Wed Sept 8/15 5:30 pm BJJ

Got to LEMMA around 5:30 pm… a couple guys in the cage scraping.

Partnered with Mitch a newer white belt… and showed him how to tie his belt.
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Veal had us warm up for 10 mins working on pummeling… then he had us review a few butterfly sweeps with a belt and knee Gi grip. The first, attacking the arm with the deep over hook and grip on the belt. The second, switching to the other side when your opponent steps to counter the original sweep. Veal did mention for me to move in deeper with my head and be like a ball… not sure if he was being condescending, but typically my whole game is supposed to be like a ball.

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If I wasn’t, then it makes sense… especially when I really haven’t had anyone be critical of my technique, in a long time, which is really what I need and are missing since I started coaching the Tuesdays and Sunday classes.

I’m not a black belt… far from it… let alone feel qualified to coach classes.

We then scrapped… Veal said to the death. Which was condescending lol.

The white belts may take it seriously… and they do. Seriously though, they beat each other up, then they don’t come back.

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Delimiters on growth of BJJ, especially if only the bullies continue to bully and are allowed too… It really dampers the retention of new white belts if they get killed on their first few lessons on the mat.

A wise man once told me that white belts make or break BJJ in a club and continued growth is what we need for longevity

Had an incident, heck multiple where guys were applying finger locks… yep not cool.

Rolling:(3 mins, 1 min breaks)
1. Mitch
2. Hatton
3. Veal
4. Jones
5. Newer guy with a shiny white Gameness Gi… or was it an Atama?

Overall decent class… rolling could have been longer rounds.

Like 6 to 10 mins. 3 mins is all about the push.

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Everyone goes way too hard because of the short rounds and forgets about focus on actual technique.

Constructive criticism on my technique is nice, as I normally don’t get the help from the classes that I normally coach.

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Sun Sept 6/15 11:00 am BJJ

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Surprised on the attendance… homies wanted to train!!

Nathan, Morgo, newer Blue Belt Kyle from Halifax, Philippe, and Katrina were in attendance.

Long Weekend… almost cancelled the class for today… nope.

Lol came in anyway…

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Warm-up was standard… running around, lunges, bear crawls, reverse/side/forward rolls, break falls, and shrimping…

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The homies then drilled passes and a few takedowns…

We the finished off with the full harnessed positional drilling… clip below.

Everyone had an opportunity to train with everyone, with two recycling of partners… back took, then back taking, its a hard and tough drawn out drill. Either you submit or you escape. Secret is to focus on a solid technical defence… 2 mins a round.

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Yeah, I went in earlier to work on some rowing… hopefully this will help in the long run.

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Sat Sept 5/15 2pm BJJ

Only Me and Big Rig today OTM for 2pm BJJ.

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NERDs….

Oh well… who can blame taking a break from BJJ in the summer…

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Reviewed some leg locks and their defences.

Also had a great 15 min technical roll… tested out his neck as its currently mangled… injuries always set back training.

“Scotch and ankle locks” says Veal… hahahaha

Clip of me and Big Rig rolling…

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Fri Sept 4/15 Open Mat

Got to LEMMA around 5:15 pm…

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Tonnes of boys and a gal OTM…

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A clip of a roll session below…

Gotta get some rolling in… finger is still mangled, lower back still sore from Big Blue belt Gary from last week, and yeppers chugged 4 cups of cold coffee.

Black and plain… no sugar.

Rolling: (6 min, 1 min Breaks)
1. Thor
2. Thor
3. Scotty
4. Scotty
5. Thor
6. Gary
7. Gary
8. Thor

Been having a lot of leg locks running through my mind lately… yep. Them legs.

Coach always stating. “You live and die by the leg lock game…”

Attack your opponents legs and you leave your legs open… so really, who hits it first and obviously having the technicalities is the biggest factor.

Clip of another roll session below…

Food for thought… I went attacking legs at open mat. Got knee bahhd amongst others. Notably though, it was with Thor. A 180 to 200 lbs Brown Belt beast… yep MMA, wrestling fury to boot and with technique.

Went to the Sushi Station with the wife after… oh and the monkey that keep me busy all day lol…

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Wed Sept 2/15 BJJ

Got to LEMMA around 6:00 pm… Matt the grasshopper was in… gave us a nice little animal styled warm-up movements and then we did a bunch of passing drills. Similar to my Sunday classes.

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Leg drag drilling something similar to below… only to seat the knee between the legs…

Bull fighter, Matador or Toreando pass… only to keep the grips and drop the outside shoulder for pressure and connection, instead of going knee to belly. I’ll be honest, I’m a fan of the knee belly, I drop the shoulder if my opponent is really big, and I’m fighting tooth and nail…

Then x-pass…

Man was I ever drained lol

Not even sure we rolled… ah well… I was pooched.

