Category: Training

1st Ladies Open Mat

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Our Lovely Ladies
Our Lovely Ladies

Well we just got done with my first Ladies Open Mat hosted at my gym!

I was hoping for more people to show up, but it ended up being about right I think. We had 6 total, which was enough to get some decent rolling in, but without overwhelming me with the need for organization.

We started out with some light warm ups and then asked each person to show a favorite move or two of theirs for us to drill. After about 30-45 mins we moved on to sparring some rounds. There were varying levels of experience, and I was so happy how awesome everyone was! My big concern was keeping this a non-competitive environment, where we could just have fun and learn from one another – and I didn’t need to worry a bit! Everyone was so cool and there to just have fun, experience, and learn!

Rachel is fine tuning our triangles
Rachel is fine tuning our triangles

I stink at marketing and promotion, but I’m hoping that I can get word out better for the next time around! I’m tentatively saying either August 10, or 24th for our next meet up – depends on availability at the gym.

For anyone who is wanting to stay updated on Facebook, I have put together a group for keeping people updated. Here is a link to it, feel free to join! https://www.facebook.com/groups/407696842682321/

My Clark Gracie Pose
My Clark Gracie Pose

Black Belt Conspiracy

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Well I had some good training over the weekend. No rolling, but lots of biking and kettlebells. I have added two new things to my kettlebell circuit on Sunday. I’ve added snatches, and then this:


Yea I know, it’s not kettlebells… but it’s just as awesome! This was my last rep of this exercise and I think I took a little bit of aggression out on those poor innocent ropes!

When I got home last night, I made up some Acai – I’m working on perfecting my recipe and I’m pretty close to perfection with this latest batch!

Acai!!!
Acai!!!

Ah sweet glory!
Ah sweet glory!

I made two varieties. One with pineapple, and one with blackberry. The blackberry was the winner for sure! Wish I had a good ice cream maker so I could make it nice and smooth. Oh well, still amazing!

photo (7)I got to roll with three black belts today and have come to a conclusion. They all got together and decided “hey you know what would be funny? Let’s all do nothing but knee bars and heel hooks on Nicholle today!” They are out to get me. It’s some kind of conspiracy! What’s next? Toe Holds and Biceps Slicers???? Aaaaaaahhhhh!!!!

The only other option is that I’m doing something to give it to them… But that’s impossible! I am perfect in every way!

Heh…

I’ve had a gnarly headache off and on since Worlds. I think it’s from getting slammed twice in my first match. I’m gonna try seeing the chiro tomorrow to see if there’s anything he can do to help!

Teaching Jiu Jitsu, and Next Big Goal

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I didn’t get too much training in today. We have a fight camp going on for several of my team mates who are fighting next month – and I’m not much help for them I’m afraid. They need someone durable who can make them work hard. I am, however, an excellent time keeper when necessary!

I didn’t take the morning Gi class either… I saw just 4, very large, pretty new, white belts. Told coach “I think I’ll just let the boys play.” He looked, laughed, and agreed. So I just heckled from the sidelines – it’s an important job!

I did roll a bit with two people who showed up at 5. Got the blood flowing and felt better. Odd how my day feels incomplete without choking someone with my foot!

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Coach asked me to teach the 6 pm ladies class and then lock up the gym for him. The position we are working on this week has been side control bottom, so I taught the basic bridge-hip escape-reguard, then an underhook back take. Then we got a little fancy with an inverted triangle from the bottom.

It really feels good that my coach trusts me enough to give me that responsibility! I also love it because I feel like I finally get to give back a bit of what has been poured into me for the last two years!

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Next Goal:
It has been decided that my next big tournament will be the No Gi Pan American Championships. It is on September 28 and is in New York. Thankfully I have an awesome friend who I will get to stay with while I’m there
shameless plug:Visit his website for some amazingly orchestrated musical art!

In preparation for this, I’m going to compete at the IBJJF Chicago Open on August 17 and 18. I will get a chance to compete both in Gi, and No Gi divisions there.

My blue belt goal is to compete at ADCC. It is a major competition held in Abu Dhabi for which you have to win a qualifier at some point during the year. For ladies, they group white and blue belts together in one category, then purple, brown, and black together in another. In order to qualify, I will have to win my category weight division, and also the absolute division (no weight class).

I have a feeling this next year is going to be exciting indeed!

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I Really Am Fragile…

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No, I didn’t break myself again!

I don’t think people really understand how easily I am broken sometimes though…

I have a pretty severe case of hypermobility in almost all of my joints – elbows being the only exceptions. This is quite hazardous for me really. It doesn’t mean that I am just “really flexible” like many seem to think.

Basically, it means that the ligaments holding my joints together are too loose. Ligaments are not meant to be stretched, but mine constantly are because of the looseness in them. Loose ligaments means that it takes VERY little pressure to sublux (minorly dislocate) my poor overworked joints. In other words, I’m a chiropractor’s worst nightmare. Unfortunately, I know of no supplements or treatments that actually reverse this condition.

So I’m always having to be on guard and extremely careful when sparring. Shoot! I dislocated my hip while dodging Disneyland crowds with my small nephew on my shoulders and I’ve had my acl sprained just from a leg drag.

