tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51929881821746345962024-03-13T16:55:01.535-04:00A Women's BJJ BlogMichelle Welti: My Journey to Becoming a Female BJJ Black Belt and World Class CompetitorAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730231852350577982noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5192988182174634596.post-2090596561275174452012-07-13T17:27:00.000-04:002012-07-13T17:27:37.840-04:00Competing Again!A LOT has happened this year and many things have kept me from competing. My goal every year is 12 competitions...this year I've been to just 2 so far :( BUT now things are a little less hectic and I'm going to start training hard, dieting, and competing again.<br />
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<a href="http://www.grapplersquest.com/sites/default/files/events/images/banners/Grapplers-Quest-July-21-22-NJ-2012-690x360_0.jpg?1333113681" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="164" src="http://www.grapplersquest.com/sites/default/files/events/images/banners/Grapplers-Quest-July-21-22-NJ-2012-690x360_0.jpg?1333113681" width="320" /></a><a href="http://www.grapplersquest.com/sites/default/files/events/images/banners/Grapplers-Quest-July-21-22-NJ-2012-690x360_0.jpg?1333113681" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://www.grapplersquest.com/sites/default/files/events/images/banners/Grapplers-Quest-July-21-22-NJ-2012-690x360_0.jpg?1333113681" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><br />
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My next tournament is July 22nd, <a href="http://www.grapplersquest.com/" target="_blank">Grapplers Quest</a>: US Nationals, Morristown, NJ.<br />
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Then on August 4th I'll be doing <a href="http://www.usgrappling.com/" target="_blank">US Grappling</a>: Richmond, Ashland, VA.<br />
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My coach, <a href="http://www.manassasmma.com/instructors/" target="_blank">Dave Trader</a>, is going to start competing again too. I'm super excited about this! Going through the process of opening a school and building your program takes a lot of time and energy. You have to focus all of your efforts on your new students, which doesn't leave you very much time to focus on yourself. You leave most, if not all, of your previous training partners when you open your own academy, making it hard to train at a level that will allow you to be competitive in competition. <br />
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Now things are going well and Dave has the time to visit and train with his instructor, <a href="http://leodalla.com/" target="_blank">Leo Dalla</a>, and train with other upper belts to help him prepare himself for competition. <span style="background-color: white;">Dave's next tournament will be the </span><a href="http://www.ibjjf.org/" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">IBJJF</a><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">World Championship: </span><span style="background-color: white;">Master and Seniors, in Long Beach, CA on October 7th and I can't wait!</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730231852350577982noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5192988182174634596.post-51012352242440998722012-06-27T16:03:00.001-04:002012-06-27T16:06:58.598-04:00Kids Martial Arts Summer Camps<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.manassasmma.com/">Manassas MMA</a> (my BJJ school) is offering summer camps in MMA, BJJ, Judo, Boxing!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">If you know anyone in the Manassas, VA area who has a child/children ages 6 to 13 - please let them know about our <a href="http://www.kidsmartialartsva.com/summer-camp/">Martial Arts Summer Camps</a>. These camps are open to anyone - no prior martial arts experience is required - and are a great opportunity to introduce a child to the benefits of martial arts training!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">If you are an experienced BJJ competitor, we are also offering a Competition Training Camp for anyone looking to take their game to the next level! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">For more info about camps call 703-594-6220, email us at manassasmma@gmail.com, or visit our website at <a href="http://www.kidsmartialartsva.com/">www.kidsmartialartsva.com</a>!</span></span><br />
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I didn't think it would matter that much because I was used to fighting in that weight class, but I definitely felt it today. I lost my first match and felt like puking afterwards. I felt weak and out of breath the entire match. Not only did I physically feel bad, but I felt like my jiu-jitsu wasn't up to par either. I was having a lot of trouble gripping and controlling my opponent with out the help of the gi. This really made me realize that if I am going to compete no-gi I need to start training no-gi.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--coPx02dSao/T25UmJVyXBI/AAAAAAAAANM/VMdpNLjJxmY/s1600/IMAG0229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="2nd Place" border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--coPx02dSao/T25UmJVyXBI/AAAAAAAAANM/VMdpNLjJxmY/s200/IMAG0229.jpg" title="Grapplers Quest: Beast of the East 2012" width="150" /></a></div>
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My absolute division went <i>a little</i> better. I won my first match 20-0. I completely controlled positioning but was unable to finish any submissions. I tried for the d'arce choke and the rear naked choke but couldn't finish either one (I did get 2 advantage points though). My second match was the finals match and it was against the same girl I fought in my weight class. She took me down and scored 2, but then I swept her with a really nice hook sweep and scored my 2. I tried passing the guard but couldn't figure out a good way to control her body and she closed her guard on me and eventually guillotined me. </div>
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I ended up taking 2nd place in both my weight class and the absolute women's advanced no-gi divisions, but I am definitely not satisfied unless I win gold. I am very confident in my gi game, and I am extremely motivated to go out there tomorrow and win my gi divisions. And when I get back home I plan on continuing my diet, starting conditioning, and starting no-gi training.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730231852350577982noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5192988182174634596.post-2218590721600504262012-03-14T19:17:00.000-04:002012-03-24T19:38:24.396-04:00Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Trials - NYCBelow is a link to a write up my <a href="http://www.manassasmma.com/">Manassas MMA</a> did about my trip to the trials!<br />
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"<a href="http://michellewelti.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3a6999; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Michelle Welti's BJJ Blog">Michelle Welti</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"> of Team Dave Trader Jiu-Jitsu traveled to New York City this past weekend to compete in the Abu Dhabi World Pro Trials. The trials are held each year in different cities all around the world, with the winners taking home an all expense paid trip to Abu Dhabi to compete in the </span><a href="http://www.uaejj.com/" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3a6999; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="UAE Jiu-Jitsu">Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championships</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">. Prizes go to the winner of each weight class at Brown/Black Belt, and the winner of the Absolute (open weight class) at Purple, Blue, and White Belt."</span></blockquote>
<a href="http://www.manassasmma.com/posts/abu-dhabi-pro-trials-nyc/">Click here to continue reading!</a><br />
