Ohmigosh! It's My BJJ Blog

New URL

2008-12-31T19:42:00.003+08:00

I wonder what the heck I was thinking when I chose this URL. Come 2009, I'm going to drop the porn sounding theme. Welcome to :

http://mybjj.blogspot.com/

I guess this blog pretty much evolved from being my personal site of ramblings to a more focused subject which is also my hobby ~ Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu , short for BJJ

Visit to Crush

2008-12-19T00:48:00.011+08:00

The Jits withdrawal syndrome is getting worse, often sending us into state of boredom and loneliness. We had to find a place to get our fix and fast. On Thursday night, several die hard adicts paid a visit to Crush MMA gym. We arrived at the center at 8:45PM, class commenced at 9:10PM. Here's a field report of our encounter.

The class was thought by Brazilian Black Belt Marcos Escobar. Leong, Dingo, Willie and I were introduced to everyone in the class, there were about 13 students that night. We went thru a gruesome 15 mins warm up. This included bear crawls, jogging, sprinting, skipping, crunches, push ups, more bear crawls! Reminds me of Adam's class taught at KDT. After the torture, we were shown 3 techniques on how to escape from knee ride on belly. We were told to pair up to drill the same technique for 20mins. Water breaks were given at least 3 times thru out the class. After which we were then paired up again. This time the game was to simply escape from side control( for the the bottom player) or establish knee ride or submission for the guy on top. The person that manages to do this was allowed to remain in the game. Each person were given 3 rounds to stay in this game after which we switched.

We ended the class with at least 5 rounds of sparring, 5 mins each. I managed only 3 rounds. My observation is that the students here are more experienced if compared to Ding's, perhaps about the same level as the students at KDT. Each of them have their own unique game. I am glad to say that their students are quite good and live up to their ranks. Escobar was also very friendly and treated us much as his own students. One thing I notice that he had no qualms in giving tips to anyone even if you are a guest. While we were rolling, he kept yelling pointers at us. He calls us by our names, which I am amazed that he could remember all of us since there were 4 of us that night. I find such gestures very encouraging especially when you are on someone else turf.

Overall, the people here are relax and friendly, almost family like, when we left, they were singing birthday songs in Protugese I think :-). That was about 11PM. So, if you are looking for a Black Belt with several world titles under his belt residing in Kuala Lumpur, this is the place to be.

I would like to Thank everyone at Crush that made our visit a pleasent and enjoyable one!

Visit to Ding's

2008-12-16T09:30:00.007+08:00

With KDT closed for the year, I had to find me a place to practice. So I decided to drop by Ding's on Monday night.

The class commenced at 8PM sharp. Janson started the warm up session for about 15 mins. It was a bit more intense compared to the one I am used to at KDT but nothing that I couldn't handle. After which we were broken into 2 groups, Mandeng(the second instructor) lead the more experience grapplers thru a series of guard sweeps and Janson took the beginners thru a series of basic moves. After about 40 mins, we started drilling the techniques we learnt for the night. Also in the equation was drilling with both our hands in our belts. Where the objective is to sweep your opponent from guard without the use of your hands. We then spent the remaining 20 mins sparring with each other. Janson made me roll with 4 guys consecutively with 1 min rest in between and 5 mins each round! I was exhausted after that but it felt great and I had a lot of fun.

Overall, the people there are friendly. In my opinion, the class was very well run. Their format much alike KDT. Safety of participants were also accounted for at all times. People there are like a family and the atmosphere is relax. I had a great workout and met may new faces. Many of whom just started about 3-4 months. In all, we had around 13 students that night. With some familiar faces too like Chen and Leong from KDT. There were also 2 students from Crush, Fang and Raul. I had the opportunity to roll with Fang that night, this dude has certainly improved. The last time I rolled with him was more than a year ago. He has a wicked guard game now ;-)

Congrats to Janson and Mandeng for the great effort at spreading this wonderful art!

