Finally, after at least a couple months I'm back in the gym. My professional life requires travel and I had weeks and weeks of it in a row. I finally got back into the gym last Monday. I attended class three times last week and will attend for the first time this week tonight.
My first night back was challenging. As I expected, my instructor pushed me to the limit. After the first hour of warm-up and technique, he proceeded to insist that I roll for over an hour almost non-stop. I can't tell you how many times I almost puked on the mat. Fortunately, I was able to hold it in. My body actually felt pretty good even though I was extremely exhausted. I know I missed out on a lot of experience while I was away but the break did my body good.
My second night back, last Wednesday, was great! My cardio was much better and I felt good. It was a notable night in that I caught a purple belt in a triangle. Wow! I have rolled with this person at least 40 times and had never been close to tapping him. I'm not trying to brag but it was a milestone passed.
Friday of last week, my third day back after the long layoff, was equally good. My cardio was fully recovered and I still felt good. After warm-up and technique I rolled with a beginner and easily tapped him over and over. As a white belt it is a confidence booster to actually tap someone else out, especially when I usually roll with advanced guys. After rolling for awhile with the beginner I rolled with Roberto, the instructor. Of course, I have no chance against him but he made me work for about half an hour. It was fun and quite a learning experience. To my surprise, after class I received my third and fourth blue stripes on my white belt. I need to get into a couple tourneys before I actually get my blue belt.
It's great to be back!!!
About Me
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Back to Training
Well, I have not been to BJJ training since Monday, May 19. I became ill with a stomach virus Tuesday and was sick until Friday. The school was closed Sat-Monday due to the holiday, and Tuesday I left for a business trip in Florida and just returned home this morning. I'm looking forward to getting back to training and pressing forward.
I'm very excited that the BJJ school I train at, Roberto Kaelin BJJ in Keller, just hired a Muay Thai and MMA instructor. I was told that he had his own school in Miami, FL where he trained fighters from American Top Team in Muay Thai and MMA. I missed his introductory class last week because I was sick.
One of my faults is that I expect to be or become an expert at everything I do. The same goes for BJJ. Now that we are going to have a Muay Thai and MMA instructor at our school I already see myself thinking that maybe I'll try to fight some day. I've always had a fighting spirit and love new challenges. This is a problem because I'm 34. In the real world, I have no business thinking that I would ever be able to compete in MMA. I'm too old to start on that path. I wish I had started training ten years ago.
I'm very excited that the BJJ school I train at, Roberto Kaelin BJJ in Keller, just hired a Muay Thai and MMA instructor. I was told that he had his own school in Miami, FL where he trained fighters from American Top Team in Muay Thai and MMA. I missed his introductory class last week because I was sick.
One of my faults is that I expect to be or become an expert at everything I do. The same goes for BJJ. Now that we are going to have a Muay Thai and MMA instructor at our school I already see myself thinking that maybe I'll try to fight some day. I've always had a fighting spirit and love new challenges. This is a problem because I'm 34. In the real world, I have no business thinking that I would ever be able to compete in MMA. I'm too old to start on that path. I wish I had started training ten years ago.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
UFC 84
Wow, what an event! One of the best UFCs in a long time in my opinion. I'm not going to recap the even here since it's easy to find play-by-play reports on Sherdog.com and even results at UFC.com
I do want to say that I was extremely impressed by BJ Penn and Wandy Silva. Penn looked very relaxed in the cage and he was in noticeably great shape. I predicted Penn to win but I thought Sherk would put up a slightly better fight. That just proves how good Penn really is......a "Prodigy".
I was equally impressed by Silva. Wow! There was no way he was going to lose his 4th fight in a row. I believe he would have rather died in the cage than lose again. Ferocious fight!!! Wandy is back!!!
I'd love to hear your comments...........
I do want to say that I was extremely impressed by BJ Penn and Wandy Silva. Penn looked very relaxed in the cage and he was in noticeably great shape. I predicted Penn to win but I thought Sherk would put up a slightly better fight. That just proves how good Penn really is......a "Prodigy".
I was equally impressed by Silva. Wow! There was no way he was going to lose his 4th fight in a row. I believe he would have rather died in the cage than lose again. Ferocious fight!!! Wandy is back!!!