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Here are a few picture from the tournament:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Congratulations to the <a href="http://www.manassasmma.com/">Dave Trader Jiu-Jitsu</a> Kids team! The team brought 6 competitors to the <a href="http://www.jrgrappling.com/">Junior Grappling Association’s 2012 Season Opener</a> today and came home with 13 medals and 2 trophies! Abby fought in 4 divisions today and brought home 4 medals and 2 trophies! Abby placed 1st in the female gi absolute* division, 2nd in the mixed gender [<a href="http://http//manassasmma.com/posts/jga-2012-season-opener-results/">.....</a>]" </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://manassasmma.com/posts/jga-2012-season-opener-results/" style="line-height: 18px;">Click here</a> to read the entire article on <a href="http://manassasmma.com/">ManassasMMA.com</a><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">!</span></span><br />
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Last spring a man and his teenage daughter came through the doors of <b><a href="http://www.manassasmma.com/">the gym</a></b>. They were both pretty into <b><a href="http://www.ufc.com/">UFC</a> </b>and he wanted to get his daughter into one of our programs. She said she wanted to try Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, which made me very happy because I had been trying to start a women's program, and you can't really do that with just one girl. She was a tennis player, and seemed pretty girly. This worried me, but only a little. I was afraid all the close contact of sweaty people would gross her out and she would want to switch to Muay Thai or something. Luckily for me she loved class and decided to join.<br />
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Her competitive attitude got her itching to compete right away and in turn motivated her to train harder. Now, a little over 9 months later, she will be competing in her first tournament.<br />
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Good luck this Saturday Liza, I know you will do <b><a href="http://manassasmma.com/adult-martial-arts/grappling/">Team DTJJ</a></b> proud!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730231852350577982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5192988182174634596.post-58307800484401620232012-02-08T14:57:00.001-05:002012-02-09T14:21:55.031-05:00TearsThis one is directed mostly towards the guys...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LUqAAD8mNWM/TzLTZrEQWeI/AAAAAAAAALU/rtyA7veUtms/s1600/crying-tears.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LUqAAD8mNWM/TzLTZrEQWeI/AAAAAAAAALU/rtyA7veUtms/s200/crying-tears.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Just because you see a few tears stream down my face doesn't mean that I am hurt, or something awful happened to me. There is a difference between how girls and guys react to certain things, for example frustration. I'm sure I am not the only girl out there that sheds a few tears when she gets extremely frustrated.<br />
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I am under a lot of stress right now in my life and training is my time to just forget about everything. I leave everything behind when I step on the mats, and for the next 2 hours I am as happy as can be. The exception is when I start getting frustrated with something. Maybe the same person keeps catching me with the same move over and over, or I just can't quite get my body to move in the right way. If I allow these minor things to get to me my happy bubble feels like it bursts and all of my stressful emotions start flooding in. Next thing I know my face is getting warm and my eyes start to swell up with tears. I try <i>so</i> hard no to let them fall, but the moment someone says, "Hey, are you okay?", they start pouring out. I hate it, but when I am stressed out and then get frustrated that's just how my body reacts.<br />
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So please don't ask me if everything is okay, or if there is anything you can do to help. You can help by not saying anything and letting me regain my composure.
W85W6PT2M28VAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730231852350577982noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5192988182174634596.post-73788213646487448852011-06-21T12:23:00.000-04:002011-06-21T12:23:52.350-04:00NEW! Women's Gameness Feather Gi<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gQ0moQqZVMY/TgDCD_-L5hI/AAAAAAAAAKE/gdCah6knZ1o/s1600/Michelle+Gameness+Female.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gQ0moQqZVMY/TgDCD_-L5hI/AAAAAAAAAKE/gdCah6knZ1o/s320/Michelle+Gameness+Female.JPG" width="154" /></a>Every gi I have ever owned (besides my first one) has been <a href="http://www.gameness.com/">Gameness</a>. I have two platinums (white/blue), one elite (white), and one feather (black). When I heard they were coming out with a new gi, cut specifically for women I was very excited! I just got the new female gi from <a href="http://www.gameness.com/products/G1130-Violet-Female-Feather.html">Gameness</a> last week and I must say, I love it! It is a feather weave with rip stop pants. Gameness also makes a feather weave for men, which is also awesome...I own one of those too :) Although, if you are a girl I highly recommend getting the female gi. The top is cut slimmer, the sides tapper in, so its not all baggy like the men's feather. The sleeves are thinner too - this is a feature I personally really like. It makes it harder for your opponent to get a good grip! As far as I can tell, the pants are the same cut as the regular feather. It comes in two colors, violet and white. I have the violet right now, and I plan on getting the white for the bigger tournaments that have color restrictions for the gi you are allowed to wear. <br />
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So all you lady's out there that are in the market for a new gi, I suggest trying the new female feather weave from Gameness!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730231852350577982noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5192988182174634596.post-38582685684591324342011-05-10T16:01:00.001-04:002011-05-10T16:04:40.594-04:00Words I Live By<div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><u><i>Loyalty:</i></u></span> faithfulness or a devotion to a person, country, group, or cause</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><b> <span class="sqq">“The greater the loyalty of a group toward the group, the greater is the motivation among the members to achieve the goals of the group, and the greater the probability that the group will achieve its goals.” -</span></b>Rensis Likert</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><u><i>Integrity:</i></u></span> a concept of <i>consistency</i> of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations, and outcomes. In ethics, integrity is regarded as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one's actions. </div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><b>"Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity."</b></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><b> </b>-W. Clement Stone</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"></div><h1 style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span> </h1><div style="font-family: inherit;"><style>
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<div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><u><i>Honesty:</i></u></span> <span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">honorable</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">in</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">principles,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">intentions,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">and</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">actions;</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">upright</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'">and</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">fair</span></span>. It also denotes positive, virtuous attributes such as integrity, truthfulness, and straightforwardness along with the absence of lying, cheating, or theft.</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><h1 style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;"><b>“If it is not right do not do it; if it is not true do not say it."</b> -Marcus Aurelius </span></span></h1>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730231852350577982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5192988182174634596.post-12522792057185054172011-04-21T11:31:00.002-04:002012-02-21T03:03:27.800-05:00IBJJF: New York OpenLast Saturday I competed in my first <a href="http://www.ibjjf.org/results/2011nyopen.htm">New York Open</a> along with two of my other teammates, <a href="http://www.oldmanjiujitsu.com/">Kevin Callen</a> and <a href="http://manassasmma.com/instructors/">Arturo Ayala</a>. This was Kevin's<i> first ever tournament and he took gold</i> after mowing through his opponent. It was Arturo's first international level tournament and he took bronze. I placed 3rd in my division, losing to the champion, and I took 2nd in the open weight class. I only lost two matches all day...both to the same girl, <a href="http://www.jessicaeve.com/">Jessica Eve Richer</a>.<br />
