MMA Notes from doyoubjj.com - UFC 167, Hendo Dropped, Liz Worked

Looky here, two weeks in a row!  I’m on a roll T-bone.  Let’s see how long I can keep this up.

We are in the middle of a whole lot of mma action going on.  UFC Fight Night – Henderson vs. Belfort happened, as did UFN Fight for the Troops earlier in the week, and then this weekend I believe we have UFC 167, GSP against Hendricks.  How far does Hendo drop and what should he do?  Liz looked stiff and tentative, what about her?  And then I’m pulling for the upset in the championship fight, Hendricks all the way.

Where does Dan Henderson go from here?

I wonder how far back Dan Henderson will drop in the rankings or how far up Vitor Belfort will rise?  I don’t even know where he was ranked prior to the fight.  I feel bad for Henderson as he got caught coming in looking for his over the top, Sylvester Stallone style right.  By looking I mean by watching the ground.  Again.  But hey, it has worked for him in the past.  Dan got rocked and went down, Vitor swarmed him and that was about it.  Dan subconsciously was fishing for a leg but he looked confused.

I don’t know how I feel about the whole TRT garbage with these two.   I am not even sure I know the facts.  I have heard that Vitor would most likely be denied a license to fight in Nevada due to his therapy.  Hence the reason his latest fights have been in Brazil.  We all know that Dan is on it though because he has openly stated he is.  Do the two then negate the advantage?

It was sort of sad to see Henderson lose for the 1st time due to strikes but I am kind of happy for Vitor.  I feel he poses the biggest threat to Bones.  Anyways if you missed the fight or if you want to see action figure Belfort, here is a link I almost always go to to watch the fights.  It’s a clean site and free to sign up.

On to Liz Carmouche…

again, from mmafighting.com

#4 Liz Carmouche went up against #6 Alexis Davis at the UFN Fight for the Troops card.  I think most people had already picked Girlrilla, awful nickname, as the winner.  She was anything but.  She got werked.  Yes – worked with an e.  WERKED.  All it seemed to take to get a fire under Davis’ ass was getting socked a few times.  Once she started bleeding (which I’m told girls are already comfortable with(gross Steve(I know, I know,))) her striking picked up and she looked more fluid.

From the get go, Carmouche moved like a gorilla.  She looked stiff and bigger, bulkier, more dense.  Once she couldn’t put Davis down and Alexis picked her apart with them inside leg kicks, it was over Rover.  I wonder how far back Carmouche drops, maybe they swap places?  Liz to #6 and Davis to #4?

UFC Fight Night 31: Alexis Davis vs. Liz Carmouche full fight video …

http://www.mmajunkie.com Thu, 07 Nov 2013 03:25:00 GMT

FORT CAMPBELL – Alexis Davis may have kicked her way right into title contention in the UFC’s women’s bantamweight division.

UFC 167 – I am frickin’ pumped for this one

The Big Rigg

Long time welterweight champion GSP vs.  hungry and prideful Johny Hendricks.  Not that Georges isn’t hungry and prideful, it’s just easier to be that way when you want something vs. when you have already had it for a long while.

I would like to see a change of hands in the 170 lb class.  I think Hendricks can and will do it and then maybe even have a similar reign as GSP.  I just see that tenacity in him, especially when they show episodes like they did on this last one of UFC Countdown.  Episode 3 is the one I’m talking about and just watching it made me want to be 16 and wrestling again.

Listening to one of my teen idols, John Smith, not take any bs during that interview was awesome.  Seeing Johny almost puking on the mat and then getting yelled at to get going was awesome.  Smith said something like whether you’re training for a national title or an Olympic gold medal, you’re going to train wrestling here.

