Bjj / grappling/ MMA Tips: recover faster between sessions with these 4 tips

I recently read an online article on recovery between sessions and I thought it did an OK job of telling you what's important but still left much to the imagination with regards to immediate steps to take so here goes my version:

The best ways to recover faster between jiujitsu sessions:

1 – Stretch your muscles and decompress your spine 

Have a post-session routine and stick to it. This doesn't need to be complicated nor take a long time. A good start is to do the following three stretches religiously after every session:

a. Downward dog: this will work your back chain (calves, hamstrings, spine...etc) for 1-2 minutes 

BJJ / Grappling Supplements: GLC2000 Glucosamine + Chondroitin

Last night's advanced BJJ session at The Labs had something extra ordinary about it.

Without getting into too much detail, I can tell you that we worked really hard, but not to the point of breaking. We held and maintained a very high pace, but still managed to learn lots of jiu jitsu from the session.

In groups of three and against resistance, we drilled guard passing, sweeps, submissions, takedowns and takedown defence for two minute rounds, changing partner every time a point or a submission was scored. We did this for the full duration of the session and I am feeling it today! My muscles are sore and some of my joints are a little sore. I'm not broken, but I have been definitely been given a very thorough workout!

Coincidently, I received my first tub of GLC2000 yesterday. GLC2000 is a market leader in high-end Cartilage and joint formulae which I first saw in my first copy of Ultimate Grappling Magazine. We have all heard and read about joint supplements and whether they work or not but the proof, as they say, is in the pudding and I'm giving this one a try.

To give this Glucosamine / Chondroitin joint supplement the best review possible, I will be running a diary based on how I perceive the benefits of the product. My main joint issues from martial arts (karate and BJJ / Grappling) are:

Sore fingers / knuckles
Sore neck
"Tired" shoulder / rotator cuff muscles - tender tendons
Achy ribs, near the false ribs (lower rib cage)
Sore knees
Sore toes and ball of foot

Which pretty much covers everything haha but hey at least my elbows seem to be fine (touch wood!)

I will be updating the Part Time Grappler blog regularly with results of this experiment. (Sore) fingers crossed!


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ZHOO ZHITSU IS FOR EVERYONE!

Liam "The Part Time Grappler" Wandi

Proudly sponsored by Predator Fightwear: Built for the kill and Brutal TShirt: Made By Grapplers For Fighters

BJJ / Grappling Nutrition: Recovery & Super Foods

As you may know, one of my all time favourite books is "Food for Fitness" by Anita Bean. Every time I feel my recovery from BJJ sessions is not where it should be I do two things:

1. I examine how much sleep I'm getting per night (and usually add an hour or more at the weekend)
2. I read Anita's awesome book and adjust my diet accordingly

One of my favourite chapters in "Food for Fitness" is the one about "15 Super Foods". In it Anita, as expected, lists 15 food groups she considers superior to others and then tells you not only why, but when and how to use them. I'll give you the top three here:

BJJ Nutrition Tips: My Lunch and Stephan Kesting's Supplement Suggestions

I hope you've all had a lovely Xmas and a great start to 2011. This is just a quick post I thought of as I was getting back from the shop with my first true post-Holiday Lunch.

First BJJ session tonight! Oh yeah!

Here is a great article by Stephan Kesting about what supplements are worth your while.


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BJJ Performance Secrets: Timing Your Nutrition.

For years I marvelled at how my perceived performance in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (or any sport or martial art for that matter!) could vary from day to day and week to week. I read in countless nutrition books and articles by some heavy names how performance can indeed be cyclical, but this wasn't it. It wasn't just cyclical but rather...inconsistent! One day I'd be rolling with 5-6 powerful BJJ players (and probably get smashed too) but my energy level was tip top and another day I'd struggle to get even past the warm-up.

It is only recently I've more fully realised the influence the content (but more importantly "timing") of my diet plays on my BJJ performance:

1. Food has a stand-alone value (energy, building blocks, hydration...etc.) but also a secondary, chain-reaction effect on the body (carbs are energy, but they also release insulin and serotonin. Protein is building blocks but it also stabilizes blood sugar levels...etc.)
2. Meal size, proportion and timing has plays a vital role in my BJJ performance and energy levels.

Here are a quick couple of really awesome tips on how to use your nutrition to skyrocket your performance:

1. When you eat something, the sugar has to first go into your blood before it goes into your muscle cells. Give it some time and schedule those light meals throughout the day, keeping your BJJ / Grappling session in mind.

2. When sugar goes into the blood, it causes a release of insulin. The more sugar, the more insulin. Insulin’s primary job is to get that sugar out of the blood and into the cells. This means once it’s done, your blood sugar level will drop and even though your cells are saturated with the sugar they need, you will feel a little tired and sleepy. Keep that in mind when you are a little tired and hungry 10 minutes before the session and a Mars Bar seems like a good idea! Rather reach for some protein (my favourite is a handful of nuts of some lean cheese or meat)

3. The best time to have a small dose of pre-workout carbs is 1,5-2 hours before the session. This tip alone is worth gold. My favourite is Nature Valley Crunchy bars.

4. The best time for post work out recovery drink/snack is IMMEDIATELY after the work out. Not when you get home. Not after your shower, not even on the ride home. The first thing you should touch as you leave the mat should be your shaker! All you need is a little bit of protein and little bit of carbs and lots and lots of water. The ideal ratio is that found in a chocolate milk (my fave is Yazoo followed by lots of water)

5. If you happen to weigh yourself before and after the session (in dry clothes) you can register how much sweat you lost. Now over the coming 2-3 hours, I advise you to drink 1.5-2 times that amount (e.g. if you lost 1kg then drink 1.5-2 litres)


The first thing you should notice is that this all takes some preparation! Pack your training bag with your fruit, container of nuts, snack bar, your shaker (with a scoop of powder in it) and another bottle for water.

A Jiu Jitsu bag without the above is not the bag of a top performer and you are cutting yourself short.

