I joined the party. A few months ago, I read Julie Johansen’s blog and she was raving about Fitocracy and I think her lineage to it is through Slideyfoot. Anyway, I requested an invite and they finally got back to me a couple of weeks ago. As my fire had dwindled waiting for the invite, it took me a couple of days to sign up.

Why did I wait????

Fitocracy is awesome. It takes the ridiculous social cues and reward systems that we respond to (fall for) and link them to exercise. In other words, gains that you may not see for days, months or a year are immediately ascribed to your profile as soon as you log your workouts. Of course I am not talking about fat loss, muscle built or an increase in endurance. I am talking about points, rewards, fist bumps, stuff like that. People can also give you props, follow you and comment on your workouts (it’s a social media network too.)

It may sound silly, but the first night when I signed up, I got up and exercised just because I wanted to post to the board. I also have been motivated to exercise even when I was mentally drained. I have even been doing things like walking around my campus and going up and down flights of stairs (while at work) because I want to see those points build and increase my level. (It’s easier to increase in rank than BJJ. Well, that probably goes for anything…cough, cough!)

But anyway, you get my drift.

I joined the Red Bull Challenge yesterday and it starts tomorrow. It is a three week challenge and they will have scoreboards, leaders, ranks and points will be given out. They will also be giving away free trips to CA and prizes. I didn’t join for the prizes or trip (loser talk), I just want to see what I can do for three weeks and see if I can get on that scoreboard and gain a little rank.

Now to be fair, it isn’t all gravy. One guy, who was a leader in some category a week or so ago, exercise routine seemed highly questionable and if I saw him in the street I would ask him about it, but I never will so I won’t get the chance. However, most people seem to be on the up and up for recording their workouts and ultimately it is for your own personal gain. Other than that, I would say it is one of the best motivational tools out there.

Now if they would just create Dietocracy.

Two things made today a little rough. One minute rolls give the impression that it won’t last long, but subconsciously I roll faster. We also had a visitor from one our affiliate schools in the city. Anytime there is a skilled visitor there is an unspoken tension even through the pleasantries. Pecking order has to be established even if you don’t want to do it.

I am past the point of getting too winded in class, I generally suffer from muscle fatigue before anything else. I mention this because I felt sloppy today. I am going to continue to up my training to prepare for class.

Peace!

Hey guys, this is the prequel to my MUSCLE Firm Short Story Series, a quick, fast paced, action adventure comedy. If you like it, pass this link to everyone you think would like it. Thanks!!!

© Copyright 2011 Bakari R. Akil II, Ph.D.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this report may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any informational storage or retrieval system without express written, dated and signed permission from the author.

Manufactured in the United States of America

Dedication

To people who love excitement and adventure!

Other books in The MUSCLE Firm Series

MUSCLE – The Case of Cheating Security Guard

11:30 PM

“He’s here,” were the words Muscle heard through his earpiece. As he peered from his encampment behind the bushes, sure enough, the man in question was walking toward the house. His pace was deliberate and he looked intense. This guy was nothing but trouble.

“The nerve of this dude! Balls of steel,” said Bell, who was positioned in the Blue Ford Edge with tinted windows, two houses down. The man they were watching had the look of a person that felt he belonged, and he acted as if he owned the place. But that was far from the truth.

Yes, he once owned the house, six months ago. But now his ex-wife inhabited the home with their two small children and occasionally, her new boyfriend or what some single mothers refer to as a “a friend” or “your uncle.” No matter who was seeing whom now, the client was inside and that is why Muscle and Bell were here.

The man walked past the long row of bushes where Muscle crouched and headed for the huge front window that occupied the center of the house. He knelt down and tried to look through the brown plantation shutters that were meant to keep outsiders from peering in and not suited for the aims of ‘peeping Toms.’

It was time to move!

Bell had already left the car and began heading to the house. Muscle stood up and left his vantage point from behind the bushes.

They approached the kneeling man from the side as he strained to see through the glass. Dressed in black pants, a black hooded sweatshirt and dark boots; something about the way he acted signaled deadly intent.

“John Wilkerson!” shouted Muscle.

Wilkerson tried to jump up, but as he rose, Muscle kicked the back of his leg between his thigh and calf. His head hit the wall as he crashed back to his knees. Wilkerson was quick though. Unfazed, he pushed away from the house and rolled backwards on the ground until he was able to jump to his feet.

“Awesome!” was all Muscle could think as he watched the stalker perform his acrobatics. He snapped back to reality when he saw the absolute look of calm in the guy’s eyes. Wilkerson took a step toward Muscle when, out of nowhere, a loud whistle rang out behind him. He stopped in his tracks and quickly spun to his left so he could keep an eye on Muscle and whoever whistled at him from behind.

