Blog Archives

Feeling on top of the World!

3/30/2013

Peaks!!

In the past I wrote a blog on the Peaks and Valleys of Jiu Jitsu. You know we’ve all been there. When I wrote that post I was in the “Valley”. I’m happy to say I’ve been on the peak lately (winning Pan Ams may have contributed to that a bit ;) )But, I’ve also had some training sessions lately where I’ve realized that I no longer have to think about my next move and I see submissions that may have passed me by in the past. I’ve had many times where I have felt like I was on a plateau or in a valley and felt extremely frustrated! Feels good to see and feel this change in my game! If you’re feeling those lows, push through!! You will be on top again in time.

http://www.justagirlbjj.com/1/post/2012/07/peaks-and-valleys.html

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Reminder!! Self defense class is NEXT Saturday!

3/29/2013

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The month of April is Sexual Assault Awareness month!
Siege MMA is having self-defense class led by Brazillian Jiu Jitsu Brown Belt/Surprise AZ Police officer Andrew Britten and Chris Mack, Former Muay Thai and Kick Boxing World Champion!
Saturday April 6th 2013
2:00pm
ONLY $20 per person
Siege MMA
8550 N 91st Ave
Peoria, AZ 85345
www.seigemma.com

Please call Andrew at 970-379-6342 to reserve your spot

Please invite your friends! This is a GREAT opportunity for ALL (not only to defend against sexual assault) Men and women of all ages are welcome)

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BLOOD, sweat and tears......I LOVE Jiu Jitsu!

3/28/2013

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For awhile now I've thought "Maybe I should fight MMA" I thought about starting to train some Muay Thai and more No-gi. One of the things that has made me question that decision is the fact that I've never been punched in the face (at least not on purpose). I did do a boxing smoker when I was about a month into training but, never got punched in the face.
Last night in no-gi class (which I'm not a huge fan of BTW) I helped with training one of our female MMA fighters who has a fight coming up next week. She wore her MMA gloves and was practicing jiu jitsu while blocking and throwing punches, she was throwing punches on the guy who went before me (he had told her to go ahead and hit him) when my turn came I asked her not to REALLY hit me. After a few rounds she got a little caught up in the moment and landed a hard punch straight down on my nose! My eyes started to water and my nose started bleeding and, I think I've come to a conclusion.......I LOVE Jiu JItsu!!

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A Golden Accomplishment! Pan Ams 2013

3/25/2013

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Gold medals aren't really made of gold. They're made of sweat, determination, and a hard-to-find alloy called guts.

I'm going to start this blog out by apologizing for my lack of blogging this past week. Our hotel room had horrible internet service and and the phone service at the tournament wasn't much better. So I will try to do my best to sum up the whole week at Pan Ams now :)
First off, I have several people I want to thank for support, training, coaching and being part of my life. Most important, my amazing boyfriend and coach Andrew! He has pushed me to train harder, teaching me new things, helping me fix the areas I get stuck, helping me warm up and stay calm and for being a great support system and boyfriend. Your the BEST Babe!! Andrew also competed this weekend taking Bronze in the Brown Belt division, This is a huge accomplishment! If you haven't seen Andrew compete, he is awesome to watch! He finished his 1st match by arm bar in 1:10 secs and his second match also by arm bar in 3 mins. Sooo Proud of him!

My other Coach Jesus Jose also competed and did great in a very tough match! I also want to thank Jesus for all of his help (I take Jesus's class's most often) and for being there for support! We also had a lot of fun together the past 5 days :) I'm very lucky to have such great coaches and teammates! I want to say Thank you to Andrew Britten as well who I have learned many parts of my game from and for the extra guard passing help he gave me before Pans. Also Giva Santana for being my sideline coach and for hanging out with me in the bull pen! (Giva took Double Gold this weekend!) Big Thanks to Scotty from Chatsworth Street Sports too! Scotty also helped on the side line and gave me several pointers after watching my competitors.

My teammates and my son Tyson also play a huge roll in my training. Pushing me and making me work hard when sometimes I just wanted to lay down on the mats and sleep after a long day of work! Thanks to ALL of my Siege MMA Family!
Of coarse it is an amazing surreal feeling to have won Pan Ams (a feeling that hasn't quite sunk in yet) but, it also was a lot of fun, a huge accomplishment and I met some new friends and got to know some of our extended Lotus Club family better. BTW...All of the Lotus Ladies made the Podium this weekend Tatiana Nascimento took Bronze, Shantel Hose, Carla Esparza and Erica Santana all won silver medals, Lin Nguyen and I took Gold! The Lotus Club Ladies kicked some butt!

And... what a feeling to compete on the same mats as Andre Galvao, Gabi Garcia, Cobrinha, Caio Terra, Tanquinho, Bruno Malfacine, the Mendez Brothers and the list goes on.....

Siege MMA brought 10 competitors to Pan Ams and brought home 5 medals! Not bad ;) We have a great program allowing us to learn from 3 different instructors with 3 very different games. And the results show it!! Congrats to Robert Maloney and Kelland Brookover taking Gold, Claudio Rios taking Silver and again Andrew Gardineer on Bronze! Proud to be part of the Siege MMA/Lotus Club Team!

