28. January 2010 by Don Ebuen.

Just a picture of what my right arm looked like this morning after last night’s training session.

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27. January 2010 by Don Ebuen.

6 - 7PM: Showed up at West Coast and met up with Brian and some of his more experienced students for some advanced technique training, like escaping from North South and Side Mount. Martin Curiel (purple belt) and Marcello Estrada (new blue belt - CONGRATS MARCELLO) really helped me out with the practice. Especially when we started going over the Seatbelt and setting up the Rear Naked Choke. Martin showed me some escapes when your opponent starts going for the choke. I continue to learn so much each session and EVERYONE is so helpful with my development. Much love.

7 -8PM: Time for the No Gi class with Brian. Julius, my cousin and partner at Dojo Fightgear, shows up to get some pictures of how training is going. Today’s class was all about escaping/passing the Full Guard. Brian showed how using your hands pressed against the sternum can cause a really REALLY uncomfortable pain that (speaking from experience) just makes you HAVE to let go or turn your body away. He continued with various ways to move to Side Control once the opponent’s Guard is open including the Alligator Roll.

Next up…mat time. Brian instructs everyone to pair and tells me I’m rolling with him. Damn. Rolling with Brian is an incredible experience to say the least. You know right off the bat this isn’t your normal opponent. There’s something about Brian’s calmness that makes you tense up and instantly go on the defensive. I tried to explain it to Juls but I couldn’t.

I am proud to say I rolled with Brian for 10 minutes…and he only submitted me either 5 -7 times. HAHAHA. Keep in mind I KNOW he was taking it easy on me and was allowing me to try to do things. And every time I tried to get an offensive move on him, that was when I was either Arm Barred or Choked. Anyways, check out the pics…

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27. January 2010 by Don Ebuen.

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27. January 2010 by Don Ebuen.

Another training session with Coach Aguilar at West Coast. Today was take down defenses. I gotta say, Coach Aguilar is a 50+ year old man that just knows his Grappling. He’s gotta have thousands of moves in his arsenal. But that’s not the most impressive thing about Coach. What I love about his training sessions is his passion. His passion for the sport. To quote Todd “The Reignman” Templeton “Aguilar just ‘ups’ the energy level”. When someone is passionate about something, you don’t see it. You feel it.

The take down defense techniques were standard defenses and he threw in some backyard tactics as well. The “Half Nelson Neck Crank” was painful just learning it and the “Two on One Cross Face” was something I am excited to add to my repertoire.

Day 12 Lesson of the Day: Use your body weight against your opponent. It doesn’t matter how much you weigh, by leaning on top of your opponent you force THEM to do all the work. It gets exhausting having to carry another person on you. And the secret to really getting your full body weight on the person is in your toes. When you’re on your opponent, get on your toes. I had trouble with that in the beginning, I would find myself leaning on them but I was on my knees. At which point Coach said to me “Get on your toes! Do we have to put thumbtacks in your kneepads?!?!” Just the thought of that (and how messed up my knees already are - see pics a few posts down) made it easy to stay on my toes.

“My hips are strong then his two arms. The hips are powerful.” - Coach Aguilar

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26. January 2010 by Todd Templeton.

Don, my new brother in arms, you are beginning to see results…in both your weight and your ability on the mats. People are beginning to take note; all people really want to see are results and sometimes they will go to extreme measures to get them. Is the fact that you are learning a combat sport anymore extreme than some of the crazy diets and fad exercise programs out there that hundreds of thousands of people are paying top dollar for? I don’t think so.

After reviewing some “high level” stats for the blog, we are getting something like 300 hits a day! Where are all you people? Let’s see some comments out there! We want to hear what you people think! What’s cool about the blog (my well written, concise posts would be a good example)…How about what should be better about the blog? What questions are out there? Throw them out there! We want all of you to let your voice be heard here!

I have an idea, and I am going to call it my “warrior spirit challenge”. This challenge is directed to all of you…and it is related to how are you channeling the interest/motivation you have in/from One Man’s Quest.