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Below are my videos from the open division. Unfortunately my camera died (I really need to get a wall charger for that thing!) and I couldn't get the finals recorded. :-(<br />
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<b>MATCH 1</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/f60WWPbCrok" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
<b>MATCH 2</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9pTaWeKnsfA" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe> <br />
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<b>MATCH 3</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/AqhSoKCKM2U" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br />
<b> </b><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Thanks to our coach, <a href="http://www.davidtrader.com/">Dave Trader</a>, and to those that came out to cheer us on!</b></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730231852350577982noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5192988182174634596.post-43300963307483056012011-04-14T11:23:00.003-04:002012-02-21T03:05:27.781-05:00Grapplers Quest: Beast of the East VILast weekend <a href="http://www.andrewbabeu.wordpress.com/">Andrew Babeu</a> and I traveled to Asbury Park, New Jersey to participate in <a href="http://www.grapplersquest.com/">Grappler's Quest Beast of the East VI</a>. We had quite an adventure....<br />
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It started off at 3:00pm Friday afternoon. Our estimated drive time to the weigh-ins was 4.5 hours without traffic and 5.5 hours with traffic. <i>Okay, so weigh-ins end at 8:00pm, we are supposed to leave between 2:30pm and 3:00pm, so if we drive fast we should be able to make it no problem.</i> Well, Andrew gets to the gym around 3:15pm so we are already behind schedule...hopefully there won't be much traffic.... (<i>its 3:15pm on a rainy Friday...no traffic? yeah right!</i>) It takes us 2.25 hours to get from the gym, <a href="http://www.manassasmma.com/">Manassas Mixed Martial Arts</a>, to I-95! 36 miles in 2 hours! At this point we know we aren't going to make it to the night before weight-ins; in fact, we probably won't even make it up there in time to go out to dinner :-( The drive was long, it was dark and raining the entire time, and for a while I didn't even have anyone to talk to because Andrew decided to sleep...<i>thanks man.</i><br />
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We end up getting there around 10:00pm, we checked into our hotel, and went out for food. Pretty much the only places left to eat were fast food restaurants....so we went to <a href="http://www.tacobell.com/">Taco Bell</a>. I was a little nervous about getting any food since we had missed the weigh-ins. I didn't bring my scale and I wasn't sure what eating out would do to my weight. I ate a quesadilla and a taco and drank some diet Pepsi. Not too bad.... I finished way before Andrew, who was eating multiple burritos and tacos! <i>They looked and smelled so good!</i><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bJKB63dUiec/Tab_MX2QENI/AAAAAAAAAJI/ZmvlusSDVlk/s1600/Bunny.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bJKB63dUiec/Tab_MX2QENI/AAAAAAAAAJI/ZmvlusSDVlk/s320/Bunny.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">YUMMY!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
After Taco Bell we proceeded to the 24 hour grocery store to get snacks and drinks for Saturday. Of course the have and Easter section and Andrew just couldn't resist buying the $10 giant chocolate Easter bunny! which I have to admit was pretty good : ) We got our snacks - Nature Valley granola bars along with some G2 for me, and a bunch of random stuff for Andrew. After this we went back to the hotel and went to bed. ..But only after eating a little bit of the chocolate bunny...I just couldn't resist!<br />
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Since I was so nervous about my weight I decided to wake up early to go to the weigh-ins. That way if I was over I would have time to cut a little if I had to. Weigh-ins opened at 7:00am, I got there around 8:00am, stood in line to register, and then proceeded to the stage to weigh-in. I weighed in at 157 lbs. <i>I could have eaten more of that bunny!!! </i>I drove back to the hotel to get Andrew. We went to <a href="http://www.ihop.com/">IHOP</a> for breakfast. I got the Simple & Fit Two X Two X Two (2 eggs, 2 strips of turkey bacon, and 2 pancakes - 400 calories!) Andrew got something enormous, as usual...I think it was an omelet, hash browns, biscuits and gravy, and sausages. Service was horrible. It took forever for them to take our order and forever for our food to come out. Once our food finally came out, it was barely warm. I would've complained but I didn't want to risk them doing something gross to my food if they took it back. Andrew's food wasn't very hot either. He didn't even finish. For the the first time in my life I have only 10% tip.... I love IHOP but I was very disappointed with this visit.<br />
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Anyways, back to the tournament. We got to the venue, Andrew registered and weighed in while I found a place to sit. The place was awesome. As soon as you walked through the doors you could hear the music playing and see competitor warming up. There was such a good vibe traveling through the room, it really got you excited to compete!<br />
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The tournament started an hour late, which is not unusual. Before starting Brian Cimins made an announcement welcoming everyone, wishing everyone luck, and informing all of us that this was the biggest turn-out of competitors Grappler's Quest has ever had! Kids divisions started at 11:15am and went till about 2:00 or 3:00pm, when finally the adult divisions started going. I think a lot of competitors dropped out of their gi divisions since the no-gi was taking so long. The gi divisions didn't even start until about 6:30 or 7:00pm and the last match of the night took place around 11:00pm!<br />
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I went into this tournament with a new confidence. After losing in the first round at Pan-Ams I decided I needed to reevaluate my jiu-jitsu game and mentality. My jiu-jitsu was good but my mind wasn't right. I talked a lot with my coach and one of my teammates about it. They both gave me some great advice, which I followed, and it worked. <br />
My first division was the Women's Advanced No-Gi 140-159.9 lbs division. I won my both of my matches by triangle chokes! Watch the videos for all the details.<br />
<b>MATCH #1 </b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lnH2sii0uU4" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
<b>MATCH #2</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/hXUx16QyGK0" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Sl-FZvOsX4Q/TacHKwGOoyI/AAAAAAAAAJM/lfIi1hiTKHg/s1600/Michelle+GQ+Beast+of+the+East+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="253" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Sl-FZvOsX4Q/TacHKwGOoyI/AAAAAAAAAJM/lfIi1hiTKHg/s400/Michelle+GQ+Beast+of+the+East+5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michelle Welti takes 1st in the Women's Advanced No-Gi 140-159.9 lbs division.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
My next division was the Women's Advanced No-Gi Absolute. My first match was stopped. During a takedown my opponent landed on her knee wrong and was unable to continue. My second match went all 6 minutes, ending 15-2, allowing me to take home the gold in this division as well. Despite winning the match, I was thrown off a bit by all the leg locks my opponent was getting my in. I managed to escape every time but it definitely threw me off a bit and made me want to learn some leg locks myself.<br />
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<b>FINALS MATCH</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/d0LdJug6-J4" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
