Ben6485's(Shortstack's) Road to MF'n Greatness

[Ben6485]

So I'm gonna just start this for the hell of it so I don't have to put it in the MMA Sea section

I'll start updating it tomorrow...don't know how long or how updated it will be so anyway here it is

BTW, right now I am 161.5lbs....lets see how I can progress overtime....my goal weight is around 150...but i'd like to get around 145 then work my way back up with muscle size

I also can't get on the forums at work, so no updates will happen during the day
if you want to see my last journal go to this link

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=109345481
heres the results thread
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=109970971

[Ben6485]

I'll go ahead and post the last few days


02/16/2009

we started this last week as the warmup for the start of class...its going to be like this at the beginning of advanced bjj class

last week I didn't go because of work out of town...but this is what we did
30 prison squats as fast as we could
then 20 of those thrushing pushups as fast as possible
then we did reverse tables and had to hold it for 60 seconds
then 15 pushups
1 minute rest, then do it another time
don't know if they rolled after or went straight to technique

this week everything went up 5 reps
today afterwards we rolled 2 6 minute rounds with 1 minutes rest in between
don't know if we'll be rolling afterwards on thursday
i thought i was a little conditions but hell no im not...haha

I'm excited to do it because I know in the long run it will help me lose weight and be better conditioned and a stronger core

We'll be doing this till the end of march for advanced BJJ matches because of pan ams

[Ben6485]

02/18/2009

Just got back from training. It was open mat today. The main thing I wanted to work on was breaking and passing guard. It was a pretty good day. I broke guard most of the time, had trouble passing some great guards but managed to...I got a good armbar on someone today.


I must ask...people with less flexibility. Do you tend to sometimes not post off the hip and try to do a half ass gogoplata, and turn it into an armbar...I have the tendancy to do that...don't know why. Sometimes I get passed by doing that, but alot of times I have a good enough hold on the gi to not let that happen...I really need to remember to post though

[BPP]

i hate breaking guard in straight grappling....it feels like theres only a few ways without baiting a submissiom

[Ben6485]

i hate breaking guard in straight grappling....it feels like theres only a few ways without baiting a submissiom

very true...thats why I'm working on it so much....because I get caught in a submission more from that position than any other

[C Project]

What up Ben? Welcome back. :D

[Ben6485]

What up Ben? Welcome back. :D

Thanks...glad to be back...i'm gonna start trying to do this...itll be good because i'll beable to revert back to it for advice

Did you ever come out to my gym?

[C Project]

Thanks...glad to be back...i'm gonna start trying to do this...itll be good because i'll beable to revert back to it for advice

Did you ever come out to my gym?

Nah. Too much of a bitch of a drive. :D

[Ben6485]

ya, it'd be a bit of a drive from arlington

you doing that paul helmme tourney on march 7th or the one on march 14th at the dfw gun range?

[C Project]

you doing that paul helmme tourney on march 7th or the one on march 14th at the dfw gun range?

Probably the one on the 14th. I was talking to one of my old Jitz buddies and he's going.

[Ben6485]

Probably the one on the 14th. I was talking to one of my old Jitz buddies and he's going.

I'll probably be doing that one too
My school though and the Felipes school(texas gladiators) aren't friendly at all though, so he may say not to do it. But for 20 bucks...i may do it anyway

[C Project]

I'll probably be doing that one too
My school though and the Felipes school(texas gladiators) aren't friendly at all though, so he may say not to do it. But for 20 bucks...i may do it anyway

The main reason I might do it. I've been out of competition for too long, and it's hardly an entrance fee.

[Ben6485]

The main reason I might do it. I've been out of competition for too long, and it's hardly an entrance fee.

ya. I haven't been training consistently but i'm starting to again. I've been training for 9 months and so i'll have 10 months under my belt when that comes around. So, i don't know how good I'd do...but i want to compete, so why not

[C Project]

ya. I haven't been training consistently but i'm starting to again. I've been training for 9 months and so i'll have 10 months under my belt when that comes around. So, i don't know how good I'd do...but i want to compete, so why not

Hell yeah. What you plan on weighing in at?

[C Project]

Just talked to Coach Espinoza, he's doing similar weight classes as MMA -- So I'll be looking for you at 205, brah. :D

Said he has a lot of competitors at my weight.

[Ben6485]

Just talked to Coach Espinoza, he's doing similar weight classes as MMA -- So I'll be looking for you at 205, brah. :D

Said he has a lot of competitors at my weight.

