My ADCC Experience Pt. 2

My next match was against Bruno Bastos. I have been very familiar with Bruno for a long time and I knew a lot about his game. We are the same size and we both compete a lot, so I knew it would be a matter of time before I would eventually face him. Xande won his next match and Saulo came back just in time to coach me. I felt really good going into my second match and I was very excited to get the win and make it to the semi-finals in ADCC for the first time. Bruno and I started off looking for angles on the feet. He attempted one of his famous flying arm locks, which I anticipated, and I was in his guard for just a minute before he stood back up. We were back on the feet and then I pulled guard. For most of the regulation period I attacked from my guard. I was attempting many omo-platas and sweeps, but I was unable to score on him. He did a very good job of being safe without getting called for stalling, I was doing everything I could to try to make him receive a negative point. With about a minute left in regulation, I stood back up with him and went into wrestling mode exactly the way we trained in our camp. Bruno attempted a shot which I defended using the whizzer and we went out of bounds. Back to the middle and Bruno shot in again. This time I was able to pummel in an under hook and I made it behind him with the body lock. I just started to get hungry to try and take his back, but he was very smart and he dropped completely to his knees to defend. He balled up well and right when I was getting set to look for hooks, regulation was up, time for my first OT at ADCC. I was so calm going into the OT. We trained so many OT rounds in our camp that it was just routine to go an extra five minutes. I wanted to start off aggressive, so I immediately started looking for take-downs. We eventually ended up in a pummeling position and I was able to hit a lateral drop. That was a take-down that I was using a lot in the training and I knew it would be a good take-down to use for ADCC, because it lands in a position where you can keep the guy from turning to his knees to avoid points. I got my two points and I felt a rush of excitement, I had this match as long as I kept my pressure on and played smart. Bruno began using his very smooth half guard to look for ways to sweep me. I was staying out of danger, but I was trying to keep a decent amount of pressure on him as well to not allow him to gain momentum. In the course of him trying to get underneath me, I was able to gain a front head lock control which I used to set up the Darce/Brabo choke. I was able to get it locked up and with less than a minute left, I got the submission. Immediately I had a rush of emotions, I was pumped! The first day was done for me, I made it to the final four! I was very excited, but I didn't think about it too much yet, because we still had teammates who had matches.

As I was walking back to the warm up area, I caught the end of the Kron vs Marcelo match. I saw the end of the regulation when Kron almost got to Marcelo's back and I got very excited for Kron. I was getting filled in on how the match was going up to that point and everyone was telling me that it was very even. In overtime Marcelo was able to get the upper-hand on Kron, but I was still very impressed with Kron's performance. That was only Kron's 2nd no-gi event ever and he was able to do very well with the much more experienced Marcelo. I went back out to coach Rader against Mendes. They had competed against each other before at the 2008 No-Gi Worlds and we knew that it was a matter of time before they would meet again. Rader did very well with Rafael the first time they met, staying ahead of Rafael on points most of the match until Rafael was able to take his back and get the submission. Unfortunately for Rader, Rafael was dead on that weekend and he was able to get a step ahead of Rader right away and lock up a choke. Lastly, Rani defeated Glover by points and our day was done. Saulo, Xande, Rani, Penny, and I all made it to the final four and Kron and Rader put on impressive performances for the first time at ADCC.

I had so much fun that day. Five out of seven of us made it to the final four. We were all very relaxed and we were enjoying ourselves even in the heat of battle. Pretty much everything had gone as planned, and we could all feel how well prepared we were. The rest of that evening I ate and relaxed and I had a positive vibe for the next day. I had Braulio in the semifinals. This would mark the fourth time I have faced Braulio. Braulio beat me in our previous meetings and I was anxious to have another chance at him.

