and sweaty nothing seemed to be working for anybody.

The brown belt instructor is a small guy but holy shit is his technique smooth and effortless. He has a wrestling-type style and I just kept falling into all kinds of traps. He seemed to be waiting around every corner with an axe to chop my head off. That kind of skill level is really inspiring.
 
TheJewBear said:
24Apr13

BJJ (no-gi)[/]

Finally, an armless triangle off of a double under stack. Grab their head with your right hand, and bring your left forearm blade across their neck on the right side. Grab an underhand grip on your left calf, bringing it over his neck horizontally and lock up the triangle using your own forearm to cut off his carotid. Really liked this one a lot since off of the double under stack I'll usually underhook the left arm, kick and rip it up right into a triangle. This is a nice different option off of that set up.

Rolled from the feet for 3 minute rounds. Went with a couple of very big blue belts, a couple of purples and the brown belt instructor. Nothing too noteworthy except that I had a hard time finishing big guys from the back, and when we got all slippery and sweaty nothing seemed to be working for anybody.

The brown belt instructor is a small guy but holy shit is his technique smooth and effortless. He has a wrestling-type style and I just kept falling into all kinds of traps. He seemed to be waiting around every corner with an axe to chop my head off. That kind of skill level is really inspiring.
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I've learned a similar "no arm triangle" from dean lister... Slick stuff!
 
Do you shoot doubles/singles in gi? Did a comp recently where the guy was just looking to grab a sleeve and pull guard, pulled me right in and I was fighting a cross collar choke straight away. I have no interest in pulling guard in a super heavy weight class.
 
ThinkGreen said:
I've learned a similar "no arm triangle" from dean lister... Slick stuff!
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Have you hit it often? I have the hardest time remembering techniques in the heat of the moment.

Obscure Terror said:
Do you shoot doubles/singles in gi? Did a comp recently where the guy was just looking to grab a sleeve and pull guard, pulled me right in and I was fighting a cross collar choke straight away. I have no interest in pulling guard in a super heavy weight class.
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Yeah, I personally do. Pulling guard isn't something you would do in a self-defense situation so I try to avoid it as much as possible in training and competition.
 
25Apr13

LISS
21 minutes running

Notes

-Nice clear 60 degree day so I decided to do my LISS outside instead of reading on the treadmill. Working on Lord of the Flies now.

-No BJJ at my gym tonight.
 
26Apr13

18 hours fasted, 10g BCAAs, 5g beta-alanine

Hanging Leg Raises
15
12
12

Notes

-Started my RPT squat workout, and working through 185 and up I had horrible back pain and CNS weakness out the wazoo. Worked up to 315, hit a very ugly single and brought the weight back to 225. Could only do THREE reps before the pain and weakness overcame me so I racked it.

Considering a week or two off from strength training to let the back heal and CNS recover. Can't remember the last time I even took a deload week. It's been a long, long time.

BJJ

Black belt taught; went over a sort of sideways back take off of them try to turn and turtle after you do a low pass. You get your low side hand under their arm and to the opposite side collar for a grip. Sit them up, sliding your high side knee under the soft spot between their lower rib and hip. Keep them on their side, hook your low side foot over their waist (not in their legs) and roll them on top of you. Two choke options off of this spot.

Worked from this position live with some mixed results. Went with a couple of purples and a white belt. Then rolled with a white belt, blue belt and purple and did pretty good with all of them. Tapped the purple with a toe hold from top half guard and got some good escapes and reversals. Generally moved pretty well tonight, nice and smooth.

With the purple, I started getting stack passed and I remembered the armless triangle from the other day. I locked it up and had him nullified, but as much as I adjusted the angle and grips I couldn't finish him. I think my forearm/gripping hand was too far away from his carotid. It's like trying to triangle someone with a really wide frame and their arm (my arm in this case) isn't blocking the carotid enough.

Still, really glad that I remembered the move and tried it. That's the way to improve and keep growing my game.
 
27Apr13

Fasted

LISS
20 minute outdoor run

Notes

-Felt good. Realized I was covering more distance on my run in an equal amount of time without trying to run faster

-Noticed a blister on my ring toe that I pulled open, but didn't have anything to wrap it with. Not too smart to do right before jiu-jitsu.

-Some left AC pain in my shoulder for some reason, and my lower back was DESTROYED. Just stretching in my apartment prior to running was really painful. I tried to shoulder roll backwards and hold it and let out a sharp "Agh!" so a deload is definitely in the works.

