Ronda's Mom's Words for Detractors/Doubters

I always listen when the lady speaks.
She does not mince words and always makes rational, logical points with evidence to support.

Click HERE.




Among others:
"Because she used to compete at a higher weight 7 years ago in the Olympics?

Anyone who says this clearly does not know the difference between judo competition and the UFC.

In judo, you weigh in the morning of the event and fight several matches over the course of what can be a 14 hour day or more. You have to hit that weight several times a year, often for three or four weekends in a row.  

In the UFC, you weigh in more than 24 hours before the match. You fight one match that lasts at most 25 minutes. You have to hit the weight at most three or four times a year and always at least two months apart."

-----

"She needs to prove that she is not afraid of anyone.

She has won Olympic and world medals in judo, and world title belts in two different promotions in mixed martial arts. She has set a record for fastest win in a title defense and long before this she won the finals of the junior world judo championships in 4 seconds. No matter who she beats and what she does, it will not be enough for some people.

After I won the world championships, Steve Seck, one of my teammates and a member of the Olympic team gave me sound advice, when I was criticized for deciding to pursue a Ph.D. rather than an Olympic medal.

'Fight when you feel it is right for you, and when it isn't, then stop. It doesn't matter what anyone else says. Those same people who are criticizing you now, saying, "Yes, you won the world championships, but could you win the Olympics?" If you went out and won the Olympics, they would be saying, "Yeah, but could you do it again?'"

10 Jiu-Jitsu/Grappler Life Milestones (Told with Memes from The Office)

1) You break up with a girlfriend because her schedule and your schedule (training) is not compatible and/or she complains about your training schedule.









2) You start not eating fast food/eating out as often/You start packing food in advance to eat healthy







3) You choose not to go out to rest so you'll get more out of training









4) A) you don't look forward to your next belt promotion
    B) you actually don't care about stripes anymore







5) The first thing on your Christmas/Kwanzaa/Festivus wishlist is a new Gi









6) You start enjoying sport Jiu-Jitsu and even watch the lower belts to see how your belt competes, what's en vogue







7) You compete because you know you'll learn whether you win or not











8) You skip work, plan vacations, take a long lunch, look forward to holidays because it means open mat or training twice a day


















9) You see people in real life and think, "that guy looks like Rafa Mendes" or "she looks kinda like Mackenzie Dern."







10) Virtually all of your newsfeed/social media/need for social media is based around grappling

More IBJJF Pan-Am Confirmations & Some Early Predictions (Commentary Assisted by Mugatu)

From BJJEE.com:


"At rooster weight: Caio Terra (CTA), Bruno Malfacine (Alliance), Fabbio Passos (Alliance), João Pedro (Checkmat), Koji Shibamoto (Tri-Force) and Jorge Nakamura (GFTeam)."

- Fabbio Passos has slowly looked more and more competitive against Caio Terra over the years, some quick back take to RNC losses not withstanding and at the previous American Nationals (I think it was) he actually stayed even with Caio for much of the match until a rolling back take semi-out of bounds and a restart. It's hard to think that Bruno won't come out on top, especially considering the departure of some of Caio's top flight guys (Moizinho among others).

"At light featherweight: Paulo and João Miyao (Cícero Costha), Bernardo Pitel (Nova União), Mark Ramos (Ricardo Rey BJJ) and Yoshihiko Matsumoto (Carpe Diem)."
- Miyao brothers close out is the only bet here.

"Featherweight: Mário Reis (Alliance), Leonardo Saggioro “Cascão” (BTT), Fabio Caloi (Alliance), Victor Genovesi (Alliance), Gianni Grippo (Alliance), Mayko Araújo (Checkmat), Kim Terra (CTA), Gustavo Dantas (Nova União) and Nicollas Welker (Ryan Gracie)."
- Without the brothers Mendes this divisions looks good for stalwart Mario Reis but I'm looking forward to a tough final with Reis and Grippo. I'm interested to see the division play out without the brothers Mendes, but part of me is kinda blase about it at the same time. Other than the Rickson Cup, I haven't gotten to watch two of the best Jiu-Jitsu competitors.....compete......for about a year. My one main detracting point for Sport Jiu-Jitsu is that other than PPV events (which are growing like Metamoris et cetera, the Eddie Bravo Invitiational 3 this month), our sporting calendar is the Spring with the Pans, Abu Dhabi Pro, and the Worlds in a 2 month span and the ADCC every other year. 

