Fighting the Good Fight

[ledove]

I do tae kwon do, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, kickboxing, and MMA. Since my training has changed to really focus on these--and competing--I'm starting a new log.

• Tae Kwon Do: 7 years (started August 2001), black belt
• BJJ: ~5 months (started April 3, 2008), white belt
• kickboxing: started a week ago But it'll probably be my first competition, in November
• MMA: ~3 months

[ledove]

The local universities started back yesterday, so we expected a bunch of guys who took off for the summer to be there, but only two returning guys showed up. Small-ish class.

I got to roll with both new guys. They both work technique. Nice to roll with them after all the muscling new guys from the summer. Did roll with one of those, too, and it's a huge difference.

* * * * *

Kickboxing tournament in November: The kickboxing instructor had already talked to me about doing a tournament in November (and that was before I'd even had class with him!). I heard more about it this weekend at the tournament we hosted, and, after seeing the tourney, I really do want to do it.

I need to check with them about the weight class I'm shooting for, but I think I'll need to lose at least 5lbs (and probably 10) by then. So I'm trying to eat at a deficit and still train all out. I'll see how it goes...

[GinnyLou]

Hi Leslie,
Nice new log you've got going on.

[ledove]

Thanks, Ginger

* * * * *
BJJ, tonight

Tuesday nights are now officially all gi class, which I'm happy about. Next week when TKD starts, I'll have to leave on Tuesdays & Thursdays after the first hour. Gi used to be after a beginners' class on Tuesday, and I would have missed it for the whole year. Also, Tim and the guys are talking about adding more classes, including more gi classes, throughout the week.

Warmup wasn't too bad, though I'm still having trouble with squat jumps; too much quad, not enough posterier chain. Then we worked a hip throw, then did live takedowns and then live rolling starting from standing. Usually we start on the ground because most people don't know takedowns and we don't want injuries from people who don't know takedowns trying to do takedowns. I wasn't having luck on the takedowns, but I think I did alright once we got on the ground.

Worked with one of the guys from last night on one of the takedown drills. He's probably 180/190lbs, maybe more (still bad with the guessing). And he wasn't even trying to do anything with me. I told him that he could work, too, and he said that no, he'd just end up using strength, hauling me up by my lapels and slamming me down. So he just let me work. Went with another returning guy next, and he picked me up by my lapels and slammed me down. Yeah. Had to roll with that guy later, too, and he just sat on me most of the round and hardly did anything.

My knuckles are scraped raw from all the gi grabbing tonight. Ouch!

[ledove]

It was apparently "bring a friend to class" night; several guys brought a friend, and a few more showed up, so we had a rather crowded mat.

Warmup wasn't too rough, and I was even beating some of the guys on the drills, until the mountain climber/pushup finisher. I turn to jelly on that one. Pleh. I think most of my problem is just not being able to breathe in the mountain-climber position. Then we drilled basic triangle from guard. Usually in the advanced class, we'd do something more, well, advanced, but there were so many new guys so we did something basic.

Then rolling. And though I was defending and avoiding submissions for the most part, the guys I rolled with were muscling me all over. The worst is when they grab a limb, jerk hard in the direction of a submission, and, in overpowering me, hurt me before they even get the submission. One tried an ankle lock on me last night (which we have not learned); he rolled me over and twisted my ankle. I couldn't tap because he was still pushing me over but it hurt so I had to holler, "Tap! Stop!" Half the class stopped to make sure I was okay. Pleh. I don't want to be the wimpy girl, but I'm really tired of getting hurt.

[Mahler]

Just looking in. Your title caught my eye. I am not knowledgeable in your field of training, but I will be reading to learn. Best of luck with your training.

[ledove]

Thanks for stopping by, Mahler.

* * * * *
MMA, last night

Lot of new guys, so a packed mat. Everyone was running in to each other all night.

Rocked the warmup again. I moved my pre-class shake back to ~2 hrs before (had been at ~30 min), and I seem to have more energy and less general pleh during the warmups. Then pummeling drills. The rest of the night was jab/cross and moving, and most of that was our coach explaining to the guys how to jab and cross.