If you liked those tips, I learned them all and more from Anita's book Food For Fitness. To order your copy of the book, click on the image on the book cover above.

Give these tips a try for 2-3 weeks and let me know about how you are feeling…and remember to share this article on your Facebook and (if you have it) Twitter accounts.


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PART 3: 22 Fat-Loss Tips That Work - But in BJJ / Grappling Terms!

As I mentioned in my last post, one of my favourite books is Anita Bean's "Food for Fitness". A cool section in the book is titled: 22 Fat-Loss Tips That Work and, inspired by the Fightworks Podcast interview with Mr Dave Camarillo where he urges the listeners to read from a wide range of topics and try to apply the knowledge to BJJ / Grappling, I decided to give you Anita's tips, but completely twisted to address BJJ / Grappling training rather than weight loss. As a bonus, I will put the original tip at the bottom.

As promised here is part 3 of 3 posts. I hope you enjoy it.

1. Drink water. I don't even want to joke about changing this one. The water break has both a very important physiological importance but also an important social value. It's a half-time get-together for you and your friends and if you ever can't get a technique/move/the energy and you don't want to feel alone, the water break is a great opportunity to exchange "I'm completely lost here too!" looks.

Original tip: Drink water.

2. Take a holistic approach to your art: I don't buy into the whole "Is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu a sport, a self defence system or a martial art?" question. It's everything and that's how I treat it. I love everything about it. The gi, the rash-guard, the MMA, the headlock escapes...the lot!

I remember hearing Marcio Feitosa talk about this on a Fightworks Podcast a few months ago and I completely agree. Why restrict yourself when the art/sport/activity is so encompassing?

Original tip: Eat fruit instead of drinking juice.

3. Beware of scams and empty quick-fix promises: Why oh why would you want this complex art that takes long hours on the mat to master to be easier and quicker to master? It's the equaliser in fights against someone who is bigger, stronger and fitter. It's a joy to share with like-minded people for years and years. It's the next thing to magic! It...takes...time. Let it!

I'm joking (a little) We want it easier and simpler because we are rational beings and because the geography of BJJ / Grappling is different to that of standing, walking and sitting that we are so used to. We think we can solve the riddle, or at least buy the solution on EBay or Amazon (or steal it from YouTube!) and, naturally, that creates an opportunity for people to sell us more and more products, books and courses.

I'm not against books, DVDs or Internet based instruction. I frikkin' love it. I am, however, very selective and don't expect miracles. I expect what I learn in 30 minutes online to still take me hours on the mat to learn and internalize.

Original tip: Beware of "reduced fat" labels.

4. Don't go on EBay or Amazon when your ego is bruised: Nice lead from the previous point. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is an art of self development, but we are all guilty of self-Envelopment every now and again.

We are on the mat, we work hard and we get tapped and that's the reality of it. We take it personally sometimes though, especially if there is a question of differing belt colours. Damn them! How dare they! I need to learn how to counter that NOW!

If you go looking online for solutions, they will immediately materialize in the shape of books, DVDs and crystal balls and before you know it you will have a stack of them but no continuation and, chances are, you will still get tapped, just by a new sub!

Original tip: Don't go shopping when you're hungry.

5. Dedicate more time to positional transitions (escapes, sweeps and passes) and less to the cool submissions: Transitions open doors and teach habits. To me, that's the secret of Jiu Jitsu. The way I see a submission (triangle, armbar, footlock...etc.) is as a tighter and tighter position that can't really get any tighter. I have no doubt in my mind that the triangle choke was discovered by mistake when someone escaped mount to half guard, then to guard, then to high guard and then to triangle set up position (one arm in) and then suddenly, the frying pan got hot and someone passed out. Bingo. Focus on climbing the transitional chain and you'll get every submission along the way.

Original tip: Replace half your carbohydrates with veggies.

6. Spend some down time writing a game plan.

Beginning: You shake hands.
End: Someone taps.

Take sometime to fill in the different scenarios of what can happen in between and start working on assigning different solution ideas to the challenges along. Let me get you started:

They establish a good grip on you : break their grip
They pull guard : Hip in and posture up
They open their closed guard : go to combat base, get your grips on the pants and work for a bull-fighter pass (example)...etc.

Why not borrow a start-up flowchart from one of the greatest players: Rickson Gracie's flowchart part one and part two.

Original tip: Match every excuse to a solution.

7. Pack your gym bag the night before and have some spares: This is to avoid excuses to skip the session and to save time. When you get home after the session, don't just take your dirty stuff out of the gym bag. Replace it with clean kit straight away. Since I started doing that, I've not arrived without a rash guard / gi / belt / groin guard / athletic tape...etc. in 5 years.

Original tip: Carry healthy snacks.

8. Use BJJ / Grappling to revolutionise your whole life: I don't mean be a tool towards the rest of the world by telling everyone you meet "Oh I can't eat that / play that / drink that / wear that because a 2 strip blue belt you know!"

However, if starting BJJ / Grappling / MMA is the first move you've taken for your life into a healthy direction then why not compliment it with some early morning stretching, drinking less booze, spending some quality time with loved ones at the dinner table instead of eating in front of the TV...etc. Don't just do something healthy, allow yourself to become a healthier person.

Original tip: Stock up with healthy foods.

There you go ladies and gents. It's been a brain twister for me to transform the diet tips to BJJ / Grappling tips but it was great fun and made me put my own practice under the microscope. I know I can be guilty of, for example, number 4 in the list and I'm working on it. Being poorer helps!

Thanks Mr Recession for stopping me from googling "How to choke frikkin' Wrestler Freaks who pass my open guard!".


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PART 2: 22 Fat-Loss Tips That Work - But in BJJ / Grappling Terms!

As I mentioned in my last post, one of my favourite books is Anita Bean's "Food for Fitness". A cool section in the book is titled: 22 Fat-Loss Tips That Work and, inspired by the Fightworks Podcast interview with Mr Dave Camarillo where he urges the listeners to read from a wide range of topics and try to apply the knowledge to BJJ / Grappling, I decided to give you Anita's tips, but completely twisted to address BJJ / Grappling training rather than weight loss. As a bonus, I will put the original tip at the bottom.

