Renga: Brickish

One technique: that’s about all it took. i have to be honest, if you checked any of my back and forth in the past couple days it’d look like no ride would be worth it for me to train again. Turns out, I’m wrong.

 SenseiD dropped a comment on my bodyspace on Wednesday that pretty much amounted to think about what others went through to train, and that it’s all about dedication. I think it pretty much came out to that all the dedication I’ve been acting like I’ve had is real now. And I did get up today and do class, then work then ride five miles to class in the heat and the five back, and damn, was it worth it.

So all we learned was a basic flow from guard to side control to full mount back to guard, with this really nifty knee pass to full mount and a back bridge sweep to go back to mount from there, and I have to tell you, that’s about the coolest thing I think I’ve ever learned.

I even got complimented on the fact that as soon as I learn it, I’ll probably be able to roll rubber guard pretty well, and that makes me happy.

So the "magic numbers" for tonight: Guard->Side: 28, Side->Mount: 2, Mount->Guard: In Prog.

Guard->Side: Break guard by: 1.) Posture up, 2.) Hands pressed on target’s hips. 3.)Knee to target’s tailbone 4.) Other knee rotated out until guard breaks 5.) place hands like field goal: tailbone arm to opposite shoulder, back arm to press thigh along femoral artery. 6.) pass tailbone knee through field goal 7.) slide to side control and chest press.

Side->Mount: Knee and same elbow to head 1.) Thread towards knee 2.) push knee off 3.) slide to mount 4.) walk up to restrict movement at head and neck with knees.

Mount->Guard:  From bottom, 1.) push and reverse crawl to hips 2.) buck with hips for post if needed 3.) overhook one arm 4.) trap same ankle 5.) bridge and roll to trapped arm and ankles.

I did the first day of working out for the new schoolyear! I partnered up with ElvisC here on Bodyspace to do some partner work and he suggested a workout program that I’m now using.

I like it. I’ll be honest, I kind of decided to do away with any specific order or anything, so it wasn’t like I did it straight up. The worst part was getting kicked out of the Gym because of it’s summer hours (only till 2pm), so I didn’t get to the bench presses or flies at the end of the workout. Anyway, here’s the log part:

 Warmup: Shadowboxing – Worked jab-cross combo a lot. I happen to like it. I also did some transitions to knees and throws, which are kind of goofy to do off shadowboxing, but I try.

 Cardio: Three Three-minute rounds at 5.5mph one minute rest.

Body Weight: Got through 30 pushups across the three sets and 20ish V-ups. Damn those suck!

Weighted: Skipped–Gym Closed.

 Overall, I think a good start for not having worked out in about six months. It’ll get better.

Short Goal: 40 pushups across three sets and 25 V-Ups. Increase Cardio to 6mph.

So I’ve realized that my upcoming year literally places me as the campus’s one and only student 110% committed to martial arts, which I guess at my school translates to an asian culture minor or something. Go figure, especially considering that they actually do offer that, and I probably should get it.

Seriously though, I’ve designed my entire schedule to focus on training rather than schoolwork. The reason is that the way that my school does its English and Writing majors as well as it’s General Education classes lead me to finish all requirements at a paltry 78 hours out of a required 124, leaving me with 44 hours to sort of hang out and learn what I want. Great opportunity, so I’m going to use it.

 So amid my nigh obsessive attempts to get into a fight, I will be sauntering through the complete works of Mark Twain, a crash course in Asian Culture, survey British Lit, see a History of Film and subject myself to the inner workings of Basketball. On top of all this, bike an estimated 5 miles to whichever one of the MMA gyms I wind up in. My choice is between Dynamic Edge Martial Arts (www.dynamicedgearts.com) or Springfield Fight Club (www.springfieldfightclub.com).

Springfield Fight Club is a proven MMA place in Springfield. I’m not kidding on this–their main MMA coach is a pro fighter of no real noteriety, along with a slew of other trainers who are who they say they are. Plus with a blanket membership charge of $65 for all available classes, I could go crazy with it! the downside is that their MMA specific program is by invite only and I don’t know any more than that. Plus, nobody’s really said anything through my contacts there about the quality.

Dynamic Edge is a smaller place that has moved up in size from it’s previous location at the beginning of this year. The benefit here is that things are still getting going and that means that it’ll be easy to work my way into the program. Plus I’ve got a hunch from their myspace that their group is rather hardcore and oldschool, two things I look for usually. The downside: They’re new, I’ve got no background on the instructors, and I don’t know the pricing.

So any advice would be good. I’m stopping by both places next week and will give my thoughts. I just have to get a good idea of what I’m dealing with so I can decide.

So the wait’s killing me. T-6 days until I get back to school and start hitting this hardcore. I’m not even kidding how pent up a lot of my energy is right now. I feel like I’m bursting at the seams and in need of some serious medication.