Sunday morning came and all I could think about was "This is my day." I had a nice breakfast and I even had a special visitor at my table for breakfast. Braulio stopped by my table and we wished each other our best and we began to talk a little bit. He ended up sitting down at my table for a little while and we talked about our matches from Saturday. After talking for a few minutes, we wished each other good luck and he went back to his table. I have known Braulio for a long time, in fact we used to train together some back when we were brown belts. He is a very nice guy and very professional, so it isn't weird for us to talk and be friends when we are not on the mat against each other. I got back to the event and went back to our warm-up mat from yesterday and we proceeded to do our routine once again. I was going out to coach Saulo against Werdum, so I got nice and loose before Saulo needed me. Saulo had a tough match against Werdum, that went to two overtimes. Werdum won the decision, which I thought he deserved, but it was very close. I immediately returned my focus to my match with Braulio. I got another little warm-up as I peaked occasionally to watch Xande vs Pezao. Xande beat Pezao on my points and then it was my turn.

I didn't have to much of a strategy for Braulio. I know his game very well and I know how he likes to move. I just wanted to try and get my game going right away and let him know that I was prepared for a war, and I expected to have one. The match starts out with both of us feeling each other out on the feet. He eventually jumped guard, looking to close it right away. As I defended against the closed guard, he was able to lock his guard around my legs and go for a sweep. I didn't mind getting swept since there were no points yet, so I took the sweep to look for his leg. He came up and defended against the leg lock attempt. He is back in my guard starting his knee in the middle passing game. He came in with his knee hard and I spun underneath him to look for his back or a sweep (similar to Cyborg). He then went for my leg to defend against that position. I defended my leg and he is back in my guard. Everything was very fast paced and aggressive, which is exactly how I like to play. I was feeling great and things were going exactly how I had imagined it, then everything changed in an instant. Braulio is still in my guard working his passing. I knew that he likes the straight ankle lock, him and his brother both go for them a lot. His final with Xande from 2007, had a lot of ankle lock attempts, so I was prepared for him to go for my foot, but nothing like what happened. Braulio locked his arms similar to an RNC around my ankle, but my foot was not in his arm-pit it was against his ribs. I didn't feel any danger and as he proceeded to sit back, I thought no way is he going to get my leg like that. A second later, my foot snapped three times. My foot was stuck against his ribs and he twisted to his side and applied pressure in a way that I had never felt before. I didn't feel any pain before he locked it, it just snapped in an instant, and I verbally tapped. My ankle immediately started to swell up and it felt like it was on fire. Braulio did his celebration, but when he realized I was hurt badly he checked on me and apologized. I had to have Saulo help carry me back to the warm up area. I started icing it right away and I started to think about how I lost. It was easy & hard to deal with all at the same time. I was upset that I got caught and didn't even see it coming, but I was also content because I didn't feel like I made a big mistake or anything. He just got it in a way that had never been done to me before. A few minutes after I made it back to the warm-up area, Rani came back holding his arm, showing signs of pain. Cobrinha came rushing back to him, offering him help and apologizing for hurting his arm. I didn't know what had happened until Rader told me, I couldn't believe that we had both just gotten hurt. At least we were injured by classy competitors, like Braulio and Cobrinha. I spoke to Braulio back in the warm up area. He was very nice, I told him not to feel bad, it is all apart of the game. I wished him luck for the final and I asked him what he did to me. He said that it wasn't how he planned it either, but he felt my leg was caught against his body and he just went with it. Now I had to figure out what I was going to do about my third place match.

Nobody thought I was going to be able to do my third place match. After icing my ankle for a while, I got back up and tested it out. It was hurt pretty bad, but I was able to put some weight on my heel and limp around a little bit. I didn't want to get that far and then have my name erased from history, which is what would have happened if I pulled out and let Bruno Bastos back in. So, I talked to David Avellan and told him I wasn't going to pull out and he said that he wouldn't destroy my leg if he managed to get it. This was the hardest part to deal with. I could deal with losing, I could deal with getting hurt, but I couldn't deal with not being able to go out there and do my best. I basically limped onto the mat, I sat to guard, moved around as much as I could and when David went for my leg, I had to give up immediately. I know that David didn't like to win that way either. We know how tough the other is, because we had an hour long match four years ago that neither one of us were going to give up on. I wish we would've had another war and maybe I could have made it to the podium or maybe not, but at least I would have had the opportunity to give it my best shot.