I'd love to hear your comments...........
Friday, May 9, 2008
What do you have to say about Travis Lutter???
I know a little time has passed since Lutter missed weight and gassed out against Silva and then gassed out again against Rich Franklin but I am interested in hearing your comments.
I always cheer for Travis as a fellow Fort Worth Resident but I'm getting tired of the disappointment. I respect his skill and accomplishments. He obviously could have beaten both fighters had he been ready for three round war. The problem in both cases was that he was physically prepared for a quick submission, not a long hard fight. I really wonder what his students think. Any of you out there care to comment?
I look forward to hearing your thoughts.........
I always cheer for Travis as a fellow Fort Worth Resident but I'm getting tired of the disappointment. I respect his skill and accomplishments. He obviously could have beaten both fighters had he been ready for three round war. The problem in both cases was that he was physically prepared for a quick submission, not a long hard fight. I really wonder what his students think. Any of you out there care to comment?
I look forward to hearing your thoughts.........
Chris Leben Going to Jail, Off UFC 85 Fight Card
This is too bad for Chris, he is in better shape than ever and a much improved fighter. I was hoping to see him put up a great fight against Bisping.
The UFC middleweight turned himself in to authorities last week after violating the terms of his probation stemming from a DUI arrest in 2005.
Although Leben was given credit Thursday for time served, the Clackamas County sheriff's office said he will not be released until May 27 at 9 a.m. -- less than two weeks before the June 7 UFC card in London. Leben had been scheduled to fight Michael Bisping at the event, but according to the Wrestling Observer, the UFC has cancelled the fight.
After news spread last week that Leben was in jail, Icon promoter T.Jay Thompson explained that the fighter had turned himself in and was hoping to ease the process of securing a visa that would allow him to travel to London for his fight.
"When Chris moved to Hawaii, he was in the process of completing classes for his probation on an old DUI in Portland, Oregon," Thompson wrote in a message posted on mixedmartialarts.com. "We worked hard to get his probation transferred to Hawaii but were unsuccessful. When he got the call to fight Bisping on June 7th in London, he knew what he had to do."
The UFC middleweight turned himself in to authorities last week after violating the terms of his probation stemming from a DUI arrest in 2005.
Although Leben was given credit Thursday for time served, the Clackamas County sheriff's office said he will not be released until May 27 at 9 a.m. -- less than two weeks before the June 7 UFC card in London. Leben had been scheduled to fight Michael Bisping at the event, but according to the Wrestling Observer, the UFC has cancelled the fight.
After news spread last week that Leben was in jail, Icon promoter T.Jay Thompson explained that the fighter had turned himself in and was hoping to ease the process of securing a visa that would allow him to travel to London for his fight.
"When Chris moved to Hawaii, he was in the process of completing classes for his probation on an old DUI in Portland, Oregon," Thompson wrote in a message posted on mixedmartialarts.com. "We worked hard to get his probation transferred to Hawaii but were unsuccessful. When he got the call to fight Bisping on June 7th in London, he knew what he had to do."
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Every Time I Think I'm Getting Better............
I just got home from my 11:30 am Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class at Roberto Kaelin BJJ in Keller, TX. I had a busy weekend and then travelled for business Monday and Tuesday so this was my first class since Friday. I was extremely excited to go. After class last Friday morning I was flying high thinking I had really improved. I had the best rolling session since starting BJJ in January and my cardio felt great. I did not get submitted and dealt three or four submissions of my own. I was sure I was on my way. After class today I think I was wrong.
After the normal warm-up and technique practice session it was time to roll. This is my favorite part of class so I can see how far I've come. Well, today I felt like I took a few steps backwards. I was rolling with a guy who is new to gi training but has trained no-gi for a couple years. I've rolled with him a few times before and performed decently. Today was a nightmare. He submitted me over and over and over again, almost at-will. Neck crank, arm bar, triangle, rear naked choke, and to top it off another neck crank. All the while I was getting more frustrated after each submission. Luckily for me, he had to leave to go pick up his daughter. I say lucky for me because I'm stubborn and would have kept rolling forever if he could have stayed until I finally submitted him once.