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Drewjitsu.com update Pans Ams Day 3

3/22/2013

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http://drewjitsu.com/pan-ams-day-3/
Thanks drewjitsu.com for the nice write up and my outcome at Pan Ams today :)

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Lotus Ladies Tearing it up Pan Ams Day 1

3/20/2013

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White Belt Lotus Club ladies did great today at Pan Ams!

Shantel Hose took Silver and Linh-Han Hoang Nguyen took Gold and recieved her
Blue Belt on the Podium! After watching them compete today, I'm feeling pretty
excited for Friday!!

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It's TIIIIIIIME!!

3/19/2013

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Well, it's officially here!
Tyson, Andrew and I are off to California today for Pan Ams!
Siege MMA/Lotus Club has 10 competitors, let's bring home some BLING!
Sergio Castillo, Tyson Antillon, Leslie Rials, Andrew Gardineer, Claudio Rios, Jesus Artessi, Kelland Brookover, Kamuela Kirk, Robert Maloney and Joe Gomez.

Below is a competitors list for all Lotus Club Competitors
Lotus Club Jiu-Jitsu

WHITE / Adult / Male / Middle Justin Greene

PURPLE / Adult / Male / Light-Feather Arun Sharma

PURPLE / Adult / Male / Light-Feather Mink Dang

BLACK / Senior 2 / Male / Medium-Heavy Hercio Teofilo de Souza

WHITE / Adult / Male / Rooster Sergio Castillo

WHITE / Adult / Male / Light-Feather chuong vu

WHITE / Adult / Male / Light-Feather Lin Hyodo

WHITE / Adult / Male / Light Jonathan Ma

WHITE / Adult / Male / Middle Casey Ly

WHITE / Adult / Male / Middle Chad Caraway

WHITE / Adult / Male / Medium-Heavy Angel Hernandez

WHITE / Adult / Male / Heavy Andrew Moskowitz

WHITE / Adult / Male / Ultra-Heavy John Carlos

WHITE / Adult / Male / Ultra-Heavy Mathew Rodgers

WHITE / Adult / Female / Feather Shantel Ilima Uhiwalani Hose-Fernandes

WHITE / Adult / Female / Light Linh-Han Hoang Nguyen

WHITE / Master / Male / Light-Feather Jackson Bui

WHITE / Master / Male / Feather Richard Arreola

WHITE / Master / Male / Medium-Heavy John Vinson

WHITE / Master / Male / Super-Heavy Jonathan Moses

BLUE / Juvenile 2 / Male / Medium-Heavy Robert Joseph Maloney II

BLUE / Adult / Male / Light-Feather Richard Alarcon

BLUE / Adult / Male / Feather Tyson Antillon

BLUE / Adult / Male / Light Christos Stitt

BLUE / Adult / Male / Light Kevin ThompsonLuis Palhares

Luiz Palhares Jiu Jitsu

Luiz Paulo Jiu-Jitsu

Macaco Gold Team

BLUE / Adult / Male / Middle Hiram Garcia

BLUE / Adult / Male / Middle Waldron Ngotel

BLUE / Adult / Male / Super-Heavy kellend brookover

BLUE / Adult / Male / Ultra-Heavy Brian Murphy

BLUE / Adult / Female / Feather Carla Esparza

BLUE / Adult / Female / Light Erica Alicia Santana do Nascimento

BLUE / Adult / Female / Medium-Heavy Amanda Bell

BLUE / Master / Male / Light Russell Parry

BLUE / Master / Male / Middle Clifford Anderson-Bergman

BLUE / Master / Female / Light-Feather leslie rials

BLUE / Senior 1 / Male / Light-Feather Juan Avila II

BLUE / Senior 1 / Male / Light Joseph Anthony Pagliuso

BLUE / Senior 1 / Male / Medium-Heavy Brian Beatty

BLUE / Senior 1 / Male / Medium-Heavy Thomas Antunez

BLUE / Senior 2 / Male / Middle Keith Pridgen

PURPLE / Adult / Male / Rooster Joe Gomez

PURPLE / Adult / Male / Feather Kamuela Kirk

PURPLE / Master / Male / Light Claudio Rios

PURPLE / Senior 1 / Male / Middle Jaimeson Filer

PURPLE / Senior 2 / Male / Light David Kim

BROWN / Adult / Male / Medium-Heavy David Robles

BROWN / Adult / Male / Ultra-Heavy Wellington Modena Peroto

BROWN / Adult / Female / Feather Tatiana Cristina Jardim Mayer Nascimento

BROWN / Master / Male / Middle Jesus Jose Artesi

BROWN / Master / Male / Medium-Heavy Andrew J Gardineer

BROWN / Senior 2 / Male / Middle Ronald Blaine Crook

BLACK / Master / Male / Light Evan Michael Cathey

BLACK / Senior 1 / Male / Light-Feather Jeffrey Dean Bourgeois

BLACK / Senior 2 / Male / Heavy Givanildo Santana do Nascimento

BLACK / Senior 3 / Male / Feather Peter T. Loncarevich

Total: 55

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Gi Color Breakdown

3/18/2013

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How to pick your next gi.
Girls...you know this matters ;)

White and Blue Gi = Normal
Black Gi = Bad Guy
Red Gi = Crazy
Purple = Twee (as in a 12-year-old girl with Justin Bieber notebook)
Pink = Crazy (as in 'Lady, you better choke every single person in this room if you are wearing a pink gi')

So decide if you should stick with a white, blue or even black gi, especially if you are just starting out. Walking into a gym with a new hot pink gi and a white belt will makes you a target for the seasoned blue and purple belts....and there isn't anything more delightful than choking someone in brand new gear?