I sent him an email, but he hasn't responded
I'll be around somewhere around 155 hopefully so whatever that weight class is

what school are you at now?

[C Project]

I sent him an email, but he hasn't responded
I'll be around somewhere around 155 hopefully so whatever that weight class is

what school are you at now?

Next Generation Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Going to head back to Bushido MA pretty soon.

Coach Espinoza

214 240 5988

[Ben6485]

Next Generation Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Going to head back to Bushido MA pretty soon.

Coach Espinoza

214 240 5988

Well, I'll call him tomorrow or something. I wanna talk to my coach first. If he disapproves then I'll probably to the Gi tourney on the 7th

[C Project]

Well, I'll call him tomorrow or something. I wanna talk to my coach first. If he disapproves then I'll probably to the Gi tourney on the 7th

Understandable.

Alright dude, I'll talk to you later. I gotta go.

[Ben6485]

Understandable.

Alright dude, I'll talk to you later. I gotta go.

ya, i have practice at 7 so i'm gonna before hand and roll a little bit

[Ben6485]

OMFG. This is the 2nd time that I have deleted what I wrote so i'm gonna make it short. If yall have questions I will answer them

02/19/2009

Today wasn't as hard as Mondays workout but it was still tough. We did different exercises than mondays but I dno't remember the names...haha

After that we rolled 1 6 minute match which I think I did fairly well it, but not great...the dude was really friggin flexible and im, well not as flexible. I did tap him once to an armbar

After that we worked technique. We went over a some sweeps from half guard. I also noticed that I could prolly pull a kimura on one of them, but I didn't try it.

At the end of class we rolled in 1 more 6 minute match...i did get caught in a triangle once but oh well...i still need to work on that escape. I did see that working on the guard breaks and passes yesterday did help, because they worked a few times.

I'm not going to be doing Muay Thai for a while because I'm going to try to be more consistent in BJJ before I start something else again. I'll probably go
sometimes on the big cardio day just for the extra bit of well, cardio.


On the weekends(at least 2 days of it) I will be doing this dvd workout(i know, lame) called the power 90...it works and my friends are proof that have done it.
http://www.beachbody.com/product/fitness_programs/power90.do

anways...thats it, comments and critiques are always welcome





BTW, PROJECT C....I won't be doing the tourney on March 14th. I will be doing the Gi tourney on the 7th. My coach gave me the ok, but he did say he couldn't care less for the guy. I dont' care much for him either though. I told one the the blue belts, and he pretty much said, no your not doign the tourney. Other people backed him up saying we as a school do not support him or his school. So of course, I respect my school enough to not do the tourney.


thats it for today

[ftwrestler]

in for life

[Ben6485]

in for life

fo sho, fo sho...hows it been

[MUFC]

in on log

[ftwrestler]

fo sho, fo sho...hows it been

good

minus the hit and run i just experienced lol.

i have to schedual and MRI on my foot because there is some pretty bad ligament damage :(

[Ben6485]

good

minus the hit and run i just experienced lol.

i have to schedual and MRI on my foot because there is some pretty bad ligament damage :(

ouch...good luck on that

[Ben6485]

ended up skipping my workout tonight
I'm going to wake up in the morning and do my cardio workouts, then in the evening i'm going to go lift. Then Sunday I'm going to do some more cardio

I know I shouldn't skip, but I want to watch MFC and I need to clean my place up because my parents are coming up tonight

[Ben6485]

just got done with the power 90
good workout...

will be doing the cardio portion of it 2night.

[Ben6485]

Don't have time to say much as I'm about to walk out the door on my way to practice

But I've decided on my cutting stack. Its going to be
Animal Cuts
Lean Xtreme
REDuction(PM)

I'm also taking
Orange Triad Multivitamin
and Omega 3-6-9

[Ben6485]

02/23/09

Just got home from practice, well...i actually drove an hour home to my hometown..have a dentist appt in the morning.
Great workout today and I can definetly tell that my cardio is getting better just by how much easier to get through the warmups.
we did
50 prison squats
20 hindu pushups
60 seconds of mountain climbers
60 seconds of table tops
and 60 seconds of well, don't know what its called. haha, when i find out i'll edit this post
we did this 2 times

after that we learned a few passes from half guard. After that we rolled only 1 round of 6 minutes. I actually got a cross collar choke from guard...i rarely get those so i was pretty happy about that...almost got an armbar from guard. The guy I was rolling with had great timing so he was tough. Thats pretty much it.

