Interview with the Barkindji Warrior

My friend Liz tagged me to a video post on Facebook and all she said was “someone you may want to consider interviewing” – I watched the video and she was right – I definitely wanted to interview her. Check out the video here –

So I message Shantelle, introduced myself, told her some of the things that I do and asked her if she would let me interview her – thankfully Shantelle said yes. Shantelle has a very interesting story, as you will soon discover. Her strength and determination to help herself and others around her is outstanding.

Shantelle completed this a few months ago, since then she has won the IBJJF World Championships, and received her purple belt. She is an impressive individual not only for women BJJ but also for everything that she does in her Aborigine community.

 

The exact moment I realised I was a World Champion. Dreams really can come true, with the courage to dream, being prepared to work hard with mindful and purposeful intent, your actions are with love, integrity, and be resilient because there are always bumps in the road. Anything is possible, if you believe, take a deep breath and take the first step!!!

How many years have you been doing BJJ – how old were you when you started BJJ and why did you start?

I first came into contact with BJJ when I was 20 because a friend introduced me to the system. I began training BJJ on and off from the age of 21 but nothing serious. I began seriously training in 2010 because I developed Post-Natal Depression after the birth of my twins in 2009, BJJ became a form of physical therapy and my mental health plan.

BJJ saved my life and has also given me the life I have now.

How did you find BJJ helped you with dealing with depression? 

I developed post-natal depression after the birth of my twins in 2009, I was not officially diagnosed until late 2010. As a result of past trauma and life events I did not want to take medication so I needed something else to treat myself. In October 2010 I started training BJJ as a form of physical and mental therapy to treat my PND. BJJ helped me with this because it is a very physically engaging sport and is also mentally engaging and after a session I had nothing left to give to the PND. It helped me redirect the negative energy of my illness.

It has been a complete treatment for me because it helps me in all aspects of my life and the lessons I have learnt about myself on and off the mats have lead me down a journey of acknowledgement, acceptance and finally healing.

What gym do you train at?

Maromba Academy Australia/Absolute MMA

With Coach Thiago Stefanutti

What other sporting background do you have?

I have played Basketball as a teenager, I also trained in Renshinkan Karate (kyokushin), boxing and my dominant sports are BJJ and Wrestling and Coreeda Wrestling (Aboriginal Wrestling).

Coreeda wrestling is traditional Aboriginal wrestling and was used as a way to condition young warriors, manage conflict and for physical and mental health.

Coreeda Wrestling

When did you receive your blue belt, how did you feel when you got it?

I received my blue belt in 2013 and I felt, humbled, grateful, accomplished and so ready for the next stage of this life long journey that BJJ has become.

What does your training schedule look like? Does this include strength training and are you particular with your nutrition?

I currently train up to four hours a day that split over two sessions, x6 days a week. I do strength and conditioning training x5 days per week and yes I am very particular about my nutrition and this is becoming more of a priority as a I get older and more serious about my training and competing.

You took some time off training to have a family, how was it coming back?

I did not train during my pregnancies and from the birth of my first daughter in 2006 to the twins’ birth in 2009 I did not train much at all. I may have trained maybe once a week every now and again. Coming back to training and BJJ helped me find myself and gain my life back.

You have a young family, you also work and volunteer your time – how do you juggle it all?

I have found my life purpose and all that I do in being a mother, family, warrior, elite athlete, support worker, Kiilalaana program coordinator, mentor, volunteer and life warrior they all work together in this purpose.

To be honest I don’t think about it much I just do it.

Being an Aborigine you must a be a huge inspiration to your people, can you share some of your heritage/background?

I am a Barkindji/Anglo Saxon woman and my family come from along the Murray River, and I grew up in Dareton, NSW. I am very proud of both of my heritages and I am the second eldest of 17 children so I have a big mob. I have always been a fighter and I grew up fighting for what I believe in. Being the Barkindji Warrior is my responsibility to carry on the work of my ancestors and is my life purpose to work every day to become the Barkindji Warrior.

Do you enjoy competing and how do you deal with the pressure?

I love the battle of competing and my experiences of pressure are constantly changing the more I compete and the new levels of competition that I attempt. When I first started I was like everyone else nervous and felt every little aspect of pressure, then when I started winning a lot and also continued this into my blue belt for a little while it became about staying at the top and to continue to win.