2009 Training Plan

2008-11-30T15:34:00.007+08:00

It's fast approaching the end of the year. Things are starting to take shape, my game is slowly maturing. It's now time to plan for more changes..

I did mention that I might be leaving this country next year. Due to the bad global economy, employers over there would rather offer jobs to their locals hard hit by recession. I would most probably settle for an internal transfer. That means I should be able to continue BJJ. However, I'll have to be more flexible with my training days. Since KDT don't do BJJ everyday and my job would involve more late nights. I'll have to rearrange my training days by adding CMD into the picture.

I've crafted out a plan for next year. Thanks to my training buddy Mikey, he got me off some basics on the stand up and what's it like to be pounded while in guard and mount, Thanks Mikey!! I notice that in BJJ we have all the time in the world to think of our escape. We even have the luxury of grabbing on to our opponent's Gi for technique too. Took my Gi off, put on some grappling gloves and the game changed so dramatically..God forbid if I ever got into a physical confrontation with someone that knows how to ground and pound!

I had a good chat with Mikey about balancing out our training regime with limited time on our hands. The drawback, we won't improve as fast if we focused solely on one. But at the same time, we would have a better idea of the 3 phases of combat ~ standup, clinch and ground work. In my opinion, BJJ focuses on 90% ground work, 10% clinch and practically little or no standup at all. I took a good look at my ultimate goal, which is for fitness, self defense and stress release. Therefore, I figure such an arrangement would benefit me.

Depending on my availability thru out the week, I'm planning to variant my training days by including 1 BJJ and 1 CMD in a week or whichever comes first. This would give me the flexibility to drop in whenever my schedule permits. I really hope to keep the same consistency(2x a week). I'll leave Saturday open mats an open opportunity....

Let's see how things go in 2009. My ultimate goal next year is the same as this year and the year before. Improve overall game, maintain physical and mental sanity! How am I going to achieve it? Answer: include CMD with BJJ training, consistency and discipline. Oh yeah...Have Fun Learning new stuff!!

2008-11-20T11:39:00.000+08:00

Grading, Promotions? What does all this mean?

2008-11-11T22:56:00.014+08:00

Just awhile back, a couple of my buddies at the gym were promoted. This got me wondering what the promotion is all about...Here's my perspective:

In traditional MA, promotions are awarded after a student have passed an official test. However, for BJJ I noticed that it's very different. At my gym, people are graded based on their everyday performance. There is no official grading syllabus, no pass or fail.. it's more like an informal affair. One fine day my instructor may decide to do some house keeping, the students are called out and are expected to roll with 3 other students consecutively for 4-5 minutes each.

I think the important value to demonstrate during the grading process is determination. From my experience, by the time I'm done rolling with the second person, I feel so tired that my fear of being submitted on my big day began to loom on me. Also, depending on whom you roll with, you can be sure your sparring buddy isn't going to go light on you. In fact, I strongly believe that a good sparring partner shouldn't be too light and at the same time too rough to injure you. The whole purpose of this test is to push you to your limits, only then we'll be able to see how the real you reacts when the adrenalin really starts to pump. Honestly, it's quite exciting to see people being graded. I was fortunate enough to be sparring buddies for 2 comrades that were graded recently. At first I thought I was too hard on him, but my worries subsided knowing that my real intention was not to hurt him but to bring out the best in him. The ceremony concludes after the student walks thru a gauntlet and the instructor ties the belt around the student's waist.

So at the end of the day it's not about tapping or being tapped out. In my opinion, the notion of promoting a student is to motivate the individual to improve his skills further. I also believe it's a way to commemorate a student's hard work. The criterion doesn't necessary mean that one has to be an unbeatable bad ass. Different schools have different training goals, I'm very fortunate to be training at a school that is supportive of a person's holistic growth rather than competitiveness.

Moving On...

2008-10-30T09:27:00.005+08:00

Come 2009, I might be moving on to something new. I say might because it's not certain yet. But the possibility is there.