I'm going to wake up at 6:30am and going to run around 3 miles and then get ready for the dentist. Thinking about doing MMA tomorrow to get the extra cardio. I'm really enjoying BJJ right and hope that I can keep consistent.

Thats all

[PrettyPinkDonut]

i dont even want to know what prison squats are lol
im assuming your doing Gi-BJJ
are you training for a comp., or mma fight??

[Ben6485]

i dont even want to know what prison squats are lol
im assuming your doing Gi-BJJ
are you training for a comp., or mma fight??

Right now I'm working on Gi-BJJ because alot of my teammates are training for Pan Ams at the end of March and I'm training for a Gi Tourney on March 7th
This journal isn't just for a tourney, this is going to be an ongoing journal as long as I can keep it going.

Prison Squats are the first thing this guy is doing
jtiM-i_gDac

02/24/09

BTW, I just got done running around 8am...ran about 3 miles in about 35 minutes. Not bad considering I don't run much(i'm trying to start running more) and I'm not working on speed I'm working on Stamina
Just got drinking my protein shake and eating a banana. Bout to get ready for the dentist(yay...blah)

[IzRiot]

Right now I'm working on Gi-BJJ because alot of my teammates are training for Pan Ams at the end of March and I'm training for a Gi Tourney on March 7th
This journal isn't just for a tourney, this is going to be an ongoing journal as long as I can keep it going.

Prison Squats are the first thing this guy is doing
jtiM-i_gDac

02/24/09

BTW, I just got done running around 8am...ran about 3 miles in about 35 minutes. Not bad considering I don't run much(i'm trying to start running more) and I'm not working on speed I'm working on Stamina
Just got drinking my protein shake and eating a banana. Bout to get ready for the dentist(yay...blah)
Me id avoid doing a prison squat in prison.

[Ben6485]

well, just got laid off work. So I'm not gonne be going to workout tonight...maybe tomorrow though

[C Project]

well, just got laid off work. So I'm not gonne be going to workout tonight...maybe tomorrow though

Damn man. We're going through some Harsh Times. :/

Hang in there, bro.

[Ben6485]

Damn man. We're going through some Harsh Times. :/

Hang in there, bro.

Ya, I 'm finishing my resume right now and going to the job fair in Addison. It'd be great to beable to train more, till may anyways when my contract is up. But the longer you don't have a job the harder it is to get one.
If I got laid off yesterday and already at a job fair looking for a new one. It would look great that I don't bull**** around and start looking right away

[Ben6485]

02/25/09

Just got back from BJJ Open Mat

Great day for me. I only got subbed twice. Once to Heel Hook and once to armbar. I did get some great armbar attempts that didn't get finished(guess they werent great after all..haha) Some that had most people cheering me to finish. I did get one great opposite side armbar from side mount. I got this on a guy that I used to beable to submit but hadn't in a while..i was really happy with that. I got it after escaping the triangle. I passed guard quite a bit too...i have a feeling that i'm going to do pretty good at the tourney on the 7th. One of the things I wanted to work on were collar chokes and escaping the triangle...if I got stuck in it. I got out of triangle a few times and didnt' get subbed from triangle. Didn't get any collar chokes but oh well.

Overall, I had a great practice and great workout. Thats it for today.


Since I got laid off yesterday it opens up the oppurtinity to train 2 times a day. I'm gonna do it. Later

[Ben6485]

02/26/09 PART 1

Just got back from Gi training. It was pretty decent we started with a decent warmup and then first worked half guard sweeps. Not really much to say about it but I did roll a 6 minute match and won on points. I stayed top side pretty much the whole time and was the aggressor...I won against a guy going panams.

After class I stayed with the assistant coach that was teaching the class and worked takedowns with me...pretty good, i'm gonna use what i learned tonight
so yes, tonight i will be doing class again...this one will be the hard warmups and with the head coach. can't wait

[Ben6485]

just weight myself after eating lunch..I weight 158.6
pretty happy about that

[BPP]

nice job on the weight brah


i used your prison squats the other day, liked em!

[Ben6485]

nice job on the weight brah


i used your prison squats the other day, liked em!

Thanks...and prison squats are awsome

I'm going to weigh myself in the morning before I eat or drink anything to see what I weigh...thats how I'll weigh in for my tourney.