Now that has changed for me, competing is so much more than winning or a medal. Competing is now as much about the battle against myself as the opponent. By this I mean, how do I handle pressure, the battle of competition? The only difference between competition and training is the environment change, it is about the battle and have I improved since the last battle as a person, competitor and fighter.  I want to push my boundaries in all areas of my life and competing in BJJ is one of them. I also love the friendships and relationships I have developed with other women that compete in BJJ. I wish more women competed and I hope by sharing my story and perspective on competing that it may encourage others to try competing.

What are the highs and lows of BJJ for you?

The greatest lows of BJJ have been when I have been injured and unable to train at all, and this becomes a challenge when it is a way of life. Also when the focus becomes too much on preparing for a comp or about reaching the next goal. When I lose sight of what is important, that it is about the journey and the relationships that I make in BJJ I become anxious and it becomes less of a safe place. I am getting better and remembering my purpose and why for BJJ and this helps.

The greatest highs are that BJJ is a part of my life, it is a lifetime journey, my team is my family and my whole family are involved in BJJ. The challenge and growth that I gain daily from training and competing in BJJ is also a high.

You must have seen many people come and go – what keeps you going?

It is a way of life.

What advice would you give other women who were thinking about starting BJJ or who have just started?

I would say give it a try and see if it is right for you, and try a few different clubs to find a culture that supports women and new people into the sport. Trust your instincts and be upfront with your training partners that you are new to the sport. I used to try and match the guys on strength (as I am a bigger female and I lift weights) but now I am honest with my training partners (male and female) and let them know how I am going to roll in that roll. By this I mean for example if it is a new person I will lets say be technical and flow role, until I get a feel for how they role and if they are a safe training partner. If they are not I will speak to them and then if I feel unsafe and they do not improve I will not roll with that person. My personally safety always comes first always. If I am getting ready for a comp I always check if my partner is ok with us rolling comp mode, which is more intense, then a general training roll.

Enjoy the journey because BJJ can give you so much if you allow it.

Gold medal IBJJF World Championships

In your opinion what do you believe it takes to be successful at BJJ?

To me BJJ is such a personal thing and for you to be successful at BJJ you have to decide what role it plays in your life. For me, BJJ is a lifestyle and it is also going to be a part of the work I do in the future with women’s and youth programs so it is important for me to be constantly evolving and growing in the sport.

Who inspires you?

My family inspire me every day with their constant acceptance and encouragement of the journey I am taking them on and the goals I have set for myself. My grandmother with her strength, life journey and accomplishments inspires me to become the best of myself and to never settle. My coach Thiago inspires me with his willingness to create a family of our team, never allowing me to settle or become complacent and how he also is there for us as a friend and coach. He is always training and competing as well as coaching and he puts himself out there and I admire that. My training partners and teammates inspire me with their friendship, help and constant support.

Receiving purple belt

What personal lessons have you learnt about yourself since doing BJJ?

BJJ has helped me to discover my life’s purpose and also shown me the best and worst of who I am as a person both on and off the mats. My jiu jitsu reflects my life and who I am as a person. The biggest lessons it has taught me is that I am stronger then I think, I love to help people, I am also to impatient and I do not take enough time to visualise or reflect on things before I make a move or make the next step.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

In 5 years time I see myself as;

• The best mother to my children possible and role model to others I can be.
• a world champion in BJJ
• competing internationally in wrestling
• a brown belt
• Kiilalaana Program Coordinator – using BJJ, Wrestling and my experiences to run Women’s and Youth empowerment programs.
• A trauma specialist working with people who have been affected by trauma.
• The Barkindji Warrior and the best version I can become on this journey.

Is there anyone you would like to thank?

There are many I would like to thank on this journey and for those that support me, believe in me thank you for everything.

Thank you to my family for the love and support you show me everyday, you inspire me to push higher then I ever thought possible. I love you xox

To my coaches Thiago, Chris and Mac for all your support, guidance and time I would not be the fighter or person I am today without you, Teresa for keeping me patched up, my BJJ and wrestling family for everything on and off the mats, and a special mention to Apryl and Kim for being there in more ways then one.

Thank you to my sponsors for believing, investing and supporting my dreams.