As promised here is part 2 of 3 posts. I hope you enjoy it.

22 Fat-Loss Tips That Work - But in BJJ / Grappling Terms!

Let me start by saying that this is NOT a weight-loss post!

As some of you know, one of my favourite books is Anita Bean's "Food for Fitness". It's a great book that tells you what to eat to enhance performance. It centres around everyday items like bananas, porridge, coffee and eggs and while there are many other books that do that (believe me I've read many!) what's awesome about this one is that it addresses the questions of "how much" and "when" to eat! Just yesterday I used it to time the consumption of my cereal bar before my session and my recovery shake and meal and I had one of the best BJJ sessions ever!

But enough about the book - well, almost.

A cool section in the book is titled: 22 Fat-Loss Tips That Work and, inspired by the Fightworks Podcast interview with Mr Dave Camarillo where he urges the listeners to read from a wide range of topics and try to apply the knowledge to BJJ / Grappling, I decided to give you Anita's tips, but completely twisted to address BJJ / Grappling training rather than weight loss. As a bonus, I will put the original tip at the bottom.

Naturally, since the 22 is a lotta tips, I will break it up in 2-3 posts. I hope you enjoy it.

1. Do several, smaller sessions: The best way to learn anything really but especially something as demanding as BJJ / Grappling is to restrict your training to 1hr sessions and do a number of them. If you can, do several in a day. Naturally, they can't all be hard sparring. Personally, I do a dynamic yoga and stretching session in the morning before work (30-45 minutes), a light strength, core and balance session at lunch time (30-45 minutes) and 2 hr sessions on the mat 2-4 days per week. To me, it's all BJJ / Grappling.

Original tip: Eat several, smaller meals.

2. Limit your technique choices: Bruce Lee once said: You want to learn how to punch? Punch! If you want your triangles to get sharper, limit yourself to only using triangles for a month. Something amaxing will start to happen: You will start seeing triangles from angles you never thought about!

Original tip: Limit your food choices.

3. Center your practice around smaller areas the game: Dedicating a month or two to getting solid at mount and side control escapes will give your overall game and confidence a much bigger boost than trying to "get better at everything!" in that month or two.

Original tip: Practice portion control.

4. Don't ban fun techniques: There is nothing wrong with blending in crazy-ass flying techniques and funky shizzle into your overall roll. The flying armbar shouldn't be your only sub but it sure is fun to play around sometimes!

Original tip: Don't ban your favourite foods.

5. Don't skip breakfast. I don't want to change that one. If you have a suggestion please post a comment but I really like this one just the way it is.

6. Never, ever skip the warm-up phase. If you are like the absolute majority of BJJ / Grappling practitioners around the world, you are a Part-Time Grappler. You probably have a job or go to school = sit around for several hours per day. This means your basic physiology is on a different setting than that needed for rolling around with a resisting partner of similar weight. Your awareness is not there. Your eye-hand-foot-hip coordination is still sound asleep. Wake it all up with a nice progressive warm-up.

Original tip: Start with salad.

7. Pay attention to rest and recovery. I remember reading a blog post by Rosi Sexton about recovery (highly recommended read) that made me buy less recovery pills and shakes and sleep more and eat better!

Original tip: Sleep more.

Sorry for such a long post and I hope you liked these. Part two coming soon.

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What Refreshes You After BJJ / Grappling Sessions?

I'm usually very thirsty rather than hungry after sessions on the BJJ / Grappling mat. To be fair, I enjoyed the following drink after a session at the gym (treadmill, core and stretching) not on the mat but nonetheless:

It looks different. It looks like the green stuff Robert Downie Jr drinks in Iron Man

Put a coarsley chopped cucumber (yes a whole one! Wash first!) in the blender, let it run through a fine sieve and enjoy cold. Yum!


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Another Fruit Juice Blog Post

Last Friday, I asked my wonderful wife to get me some fruit for Saturday breakfast (before Anna's 2 hr session) when she was at the shop. She brought back a punnet of strawberries (400g).

So I washed them...

blended them (with a little honey and ice)...

ran it thru a sieve to get rid of the nasty pips...

et voila! Wonderful breakfast. Not bad for £1.25

400g strawberries + 4 cubes of ice + 1 tablespood of honey makes loads of juice. Enjoy with some cheesy toast.

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The Manchester MMA Scene - Part II

 WOW!! What an amazing response the interviews received! Who knew people from places as far as New Zeeland and Argentina would be interested in the Manchester MMA scene! Many thanks to all who took the time to read (and even send emails!) my interviews with head coaches Mr Gavin Boardman - Manchester Predators MMA, Mr Matt Thorpe - 12Gauge MMA and of course our own Mr Martyn Cahill - The Labs - Fighting Fit.

Here is part II of the interviews.

What's your take on the athletes’ attributes (physical and mental)?

Gavin Boardman (GB):

That's a very vague question. Doesn't that cover everything?! The attributes are what make a fighter. We all learn the same things, and are generally coached the same way. Everything else then must be the attributes of the individual athlete. The success of a fighter is quite often very little to do with his/her coach. I take no credit for any wins, only responsibility for all losses.

Matt Thorpe (MT):

They are both an important part of making a fighter or competitor. I would argue that mental is more important than physical, if you have a weak mind it doesn't matter how technically brilliant or physically gifted you are you just aren't going to cut it! I have spent a lot of time working with sport psychologists when I was fighting so I know how important having a strong positive mind is. This is something we incorporate into a fighters training camp and is massively important during the warm up before a fight!!