It didn’t matter though. Bell was already in the air and had a big smile on his face. He used a body scissor kick to bring Wilkerson down to his back. In an instant, the two…

MUSCLE – The Beginning can be found on Amazon. MUSCLE – The Case of Cheating Security Guard, the next story in The MUSCLE Firm Series is also available.

For my readers at Jiujitsu365, if you like this story, please leave a review at  Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords or iTunes if you purchase it.

Regards,

Bakari

Yesterday’s session re-invigorated me and I will be going through some drills through the week until I can return to class. Unfortunately, my gym will be closed Thursday-Sunday so I won’t be able to go during the only time that I will really have some time off. Oh well, that is what my heavy bag and grappling dummy is for.

Until next time…

Check out M.U.S.C.L.E. – The Beginning and found out how Muscle and Bell really ended up in the protection business!

Although none of the news outlets I watched provided the cashier with any credit WHATSOEVER for his role in stopping the guy, he actually wrapped up the robber with a bear hug after the robber walked out of the office and ‘stupidly’ place his gun in his bag. (I’m not rooting for the guy, but I’m just sayin’.) BJJ grapplers, Brent Alvarez and Billy Dinney, just happened to be walking out of the elevator at the same time the robber was dragging the clerk on his back out of the hotel. They literally walked smack into what looks like a scene from a badly scripted movie. Not only do the trio disarm him, but after the clerk takes the gun away, Brent Alvarez holds the robber down with a Rear naked choke while Billy Dinney holds other body parts down.

Here’s the video with no boring news video in the beginning (note the body triangle at the end):

Here’s one with the news clip (note Billy Dinney does his interview with his medal around his neck from the competition/I would have too!):

In one of the interviews one of the guys said that maybe “they should have just knocked him out” instead of fighting him and holding him for so long.

Here’s Brent Alvarez doing the same thing he did to the robber at a NAGA event earlier this year:

I don’t think it takes much to make Brent Alvarez jump on your back and choke you into submission. I wouldn’t drop anything around him and expect to pick it up without a fight!

Just Joking!

Excerpt from 20 Ways to Improve your Grappling Skills Off the Mat It’s available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble & Smashwords

Intro

We used to train a lot at my house… People used to wake me up at night… Like at midnight, people would come… I would train every time… – Caio Terra, Multiple BJJ World Champion, talking about training from home when he had no academy. (Inside BJJ)

Like most people who practice the art of submission wrestling, I try to spend as much time as possible on the mat. And when I’m not on the mat, I think about grappling entirely too much. Yet, sometimes, the only thing I can do is think about grappling because I have other responsibilities clamoring for my attention.

Since I have grappled for nearly a decade, I have had to come up with ways to insure that gaps in training don’t derail my hard earned gains. As a consequence, I have developed numerous strategies. Those strategies are what this book is about. 20 Ways to Improve your Grappling Skills off the Mat will share with you how you can increase your grappling abilities when you can’t make it to class.

It discusses mindsets and approaches and it is designed to help you become a better grappler when no one is looking. The ideas provided in this book will give you an edge when it comes to training. — Following a few of the suggestions will take your game to the next level.

Imagine if you used all of them.

20 Ways also contains quotes from grappling and MMA veterans. It explores:

-How to be 8 steps ahead of your opponent

-The real deal with heavy bags and grappling

-What’s up with grappling dummies?

-Ways to use visualization that are never discussed

-Why solo drills matter

-How a few simple words can change your game

-How Claude van Damme can improve your grappling

-Why maps are important in submission wrestling

-How being a bookworm is good for grapplers

-How you can improve without lifting a muscle; and

-Ideas that will revolutionize your game and make you a tapping machine

Thanks for purchasing this book and I hope you enjoy.

Bakari Akil II, Ph.D./Jiu-Jitsu365

Heavy Bag

You only have two options, you win or you lose. Why not just win. – Daniel Cormier-Olympic Wrestler

I would argue that when most people pull up YouTube, looking for a grappling clip, it is not to learn how to achieve or maintain dominant positions. They are looking for ways to tap chumps out. Admittedly, it’s not a bad idea. If you grapple for more than a few months, you quickly realize how difficult it is to make your partner submit when he’s learning the same things you are. Springing a surprise wristlock you learned from your favorite online guru makes training that much easier.

However, most grappling techniques offered online begin with the instructor ordering the uke (one being demonstrated against) to take a certain position on the mat. Then the uke jumps down like he’s expecting a Scooby snack in return. Yet, when is the last time you were able to tell your grappling partner to lie on his back so you could assume side control during a live roll?

Dominant positions have to be earned. Then they have to be maintained. Now, there are many ways that you can practice catching people in submissions and we will explore them in this book. But let’s start off by covering how you can use the heavy bag to improve your ability to dominate positions and improve your overall grappling ability.

