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Breaking into M.M.A. Training Log

154K views 2K replies 38 participants last post by  KevinD 
#1 · (Edited)
Hello all, I've been mostly lurking these forums for awhile now. A little introduction: I'm 20 years old, just wrapping up doing a little world travel. While I was in Thailand I got involved with a Muay Thai training camp called Tiger Muay Thai, and trained pretty hard for a month and loved it. I decided to see where this passion can take me, and have decided to aim to fight in my first M.M.A. fight at a local amateur venue in my town called Valley Fight this coming December. This means I have a lot of work to do.

I will be training at a local M.M.A. gym called Revolution Chilliwack, as well as training with my friend who also wants to fight within the year.

I'm 20 years old, Southpaw, 6'4 about 195lbs, muscular build from years of weightlifting (I've got an enormous journal on a bodybuilding website but alas, there's no point talking M.M.A. on a bodybuilding forum, so here I am) but relatively weak cardio, other weaknesses include an occassional occurence of shin splints and contact lenses. I've only trained Muay Thai for a month and that's basically all my training besides a bit of self taught boxing.

I'm wrapping up my travels now, sitting in Bangkok for a few more days. I checked out a nearby Muay Thai gym but it was a hole in the ground with some mats and wasn't cheap, so **** it. I'm doing bodyweight exercises and shadowboxing in my room to help maintain what I can.

I go home soon so training resumes on August 1st as I enroll in the MMA gym back home and in addition begin my own training with a partner to keep the total training time to about 3.5 hours a day, 5 days a week.

Training is 4 weeks on followed by 1 week rest, each week is 5 days training, alternating between 2 days set out like this:

Day 1 - Technique
Stretch
Shadowboxing
Hit Pads
Standup Sparring
Rolling
Stretch
Go to class

Day 2 - Conditioning
Stretch
Skipping
Weight Training (Divided into Push/Pull/Leg days focusing on functional strength, explosive power, and endurance.)
Heavy Bag
Speed Bag
Stretch
Go to class

Classes are as follows:
Mon - Beginner Jiu-Jitsu
Tue - M.M.A.
Wed - Beginner Jiu-Jitsu
Thur - Boxing + Muay Thai
Fri - Boxing + Muay Thai + M.M.A
Sat - Rest
Sun - Rest

Going to ease myself into it and build momentum; first week just go to the classes, second week go to the classes and do training every second day, then by the third I'm doing the full routine. Also going to start light on my weights and build momentum over the weeks as powerlifters do.

I've also wrote up a flexible diet that I believe I can maintain pretty easily. I'll add the details once I've gone through with it for awhile in case any changes need to be made. What's important is the 6000 mostly healthy calories to exceed my maintenance level for a gradual weight gain.

Supplements are Protein/Creatine Monohydrate/Multivitamin/Fish Oil, considering a pre-workout supp like N.O. Xplode but don't really need the extra hit to the wallet or a caffeine dependency, so we'll see on that one.

I picked up all my gear to train out here in Thailand for nice and cheap. Got 16oz gloves, shin guards, wraps, mouth guard, and headgear. My friend has bought all of these things as well as some Thai kicking pads and a round timer, so we're all equipped and ready to go.

I'm aiming for December for my premier amateur M.M.A. bout. Wish me luck and feel free to pass on advice. I'm gonna tear a hole into this guy. :thumb02:

Some relevant links
Tiger Muay Thai, Phuket, Thailand:http://www.tigermuaythai.com
Revolution Chilliwack, Chilliwack, Canada:http://www.revolutionfightteam.com
Valley Fight, Chilliwack, Canada:http://www.valleyfight.com
 
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#1,239 ·
Holy shit. So two days after that mountain climb and I feel like crap.. zero energy. Feels like overtraining, but I'm not going nearly hard enough to consider it that. My mind and body feel so limited almost a yar out from concussion. Setting my standards lower, new goal is to do bjj 5x a week and one type of conditioning on the saturday. Maybe I will do some technique only work in the afternoon with a buddy.

Went to bjj today did warmup, tech and guard passes, fet like crap. My ankle rolled on the montain and its constantly on the back of my mind now, only seems to hurt when I bend it on an extreme angle.
 
#1,241 ·
Bjj

Tech was back take from bottom half guard, option to rolling sweep when they try to flatten you. Third option when youre coming up the back and they whizzer, grip their sleeve to keep the whizzer in and roll under elbow first, stepping leg out for side control.

Rolled first few rounds starting from bottom half guard. A very small purple that I tried not to muscle around but had to a few times orhwould have made me look stupid. Got another purple closer to my size that I was eyeing up from last week when he was smugly beating up white belts...easy hip sweep, stayed in mount/back but couldn't finish. Next was a brown that always ****s me up, he ****ed me up again with effortless sweeps and armbars. Finally a smaller blue mostly stalling in my guard or his half guard.