I spent the rest of the day at the tournament icing my foot and watching the awesome matches. I got to see Saulo officially retire from professional competition, Werdum and Cyborg do a great final, Xande play a smart game and win his second title with energy to spare, Braulio submit Andre Galvao with a crazy reverse triangle, Papovitch finally get a hard earned win over Marcelo, and I also got to watch with amazement, as Rafael Mendes and Cobrinha put themselves in the craziest positions and do a beautiful match. Then it was time for the absolute.

During our training camp, we all had our personal missions that we were working towards fulfilling. For myself, it was to get my first ADCC title. Saulo was going to win his third title against the big boys. Kron was going to be the new champion of the division. Rader & Rani were going to do an awesome final and for Xande, it was all about winning his second title and becoming absolute champion, like he has done in every other tournament. By the time the absolute had made it to the semi finals, it was clear that Xande and Braulio were going to be in the final. Braulio showed he was having one of those great days after he beat Marcelo soundly and Xande was on his path after beating Galvao. Then Xande submitted the big surprise of the absolute, Gunnar Nelson, and Braulio beat Pezao by points. The moment had arrived, Xande was there, exactly what we had trained for. Within a couple minutes of the final, Braulio had managed to find the reverse triangle again, this time on Xande. Xande had great defense and was able to get his hand in front of Braulio's leg to give him space. After a couple of minutes, Xande was able to free himself and he was back in Braulio's guard. Xande began putting pressure on Braulio and as he was pummeling inside to Braulio's half-guard, Xande grimaced and made a sound of pain. It was over! Xande got hurt too. I had no idea what happened until I was able to talk to Xande about it. I felt so bad for Xande, he was there and he wasn't able to complete the match. He was the third one of us to get injured that day and Kron hurt his knee with Marcelo the day before. After such a great start, we all ended up getting injured. Xande was upset of course, but he handled it well. It just wasn't his day and it was definitely Braulio's.

Back at the hotel I wasn't going to let my injury keep me from enjoying myself a little bit. The hotel lobby had a bar and there was a big group of competitors there unwinding from the tournament. Some of them had plans to go out, others were just going to stay at the hotel bar all night. I couldn't really get around too well, so I was hanging out at the hotel all night. I got to talk to Roberto "Cyborg" and Romulo a little bit. I have faced both of them in the past and it was nice to get to talk to them a little bit. They are both very cool and humble. I also got to talk to Saulo and Xande about the weekend. They were both in good spirits and trying to have themselves a good time. I always enjoy hanging out with my training partners and teammates after a tournament. After weeks of sweat, pain, and trying to kill each other, it is nice to be stress free and have a good time with your close friends. Braulio stopped by the bar for a little while and Xande and I gave him a hard time for injuring us. I also got to hang out with Jeff Curran and Joel Tuder for the first time, they are both very cool. Glover provided a lot of entertainment and at the end of the night, I got to hear some crazy stories from Mike Fowler about Japan, movie-like stories that you wouldn't believe. All in all it was a great night and a great experience. Sure it didn't end the way I had hoped, but I can look back at it and know that I gave everything I had in the training and in the competition. I also got to travel to Europe and have a great time with my friends, training partners, and other competitors.

I want to thank all of you that supported me during my training and sent me good luck messages. I would also like to thank my European fans who said hello and gave me compliments about my blog. Also, I want to thank Saulo, Xande, Steve Maxwell, and everyone at the University of Jiu-Jitsu for the awesome training. All my students at home for their support and patience while I was gone. My sponsors, Tapout, OTM, Lucky Gi, and Nutrient Technologies for all their help. I would also like to give a special thanks to my fiance, who was behind me every step of the way and allowed me to have 100% concentration on this event. I hope everyone has enjoyed my story. Sorry, again, for taking so long to write it.