The Fight Factory

Kapai Puku

Fitline Personal Training

Optimum Muscular Health

Ways that you can follow Shantelle

Blog:  https://barkindjiwarrior.wordpress.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShantelleThompsonBarkindjiWarrior?fref=ts

Instagram: @barkindjiwarrior

 

 

 

Interview with Jess ‘Swear Jar’ Fraser

Jess Fraser – Brown Belt Dominance MMA

I met Jess in 2013 (which I am sure she would have no recollection of, she meets a lot of people), I was in Melbourne to compete at the Nationals. I entered the female change rooms to get changed into my gi and there she was also getting changed. I was this dopey brand new blue belt, all tongue tied because I was sharing the change room with Jess Fraser!! I awkwardly introduced myself while Jess was half naked :-), I can’t remember what we talked about but I do remember thinking she was super nice. Jess is an inspiration to a lot of us ladies, she leads the way to help promote women’s BJJ here in Australia and she is a real rock star when it comes to organizing Australia Girls in Gi camps, which I was really happy to attend my first last weekend (Jan 2015). Not only is she very smart, hilarious (awesome sense of humor), beautiful, articulate, and talented – she is going to be an awesome coach. She provides so much support to us ladies, she is a true ambassador for this sport. Please let me introduce, the awesome Jess Fraser.

How many years have you been doing BJJ – how old were you when you started BJJ and why did you start?

I started in April 2010. I was 30 years old the first time I put on a gi.

I started BJJ without knowing what it was or researching it in any way. Weirdly I just knew that’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to be a badass. This sport, the athletes, they are certainly that. So here we are.

What other sporting background do you have?

I skateboarded for years very badly. And snowboarded for many more very well. Before starting BJJ I was an instructor in both yoga and Krav Maga. I was doing a lot back then. Now I’m more focused.

You recently got your brown belt, besides being thrilled how did you feel when you received it? What were your thoughts?

As I understand it my journey is the fastest female to brown in Australia’s history. On top of that there’s only about 5 a Aussie female Browns. This is not only the rarest belt in Oz, it’s the rarest in the World. Female brown belts, we’re very, very rare. So. What does that tell me? It tells me I have a great deal of support and love and investment being shared my way. There’s no way I’m exceptional yet I’m in an exceptional situation. That means exceptional people have gotten me here. And my hard work and dedication has made that possible. It’s a shared effort. I believe my belt is shared with all of those around me and see it my responsibility to then share as much as I can of myself with others.

As far as how I felt on the day, I’m FKN proud to wear a Dominance Brown. Like I can’t explain. Belts come slow and hard at my gym and my coach only grades those that are truly ready. The purple belts here are ridiculously good. It blows me away that I have worked to get the technical ability worthy of his Acknowledgement in this way. I’m proud. And stunned. As with receiving my purple. Now all I can think is, I don’t wanna just be a brown. I want to be an incredible brown. So now we start again.

What does your training schedule look like? Does this include strength training and are you particular with your nutrition?

I’m off season now so weight training and weight checking is almost out of my routine.

My week is currently: Monday 6pm wrestling, 7:30pm gi Tuesday 6pm advance BJJ, 730pm gi Wednesday 6pm No Gi, 7:30pm gi Thursday 6pm advance BJJ, 730pm gi Friday 10am. Playful free rolling. Lots of laughter. Nothing serious.

During comp season I replace both wrestling and no gi with lifting heavy. And add a hard 2 hour Saturday session in. Plus Myotherapy weekly.

It’s important to note I roll/spar a lot. Like 80% of my training. And I’m disciplined about it. I’m always working on something and never rolling without a plan. I self critique a lot and I ask lots and lots of questions and feedback. My rolling is drilling. It is drilling but it’s against a resisting opponent. I learn more this way.

My diet is meat, veg, coffee, dark chocolate and strawberries. Barely any dairy. Glutenous foods are avoided. During comp season I start to intermittently fast (one day per week on non training days) and only eat starchy veg or white rice within half an hour of training. No starchy carbs at other times of the day. Loads of fish oil and always 3 litres of water a day.

You do a lot of competition and travel a lot for them, do you enjoy competing and how do you deal with the pressure?

I have never loved competing but I love the gains I get from a hard training camp. I also love training at that intensity. I deal poorly with the stress and extra load though and it effects my personality in a negative way. Self absorption doesn’t suit me well but it gets the job done. I find that trade off difficult. I’m a bloody good sport at the events and take wins and losses very well but my anxiety and the extra load at training make me less fun and someone I don’t enjoy. I hate that about competing.

I value the gain of skill, understanding, technique, improvement, refinement. Not so much titles and not gold. I would rather lose a match that was epic and a battle and against an amazing opponent than smash my way easily to the podium. So when I hit the competition and tap hands with an opponent I’m not scared or worried. I’m not at all because she cannot possibly take from me what I’ve gained prior to that moment. So if I win or lose the match, I’ve absolutely already won. Outcomes can go either way but advancing and improving is always a win.

