VIVA LAS VEGAS pt 3

So it's been about a month or so since I posted and once again ( like always I'm back!) .  Technically speaking I never left, but during my injury time I just wanted to focus on getting to the next step aka moving to VEGAS!  It's been a little over a week since I arrived and I'm really just looking for a job each day and working out.  I haven't joined a new gym yet since I'm trying to get back in shape after the two month lay off, but in a week or two I should be able to hit the mats somewhere.  Either way I'll keep you updating as things progress!! PS 36 hours of driving from MD to NV was completely worth it, but F..UGE doing it again anytime soon!

Read more »

Ninja Skills Pt. 1: TORNNNNNAAAADOOOOOO KICKKKKK!!

For the record I couldn't do this a month or two ago.  I saw it on Youtube and three days later I was a Super Saiyajin.  REAL TALK PLAYA!!

Read more »

Life Grind.

So it's been a little while since I've really posted,  but I needed to get back into the real life routine so blogging took the back seat for awhile.  Anyways I came back and went right to Ground Control.  I went eight days straight in the gym with two practices one day before taking a day off.  It was nice seeing all familiar faces in practice again since I was completely on my own for a month at Drysdale's and Wand's.  Past that I'm still trying to figure out my living situation.  This is the month to decide if I'm moving to Vegas or moving within MD.  I really wanna stretch my wings and experience a completely different lifestyle than what I'm used to, but it's kinda across the country. That's a wholeeeeeee country between everyone I know and Everything I'm used to including having a mom. I'm a mama's boy at heart and I realized that even though she nags and whines most of the day I kinda don't mind it.  Trust me I don't want to be a 30 year old Oedipus leaving at home, but after 22 years what can I say the old lady grew on me. Moving to Vegas would probably mean only seeing her twice a year and possibly seeing people I know from MD even less.  I'm weighing my options and ironing out all the details, but I'll keep you all posted when I know more for sure.

Read more »

WAND GOODIES.

Wanderlei Silva's MMA!

Outside in the Parking Lot.

They even have a store, but you can't see it.

One Of The Essentials.

They pretty much have a WHOLE gym inside their gym.

Hanging Bag Area.

Full Cage.

Wand's Art Side

Also Wand's Art Side??

Read more »

Recap.

So I've been dead over the past few days.  Last night I sparred with am/pro Muay Thai fighters and that was a humbling experience to say the least.  I  definitely showed my skill and showed even more heart, but some of these guys ran through me. We did 12 3 min rounds with 45 second breaks in between switching partners each round.  That's 36 min of straight Thai with barely any down time.  Sometimes I was really on the ropes just taking shots trying to weave in and out only to have my legs kicked from under me. It's give and take each day out here, but it keeps me hungry.  On top of that I've had a lot of internet problems so I haven't been able to get on or post videos  (really slow connection).  Anyways that was last night, but the night before that I went to Wanderlei Silva's gyms and it was AMAZING.  Their instruction was quality and their facility was the best gym I've seen.  They had an area for BJJ, Muay Thai, weights ( like a full on gym), a full size cage , an altitude training room and a PING PONG TABLE!!! Wow that's a mouth full and yes I'm still pumped about the Ping Pong table! It happens to be something a really enjoy and also something I don't get to do that often.  Anyways I met some really cool people out there including some of their fighters and they had nothing, but great things to say about Wand and his program.  The only thing that was missing was WAND!  It's a 20 dollar cab ride and a 25 dollar mat fee so it's almost fifty bucks to train for a day so hopefully next time he'll be there.  Anyways one of my best friends Kim arrived in Vegas Yesterday and we were supposed to go to Vegas in August, but she couldn't make it so it's been a few months in the making.  A guy who I train with (Topaz) is also out here training so hopefully I'll be able to get up with him too.  I would add some pictures of his gym and vegas, but the internet is about to die on me again so I guess I owe you one.

Read more »

Finally made it to Wanderlei's!

Too lazy/tired to update since I just got outta practice, but it was tight and I'll update tomorrow some pictures and ish.

Read more »

Just Mentioning.

Robert Drysdale's wife was teaching a BJJ class tonight...PREGNANT! Not even kinda pregnant I'm talking REALLY pregnant. Let me say for the record, that's my kind of woman.

Read more »

At least it's not Herpes.

Ok so I know this post isn't gonna get me any female fans, BUT I told you in my first post that I was gonna take you all along for the ride and guess what THIS is apart of the ride.... RINGWORM!!!!!! Yeah I'm aware I could also use some lotion, but I just got out the shower so get off my case! And just because I got the "worm" doesn't mean I'm not clean. Welll it does and it doesn't. Seriously I shower after morning classes, night classes and whenever I go out to run or workout. I'm really thinking it's all because of my shower gel. I KNEW something was sketchy about a 3 in 1 wash(shampoo,conditioner, and body wash), but I figured cutting cost and saving money was the way to go... lesson learned not with soap.

Read more »

Speed Bump Redux!

