Laura-4 months :-)

'Cause there's a beautiful life to behold
And its the biggest part of my life to unfold'

1 week to go...

WIN FRESH, LOSE SPENT...

The final week: there is little you can do the week before the event that will greatly improve your performance on the day. This week is about listening to your body, letting your body heal and getting your head together for the tournament.
It's important this week not to overtrain, the last hard day of training should be 4 days before the tournament. No more practice matches after today instead just drill techniques and very light rolling with your team mates. Focus on getting good nutrition, drinking lots of water , stretching and getting plenty of sleep.
Do not train the day before the competition and only stretch.
If you have lots of nervous energy, go for a light run or swim to help work it out and help you sleep that night, but nothing to fatigue you or cause soreness.

Making Weight:
I dont believe in cutting weight the week before the event, you risk burning out or weakening yourself before competing. If you are over weight for the bracket you want to enter try lose the weight in the months and weeks leading up to the event by cleaning up your diet and doing it properly.
But dont obsess about the weight and enter the division you can make comfortably.

Dealing with stress:
Even the best fighters experience stress leading up to the event and on the day. It's very normal. Stress places a big drain on the body-poor digestion, sleep and focus.
The important thing to remember is that winning is not everything, there are variables out of your control and the fears associated with both dont matter.
This is an easier thing to say than to believ but by continually reminding yourself you can achieve a positive outcome.

Some advice from Nick Diaz:
The only way to win is to not be afraid to lose. I imagine the worst case scenario. losing in the worst way possible. What is worse than that? I think of all of them and then cancel them out by reminding myself" I can deal with that"
I imagine it's already happened and imagine where I stand afterwards and realise I can deal with it and then I go forward...















Train smart this week, Ill cover preparing for the big day next.
See you on the mat.
Micah

Training with Master "Broca"

Fridays workout was great, it was taken again by Master Broca.

Here's a bit more information about Walter "Broca" Jr:

• 3rd Degree BJJ Black Belt & No-Gi World Champion
  
• BJJ Coach of UFC Light Heavy Weight Champion Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida

• 2x Black Belt Mundial World Champion
• 2x Black Belt Mundial Silver Medalist
• 2x Black Belt Brazilian Nationals Winner
• 6x North & North East Champion

No-Gi:

• 3x Brazilian Nationals Champion

MMA:

• Professional Record with 11 Wins
  ALL via Submission

It was a great class with some call warm up drills.Broca then taught 2 techniques, an escape from half guard and then using the same technique to set up am omopalata or gogopalata.
It was then on to an hour or so of rolling.
It was great to get to roll with Broca and to see how smoothly such a big guy moves. He weighes around 120kilos and was playing for some cool deep half guard sweeps, catching me repeatedly with one I could see he was working on, and most impressive of all to me was he used no strength at all. With such a big guy with such awesome technique he must be scary when he does use strength.
Master Broca was great to train with and I picked up a couple of great pointers from him and learnt some new drills. Ill hopefully get to train a bit more with him while he's around.
Ill try post some picks soon.
Micah

Impossible is nothing...

4 weeks to go...

Friday Inspiration

Hard work will
always beat talent.
When talent refuses
to work hard.

Helio Gracie Day

Helio Gracie Day – October 1

Helio Gracie, was born October 1, 1913. The Gracie Academy has created Helio Gracie Day which will be observed the first day of October every year, starting today, Thursday, October 1. All lessons taught on Helio Gracie Day will end with one minute of silence, so that all practitioners can reflect on the life and legacy of the Eternal Grand Master.
Even if you are not a member of a "Gracie" Academy, if you train Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, it's still worth remembering the Grand Master today and what a huge impact, wether directly or in-directly he had on so many of us.
Have a great day, train hard the Master may be watching!
Micah