Frankly, I'm glad I took BJJ up. It brought me so much enjoyment. For me it is a medium to boost my self esteem, weight control and a great form of stress relief. I always feel recharged, rejuvenated and most of all, happy after a good roll!

However, I don't live the pure jiu-jitsu lifestyle like some people enjoy. I have a day job and my day job needs some changes. I've been working for the past 7 years for the same company. My work have become stale. I've struggled to keep myself alive. I wake up many mornings, dragging myself to the office. I remind myself that this is a world wide phenomenon and that everyone goes thru the same thing and I'm not alone. Come 5PM, I look forward to my training. On days that I don't train I spend time conditioning. Usually working out outside my house. I don't think I can go on with the same job forever. I have decided that a change is needed. With changes comes sacrifices. So much so that my regular routines might have change too.

If things work out, I should be leaving this country with my wife for a good 3 years at least. I'm not sure if I'll be able to look for another training center over there but I would certainly try. I know one thing for certain, I'll miss home :-(

Year 2

2008-10-01T23:14:00.039+08:00

It's been exactly 2 years since I started BJJ. I remember my first day in class. We started off with drills that the instructor demonstrated earlier. After about 40-60 mins, he yelled at us to line up against the wall.

He told us that we were going to 'roll' and that we should put on our protective gear. For a moment, I thought we were literately going to roll from one end of the wall to the other. I just couldn't figure out why we had to wear mouth guards. I was mentally preparing for one hell of a 'roll' when I found out that rolling actually meant sparring. I watched the guys wrestle each other while waiting nervously in line for my turn.

Luck had me that I was to wrestle the biggest person in class. He was over 140 kilos, about 2x my weight. We started on our knees, I didn't know what to do, I started to sweat profusely. He grasped my lapel with his gigantic arms, then suddenly, BAAANG! I was on my back. The sweep was furious, I opened my eyes, and found a giant mounted on my chest. I couldn't budge nor could I get him off. I didn't know what to do, I remained motionless, my hands clasped in prayer. The corner of my eye caught the glimpse of the clock, hoping that it would go off sooner. With fury in his eyes, he asked the instructor "What should I do with him now?". The instructor yelled, "Finish him off...".

"Finish me off??! This can't be good. Why, Oh why, did I ever sign up for this?!...". After a brief struggle, my world went dark momentarily, I noticed that his entire curvature of his buttocks was on my head. He was practically sitting on my face. I couldn't breath, nor did I know how to escape. I didn't know what else to do, I tapped out in less than 40 secs. Everyone in class tapped me out, this went on for months.

After 3 months I begun to learn to defend myself. It started to take more time for people to tap me out but I was still on the receiving end. At first, this was very demoralising. I remember driving home after class telling myself over and over again to keep on training and not to quit. From 40 secs, my survival time increased to 1, 2 then 3 minutes. Soon, I found myself surviving the entire round.

I tried my best not to miss a class. I also started taking notes. Things really started to change after 6 months. I found ways to battle out of inferior positions, fight my way to guard where I attempted submissions that were mostly futile. I started to develop better awareness and positioning. Balance slowly improved. Opportunities for submissions present itself. I got my first tap after 8 months. I really can't remember the details. It just happen after a struggle. I think it was a triangle or something but it was definitely from guard. It's been 2 years now. Looking back, I truly enjoyed the experience. The people whom I trained with provided me with so much perspective that I that I could never go back to do Aikido again. Not that I felt it was a waste of time. On the contrary, I think I've gained so much from it. Just that BJJ is a whole new journey. It humbled me and made me see things realistically.

Though, it's only been 2 years, I feel that I've only begun to understand the very core of the basics. There certainly isn't any secret technique that my 'sifu' has not thought me. Neither do it involve any internal 'chi' to master. Just needs practice, practice & more practice. The learning process is still very steep but very enjoyable and satisfying...