Sorry the video cuts out early. My video camera battery died :-(<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q2zdjuTcNQY/TacKmt6Y4SI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/7gPo1QtceNw/s1600/Michelle+GQ+Beast+of+the+East+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q2zdjuTcNQY/TacKmt6Y4SI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/7gPo1QtceNw/s400/Michelle+GQ+Beast+of+the+East+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michelle Welti places 1st in the Women's Advanced No-Gi Absolute.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I placed first and took home the prize of a championship belt, $250 cash, and compete free for life!<br />
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During the finals match my name was called over the loud speaker, so after my match I went to the customer service table to see what was up. It turned out there weren't any other blue belts registered in my weight class or the weight class above me. Soooooooo disappointing! I am getting ready to compete in the <a href="http://www.ibjjf.org/">New York Open</a> this coming weekend and that will be gi only so I was really looking forward to competing in the gi.<br />
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Around 7:00pm Andrew division finally started. He was competing in the Men's Beginner No-Gi Absolute for a shot at $150 cash and compete free for life! The division consisted of 26 men! Andrew fought 5 matches, finishing 2 by points, 2 by submissions, and losing just one to the eventual winner. Andrew placed third overall. He also competed in the Judo Throwdown Challenge and the Wrestling Takedown Challenge placing 3rd in both of those as well. Make sure to check out <a href="http://www.andrewbabeu.wordpress.com/">Andrew's blog</a> for all the details of his matchs!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NYHByw9nBBI/TacNF3H4jhI/AAAAAAAAAJU/iMDKXPQ-am0/s1600/DSC00208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NYHByw9nBBI/TacNF3H4jhI/AAAAAAAAAJU/iMDKXPQ-am0/s400/DSC00208.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andrew Babeu places 3rd in the Men's Beginner No-Gi Absolute.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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We finally left New Jersey around 11:30pm. There weren't any restaurants open anymore so we just started heading home. We were both pretty tired so we stopped at a gas station for some energy pills and soda. Andrew wanted to go to <a href="http://www.patskingofsteaks.com/">Pat's King of Steaks</a> in Philadelphia for their world famous Phili Cheese Steak. I wasn't opposed to the idea since I was hungry and they were open 24 hours. Once we got there I was a little annoyed though. It was in a bad part of town and there was absolutely nowhere to park. I dropped Andrew off to get the food and circled the block. Totally sketchy..weird people were standing on the corners..... I come back around and there is Andrew, standing on the sidewalk with NO FOOD. Apparently they only accept cash. So I had to park, find and ATM, and then wait in line for my food. We were surrounded by drunk people at 1:45am in the middle of Philadelphia...fun. I was so grouchy because I was tired and hungry. I kept telling Andrew that this cheese steak better be worth it! It was :-)<br />
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We finally got back to the gym at 5:15am. I got 2.5 hours of sleep and then it was time to teach my kid's team.<br />
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Overall, I had a very fun, satisfying trip. Congrats again to Andrew on his medals and for getting over some mental fears he had about competing in the adult division.<br />
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<b>TOURNAMENT PICS:</b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Be sure to check out <span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.mmaindc.com/">www.mmaindc.com</a></span> for articles and more pics from the tournament!</span></b></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730231852350577982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5192988182174634596.post-3807724676600896822011-04-07T10:24:00.001-04:002012-02-21T03:07:29.413-05:00Feeling Good<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NmCKyS-85xk/SNANMTOU6qI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/2N0qOf5vYGU/s320/SunCartoon%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NmCKyS-85xk/SNANMTOU6qI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/2N0qOf5vYGU/s200/SunCartoon%5B1%5D.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
So things seem to be coming together a bit. I have started focusing more on myself and less on what is going on with everyone around me. I am focusing on my own personal weaknesses and correcting them when I catch myself doing these things. I have been pushing past my mental blocks and taking more risks when sparring. It feels good. By not putting so much pressure on myself during class it is allowing me to enjoy rolling more and I am actually preforming better!<br />
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In <a href="http://manassasmma.com/adult-martial-arts/grappling/judo/">Judo class</a> Tuesday I land and ippon drop seoi nage against James! And I tried for many other throws against him, <a href="http://www.andrewbabeu.wordpress.com/">Andrew</a>, and <span id="goog_453413863"></span><a href="http://manassasmma.com/instructors/">Victor<span id="goog_453413864"></span></a> (black belt Judo instructor). Even though I knew there was no way I was going to be able to throw Victor I still tried, and if I got thrown in the process (which I did...a few times) that was okay because I was being offensive and aggressive.<br />
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Last night I actually surprised myself -- I did things that I <i>thought</i> I couldn't do. I swept a bigger, stronger opponent from my half guard, I swept a bigger, stronger guy from deep half, I used the technique we learned in class during the guard rotation, I landed submissions. I felt like the mental blocks were gone and I was in the zone. I didn't want to stop training, but class had already run overtime and we were preventing the muay thai class from starting.<br />
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My confidence is starting to reach the level it <i>should</i> already be at. I am feeling really good about going into these upcoming tournaments. <a href="http://www.grapplersquest.com/">Grappler's Quest Beast of the East</a> this Saturday in New Jersey, and the <a href="http://www.ibjjf.org/">IBJJF New York Open</a> next Saturday. <i>:-D</i><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Check these items out on Amazon -- These are some great books, and the Gameness Platinum Weave Gi is the one I use for competition : ) </span></i></span></div>
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<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=michjour-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0981504434&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=michjour-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0981504485&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=michjour-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=4770017995&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=michjour-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B001WWYMMW&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730231852350577982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5192988182174634596.post-47180290828767814942011-04-04T10:58:00.000-04:002012-02-21T03:08:43.085-05:00Thanks<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--f4l44vPbmE/TZnZ6DK6NrI/AAAAAAAAAI8/bClkq9zMr90/s1600/Michelle_Dave.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--f4l44vPbmE/TZnZ6DK6NrI/AAAAAAAAAI8/bClkq9zMr90/s200/Michelle_Dave.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dave Sweeping Me</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">I just want to say thanks to my coach and boyfriend, <a href="http://manassasmma.com/instructors/adult-martial-arts/brazilian-jiu-jitsu/">Dave Trader</a>, and to my teammate, <a href="http://www.billnagle.wordpress.com/">Bill Nagle</a>, for helping me to get past this mental hump I've hit. I haven't fully passed over this hill but I am on my way over it. Your words of wisdom and hours of rolling have definitely changed my mindset these past few days.