At some point, I got a blood blister on the bottom of my right big toe. Couldn't put weight on it because it was so tender. Drained it at home, but it decided to throb all night long; still hurts today. Sleep was sporadic last night.

[ledove]

Kickboxing, today

Class started an hour later today, but no one else was there so I just worked with the instructor on some combinations. Most of them built on what we did last night in MMA, since he was there. Then a little sparring.

Two ladies came in (for a private lesson, I think; I should ask...). They do the cardio kickboxing and I think want to start actually competing, so they're doing a class that's between cardio kickboxing and full-contact kickboxing and working toward full-contact. I did the drills with them and then rotated in for sparring rounds.

[ledove]

BJJ, today

Warmup was good; then we drilled armbar from guard and two variations on a takedown to arm choke. Then rolling. First and third rolls were with muscling guys; second, fourth, and fifth rolls were with technique guys. Again, a huge difference in what I'm able to do. However, when I do roll with muscling guys anywhere in the lineup, I get stuck in defending and in not looking for submissions--and sometimes not even trying sweeps--because they shove me down and overpower me. And then I forget to go back to normal with the technique guys. Meh. The two muscling guys were constantly trying to do something similar to the arm choke from earlier but kept turning it into a neck crank. Ouch.

After most of the guys had left, my coach asked if I was alright after the guys had jerked my neck around. I said yeah, I'm used to it; he said he'd nearly stopped us and that I shouldn't have to deal with that all the time, so from now on he's going to only let certain guys roll with me, as much as possible. He said I'm not going to get any better going with them, if all they do is squash me and crank my neck. In some ways, I'm completely relieved; in others, I just don't want to be a sissy. Although, when he was pointing out what they'd done, both the instructors piped up and said that that's what those guys do to them all the time, too. (But the two of them can turn it back up on the guys when they do that; I can't yet.)

Intermediate workout shake and a two hour break, then back for...

Kickboxing

Three new guys and me. Evil warmup--or maybe I'm just tired from BJJ. Lots of drills. Then kick drills, then kick conditioning drills. Then punch drills. Then sparring. Light contact.

I missed blocking one punch from a really tall guy; it caught me on the upper lip and dropped me to the ground. It wasn't a hard punch; it just must have caught exactly right. Not a knock out, just a knock down. Fine, though, and got up to finish the sparring.

Then a few more conditioning drills and done.

I'm tired...

[ledove]

More returning guys are trickling in. I think everyone's still working out their class and work schedules, so it's different guys almost every night still.

Warmup was light . Dunno what's going on there. Drilled the same takedown to arm choke from Saturday and then a different variation on it. Then rolling. Tim checked on me every round to make sure I was with one of the controlled guys, and I was trying to get them, too. Last round I did get one of the muscling guys; I just worked defense and moving my hips. I've decided, though, that if I do get those guys again that I'm just going to tap right before they overpower me. There's no point in even letting them jerk my joint out. By then I'm already hurt. Had to do it once with this guy.

When we were working the takedowns, Tim paired me up with the biggest guy in class--a foot taller than me and 80-90lbs heavier. But he won't hurt me, so that's why we worked together. We had to stay on this for a while because most of the guys weren't there on Saturday and were having trouble.

At some point, Tim came over to talk to me and my partner and explained why he wanted this guy working with me and why he wanted only certain guys rolling with me. He said the muscling guys would crank me in to something and then grin and strut like they'd submitted one of the Gracies. (I always turn away from them after they hurt, er, submit me so I can regain my composure and remind myself not to knock their head off, so I'd never seen their faces after.)

[ledove]

The gi class is also the beginners' class. When new guys start and come to the beginners' class, they don't have a gi. Tonight, more than half the class was new; therefore, no gis. Tim wasn't there, so the two assistant instructors were teaching and not rolling, which left me with only one guy on the approved list.

Warmup was again too light, although I was overheating in my gi and so didn't mind. We tried to roll next, but over half the class had no clue what to do. I worked with a TKD guy on some basic stuff.