Getting really frustrated with how quickly exhausted I still get. I guess it should be expected, but its really suckin the enjoyment out and I'm still claustrophobic/panicky in bad spots, which should be gone by now. Protect your head, folks.
 
#1,242 ·
Bjj

Tech was a sweep from bottom half guard, get under them, grab their far foot with nearest hand, feed to other hand that is reaching around their hip, freed hand cups at knee, pull their leg out with yours to prevent posting as you drive them over. I know this sweep but it was nice to practice it and I was definitely missing the leg trap detail.

Drilled from half guard and I had some fun with a white belt and pretty much a stallfest with a blue belt, though I cheated and got a pendulum sweep because i wanted to test some details for it that I saw on youtube.

My rounds were with a good black belt, and two good browns. All were a bit more active and competitive than usual and i felt I opened up a bit more and had some energy for the first two at least.No idea why today I felt the polar opposite of how I felt yesterday, I had near identical sleep, meal timing and daytime activites as yesterday.

Tomrrow we head to Brazilian Top Team to meet the guys and watch a training session, pics to come.
 
#1,246 ·
It is.

Well worth the hike... tough cardio with an immediate reward at the end.

That reminds me. Was listening to the MMA Hour a few days ago and Kenny Florian was on and he mentioned that he only started taking his mma career seriously after he had a near death experience in Brazil. What was the near death experience? Falling during a mountain climb in Rio. What was the mountain? Pedra da Gavea, same mountain.
 
#1,244 ·
Bjj

Was late coming back from Brazilian Top team so I caught the beginners class instead. Drilled sit outs from turtle when they're in front of you as well as a lapel choke from the top of that position. Drilled in attacking the turtle. Had fun in rolling with some white belts but resisted the urge to go nuts on them, also had an alright round with thiago the brown belt. Was nice to actually land some of the echniques I've practiced recently...I was exploding with things to try out so maybe a once a weekbeginner class would be beneficial ather than just taking the easy way.
 
#1,250 ·
BJJ

An old rival from my last trip showed up, he's a brown belt now. He's a terrible partner for drilling... lazy, disinterested and spazzy/violent in rolling. I was rolling with him and he told me you can't crossface in bjj. WTF? Also learned that he broke a white belts arm awhile that tapped and he didn't let go. Anyways, I'm going to shit all over his belt for the rest of my stay here, in doing so I will have to make sure he doesn't get ahold of any limbs.
 
#1,251 · (Edited)
Bjj

Tech from half guard, nearside underhook, they whizzer, use free hand to push their far knee out then move under repeat till they're stretched out and you're under them, use grip on far leg to tip them as you roll under them. Other option is to trap their whizzer with a sleeve grip and clamped elbow with your underhook arm, same side foot goes to their hip, create space by leaning back out, other leg comes out of half guard and swings under their armpit, lift other leg over their head for armbar.

Rolled a brown, largely from eachother's guards, bit of a stalemate or maybe he got side control once. Rolled a game black belt but I did alright, just got tapped once from back and escaped his mount nicely later on, he gave me props but, as usual, it was about how strong I am. =)
Rolled a game white belt, passed guard, held side, mounted, found arm triangle. Rest of the round was dodging sweeps and passing.
 
#1,252 ·
Forgot to mention because i figured it would go away...Since I lifted on Saturday, my pinky and ring finger on my right arm are always tingly/numb. Kind of like a permanent funny bone smashing sensation without the pain, oddly enough my funny bone feels tender too. I didn't feel anything wrong while lifting, but I think this means a pinched nerve? If it doesn't sort itself out, i'll see a doctor when I get home. My only real concern at this point is that the weak sensation will fail to tell my fingers caught in a gi or something and I'll hurt it.
 
#1,253 · (Edited)
Video montage from BTT last week:


Milton Vieira debuting at UFC 147:


Tuesday was Dias dos Namorados (lover's day) in Brazil, I guess the traditional Valentine's day is too close to the Carnival dates so they placed it elsewhere.

The weather was mediocre but we headed to a relatively deserted spot on the beach anyways, popped some champagne and settled in. Fantastic day; movie-esque. Literally moments that I had to remind myself to stop marvelling and stay present. Of course eventually the moment got ruined.





There's always beach vendors coming along, trying to sell you shit and in this case being an annoyance. One guy was selling temporary tattoos, wouldn't take a simple "no thanks" and started showing us his designs and stuff, being friendly but particularily insistent. His last idea was for me to tattoo my name on her somewhere which made me laugh as he left. About 30 minutes later she realizes her phone is gone. We got jacked. We go to cancel her phone and I walk along the beach for an hour looking for him, of course he's long gone.