</span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2hFQd9XYViM/TZnaKdttK0I/AAAAAAAAAJA/OZGfaxPunz0/s1600/Michelle_Bill.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2hFQd9XYViM/TZnaKdttK0I/AAAAAAAAAJA/OZGfaxPunz0/s200/Michelle_Bill.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill and I - Half Guard Action</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=michjour-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0736046542&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>There are some fundamental flaws in my game that have been hurting me and there are definitely mental blocks that I have too. Dave gave me a great book to read called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mental-Athlete-Kay-Porter/dp/0736046542/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1301928832&sr=1-1">The Mental Athlete by Kay Porter</a>. I have only read a few pages so far, but I believe it is already starting to help. </span><br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Thanks again Dave and Bill. </span></i></b><br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730231852350577982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5192988182174634596.post-77293394267421976412011-03-30T21:45:00.002-04:002011-04-01T12:23:07.219-04:00Hitting a Plateau<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U6OnZkmZCis/TZPcZexrsXI/AAAAAAAAAI4/eHEUyDq2fG0/s1600/plateau.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" r6="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U6OnZkmZCis/TZPcZexrsXI/AAAAAAAAAI4/eHEUyDq2fG0/s200/plateau.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Do you ever feel like you've hit a plateau? Like you are just stagnating at a certain level? Like no matter what you do you just can't seem to improve your weaknesses?<br />
<br />
This is how I feel right now. I know all the things I need to do but I just can't seem to make my game change. I need to make my mind think quicker and retain more knowledge...but I can't figure out how to make it do this. I learn things in class, drill them, and understand them, but as soon as the day is done I seem to forget how to execute them. I spar and my coach yells for me to do things but by the time his voice processes through my head and I think of what he is saying the opportunity is gone. I see openings but by the time my head processes what to do the openings are gone.<br />
<br />
<div style="border: medium none;"><b>....<i>I have my good collar grip, I'm breaking the posture, I'm going for the choke -- he postures waaay back -- ooh, I should hip bump sweep.....</i></b></div><div style="border: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border: medium none;">Do I get it? NO. By the time this thought gets to my brain the opportunity is gone. </div><div style="border: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border: medium none;">It's the same with transitions. I know how to transition from one thing to the next....but when I spar my mind seems to forget. I shoot a triangle, they posture. I know I should switch off to an armlock or an omaplata but do I do it? Of course not. The thought doesn't even seem to cross my mind.</div><br />
<div style="border: medium none;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>WHY??? </b></span><span style="font-size: small;">I don't understand this. I have been doing jiu-jitsu for years, why am I having so much trouble all of sudden? </span>I need to be quicker and transition faster. I know these things, but why can't I do them?</div><div style="border: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border: medium none;">No matter how hard I try, it doesn't seem to be enough. The harder I push myself the more I seem to shut down. I go into class thinking about my weaknesses with the plan to conciously think about them and try to fix them. I try, and try, and try, and the harder I try without results the more frustrated I get. I push myself more, I tell myself to relax and not get upset, but I can't. I go insane.</div><div style="border: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border: medium none;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WbAU8ObCwE8/S8WPd1rStSI/AAAAAAAAHP4/y7UsTqA5ms8/s640/Crying+Man.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" r6="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WbAU8ObCwE8/S8WPd1rStSI/AAAAAAAAHP4/y7UsTqA5ms8/s200/Crying+Man.JPG" width="163" /></a></div><div style="border: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border: medium none;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">I feel lost...</span></i></div><div style="border: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border: medium none;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">I don't know what to do to take myself to the next level...</span></i></div><div style="border: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border: medium none;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">I need help...</span></i></div><br />
<script src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/link-enhancer?tag=michjour-20&o=1" type="text/javascript"></script>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730231852350577982noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5192988182174634596.post-7043959058593195642011-03-30T21:36:00.000-04:002011-03-30T21:36:16.993-04:00Pans - Day 3/4Pictures and Videos coming soon!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730231852350577982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5192988182174634596.post-17556465717780223942011-03-30T11:49:00.027-04:002011-03-30T14:49:18.084-04:00Pans - Day 3: Local Competitor Videos & Pics!<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>LEO DALLA</i></b></span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Leo Dalla vs Alessandro L. Gomes Almeida</b></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/M-t7CyUdLIE" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe></b></span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VnW5WctR5p8/TZNWOZ2-PeI/AAAAAAAAAH4/p4oymnsiVlc/s1600/Dalla_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VnW5WctR5p8/TZNWOZ2-PeI/AAAAAAAAAH4/p4oymnsiVlc/s400/Dalla_1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GCJYlmqahu4/TZNWQ-0-n2I/AAAAAAAAAIA/VOWx_ziivck/s1600/Dalla_3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GCJYlmqahu4/TZNWQ-0-n2I/AAAAAAAAAIA/VOWx_ziivck/s400/Dalla_3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BdoTWnnewVk/TZNWPY78lxI/AAAAAAAAAH8/0UxIGx1Zmwo/s1600/Dalla_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BdoTWnnewVk/TZNWPY78lxI/AAAAAAAAAH8/0UxIGx1Zmwo/s400/Dalla_2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span class="profileName fn ginormousProfileName fwb"><b><span style="color: #1c2a47;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>ISAAC JULY</i></span></b><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i> </i><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;">Isaac July vs Omar Sabha</span><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></i></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/hntTwFeND2k" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe> </span></i></span></b></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XPgorSJuJZQ/TZNWSL6v3jI/AAAAAAAAAIE/ontN8qtY5Zw/s1600/Isaac+July_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XPgorSJuJZQ/TZNWSL6v3jI/AAAAAAAAAIE/ontN8qtY5Zw/s400/Isaac+July_1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UIPdb_yIaZA/TZNWT98yg8I/AAAAAAAAAII/6rXRYaB3HSs/s1600/Isaac+July_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UIPdb_yIaZA/TZNWT98yg8I/AAAAAAAAAII/6rXRYaB3HSs/s400/Isaac+July_2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P6u4FGibYvo/TZNWVAkujvI/AAAAAAAAAIM/AQKJqApryPg/s1600/Isaac+July_3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P6u4FGibYvo/TZNWVAkujvI/AAAAAAAAAIM/AQKJqApryPg/s400/Isaac+July_3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wXW-sc9Io5o/TZNWW-3Ud_I/AAAAAAAAAIQ/6n6ND6eNOSw/s1600/Isaac+July_4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wXW-sc9Io5o/TZNWW-3Ud_I/AAAAAAAAAIQ/6n6ND6eNOSw/s400/Isaac+July_4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>NAKAPAN PHUNGEPHORN</b></span></i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #3d85c6; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Nakapan Phungephorn vs Aldo Januario de Oliveira</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #3d85c6; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/K-o7eHR3bTM" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe></span></b></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730231852350577982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5192988182174634596.post-17934289171931587172011-03-26T15:13:00.008-04:002011-03-26T23:14:03.678-04:00Pans - Day 2So I know today is day 3 but I want to recap day 2 before I say anything about today.