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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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#1,321 ·
BJJ

Checked out another gym, this one called Evolucao Thai, run by a couple brazilian guys with a bjj/muay thai heavy schedule. They're a reasonable distance from my place, and also didn't sales pitch me so I'm pretty happy about that. The class itself was pretty small with mostly blue belts and a couple purples. The instructor wasn't there today so a purple ran class instead. We did kimuras from side control, north south and bottom half guard and then rolled. I rolled a purple, getting tapped to a bow and arrow. Same thing with a good blue belt afterwards who tapped me with a triangle but I was at least a little more competitive. I was offered another trial class when the instructor is in so I'll aim for their friday no gi class.
 
#1,328 ·
BJJ

The gym I was looking at joining was apparently having issues with the head black belt so it looks like it's not a good option to explore. I signed up with what I believe to be the best BJJ gym in the area. My only reluctance in signing up when I first tried it was a) I've been super flakey on training and still sorting my life out in a new city b) I wanted to see what else was out there first and c) I wasn't sure they offered a membership type that I was good with. Anyways, I went back to find out the membership options and am now signed up for 7 months. Did my first class today and everyone was friendly and welcoming.

Warm up stuff, technique was a basic guard break from knees and immediately setting into half guard keeping them flat on the mat, then basically working the leg up and out for a shortcut to mount. We drilled from closed guard and I had a nice back and forth with a white, and managed to pendulum sweep a purple. In rolling with the white I got an omoplata and something else that I forget. I did pretty good today but am definitely very rusty. When I did a trial class here I got absolutely smashed and I expect that's going to be the theme of things for awhile. Good to be back!
 
#1,330 ·
Kettlebell Turkish Get-Ups 1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1@50lbs

Just doing singles while I learn these, the weight is much heavier than ideal so I'm being careful before attempting sets. I am getting the hang of them though. This is alternating sides, doing the get up but not reversing back down. Hard wood floors make it extra fun...was getting scrapes galore until I put on a rash guard.

I've decided I'm going to go to Montreal for UFC 158 on March 16. I'd love to meet up with Kajan and do some drop in training at Tri Star if things aren't too crazy busy there for GSP and Rory's fight and my fitness isn't too embarassing.

BJJ Tomorrow!
 
#1,331 ·
BJJ

Technique was getting to half guard from them framing off you, flattening out their half guard, switching hips- but instead of popping up to switch, he sprawled his one leg back then tucked it under his butt. Work the leg out and kick back from there. Drilled it, positonal sparred, then rolled a few rounds. Rolled 2 blues, one tapped me once (armbar) the other was positional back and forth. A green (an adult green that definitely wasn't a white belt...weird.) positional back and forth but I got the better of him, and two purples that both tapped me once (arm bar, collar choke) and I spent the rest of the round surviving, escaping, trying to pass and hold something down. Good class. I'd been feeling really claustrophobic for the past year+ when exhausted in bad positions, but today I didn't really get that way...which is very nice.
 
#1,332 ·
Going to risk putting up a weekly routine. Basically what I've been doing recently but set to days to keep me accountable.

M-BJJ
T- Shadowbox + Squat, Bench, Deadlift, Chinup
W- Off
Th- BJJ
F- Pushup Burpees
S- BJJ
Su- Kettlebell Swings, Clean and Squats, Turkish Getups + Ab Circuit: Crunches, Reverse Crunches, Russian Twists, Leg Raises

Will have to swap days based on work schedule conflicting with bjj classes. This schedule is set based off what I can do this week.
 
#1,338 ·
BJJ

Tech was a sweep from de la riva guard. From de la riva circle your de la riva hook inside and shoot your leg through, pulling yourself more under. Wrap your hook back around the leg but with your foot up at the hip. Other leg leaves their hip, your knee bracing against your newly place hook. Switch to trapping the foot with your elbow, big bridge back while pulling their sleeve to sweep. Butt scooch back then pop up to follow through.

We drilled positionally from de la riva guard but I didn't do very well. I still don't really have a specific open guard game and basically just freestyle it. Should probably find a specific open guard game and study it. My problem with de la riva is my far leg reaching to the hip feels very very weak and easy to deflect with a hand.

In rolling just got a 10 minute round with a fresh blue belt that kicked my azz all over. He had a similar game to me except much more on point and a better open guard. I saw everything coming but could only delay the invevitable. Got tapped to two armbars and a bow and arrow. Good class.

Instructor told me my blue belt looks like too much like a purple and I need a new belt. It is pretty faded but c'mon.
 
#1,339 ·
Deadlift 5,5,5,5,5@225
Bench 5,5,5,5,5@145
Chin Ups 5,5,5,5,5@b/w+5lbs
Squat 5,5,5,5,0@235

Tweaked my back on second last set of squats. Should've failed the rep instead of botching my form. Hopefully it doesn't linger. Otherwise a good workout with improvements all around. Bodyweight is 195lbs.
 
#1,340 ·
BJJ

Class was all rolling. First round with a good white belt. Smothered through his open guard to take back, submitted with a reverse ezekiel from back, and an armbar from back. Rolled the brown belt instructor who went easy on me but I still couldn't pass his guard, got tapped to an omoplata and a kimura. Rolled a big green belt and got a bunch of sweeps and taps, started to let up and played with him. I think he might have been slightly handicapped. Oops. Rolled another brown belt with positional battles. Got his back but couldn't get a submission.
 
#1,341 ·
BJJ

Really low energy today, maybe I didn't eat enough. Technique was basic chokes from back. Lapel choke, rear naked, bow and arrow. This was my first evening class and it was nice to see and learn from Britto. Drilled from this position then had two uneventful rolls. Finally got my team patched gi so I look like less of an enemy on the mats. Eat more food next time, son!
 
#1,343 ·
BJJ

Technique was drilling x pass and something called a shotgun pass through de la riva. I'm not too good with both so it was some feeble drilling. Then we did a counter to someone shooting into deep half guard on you, nearest knee slides over and to the mat as if to mount but the leg will still be trapped, other leg steps over their head as you take an underhook, slide down and flatten out on the trapped arm and turn to secure side control. Then got a few rounds in. Got my buddy from Brazil to sign up for a trial so he was my first roll, smaller purple belt, positional battles but he tapped me once with some mean head and arm choke. Rolled a white belt that keeps giving me good rounds, edged him positionally but couldn't submit from mount. Rolled a good blue belt but he got the better of me with an armbar from an attempted triangle escape. Good class.
 
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