[Ben6485]

02/26/09 PART 2

Just got back from BJJ practice.
It sucked...haha, good though. We warmed up rolling while putting 1 arm in our belt so that we wouldn't use it..did that for 6 minutes....then switched arms and went another 6 minutes. Didn't do very good on that..haha
After that we learned some new ways to get an armbar from guard and triangle from guard..pretty cool **** and I will be working on that quite a bit as its much easier..we rolled one more 6 minute match after that...i rolled with a purple belt with tree trunks for legs. He's also the Muay Thai coach. He pretty much tooled me...I did almost get an armbar from him when he made a mistake...but i didn't finish it...he's way too damn strong..haha

thats it for today

[Ben6485]

also..i weighed myself right when I got back and i was 157.3

Awsome..I know it was alot of waterweight, but still cool

[Ben6485]

would just like to point out. The only time I ever eat bad(over the recent times) is only when I'm at my parents house for the weekend. They have so much unhealthy **** its ridiculous

[Ben6485]

02/02/09

So, just got back from training.
Pretty good day of practice...we did some open guard passes and side guard sweeps to armbars, reverse kimuras, kimuras, wristlocks...pretty cool. We did a 7 minute roll and I got triangled right away, but after that I didn't get tapped. I almost got an armbar and didn't get it. Right after the failed armbar I had a triangle attempt. The guy I rolled with I roll with pretty often..he should be getting his blue within a few months so i feel really good that hes having trouble with me.

My tourney is this saturday and I'm not going to have to cut water!! WHOHOO!
Thats it for today

[Ben6485]

03/03/09

Just got back from class. It was just beginner class...we worked on the cross sweep...or what i've also heard it called at my school..the ninja upsweep..haha, my coach loves ninjas

We also worked on failed cross collar sweep to guillotine...after class I stayed to work on some stuff with a buddy and ended up getting to roll with coach shelley...he basically tooled be, not like...submitting me even though he did, but he got anything he wanted on me...but thats why he's the teacher and i'm the student. Thats it for today...tomorrow I'm going to open mat, and then i'm taking a couple of days off because the tourney is saturday

[Ben6485]

03/04/09

Just got back from open mat
I didn't do very good, but at least I worked on what I wasn't good at. I learned a few things that are simple that I could use in the tourney on saturday...I think I might have bruised my rib. A guy quite bigger than me was getting knee on stomach and when he came down, it came down really hard...i didn't hear or feel a pop but I did feel a sharp pain on the back part of my rib cage....kind of how it felt last time my ribs got bruised. I hope it feels a little better tomorrow..it doesn't hurt, but when theres pressure on it thats when it hurts

oh well...I know that if I get stuck in a position where it hurts I will work really hard to get out of it..haha

[Ben6485]

well, its the day of weigh ins...i haven't eatin or drink anything and i'm at 159.2
i'm syked that i don't have to sit in a f'n sauna to cut
just though i'd give an update

[Ben6485]

03/09/09

No time to type much but just saying at practice today we worked some takedowns that I really liked so I'm going to really work on that and learn how to pull guard better....I'm really starting to pass guard alot better...but I need to learn how to keep better posture when I'm in someones guard


thats all i really have time for tonight

[BPP]

well, its the day of weigh ins...i haven't eatin or drink anything and i'm at 159.2
i'm syked that i don't have to sit in a f'n sauna to cut
just though i'd give an update

did u compete??? no post about it???

[Ben6485]

did u compete??? no post about it???

Oh, I did...here it is here

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=114691291

[Ben6485]

03/10/09

Just got back from practice.
It was beginner class and we worked some basic takedowns...bout it...I had some trouble with shoots but I've always had problems with that...anyways, thats it...gotta go

[Ben6485]

03/11/09

Just got back from BJJ open mat.
I drilled some sweeps...windmill sweep, push sweep, scissor sweep, crossover sweep. Then I rolled with a guy about 6'1 or so...I got mount on him and he just pushed me off mount, then right after that I passed and got side control then quickly got a sweet armbar on same side. He was like damn, that was awsome..haha. I rolled some more with him and was able to escape his control alot mainly because he was leaving too much space. I rested for a bit and rolled with a blue belt and white belt training for pan ams so we didn't go hard...mainly working escapes...thats it for today

[RyanBravo]

hey im in
i might have to start a log too
GL with training this week.
-R

[Ben6485]

So, I'm now back for good
I was in South Padre Island, Texas for Spring Break(even though I'm done with college..haha). I was there for a week then took a week off of training. Anyways I got back in the Gym on Tuesday

I'm going to skip Tuesdays and yesterdays practice and start with todays.
BTW, I weighed 157lbs this morning...happy bout that.

