Back 2 MMA

New site

2011-08-29T20:23:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. If you want to check out my latest project, check out my magazine styled blog Fitness, Health, Style and Life Guide Also check out. Getting Ripped

vLog Episode 1

2010-10-31T10:14:00.000-07:00

I'm going to start posting more videos to my YouTube channel. Click Here if you want to check it out.

Maybe it's my fault.

2010-10-14T17:31:00.000-07:00

When it comes to training your hardest and pushing yourself through those walls you have to blame yourself for the failures. It's only you who can keep you motivated. You're the willpower that you need. All the motivation comes from within you. Know one is going to sit there and tell you how good you are unless you prove it to them.

So get up and work!

101310 - Another great day of training!

2010-10-13T20:11:00.000-07:00

Today alone i felt as if my round kicks have gotten better by at least 1%. It may not seem like a lot but it's a world of difference in my eyes. I still need to work on my pivot foot to hold balance. To think of it I should look for an exercise to help with that. My jabs are feeling a little more crisp and my cross feels strong. One thing I am proud of is my switch kick. My left is actually keeping up to the right now.

Tomorrow morning I'm going to wake up early and go for another run. I want to keep breaking through the emotional wall where you believe you can't push your self any further. It's the same feeling you get during conditioning and sparring.

Wade

101210 - A new way of putting in effort.

2010-10-12T19:29:00.000-07:00

Training was great today. I decided that I need to take things more serious in my life. So, my training has kicked it up a notch. I need to stop worrying about the possibilities of being injured. That old saying of "Shut Up and Train" is all I need to think about right now.

Tomorrow morning I'm going for my first long distance run in a long time. I'm looking to hit about 7-10 km. I already had some other people who I train with questions my idea of hitting those long runs. For me I understand that HIIT is more important but muscular endurance and the will power to break through that barrier of exhaustion is important for any athlete. You will always see NFL athletes go for long runs or hill runs.

I hope this plan works out now. It seems that I'm getting older but nothing is happening. I hope this is all for the best. I even wrote out a big web of what I want to do with my life. And, it all comes down to being one of the best Strength and Conditioning Coaches as well as a MMA fighter/trainer.

One of my other main goals is to keep this blog going.

Wade

The Reem Episode 7 + 8: Enter the K1 Tournament

2010-10-11T20:22:00.000-07:00

Right now this is the motivation for me to train harder every time.

Alistair Overeem Highlight Video

2010-10-11T06:59:00.000-07:00

A fan made video of The Reem. Seems to focus mostly on his recent K-1 victory over Edwards.

Great video non-the less.

How do you get big while training?

2010-10-10T20:26:00.002-07:00

One of the biggest questions i get as a personal trainer and fighter, is how to get big while training?

The truth is simple. EAT! If you're training on a daily basis you will be burning well over the normal calories an average athlete burns. To replace all these calories you need to eat, plus you need to have the right amount of nutrients to not only maintain your levels but also to help with anabolism and force your self to grow.

I think Alistar Overeem says it best in this video:

Just Eat and Eat Healthy. You'll get big in no time.

Train, Eat, Sleep, Repeat.

Wade

The Infamous Mat Burn

2010-09-28T19:21:00.000-07:00

First off, today I made the decision to not take part in Grapplers Quest Canada. This wasn't an easy choice to make but it's the best one for me right now. Technically I feel that I'm ready but mentally I'm still a little psyched out. So, what am I going to be doing now?

Well, I will still be training hard as always but this time I will be incorporating more stand up into my game. I want to make my self a more rounded fighter. I still want to compete in grappling tournaments, but now I have at least 4-5 months until the next one.

So, that's the news on my competitions in the near future.

Today I had a great training day. Got to roll with someone more my weight and definitely stronger than I am. The best part is I got to learn how much more technical I need to be before I compete. This was one of the reasons why I think I should wait. We started from stand up so that I could work on my take downs. But, on the first attempt I got the burn of my life!