My prediction is Big Rigg takes it in the 2nd by gnp.  I do worry about his cardio but if he has been training as much as it indicated, he should be good.  Unless GSP has simply been outworking him.  Which is entirely possible.  Here is a link to that episode from mmajunkie:

Reminder: ‘Countdown to UFC 167,’ ‘UFC 167 Primetime’ Episode 3 …

http://mmajunkie.com Mon, 11 Nov 2013 21:20:15 GMT

As a reminder, the UFC’s traditional pre-event show returns tonight with the debut of “Countdown to UFC 167: St-Pierre vs. Hendricks.” The show will be followed by the third and final episode of “UFC 167 Primetime: St-Pierre …

Support my efforts – you save on a Gameness gi!

That is all for today my friends.  I can write nor link anymore.  What do you think?  How far does Dan drop or Vitor climb?  Where does Liz end up and who does Davis challenge next?  Who ya got for the fight this weekend?  I think I have a poll over there in the sidebar.   Comment.  Vote.  Share.  Peace.

MMA Notes from doyoubjj.com - UFC 167, Hendo Dropped, Liz Worked

Do Gameness Gis Shrink?

You want to talk about a high pressure situation?  You just spent $150 on a brand new gi.  You waited a few days and just like that your FedEx dude was like Santa Claus showing up at your door with a package.  Instantly you’re excited.  You know the excitement I’m talking about.  Like when a craftsman gets a new tool, or a sniper gets a new rifle, you got your brand new gi baby!  I went straight to the source, I sent an email, I asked them to their e-faces – do Gameness gis shrink?

It’s a good feeling right?  Great feeling maybe?  You want to look at it all at once.  But you also want to look at each patch, each seam.  The smell of it, the crispness.  Try it on?  In front of the mirror?  Wonder what I would look like pretending to triangle someone in it ?

Everything is dandy.  Except for one thing.  Your new Gameness gi is a little too big.  Not way too big because then you’d just exchange it, it’s just a little too big.  And this is where that stress comes in.

You can throw your gi in the dryer and custom shrink it.  It’s super scary though to hear your gi rumbling around in there not knowing if you are drying it for 1 minute too long and it’s going to shrink.  Regarding Gameness gis, this is probably the one question I get the most or see online:

Do Gameness Gis Shrink?

Gameness Air

Since you are a fan of the site, I am certain you are aware that Gameness got a hold of me a couple weeks ago and is now allowing me to offer their stuff at reduced pricing.  We set all of that up.  Because of that, I gots an inside contact yo.  We will call him Agent Zero.  I sent Agent Zero that question flat out and straight up – do Gameness gis shrink?

The Answer

I gotta say, the guy I’m dealing with at Gameness is pretty cool.  Once I sent him an email where I wrote like “that’s awesome!”  He wrote back “Steve, we here at Gameness don’t strive for just awesome…”  Here is his email answer.  Straight to the point and maybe to the gut (the carbs part) for some of you -

Gameness Shrinkage:

Gameness gis are 2x pre-shrunk.  So in the normal course of wear and care there really shouldn’t be any further shrinkage.  Now if someone messes up and puts a gi in the dryer then they might want to think about cutting back on the carbs….  Some people even shrink to fit by closely monitoring their dryer and trying the gi on every couple of minutes- a fun winter activity.

However, if you or your client ever had an issue with getting an incorrect size; simply call or email us.  We can send the correct sized gi with a return label so they can send the incorrect size back.

Wrapping it up

There you have it, the answer to the months old question – will Gameness gis shrink?  I would also like to point out the customer service this dude is offering us.  That last paragraph he wrote, “if you or your client ever had an issue with getting an incorrect size; simply call or email us.  We can send the correct sized gi with a return label so they can send the incorrect size back.”  I like that.

Let doyoubjj.com get you a Gameness gi discount – click here.

Now that we have that question out of the way, what would you like to do?

You can go to the main Gameness gis page and see what gis and discounts I can offer.  Or you can hover over the category tabs up top and see some topics to choose from, or click the doyoubjj.com logo in the upper right corner and you will return home like E.motherflappingT

Do Gameness Gis Shrink?

Why Drilling in BJJ is Important - 9 out of 10 Black Belts Recommend

Why only 9 bjj black belts? The 10th dude is an idiot that’s why. Drilling is vital for any sport. It sucks though right? Very repetitive and boring. In this quick post, let’s talk about why you need to be drilling in bjj if winning or making significant improvements are either of your goals.