My ADCC Experience Pt. 1

Well, it's been a month since ADCC. I apologize for not posting this sooner, but ever since I have been back in town I have been very busy with my academy and life in general. Fortunately, my experience is still very fresh in my mind and I took some notes to help me remember some key points. Here is my story:

I arrived in Barcelona on Thursday afternoon. After I got checked in to the hotel, I took about a five hour nap. I was really tired from my flight. I'm a very light sleeper and my size and length make it impossible for me to get comfortable enough to sleep on an airplane. After the long nap, Rader and I went across the street to eat and we met up with Saulo, Xande, and Kron. I was right on weight so I had some Salmon and a protein bar and shake for dinner. The mood was great, we were so happy to be in Barcelona knowing that we were going to get to put our training to use very soon. After dinner, we went back to the hotel and we were excited to see that the brackets had been made. I had Tom Lawlor first round and the winner of Jorge Santiago and Bruno Bastos second round. Besides for them, Braulio was on my side and the other side was put together very well. I was very happy with the bracket and I was excited to go against some people I had never gone against before. After checking out the brackets, I got in the sauna at the hotel for a little bit and I stretched a lot. I wanted to sweat off the jet lag and loosen my body up. The fitness center & sauna was packed full of competitors. I was in the sauna with Tarsis, Jorge Santiago, and Bruno Bastos who were all in my division. We all talked a little bit. I hung out in the fitness center for a while and caught up with a lot of other competitors that I see all the time and others I hadn't seen a long time. There were so many guys in there cutting weight that the fitness center was literally, flooded with sweat, it was pretty funny.

Later that night, Kron and Saulo stopped by the room. Kron wasn't too familiar with his first round opponent, Enrico Cocco, so Rader filled him in. Rader was at the East Coast trials, so he knew a little bit about Enrico. I had Internet in my room too, so Kron got on YouTube. Saulo talked with us a little bit about our strategies and then he left. Kron hung out a while longer and he talked about how excited he was to possibly have a match against Marcelo. We pulled up Marcelo's highlight and joked about how we would find a weakness. We talked strategy a little more and then called it a night.

I didn't sleep that good Thursday night, but it wasn't too bad. First thing I did Friday morning was check my weight. I was happy to see that I was a little under. I had a protein bar and went to weigh ins. I got to weigh ins about 10 minutes early and there was already a long line. I met up with Jeff Glover & Kron and we waited in line together for about 45 minutes. We joked around a lot so the wait wasn't bad. I weighed in at 88.2 kilos, then it was time to eat. I didn't really have to starve myself or anything to make weight, but I did have an extremely clean & light diet and I was dying to eat with no worries about how much am I going to weigh after I eat. Rader & I went to eat and Glover and Ryan Hall joined us. I had some pasta for the first time in over a month, I was very happy. We invited Rafael Mendes to sit down with us, he was by himself waiting for his teammates. So I was sitting with all lightweights, who coincidentally all ended up going against each other that weekend (Rader vs Mendes & Glover vs Hall). We had some fun using our broken Portuguese to talk with Mendes. In my opinion one of the coolest parts of a professional tournament like ADCC is how all the competitors interact with each other and since it was held in another country, it almost forces everyone together. After lunch I went to the store to stock up. I pretty much ate non stop the rest of that day. One of my students who is also a good friend flew to Barcelona to support Rader and I. We met up with him at the hotel and just hung out all day. My mind was so relaxed and confident the whole day, I went to bed feeling like it was going to be a great tournament for me.

I slept good that night but I woke up a little early. I stayed in bed as long as I could and then I got up and had breakfast. I had a huge breakfast. I had gained about 6 or 7 pounds going into the tournament. Saturday was so awesome and turned out to be one of my favorite single days of competition I've ever had. They set up a warm up room for us. Saulo, Xande, Rani, Kron, Rader, Penny, & I were all warming up on our mat. I looked around and saw all the competitors warming up and stretching and I just got so excited and happy. I couldn't stop smiling for a while. I was thinking, "Okay, here they are, here we are let's do this, I'm ready." It was so awesome to have our own little team of us together. I looked at our team and thought about the ridiculous training camp we did and thought about what other groups in that room could have possibly of trained like we did. I felt so calm and having my brothers in war with me just made it incredible. It is such a good feeling to go through a perfect training camp with your team and go into the tournament, everyone together, knowing that every person on your team gave 100% and is just as ready and confident as you are. It gives you a lot of inner strength.