We drilled a choke tonight that has different variations for gi or nogi. Only problem, when we went to drill, is that they wanted us to pair up with the new guys, who didn't have gis, and we all wanted to work the gi variation. (You have to grab the back of the guy's collar to set it up.) I did work with one of the gi guys, the one guy on the approved list. But the whole class was just lopsided with so many guys without gis.

(Just thought of a brilliant idea--should've paired with a new guy and given him my gi top to wear. Then I could work gi and he could work nogi. I'll have to remember that for next time.)

We didn't actually roll because of all the new guys. Instead we did a guard pass drill. I got new guys both times, and I got drilled in the face with knees and elbows multiple times and muscled around. Not. Happy. Camper. But then class was over and I had to split for TKD.

TKD

Tonight was my first night teaching the beginners. (They're mine, all mine. *evil cackle*) Didn't go too badly, although I was told after that I need to be louder. That, I can do. I just have to remember to stay loud. That's the trick.

[ledove]

I talked to the kickboxing instructor on Saturday. I need to get to 118lbs for the tournament in November. On Saturday, after BJJ (and therefore probably dehydrated), I came in at 124. Today it was back up to 127. I really need to get out to the store and get a digital scale of my own so I can track it daily; I keep forgetting what it said last week, so I'm not sure if 127 is a setback or a down turn...

I'm trying to eat at around 1600 calories while still keeping up this training schedule. I was thinking of trying to get it off now and then maintain until the tournament, a la FLTS, but I might just have to slowly take it off all the way through the tournament so I don't burn out. Probably going to have to adjust up soon; most days I'm ready to eat my lunch bag. Lots of training, and with TKD going until after 11pm, not as much sleep as I need. So something's probably gotta give, and about the only thing I have control over is the calories.

Also might be doing a BJJ tournament later this month. I really want to, but I've got to talk to the guys about it. Weight classes for it, for girls, are <135 and >135, so I'm good there. Might be able to justify a rest week after that to my self.

[ledove]

First, didn't get to bed until after 1 a.m. (TKD goes until 11). Then, tired and cranky all day, so I took today as a refeed day.

Class tonight--again with the new guys, and lots of the guys who throw me around. Warmup wasn't too bad. Actually made it all the way through the mountain climber/pushup finisher. Then some light rolling. I think Tim might have said something to a few of the guys who usually knock me around because they were not doing it tonight. Well, at least not nearly as bad as normal.

Drilled a continuation on the takedown to arm choke series; this time if you can't get the choke, how to take the back to RNC. Worked with a guy about my size, but he hadn't been around for the earlier stuff and he has a wrestling background, so he was trying to do it another way and was turning it in to a neck crank instead. Finally got him sorted out.

Then more rolling. Again got one of the guys who beats me up usually, but he wasn't doing it for most of the round. Did try to jerk my arm out for a kimura once, and I knew I couldn't get out of it, so I just tapped before he pulled it out.

After class, the guys were goofing around and doing bicep curls with the Olympic bar. (They do know better, but they were just being silly.) I did some pullups, and got out 2 sets of 4, a new record! And a set of 2.

[ledove]

Been communing with a bottle of Nyqil, boxes of tissues, and a mountain of cough drops since Thursday. Who gets a cold in August?! Haven't been to any classes, just been sitting at home drinking chicken noodle soup, Gatorade, and tea and eating way too many carbs. Should be good to go by Monday, though.

[Bytsi]

Feel better soon!

[ledove]

Still sick. Almost over it, I think. But finally had to go to BJJ on Monday just to watch, because I was going nuts being away from there. Still am, but it's probably better for everyone that I stay away until I'm really better. Well, my dad has been after me to have a full rest week; by tomorrow it'll be a full week. Not exactly restful, but oh well...

[ledove]

I'm mostly better now; only one side of my nose is still sore.

Kickboxing, last night

Went to kickboxing last night. One other guy showed up. Class was overall fairly light, at least compared to the other classes I've had. At the end, we did a movement drill in the ring; I spent the entire time blocking my nose because it hurt when they hit it.