Face It, Drilling Just Sucks & BJJ Is Fun

To be truthful, I have never actually drilled properly for bjj. There are a bunch of reasons but the main ones would be because I am too lazy to make it happen and then finding a reliable and capable partner.

Drilling is serious business and if you are going to do it, why not commit to it? Me, I have no real reason to drill. It’s because I am already that good, I don’t need to. He said with a straight face.

Nah, I don’t need to because bjj is supposed to be more fun for me rather than work. I’ll say it again though, if competing and winning is your goal or improving by leaps and bounds is, adding drilling to your bjj game will do that.

I Have Drilled Relentlessly Before

In wrestling. For all those years. When the school season would start we’d always get a few new kids turning out for the team. They had to learn the basics first so the coach had to go over the same few things every season. Stance, level changes, single legs, and double legs. Every practice for 2 weeks or so.

I guess I also drilled in swimming by doing those repetitive laps and racquetball hitting various forehands and backhands off the wall over and over.

Looks like rolling, not drilling.

Why You Want To Add Drilling To Your BJJ Game

One word. Instinct. You want your motions in bjj to be instinctive. So fast you don’t even have to think about them. Drilling accomplishes that. By you doing the same motion over and over again, your body and brain grow used to having the muscles fire in a certain sequence from that pozish. They start to grow used to firing at certain times, pulling her but pushing there.

If you just read my previous post about the battery and your bjj cardio, you already know how this goes. Same idea.

A good example I can give you of me having a very specific instinct, I’m sure you have them as well just maybe from elsewhere.

It’s when I am in turtle and your partner or opponent goes to roll you in order to take your back. On the way over which is hard to prevent because of the momentum, I know on that one side, my opponent is going to try to snag that hook as soon as he can.

So in instinctively on the way over I’ve noticed, my arm gets down there ready to brush off his hook attempt. Very rarely does someone ever get that 2nd hook ON THE ROLL over. Several have gotten it a few moments later after they re-adjust lol.

Putting that arm down there created a different issue though.

Check Out My Offer – Discounts on Gameness!

Had To Add To The BJJ Instinct Path – trademarked

Now as I rolled from turtle, my arm automatically went down to block. No back for you. But you know what my partners started doing? They adjusted their games to compensate. BJJ is a crazy game son.

With one arm down and one arm and my head all alone, I was dished up for them to throw on a triangle which they did.

So I adjusted. Now it is wired in my brain to drop that arm and block the hook attempt but also be ready to bring that arm back up as soon as it can be to stop him from throwing that leg up. I usually grab the pant leg for this.

Let’s Throw Baseball Into A BJJ Drilling Post

Baseball players can see those threads moving & spinning at 90mph.

I don’t know if any of you watch baseball or played it or maybe still do but have you seen how hard and fast the ball moves?

I don’t mean just between the pitcher and catcher either. I mean off the bat when they get a hit (just think of the energy transfer there!) or when like the 3B (third baseman for you English) rifles a throw across the infield to first.

Baseball players don’t even have to think about it. After a throw, their gloves just go to the right spot. After catching tens of thousands of baseballs, their catching path is so burned into their brains and bodies, usually it’s almost effortless for them.

When they do make an error, it’s like their brain farted right in the middle of a normal, standard routine and interrupted it.

They don’t aim their glove for where they think the ball is going to be. They have seen so many, their brain makes an almost instantaneous calculation of WHERE the ball is going to be.  I guess for baseball this instinct would be based primarily off of sight – they see the threads, the spin, the angle.

Another simple way to look at instinct is when you bounce a ball or even better a super ball. You know how sometimes it will get a crazy spin and you can see it in between bounces?  And because you have seen that ball spin like that so many times, you know which direction it is going to go when it touches the ground? Instincts.

This is how you want your bjj to be.  You want your body and brain to already know the opportunities ahead prior to you even being aware. Cosmic stuff baby.