Where Are We?

2008-09-12T10:27:00.004+08:00

We often receive visitors from all over the world. It's interesting to see the types of people that walk in our gym. We had Internet entrepreneurs , college kids, US Marines & visitors from other gyms all over the world. While, it's noteworthy to see so many coming to KDT. I wonder what is happening to the local scene? I hardly see locals walk in...I am aware that there are also other gyms offering similar programs but I'm sure they are in the same predicament too, or am I wrong?

Maybe Malaysians are lovers not fighters.. maybe that they find rolling with a bunch of guys repulsive. Another hunch is that Malaysians are slow in catching up with the latest scene. While the rest of the world have hop on the BJJ/MMA bandwagon, the majority over here are still hung up on traditional MA. I'm not saying that traditional MA is inferior, just that we don't seem to be eager to embrace change. I often wonder why (over in Malaysia) not many black belts from traditional MAs cross train in BJJ. I've approached a couple of Aikido sempais at my dojo to start BJJ, none of them ever took up my offer. Some of them never even heard of BJJ. Some say it's just a "one on one fighting" thingy...I certainly found that Aikido and BJJ come together very well. In ways that they are both grappling base, much of the principles can be applied. Example, staying relax, leveraging, timing, awareness, balance, etc. My left column is also telling me that some traditional black belts would rather stick to their old martial ways and not 'risk' starting all over again. I've seen Aikido instructors get too carried away, over emphasize their lethal effectiveness by flashing fancy techniques to much of the amazement of the uneducated audience. His unresisting uke is man handled, thrown into mid air and then tied up like a pretzel. I wonder if he ever gave thought to what he's realy trying to convey...

Food for thought isn't it?

Irene Lee's Blog

2008-09-06T12:08:00.001+08:00

My dear mom has started blogging too, mainly about exercise and nutrition. Check out her site here

Things Are About To Change

2008-09-02T09:27:00.004+08:00

Training have been rather positive lately, all of a sudden, I'm feeling fresh! It's been very enjoyable everytime I roll. The best thing my seniors are telling me that I am getting better and that I'm flowing better now. Such comments keep me motivated and want to train more! I also feel that it's relatively easy for me to set a beginner up into my trap. While I defend well, I'll need to start focusing on my offense. I see myself rolling for atleast another 8 months. My wife is expecting our first child. Once my kid arrives, I sure hope I can find the time to continue training. Alot of people are telling me that having a kid is a life changing experience. I don't mind the change, just that I hope I'll still be able to make time for the things I enjoy. I forsee slight changes to my schedule and I'm optimistic I'll be able to overcome it...God Bless!

Good Training Partners

2008-08-06T11:56:00.007+08:00

I've heard this countless of times, this and that can save you. You might end up on the ground, yada, yada, yada. For me BJJ or any martial art is what it is, a sport....

Most people take MA for self defense. After doing this for sometime , I'm glad I lost that paranoia. I no longer look at it as purely 'self defense'. For me it's fun and a great work out.

There are some MA that are more combat oriented like BJJ that require you to be more physical. I'm fine with that, I mean it's great to be physical, that's the whole idea anyway, it gets your heart pumping. However, there are times when we succumb ourselves to unnecessary injuries. I know I've mentioned that in any sport we are prone to injuries. But with combat sports, we place a lot of trust in our training partner. If we get an asshole partner, we will get injured or will injure someone.

At the moment, I'm fortunate to have a decent place to practice but still, I can't be too careful in choosing my rolling buddies. That's why I rather not roll with people I am not acquainted well enough. I need to understand his purpose of training. Much can be said when you ask someone this question but more can be seen when you watch him role a couple of times.

So next time you roll, ask yourself, how much you know of your training partner. Does he watch out for you? Does he ask you if you rather take it slow or drill or have any injuries? Is he controlled when pulling that arm bar? These are important attributes in a good training partner..