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-oQ5ppSsvD_M/TY6qFqe4QuI/AAAAAAAAAHg/OwfKKznAhYs/s1600/IMG00044-20110324-1603.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" r6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-oQ5ppSsvD_M/TY6qFqe4QuI/AAAAAAAAAHg/OwfKKznAhYs/s200/IMG00044-20110324-1603.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Yesterday was my day to compete. I woke up early, took a shower, and got ready to go. I left nice and early so I could get to the venue with pleanty of time to check my weight, settle in, and relax before my bracket was up. I got there at 10:00am and my weight was 160 -- great! that's 3 pounds under! I ate some granola bars and an apple throughout the day and drank some water and Gatorade. I kept weighing myself throughout the day and my weight never went above 160.5 (which I don't get because I was drinking a lot!). Forty minutes before it was time for my bracket to go I decided to start getting warmed up. I like to warm up early because I always get nervous jitters and running around helps me to get rid of them. My bracket was called to the warm-up area at 1:20 so I went from running around the back hallways to bouncing around in the bull pen. I was in there for an hour before they called me to get my gi and weight checked. Surprisingly I was pretty relax this whole time, even as I walked onto the mat. <br />
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<em>Michelle Welti (DTJJ) vs Brooke Goldsworthy (Crispim BJJ) </em><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We shook hands and the match began. Brooke crouched down low - I knew this meant she was going to try to pull guard. She backed away from me as I came in to get my grip. I remained in the center of the mat to wait for her to come to me. I wanted her to play my game. Time was ticking by and she wouldn't come to me so finally I went to her. I grabbed her lapel and she immediately pulled guard. I held her up, her feet weren't closed yet - <em>this is not so bad, I like the top, I'll just pass to the side and submit. Oh no, she grabbed my ankels - I can't let her sweep me, I am not starting this match down to points.</em> She ended up sweeping me. She was in my open guard in combat base. I tried for submissions, and I tried for sweeps but she was holding her positions and not wanting to move. I was getting frustrated. All of a sudden I here someone call out "30 seconds left!" <em>No, I refuse to lose in the first round again. I MUST get a sweep! </em>I tried so hard, but was unable to do anything. The buzzer rang - I lost. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-A2p5x0HuPgw/TY6qhXp1HSI/AAAAAAAAAHo/xxUv85CE9DE/s1600/DSC00139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" r6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-A2p5x0HuPgw/TY6qhXp1HSI/AAAAAAAAAHo/xxUv85CE9DE/s200/DSC00139.JPG" width="200" /></a>I was so mad, and dissapointed, and frustrated. I couldn't believe I lost in the first round. I honestly thought I was going to win gold. I wanted to cry. I gathered my things and returned to the stands to watch the remainder of my braket. Brooke Goldsworthy ended up placing third in the bracket. First place went to Jessica Eve Richer of team Gracie Barra Long Island. And 2nd place went to Alexis Dufresne of team Carlson Gracie.<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-F58bk281A1w/TY6qeh28aHI/AAAAAAAAAHk/vWq1O6U_8f8/s1600/IMG00042-20110324-1546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" r6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-F58bk281A1w/TY6qeh28aHI/AAAAAAAAAHk/vWq1O6U_8f8/s200/IMG00042-20110324-1546.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Hours past as I watch the rest of the women's blue and purple belt divisions. Time was closing in on the Women's Blue Belt Open. I cleared my head and was ready to make my comeback in the Open.<br />
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<em>Michelle Welti (DTJJ) vs Hana Fischer (Alliance SP) </em><br />
Match starts and I immediately get my grips. Hana also gets her grips, a huge power grip around my arm and to my belt. <em>Great, gotta break this and get my posture - she's creating an angle, she wants to throw - break that grip NOW. </em>I broke the grip - we gripped back up, same grip. I broke it again. We gripped back up, SAME grips - <em>ugh this is getting frustrating. Oh no, I just got thrown. I won't let her take my side...turtle up. </em> I reached for her leg to drive he back. She was big and sprawling hard - I just couldn't pull that leg under. <em>New plan, sit through to guard. </em> I tried a few time to sit through to guard but had to revert back to the turtle. Eventually I got to the half guard. <em>I need to sweep to the top, I can't let this 200 pounder stay on top. Let's try to get to deep half and sweep, I don't think I can lift all her weight with a hook sweep with my bad knee. Oh shit, she has my arm and is going for a paint brush! My shoulders are bad! This hurts so bad... </em>Tap. I lost again.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-IACumbrDIA8/TY6qjkG9__I/AAAAAAAAAHs/N4pAGt9_W0s/s1600/DSC00140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" r6="true" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-IACumbrDIA8/TY6qjkG9__I/AAAAAAAAAHs/N4pAGt9_W0s/s200/DSC00140.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br />
I learned a lot yesterday. There are many things I need to work on. But the number 1 thing is my confidence. I know I am better than most, if not all, of the girls out here, but for some reason when I get to the mat all my confidence goes out the window. I start to fear losing and it crushes me mentally. I need to search deep inside myself and figure out why this is. It is only then that I will start winning the titles I deserve.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730231852350577982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5192988182174634596.post-35785196404824424352011-03-24T21:17:00.001-04:002011-03-26T23:17:29.346-04:00Pans - Day 1 Con'tI got to the tournament, paid $10 for parking, and made my way inside. It's a pretty big place, not as big as the venue for the World's, but still pretty big. There were all the usual stands -- <a href="http://www.atama-kimonos.com/">Atama</a>, <a href="http://www.jiujitsuprogear.com/">Jiu-Jitsu Pro Gear</a>, <a href="http://www.keikosports.com/">Keiko</a>, Vulkan, <a href="http://www.graciemag.com/">Gracie Mag</a>, the Brazilian BBQ, and the Acai ice cream with granola and sliced bananas on it (soooo good!). I took a couple pictures and then started trying to find the stand to pick up my event t-shirt. I wanted to get my t-shirt right away because there were already a lot of people there and I didn't want them to run out of size small. At last year's World's I had to get a medium that I don't even wear :( Eventually I found it -- downstairs in the competitors area. I had never seen a line so long to get a shirt! I was a little worried they wouldn't have my size, but after standing there for 45 minutes I found out they did!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4tJ-ndNn60I/TY6r3t40U6I/AAAAAAAAAHw/PS10zts1CDQ/s1600/IMG00048-20110324-1720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4tJ-ndNn60I/TY6r3t40U6I/AAAAAAAAAHw/PS10zts1CDQ/s320/IMG00048-20110324-1720.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I went back upstairs and found a good seat to settle in at for the day. I watched hours of matches and finally left the tournament a little after 4:00pm. It wasn't over yet but most of the blue belts were done and the next 3 hours of the schedule were supposed to be white belts. I did want to see the blue belt male open division but it wasn't scheduled until 7:00pm and I just didn't want to sit through all those white belts to see it. My drive back to my hotel is supposed to only take 15-20 minutes and it took me an HOUR! Ugh, traffic was so bad.<br />