If You’re Like All Gung-Ho Now And Like LET’S DRILL

I have no experience or knowledge in laying out a drilling plan. They have always just been told to me. More like yelled at me by coaches.

However, it would make sense to start out with specific moves. Like an arm bar from guard. Drill it relentless for a month. Do 100 after every class.

But wait…

Find Connected BJJ Techniques First

I said drill the arm bar right? Awesome. Nice basic bjj move. It is also part of a great series or different techniques linked together.

I would find a series that you like or want to drill first, break down the different parts of it, drill them individually, and drill them all connected.

It can be hard to find a good series and you’ll want a bunch. The best advice I can give here is to ask your instructor or rolling partners some of their favs. Or you can watch matches or mma fights. I didn’t learn my first series until after a year of training. It was the arm bar, triangle, omoplata series. When I was shown I was like, why haven’t I seen this before? If you don’t know that one I’d look it up.

Let doyoubjj.com get you a Gameness gi discount – click here.

The Magic Number

They say you have to repeat a move 10,000 fudgetrucking times to get it wired into your dome. Who they are, I don’t know. I know it’s a lot but I don’t believe every one will require 10K tries. Some movements will feel more natural and some will connect to others easier.

Picking A Drilling Partner

Drilling something.

Not going to get into too much detail here. You need to find someone that is as committed as you are. You don’t want someone that is going to drill once and then never again.

You also don’t want a fish – someone that is too floppy and not resistant enough. You want enough resistance so you can feel it but not so much you gas trying to drill.

Like I said, I have never laid out a drilling plan so my thoughts are just those, thoughts. I know a few bjj guys have put out books or sets. Oooh, maybe I’ll link to a good book or something.

Every time I get the urge to write I go – okay, I’ll just knock this out real quick – they never turn out that way. I don’t know if people enjoy walls of text or not but I can’t get my pernt across unless I type it out. All of it.

We talked about the importance of drilling and why it is crucial for the development of your bjj. I guarantee that if you commit to drilling for what, a meager 30 days, 1 month, 1 move, 100x, 4x a week, at the end of that month, you will be so much better with that move.

Now, this post was supposed to be just a quick little write up about bjj drilling so I could mark it off my graph paper checklist lol.

If you are serious about drilling though, I would follow a plan. I am going to try and put another post up real quick about Andre Galvao’s book, I think that may be the best one out, and then link to it from here. If you want to step it up and see the improvements you can make using drilling as a weapon, you should probably check out that book. It’s called Drill to Win.

edit:  guess I don’t need a new page.  Cool little Amazon plug-in brings it here.  Check it.

Why Drilling in BJJ is Important - 9 out of 10 Black Belts Recommend

BJJ Cardio & You - Make Like a Battery & Drain

Simple Battery Circuit
(pic from www.qrg.northwestern.edu)

Let me guess, you’re online looking for tips on how to increase your cardio for bjj? Or maybe you came across this post stumbling through bjj sites today. Whatever the reason, cool.

How about this question, anyone reading this gas out during warm-ups? Usually, only newer people have issues with the bjj warm-ups. They can be tough but your body and mind get conditioned to them. For some, their bjj cardio, their gas, is nearly gone after 1-2 rounds of rolling. Me? I’m usually good for 3-4 before I feel like throwing up. And I admit, that is kind of sad when you watch people go 8, 9, 10 rounds.

In this post, I’d like to compare your cardiovascular endurance for bjj to a battery. What a battery is, how it can compare to our bodies, its memory, poop like that.

You ready Freddie?

How a Battery Works – Briefly

We ain’t going to get into the nitty-gritty detail of the chemical reactions that happen (maybe we will) but not into different sorts of batteries okay. A plain old flippin’ battery okay?

In a battery, you have basically 3 parts – an anode, a cathode, and an electrolytic solution. Batteries create electricity internally due to a chemical reaction that takes place when something completes the circuit, like when you put it in a flashlight.

Very simply, I think, simple enough for bjj terms, the anode oxidizes (basically rusts) and gives up an electron in the process. The cathode? He fudging absorbs it! And when he absorbs it is when you get your precious electricity for your Galaxy S iPhone G3-87-U.