The physical side of things are a little different there are many sides to it, obviously being gifted great athleticism is awesome but with time, effort and dedication any one can develop high levels of skill and compete at a high level. If we break down the physical attributes into striking, wrestling and grappling these need to be trained equally in order to become a complete fighter. I do believe though that you have to concentrate a lot on the glue in the middle which is the wrestling and clinch. Without this whether you are a striker or grappler you can't dictate where the fight takes place!! I also believe this to be the most tiring of the 3 aspects, with striking and ground work you have time for a breather where as the wrestling and clinch side of things as neither competitor has established dominance yet you tend to find it is like to bulls butting heads!! Which brings us to breaking down the physical side of things into strength, power and fitness again these are all massively important and should be incorporated into the competitors training plan with a proper periodized program.

Martyn Cahill (MC):

There are many different kinds of fighters in terms of their physical and mental approach to the sport. Some people are very aggressive and rely more on their natural attributes, some are more technical and reserved. It is impossible to say which is better, in the end it is all down to the individual. I think perhaps the most successful fighters are those that manage to find the right balance for them between the two extremes.



What are the most important 3? How are they trained best?

GB:

The most important is what many people refer to as gameness. The ability to step up no matter how tough the situation seems. To a large degree this can't be trained, you either have it or you don't. You can toughen up training with hard sparring, but once you get in the cage it might not be there for you.
Second, I would say the ability to learn. We are involved in such a complicated sport; there is so much to learn. And things change in this sport quickly. If you can’t get up there and then keep yourself there, you will struggle. The coach has a responsibility in ensuring he adapts his approach to the needs of the athlete, but again largely a natural ability.
The third, I will say is the ability to listen under pressure. Being able to filter out useless information and listen to a game plan is much harder than people think. It is important to zone in on your coach's voice in training sessions through the sounds of other people training and through the bad music, so that it is natural in competition.
If you are looking for physical attributes in the list, there importance varies along with the style and approach of the fighter. Also, it seems like I am saying that the most important attributes are natural and can't be trained. Well that's why coaches have less to do with a fighter’s success than some make out. All we do is make sure they are ready to compete, set out an appropriate game plan, and adapt that game plan as necessary.

MT:

Difficult question to answer really as everyone is different. As a coach you need to assess each individual separately and decide what they need to work on to improve and reach the goals they are striving for!

MC:

For me the most important attributes are a good work ethic, creativity and mental fortitude. Things such as technique and conditioning can be worked on but I think the attributes I chose have to already be within a person. There are just some things that you can't coach; of course they can be encouraged.
Creativity for example is simply developed by providing the athlete with the correct tools. That is why I focus on fundamentals and the principles behind the techniques and that's one of the reasons our club is called The Labs!

Do you see MMA is a stand-alone sport or as a hybrid of individually trained arts?

GB:

I see it as a stand-alone sport. As much as I love BJJ or Boxing, the techniques have to be adapted for MMA. The best fighters don't flow between different arts, all of these "arts" exist at once. You can't throw a boxers left hook while adjusting your base to a wrestler's stance to level change for a double. Left hook to double just happens from 1 stance and is a standard movement in MMA.

MT:

I see MMA nowadays as a stand-alone sport. Yes it takes a lot of different things from a lot of different arts but they still have to be tweaked in order to use them within MMA. Striking for MMA, Wrestling for MMA and groundwork for MMA are different to any of the individual sports and have to be trained accordingly.

MC:

MMA is to some extent still a group of individually trained sports. You still see guys going to train in Thailand on their Muay Thai or working with a conventional boxing coach or wrestling coach. I'm sure lots of people will disagree with me but I generally do not like this approach. I just think that too many adjustments have to be made for these systems to then be reincorporated back into an individual’s game. I prefer to work on striking that is going to facilitate my grappling or grappling that is geared towards allowing me to strike effectively. The ultimate goal is to achieve seamless transitions between the three elements of stand-up, clinch and ground.

I take it you watch a lot of MMA. What impresses you in a fight?

GB:

I generally have the same view watching any sport. I am impressed with technical ability and tactical awareness. In that respect I like my MMA as I like my football.

MT:

I do watch a fair bit of MMA, what probably impresses me the most in a fight is a well-executed gameplan. I have seen fights won by guys that shouldn't have won by a very cleverly executed gameplan. It is something that can be under utilised by fighters so it is impressive to see a coach and fighter develop a plan that wins them a fight.

MC:

I get impressed in MMA by lots of things. The bravery and heart of a lot of these athletes is amazing. The amount of hard work and sacrifice they are willing to put into their preparation is second to none. I really appreciate a technical fight; I'm not a great fan of slugging it out.

How much of a role does diet play?

GB:

Diet is a major part of any fighter's success. Especially with the importance of weight cutting, and coming in as heavy as possible at the weight while maintaining optimum performance. Also, training day to day requires a focus on diet that most of us can't get close to.

MT:

Correct nutrition plays a massive role in your fighters conditioning it can have a massive impact improving their overall performance. I have spent a lot of time studying sports nutrition and it is something that I sit down with all my fighters and discuss, putting a proper plan in place. Nutrition is a subject all coaches and fighters should have knowledge of especially in a sport that is so heavily full of weight cutting, if this is done incorrectly it can have a very negative impact on your fighters performance and can be extremely dangerous.

MC:

First of all I'll say that I am not an expert in nutrition so my opinion is just that, an opinion. I imagine that diet plays a huge role in the preparation of any athlete. Not only for the repair and recovery of the body but also to maintain weight at a chosen level and to provide adequate energy during training. We have far more qualified people at our gym to discuss such matters so I will leave it to the experts.


Share with us a funny training anecdote or story.

GB:

Have you heard the one about the black belt and the trannie......lets leave that for another day.

MT:

Recently I brought my coach and good friend Aaron Chatfield in to teach a session on elbows. After demonstrating a technique he left the guys practicing, as they where doing this he was explaining how effective an accurate elbow can be and that it will slice you open like a razor. As this was occurring one of my students proceeded to miss the pad completely landing the elbow perfectly down the forehead of his partner slicing him open, this proceeded to piss blood all over the floor and his face my coach then turned around and said "See, Lethal!!". I had to take him home so that his wife could take him to hospital where he had to have 6 stitches to repair the damage.

