Ze Radioa seminar

I have been to a Ze Radiola seminar before, they're usually quite advanced on the techniques shown from what I remember. I was looking forward to the challenge and the excitement of training at GB Brum, which I don't do enough. (but I plan to change next year)

Sanwiches made, drinks purchased, Gi packed, I was happy the one I wanted was clean and that reminds me, I have gi's to wash tonight. I jumped in my car for a 100 miles drive on my own. the drive was quite nice, the sun was out and blinding at times.

When I turned up I was greated by Victor, a quick change, and I was ready.

I chatted with some familier faces. which is always good.

We where shown some positions, and sweeps, these where to say the least complex and strange. I can see how they're effective, I just need to try and practice and rememeber them. I was pulling them off with limited success, then Ze points out how wrong we where doing it, ha ha. Life then becomes easier, a couple of minor adjustments to knee placements and sweeps work easier. I was part of a three due to odd numbers. Then onto more complex moves, I'm not a big user of Dela Hiva Guard so when offered the chance to practice this rather than learning the next sweep I took it. I was happy with that, so I joined back with the others I was paired with and tried to get to grasps with the contortionist rutine that was set us as a task. We then did another variation of this sweep, which was equally as twisty and I can feel it in my back this morning.

I think the thing that I took most note of was the Q&A section, some good topics where covered. One being stacked up, which I liked the results.

then, we got onto a bit of sparring, which I love, I ended up with the chap who won the absolute at the british nogi open last month, so I knew it would not be easy, there was a bit of grip play, I'm not a lover of starting from the knee's. I end up ontop in a deep half guard. He could not sweep me, but not for his lack of trying, I try to get a gi choke in place and he does something with my leg which has it almost pop at the hip. We have a few more little rolls with no subs appearing anywhere.

I moved onto another guy, he was bigger and newer, I gave him some tips about side controle and we rolled a bit, I got a couple of easy subs. but was a good roll.

Grapplemania 2.0 Leeds

After winning the grapplemania 1.0 event at beginner, I was tempted to enter this as advanced. but I thought twice against it, I don't really have the skills to take on a skilled opponent. Plus there was only two people in the advanced last time, and I wanted the chance of more fights.

there where a few guys from my club who where suppost to be going, but it ended up just me and my teacher, most with valid reasons to their absence. I was happy, I knew there would be some guys from Factory BJJ there to cheer me on.

There was a whole three people in the advanced devision this time, one who was a begginer, but thought he'd gamble on the numbers in the advanced and wanted to experience the advanced fighters. He took 3rd.

I draw my fighter, he looks big, very muscled. I hear a shout from the crowd for him to throw a big right, would be an easy way to win I suppose. We clinch up a few times, he's not giving me anything, he's not raggin me about, I try to make him step, but he gives nothing, He gets me down, takes side control and I can't move, he locks up a head and arm triangle and leaps over me. I tap. Very Gutted. Ah well it happens he went on to win the division, which made me feel better.

All fighters get two fights, so I was offered the absolute or a fight against another loser, I chose the absolute. which anyone could enter, no matter size, win or lose or whether advanced or beginer. I forgot there was a cash prize for this. I checked my fight, I recognised the name of the fighter in the fight below me as the guy I'd just fought. the names are called and I all of a sudden have the guy from the next fight. O joy of joy, I'll got the same guy again. I hope he's tired and I might be able to take advantage. We tussle, he's still not giving anything, He manages to take me down again, bt this time, I fight my way back to my feet. He clinch again, I catch a headbut, I'm good, not dazed so we carry on, he I shoot for the single leg, bad idea, he sprawls on me, so I roll to my back and as I do, I catch an elbow to the face, I think one strike, could be an accident, but two? who knows? I end up losing on points. better than being subbed again I suppose.

I then found out that the organisors had matched the weights of the fighters, so they could try and get a david vs goliath final, but not everyone put there weight down. It just seems a bit dodgy with a cash prize atg the end.

Well, when I got home I thought, I'll google the guy I had to fight twice, lets see how he's done in his MMA, I was expecting maybe a couple of fights but he was Neil "oldschool" Wain, 5-1 in his MMA carer with his loss being to Shane Carwin at UFC 89. So I managed to get a pro fighter in a novice division of a local comp. Great.