Okay, I'm known to be hard on myself and expect to be an expert at everything I try. I realize that he has about two years experience on me. The thing is, the first time we rolled a couple weeks ago we each submitted each other one time. I thought I had improved a lot so I expected to give him an even better match today. One thing went wrong, he tore me up. I'm going to try to chalk it up, at least in my mind, to jet lag and getting out of my normal routine. I'm going to regroup, eat well, get some rest, and look forward to rolling with him again Friday morning. I'll be sure to report how it goes.
After the normal warm-up and technique practice session it was time to roll. This is my favorite part of class so I can see how far I've come. Well, today I felt like I took a few steps backwards. I was rolling with a guy who is new to gi training but has trained no-gi for a couple years. I've rolled with him a few times before and performed decently. Today was a nightmare. He submitted me over and over and over again, almost at-will. Neck crank, arm bar, triangle, rear naked choke, and to top it off another neck crank. All the while I was getting more frustrated after each submission. Luckily for me, he had to leave to go pick up his daughter. I say lucky for me because I'm stubborn and would have kept rolling forever if he could have stayed until I finally submitted him once.
Okay, I'm known to be hard on myself and expect to be an expert at everything I try. I realize that he has about two years experience on me. The thing is, the first time we rolled a couple weeks ago we each submitted each other one time. I thought I had improved a lot so I expected to give him an even better match today. One thing went wrong, he tore me up. I'm going to try to chalk it up, at least in my mind, to jet lag and getting out of my normal routine. I'm going to regroup, eat well, get some rest, and look forward to rolling with him again Friday morning. I'll be sure to report how it goes.
Friday, May 2, 2008
My Jiu Jitsu School - Roberto Kaelin Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
I've been doing BJJ since the end of January 2008. I am 34 years old and wish I started long ago. Since the very first UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) years ago I've been intrigued by the sport but never really thought I'd actually start training. I love it!!! I have learned so much in three months. I have lost weight and gained strength, endurance, confidence, and skill. I owe it all to my instructor Roberto Kaelin. Roberto is a black belt in BJJ under Carlos Machado and is an amazing instructor. I have brought friends from other schools and they are thoroughly impressed with his skill and instruction and most have talked about switching to Roberto's school. Roberto Kaelin Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is located at:
Roberto Kaelin Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
1540 Keller Parkway
Keller, TX 76248
phone: 817.431.5432
www.rkjj.com
Oh, I have to tell you that RKBJJ (Roberto Kaelin Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) also has classes for kids. Roberto's Assistant Instructor, Tracy, is heavily involved here. She and Roberto make a great team and they are exceptional with the kids. My seven year old daughter started at the same time I did in January and she loves it as much or more than I do. The kids class starts with warm-up exercises followed by an extravagant obstacle course made up of large tumbling mats and accessories as well as dangerous reptiles and other animals (fake of course) that will get you if you are not precise. After the obstacle course is technique instruction and practice. This is where the kids become skilled BJJ practitioners. Technique instruction and practice is usually followed by rolling (sparring) and/or some kind of contest.
Best of all, RKJJ offers a week free to see if Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is for you. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed. The atmosphere is family friendly and the skill level of students ranges from new beginner to highly skilled and advanced. I HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!!!
Roberto Kaelin Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
1540 Keller Parkway
Keller, TX 76248
phone: 817.431.5432
www.rkjj.com
Oh, I have to tell you that RKBJJ (Roberto Kaelin Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) also has classes for kids. Roberto's Assistant Instructor, Tracy, is heavily involved here. She and Roberto make a great team and they are exceptional with the kids. My seven year old daughter started at the same time I did in January and she loves it as much or more than I do. The kids class starts with warm-up exercises followed by an extravagant obstacle course made up of large tumbling mats and accessories as well as dangerous reptiles and other animals (fake of course) that will get you if you are not precise. After the obstacle course is technique instruction and practice. This is where the kids become skilled BJJ practitioners. Technique instruction and practice is usually followed by rolling (sparring) and/or some kind of contest.
Best of all, RKJJ offers a week free to see if Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is for you. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed. The atmosphere is family friendly and the skill level of students ranges from new beginner to highly skilled and advanced. I HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!!!
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