This is essentially what I’ve done. Talk to doc every six months. Otherwise, feel great and no concerns. I just asked this time around about difficulty pinning subq into quads due to less fat. I’ll try pinning glutes, but if I don’t like that I’ll just stay around my level of leanness and continue sides.
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IM in glutes is easy. Subq in belly, same.
You will figure it out.
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This is great. I asked my instructor a few weeks after I started training who were the people he liked to watch most (this was 2005). He said without hesitation, “Leo Viera.”
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Really appreciate this post, a fantastic time had by all accounts.
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One other instructor who I took a lot from was Alan Shebaro. He had (just sold) a few schools in my area, so took him for granted a bit. He has a great way of teaching in a memorable step by step way. He taught a few takedown techniques and then was just available for questions throughout. Super approachable. The last day, I snagged a photo with him. Despite a long line waiting, we talked for about 10-15 minutes.
@twojarslave, I had a late flight on Saturday intentionally, so we could go to your old school. Sadly… my two buddies, one of which who rented th car, was too tired to do anything. So we just sat at the airport for 6 hours. 
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Thursday Morning
100x60lb KB swings
5xamrap Leg Extensions
2x10 Toe to Bar
Quads feeling much better. Will try and hit legs tonight.
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That’s a bummer but at least you landed in some great weather. I’d love to read a write up of your summer camp experience. Enjoy Maine!
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Posted up above.
Friday - was supposed to hit a 4 school open mat, but last minute had family things change
Saturday - was supposed to be a family day and spent day running around
Sunday - was going to hit the open mat, but friends invited us to dinner
Monday - finally made it to an open mat. Good rolls, had some fun working sweeps. Knee is a bit banged up today (Tuesday).
Basically spent the long weekend with a plan to train, then last minute having something come up. Oh well.
I continue to lean up and am kind of debating finishing September up before starting to bulk back up. I’ll try and throw some pictures up this week. September is still plenty hot and nice out and I’m by no means struggling with lower calories.
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Great write-up. I totally missed it since the tag just skips you ahead.
What did the camp cost work out to (minus airfare)?
It’s right around $2,400 which includes a Gi. I went around and around with a good friend there about whether the camp is worth it. As you can get great instruction at home and attend just as many classes. Problem is that life and wear/tear usually prevents 3 a days.
Getting away from work and family was huge for me. Recovery from life, while completely focused on a hobby was an incredible reset.
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When I first started training it seemed like seminars were the place to learn the secret sauce from the guys with all of the stripes on their belts. I suppose they can be for some, but I quickly realized it had no special training value compared to a normal class for me. There are just no shortcuts to building a house of grappling. Seminars are just another class from a guest instructor.
For something like that Origin camp I would look at it as a really active vacation, not much more. The food, social atmosphere and overall experience are what I think about when it comes to “BJJ value” for anything that’s not a drop-in class or open mat. I’m already a competent grappler, which is 90 percent of what I wanted out of BJJ. It is just an occasional hobby/form of exercise for me at this point.
From what you describe of the food it doesn’t sound like a bad value at all. That’s really the make-or-break thing for me when I’m forking over a bunch of money for a vacation. If I compare any given trip to a week of just renting a quiet cabin nearby, I’m willing to pay a little more for that kind of week if I don’t have to worry about food and it is all delicious and healthy.
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This is exactly how I see it. A few people from my academy go to every seminar in the area. I’ve never been to one, despite some big names: JJ Machado, Danaher, Marcelo, Ryan, etc. I chose not to go because the seminar topic didn’t really appeal to me. If Adam Warziak was in town, I’d make every effort to go, because I really like his DLR style. Otherwise, I don’t really need to know a super special move. Just more mat time.
I love open mats. I just want to roll, get beat and then ask that person afterwards what they did to beat whatever position I was in. Lately I’ve been cycling through knee shield attacks and a few folks have beaten it.
$400 a day for room and food, while having great training partners, unlimited supplements and instructors isn’t a bad proposition. Definitely trade offs from a quiet cabin alone.
Did you mean Wardzinski?
I always think of him as a butterfly guard innovator.
Yes. lol. I wrote his instagram name.
I do too, but he’s been showing a lot of DLR on his feed recently, utilizing sleeve and trips.
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I’ll have to check that out. I love his seated guard trips and transitions.
Here are a few good ones I have saved. I’ve been trying build an handful of options out from positions. These are on the current list. He’s also a menace with foot sweeps from open guard.
Edit: him and Buchecha have opened me up to a whole new world of guard play that transitions between DLR, Single X and Butterfly.
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Sit-up guard is my favorite “sweep now” guard. Works well with all three of the guards you mentioned. DLR was a big thing with the Brazilians; my instructor in Seattle was Brazilian and a huge DLR guy. I see relatively little DLR at my current school, where I haven’t run into a Brazilian yet. Tons of butterfly guard and knee shield half, though …
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Aside from Formiga (butterfly guard player), all the instructors at my local affiliates aren’t Brazilian either. I’m the only one who plays DLR. Ironically, I picked it up traveling last year to CA and dropped into a school for a few days. The owner, Brazilian, taught DLR and deep DLR while I was there. I fell in love with it, because at 6’4" I’m putting my legs to good use. Of the four schools I train at regularly, they all have their own flavor but typically follow the main instructor:
- My professor was a collegiate wrestler and weighs 130. He’s a pretty non flashy fundamental BJJ teacher
- Formiga - Very comp school focused
- 2-210lb former wrestler. Very heavily focused on single legs, wrestling up in position and passing guard
- Former military combative instructor - very much the brutal side of BJJ, focus on self defense as well as leg locks and all things not legal IBJJF
Fam is all under weather, so got a later (830pm) workout in last night.
Incline Bench
10x135
10x155
10x175
5x185
5x205
3x225
10x185
Cable Flies
4xamrap
Incline Bench
7x185
On nutrition side, slowly increasing calories. Introduced a bagel for breakfast yesterday on top of my protein only shake and eggs. Also had two tortillas and some cheese with my midday 1lb steak. Still under calories for day, but reverse dieting I suppose.
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Thursday
Woke up early enough to get some work in.
Leg Ext
5xamrap - trying to wake up legs
Z Squat
5x135 - back didn’t want to be loaded this morning
Belt Squat
10x90lbs
20x90lbs
2x20x140lbs 10 seconds to breathe +20 more reps (40 reps per set)
Leg Ext
3x20
Cold Plunge
5 minutes
Might try and get back to it tonight for something more intense. I need more time for body to wake up before going heavier.
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