I'm rolling, rolling, rolling.......

2008-07-25T11:38:00.006+08:00

Lately, I've been feeling rather slow..but things have been improving lately. I feel a bit more reactive now...I think I got thru the slump...Goes the saying that we should just "weather the storm". Just like Kun-Fu panda, there's no secret! Just be patient and keep training no matter what. There are days when I felt like skipping class but I still manage to drag my sorry ass over. After training, I feel tired but happy that I've managed to pull it thru. I've told myself that I'm going to train regularly(3 times a week) until end of this yr. After that I'm going to revisit my goals for the future. Right now, my only focus is to improve my overall game. Still trying to sink into my blue...Looks like things are finally moving.....I should think my long term goal is to coach since I do not have intentions of competing. But that's more likely to happen in another 1-2 years of constant training. I don' think I'm ready at this juncture. Also, I'm not saying that when I start coaching I'm not going to keep improving, just that my focus now is more about myself. I'm enjoying the learning process so far. There's always something to learn from someone. I believe it's the learning curve that's fun, it's very satisfying to see myself progress...

This Book is Fantastic!

2008-07-03T14:16:00.003+08:00

The engine is fear! It keeps us alive. Yes! I definately can relate to it, see my previous post. John Will certainly had a colourful past. While most of us are contented with our day jobs and the comforts of life. This dude travelled the world and done the most outrageous stuff few will dare to venture. Being peniless (did I spell that rite??), facing near death situations, training under worst conditions and living the day like it's your last! Very positive outlook that we can all ponder....

If we didn't have fear or didn't know how to manage it, it would certianly ruin us. It's so enlighting to know that the things we dread the most, would be the thing that actually keeps us alive.

I would certainly recommend this book to those seeking that something that drives them...Enjoyable read! Now to book 2!

What is BJJ for you?

2008-07-03T13:53:00.002+08:00

Nice post by my sempai - Mike. I often ask myself, why do I drag myself 3 times a week to risk spirit and bodily harm! haha...I think I know the answer...I told myself that I must do something that scares me. That's what keeps me alive! I wouldn't be scared if I did Tai-Chi 3 times a week. Well, maybe it will be a different kind of scare :0) Life would be such a bore if I didn't have something to keep me on my toes...I'm sure that my day job isn't gonna give me that adrenaline rush..

I must admit, there are times when I am just oooh so lazy. I rather be bored to wits than scared to shits about something...

Let's see how long I'll continue to roll...

BJJ Safer than Tennis?

2008-06-10T23:51:00.007+08:00

Most people would think that contact sports are more injury prone than non contact ones. On the contrary, I think it's quite the opposite, for BJJ atleast.

I'm aware that during sparring sessions, there is a possibility that I could tear my joints or muscles. But I think this can only happen if either I or my partner are not careful. I felt that sprinting and sudden change of directions while chasing a ball on court have more impact on my joints and muscles. This is much more difficult to prevent since I have to run to keep up with the ball. I can just feel my feet pounding on the hard surface and the impact on my arms as my racket contacts the ball :-(

I felt that Jiu-Jitsu is much gentler on my body :-) Just that I need to look out for sudden bursts of movement generated either by my partner or myself. Other than that, I think it' a fairly safe sport...So far, I only had one injury in the past due to a sudden neck crank applied on me during no Gi practice. Oh yeah, I also feel that no Gi practice can be quite injury prone, might be due to less friction and faster game..

2008-06-04T23:38:00.001+08:00

Everyone!

2008-06-01T22:50:00.004+08:00

Saturdays are open mats. Meaning, we come for practice without the usual instructor lead class. I felt that this is the best time & place to learn from everyone. Everyone has something to share, from beginners to the advance players. I make it a point to 'roll' with different levels of players. The more advance players teach me to persevere, the intermediate ones taught me to strive and the beginners, enlighten me.