Matt Veal showed me a cool submission… the diamond choke, which looks is similar to a standard leg triangle. But with the legs reversed… once I find a video I will post…

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Yep pulled again this morning…

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Stay away from mat bullies lol…

We need growth in BJJ…

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Tues Sept 1/15 5:30 pm Nogi

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Actually its only been a few days a week, if not only 1 day a week amongst 5 days actually training BJJ. Not bad especially when it involves a lot of wrestling. Believe me… I suck at takedowns. This class improves it…

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Got to LEMMA around 5:00 pm… I partnered with Big Rig. Thor had us work on the back step pass, then a knee through to a straight arm while in a seated mount or kimura. Rolled with Justin, a young newer white belt, & worked on stand-up stuff with Big Rig. Big Rig hurt his back a while back… gotta nurse those injuries home boy.

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Yep pulled this morning…

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Being active is hard when you have a baby…

Tough knock life lol… no sleep.

10 cups of coffee…

Every 15 mins, if not one thing, its another lol…

BJJ keeps me sane…

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Sunday Aug 30/15 11am BJJ

Got to LEMMA around 10:00 am… yep got a 20 min session of rowing in.

Had one thing on my mind. Break falls and rowing.

Found this piece on Facebook… loved it!!

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Katrina brought up issues of break falling and fears of hitting the mat…

Us warming up below…

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Practice practice practice… the 3 P’s.

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Us working on some loop chokes below…

then we got 3 rounds of 10 mins sessions in…

I sat out for the first round… then rolled with Jarod and then Gary.

If you missed out… link to EBI 3 below!!

My results from my 20 mins of pulling below…

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Fri Aug 28/15 5:30 pm OpenMat

Got to LEMMA around 5:00 pm… quite a few boys OTM… looked like they were reviewing some technique. Rad!

Hassan and myself after last weeks session… guess we’ll be losing him after the 21st of Oct. Booo. He found a job in butt-f- no-where and plans to be in Toronto for the little while.

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Morgon attempting to take my back last week… fun fun.

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G going north-south on me before OpenMat…
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Jesse asked a few questions regarding s-mount and kimura defended while attack is on top north south. We discussed and reviewed a few solutions.

Rolling: (10 mins, 30 sec breaks)
1. Travis (warm-up)
2. Scott
3. Steve
4. Rupert

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ADCC tonight… wooo

Hopefully we’ll see yall at BJJ tomorrow morning!!

Osss,

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Wed Aug 26/15 6:30pm BJJ

Homies be like what what…
So a buddy of mine just got his purple belt at the Alliance Club in Minneapolis.

Fantastic, happy for you buddy… we surely have trained a lot together, 5 to sometimes 7 times a week lol… sometimes just me, him and a few others. We both went to our first tourney together. You were just a white belt and I had just got my blue belt.

Man in 2012 Or 2011?
IBJJF Chicago Winter Open

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You had the worst experience and almost gave it all up… look at you now, you didn’t.

Always a great thing when the time on the mat is recognised and you move forward.

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Congratulations homeboy… wished I could have been there. We were white belts once… not looking back!

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Commitment, dedication, focus are one of few things that helps our growth. That purple belt is big…

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Got to LEMMA around 6:00 pm, only got a few minutes in rolling with Matt Thorburn… oh well.

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Matt Veal ran the class. I partnered with Tony Gallo. Matt had us review a butterfly sweep entry to a gilliotine then a few north south choke variants, then also a ninja choke or armless brabo choke. After that we rolled.

One of the smaller, newer white belts approached me for the jam session.

Do I have like a sign on my back that attracts all the white belts lol… must be my smile.

I surely wouldn’t have denied him an opportunity to beat me up lol… white belts are humans too. That’s what makes or breaks the growth of the team. Always gotta help the new blood improve cause we are family… but seriously lol…

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Anywho, I did manage to get to the Complex in the morning… and did my thing.

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Not as good as my Tuesday session, but hey… at least I went in to train…

Hopefully, I see a few guys out today at openmat… RIBFEST today… yay.

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Tues Aug 25/15 5:30 pm Nogi

Seriously bro… the stats below are real?

Black Belt and enjoying the journey are definitely achievable and attainable goals, just gotta put time OTM!

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Don’t hate on the dedicated… you haven’t walked in their shoes.

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Got to BJJ around 5:30 pm… Matt Thorburn was in to run the class. I partnered with Emma Horner. Let’s just say she is a gold medaling wrestler from Lakehead University. She drops tones of wrestling information… don’t be blind to it, a tone of education you don’t normally pick up in an average BJJ class. Fantastically awesome.

We worked on a high crotch to an single leg takedown, then a transition to a duck under back take. Thorburn then had us review the back step from inside the half guard. It was a back step to fight for the under-hook or set up a knee bar. If the knee bar wasn’t an option then step back to continue the knee slice to side control, with the under-hook and the far side arm.

Unfortunately, no rolling… but tones of reps on the high crotch and single leg take downs. Never a loser from this kind of class.

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Yep hit the Complex in the morning

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Hard works pays off… boy was I drained after this session…

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