I’ve competed in over 50 comps. Most actively in my blue belt and first year of purple. It’s no longer the actual competition matches that I get a lot out of or learn from anymore. It was at white and blue but not so much now. For me now its the preparation that a get a lot out of. I think this then helps me feel no pressure on the day. The lead up though… There’s always at least one epic melt down. Usually more.

I also feel like that drive to prove myself is done. I no longer feel I need to prove that I’m doing well. I just ensure I am.

What are the highs and lows of BJJ for you?

Lows are plateaus. They’re the worst. They always feel longer than they actually are. And you have them for longer and longer as you move up the ranks. For me these days, if I fix just one grip in a 3 month time frame, I’m happy. That’s a gain! Frustrated white belts missing a sweep twice but getting it the next week have no idea how lucky they are! Haha. That accelerated learning & daily improvement does slow down. I urge peeps to enjoy it now. And be less frustrated. Watching a white belt learn is like hearing a child learn to talk. It’s epic how much happens in a short amount of time in those early days.

The highs? When you’re rolling and you realise the plateau is over! It’s always suddenly and mid roll and in that moment you feel you’re a genius! You’re moving like a beast. Everything is smooth! Everything works! You nail a perfectly timed sweep and it sets up your favourite pass. It’s magical…it’s the greatest feeling in the world! Haha. Suddenly you’re in love with BJJ again. It’s what keeps me coming back. Even more fun to see others go through that.

The bigger picture life lesson here is that the peaks are only possible because of the plateaus. They are linked. Damn. That’s deep. Haha. But real.

You must have seen many people come and go – what keeps you going?

See above. Plus obsession. Plus believing that I can actually get good and be good at this thing. I have complete and utter belief in that fact. I don’t know why but I do.

What advice would you give other women who were thinking about starting BJJ or who have just started?

-Try to find a way to laugh at yourself at least once each session. Truly. Usually this comes easily in the form of a team mate who will be happy to help. Take the piss. Out of yourself and the situation. That’s what boys do in ALL sports. And they stick around.

-Refrain from bitching or critiquing other girls. It’s a habit. It will continue if you foster that habit. And stop if you don’t. Don’t make yourself miserable by saying mean shit. Even in private. Don’t be that girl.

-Don’t bring your existing understanding competitive nature to this sport. This sport is different than anything you have ever done so you need to approach it differently than anything you have ever done. Understand that your greatest competitor or best friend or least favourite person or weirdest team mate can succeed while you also succeed. It doesn’t have to be one or the other. You don’t even have to share and you will get better no matter what. That includes if other people do also. In fact. It’s inevitable. It’s how this sport works. Comparing yourself to others and creating your own hierarchy on where they/you should be at is a huge waste of time and not going to help you. Beat techniques, not people.

-Ask lots of questions. As a white belt you are discovering BJJ and learning how to learn it, not actually developing it yet. It’s heaps of fun and probably your entire obsession right now which is the perfect situation for advancing. You’ve gotta set up the frame work to make yourself no longer be a white belt. Learn how to be a teachable student. Learn how you process information. Learn who needs to deliver this to you. Sometimes it’s not only your coach. Be realistic in your assessment of yourself as a student. If you’re getting in the way of your own learning, no one can help you but you. Trust this old yoda on these ideas you should.

Australia Girls in Gi

In your opinion what do you believe it takes to be successful at BJJ?

The ability to self assess honestly. And to hear and accept feedback without taking it personally.

Who inspires you?

The people closest to me are my biggest inspirations. Dave Hart my coach is this in an epic in this way. He’s shown me that BJJ as a sport for myself & a community can be anything I want it to be, I just need to put in the work. As far as athletes go, Luanna Alguzuir has movement I would kill for. I love her technique. Her game rocks.

What personal lessons have you learnt about yourself since doing BJJ?

Too many to list. So many that they’ve changed me forever. I’m a much kinder person than I was pre BJJ. I’m also more certain of myself. And able to communicate on all levels much much better. This has vastly improved all of the relationships in my life, my working environment and my life. I couldn’t be more thankful for that.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

I see myself touring Australia as the black belt head of Australian Girls In Gi, offering seminars and private lessons to both women and men. I see myself gathering a shit load of knowledge about this sport between now and then and still be 110% driven to find a way to share that knowledge. I hope this vision becomes my life.

Is there anyone you would like to thank?

Dominance MMA. The entire staff there. They are my closest friends and my life. Australian Girls in Gi for being my inspiration. I want to be the kind of leader that group deserves. And they deserve the world. Dave Hart, my coach. The Bear, my partner.