Basic Guidelines:

*Do purchase a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gi if you are training BJJ. A Judo or Karate gi simply will not suffice.
*Do find a gi that will fit your body. If you are on the line between two sizes, order the larger size, just to be sure, and shrink to fit*
*Do choose a color and style that you like. Remember, a good kimono will last you several years and will be your constant companion. Choose wisely.
*Do save your pennies and buy a quality gi.

Thanks to Puglista for this fun info.

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Phenomenal Women GracieMag.com

3/15/2013

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Butterfies to Butterfly Guard

3/15/2013

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Overcoming Anxiety in Jiu Jitsu Competition
Let’s face it, for those of us who have competed, most if not all us have felt the anxiety in the moments leading up to a jiu jitsu competition. Our breathing grows short, arms and legs begin to feel weak, we break into a cold sweat, and maybe our stomach begins to feel a little woozy. A pre-competition bout with anxiety can throw us totally off our jiu jitsu game plan, our hard work and preparation. Studies have show that high levels of anxiety hinder our sport performance.
Anxiety in Jiu Jitsu – A Normal Feeling!
Anxiety is a very normal and basic part of life, helping us mobilize into action. However, too much anxiety can be counter-productive. High levels of anxiety before and during a jiu jitsu match can drain you of mental and physical resources.  Up to a certain point, one’s performance improves as their level of anxiety goes up. Once your anxiety level goes beyond this optimal point (which differs between individuals), your performance begins to suffer.

With this in mind, it would be foolish for us to try and rid ourselves completely of anxiety. Also, I would be concerned for the elite jiu jitsu competitor who claims he is 100% anxious-free prior to a big match. What is more likely the case is that this competitor has learned to keep his anxiety in check and use it to his or her advantage.

So what can you do to keep anxiety in check?

Acceptance
It starts first with acceptance. To overcome anxiety in jiu jitsu competition, we must first accept that anxiety is going to be with us in any high pressure situation whether we like it or not. Strive to embrace the anxiety as part of your moment-to-moment experience of life. Anxiety is part of what makes us human and it can be used to help jump start your performance in jiu jitsu.

Breathing and Meditation for Jiu Jitsu
In situations where you begin to feel overwhelmed, you can always return to the basic practice of relaxation or meditative breathing as a way to help yourself calm down and re-center. In intense situations, focusing in on your breathing is analogous to rebooting a computer when it starts to go on the fritz. Keep in mind that I’m not talking about ordinary breathing. Too many people are quick to overlook the benefits of focused breathing because they think they know how to breathe effectively. The truth is that most people DO NOT know how to utilize their breathing as an effective and reliable coping skill. And yes, breathing for athletes is a skill. Plenty of online guides are available that can assist you with improving your ability to utilize breathing.

Realistic Goal Setting
Think about the goals that you have set for yourself. Are they realistic? Or are you aiming for the impossible?   When you set goals that are too lofty, especially in jiu jitsu competition situations, you’re are putting yourself under tremendous pressure and setting yourself up for failure. For those who fall victim to this, it’s no wonder why they feel the weight of the world on their shoulders. You most likely will not become a jiu jitsu world champion over night. It’s going to take a lot of training, time, and failure before you make it to the top. Make an effort to think in realistic terms and adjust your goals to match your unique circumstances.

Visualization
The use of visualization and imagery is a powerful tool for performance enhancement. Many, if not most, elite athletes use a least some form of visualization to maximize their results.   The rush you might get from watching an inspirational movie is the power of this technique at work. Come on, admit it. Visualization involves imagining yourself successfully overcoming an anticipated jiu jitsu performance situation.

Positive Self-Talk
Going hand and hand with the technique just described above, positive self-talk can have a tremendous impact on your ability to realize your potential in jiu jitsu. We all have from time to time an internal voice that criticizes us on our actions and abilities. Did you ever have someone in your life who always had something motivating and more importantly something positive to say? Instead of letting negative thoughts contaminate your thought process, talk to yourself in a positive manner. Don’t be your own worst critic and instead coach yourself with positive statements. You can do it!

Practicing the techniques briefly described above in jiu jitsu competition situations or any other anxiety provoking situations for that matter, you will eventually begin to feel a difference. Like most things in life, the important thing is that you give each of these techniques a try learn what works best for you.

Now let's hope I can follow my own advice ;)

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