Fasted, 14g BCAAs

BJJ (no-gi)

Matt taught today; went over the triangle escapes that we learned earlier in the week as well as the unorthodox failed hip bump, failed kimura to arm trap triangle. Got a lot of drilling these three techniques.

Rolled with two purples and a brown belt. I really performed pretty damn well today considering the skill levels of my training partners. I had no qualms with going for risky attacks and trying new things out. I felt like I flowed well and got some nice acclaim from my instructor who was watching me a lot today.

I've noticed that when I know my instructor is watching, I kick things up a notch. I'll attack more, not be lazy and really move aggressively and hunt for things.

Psyched for Jones/Sonnen tonight
 
27Apr13

17 hours fasted

LISS
22 minutes treadmill @ 15% incline, 3.0mph

Notes

-Lord of the Flies is kinda boring. Looking forward to my next "cardio book".


BJJ

Open mat. Rolled with three older purples and three heavy blues. Actually, everyone was pretty fucking huge (in a Roy Nelson-esque way) except for one 140lb purple belt. Performed VERY well today and got lots of great positive feedback from the purples. Stayed on top a lot, worked a lot of Marcelo style passing and knee on belly game. With the blues I performed especially well except for one of them. He was just as big and slow looking as the others but he was VERY strong, fast and technical. He felt a lot tougher than the purples actually.

One of the purples showed me a good way to beat the lockdown if it's giving me trouble; bring your trapped heel to your butt, and circle it to the outside stepping up. I *hate* the lockdown with a passion, always have since day one. I'll keep this in my pocket next time it comes up, which thankfully isn't too frequently.

It's weird; after rolling with two of the blues and the purples I was feeling more like a purple belt than ever before. Everything was crisp, aggressive and my pace was constantly on on on. Then I went with the big blue belt who didn't look good at all, but he was killing me. It's confusing, because what then do the belts even mean?

Conditioning felt great. I'm really enjoying the extra LISS sessions I'm getting in on my off days. Fat is flying off really nicely too.
 
I'm really glad that yesterday I didn't cheat and go over my calories. I got all my macros in pretty early in the day, like 6pm. So I knew when I went out to watch the UFC fight that I couldn't drink or eat anything with calories. In the past, I'd usually cave and have a couple of beers or bar food.

Man, it was tough to just have club soda with lemon. Even tougher was the smell of greasy wings, french fries and guac loaded chips all around me. Still, I knew I'd regret it today if I cheated so I stuck to my guns.

Body fat is around 13-14% now I'd guess and weight was 176.2 this morning.
 
30Apr13

LISS
23 minutes treadmill @ 15% incline, 3mph

Notes

-Deloading this week by way of not lifting shit. Back was still sore bending over and such so hope that one week will be enough to be back to full health.

BJJ (no gi)

Warmed up with about 10 minutes of takedowns. Matt went over the triangle escape we did last week one more time. Guess he really wants to hammer this home, and I really could always use the extra drilling.

Then went right into rolling. Went with a purple belt MMA fighter who was all over me with heel hooks, specifically. He said from top half guard my free leg was too far away from his body so he was underhooking it and controlling me with ease. Started to be more aware of keeping my knee tighter, like you would you elbows.

Rolled with him from several positions, then rotated to go with a blue belt girl then a big guy from our sister school. Got an RNC on the big guy from the back and was working some of my back game with mixed results. Namely, trapping one of his hands with one of my hooks so I can attack with two hands vs his one free hand. When we switched to him on my back, he started doing the same thing!

Overall not a bad night.
 
Did you ever get an update on your test levels?
 
Obscure Terror said:
Did you ever get an update on your test levels?
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I have my next appt with the mens health clinic next week, then a different appt with an endo a few days after that.

I suspect hypothyroidism or cortisol/adrenal issues based on internet research and my symptoms. I don't think the low free testosterone is the cause of everything, but just a symptom of those first things I mentioned.
 
Last edited:
Trained no-gi and gi last night, but didn't log due to being exhausted. It was one of the worst training sessions I can remember. I went in feeling weak and deconditioned. Warm ups like jogging and shrimping make me gasp for air and feel whiped out so the rest of the class went accordingly bad. I left in the middle of the following gi class because I just felt so overrun and beat down from the no-gi training.

It's been a challenging last few weeks, and I'm attempting to take some time to recover and get back to full health. My back has been killing me, right wrist is in pain whenever it's bent back like in a pushup position, and the "air hunger" is making BJJ 10x harder.

So I have the doc appts next week, a tattoo appt this coming weekend and not lifting so my ortho injuries can heal. Feel like a wreck! Maybe the time off will be good. I gotta squeeze in a gi class tomorrow before the tat time off begins.
 
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