Loving Living in Las Vegas

A weekend of BJJ comps, desert and ghost towns.

Coming to the US on my first (not my last) BJJ training tour my first stop is Las Vegas and what a city it is!! Since being here and training for 2 weeks already, I have come to the realization that the level of BJJ skill here at the Drysdale Jiu Jitsu Club is a lot higher than back at Perth. In my opinion the white belts are blue belt level, the blue belts are purple belt level etc. It has taken me a bit to get used to it and find my groove, but I am slowly getting there. I’m only in Vegas for a month and have come to the conclusion that it is not going to be long enough.

The first week was hard after spending 24hours in transit, arriving on Sunday afternoon and first class was Monday morning at 10am. My body was sore and tired but my mind was pumped and ready to go! I have been training twice a day almost everyday and boy has it taken a toll on my body, but I am looking after myself well with lost of stretching, eating well and getting lots of sleep between classes.

The women here are amazing not only in skill (and they have awe inspiring skills) but also some of the nicest people I have ever met – they have all welcomed me with open arms and we all have a great time together, they push me hard, which I love. I have had the pleasure of rolling with some amazing people – I have partnered up with Sophia Drysdale on a couple of occasions and she smashes me within seconds. I was chatting to her afterwards and she told me as she is taking me down she has already set up the submission before we even hit the ground – she is such a lovely lady and an awesome teacher, she runs a ladies only class here which it a lot of fun.

The Drysdale Club is a great environment to train at. Everyone is very respectful of each other, there are no puffed up ego’s (that I have seen so far), everyone is so incredibly humble no one brags about what they have done or what they think they can do and everyone is treated on the same level whether you are a white belt or a black belt. This I believe starts at the top and generates down – Robert Drysdale has achieved a lot in his life, his BJJ career is endless and has also been very successful with his MMA career thus far, he has trained with the best in the world, he has fought the best in the world and yet he would have to be the most humble person I have ever met. Chatting to him you would not think he was a 6x world champion and an upcoming UFC star, he never brags he just gets on with it. Back home some white belts and blue belts (and even higher ranked belts) who have only competed in one or two comps (or none) and all they talk about is how awesome they think they are and then you meet someone like Drysdale who by all means has bragging rights but he doesn’t – he is the first person to say that he is only a student and still learning, and I have a lot of respect for him. Everyone at Drysdales acts as a team, as a family – this environment is one of the best!

One Team – One Family – One Army oosss!

All right, so I entered my first international competition Las Vegas Open, which was last weekend…well actually it was only international because I made it international being the Aussie at an American competition – maybe I should say my first overseas competition. I was really excited to compete, I felt relaxed and ready however there was one small problem that turned into a big problem.

IBJJF Las Vegas Open 2014

When I signed up for the competition I had to choose a weight category at the Aussie comps they put the different weight sizes. With this one they put light, feather etc, I had no idea what I was so I put myself down as a featherweight. I was weighing in at the time as 126lb (57.1kg). After I registered I went to the gym the next day and chatted to the staff and asked them if it was the right category for me, they looked it up and they said I had between 129-141lb (58.5-64kg) to weigh in at, with my gi on I weighed 130lbs (59kg) – awesome had heaps of room to play with.

I rocked up at the comp, check my weight and I weighed in at 133lbs (60.3kg) and then I looked at the weigh in chart and it was telling me the max weight for feather was 129lbs!!!!!!!!! I freaked out – I spoke to Drysdale and he said for me to lose 4lbs (1.8kg) in 2hours will be impossible at my weight…I had to give it a try. So I borrowed a sweat suit from someone and jogged outside in the Las Vegas heat for 40mins, came back inside weighed myself and I lost 1lb (450g), I was devastated. I felt so stupid that I screwed it up, at the end of the day it is your responsibility to get these things right, I should have studied it better before signing up, I will never make that mistake again. After trying to lose the weight I spoke to Drysdale and told him that I felt like an idiot that I got it wrong, he said it happens to the best of us and not to let it worry me. I told him that I was going to punish myself – he said “by training harder?” and I said yes, but also for punishment I am going to sign up for the Worlds Championship in Long Beach CA. Drysdale gave me a high five! I have a month to train up for one of the biggest competitions – eeekkkk what have I done, it is so out of my league but hey you never know if you never give it a go!

I enjoyed the rest of the day hanging out the Drysdale crew, watching the matches. I gotta say IBJJF is one of the best organized events I have ever seen, if they say you are on at 1pm – you are on at 1pm. It was great to be there.