MC:

Hmm nothing really springs to mind regarding a funny training anecdote. All the guys at the gym are really nice people, we all get on well and the atmosphere is very relaxed. People are constantly joking around and giving each other a hard time so it's hard to select on particular instance.


Finally, where and how can people get hold of you?

GB:

In the gym is the easiest place, alternatively my contact information is on the Predators website.

MT:

You can check out the clubs website and email me at matthew.thorpe@12gaugemma.com

MC:

Our BJJ-No gi-MMA classes are at the Labs – Fighting Fit Manchester. You can find us in city centre just down the road from the Urbis and Victoria train station. This is our Google-Map location and you can also find us on Facebook.

Once again, many thanks guys!



What an awesome bunch. If you are into MMA and you live in Manchester (or just visiting) then get in touch with Gavin, Matt or Martyn and drop down for a BJJ, No-Gi or MMA session or two. Who knows, you might even like it!

The Manchester MMA scene is in good hands.


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Describing What You Do: BJJ / Grappling Commitments

If you are employed in a job you may have a job description (JD) explaining what you have to do. It may or may not be very precise and detailed. An example is if you are a recptionist your JD could be:

 

It is essentially a practical method to communicate a shared understanding between you and your boss about:

• what your job is
• what you're expected to achieve
• where/how it relates to other jobs
• the character traits and skill sets you are expected to foster and develop though your job.

How does this then relate to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu / Grappling?

Well think about your training. Think about the amount of time, energy and money you invest in your sessions both on and off the mat.

What if I suggested that a similar summary can be drafted between you and your coach / instructor / gym owner? How would you approach that?

Are you in an honest relationship? Are you expecting things that your BJJ / Grappliong academy has no intention of delivering? Are they forthcoming about that or are they pretending to be all-things-to-all-people? Maybe you aspire to be a fearsome competitor but your academy focuses on Self-Defence. Maybe you want to learn how use BJJ in amateur, pro-am or even Pro-MMA. Does your academy have the right classes for you?

Here is a quick example based on how I feel as a BJJ player / Grappler at the LABS - FIGHTING FIT MANCHESTER:

Main Job Tasks and Responsibilities

• for every class I attend, show up early enough to be changed and ready on the mat exactly at start of the session
• always adhere to general rules of conduct and exhibit exemplary hygiene (person, personal equipment and any equipment I use)
• listen/watch/feel/train intently and with my best focus
• assist others to do the same (minimise distractions and wise-ass jokes!)
• direct any administrative queries to the gym owners (prices, gi purchase...etc.)
• pay my fees in a timely fashion

  

Education and Experience

• declare any conditions I may carry with me to the instructor (e.g. dodgy heart, blood pressure issues, skin infections...etc.)
• suitable skills for the class attended (don't attend an advanced class on your 4th visit and complain the pace was too fast!)

Key Competencies

• work on BJJ / Grappling related attributes (e.g. balance, weight management, flexability...etc.) in my own time
• gain a basic understanding of both exercise nutrition and recovery 

In short, I don't expect to work at weight management or flexibility at the BJJ / Grappling sessions. Neither do I expect the classes to be tailored around me and my needs. More importantly, I know my own needs and wants and suffer from no illusions between the two nor around them being my coaches' responsibility vs my own.

How do you view your relation with your academy and coaches? Also, how do you think they view you and their responsibilities towards you? Do the two match?

If they don't, WHATCHUGONNADO ABOUT IT?

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Saturday Morning Breakfast

I love fruit! Today's lovely breakfast is Galia Melon Juice and cheese-and-green-pepper on toast.

It takes 1-2 minutes to make and there is hardly any washing up to do.

Not to mention the amazing taste and the healthy BANG you give yourself :)


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Interview with Ste “Xanthic” Li - Sponsored by Primal Fitness and Proteins4U- Part II

Wow! What a fantastic response to part I of the interview with my friend and fellow blogger Stephen Li. If you liked that, you'll love this! Controversial advise on "gym-buddies" and "eating speed".

Ste, give us your top 5 tips for time-management (to fit exercise around life)
1. Find a gym close to work
2. Go immediately after work
3. Go alone - if you have a 'gym friend' there's more chance of you not going when they decide not to
4. Realise that it's an ongoing process - whether it be losing weight, training for a fight, training for fun. Getting better is a slow process, dont expect results straightaway. The sooner you realise that, the more staying power you'll have and the more you'll work at it to make it fit into your daily routine.
5. Get in, do what you do, get out. Simple.

Now let's balance that with what you consider the top time-thieves.
TV.
The evil TV. I have a TV in my place but I don’t have a TV licence. I watch DVDs and the same old sitcoms over and over again. I watch MMA fights and Top Gear. That's it. Don’t get swallowed up into the soap opera world. Why get involved with fictional drama when there's drama on the other side of the door?

Women.
I love women almost as much as I love food but unless they train/fight/compete too, they'll never understand why you spend hours upon hours a week rolling on the floor with another man. They'll TRY to understand but they never do. That's when they try and steal your time.

Mums.
When you move out and spread your wings, there is no better feeling than going back to your mum's and just sitting there chatting away with her and eating her food. I'll finish training early just to spend time with my mum. And my dad of course.

Internet.
Internet should be a religion/drug because everybody worships it and can never get enough.

Having a bath.
Sitting there in dirty water for 20 minutes when you can shower in 5.

Eating.
I eat slow but some people eat slower than me. Why do you need to take 40 minutes eating a burger? Just inhale the food and let's go.

Do you have any regrets?
Yes definitely. I wish I started BJJ/MMA earlier. A lot earlier. It plays such a huge part of my life that at this moment in time, I couldn’t imagine giving it up. It's helped me on so many levels, you wouldn’t believe. I reckon that if I hadn’t found SBG, I'd be in a whole lot of trouble right now.

