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Good morning all, my name is Andy. I've been practicing BJJ and Muay Thai for just close to three years. Some life circumstances have gotten in the way and haven't been able to train as consistently as I want to. Sometimes will go just for kickboxing, sometimes just for BJJ. Anyway, I am a one-stripe blue belt under Robert Mrotek who is a Cleber Luciano black-belt. I am 34 years old and feel older, I focus mostly on defense as I've found myself not as "fast-twitch" as I would like. Fought once in MMA back in June 2016, won by rear-naked choke in the first round (
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBYQsMvAyIA&t=23s, starts at 3:56). I was pleased with the fight, especially with the first-time nerves, but my technique was a little sloppy striking and going to the ground. We were supposed to fight at 145 but my opponent showed at 168. I was not happy.
I have another fight coming up Sept. 23 and hope to improve further. I have always struggled with motivation and accountability, and hope to use this group to help "blog" a bit and keep myself accountable.
Wow, 23lb overweight, that's embarrassing, and really disrespectful to you, the promoters, and the spectators! I'm glad you kicked his *kitten*!4 -
Hi all,
I have about 9 years total into martial arts training throughout my life. I spent 5 years in TaeKwonDo and have a black belt. My first style was Tang Soo Do and I earned a 2nd Gup red belt in that original, am now back to that style 1st gup red belt. I was away from Martial arts for about 18 years for health and kid raising reasons, but now I am back. My husband and daughter are also training with me and they are both 4th gup green currently. I have some weight to lose, had to have major female surgery back in May (adding more weight) and I am doing the slow - steady route to lose it and get back into fighting shape.
I will be testing for my black belt in Tang Soo Do in February 2018 and am also looking at becoming a school owner. I will probably be teaching mostly children with some parents and adults thrown in as they see fit. I train as much as possible right now - usually 4-5 days a week and try and hit the gym for weight lifting and swimming 1-2 times a week as well.
My big stopper (besides my weight) is a torn rotator cuff that I am trying to avoid surgery on with PT and slow conditioning. I am probably not on the same level as all of you that compete - I do this because I love it and I love how it can help kids in so many ways (hence becoming a school owner). I am well past the point where competing motivates me, I just want to be the best I can be and help others do the same. I do still love to spar though
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Martial Arts has always been one of the best things in my life and I am glad to be back.
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Hi, I'm Val, 48yo. I've only been at TKD for a year and am currently a yellow belt. My school is through my local park district but directly affiliated with a more formal school that I'll likely not see until I move way up the ranks. My daughter has been in it for 8 of her 15 years. I always wanted to try it out but didn't. I didn't want to impose on her thing. She is now finally comfortable to share it with me. We don't often take class together, unless there's a scheduling problem. I really like it and the group of people I get to interact with. Most have been at it much longer. A couple weeks ago I sprained my knee (on another activity) so I'm down for now. Luckily, the injury happened at the tail end of one session with a two week break before the next session starts up. I hope to join the next session, if for nothing else for form and maybe modified moves. I'm going to be there anyway during my kid's classes. Now that I've got a taste of it I know I won't want to be just a spectator. Nice to meet all of you!5
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Hi, I'm Summer! I have just started Taekwondo this summer. I always wanted to do martial arts, and have dabbled in boxing and karate, but my training was mostly as a dancer. As I gained quite a bit of weight after high school I figured I might as well do something fun to lose it!5
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Hi, I am TJ. Nice to see all of you here!
Don't know if I really fit in here,...Basically, I started kickboxing/boxing a couple years ago with some MMA fighters.
Unfortunately, I had to stop all training for almost a year as I tore my plantar plate. I know its going to take me a good year, and probably only heavy bag work with interval training to get back to where I was....so I am hoping I am welcome here as I am novice at best.
I and would love to follow this thread to keep me honest and involved and will probably just lurk in awe for awhile.
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Welcome to all our new members!
Don't worry if you are just starting out - we have folks here from all skill levels!
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Hello to all. My name is Don. I'm 52 years old. I recently started martial arts (BJJ) again after a 17 year layoff. I was one of Carlos Machado's first students in Dallas (1996-2000). It was a blast. We trained on the set of Walker Texas Ranger, then we ended up a health club where we laid wrestling mats down in the racketball court, and finally he got his own school. In 2000, I finished grad school and got laid off. It was now or never in terms of returning to Oklahoma, so we moved to a remote part of the state where my wife's family lived. No BJJ within hours. Then life just happened. Fell into running, then ultrarunning. My back made me stop. Couldn't not find a substitute that really did it for me and I ended up sedentary and about 30lbs overweight.
