What happened???

18 days left...

I can tell you that I haven't updated because I have been busy training, going to the gym or working but the truth is I have been incredibly lazy and as a result have focused more on Dodger baseball and BJJ than anything else. And with less than 3 weeks until the big day, I make no promises.

First the good news: I have lost enough weight that I can cut to get to a lower weight class and not feel like a midget amongst men. I have steadily improved as well- I challenge better grapplers in class and do a lot of research on my own. By the way - If you have any interest on getting better at BJJ, go out and buy Jiu Jitsu University by Saulo Ribeiro. It is to jiu jitsu what "Yertle the Turtle" is to Turtle Stacking (+1 point if you get the reference). My cardio has vastly improved and as a result I don't have to fake as many sprawls as before. My core is getting stronger too - Who knew that cutting back on drinking and fast food while improving my diet was so important? And it feels pretty damn good when someone mentions that I'm not the fat sack of crap I once was.

Now the bad: It's only 18 days until GQ!!! I still have 0 takedown defense. I'm still too fat. But I still don't care....

I have changed my mindset: The best advice I have been given was from one of my instructors: Jesse. He asked how I felt about GQ and I told him that I was just using it as a cheap excuse to go to Vegas. He looked at me, intense as hell, and said: "You need to change your mindset. Don't go all that way for the experience- go over there to kick some ass and win the whole Sh*t". So that is the M.O I have been working with: "Kick ass, win sh*t". I don't feel like I am doing this alone either: My buddy Scott has been improving right along side me and the guys I train with are constantly helping me improve. It feels pretty damn good knowing that the guy on either side of me is bleeding and sweating with the same goal: Win. Thats why we do what we do: We bleed in the gym so that we don't bleed on the mat (Queue the theme from "The Karate Kid").

So, with 18 fun filled and action packed days to go:

184 lbs.
BJJ & GYM