At first I laughed at the situation, then I got progressively more annoyed just because of the context of it. I failed in a manly role that I consider myself overly qualified for. Could have been worse, but still couldn't help running through every possible way I could have ****ed the guy up.

Oh well, I actually expected to be robbed at some point or another in 6 months in Rio. If this is the worst crime to affect me, then **** it.

Heading to Team Nogueira next wednesday for some meet and greet and a class under the Nog brothers. I know Thiago Gonclaves, a black belt under them. At least I think I know him, he used to train us at my gym back in Canada, sparred him a few times too. Messaged him and hopefully he'll be around too.
 
#1,256 ·
Been pretty sick with something since friday, stomach was feeling off but we had plans to go out and I did. Vomitted my face off at first sip of beer, Rebecca drags me home, a fever kicks in. Since then no vomitting but I have next to no appetite and feel sick when I force it. Since friday I've eaten 4 pieces of bread, 3 bananas, half a dinner and a protein shake. Down about 5lbs today. My right hand is still all tingly and numb. I'm waking up covered in itchy bumps all over my body. It's either a combo of things (flu/food poisoning + pinched nerve + bug bites) or its something more insidious like staph blood poisoning. I had some infected looking hair follicles leading up to this. Give it a few days as I seem to be slowly improving, will find a good tourist doctor otherwise. Major buzzkill though, less than three weeks left and I want to be training and sexing.
 
#1,257 ·
I live! Entire miserable week of barely eating and consequential barely having energy. Felt like prolonged food poisoning. Went 212lbs to 202lbs but it's coming back on now.

Tech was far side armbar from side control. One had an intermediatry step of going to the north south kimura, the second spun straight to the arm bar using their nearest leg to pull you around.

Drilled from side control for 4 rounds, then rolled. Strong brazilian blue belt, played guard against him, hip bumped over, got his back when he turtled out of mount, flattenned him out and got under the chin for my first rear naked choke in what feels like years. Next back into my guard, he tried to stack pass me and I fought a triangle in, kept trying to stack and I went to his legs to sweep into mounted triangle, stepped out for mounted armbar. Next was a brown belt that always runs train on me, he ran train on me with 2-3 submissions. I was gassed. That guy is a Gracie, to my ego's credit.

Felt okay today but not 100%, wasn't going to roll today but felt like too much of a ***** waiting for gordo to tell him I'm leaving early. Probably for the best though, and luckily I didn't get another round because I felt like vomitting and almost fainted when we were lining up.

Kyra Gracie was in the house today, no, I didn't get to touch her.

Two weeks left in Rio.
 
#1,258 ·
Bjj

Tech was side control far side arm bar this time transitioning through mount. Drilled from side control, rolled. Got pwned by some very good purple belts. Went upstairs after class to join the beginners for guard pass drills and rolling, had fun playing with white belts and a small blue. Will try to jump in on second class more often.
 
#1,259 ·
Bjj

Tech was near and far side armbars from knee on belly. Drilled from side control.

Rolled with a black belt and a brown, lots of transitins with me on the losing end overall but held up well with no submissions.

Felt like a dehydrated piece of crap today, probably due to the 5 beers and sunburn at the beach all day up to training.
 
#1,260 ·
Bjj

Tech was more near side armbar options from side control. Trapping their near side on your hip and clamping down your elbow. Your other knee omes up under their arm to a knee-on-chest. Fall back pinching knees and kicking foot narest their head to under the head.

Drilled from side control. Dick of the galaxy black belt was pkaying rough with me as usual and we fought around in my guard and side control. One of my deserate bridge scrambles caught him on the lip with my shin. Oops. A purpe that usually ****s me up ****ed me up again with a loop choke initiated from guard and finished from underneath me. Also caught me in an armbar.

Looked up the symptoms for my numb pinky and ring finfer. It's definitely an "ulnar nerve entrapment". The nerve that is your funny bone is pinched. It's not an emergency but I'm suppossed to see a doctor if it doesn't clear up in a few weeks.
 
#1,261 ·
Playing with kettlebells for the first time today, will get the hang of things in brazil and pick one up for home use when I get home.

20kg kettlebell

Deadlift 5,5,5
High Pull 5,5,5
Two Hand Swing 5,5,5
One Hand Swing 5,5,5
Single Snatch 5,5,5
Bent Over Rows 5,5,5
Two Hand Press 5,5,5

Bodyweight is down to 203lbs from 215 when I arrived.
 
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