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Now I think I am going to head over to the <a href="http://www.24hourfitness.com/">24 Hour Fitness</a> and do a little cardio and kill some time!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730231852350577982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5192988182174634596.post-88454233304531856152011-03-24T13:37:00.000-04:002011-03-24T13:37:45.298-04:00Pans - Day 1When I got to my hotel last night I was a little scared. It was dark and rainy, my room was all the way in the back of the building, and there were weird people sitting outside. I was planning to go to <a href="http://www.walmart.com/">Walmart</a> to get some food and drinks and other stuff I'd be needing for the next few days, but decided to stay in because I didn't want to walk past those people again. I talked to Dave on the phone for a while and then went to bed. It was only like 10:00pm here but it felt like 1:00am. I ended up waking up at 5:00am (equivalent to 8:00am back home, which is like sleeping in for 2 extra hours for me) went back to sleep and woke up again around 7:00am. I got dressed and went to Walmart. The neighborhood I'm in is not actually bad like I originally thought. Like two blocks away there is an amusment park, <a href="http://www.knotts.com/">Knott's Berry Farm - America's First Theme Park</a>, and tons of stores and restaurants and a mall! I feel much better now :)<br />
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I got all my groceries and have settled in a bit so now I am ready to head out for the day. Check out the venue, watch the white belts and blue belt males compete. I want to get my event t-shirt today too so that I can get a size small -- at last years Mundials I had to get a medium and I don't even wear it because it is too big :-( <br />
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Well, I'm off -- I'll take pics while I'm there and post them for you guys!<br />
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<strong>Later!</strong>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730231852350577982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5192988182174634596.post-12788727541166870902011-03-24T00:50:00.000-04:002012-02-21T03:10:38.184-05:00Heading to Cali -- ALONE!<strong>This is the first time in my 23 year of life that I have ever traveled alone.</strong> It’s a little scary but kind of fun. I feel like I am being forced to grow up a little bit and becoming more independent. I am traveling to Irvine, CA to compete in the <a href="http://www.ibjjf.org/">IBJJF: Pan Jiu-jitsu Championship</a>. I wasn’t supposed to take this trip alone, but due to unexpected circumstances I had to. I was pretty stressed out this morning – I had to work before leaving for the airport, and the entire time I was at work I was on the phone with the travel agency making changes to my trip – cancelling a flight and changing the car rental. After being on the phone for what seemed like forever, I finally got things straightened out. After getting of the phone I felt like one weight was lifted off my shoulders and another was put on. <em>I am about to travel to the other side of the country to compete in the second largest tournament in the world – ALONE!</em> <br />
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<a href="http://manassasmma.com/instructors/adult-martial-arts/brazilian-jiu-jitsu/">Dave Trader</a> was supposed to bring me to the airport but because of those unforeseen circumstances he was running late. Those of you who know me know how crazy I get when I am feeling stressed. So finding out Dave was going to be a little late got my heart rate going and I could feel the stress coming on. Luckily for me, Dave is awesome and knows that I got nuts about this kind of stuff and he suggested I drive myself to the airport and just pay to park. Initially my heart sunk at the thought of not being able to see him before leaving for <em>this trip – my first trip alone, to a big tournament.</em> I wanted to wait for him so I could get some last minute words of wisdom before the tournament, but then I decided it would be best to just get to the airport and not stress myself out too much. I can always talk to him on the phone right? :-)<br />
Josh was in between clients on a long break so he said he would take me to the airport. (Thanks again!) My flight was scheduled to take off at 2:20pm so getting to there airport at 1:00pm gave me plenty of time to get through security. So I head to security dreading the long line I’d have to stand in, but luckily for me there was almost no line at all! I flew right through that (no body scanners) and headed to my departure gate. When I got to my gate I saw there was a flight delay! Ugh, I wished I had waited for Dave! We didn’t start boarding the plane until 2:45 and didn’t take off till after 3:00! This pushed our arrival time back to 6:00pm – hopefully this doesn’t effect my car rental…I know they are weird about you picking your car up within a certain amount of time. I’m sure things will be fine – why do I always do this to myself, stressing over nothing! <br />
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Anyways, now I am bored on the plane with nothing to do. The last two times I traveled out to California I traveled on <a href="http://www.virginamerica.com/">Virgin America</a>, which was awesome. They have TV’s behind every seat and you can watch TV or movies, play games, listen to music, order food – it even shows you a map of where you are, how fast you are going, your altitude, and your ETA! Today I am flying <a href="http://www.aa.com/">American Airlines</a> and I must say I am very disappointed. The only thing for you to do is watch the “feature film” on the <em>one</em> TV they have for every 3 rows. Fortunately for me I was interested in what they were showing – a documentary on how bad the education system and teachers in America are. Now that that is over there is nothing to do again, so I thought to myself, what better time to write a blog entry! As soon as I land and am able to connect to the internet again I will post this! <br />
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<strong>Later!</strong>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730231852350577982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5192988182174634596.post-27925095983748448882011-03-23T07:15:00.000-04:002011-03-23T07:15:46.830-04:00My Gi Match From Submission Only<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/yLRgf_jzN_I" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730231852350577982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5192988182174634596.post-38150862272447746522011-03-22T10:25:00.000-04:002012-02-21T03:12:23.954-05:00US Grappling: Submission Only - March 19th<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: small;">This past Saturday was my first ever submission only tournament.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">No points.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">No time limits.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Roll to the tap.</span><br />
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I have to admit, I was pretty nervous going into this. More nervous than I let everyone believe. I was nervous because in class and at tournaments I don't find myself finishing a lot of submissions. I am the only female in my school so most of the time when I roll I am going against someone who is larger and stronger than me and just won't try any techniques and will just sit there and defend or hold me down out of fear that they will get beat by a girl, so then I find myself having to use all my might just to execute basic techniques on these guys, let alone finish a submission.<br />
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But despite being nervous about the potential of long matches due to my lack of finishing skills, there were things that made me more relaxed too. I didn't have to worry about giving up any points or having to race against the clock to win the match. I could take my time and roll the way I wanted -- <i>tight, controlled, heavy.</i><br />
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I was most nervous about my no-gi match because I don't really train without the gi very often. I am so used to getting my grips on the gi and now I have to grip a <i>sweaty wrist!?</i> Once we got to the ground I felt much better - my nervousness left, and I was having fun! I stayed in dominant position the entire time - half guard on top, side control, mount, back control - and after <b>12:30 minutes</b> I finished with a rear naked choke. I was so excited!<br />