Ghost town

The next day my house mates asked me if I wanted to go to an old ghost town that is just outside of Vegas in the desert, they were having a chili cook off – how could I say no to that! The town is called Goodsprings, it was an old mining town that got deserted when the mining went bust. The population now is about 200 and pretty much has a pub (saloon) and that’s it. We had a great feed there, listened to some blues music, watched an interesting crowd come in – it was a lot of fun.

Beware: Poker playing & loose women are permitted in this establishment

I don’t know what it is but there is something appealing to me with the desert, don’t get me wrong I miss the coast but driving through the desert, surrounded by the mountains and the complete sparseness of it all is captivating to me.

Tess’s BJJ Training Week 4 – part 2

Wednesday

Woke up this morning feeling great! I trained a client this morning and we did four small jogs. I haven’t jogged for years and I surprisingly found it quite easy.

Did my 3^rd strength program – power cleans, barbell squats, double kettlebell front squats and calf raises. Last set of cleans was a bit heavy couldn’t quite get the technique right. Squats felt good, the kettlebell squats still hurt like a MOFO but I smashed through them. The first set is always the mental challenge, the second set I tell myself off for being a sook and then the last set I’m happy because it’s the last one. Didn’t feel faint today, a little light headed from the strain and holding my breath but my first breakfast got me through the workout.

Can’t wait for BJJ tonight, it’s the last night to train with the AMMA Team before they head off over east for the comps.

Feeling really tired today. Had a bit of a late night 10.30pm, that is too late for me, I am an 8hr sleep gal. Been pretty busy with clients and have a busy afternoon.

I was knackered driving to BJJ tonight but once technique started I felt better. I partnered up with Liz and Tyrone again. We practiced guard armbars, sweeps and triangles. I like all these moves, just need to remember them when I am rolling and practice, practice, practice. Tonight I had four rolls, again feeling really slow but still lots of fun.

Had a big chat to Darcina about my breakfalls and how they are going from bad to worse. She showed me a couple other variations so I wouldn’t have to land hard on my shoulder. She told me I needed to learn to relax more. She said I need to find a happy medium between tension and relaxation while doing them. If I am too stiff I will land hard, if I am too loose I will land awkwardly. Like all things with martial arts, as well as kettlebells – if you are completely tense through the whole swing action you will get tired really quickly and have a higher risk of injury. More breakfall practice for me!!

Day Schedule

Wake up – 5.10am

1^st Breakfast 5.30am Protein porridge

Train Client – 6.00-7.00am

My workout 7.30-8.10am – power cleans, barbell squats, kettlebell front squats, calf raises

2^nd Breakfast 8.45am – Toasted breakfast wrap (contains 2 eggs scrambled, spinach & mushrooms)

Lunch 12.30pm – chicken breast, chopped up veggies and rice

Mid arvo 3pm – protein shake – this was too much, I will find another way to get some protein in me

BJJ Training 7.00-8.40pm

Dinner 9.15pm – protein shake (milk, yoghurt, protein powder, banana)

Crashed in bed – 9.45pm

Thursday

One of my new favourite day of the week! Feeling good today!

Team AMMA flew out to Melbourne today to compete at the comps this weekend. Liz, Tyrone, Ash, Jed, Tim and of course Coach Adam, really strong team – there will be a few medals coming home for sure. Good luck guys!!

Today in class we had Rory coaching. Rory is very skilled brown belt, it was great to attend his class. I partnered up with Tino again – I really like Tino he always has great tips to pass over plus he is a great guy. We drilled high mount half guard sweeps, in theory easy but once you put them into practice it is very hard. For each roll today we had to stay in this position, I would start off in the bottom position and it was my job to sweep my partner over, my partners job was to not let it happen. Once the round was over we would swap roles. I really struggled to move my opponent when I was on the bottom and when I was on top I was so light the guys could move me really easy. We did 6 six of this and I was completely knackered afterwards. I wasn’t very good at it but it was a good experience. When I was doing a round with Tino I had a light bulb moment. I was trying to sweep him and I had to rock back and forth before I was able to sweep him. He said to me that 90% of the time when rolling you end up scrambling, technique does come into it but also a lot of scrambling. I am so anal when it comes to technique and while rolling with someone I will be thinking about how everything has to be perfect in its place before I can execute the submission – by the time I finish thinking the person has moved and I have lost it all together. Need to think less, scramble more and just go for it!

Driving home after class I was so tired. I couldn’t be bothered eating but thought I better force something down, had a shower and the slept for 45mins AWESOME!!!