I continued to roll with out a flinch, but I knew I lost some skin. Before you say eww gross or what ever, are you sure you're reading the right blog? This is an MMA blog.

The worse part of Mat Burn is not the stinging you feel after, but the one you feel in the shower! Although tiny, I felt as if my full foot was going to burn off.

I think I will start a little trend on here now, and begin posting any and all injuries that I may acquire during my training! Let me know what you think.

Back on the Ball

2010-09-27T19:56:00.001-07:00

So with Grapplers Quest a little more than a month away I feel all the walls coming down on me. I'm entering into a competition with my old team probably looking down on me and my new team fresh as can be. I believe I will be the first person to compete with the Black Devil name on my chest. And that's not something that you can take lightly.

Tonight, I will be sleeping with a lot to think about. But you can be assured that I will have it all figured out by the 30th of October.

My blogging will be back on.

Wade

Day 2 - back on the mats

2010-06-30T19:05:00.001-07:00

I;m easing my way back into training. I've starting doing some actual MMA training and learning a little bit about grappling for MMA. I must say it's a huge difference from training just grappling alone. You quickly realize that submissions aren't as simple when you have fists flying at you.

I'm keeping it short. Day 2 was good.

Wade

I don't know where my head has been lately!

2010-06-24T17:39:00.000-07:00

I haven't been training and barely hitting the weight room. I can honestly say that I'm in a depressed mode right now.

I've been following people at my gym and they've been having great success, but me on the other hand not so much.

This year, 2010, all I've been saying is that tomorrow I will start all over again. But tomorrow is always the future and never comes with me. I just end up going to work, maybe hit the weights a bit then go home. Barely anything else. And I think my social life is suffering as well.

But this is it. I can't take this anymore. I watch the successes of others and wonder why it can't be me. But its obvious. They have dedication and I don't. So, that's where I will be changing from today.

Tomorrow I'm going to loosen up my body by doing a full body workout with a deep stretching routine. Actually I think I will be stretching every night from now on. Then starting Next Thursday I will be doing 3 full days of training. The other days I work so I won't be able to train.

I'll keep my progress on here, even though I'm not sure anyone will be really following. So we will see.

Wade

Oma Plata Drill

2010-06-24T17:37:00.000-07:00

Here is a Oma Plata Drill to help with your mobility from the back.

MMA and flexibility!

2010-06-21T14:19:00.000-07:00

Many people ask what do I think is the most important aspect of training for MMA. And the answer is always easy, FLEXIBILITY. Just by being flexible you will feel lighter on your feet and avoid submissions more often.

So, here I'll post some videos on key ways to increase your flexibility for MMA.

Here's a great video on stretching at home with the intent of improving your MMA game (ground)

More At home stretching

Stretches to improve the guard - the intro is kind of long to this video so fast forward a little.

Stretching your rests - this one looks a little awkward

Submission101 set up a video called Solo Flexibility that's worth a look at.

From now on I'll be posting more stretching videos. Let me know what you think.

Wade

030210 - Feels Good Man!

2010-03-02T13:41:00.000-08:00

After some time off, roughly 3 weeks, I will be back on the mats for a 2 hour session tomorrow. I can't explain how excited I am. I have all this tension and stress that I'm just looking to release. What a better way then rolling.

I have a new aim for this blog as well, even though I'm not sure people are really reading. First I'm going to ACTUALLY keep my blog posts daily. Follow me though my training, either in the weight room or on the mats. I'll keep you up to date with how everything is going.

I will also be posting some inspirational/motivational videos that should help you with overcoming those barriers. I will also be posting motivational music so you can download and kick your ass in the gym.

I am also in the process of opening up my own company, but I will write more on that when the time comes.

Hope you enjoyed my blog so far. If not let me know where I can improve.

Thanks

Wade

020910 - Taking some time off to hit the weights

2010-02-09T09:09:00.000-08:00

I've been getting a lot of flack for being out of action the last few weeks at the gym. The truth is that i decided to hit the weights a little more then the mats. i try to get in a couple of hours of BJJ in a week but most of my time has been in the weight room and working on agility and cardio.