"Lightweight: Michael Liera (Atos), Luan Carvalho (Nova União), Andris Brunovskis (Atos), JT Torres (Atos), Gabriel “Palito” Rollo (Checkmat), Rodrigo Caporal (Atos), Juan Kamezawa (Alliance), Rodrigo Freitas (GB) and AJ Agazarm (GB)."
- Michael Lieira debuts at black belt at the Pans in a very tough division with guys like Caporal, Brunovskis (who has quickly picked up steam and notable wins this year) but AJ Agazarm is always a tough draw and I see Agazarm taking 3rd, with a toss up between either Lieira or Brunoskis assuming they fight it out. Lieira completely dusted the Worlds and the Pan at brown belt, but as we all hear, the jump to black belt can be a whole different game. 

"Middle weight: Leandro Lo (Cícero Costha), Otavio Sousa (GB), Vinicius Marinho (GFTeam), Magid Hage (GB), Victor Silvério (GFTeam), Francisco Sinistro Iturralde (Alliance), Felipinho Cesar (Barbosa), Fabio Pulita (Alliance) and Tanner Rice (Rice Bros)."
- Super excited for this division as Leandro continues to crush it, Otavio Sousa has swept back and forth with Leandro and come close with some armlock via omoplata attempts, Vinicius Marinho is always in it, Magid Hage is always dangerous, Sinistro is actively competing, Tanner Rise has wins over big names in the sport, and Victor Silverio is one of the black belts who has really impressed me since his promotion to Faixa Preta. This division is in my humble opinion one of the toughest throughout from one end of the bracket to the other.
It's almost impossible to not think Leandro won't take it, but with Marinho, Silverio and others, the quarter and semi-finals are anyone's guess.


"Middle heavy: Keenan Cornelius (Atos), Renato Cardoso (Alliance), Guto Campos (Atos), Murilo Santana (Barbosa), Thiago Sá (Checkmat), Rodrigo Fajardo (GB), Inácio Neto (GB) and Abmar Barbosa (Zenith)."
- Super excited for the possibility of a Murilo Santana/Keenan final (rematch of sorts) with Renato Cardoso and Abmar Barbosa always dangerous.

"Heavyweight: Lucas Leite (Checkmat), Felipe “Pé de Pão” (Alliance), Marcelo “Lapela” (Checkmat), Lucas Rocha (GB), Alexandro Ceconi (Ceconi Team) and Jurandir Vieira (G13)."

"Superheavy: Léo Nogueira (Alliance), Bernado Faria (Alliance), Eduardo Telles (Nine), Erberth Santos (TLI-Guigo), Yuri Simões (CTA), and João Assis (Checkmat)."
-The team that I dare not speak its named has Erberth Santos who has been making noise since his move to black belt, but Leo Noguiera, Bernardo Faria, and Erberth Santos along with Yuri and Joao are each and every one very tough draws. Faria's game has triumphed against virtually everyone but Rodolfo and/or Buchecha and it's tough to think he won't do so here, but Yuri Simoes has been putting in work at black belt and with youth on his side, he might have enough flex and bust out to catch Faria down the stretch as a few others have from time to time. 

"Ultra heavy: João Gabriel Rocha, Alex Trans (UAE), James Puopolo (Ribeiro JJ), Abraham Marte (GFTeam), Gabriel “Fedor” Lucas (Checkmat), Bruno Bastos (Bruno Bastos BJJ Midland), Marcelo Tarso (Atos) and Léo D’avila (Atos)."
-Another division full of tough, active competitors, Rocha, Trans, Marte, Bastos et all make this another division to watch. I have to choose Trans in this division based on how competitive he's been against the very best in the world of the big men. 

"Female:
Gabi Garcia (Alliance), Michelle Nicolini (Checkmat), Mackenzie Dern (Gracie Humaitá), Tami Musumeci (ATT), Angélica Galvão (Atos), Bia Mesquita (Gracie Humaitá), Nyjah Easton (Lloyd Irvin), Monique Elias (Alliance) and Luiza Monteiro (Cícero Costha)."

Am I Dumb for Kind of Being Excited for the next TUF: ATT vs Blackzilians?

I mean....after 10 years or however long it is.....is it dumb to think this will make for moderately entertaining television?
Team competition in Judo is always somehow slightly more exciting due to the format and feel of "bragging rights" with your boys right there nearby.....at any rate, I'll be tuning in to watch the season premier.

Thought(s) for the Day(s)

"Follow the path of the unsafe, independent thinker. Expose your ideas to the danger of controversy. Speak your mind and fear less the label of 'crackpot' than the stigma of conformity. "
   - Thomas J. Watson

 

Win or Learn & Some Black Belt IBJJF Pan Am Competitor Confirmations

Competed Saturday and lost by clock choke. Haven't seen the footage yet.

