XPirate's Road to MMA

[XPirate]

My old log was powerlifting. This one includes it, but also includes the BJJ that I've started doing, and will eventually include the striking.

Long term goals: Amateur MMA comp, BJJ Blackbelt, elite total, get up to 220+ bodyweight.

Short term: pass my classes

My stats still haven't changed: 335lb squat, 225lb bench, 380lb deadlift, BJJ white (1 stripe). I got injured, and haven't lifted heavy in 2 months. probably not going to for a long while since I'm doing BJJ now.

Now for the first post:

Rolled in an open mat sessions. Saw an awesome counter to a guard pass, where you've almost triangled the guy on top and he keeps stacking you. Well, all you had to do was pull his front elbow forward/out, and your knee slips through.

Learned a sweep from open guard. And learned that head control in the open guard game is important. Also learned some scarf hold escapes.

1 submission: an americana from half guard.

I learned a lot yesterday.

 

[XPirate]

Went to two classes yesterday.

1st: Arm drags from guard. What to do when the guy grabs your leg, when he doesn't, when he's a tough big guy. All to try to take the back or mount via sweep. Then we rolled. I had moderate success. Someone got me in the scarf hold, and I forgot my escapes...so he just held me there...I rolled with some blues and other whites. I tapped to one blue with a kimura. Another blue taught me how to improve my scissors sweep, by pulling towards me to knock him off base. The thing is though, I have to pull away from the side I have to sweep, that way he actually moves.

2nd class: Scarf Hold escapes. Towards the end someone had me in scarf hold, and I couldn't free my elbow. It was only afterwards that I thought I could still try to do sweeps, or push on his elbow crossfacing me to slip out.

I have to ice 3 body parts, and I hope my elbow doesn't get messed up from all the accidental hyperextensions that are hitting it.

 

[XPirate]

Didn't post, but I have been going to BJJ 6-8 times a week for the past 3 weeks. School is going to start...today, so I was training hard in preparation for that.

What I did was basically refine some basic skills and roll with blue belts, get killed by a purple or two. Didn't really tap anyone, don't think it matters too much, I just like fighting. I enterend NAGA (New England), I'm going to compete in the Adult Beginner and Adult Intermediate in white belt. I really want to start lifting again too.

I also want to add in some striking, but I feel like I better at least get to blue belt or purple level before I dabble. My school offers MMA classes once I hit blue, so I'll probably take advantage of that. I'll post my judo work-out later on today.

 

[XPirate]

Just came back from the New England NAGA. I won 2/3 no gi, and lost 1 gi. The no gi I lost I was put to sleep in an arm triangle. In gi I lost 0-2 from a hip throw. Both my opponent and the ref said the arm bar I got at the last minute was deep, but my opponent was able to stand and shake free...barely. I won one by points, scoring a double leg takedown, and securing side control. Dude reversed a couple times but never flattened me out. Other match I won by straight ankle lock. Took the dude down, almost got gullotined, and then broke his guard and ankle locked him.

Kind of regret missing training today though, because I only train 2x a week (6 hours). I'm going to see if I can stay for the advanced (blue and above) class, so I'll be training a little over 4 hours both days a week, which will make up for only training 2x. We'll see how my lifting goes.

Some important things...in my third fight, I was really tired. I had to make a decision as I was walking on the mat. Would I fight or not. This tournament was what grappling is, and I had to decide if I liked it or not. I decided I'd die trying. That match I won with the ankle lock. I learned a ton. A black said I'd get exponentially better by going to tournaments. They are kind of a scary thing, and as a fighter, my duty is to fight. Whether it be iron or people, regardless of if I'm scared or not, or if I'm ready or not.

I wish I'd have done some tournaments earlier.

 

[XPirate]

Squats
225lbs x15

Bench
135lbs x11

Press
95lbs x5 reps x2 sets

Neutral Grip Chin Ups
bodyweight x6 reps x2 sets

Light stuff to get back into lifting. The squats were brutal though. I think I'll lift 2x a week. We'll see how things go. I also need conditioning. So my choices are to have two days and still make decent progress, or kill progress to a trickle lifting once a week and pull a sled or other conditioning another day of the week. If anyone has any ideas, I'm all ears. This is due to two other days having a two hour round trip to a BJJ gym and spending 4+ hours each day I'm there training.

 

[MIDMOBOX]

You'll find a balance between lifting and JJ. Just give it time.

Good work on your NAGA debut

 

[XPirate]

Thanks MIDMO, I appreciate you reading.

Machine horiz. rowing: 150lbs x8 reps x2 sets, 150lbs x5 reps
Overhead Press: 120lbs x5 reps
Incline Press: 155lbs x5 reps, 155lbs x4 reps
Pull -ups 25lbs x5 reps x2 sets, 30lbs x5 reps
Dips: bdw x 17 reps

Ankle isn't too much better. I haven't been taking care of it though...I'm going to buy cissus and fish oil tomorrow. I stopped the OP b/c I remembered about my ankle, I'll do seated OP instead. That should get my numbers up.

Today is 2.5-3.5 hrs of BJJ, depending on if I get to do the advanced class or not. Next week is spring break, so I'm probably not going to lift, or if I do, it will be for 10 reps or something and only 2 sets, again, just 1x/ week. That's because I'll be training BJJ hopefully 2x a day, or at least every day.

I'm poor, I need more money...I wish my ankle would heal so I can actually get bigger with deadlifts and squats, I want a big yoke...

Time is also really tight, which is why I don't train more...

 

[XPirate]

This week was spring break. So I trained every day. I went for 2.5hrs thurs, 2.5hrs fri, 3 hrs sat. and then 1x every day till thurs, which was another 2.5hrs, then friday was 1.25hrs, then sat was 3hrs. And today is rest. Not gonna do anything major.

Still trying to balance everything. I don't want exercise to rule my life, my life rules exercise. I won't be a gym rat, or a fighting rat, or whatever. With this sort of non-attachment I feel like I can give more to fighting.

I have a tournament on the 24th, and then on may 1st as well. Going to do do 5-6hrs BJJ a week as always, but add in a judo drill (ukemi I think they are called, footwork with bands) and the shooting wrestling drill in the morning. I have an option of lifting 1x a week or going to BJJ again. I'll probably opt to go to BJJ. My ankle is still off, so I can't squat or dead, which means weightlifting is pressing and pulling, which is decent...

I need to get more aggressive. White belts piss me off to no end. They are all my friends, but they still piss me off. One guy who muscles his way off my open guard got armbar'd. He almost got armbar'd again, as in I had his arm in position, he just held it tight and started rolling around. I would have had it had time not ran out. Another super beginner chased me down when I stood up in guard, he was trying to do a takedown or something. I could've sprawled, but I was just looking at the instructor the whole time thinking "do you see this guy?" I got pissed and armbar'd him as soon as he came in my guard. Then another blue was muscling shit too, so as soon as I swept him I went to north/south and tried a kimura. Normally if they are real tight I just keep moving or try for a shrimping kimura, I hate muscling shit. I train too much to waste energy on that stuff. But I was pissed, so I broke his grip and kimura'd him...

I'm surprised blue belts muscle shit. The only ones that are calm are purple belts...I have yet to sub one, although I got one in a shrimping kimura, but black belts were watching, and he got some adrenaline surge + since it wasn't working I just let it go and went for something else...