Injury Prevention
This is critical for me if I am to continue competing at the level that I desire to!

First: the docs have all told me the same thing. I need to strengthen all the muscles surrounding my major joints (so basically, everything!) muscles will fatigue eventually, but they can help pick up the slack from my ligaments and help stabilize my joints. Putting on muscle may put me up a weight class, but if I’m healthy, I’m down for it!

Second: regular professional care. I have regular massage bodywork done, and in addition have an amazing structural integrationist whom I see as often as possible. I also have the worlds greatest chiropractor, who happens to train as well!

Third: this may sound odd, but I stretch. A lot. But it’s very specific stretching. If I have a muscle that tends to pull more strongly on one side of a joint than the antagonists on the other side do, that’s just a recipe for disaster! So I work to keep everything as balanced as possible.
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I’m gonna close with what I told my grandma when she was worrying about me getting hurt. “I may get hurt at some point. But the amount of joy and fulfillment I get out of pushing myself and learning every day… It’s worth it.”

Me Crack Head Squirrel!

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I’ve had a good share of black belt rolls so far this week! I just love having access to a good number of excellent black belts where I train! They say their goal is to train me to defeat them someday.

I have been doing a lot of training lately. In my mind, this is off season – but on paper it’s another story entirely.

Yesterday:
Rode bike 3 miles to gym
Rolled for 90 mins
Did 3 massages
Rolled/drilled for 2 hours
Did another massage
Kettlebell workout
Rode bike 3 miles to home

So yea… Guess I’m still training a lot… But it feels completely different than before. I’m having fun, and using the bike and kettlebells to build joint stability so I can handle training more.

Granted, I’m being fairly lazy today so far. No massages and no kettlebells. I did get to roll with one of our black belts this morning before class – getting much better at keeping from being smashed in half guard.

I feel bad sometimes for the guys rolling with me. I imagine it’s like having a crackhead squirrel running circles all over your body, and having to somehow catch it, without actually hurting it. Ha!

On a somber note, was talking with a friend of mine in Brazil. Prayers going out for safety and an end to corruption to the homeland of my beloved lifestyle!

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Prepping for Dallas and Worlds

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Well I’m leaving for Dallas on Saturday. I’m making the drive with two of my team mates – we figure it will take between 10 and 12 hours depending on how often we stop.

There are 9 people in my division, so I’ll probably get 3 fights. Feeling good!

Here is a little video with some clips from my competitions. I watch it after I’ve been pounded into a grease spot on the mats – helps re-inflate me!

Worlds is coming up in just a few short weeks and I am psyched! My coach is trying to get sponsors to cover my and 3 of my team mates expenses. I wouldn’t be able to go otherwise! If you’re interested in helping some broke, hard training people, you can shoot him an email at shawnhammonds@hotmail.com !

Banned From the Mats Again

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X-pass count: 950

Got a good 120 reps of X-pass with Javi at 10, then got busy with sparring. Coach split us up and put Javi with another purple belt, Kenny.

8 minute rounds!

Chad brought down two of his kids to 10 am class. The older one was probably 12-13 and the younger about 8. Older kid was pretty strong and apparently unused to attacking a seated guard (butt scooters unite!). I went with the younger one next – kid is a beast! Fast and really good technique, had to really work my guard technique and not use any muscle power. Now I know how the guys feel rolling with me!

I sat a round as I was left with a newer white belt – and I’m under decree to avoid unless coach gives the okay. I snagged Beastmaster for the last round. He has been out for a few weeks, but has remained my favorite white belts to roll with. Spent most of the time working on maintaining my guard and trying to sweep.

At 11:30 I paired off with Javi again for drilling a sneaky choke from side control. It took several tries before I started to get it, then it was all good. Then roll time!

Javi is one of our most solid purple belts with a solid Judo background. I’ve learned to keep my hips forward and not lean when starting standing with him. He pulled guard and swept me after grip fighting a bit, he didn’t roll hard with me – nice and smooth. Need to work on my base when standing!

Rolled again with Beastmaster. I just went into leech mode guard on him – effective!

Sat the last round, then went off to visit the chiro.

I asked him to take a look at my left knee – it has been a bit weird feeling lately, painful with some movements. He did a few tests of my ligaments and deduced a minor sprain – probably ACL. I’ve also got all kinds of muscle binding around the knee, trying to stabilize it. He did some soft tissue work in my calf that made me laugh hysterically with tears running down my face (yes, my reaction to extreme pain is to laugh. Yes, I know I’m a freak.)

I told coach and he ordered me off the mats until at least Monday. I’m actually relieved. Yea it sucks to not roll, but even I’ll admit I “may” have overdone it a bit the last month. I believe that most injuries spring from ignoring the warning signs your body is flashing at you, and I need to practice what I preach, as a professional body worker, BEFORE I blow out my knee.

The doc told me that I need to start doing some weight training to stabilize my legs. “Your body just doesn’t meet your ambition levels yet.” So strengthen it is! Plus I booked a 2 hour roofing session for myself next thursday before my next chirp appointment. Gonna get a major reconstruction done on my legs!