Everything in life is much easier when you have the gym; real life seems easier than drilling takedowns, working for submissions and doing arduous Strength and Conditioning.

I might not be earning £50'000 a year with a nice car and nice apartment but I bet you I can double leg my bank manager.

Do you have any sponsors you'd like to give a shout out to?
Primal Fitness-Manchester is my only sponsor*. Simon and Fernando's sessions are killing me at the moment but I can feel it working. Definitely the 'go to' guys for conditioning. I've got to give Fighters Only Magazine a shout out for giving me that inside look at behind the scenes MMA. My blog, the SBG guys and Part Time Grappler.

Finally, why do you train? What drives you?
It's the only thing I've ever been good at. And failing at something that I've only ever been good at terrifies me. I've only ever been mediocre at things whether it be music, basketball, DIY but I'm a little past mediocre with this fighting malarkey so I want to ride this baby out.

*Ste contacted me a couple of days ago with the great news that he is now sponsored by not one but two companies: Exercise pioneers Primal Fitness and British supplement company Proteins4u. Fantastic news for Ste ahead of his upcomiong fight.

I thank Ste for giving me the time to interview him. My best wishes to him and his awesome sponsors Primal Fitness and Proteins4U and hope he'll learn to forgive me for using such a cheesy picture to conclude.

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Interview with Ste “Xanthic” Li - Sponsored by Primal Fitness and Proteins4U

I mentioned in a previous post that I'd be publishing an interview with my friend and fellow blogger Stephen Li. Ste contacted me a couple of days ago with the great news that he is now sponsored by not one but two Manchester companier: Exercise pioneers Primal Fitness and British supplement company Proteins4u. Fantastic news for Ste ahead of his upcomiong fight.

Here is part one of my interview with Stephen Li. I hope you enjoy it.

Why don't we start by you telling us a little about yourself?
I'm Stephen 'Dairy' Li, 24 years young, 74kgs, 30-inch waist, 42 chest and biceps so big that you can’t find anything big enough to measure them.

Are you currently working / studying? Is that Full time / Part time?
I work full time as an undercover SECRET agent for a SECRET society called "Men In Grey". I tell people I work at the General Medical Council as an admin assistant to mess with them.

You also set aside time to practice a sport. Which sport(s)?
I train in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), submission grappling and striking for MMA. I'd like to say MMA but the truth of it is I don’t. I train each component separately (like GSP, but I'm better looking). It's difficult for me to find anywhere to put them together at the moment.

How long have you done that?
Just under 3 years now consistently. I've been doing martial arts on and off but more off for the last 10 years. I started in 'traditional' Japanese Jiu Jitsu, did a little kickboxing and Muay Thai but never fully threw myself into it.

BJJ/MMA is where it's at. I went from doing nothing 3 years ago to doing 3 hour sessions every night. Just like that. Not only that but I was doing 3 hour sessions at a top gym. Not at a McDojo.

Do you follow any special diet? Do you use any Dietary Supplements?
I follow a strict diet of seafood. I see food and eat it. Oh man I love food. I'm not picky. I'd eat you if they cooked you right and served you with mayonnaise. On a real note, not anything too strict. I still eat what I want every now and again, I have a weakness for mash potato, roast potatoes, chocolate digestives and KFC. Oh and dim sum. But I try and steer clear of those as much as I can. I love potatoes. They're the most durable food ever. If I could only take one food thing on a desert island, it'd be the mighty potato.

Everybody knows what good food and bad food is, it's just staying away from it - that's what I do. Sometimes.

Supplements wise, I'll work whey protein into my diet (Many happy thanks to my sponsors Proteins4u.co.uk) when training for a competition to help with weight loss. I take fish oils and calcium tablets daily. I hate the taste of milk so the calcium helps. Coffee is a supplement. Black coffee, 4 times a day.

Ste modelling MMA techniques in lead global publication "Fighters Only"

How do you manage to fit your training around work, study and family time?
I make it fit. Although I'm quite lucky in that I can get along with most people so I don’t deem going to train as a laborious task. It's pure sweat, blood and tears but I go down there to see my friends also. In fact I don’t even see them as friends, I see them as fam. I have like 4 families, my blood family, my family of friends, my gym family and work family.

If you can't spare an hour of your time every day to do some form of exercise, there's something seriously wrong with you too.


Do you compete in your sport(s)? Have you won any competitions?
I compete every month or so in grappling competitions i.e Ground Control but no, not won anything! Not my weight category anyway.

I drew in 'fight' in my first 'fight' in Thailand and lost my second by way of bodyshot TKO. That wasn't nice.

What is the greatest thrill you have got out of practicing your sport?
Outworking my opponent/sparring partner is a massive ego boost! Not against a new person but someone at your level. When both people are evenly matched technique wise, work rate and conditioning will prevail.

My BIGGEST most unrivalled thrills are watching my team-mates (current and ex) fight and compete.

Stay tuned for part II of this interview.

In the meantime, watch the Gracie Brothers Rener and Ryron breakdown of the Lesnar vs. Carwin fight!

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BJJ / Grappling and Weight Loss Training Tips

Above are my figures as of today, 2 days ahead of the Manchester Open.

Don’t get me wrong; I have not been loosing weight specifically for this event, but rather for the long-term health of my joints and internal systems. I don’t consider myself heavy, but I strongly believe that the less you weigh within healthy parameters the better. There is a lot of research to support that but I just think that it makes sense.

This all started on the 1st of January 2010. I weighed 89kg and felt that I was taking a long time to recover from the weekly BJJ / Grappling sessions. I researched recovery and and found out a lot about rest, protein, carbs, creatine…etc. But everywhere I looked, weight a healthy little was often looked more favourable upon than weighing a healthy lot. That, combined with the Warrior Diet that I’d been following for a few months then, lead me to make a few small changes in my life. I didn’t want to go on a short-term diet or exercise plan. I wanted to take it very slow. Unnoticeably slow. In fact, so slow that I wouldn’t even notice it and therefore not look forward to it finishing (which is the culprit of every short-term diet!)