I came down with a cold a couple days out and realized by the time the match began I didn't even have the gas tank to fight for the takedown. I had a nice sweep from reverse de la riva, to a guard pass and got to where I wanted to be very quickly and early on (knee on belly/sidemount) but couldn't keep him there. I


He wore me down with pressure guard passing, I gave up the back to buy some time after escaping side mount a couple times, I fired two omoplata attempts, went for the straight arm lock with the omoplata then the wrist but he passed and submitted me shortly thereafter if I remember correctly. I should have been more patient in bad positions but I felt out of place accepting those positions and being patient rather than continually fighting to not concede inferior positions like side mount et cetera.
I felt safe in a position where I shouldn't and paid the price. My hat off to him.

It was a tough day and a bad beat given I personally knew a ton of people in attendance. Key parts of my game (open guard, Reverse De La Riva, guard passing) worked despite being under duress so that's a silver lining if one exists at all.

I was pretty salty (read that: colossally butthurt) about it for the rest of the day, but I got up Sunday morning and headed to Chapel Hill to train at open mat because training was the only thing that would help me start moving past this loss.

I could wax poetic about a loss is only a loss if you don't learn something and I'll make sure to keep a better eye on how I'm feeling a few days out from competing, but Wednesday I felt fine, Thursday evening I felt worse, and by Friday night I could barely breathe. I slept, ate well, drank Pedialyte but sometimes time and/or rest is the only solution.
In the grand scheme of things my ego is more hurt than anything, in particular because I knew a lot of people in attendance.

Peaking at the right time, organizing training around snow days and the gym being closed or traffic whatever...it's all part of the variables that can maximize or hinder performance.
It's not just training hard because all the good guys train hard.
It's not just eating well because all the good guys eat well.
The right mix, the secret sauce, the-whatever-you-call-it is what I'm still looking for as I continue to grind it out at purple belt.

Win or learn.
Win or learn.

---
From Graciemag:


"Here are the great names already registered in the black belt division.

Feather
Gianni Grippo

Lightweight
JT Torres
AJ Agazarm
Rodrigo Freitas
Rodrigo Caporal

Middleweight
Tanner Rice
Vitor Oliveira
Victor Estima
Sean Roberts

Medium-heavy
Renato Cardoso
Keenan Cornelius
Murilo Santana
Inacio Neto

Heavyweight
Leonardo Nogueira
Eberth Santos
Tim Spriggs
Eliot Kelly

Super-heavy
Bernardo Faria

Ultra-heavy
Abraham Marte
João Gabriel Rocha
Alex Trans

Female
Tammi Musumeci
Mackenzie Dern
Angelica Galvão
Fabiana Borges
Yasmine Wilson
Monique Elias
Luiza Monteiro
Dominyka Obelenyte
Tammy Griego
Ana Laura Cordeiro"

This is Why It's Called Gambling (UFC 184: Rousey vs Zingano and I guess some other non-PPV worthy fights)

There's not much of a polite way to put this so I'll just put it like it, in fact, is: the co-main event for a $60 PPV was a woman who was making her UFC debut. Male or female, that's just not acceptable. Selling that as a co-main event even to a purist of the highest hardcore fan/devotee of the sport order is nigh impossible.


Much like paying to see a Tyson in his heyday execution blowout finish in a minute, the card just felt like less than even most of the fight nights or UFC on FOX events I've seen. The other main card fights involved two guys both coming off of 3 losses apiece, and two guys who slugged for less than round who both were coming off of losses (questionable judging or whatever).


It is about impossible to do anything but question the value of such a card when asking for $60.



I've gone 37-29 for picks across the last 6 events with only 2 nights where I took some bad beats. 

In the past 6 events, 4 of them I've picked 60+ % of the fights or more correctly. I took a bad beat (as did most oddsmakers on the Mir/Bigfoot card (10 underdogs won) and went 4-7 on the Silva/Diaz card. Other than that I've had nights where I went 9-3, 9-2, and 8-4 among others.


There's money to be had if you keep an eye on intangibles.




 I felt like Gleison Tibau would be flatter than normal fighting just a month removed from his last appearance and having heard what an insane amount of weight he cuts. I also thought his largely stand-up affair with N. Parke would have him overrate his stand-up skills and a short right hand in mid-range led to the submission loss against T. Ferguson last night. Munoz I believe would be a big gun shy coming off of 3 high profile losses and Carneiro I felt was hungry coming up from the big leagues but minus some of the usual Octagon jitters as he's been in the big show before this go round.

At any rate, I also made money at Draft Kings with all 3 of the contests I entered and I'm up a fair bit from my initially meager investment of $25.