For fear of seriously hurting each other and the need to feed man's ego, some martial arts forbid practice with full resistance. I felt that this missing element is very vital in improving your techniques. While one may also argue the other side of this approach, this is not the objective. In my opinion, it's not the art that matters, what matters is how you practice. The 'how' steers the objective of practice.

We all look for ways to improve our techniques. As long as we practice in a safe manner, I don't see anything wrong with adding resistance. In fact, with live resistance, we know how to react to uke overwhelming force, this enable us to apply just the right amount of leverage to overcome it. Of course this must be applied in stages, else it will not benefit anyone. Finally, I believe, the spirit of harmony can still be practiced in BJJ.

2 nights in Paris

2008-05-20T04:10:00.003+08:00

There are small gestures that really touch my heart. To know that I have friends and families from different parts of the world is really wonderful. What is even nicer is that there are people with a heart of gold

From: "AUGER, Sebastien"

To: Rizan

Sent: Monday, May 19, 2008 6:26:41 PM

Subject: 26, 27 may

Hi rizan,I have booked and payed for you, 2 nights (26 and 27) in an hotel managed by a friend of mine.It's my gift for your honeymoon trip. It is not a 5 stars hotel but, it's OK. It's a well located 3 stars hotel, in the middle of Paris, at 15 minutes by feet from many touristic places to see.You can arrived at the hotel at anytime you want on the 26. We will have diner at home on the 26, and outside on the 27.I'm usually back from work at 8.30 pm. You can contact me at anytime on my mobile phone.We keep in touch before the 26.Sebastian

Sébastien AUGER

My Martial Art Journey

2008-05-12T23:17:00.019+08:00

In the past, I was never a fan of martial arts films, with the exception of 'The Karate Kid' :-). I never liked the way MA was made out in the movies. My dad on the other hand, glorified violence. He loved anything with blood. Van Dam, Steven Seagal, Jet Li, Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris. Anything involving bare chested men fighting would certainly interest him. He used to say Karate kid was for kiddies. He brought back hardcore flicks from our neighborhood video rental store. I on the other hand being much closer to my mom, hated 2 things, violence and soccer. I loved to watch what she loved, which was Sci Fi mainly by Steven Spielberg.

When I was in my early teens, I was looking for a hobby. My dad had just sign up at a recreational club (The Valley). As a dependent, I was entitled to use the facilities under my dad's membership. One day, I was wondering around the hallway of the club, I came across this poster advertising 'Aikido - The art of unarmed self defense'. Yes, I did not make that up, it was exactly what it stated. There was a man dress in very cool baggy pants flipping another man with a flick of his wrist. First thing that came to my mind, 'Cooool, here's something different'. I decided to contact the no. on the advertisement. In about a week I attended my first class.

At first, I had no idea what I sign up for, nor why I was training in the first place. My biggest blow was when I was told that the baggy pants was for black belts only! Anyway, I continued practice until I was in my mid teens. My dad was very proud I took interest in something so manly. He even asked me if I knew how to fight already. I had to explain to him that Aikido wasn't meant for fighting and that stuff like Muay Thai was much suited for such things. He immediately lost interest in what I had to say and said I should watch Steven Seagal instead.

During my mid to late teens, I was preoccupied with other stuff like chasing girls and partying with my friends. I slowly lost interest in any form of M.A. My mom opened a Fitness center nearby our home. That's when I started helping her out to make extra pocket money. During that time, there were Karate classes held at the premise but I still wasn't interested. I guess I was still searching for myself. During this period, I also indulged in other sports like Tennis, which I still actively play until today.

When I was in my early 20's, I wanted to be an airline pilot. I attended numerous interviews. Unfortunately, none of it worked out. Not sure why, but they wouldn't tell me the reason. Anyway, it was after one of those interviews that that really got me thinking. Feeling really depressed, I question everything I've done in the past. This included my short stint at Aikido. At that time, I thought that having a black belt meant I have 'completed' something. So I decided to start Aikido again. This went on for about 4-5 years until I achieved 1st Dan (Sho Dan) at age 26.

