Big Friday

Scientific Wrestling

Morning workout is done. I started out slow... legs heavy, arms stiff, but by the end of my run I felt better. 4miles/38 min (with 20 lb vest) an hour on the bike, 30 min of heavy bag, 6min of box jumps and pull ups. Started rough but I felt like a BEAST when I was done... It just reminds me to train no matter what mood I'm in because eventually I will find that top gear.

Quick bite to eat and I headed out to watch Tito's open workout. Fans, photographers, reporters (Karyn Bryant fom MMA H.E.A.T.)... It was very cool. A couple of the other guys wanted to get a work out and roll for a bit, I checked with the boss first... Tito said, get to work! GAME ON!!!! We watched him sparring with Ricardo for a bit and we moved to the other side of the gym to to work some wrestling. It started out with take downs and a lil cage grappling, but it somehow morphed into CATCH clinic. We spent a lot of time on front face locks, Chancery, guillotine defense, and philosophy...

I may not be an old-school authentic Catch wrestler but I was raised by an old timer that believed everything should hurt! I refer to it as "pain incentive". It is a core element of Dirty Wrestling. The logic is, when your opponent moves due to pain incentive you are forcing the action as opposed to letting your opponent strategically set up his next move. A shin bone grinding into a cheek, or a bicep tendon can force your opponent into a rushed decision, that decision often times leads to errors as he is more concerned with stopping the pain then setting up a slick move. As Dad would say, "the best way to make someone stop hurting you is to hurt them more". When I roll, I joke all the time that I "left my crossface at home" Basically I try to play nice. When I am competing or going live, then I'm an ass. I am on top of you trying to make you cry. I want my opponent as miserable as possible and asking why I am mad at him. Its not a fun way to train but it is important to address it as a tool that is possibly as important as any "go to" technique.

I want him think about the pain, not his game!

Between the CATCH and watching Tito, I was really pumped and did some more cardio Friday night. Saturday morning I headed over to Punishment Training Center and the crowd was large, they were having a big Christmas sale on clothes and gear. I think everybody there is just as pumped as the team is to see him fight Little Nog (Antônio Rogério Nogueira) next Saturday. The whole building had a buzz to it today, I only imagine it will get more intense next week.

I sat down for a few minutes with my striking coach and fellow Punishment Teammate Rob Emersion for an interview. He is a really cool guy and I will get that interview to you in a day or two. Right now I am off to watch Mayhem Miller vs Michael Bisping, its been a good weekend so far!!!