This is why batteries, sadly, die. You killer. They can’t keep reacting like that. Eventually the anode and cathode, kind of like little plates or discs inside the battery, get um, covered over with corrosion like moss or barnacles and can’t react anymore releasing electrons. Easy right? Here’s a link to howstuffworks where it goes into more detail.

Check Out this Offer!

True or False – Batteries Have Memories

Who knows. It is kind of odd but battery life is actually like a heated topic in my building engineering job. For whatever reason, building engineers feel the need to argue about it.

Me? I think they do have a memory.

And what I mean by battery memory is that if the battery you use on your device gets used in the exact same manner every day, the chemical reaction cycle that goes on inside will only “know” how to do it to a certain point. It will almost like wear down a path i think in between the anode and cathode because that is all it ever does or GETS to do.

It never gets to stretch its legs if you know what I’m sayin’.

Finally – He’s Going to Tie it in with BJJ Cardio!

It should be pretty easy to make the connection right? How your cardio and the way you train it and drain it, determines YOUR “battery?”

If you keep only going for 1-2 rounds, or 3-4 in my case, more like the 0 case currently, your range will never expand. You will only be able to use the little short path you have built for yourself.

Charge up your meter.
( pic from staceyreid.com)

This is why it is so important to push yourself while training. Every extra little bit you do lengthens that path, it broadens your capacity between your cathode and anode.

Every single time you do 1 more push-up when you are exhausted – increase in capacity.

Every time you buck and shrimp to escape mount in that last roll with 10 seconds to go even though you feel ill, +1 capacity.

Every time you go to the morning and night class and do both warm-ups and roll the whole time for both – Boom capacity.

Since I like this analogy so much, I am going to type about it for the next couple of paragraphs and then wrap this joker up.

Here are ways that I treat all my batteries, and kind of the way I train and especially the way I do supplemental cardio training outside the gym.

Who Has Their Phone Plugged In Whenever They Can?

Argh. You’re killing me. Some people, especially at airports, rush from charging station to station. Like little IV poles of crack for their phones for their fingers. I get it if the battery truly is dead. It’s a huge waste of energy in addition to being unnecessary.

Let it drain baby!

This would be equivalent to someone not working out so probably not many jiu-jitseiros or mma people reading this. But think of some obese fellow sitting on his couch always eating, eating, eating, and barely ever expending any energy.

Again, as bjj or mma killers you have to expand your capacity by pushing it. Only you know when you are truly pushing it.

Did You Miss this Kick Ace Offer Above?

BJJ Pro Tip #815 (there are not 814 others)

For mental motivation while grinding out that last mile, or the last 50 push-ups, or just trying not to get tapped – think of all that exhaustion and work you are doing right then at that moment as BANK.

It doesn’t matter at that moment if you win or lose, you are training. And training to exhaustion. You be banking these things like credits son, credits for future use, use at your own discretion. So yeah, just think that when you are tired.

Going to 50%

Letting your battery drain down to 50% is decent, it’s cool, he’s getting some work in. Every once in a while though you have to take it all the way down though.

Knock the rust off, let the battery, or your bjj cardio, know that it IS going to have to venture down to that limit at some point.

If the time comes during a match or competition where it has consumed all of the energy you are used to using, you are going to be in a world of hurt. Your body won’t know what to do and as a result you will waste even more energy and your technique will suffer.

Don’t Forget to Recharge

Self explanatory correct? Vital to get proper rest like good sleep and proper nutrition. Lots of fruits and veggies for repairs. If you are really pushing it, and can afford it, some supplementation wouldn’t hurt like whey protein.

If you are really pushing yourself and say doing push-ups to exhaustion AFTER training, or some kettlebell workout, you are going to want to have some extra protein in your body to re-build all of the muscles your broke down.

Sleep is probably the most vital in terms of recharging.

And of course don’t overdo it! Cause when you do what happens? First you flash, telling me about it every few seconds for the next hour and then you finally die. When your battery dies, no more mobile twitterbook.