We were all doing our warm-ups according to the schedule. The heavyweights were starting things off, so Saulo and Xande were warming up harder than Kron and Rader. Saulo told me that he wanted me to coach him. I had yelled for Saulo at tournaments before, but this was the first time that I was in a professional event sitting in the coach's corner for Saulo. This was a great feeling for me to know that Saulo trusted in me to be his coach for such an important event. I knew that I would sit down to coach Saulo, so I got a really good sweat and stretch before I started coaching and then when I was done I would have a just enough time to break one more sweat before it was my turn. They started calling names, it was time for action! Saulo's first match was against a Japanese opponent. The guy was very big and looked like he probably had a judo background. Saulo played smart and pulled guard. He used the same half-guard position that he trained with us during our camp and got the sweep and the pass. Saulo won on points. This kicked off the routine. We went back to the warm-up area, Saulo got to rest and then be the coach for Xande, while I began to get ready for my match. I broke another sweat, while Xande won his first match. Saulo came back to the warm up area and then he went out with me for my first match.

I knew Tom Lawlor had wrestled, so I stood with him for a minute and then I pulled guard. They said in the rules meeting that they wanted all the competitors to stay aggressive and that they would be giving warnings for stalling right away, so my plan was to get aggressive. I was attacking a lot, but it was my first match and I wasn't accustomed to the environment yet, so I didn't want to rush anything. I missed a few positions where I thought I could have made some offense, but since I was attacking so much, he was starting to get negatives. He ended up getting 3 negative points, but I didn't want to just keep him in my guard and win that way. I wanted to get my rhythm going, so I kept attacking and ended up sweeping him using a leg lock position and I passed. I started to look for some chokes with the front headlock position and then time was up, I won 4-0.

I went back to the warm up area and Saulo went to coach Kron. Rader was getting ready to go soon, so I had enough time to rest a minute and then I went out to coach Rader. Kron beat Enrico and then it was Rader's turn. Rader had Baret Yoshida first round and he stuck to the game plan beautifully. Rader beat Baret 7-0 and we headed back to our warm up mat. At this point we had all won our first round matches and we were feeling great. I looked at Rader at one point and we knew exactly what each of us were thinking, "The training camp was perfect." We could feel that we were totally ready for what we were getting into that day. Next was Penny, she only had to do one match that day and she won too. Then it was back to Saulo and the routine continued. Saulo had Romulo next. Romulo pulled guard and he was being very aggressive. About half way through the match, Saulo received a negative point. I was trying to be calm while I was coaching and not get too excited and waste energy before I had my match, but I couldn't help it with this match. I started to get really loud and anxious, because it was looking like Saulo might lose. I was telling Saulo to try to force a scramble to get it to the feet and then Romulo would be forced to wrestle with Saulo. It wasn't happening, Romulo kept attacking and Saulo received another negative point, with about two minutes left. Now, I started to go crazy and tell Saulo that he had to pass or it was over. Saulo started to really turn it on and he managed to get around Romulo's guard for the pass, but it wasn't held long enough. I started to think that that was it, he wasn't going to get another chance, he was going to lose. Saulo kept going and going and I kept yelling and yelling and then out of nowhere he just kind of landed in side control out of nowhere, I was yelling "Hold it, hold it!" He got it! He got the pass in the last minute and won! I let out a huge sigh of relief and then I started thinking about how I had one more match.

I'm still here!

Hey everyone. Sorry I haven't posted in awhile, I have been doing some non-stop traveling since ADCC. I stayed in Europe for 10 days after the tournament with my fiance, came home and left a day later for San Diego. Last weekend in San Diego was the 11th Annual RJJA tournament and instructor meeting, hosted by Saulo & Xande Ribeiro. I just got back home yesterday and I'm trying to catch back up with things. I promise to post my thoughts on ADCC within the next couple of days. I had an incredible experience and I promise to share it with you. Stay tuned.