After a few years into my BB, I begun to ask myself. Is this what I really want? I soon found out that I needed a Martial Art that was more aggressive, physical, less artistic & straight to the point. I felt that I had so much more energy in me. I remember during my early Aikido days, one of my sempai was talking about the Gracie's. How this dude kick all other MAs. Other than youtube & the Internet, I never had the chance to see BJJ in action until one day I was Paris for a vacation. I visited Shihan Christian Tissier Dojo as a drop in student. It was there I saw 2 BJJers rolling after class.

Right after I returned to KL, I googled for a local BJJ club. That was when I came across KDTA. The irony was that KDTA was run by the same guy that taught Karate at my mom's gym more than 10 years ago. Back then when I was not interested in MA! I told myself that I will commence training but not after my wedding. I needed the money and BJJ wasn't cheap. In the meanwhile, I kept in touch with the center and vowed to visit this place.

It was months after my wedding I decided to give BJJ a go. The toughest thing to do was getting myself on the mat for the first time. At that time I was worried that the guys at KDT would find out that I'm a BB and they will kick my butt *HAHA*. Anyway, I didn't tell the guys at the gym only after a few months into the training. I told myself that I should be proud that I have taken up Aikido and there's nothing to fear about it. The irony was that the very first day in class, we were asked by the instructor ~ Adam Kayoom if any of us had prior MA experience. Everyone shook their heads but I decided to come clean and said, 'Yeah, a lil'. Emphasising, 'lil, with my fingers. Even that was a lie since I was already doing Aikido for years. It was only a 'lil while later during class, the guy that shook his head, whispered to me and told me he actually did Yoshinkan! ;-) So I wasn't alone after all!

The first few months of BJJ was tough, I was thrown around, choked into submission by everyone. Never the less, I just went with the flow. I guess I have my perseverance to thank for. I used much of my ukemi in avoiding serious injuries. It was after 3-6 months when I got my first tap. From there, I progress pretty quick. According to my instructor, I grasped the basics quite fast. Again, thanks to my previous MA experience. Also, I notice no one ever belittled me for taking up Aikido. At first, some had had negative feedback about it, but it never bothered me because it was their right to think what they wanted. I'm not there to change anyone. I was there to learn something new for myself. Like a sponge, I soaked anything my instructor visually imparted.

The rest is history or should I say still an open book...

(to be continued)

Iceman: My Fighting Life

2008-05-12T00:00:00.017+08:00

Now, first and foremost, I did not buy this book. While browsing for some good reading material at the bookshop I came across this cool cover of Chuck Liddell. I briefly read thru the book. I must say, this guy lead a very colorful life. He's been fighting ever since he was born. He claimed to never turned down a fight. As a child, Chuck often got into brawls. Due to his fighting problems at school, his mom had to bring him to the specialist. Not to mention the amount of encounters she had with the schools' PTA board. WOW! no wonder he's among the world champs in MMA. You need to be really ice cold to never decline a fight. Check out his dad, he's the man that taught him to pull his first punch. He (his dad) must be so proud, Chuck currently boast the hardest punch (pound for pound) in the league.

Amazing, simply goes the saying "the power of the mind". If you really want something badly, and you know you can achieve it, you will. Sheer determination....

Of course, along with determination, you need hard work. I can see that the mind plays a lot in a person's performance. On the mat for example, Mr Nice guy often dominated by the more aggressive players. Of course, Mr Nice guy could dictate the game if he had better fundamentals than Mr aggressive. All-in-all, I think if Mr Nice guy really wanted to stay on top, he'd better toughen up his mental because when Mr aggressive has the same skills as Mr Nice guy, he's in for a lot of trouble.

BTW, I wonder what those Kanji characters printed on his head represent?