04/02/09
So today in practice we worked the omaplata and monoplata pretty well and i think i did a pretty good job of that. Then we rolled for 2, 5 minute rounds. First I went with a 4 stripe white belt(he'll be getting his blue within a few months prolly). He triangled me after a couple minutes then the rest of the round he wasn't able to tap me. Then I went with a guy I had never seen before...I think he signed up that day but he's been doing BJJ for a little while...like 4-5 months probably. He tried to take me down but he left his neck out and I tried to guillatine him..but he got out of it. I ended up mounting him and got armbar from mount. We went again I swept him from standing and landed in mount. He was trying to hip escape...btw, i did pause and show him how to actually do it because it was way wrong....then we went back to that position and I ended up getting his back and RNC'ing him from rear top mount. Round ended, I came home worn out...thats it for today

[BPP]

monoplata? :confused:

[Ben6485]

monoplata? :confused:



This, except we didn't work it from rubber guard
l3YMP2JSt4w

[Ben6485]

So its been a while since I updated this, but I had such a great practice I thought i'd let yall in on it.

04/22/09

So, today was open mat so I was there from 6-8 rolling. My cardio is getting better and I'm letting myself loose and not using muscle as much. I'm starting to work from an open guard and I'm happy about that. Today I got a knee bar on a guy 40 pounds more and about 8" taller than me. He was going for a ankle lock all wrong and I caught his mistake and got him. He's got a little less experience than me but he's pretty good for his exp. That was like a 10 minute roll...whew. I rolled with a guy younger than me and about 4-5 months less experience than me..but I didn't try to beat his ass. Everytime he made a mistake I stopped and told him...so I just basically worked with him while trying to use good technique but taking it pretty easy on him. I got gassed after a while so I armbarred him after getting mount. I worked with a guy from Georgia in town for business, but he was like 220+...I think I held my ground pretty good, he's a 10-11 monther. I did a few more rolls that I really don't remember but didn't get caught in anything. Then I rolled with matt, someone that I roll with more than anyone...he's got a few months on me but really good and technical. I was happiest with this because he usually taps me my triangle. He did get me in a guillatine but thats all he got on me..I broke guard, passed, got mount, north south, and pretty much controlled him for the most part. He did pass my guard once, but thats because I made a mistake...he wasn't able to pass when I had him in half guard though. Almost got him in armbar a few times. Anyways, that was about it, really good day. Later

[BPP]

So its been a while since I updated this, but I had such a great practice I thought i'd let yall in on it.

04/22/09

So, today was open mat so I was there from 6-8 rolling. My cardio is getting better and I'm letting myself loose and not using muscle as much. I'm starting to work from an open guard and I'm happy about that. Today I got a knee bar on a guy 40 pounds more and about 8" taller than me. He was going for a ankle lock all wrong and I caught his mistake and got him. He's got a little less experience than me but he's pretty good for his exp. That was like a 10 minute roll...whew. I rolled with a guy younger than me and about 4-5 months less experience than me..but I didn't try to beat his ass. Everytime he made a mistake I stopped and told him...so I just basically worked with him while trying to use good technique but taking it pretty easy on him. I got gassed after a while so I armbarred him after getting mount. I worked with a guy from Georgia in town for business, but he was like 220+...I think I held my ground pretty good, he's a 10-11 monther. I did a few more rolls that I really don't remember but didn't get caught in anything. Then I rolled with matt, someone that I roll with more than anyone...he's got a few months on me but really good and technical. I was happiest with this because he usually taps me my triangle. He did get me in a guillatine but thats all he got on me..I broke guard, passed, got mount, north south, and pretty much controlled him for the most part. He did pass my guard once, but thats because I made a mistake...he wasn't able to pass when I had him in half guard though. Almost got him in armbar a few times. Anyways, that was about it, really good day. Later



sweet brah!

I find myself learnin more doin that with new guys...havin to think thru it to teach makes it stick better at times

[Ben6485]

6/24/2009

Starting to come into my own now...cardio's getting better, i'm getting more flexible, able to move around in the guard and my topside control is getting better. I just need to work on finishing.

I'm also starting to get serious in the MMA training. Our gym is moving to a new location next month and thats gonna be great because it will have more room, a cage, and coach is gonna be having seminars and stuff there. I want to fight before my 25th bday which is June 4th 2010...just a goal i have..if it doesn't happen, then I don't care, I'll fight when I'm ready.

[Ben6485]

6/25/2009
Just got back from a good day of practice...i only rolled for about 10 minutes tops at the end of class but did really well...got 2 subs, Kimura from full guard and guillotine