Well, I believe that’s about it for today. Talked about how your cardiovascular endurance for bjj, or mma,can be compared to the way a battery works.

Do batteries have memories? What do you think? Of course they do so don’t even argue. What else could it be compared to? I thought of a couple while writing but then got way off track lol. Off the top of my head – motorcycles, horses…

BJJ Cardio & You - Make Like a Battery & Drain

The Gameness Platinum Gi - $20 off this bjj tourney favorite

All new Platinum gi from Gameness – best tournament grade bjj gi on the planet?

Average Customer Rating:

MSRP:  $165-175

with doyoubjj.com discount:  $145-155 (you save $20!)

Click on the pic —-> to open up a Gameness Platinum mini-gallery.

Gameness states that their Platinum gi is the best tournament grade bjj gi in the world.  This is a favorite during hot summer camps and you can get it at an average price (almost too rich for my blood though.)  The Platinum gi is both light weight and durable.  It is also pre-shrunk and mercinized (color stayed).  This premium weave is made from high quality cotton and the superior stitching makes for very little shrinking.

The thick collar is very difficult to grip making it easier to escape sneaky chokes.  Pants are kind of the Gameness canvas standard.  But just like all Gameness products, the platinum gi was built to last.  In fact, the only reason you might need another one is if you want a different color.

Save $20 on the Gameness Platinum gi – buy through Paypal below:

 

Gameness Platinum Gi Sizing Chart

Size	Height (ft)	Weight (lbs)
A0	4’11 – 5’3	95 – 120
A1	5’1 – 5’6	105 – 135
A2	5’6 – 5’9	130 – 165
A3	5’9 – 6′	160 – 200
A4	6′ – 6’3	190 – 245
A5	6’3 – 6’5	240 – 270
A6	6’5 +	265 – 300

What other BJJers say about the Gameness Platinum:

The jacket is thick but the weave is very comfortable.  The sleeves are very nicely fitted.  Collar is thick and solid. The only thing i don’t like are all the patches, but that’s personal taste.  The pants are tough!

The Gameness platinum gi is a very hefty gi.  It has got a lot of weight on it which makes it a useful training gi.  The collars are very very thick and the construction is up there with koral and atama.  It takes a little longer to dry than my gold weave and summer weave but is more durable than both.

This is a bad ass gi.  I’ve trained in jits since 97 and had a Krugans for years.  I will never buy anything other than a Gameness from here on out.  It has a super thick lapel, the material is very durable and overall this gi is very well made and lighter that most, but with the durability and functionality of a double weave.

I really love the jacket.  It’s got a great collar, tailored fit, and has really narrow sleeves.  It’s really sturdy and after about a year, shows absolutely no signs of wear and tear.  The pants are quite thick and feel somewhat restrictive, though.  I usually wear this jacket with a light pair of pants.

I have two of them which I bought 4 years ago.  They are still like new and holding up well and I train 2-3 times a week.  I have tried other gis but these are the best fitting.

I like a heavy gi and this is it.  This gi is tough, hard to grab the collar, and built to last.  I love to roll in this baby. I have the Platinum gi by Gameness and the Feather.  I use my Platinum Gi in the winter more.

Save $20 on the Gameness Platinum gi – buy through Paypal below:

 

The Gameness Platinum Gi - $20 off this bjj tourney favorite

Gameness Air Gi - Simple Design, Sweet Gi, 10% Off Here

The Gameness Air gi top is constructed from a light comb-style weave, which keeps it comfortable and lightweight. The pants are a ripstop material, which is unbelievably strong and very light. The lapels are patch-free so you can add your own or keep it simple. Gameness Air patches are on the shoulder, and the entire gi is IBJJF approved so you can make weight easily in this baby.

Cost here at doyoubjj.com:  $110-130  ($120-140 most everywhere else.)

Click the image —-> to open a mini-gallery.