British No Gi Open 2009

Well, I've been looking forward to this day for a while now, and was a very sensible person to organise a Haloween party the night before. Who would have thoought that the 1st of November was after the 31st October.

So, I had arranged to meet up with my club and the artofjits at a trainstation at 7am Sunday morning, I'd gotten to bed by 0ne I think. My alarm was set for 6, I snoozed and slept through, so my phone rang at 7 and I rushed to meet everyone. I chose not to drive as I was a little worse for wear.

We got down there in plenty of time, I'd sobered up and felt good by then.

My first fight was called and I'd got a very tall gent called Steve from GB Swanse, I made a silly mistake giving him the easy takedown and I spent the rest of the 5 minutes going from mount to turtle to giving my back but at no time did I fear him submitting me. I was down 20 points to nil, first round loss, I may love to compete, but I hate to lose. I felt exhausted and demoralised.

being in a high weight cat, there does not tend to be many of us, five infact on this lovely day. I'd got a by in the first round so I needed to find out how the bronze was being awarded, I had to fight for it. The words I wanted to hear, I had to fight a guy wearing a Braulio shirt, but I'd seen him tap out easily in his first round to something that should not have worked. All he did was shoot for a single leg, after a while I managed to break him down to turtle where I tried to take his back and manged to sweep him over and gain mount. He left his arm in the right shape for a paintbrush, I did not think twice and attacked and he tapped quickly. The Bronze was mine. I'd brought back my hope for a chance of gold as I could now enter the absolute.

I think some shenanigans went on with the absolute bracket with the person I was fighting getting changed while I was in the toilets. I thought a musclebound super heavy weight, he got the takedown, he controled me well, but I got to my feet and I managed to take him down, and get to side controle, there is no where I feel happier on the ground. he is bridging like a bucking bronko on max, I'm being bounced about like a little girl, I try to put my weight down to stop this, I see that shape again, the same shape that had already brought me victory, victory was within my grasp, I grab the wrist, I start to slide my hand under, then I feel my legs go light and I fly onto my back, I have no idea how, I just know I am on my back and can not escape this beast of a man. my eagerness cost me victory and my chance at gold. I congratulate him and left the event very disapointed.

lessons have been learnt, training in my weaknesses will follow, but my main focus, is Gi fighting until Feb now, with the Abu Dhabbi Gi qualifiers in Dec and the European Open in Jan, they are what I want to win.

Who am I and WTF is a Moob Choke

I'll answer the first question first, I am Big Phil, I am a four stripe white belt under Braulio Estima. I fight in the Ultra Heavy Division which is 100.5Kg and above. I'm a slender 127Kg at the moment. I train at www.infinitefightingconcepts.co.uk which I have to admit is a horrible website but a good place to train, I found the place in 2007 where I started to learn JKD as my old house mate went there to train as well. after a couple of months a new class appeared and that was grappling and BJJ, I'd heard about BJJ and the Gracies from watching UFC's in my mates basement. I used to wrestle with my big brother when I was a kid and thought, sod it I'll give it a bash and fell in love with a new sport. A couple of months later, I moved out to spain for a few months, I wanted to train but the €100 euro's a month at Gracie Barra Marbella was too much for a unemployed me. I regret not doing one month there at least. While I was living out there I knew I had to fly back home after a few months because I could not sort my car off and it needed it's MOT, the timing coinsided with the Northern Open, so I decided to enter and took a well deserved bronze medal. I loved the experience and flew back to spain the day after.

When I came back I could not afford to train or if I could, I would quickly pick up an injury and be unable to train. I'd always make the effort to go to local seminars when I got the chance, Braulio was my first and second, on the second, Braulio told us that Ze Radiola, his teacher was holding a seminar in Birmingham the next day. So a few of us went down there and it was a great day. Then it was Lagarto, John Wills, Cecil Burch and Megaton. Each has influenced my game and my mind, I think mentally John Wills and Megaton the most.

So, before I randomly drivel on too much, I'll get to question two.

What is a Moob Choke?

Well, the Moob Choke is my secret weapon and the actual move shall remain a secret (until I figure it out). Where did it come from. I post on the EFN forum and someone decided to set up an account to flame me, and he set the account up so that I would not moob choke him. If you are unfamilier with the term moob, this is a man boob and I may have some due to being a little over weight.