So what did I do?

-I only ate food that tasted really well.
-I stopped eating crap
-Following the Warrior Diet, I ate fruit and veg thru-out the day* and one meal at night
-I drank lots of water, tea and coffee
-I consumed lots of smoothies. Always homemade.
-I consumed lots of fruit juices. Always, always homemade.
-I used my lunch period at work to burn 300 kcal. 5 times a week. Every week.
-Every time I went to the gym, I recorded my weight and my Body Fat% and kept it on an Excel spreadsheet – without judging it!

I noticed that I was getting results but, as I said above, I didn’t want to judge it. Apart from running a column for the actual figures, I also ran a separate one that gave me averages. So if on day one I had 14kg of fat and on day two I had 14.9, the average would be 14.95…and so on. I did this because my training in Statistics told me that while figures can lie short-term, averages seldom do in the long term. Also, it gave me great consolation around e.g. Valentine’s day when my body fat weight got stuck (or even went up!) by thankfully the average kept creeping down. It was more forgiving and reminded me that a day or two are not the end of the world!

With the gi, I weight about 84kg, which puts me in Medium Heavy (81-87kg). Oh well. It’s all fun and games.

Have a great weekend and if you’re attending the Manchester Open, come by and say hi.

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The Part Time Grappler Interviews Hillary Williams

Hillary Williams is an awesome and well-decorated BJJ brown belt and no-gi grappler. I first heard about her thru fellow blogger Georgette Oden (featured above in Hillary's closed guard) and, after hearing her on her recent Fightworks Podcast interview, I couldn't resist but to attempt to interview her for this blog. After all, she's just come back from Abu Dhabi Pro!

Busy as she is (which becomes evident in the interview) she kindly took the time to sit down and answer my questions. Many thanks Hillary and all my best wishes. I hope all the readers will both enjoy and learn from this interview. She is a true Part Time Grappler!

Hillary Willams:


Hello. Why don't we start by you telling us a little about yourself?

I'm a 21-year-old Arkansan, fully trained in domestic duties, an avid horseback rider, and aspiring BJJ champion.

Are you currently working / studying? Is that Full time / Part time?

I'm a fully time student in the Honors College at University of Central Arkansas, where I'm on track to finish my undergrad in Biology (pre-med) next spring. I love it, it's a good sized university at about 12,000, so enough to feel like I'm at college but few enough to let me get away and study when I need to. When I need to "work," it's just here and there things, mostly artwork to make some money on the side.


You also set aside time to practice a sport. Which sport(s)?

In high school, I played volleyball, softball, soccer, golf, and trained horses (in dressage) while studying, and I picked up Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at the beginning of my senior year. Once I hit college I dropped all the other sports to really focus on BJJ, and it's been a great decision. I'm really able to train hard and travel quite a bit to train.

How long have you done that?

My Jiu Jitsu anniversary is in June, so once Worlds rolls around it'll be four years. As much as I've trained and traveled, it seems like so much longer, but at the same time I feel very new in the sport. The fact that I get an email to answer questions about BJJ still astounds me, hahah.


Do you follow any special diet? Do you use any Dietary Supplements?

Not particularly special, just careful. When competition season is around, I focus on a lot of veggies and a lot of protein. Clean eating, not particularly a special diet, is what I focus on. And it makes me feel better when I train. As far as supplements, I don't take any. I would but I don't know that much about them, and I don't have a supplement sponsor, so both ignorance and lack of funds is preventing that.


How do you manage to fit your training around work, study and family time?

Very carefully, hahah. I have a very strict, set routine. It's train, study, train, study. Most of the art pieces I produce are products of insomnia so the time just kind of creates itself. I just have to be very careful. I can't go to a party, I can't waste large blocks of time, I just have to hustle from the gym back to my room and use all the time on airplanes that I have to study. I like being busy, actually. I always have been, and having nothing to do makes me very antsy.


Do you compete in your sport(s)? Have you won any competitions?

Absolutely, I compete at least once a month. I've placed first at the Pan Ams in my division six times (white belt gi, blue belt gi, purple belt gi, purple belt gi absolute, purple belt nogi, brown/black belt gi) and five at the World Championships (purple belt gi IBJJF, purple belt gi CBJJE, purple belt gi absolute CBJJE, brown/black nogi IBJJF, brown/black nogi absolute IBJJF). I also took two bronzes at ADCC and World Pro BJJ, in Barcelona, Spain, and Abu Dhabi, UAE, respectively.

What is the greatest thrill you have got out of practicing your sport?

The first time I stepped on the mat to compete at ADCC was a feeling I can never explain...I was so shocked to be there, to be at the most prestigious grappling tournament in the world and to be competing at it. I was sharing the same mats with legends of the sport and people were watching ME. It was unbelievable, and very surreal.


Give us your top 5 tips for time-management (to fit exercise around life)

1) Eat on the run. One thing that helps me eat well and save time is to have pre-prepared meals at set sizes. That way, I only have the certain amount allotted (no time for seconds or desert!) and I can grab it quickly on the way to the gym without having to stop and wait in a drive thru or anything unhealthy.

2) Multitask. If I have to get a chapter of reading done, I do it on the treadmill or the elliptical. That way, I get my work done, and I don't focus on being tired, I'm focusing on the book. It really helps me double task.

3) To-do Lists. I love marking off tasks on a to do list and it keeps me bouncing from one task to another throughout the day.

4) Ration phone calls. I usually only make phone calls when I'm in situations where I can't be doing anything else. For me, this is walking to classes. If I need to call, I do it when I can't be studying or training, I do it when I'm on the way. Try to never, or rarely, make phone calls when you're capable of doing something else.

5) Drop the unnecessary tasks. There are lots of little things we think we can do that we don't need to do. Don't be afraid to just say no to something.

Now let's balance that with what you consider the top time-thieves.

1) TV.

2) Video games.

3) Procrastination (to-do lists kill this).