Average Customer Rating:

• Preshrunk cotton-comb weave jacket


• 450 gsm pre-shrunk cotton


• Ultra light weight


• Light weight ripstop pants


• Rubber collar with ripstop material

The new Gameness Air gi is the lightest in their lineup and may be the lightest gi in the world. If you want a little help at weigh in or want a lighter weight gi for those hot training sessions like here in Memphis, this one may be it.

Available in white, blue, or black.  Approximate weights: A1 2.6 lbs, A2 2.8 lbs, A3 2.9 lbs, A4 3.2 lbs, and A5 3.5 lbs.

You save about 10% when buying through here (Gameness account.)  The Gameness Air (white) runs $119 on other sites for comparison.  Use the paypal button below to buy securely.

Save 10%, buy the Gameness Air through Paypal:

Color

White $110.00 USD Blue $120.00 USD Black $130.00 USD

Size

A0 A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6

Gameness Air Gi Sizing Chart:

Size	Height (ft)	Weight (lbs)
A0	4’9 – 5’1	90 – 110
A1	5’0 – 5’4	100 – 130
A2	5’4 – 5’7	125 – 150
A3	5’7 – 5’10	145 – 180
A4	5’10 – 6’1	170 – 215
A5	6’1 – 6’4	210 – 250
A6	6’3 – 6’6	240 – 275

Rating and Reviews:

Unfortunately I do not have the Gameness Air in my stable. Yet. So the chunks of reviews you are reading below are comments from other jiu-jitseiros. As you can see, tons of positive reviews on the Gameness Air. The worst thing I saw was some people felt like they had a loose fit. You probably can use your washer and dryer to get it to your exact liking. If you have any questions about sizing before you buy or washing/drying after, email me at doyoubjj@gmail.com or subscribe over in the sidebar.

The average rating for this gi was close to 5 stars. A Gameness rep even called me yesterday to expound on the virtues of the Gameness Air gi. He claimed it is one of the best selling gis in the world.

• I love to roll in this gi. It is so light and so soft. My last competition I would not have competed without my Air because I would have never made weight without it. I own the white and blue. Feels true to size. Yes, I would recommend this to a friend.


• Awesome gi. Super light and durable. Feels good against the skin. I have had it almost a year now and it still fits great.


• So freaking light. My favorite gi. Good for weigh ins, roll 5 days a week. It dries quickly when you wash it. It also breaks in easily.I bought this gi because I needed something that was better ventilated.


• This was accomplished with this gi. Now being relatively new to martial arts, the only comparison at the time was from a starter gi given to me. Also, being 5’10″ the pants fit me perfectly and I like the ripstop material.


• This is the first gi I ever bought. I am now a purple belt so I know my gis pretty well haha. But yea highly recommended. Its cheap, its good, its the way to go.

Save 10%, buy the Gameness Air through Paypal:

Color

White $110.00 USD Blue $120.00 USD Black $130.00 USD

Size

A0 A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6

Gameness Air Gi - Simple Design, Sweet Gi, 10% Off Here

Need Help Getting Up for a BJJ Competition?

If you don’t want to read all of the life changing words below but still want to be all surly when you compete – be the guy that serves the fried chicken.

Oh – you have no idea what I’m talking about?  Guess you’ll have to read the whole firetrucking thing.

Ever seen those guys to the side of the mats waiting for their turns to compete?  Usually they have some headphones on, they are bouncing around, getting into their bjj groove.  Some people have a much harder time getting mentally prepared to go whip some arse.  I used to be one of those people.  In this hopefully short post, I am going to share a story that may help you have the right attitude right before you go out there to choke a fool.

MMAth Does Not Work – neither do BJJmath or Wrestlingmath

If you don’t know what those are… mmath is the idea that if fighter x beats fighter y, and then y beats z, fighter x will beat z.  Logically that works great.  It doesn’t work so well when submissions, takedowns, and punches are involved.  Too many variables for those to work straight across the board.  So just carry that idea over to a bjj tournament.

I used to have a really, really bad case of wrestlingmath.  If I were facing a guy that had already beat someone that I lost to, I was already mentally done.  I mean, I’d give it a good go and if I won, awesome sauce.  But if I lost or started to lose, I was supposed to anyways.  Very weak minded indeed.