Woke up feeling heaps better, I slammed down a protein shake and headed back to the club. I ran our first beginners skill kettlebell class which was heaps of fun.

I then jumped in the BJJ class. Nathan (black belt) was running it tonight, he is incredible at BJJ , he moves very well and his skills are mind blowing. Tonight we touched base on the things that we covered on Tuesday night. I partnered up with Matt, he is also great (check out my interview with him) Matt is the first person to come shake your hand, and the first person to help you out with technique plus he is generally and all time nice guy.

We practiced side control, under hook to guard, pass guard, back to side control and a few other things thrown in. Really good class, I picked up some great tips.

Rolling tonight I had 7 rolls, a couple of new people who I haven’t rolled with before which is always interesting. I find rolling new people to the club they are always so gung-ho and you just have to weather the storm until they wear themselves out or the buzzer goes.

Raoul has been helping me with what to do when someone goes turtle on you and how to either get them on their side or get their back.

Rolled with Ryan for the first time in ages he is a great, and a tough blue belt. He helped me with securing a triangle while he tried passing my guard.

You know there are some small things in life that just makes you go ahhhhhhh….no it’s not what you are thinking. Tonight I had two ahhhh moments the first jumping in the shower after training tonight; it felt so good, the second was jumping into bed it was so comfortable – my mattress and pillows felt extra soft tonight.

Day Schedule

Wake up – 4.30am

1^st Breakfast 4.45am protein porridge

Open gym 5.45am

2^nd Breakfast 7.15am – grilled chicken, chopped veggies, rice

Coffee 11am

BJJ Training 12.00-1pm

Lunch 2pm – can of tuna a beans (not the best)

Nap 3.00-3.45pm

Snack 4.15pm protein shake

Run Kettlebell class 5-6pm

BJJ Beginners Class 6-7pm

Rolling 7-7.50pm

Dinner 8.30pm – Protein shake

Crashed in bed – 10.30pm

Tess’s BJJ Training; Week 3 – Part 2

Wednesday

So tired, would have enjoyed a couple more hours sleep. Body feels good though, no aches or pains.

Had my leg work out this morning. It was hard the last set of barbell squats were shit, lacking confidence in my strength and I think I need to get used to my new weightlifting shoes too. I’m used to training is complete flat shoes. I did handle the double kettlebell squats better today, still painful but not as bad as last week. The last set I felt quite faint, not because it was hard – I think it was because I had a lack of food in my body. The protein shake I had last night wasn’t enough to get me through my session this morning. I will have a banana before my early morning training sessions from now on. I really need to find the happy balance with my nutrition, it worries me having protein shakes at night, I don’t want it to be stored as fat, I will have to monitor myself carefully.

I have come to the conclusion that I am lazy! – anything over 5 reps annoy me. My favourite number for reps is 3, it maybe a coincidence that it is my favourite number in general but I do believe 3 is a good number to complete reps. I would rather go heavy with less reps, than light with lots of reps.

Have BJJ tonight at 7pm, looking forward to it even though I am feeling pretty tired.

At the moment I am waiting at Coffee Pump for my breaky to be cooked, I can’t wait to eat it.

Breakfast wrap was awesome today, I inhaled it!

So tired looking forward to bed tonight, have a busy afternoon, which is good to keep me moving.

I am starting to feel better, I was so tired earlier to the point where I felt hung over, and my head felt foggy couldn’t concentrate and was really struggling. I sweated last night heaps, not only at training but also sleeping (was hot again last night and I was too tired to get up to put the AC on) I put some Gatorade in my water, it has cleared the fogginess away and I am finding it is picking me up. I think I just needed to get some electrolytes back into me as well as some salt and water.

Wasn’t feeling to good this afternoon, I think the beef salad I had for lunch didn’t agree with me. I got to get my shit together and make my own salads so I know what is in them. By the time I got to training my tummy was quite tender. Did some cool chokes in technique, partnered up with Liz and Tyrone (both blue belts). Tyrone is another machine, he is great to roll with, he has extraordinary talent and he is super, super strong. I only had a couple rolls tonight one with Liz and one with Ash. Both smashed me!

Everyone seemed quiet and tired tonight, there is some big comps coming up soon. We have a team heading over to Melbourne next week and in March has some local comps.

Early to bed for me tonight – have two early morning starts the next couple of days and I still need to get a few more training sessions in.