My goal in MMA is to myself, to be the best I can possibly be. Today, I feel as if I needed to work on my strength in the weight room and flexibility. Once I come back from my vocation next week I plan on being right back on the mats and training my ass off. I will also be picking up Muay Thai more frequently, so be sure to check back for tutorials.

My goal of keeping a proper journal has been slacking a bit as well. But I will try to keep a daily log of my events more often.

Wade

How to Jump Rope like a Pro?

2010-02-01T16:37:00.000-08:00

Here's a collection of video I found which could help you develop your jumping rope skills. It's great for agility and foot work as well as cardio.

Determining Jump Rope Length

Jump Rope Exercises for Boxing : The Basics of Jumping Rope

Jump Rope Exercises for Boxing : Jumping Rope with Both Feet

Jump Rope Exercises for Boxing : Advanced Jump Roping Techniques

Jump Rope Exercises for Boxing : Crossing Hands in Front when Jumping Rope

Jump Rope Exercises for Boxing : Flips & Spins in Jumping Rope

Jumping Rope to Loosen Up for Boxing

Improving Boxing Endurance with Jumping Rope

Jumping Rope on a Mat

Jump Rope Exercises for Boxing : Using Plastic Speed Jump Ropes for Boxing

Jump Rope Exercises for Boxing : Using Heavy Leather Jump Ropes for Boxing

Jump Rope Exercises for Boxing : Shoes for Jumping Rope

Jump Rope Exercises for Boxing : Double Spins in Jumping Rope

Gi Choke Series from Guard

2010-01-27T09:52:00.000-08:00

A series of Gi Chokes from the Guard by Jean Jacques Machado B

On the mat with Paulo Guillobel today

2010-01-19T17:23:00.000-08:00

1.19.10

Today was a great day for training. My body felt loose and all the aches and pains from the first week of training seem to subside. I was pretty excited.

With Saulo Ribeiro gone from our camp I was sure one of our brown or purple belts would have taken over the class. I heard some rumors that we would be getting in another top black belt to help train us while your resident bb was on vocation. To my surprise we got Paulo Guillobel to come in for a week to pick up the slack.

I already missed the Monday class as I had to work (how else am I suppose to pay for training), so I missed his intro. He still came in at noon and introduce himself to those he hadn't seen the day before. One I liked the most was that he asked everyone for their name and actually tried to remember it. He asked my name on three occasions and said 'Tomorrow it will be stuck'. Paulo came to the centre of the class and began talking about his process of teaching, and how he begins with the fundamentals. Since he would only be here for week he created a process of building blocks that he wanted us to learn. He started with a base - like controlling posture from the guard - then by the end of the week we would be into advanced moves.

After warm ups, which are a little different from Jorge and Saulo, we went into positional training. We began with the basic collar choke from guard. Then he showed us a simple transition from the collar choke to an armbar - all depending on the defense from your opponent. From here we transitioned into a scissor sweep. All from the same initial position of reaching into the collar to set up the collar choke and locking in the elbow on the same side. We drilled these moves for most of the class. With time running Paulo also gave us two examples of how we could easily transition into a triangle. However, we didn't have time to drill this move and went straight into rolling.

We only had time for one sparring (rolling) session so i decided to get a green belt to roll with. This year I wanted to be on the constant path of perfecting my Jiu Jitsu skills, and one way is by rolling with higher belts. I had a little weight on this guy but I tend not to use my strength when rolling and really focus more on technique.

He was able to get my back and almost submit me but I transitioned into giving him full mount where I bridged and swept. I broke his guard and controlled his legs by hold onto the bottom of the gi pants. Swung his legs to the left and passed to get side control. From here I set up for an arm triangle but got careless (tired) and when I was passing to full mount I got caught in half guard. He had a pretty tight half guard and my hands had been severely fatigued form the previous drilling that I couldn't finish. That ended our 7 minute rolling session.