1st Match, 1st BJJ Tournament

I was a blue belt with maybe 2 years of bjj behind me before I entered my 1st real tourney.  Hundreds of wrestling matches where the goal was to pin, not to hurt anyone.  Me and the tattooed fellow slap hands, ref says go, and then I spent the next 2 minutes fighting off submission attempts.  I went into this match all hopped up on bjj friendliness, used to the friendly backrubs and massages you get when rolling in bjj.

Competition was different, this guy was trying to maim me!  I staved off his attempts and then made him submit to me.  It was a rude awakening though.  I had such an unprepared mindset for that.  Here is a story my Grandpa shared with me that kind of turned around wrestling way back for me and then for bjj more recently.  If I have to get up for something now, I think about it.

If you really want to win, and aren’t there for there for the experience, you need to go into a match with almost a chip on your shoulder.  Don’t be lugging around this huge chip that saps some of your energy, just a little one.  Just a little something something in the back of your head that reminds you that:

1. you are the man, or woman, and


2. you are there to take names today.

Do you know who I am bro?

This little query sounds smug so don’t say it outloud but this is an example of a question you can be asking yourself before you step out there.  Does your opponent even deserve to be out there with you?  Could they have possibly trained or worked harder than you leading up to this point?

The Fried Chicken Story

Every man is equal right?  No man is better than anyone else correct?  Theoretically, I could beat Marcelo Garcia.  The chance may be slim, but it IS there.

When I was 14 my parents threw me on a train and shipped me back to Wisconsin to stay the summer with my grandparents.  They were very religious people and attended church quite often, like several times per week.  During one of the sermons that summer, somebody told a story.  They probably didn’t mean for it to be taken and applied this way (a teenage boy using it to try and improve his wrestling) but it worked.  And now I give it to you for your bjj competitions.

Maybe this is a common story that everyone knows?

There was this little tiny church that held a monthly dinner where anyone and everyone could come, eat, socialize.  It was a big deal for the church members as well as members of the community.  Over the years, the monthly dinner had really grown into a tradition for the town.  The numbers of people who went began to swell.  Politicians began to swing by the church on these dinner nights probably for publicity reasons.  Not all but I’d say some.

The church had rules that everyone had to follow, even when it came to serving the food.  Just like my Dad used to do, no joke, people got set amounts of food.  You kind of have to when feeding people.  The church wanted to make sure that if anyone came through the line throughout the night that they would have enough food to give them.

You got one scoop of jello.  One scoop of mashed potatoes.  Two pieces of fried chicken – one drumstick and one thigh or breast.

One night, some senator or congressman shows up.  He does his gladhanding and baby kissing and makes his way up to the line for food.  He gets to the fried chicken guy.

“Thigh or breast?”

“What?”

“You get one or the other with your drumstick… would you like a thigh or breast?”

“I’ll just have some extra drumsticks.”

“Sorry, we can’t do that.  We want to be sure to have enough for everyone.”

“What about 3 drumsticks?”

“Sorry sir, 1 drumstick and then a breast or thigh?”

“2 drumsticks?”

“Sorry, can’t.”

“Do you know who I am?  I am Senator Smith from such and such here on a fancy pants visit from England.”

“Do you know who I am?  I am the guy that serves the fried chicken.”

Jesus that took a long ace time to write and now I am not even certain if it fits with anything.  Do you feel like stabbing yourself in the neck now after reading that?

Ever since I heard that story, the line “do you know who I am?  I serve the fried chicken” has always stuck with me.  In just about everything I do.  It shouldn’t matter if I am going up against a new white belt or Marcelo himself, I serve the gd fried chicken.  For me it started meaning that as a man, or person, I was entitled to flex my own will or opinion.  I wasn’t there to be told what was going to happen.  I was going to do the telling.  Feel me?

If you feel like sharing this trainwreck, please do so.

Need Help Getting Up for a BJJ Competition?