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Theory & Techniques

2008-05-11T23:39:00.013+08:00

The first book I owned when I started BJJ. I spent great deal of time trying to differentiate these blokes on the cover. One minute Royler is at the bottom and Renzo is at the top and then bang!, they magically change positions. To make matters worst, both of them look alike. Gosh! Couldn't they at least make them wear different color gi?!

Overall, it's an OK book, 2.5 out of 5 stars. Loads of colored pictures and descriptions along with the difficulty ratings for each chapter thought. I would recommend it to those looking for the basic traditional stuff. When I say traditional, it's in comparison with Eddie Bravo's Rubber Guard stuff since that's a more recent line up to the BJJ techniques.

I remember I used to tag each page with paper clips after my instructor thought the technique in class. Soon, the book looked like it had braces on. Now, I switch to making my own notes in a diary but I sometimes cross reference it to my instructional books.

Hot Shots!

2008-05-10T13:32:00.006+08:00

Ever had these sort of person walk into the gym before? Young, hot blooded male that only have one thing in mind. To tap the shit out of you. It's not so much because of the tap, but it's how they tap you. They go crazy, they wrestle like their life depends on it! Frankly, when I first started I didn't have to mind such situations. I was just a guy in an oversize judo outfit. Mat sharks aren't interested in white meat at all. Darker meat are usually tastier! They rather have blue's for dinner. In the past, whenever it happen, I just go to the corner and watch the action from a save distance. Now, it's a different ball game. I feel like I'm a moving target, I feel like a rabbit with a crosshair on my ass.

Progress in Training

2008-05-09T11:19:00.010+08:00

I just find it soo amazing & how true this article actually is. It's like I'm reading about myself! Obviously, written by someone that had been there, seen it & done it. Too bad, I can only vouch until page 1 at the moment. BTW, the author, Prof Roy Harris is Roy Dean instructor.

If life is a box of chocolates, that also means it is made out of many bitter sweet experiences. While most old wisdom can be applied to daily life, it doesn't mean that it's always the same for everyone. Each person will experience life in different shades of colours. If Prof Roy Harris journal of a typical BJJ practioner is on spot, it's going to be one hell of an enjoyable journey :-) WOW, I can't wait to see what's in store for me in the future..

BJJ Transition plan

2008-05-07T09:24:00.014+08:00

Interestingly, I tested out the Rubber Guard techniques I picked up from Eddie Bravo's book. The night before, I took sometime to visualize my options available from guard, I even drew it on a piece of paper. Yesterday, after class I had a few mins to roll wif my buddy. At first I thought I was not going to play guard since I had top position at the initial. Somehow, I manage to fall to my back and my guard game quickly kicked in. I drilled the moves as pictured in my head and done in classs. Surprisingly, it worked. I managed to apply several transitions (see below). It's nice to know that my game plan is finally starting to emerge. Here's what I manage to cook up:

Rubber guard -> Mission Control to New York ---> Attacks: Omoplata or Triangle or Armbar ~ (Repeat these attacks in any order)

Though I did not get a tap, what surprised me is that I was able to switch between the attacks from guard. I guess at first I was apprehensive that if I transition I might lose my valuable position. Therefore, I did not dare to move away from my comfort zone. Now, I realise that it's much better to transition than to wait for my opponent to break my guard and establish some form of advantage over me. The trick is to move at the right opportunity. There's also several key points that you must remember, like which part of the body to apply pressure. If executed correctly, it works.

If I lose either one of the position, there will always be other opportunities. Just that I need to look out for it. The plan is to learn as many techniques and find which suits me best. The nice thing about it is when you see the opportunity and snag it. The frustrating part is when you tried to snag it but the opponent is one step ahead of you. Sort of like baiting you to take it and then bang! You end up on the receiving end.

Wow! Finally..I understand all those times my instructor kept yelling at me "Do something Rizan....Don't stay there!...Move...Move..." It takes a while to sink in, for some it's sooner, for me, it's just beginning. :-)