Day Schedule

Wake up – 5.00am

Train Client – 6.00-7.00am

My workout 7.20-8.10am – power cleans, barbell squats, kettlebell front squats, calf raises

Breakfast 8.40am – Toasted breakfast wrap (contains 2 eggs scrambled, spinach & mushrooms) plus a long black with a splash of milk

Lunch 3pm – chicken cabbage salad & beef veggie salad & grapes

BJJ Training 7.00-8.30pm

Dinner 9pm – lamb chops and veggies

Crashed in bed 9.50pm

Thursday

This morning was overcast and a bit cold – a cool 17degrees.

Headed to the gym early, I have swapped shifts with another trainer. I will be opening Thurs & Fri instead of Tues and Fri. That way I will have two short days at the end of the week and I can get some extra sleeping time on Thurs afternoons 🙂

Day off from strength training today, which is good because I have two BJJ sessions, one at lunch time and one in the evening.

Great class at lunch time, we practiced sweeps. I don’t use sweeps very often; actually at all I’m not comfortable doing them and really want to master them. Had two rolls which were a lot of fun.

I think I’m going to love Thursday’s; I finish work at 11am, train at AMMA 12pm, do some food shopping, make myself some lunch, have a nap then head back to the AMMA for 6pm class. That is a good day!!

Night class was heaps of fun, I partnered up with Ash. We went over the sweeps again, one of the sweeps I just couldn’t get, more practice for me. Had about 8-9 rolls tonight, they were all great. Depends on who I roll with, I feel I am moving better and starting to go for more submissions. Rolled with Reece (blue belt), first time in ages, that was really cool.

We had a great stretch after class.

Day Schedule

Wake up 4.30am

Open gym 5.45am

Breakfast 7.15am –oats soaked in soy milk, four dates and one banana, cuppa tea

BJJ Training 12.00-1pm

Lunch 2pm – Chicken, steamed veggies, rice, avocado (was awesome lunch!)

Nap 3.30-4.30pm

BJJ Beginners Class 6-7pm

Rolling 7-8pm

Dinner 8.45pm – Protein shake

Crashed in bed 9.30pm

There is nothing lazy about Kettlebells Swings

I spoke about kettlebell swing and posture a few weeks ago in my blog Roadworks Part 2 – Posture.

Having good posture for general health is very important but when it comes to exercising especially when using kettlebells it is extremely important. Today I am going to cover a couple of things that in my opinion are important to master while performing a kettlebell swing.

When teaching someone for the first time the kettlebell swing I teach them a series of exercises before we even get to the swing. The first exercise I teach someone is a kettlebell deadlift, and I can tell from this movement whether or not they will be able to handle the swing. If they handle it well then I will move them onto the next step, if they don’t I will continue to work the deadlift with them until I feel I am satisfied that they can move onto the next step, for some this can take weeks. Most people understand my motives for holding them back, the ones that don’t can train with someone else.

There are a lot of aspects of the swing that need to be focused on but I find the hardest part of the swing is getting people to hold their shoulders back and engaging their lats. The start position people tend to reach forward for the bell; their shoulders become shrugged up to their ear, which means their lats are not loaded ready for the initial back swing.

Rounded back, shoulders shrugged forward – ugly

The start position you should be balanced on your heels, shins vertical to the floor – you should feel a wonderful stretch through your hamstrings and up into your glutes. Grabbing hold of the kettlebell retract your shoulders back, pull your lats down towards your hips now you should feel your upper back muscle especially your lats contracted and ready to pull the kettlebell back towards your groin.

Back flat, shoulders back

The top position of the swing the weight of the kettlebell can pull your arms forward; this will roll your shoulders forward and round your upper back.

Shoulders rounded, weight pulling me forward, tummy not engaged ugly!

Another common mistake with the top position of the swings is that people lean too far back. They don’t stop in the normal stand position they lean further back and hyperextend the lowerback. In this position your abs won’t be on and could protentially injure your lowerback.

OUCH!!!

The top position your shoulders should be back, upper to lower back straight, lats contracted, abs and glutes contracted, arms straight but relaxed, neck and shoulders without tension.

The finished position should mirror the starting position, lots of people come to the end of their reps and put the kettlebell down in a sloppy fashion, they let their back and shoulders round.

Ugly finish

As I said the finished position should mirror your starting positions, shoulders back, upper and lower back flat, lats pulled down and contracted. Once you release your hands from the kettlebell then you can relax.

If you would like to learn more about kettlebell swings Perth Kettlebell School of Strength will be running a 2 hour Beginners Workshop at the Academy of Mixed Martial Arts in Mirrabooka on 22 September from 12-2 there are limited spots so book now so you don’t miss out!