Design

Using the heavy bag is the blue-collar way of learning how to hand out beat-downs. It doesn’t do everything you want it to do, but it can get the job done. Its design is simple, sturdy and it can take a beating. They are also large enough to give you the feeling of dealing with a person and heavy enough where you have to exert yourself when working out with one. The length of heavy bags allow you to practice a wide range of moves and its bulk lets you apply pressure that even your training buddies wouldn’t allow.

Cost

They are also relatively cheap, especially in relation to the many years of use you can extract from one. I paid $65 for my 60 lb. bag and have owned it for 8 years. You can also purchase one cheaply from a second hand store like Play it Again Sports or from a yard sale. Now if you’re really cheap, you can learn how to make a heavy bag by watching a YouTube clip of some weird guy creating one in his mom’s basement.

No matter how you obtain one, your investment will pay off each time you can’t make it to class due to work or other commitments, yet you still have enough energy to drill at home. (Or, in my case, when I lived in the middle of nowhere and had to use my bag as a training buddy for a few months.)

Basics

Whether boxing or grappling, the heavy bag can help you review the basics. Just like in boxing where you can practice jabs, crosses, hooks, uppercuts and combinations, the heavy bag will allow you to practice the rudiments of grappling. Side control, mount, North-South and Knee-on-belly are all fair game on a heavy bag. You can also practice applying pressure to the chest and the proper spacing of your legs when trying to hold an opponent down. You will never, ever find a drilling partner who will allow you to work on your positioning as much as a heavy bag. If you do, money will be involved.

You can also work on transitioning from one position to the next. For instance, transferring from side control to the mount, mount to side control and side control to North-South. The bag can help you develop the speed and timing required to jump from side control to Knee-on-belly and from Knee-on-belly on the right to Knee-on-belly to the left. Drilling these basic positions will give you the ability to ride opponents. I have to admit, I feel like a bull-rider when I am controlling a ‘spazzy’ new guy and a pimp when I’m jumping from position to position on an experienced guy. Sometimes I have to restrain myself from asking, “Where is my money?” That skill doesn’t come from attending class once or twice a week. It’s from my heavy bag training.

Advanced

You can also practice more advanced positional drills on the bag as well as work a little technique. For instance I cemented my ability to capture…

End of Excerpt

Thanks for reading! If this caught your attention you can purchase 20 Ways to Improve your Grappling Skills Off the Mat at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords.

This book can be read on your computer, tablet or cell phone using your Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble free apps. You can also read it on the computer using Smashwords or Lulu.

Excerpt from A Vampire on the Mat available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords and soon, iTunes.

“What are you doing here? Did you follow me?”

“I’m sorry. So sorry!” Kevin said

“Sorry! Sorry for what?” said Carl.

As Carl realized what was going on he felt a sickening feeling in his stomach. But not sick enough where he couldn’t react. He looked around quickly, but the nearest house was half a mile down the dirt road.

He was on his own.

“Fuck that!” Carl piped up. “The only thing you need to feel sorry for is this ass whippin’ you’re about to get.”

Kevin lunged at Carl but was met with a one-two punch that staggered him. Kevin quickly caught his bearings and this time held his head down as he rushed in and tried to tackle Carl by grabbing his leg. Carl barely missed him with a right hook but still caught Kevin in the forehead with an uppercut.

Kevin ate the punch and managed to wrap both arms around Carl’s left thigh. Carl, out of habit, pushed down on Kevin’s head and tried to sprawl backwards and free his leg. He was able to get both legs back and landed with his chest on top of Kevin’s back. He immediately began elbowing Kevin in his spine while Kevin continued trying to grab his leg.

In seconds, Carl realized that Kevin didn’t really want his leg but instead wanted to keep him close so he could sit back and pull him into him. It was too late. Kevin flipped from being on his knees and pulled Carl on top of him. He wrapped his legs around Carl’s waist, reached up with both arms and pulled Carl’s head onto his chest.

As Carl realized the stakes he freaked out. This wasn’t BJJ class. He couldn’t tap out. If he did it would be the last time. He jumped up with Kevin clinging closely to his body. He managed to push off Kevin’s right leg and then he moved his right arm between Kevin’s legs. Carl was going for a body slam.

Carl cradled Kevin and lifted him as high as he could. Then he slammed him head first into the dirt. Kevin made an ‘oomph’ noise as his body crumpled into the ground…

End of Excerpt from A Vampire on the Mat available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords and soon, iTunes.

This book can be read on your computer, tablet or cell phone using your Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble free apps. You can also read it on the computer using Smashwords or Lulu.

Bakari

UK Link

http://psychologyofjiujitsu.blogspot.com/2011/09/do-warm-ups-hinder-progress.html 

Chime in an let me know what you think?