I make my living on the road. You eat all all of the time and spend a lot of time in your room. I would eat too much and drink. I needed a change. I'm not sure why it didn't hit me earlier, but it occurred to me that I could start training BJJ again. I mean, why not. It's about literally everywhere now days. I'm doing a long term contract in Missouri (I travel home to see my family a couple of times a month) and started in Columbus. There's a Gracie Humaita school there, so why not? The professor there is a great guy. Very welcoming and understanding. Being a middle aged dude who's out of shape will have a different experience than the college boys there for sure. But I had a blast and was instantly hooked (again). I was amazed what I remembered. I thought it would be like starting over, and it many ways it is, but as far as rolling, it mostly came back to me. So much so that there really weren't any white belts who gave me any trouble. So I mostly got tapped by purple belts (always!) and some blue belts. Oh, I'm a blue belt by the way. Carlos gave it to me in 1998 I believe. He wasn't doing the stripe thing for some reason then, so I have no stripes. It's just as well since I'm just getting back to it.
So I guess I'm an itinerant BJJ guy now. I'm in St. Louis for about 8 months now, and there is another Gracie Humaita school here I'm going to check out next week. J.W. Wright is the head instructor. He's a black belt under Royler Gracie. He's supposed to be amazing. My goals are to get better, try not to get injured, to keep showing up, avoid the blue belt blues, and continue to lean out.
As far as other fitness, I'm going to start lifting again next week. I did Starting Strength a few years ago to great effect, so I'm going to do that again. I'll just avoid Rippetoes's advice about drinking a Gallon Of Milk A Day (GOMAD) as that's a ticket to the the fat farm for me! If you're not familiar with the program, it's heavy compound lifts designed for strength, not hypertropy or "toning". Squats, Deadlifts, Press, Bench Press, etc.
Lastly, I'll post an old school photo of me. It was at the 1997 Oklahoma State Jiu Jitsu Championship. I took 2nd in the Heavyweight division. I'm in the red shirt. The kneeling kid on the far right is the now legendary Raphael Lovato Jr, the most decorated American BJJ practitioner in history. Fun fact: I used to train with him and beat him regularly. Of course, as you can see he was only a skinny 13 year old boy at the time! He's a beast now.
OK, I've rambled long enough and I'm sure if you have read this far, you may be tiring of my Rip Van Winkle routine! Glad to be here.
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Glad to see you here, Don! I still love that pic of a 13 year old Lovato.
(Don and I are MFP buddies and realized that we have two degrees of separation when it comes to some old training partners.)3 -
Thank you! I've been looking, but have yet to find, the selfie I took with Ralph Gracie at his tournament in Virginia back in the day. He's got some ears!3
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i really enjoy reading these stories!4
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Glad to have you back in the sport, Don! Don't you just love looking at the faces of people who think they can smash you, only to see them a bit dumbfounded... 3
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Hi! I'm Kirsten, I am pretty new to martial arts I started training in Karate last November. I took karate classes on and off for 2 yrs as a teenager loving the art but not quite finding my focus and determination to train. The choice to begin again in karate has been amazing! I have lost 17lbs so far with little to no diet, and I find I have a lot more peace of mind.5
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I ran my first Tough Mudder half this weekend and I have already signed up for the full next year!
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Hi, I am Joe and recently earned my 1st degree black belt through ATA Taekwondo. I am near memphis, TN and trying to get into better shape. My 10 year old daughter is testing for her 2nd degree black belt and my 9 year old son is testing for his 1st degree next weekend. I originally started because my kids wanted me to and figured i'd participate with them. after being in it for the past couple of years, i have begun to love it and keep trying to push myself to perform better. I am looking forward to being a part of this motivating group of wonderful people. :-)3
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Hi Joe! I live near Little Rock, so we have ATA folks from all over for their World Championships every summer. In fact, I drive by the new Headquarters every day on my way to my gym.
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@Bluebell2325 My story is so similar to yours! My daughter started karate about 5 years ago at age 5. She is now a black belt. I opened my big mouth and promised her that I would take karate once she made black belt. her interest was waning at the time, so I thought I wouldn't have to deliver.
well, she made black belt in December. So here I am! But it's been a lot of fun, and I've actually learned a lot just sitting in her classes listening. I've already done a tournament or two, and really enjoy kata. Not so good at sparring yet!
anyway, I practice traditional karate. On my blue belt right now, close to orange.2 -
BJJ white belt who has dabbled in judo. I want to get my judo yellow belt (mostly to prove to myself that I am over my issues with take downs thanks to a couple of concussions 18 months ago, but also because it is my favourite colour and BJJ doesn't have yellow in adult belts)
I'm 39 and started BJJ when I was 36 (nearly 37) which was my first martial art (unless you count fencing which I did for a few years before that). Sadly I had to choose between fencing and BJJ due to classes clashing (and as fencing was the cause of my torn acl - yes, surprisingly it was bjj in my case).
BJJ helped me lose nearly 25 kgs, a loss I have maintained for 18 months, but I still want to drop a bit more so I can walk around at my fighting weight, which is a healthy weight for me to be.2