 I’ve started working out a bit of a plan. From what I understand, my strength lies in power, not speed and endurance like I keep thinking that it is. I’m talking to my Sanda/Sanshou coach on Tuesday and asking for his help so I make sure I emphasize on this.

So I guess the lifting plan will focus again on the high weight low reps end of things. I’m looking around BB.com for some of the stuff related to MMA on here, and I’ve found a few good links so far, hoping to find more and cobble them together to fix up holes in what I know I’ve got.

Speaking of holes, the main one right now seems to be a glass jaw. Usually in sparring sessions at the gym, it’s one good knock to the head for me and I lose my concentration, technique and usually a few seconds here and there. And it’s not like I blink, it’s like I get rolled by really weak punches, which sucks because I don’t know what to do to improve it but get hit more. Seems dumb, but I don’t have a clue how else to stop it.

I’m figuring that the other problem will be, as always, the commons. I.E. the main food place on campus. A lot of my bad habits are tied to eating. A lot of food, and a lot of soda and sweets. That’ll be the main hurdle in getting rid of the fat.

I saw an idea I liked, which is to pick a day to eat off the normal lines, but all other days, stay on the salad line and the deli. Works for me and seems like something I can remember. I’ll just have to remember to avoid the soda, and not overdo it on the dressing.

 Anyway, I’m excited, and can’t wait to get started.

So I was thinking about what the numbers are. I’m not so great on the math and the assumptions by the internet may not be the greatest indication, but my goal is going to be numerically at 175 for the end of the school year at 10% bodyfat and a waist at or less than 32".

So, it’s going to have to be a cut to 160 again followed by a bulk back to 175 I guess. I only figure a cut because the way things are going to run for me this next semester school wise seems to lend itself for a cut first.

 Not that I know what the hell a cut is. Help? How does one go about it? I think I was on one last year, but wasn’t paying attention.

Anyway, the schedule’s looking like working out Monday Wednesday and Friday and doing Jiujitsu on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I may or may not sneak boxing in on Monday nights depending on my work schedule. I really don’t want to waste the momentum that I’ve built up through the summer. I don’t think it’ll get wasted by swapping to jiujitsu, but it probably won’t be the same if you know what I mean.

 So, here’s to becoming a Jiu-Jitsu major.

So I’ve done some work thinking about where I am and what i want to do. A lot about fighting and how I want to get to that point. A lot also about my physical goals, as I’m realizing that the two are really starting to go hand-in-hand.

This summer I’ve done Sanda boxing, which has been a BLAST. I wish I could find a Sanda instructor in Springfield to keep going with, but no luck. I guess I’ll have to settle for just plain old boxing. Through this, I’ve gotten a clearer idea of where my strengths lie. Ironically, in my strength, not my speed. I’m slow (still) but still can take a lot of punishment. After poking around through the UFC, I’ve kind of figured out what I want to do.

Flat out, I’m going to set my goal to be a walking 175 at 10-12% BF.  That means I’ll fight at 170 or 175 depending on the organization, which sets me looking at dropping 3" from my waist based on the measurement this morning and the past few days.

 I’m proud of myself for that, by the way. I didn’t think that I’d be keeping it off this well, nor that it’d be a lot better looking than it was. That and seeing this goofy-ass picture of myself that’s my profile picture is rather encouraging. I think I’ll hijack my brother’s camera so I can keep taking them.

 I’m accomplishing this in this way: No soda. Training as often and as much as possible. Getting into a lifting routine while at school. Getting into a cardio routine that I can keep at home. Watching what I eat and do it the way I’ve realized I do naturally with the numerous small meals when I’m hungry. Riding my bike everywhere I can, and pedaling the entire way. Take the stairs every time. No matter how embarassed, how stupid, how hurt, how tired, how stressed, how emo, how whatever: Don’t give up. 

If it backfires and I find myself back down in the 160’s again, to hell with it! I’ll just adjust and plan accordingly! I can change weight classes no problem! My power can hold out no matter where I am in weight.

Numerically, I figured out that most people my height are sitting in the 30-32" range for waist, and my number’s 32". I’ve done it before, and I was so close to having abs, I swear I could see them getting ready to pop out. I want that SO BAD. Not only because it shows that I’m dedicated, but that I have done something that I’ve always wanted.

 I’ve realized that I’ve always wanted my six pack. Really badly. It just so happens that with wanting to fight, the level of fitness happens to be close to that. Convienient, no?

 So it’ll happen. My goal is to be able to fight for my martial and biological families near the time that I graduate in late 2009. I want my parents to see who I’ve become, and my Sensei to eat his words.

 No shit. He says he wants to see it happen but doesn’t believe I can do it. He can bite me. I’m going to do it, and I’ll point at him from that cage with my hand raised and shout "I told you Mother F****! I CAN FIGHT!"