Have you ever taken a shot to the nads only to get up and take repeat shot to the nads?? Well that was my day today! To start things off there was that training camp shenanigans and then to cap it off I missed Muay Thai tonight. When I walked in I was wondering why they started class early so I rushed to get my stuff on and this whole time I'm unaware that I'm being stared at (the new kid walks in and starts to strap up 5 min before the place closes..if you can't tell I'm slowly starting to look more and more retarded as things pan out). So right as I'm about to warm up the instructor asked me what I was planning on doing in the 5 min I had left and what time I thought it was. At first I was confused, but then It all clicked and I slowly started to realize that me and my roommates forgot to change the time for every single clock in the apartment. To sum it all up today was a complete waste of training minus my morning run. I only have 17 days left so I gotta make em count from here on out.

Read more »

Speed Bump.

So today was gonna be my first time back at Drysdale's since I got sick, but when I got there I found out there was a schedule change. That wasn't really an issue, but what was the issue was that the class that's been thrown in there is 300 DOLLARS! When I signed up they failed to tell me that in the third week of March there would be an overly expensive Pan Am Games Training Camp! Hell That's what the new name could be, An Overly Exspensive Pan Am Games Training Camp or 2 Arm's and a Leg Training Camp. I sure either would work just fine, but the second one has such a nice flow to it. I'm even positive Rumpelstiltskin has better deals than that! Anyways I can still get in a lot of Muy thai and I guess just less BJJ this week unless I finally decide to hop on the bus and go to Tapout or Wanderlei's gym. Who know's, but sorry about the rant...Here's the schedule I know it's hard to read but I normally can go to Gi BJJ, No Gi BJJ and Muay Thai in the mornings and then at night time it alternates between Gi and No Gi (Muay Thai every night. There's also only morning classes Saturday and the gym's closed Sunday). Now that this camp's going on it knocks out one morning class a day and all BJJ night classes.

Read more »

F'ing Wiley Coyote.

So I thought I was done posting for the day until I rolled with this 17 year old at practice tonight. I already had rolled with a few people this session and earlier in the day so I was content to coast through the round and head home. Unfortunately for me he didn't have the same idea.  He was a wiley lil MF'er, but I figured I'd let him work his moves.  So being the wiley character  that he his he throws a quick triangle lock around my head, but I didn't panic. I calmly went about my triangle choke defense till I realized this MOTHERFUCKER IS REALLY TRYING TO TAP ME OUT!!!  For everyone who hasn't done BJJ before when  someone really locks in a triangle choke deep counter or no counter the bitch is deep and you have a few seconds before you're unconscious. I tapped... I'm not proud to admit a young'n caught me, but I will say I tore that ass up afterward!

Read more »

Drysdale Jiu Jitsu.

Drysdale LV Banner.

I'm actually cutting off a good portion of their gym so this makes it look a lot smaller.

Muay Thai Area.

Read more »

Iron Chef.

 

This isn't a food blog or anything like that, but I feel that what I eat can also be apart of the adventure too. Fun Fact: I eat rice everyday. I make at least one pot each day and if I'm feeling especially Asian I make two.  Tonight's dinner was pretty damn good for what limited supplies I had and sorry about the quick cut off at the end I had to flip my eggs. 

Rice, Fried Eggs, Onions and Green Peppers.

Quick News
- Started Muay Thai training w/ Forrest Griffin's Muay Thai Coach Mark Beecher
- Signed Up with Drysdale Jiu Jitsu so I guess that's my new home away from home

Read more »

Finally some Jitsu!

Drysdale Jiu-Jitsu

So I wanted to take it easy my first full day in Vegas, but by the second day I was getting antsy. For anyone who hasn't done Brazilian Jiu Jitsu it's highly addictive and will consume most of your daily thought process when you're not doing it.  Anyways I got their schedule the night before while on a jog and prepared to be the new kid at school again. I got lost on the way there and found 20 bucks in a fast food parking lot so even if I got my ass kicked I was 20 bucks richer (yes, the glass is half full).  I finally got to the school and I introduced myself to a black belt from Hawaii named Sonny (who also looked like Ruffio striped hair included) and we started class. I'm always excited to roll with new people, but you don't want to be over excited and come off as cocky or overconfident. So I started off a little hesitant,but tried to stay open and fluid with my moves.  By the end of our 3 hours (90 min no gi, 90 min gi) I earned everyone's respect including Sonny's and a handful of upper belts.  After giving and taking some bumps and bruises I headed home home to rest.  I was physically beat and the three hour time difference had been affecting my sleep so I took a much needed nap.  Around six thirty I headed back to roll again. This time I was a little more confident and started working my moves, but once again it was a fair exchange of ass whoopin's. If I thought I was tired before I had no Idea because after a total of four hours of rolling over the course of the day I was DEAD.

 Robert Drysdale and I.

Read more »

After Traveling and My first Night.

So I finally arrived in Las Vegas after 8 hours of traveling/ layovers...Am I thankful, of course. Was it it smooth, no, but who's keeping track.  I went to dinner with my Aunt Brenda and talked about my pursuit of happiness. That's what I'm calling this trip and what i do from here on out in life.  It's definitely not conventional to take time off from school to pursue mixed martial arts, but it makes me happy.  It's what gets me up in the morning, it's what I think about during the day, and its what I dream about at night. It's my driving force to say the least.  If you had the chance to possibly get paid to do what you love what would you do for it? 

PS- By not smooth I mean that I left my phone on the east coast before I got on a plane headed for the west coast....

Read more »

In The AM Before Vegas.

Read more »