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When the gi division rolled around I wasn't nervous one bit. I was excited to take my time on my feet and try to get a judo throw. This match was fast, just <b>2:30 minutes</b>. I went for a Tai-O-Toshi and landed in side control. I tried for an Americana but she was blocking well, and then I heard my coach, <a href="http://manassasmma.com/instructors/adult-martial-arts/brazilian-jiu-jitsu/">Dave Trader</a>, tell me to go for the bread cutter. Next thing I knew, she was tapping!<br />
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Out of every tournament I've been to, this one was the most <u>FUN</u>! I cannot wait for the next <a href="http://www.usgrappling.com/events/submission-only-august-2011-richmond/">Submission Only in Richmond!</a><br />
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Check out the highlight video and photos from the event at <a href="http://www.mmaindc.com/">www.mmaindc.com</a>!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730231852350577982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5192988182174634596.post-7622457704361176992011-03-21T07:19:00.000-04:002011-03-21T07:19:34.427-04:00VIDEOS: US Grappling Richmond - March 5th<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8XRnp9QjVl4" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3NjjmMzcZu0" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/PcWZLCSPhws" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730231852350577982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5192988182174634596.post-16261425761436822622011-03-21T00:05:00.003-04:002012-02-21T03:00:24.733-05:00US Grappling Richmond - March 5th<div style="border: medium none;">
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0b8Cp2qijpk/TYbGnl3qawI/AAAAAAAAAHY/vmbG65_nn8c/s1600/usgrappling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="74" r6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0b8Cp2qijpk/TYbGnl3qawI/AAAAAAAAAHY/vmbG65_nn8c/s200/usgrappling.jpg" width="200" /></a>Friday night, my teammate Andrew Babeu and I drove down to the night-before weigh-ins in Ashland, VA for the <a href="http://www.usgrappling.com/">US Grappling Richmond</a> tournament. Andrew weighed in at 201 lbs and I weighed in at 157.5 lbs, both of us making weight! We drove back up to Fredericksburg to meet our teammates Josh Wehrmann and Bill Nagle for dinner at Olive Garden for a little post weigh-in feast - yum! After dinner we followed Bill back to his Dad's house (he lives in Fredericksburg) to get a good night's sleep before heading off to the tournament in the morning!</div>
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The plan was to wake up at 8:00am and head to IHOP for breakfast. But at around 7:45AM Andrew thought it would be "hilarious" to set off his alarm and throw his phone into my room to wake me up! But because I was already awake before he did this and could hear him snickering outside my door, I knew he was up to something. I wasn't sure what, but because I grew up with five brothers I was ready for just about anything. I thought someone might come running in to jump on me, or shake me awake, or something crazy like that. Luckily for me, all he did was turn his alarm on and throw his phone at me. Soooooo......I guess the guys had decided they wanted to leave by 8:00 instead of wake up at 8:00......next time how about you just knock on the door and wake me up.......boys.........sigh.</div>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-y10mtgr2iKk/TYbCcLtYzMI/AAAAAAAAAHI/_Yo7gv3HNUc/s1600/198587_10150118130507771_47689762770_6520593_4814774_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" r6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-y10mtgr2iKk/TYbCcLtYzMI/AAAAAAAAAHI/_Yo7gv3HNUc/s200/198587_10150118130507771_47689762770_6520593_4814774_n.jpg" width="200" /></a>After IHOP we made our way over to the tournament. Our coach, Dave Trader got stuck in the typically awful I-95 traffic on his way down, but ended up making it before my first match started. I was the first competitor up for <a href="http://manassasmma.com/competition-teams/brazilian-jiu-jitsu/">Team Dave Trader</a> in my Women's Advanced No-Gi Absolute division. My first match went well - I got the takedown , passed the guard, got the mount and ended up winning on points. My second match was again Lo Menzies, a great competitor from <a href="http://www.revolutionbjj.com/">BJJ Revolution</a> in Richmond! She was one of the toughest girls I've competed against. She pulled guard and I almost got caught in a triangle early on. I did manage to escape, but had to give up the sweep in the process. The rest of the match was pretty much fought from my guard, with lots of attempted arm locks. Unfortunately I just couldnt manage to lock any of them in and ended up losing 2-0...that darn sweep! The next division was the Women's Blue Belt up to 158 lbs division. My first match as against Lo again. We had a hard 6 minute match and she ended up beating me in a very close match on points again. My next match went a bit better. I got an Osoto Gari, landed in side control, and quickly finished my opponent with an Americana to place second. My final match of the day was in the Women's Blue Belt Absolute. I attempted to throw on my much heavier opponent, but missed and ended up on my back fighting from my guard for the remainder of the match. I really need to work on my judo. So overall, I placed 2nd in all three of my divisions - not what I wanted but I got some good matches and know what I need to work on.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Andrew Babeu (left) vs. LJ Hand (right)</span></td></tr>
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Andrew, despite his best attempts to convince Dave he should only fight in the teen division, fought in all 6 divisions open to him. He finished the day with 5 medals overall placing 1st in both the Teen Advanced Gi and No-Gi, 2nd in the Men's Beginner No-Gi Absolute and No-Gi up to 202lbs, and 1st in the Men's White Belt up to 202lbs.</div>
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Big Josh fought in the Men's White Belt Ultra Heavy Weight division and Men's While Belt Absolute, making quick work of all his opponents and placing 1st in both.</div>
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With just three competitors, <a href="http://manassasmma.com/">Team Dave Trader Jiu-Jitsu</a> took home 5 GOLD medals and 5 SILVER medals! Great job guys!!!</div>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730231852350577982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5192988182174634596.post-30196636602654555372011-02-22T07:28:00.000-05:002011-02-22T07:28:12.205-05:00I hate being sick :(Training has been at a stand still for the past week. I got pretty sick last week and couldn't train in fear of getting my teammates sick too. I ended up leaving work early on Friday and sleeping for the following 14 hours. I had a fever and felt awful. I dragged myself out of bed for my Mom's birthday party on Saturday. It was fun, we went bowling :-) but it was hard. I was so tired after that, I went home, got back in bed and didn't get out again until yesterday morning for work. (Thank goodness it was a holiday and we opened at 8am instead of 5am!) <br />
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I am finally starting to feel okay enough to start working out again. I think I may just do some cardio today, maybe the stairs for 30 minutes and then sit in the sauna to loosen up all the gunk in my lungs. I hate not being able to train. I have so many goals for this year, but if I keep getting injured or sick they are going to be hard to fulfill. I need to start dieting again - Valentine's Day and then getting sick has caused me to eat a lot of junk. Dieting is just so hard. Especially when everyone around you is NOT dieting and eating anything they want. What am I supposed to do when everyone is going out to Chipotle for lunch!? I can do it, I just need to get back into the swing of things. Once you get past those first two weeks it gets easy, it becomes a habit.<br />
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I hate not being active. I am feeling fat and lazy and I can't stand it!!!!!! <i><b>I NEED BJJ BACK!!!!!!!!!!!! </b></i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730231852350577982noreply@blogger.com3