4) Internet.

5) Phone.

Essentially? Technology. I try to do all my work and studying the old fashioned pen and paper way, if not there's too much temptation. Also, you get comfortable. You can't just drop down on the couch to watch TV then honestly think you're gonna get up to work out in 20 minutes. It's hard.


Do you have any regrets?

None. I love my life and everyone in it, every mistake has been a lesson to get me where I'm at now.


Any great sponsors you want to give a shout-out to?

MTX Audio for being the most supportive sponsor ever and revolutionizing the lives of so many athletes, Koral Fight Co for making the best gear in the business, and Team Zipplokk for always being by my side. Can't forget my boys at Westside MMA for pushing me every day.


Finally, why do you train? What drives you?

I train because it makes sense. I don't have to push myself to train, it's something that I want to do every day and I feel very lost if I don't go to the gym. It never the same. Each day, there is something new to learn, something new to discover, and some new situation you're going to be put in. That dynamic characteristic keeps me going back.


What a great attitude! Once again, many thanks to Hillary Williams for granting me this interview and all the best wishes in her sportive and academic career. I have no doubt that we will continue to hear more great news from her. Her journey has just begun.

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Grappling / BJJ Food and Nutrition Tips

Whata to eata?!

I personally have been massively enjoying the The Warrior Diet
for the past few months but I never stop updating my knowledge. I recently discovered this fantastic resource of recipes. Feel free to download it for free. It's not mine but rather belongs to a Mr Billy Ho. Why not check it out. It will definitely enrich your library.


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Training Tips: When Too Busy for BJJ / Grappling, Do Something!!

The whole idea with this blog is to give us Part Time Grapplers hope when time seems to get scarce. Lately, I have been completely swamped under with Uni assignments and exam preparations, not to mention work. This has meant that BJJ / Grappling has had to take a back seat and I have learnt that’s OK. But what-a-to-do?

Well, the best way to improve at BJJ / Grappling is to actually do it. Technique sessions, light rolling, competitive rolling…etc. AKA Mat-time!

But when you can’t get enough mat-time I find that following to be a golden rule:

Doing Something is Much Much Better than doing Nothing
Blaming never gets anyone anywhere good in a hurry.

As you may have read before, I have developed an interest in CrossFit. I have toyed with posting my daily workouts here but didn’t want it to become a chore, nor do I want this blog to turn into “Look-at-what-Liam-Can/Can’t-Do” but I think it would help those of us who think there aren’t enough hours in the day to see what I get up to and how I fit (or try to fit) everything together:

Average Weekday (this is only typical for when Uni takes over my life):

6.00 Wake up
7.30 At work, in one of our empty meeting rooms, coffee in one hand, Uni book in other hand
8.30 Time for Breakfast (On The Warrior Diet, this is 2 pieces of fruit, 1 pot of Yogurt and Water and tea.
8.45 At my desk, ready to start the day
12.30 Hit the gym at work to do WOD* (Workout Of the Day. Not my lingo!)
1.15 Showered and back at my desk
5.00 Leave home
7.00 Rested and (very well-) fed and ready to study some more
9.30 Time to call it a day. Spend some time with my wife.
10.00 – 10.30 In bed. Lala Land!
Lather, rinse and repeat Monday – Friday, with one session of BJJ / Grappling squashed in here or there. Intense periods like this seldom last for more than 3-4 weeks and can actually do your brain and body good by giving them a different feed.

Click on the envelope to the right and let me know what you all think

*Today’s WOD was:

1. Warm up
2. 1000 meter row on the Concept II (level 6, 3.51min)
3. KB Snatches (40 reps) (20/arm)
4. Pull-ups (Max reps) (14 reps)
5. Stretches

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BJJ Nutrition Tip: The Warrior Diet: How to Fit Your Diet Around BJJ / Grappling

I received a question from Marc in France (Once again, many thanks for reading the blog!). It was regarding an earlier post of mine about supplementing with creatine . I have replied to Marc’s specific question but it reminded me to give an update on my (always evolving) training, diet and supplementation.

As much as I love training with Kettlebells, I am constantly looking for new ways to get an edge over those who have more time to train than I do. Thanks to a small competition by the gym instructor at work, I discovered the rowing machine! I've always known that rowing is a great sport and form of exercise, but never thought much about indoor rowing. Now I do interval training on the rower as I feel the use or your body is very similar to that in Grappling / BJJ. More about that in a future post.

Further, as I am faced with accumulating uni work, I have scaled down my Grappling training for this and next week down to Fridays only. Added to that, I am on the rower 3 mornings a week before work. As the workload on my body is lower, so is the need for recovery assistance (i.e. creatine). I have now stopped using creatine but will probably get back on it when back to my usual sessions.

The biggest change I have added is that I am now following something called the The Warrior Diet. I can’t remember how I stumbled upon it, but I liked the initial idea and went to Waterstones and checked the book out. The basic concept is that warriors of old used to eat one meal a day* and the author of the book, Ori Hofmekler, feels that we should revert back to that way of eating/living. I thought to myself: “I’ll try this for a week or two. If my body likes it then I’ll invest in the book”.

5 days later I was feeling such a difference I went back and bought it and I’m now an avid follower. I love the The Warrior Diet for the following 6 reasons:

1. I eat my 5-a-day before 6 o’clock every day.
2. My stomach and alimentary canal feel great.
3. I feel lighter and more energised.
4. The hunger actually keeps me sharp.
5. I’m losing weight without really trying.
6. I get to eat anything I want for dinner. Anything. Everyday. Need I say more?!

I strongly recommend everybody to read the The Warrior Diet. Ori is a wise man and there is a wealth of information in the book. Not just about diet, but health, history and physiology. Besides, when a book opens up with comments by Pavel Tsatsouline and Steve and DC Maxwell, you better believe it’s worth a read.

Check it out and let me know.

*Apart from your evening meal, you can eat fresh fruit and vegetables (and some yogurt) thru-out the day.


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