Overall I was very pleased with this class. I felt the cob webs that must have been around from my month off all get swept away. I will be trying to stretch before and after class now which should help with my game. I'm going to try some of that Ryan Hall stuff for sure. I'm looking forward to training tomorrow. It will be a 2 hour session with Paulo, which should be good.

I'll be putting up some product reviews soon of items I use to train. Examples would be Gym Bag, Muay Thai Gloves and Pads, Shorts, Gis and Mouth Guards. Hope you come back to read. And let me know what you think of my site.

Wade

Here are some videos of Paulo Guillobel training and competing;

Ryan Hall on Guard Flexibility - Stretching

2010-01-19T06:50:00.001-08:00

Here's a great video set on how to get more flexible in your guard.

Hope it helps. Leave a comment

Wade

Still sore from yesterdays class and weights

2010-01-14T19:20:00.001-08:00

1.14.10

Although my last class was more then 24 hours ago my body is still trying to cope. Drilling open guard to side control over and over again will always leave your ribs sore. But as usual it's always worth it in the end.

Once I started Brazilian Jiu Jitsu I heard training with weights would be very difficult. So, that's why I laid off from the weight room during the later part of 2009. Now that it's the new year and I'm trying to start up my own fitness company I'm back in the weightroom. All the while I'm still training in BJJ and Muay Thai. It hasn't been easy and that's what I attribute to my body being a little extra sore today.

At least today was a rest day for me. I'll be back in the gym and on the mats tomorrow.

Wade

Scissor Sweep

2010-01-13T18:47:00.000-08:00

To continue with the Saulo Ribeiro theme here is a Scissor Sweep from guard.

Here are some other videos which can help with the position.

No Gi Version

Here is showing the evolution of the Scissor Sweep and what to do when caught in different positions or defenses against.

Part 1

Part 2

Day 2 - Training with Saulo Ribeiro

2010-01-13T14:11:00.000-08:00

1.13.10

Was my body ever sore from training the day before. Today at my gym we normally have a 2 hour gi lunch class, which is different from the one hour lunch classes on other weekdays.

Our Octagon in the back

Walking onto the mats to stretch I heard Saulo in the cage instructing one of our top Purple belts on how to perform proper warm ups - at least this is what I think as he's the one teaching the classes while our regular instructor was on a vocation. As class begun, just like the day before, he called 'Forma' and everyone moved into their places. We have absorbed so much from his teachings over the past two weeks that everything seemed more normal now. We began our warm ups as usual but since this was a two hour class Saulo said he would treat this class as how he would teach at his home gym. The class began with more of a conditioning feeling. After an hour we went into positional training. He taught us a more effective way on passing the open guard. We trained specifics and then went on to roll. I've never rolled for more then 20 minutes and pushing 50 minutes almost killed me. However, with all my energy gone I began to learn how to use my skills more then strength. This is something I'm sure every white belt had to struggle with.

One thing I really like about Saulo's classes is that he teaches you to be one group. Everything we do is to support each other, and after our heavy rolling he makes all of us walk around the gym and retie our belts.

This is my last class with Saulo until he returns next time, probably before the summer. I wish I was able to train more but time has been working against me the past two weeks. I know I'm going to grow from this experience and I'm looking forward to hitting the mats even more now 4 times a week.

Wade

Sick Transition into an Omoplata - Saulo Ribeiro Highlight

2010-01-12T17:08:00.000-08:00

It looks like a set up from side back control. Saulo let his opponent grab his leg from behind the knee, then flips under to get an Omoplata. I'm going to have to give this one a try in class one day.

Check it out.

How to do a CartWheel

2010-01-12T16:59:00.000-08:00

Yes I know what I'm putting here, but let me explain my self. During a class with Saulo Ribeiro for a warm up he had us perform Cartwheels. As easy as it sounds at least half of the class had problems with it, including myself. So, I decided to look for a great video to help with it.

This is a common warm up technique in Jiu Jitsu, so you might as well learn it.

If you have any other seemingly strange warm up techniques let me know in the comments below.