Are you taking the stairs instead of the elevator? Are you eating grilled chicken instead of fried? Are you thinking about getting that heavy bag for the garage? Freaking do it! Do you want to come in and see first hand what Don has gotten himself into? We can make that happen! How about lacing up those old Chuck Taylors and hitting the courts! (Don, leave the white socks with the 3 red stripes pulled up to your knees at home please).

Just do something, anything. That is important to everyone involved in this project…call it spreading the love. It’s how BJJ can save your life.

Ok moving on, I have a brief story to share. This last Saturday most of our team was down at the 2010 Gracie Nationals BJJ tournament (where our team medaled in a number of different age ranges, weights and skill levels, great job team!) so I was asked to cover the class. I did so (see Reignman gets technical) and after class I decided I was going to take a small run at Don.

Our little session started with an “accidental” head butt, and ended with Don blowing snot bubbles and looking semi-rabid with this whole frothing at the mouth going on. It was ok, he wasn’t permanently damaged. But I did call him later because I figured he would be in “needs a hug mode”…but he was fine…he was even talking about the plan for next week. Awesome.

Anyways, not only did Don practice all the things he has learned, under pressure, he executed almost all the defensive (and even some offensive) basics without thinking, only reacting. That’s an amazing thing to have programmed already and is probably the thing I am most impressed about so far.

Let’s keep this rolling, and love us or hate us, give us feedback!

Maybe we should take a survey on which color leotard Don should wear to Grapplers quest! I say leopard print! It would fit your home décor Don!

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26. January 2010 by Don Ebuen.

<p>Geeze Don your face is definitely leaner looking. That’s just amazing what a change in a diet and staying active can do to someone. Too bad we didn’t take real documented before and after pictures.

Being consistent is key. Don just received more Muscle Link supplements from me today while we had a healthy lunch. He seems to be going through the protein at a good rate. The more lean muscle he builds the more calories he will burn. In about another month I will evaluate his diet again and make some changes if needed. We will talk about what foods he likes and dislikes, what foods he altered for his taste buds, along with maintaining his motivation which he probably doesn’t need. SERIOUSLY guys and gals, if this doesn’t motivate you then nothing will.</p>

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26. January 2010 by Don Ebuen.

I weighed myself at the start of training on January 5th 2010 and was sad to see 216lbs on the scale. I weighed myself this morning, January 26th, and I’m down to 204lbs. Thats 12lbs in 21 days. AND keep in mind I am NOT starving myself. I’m just eating smarter and being active. Check out the pics.

Taken December 18th at MMA at the Fairgounds:

 Taken January 24 at the Fit Expo:

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23. January 2010 by Don Ebuen.

Today’s session at West Coast was trained by Todd “The Reign Man” Templeton - professional mixed martial artist sponsored by Dojo Fightgear and part of the One Man’s Quest team.

The gym was FREEZING and the freezing cold mat had me jealous of the two other students wearing wrestling shoes. (Note to self - buy some wrestling shoes). It was a small class today because lots of the students from West Coast are competing this weekend at the Gracie Nationals. Being a small class we were able to go over each of the lessons with close direction from Todd.

Our first lesson of the day was going over Todd’s favorite position - the Technical Mount. We went over getting the position and transitioned to just some of the many options you have in that position: You can take your opponent’s back, work a Key Lock, spin into an Arm Bar and slip in a head and arm choke or Arm Triangle. After practicing all of these options, we had a chance to roll with everyone in class.

I left today’s session feeling really positive with what Todd taught us.  When I first started my biggest problem was “what do I do from here?” The past few weeks have answered that question. I’m learning all about the many options I have at each position. I’m feeling my way around and finally putting it all together. I know I have a long way to go but at least I feel like I’m definitely headed in the right direction.

Day 11 Lesson of the Day: Strong base. Keep in tight and keep a strong base. Movement and reacting to the way your opponent is shifting. You have to be able to shift accordingly and by instinct. Feel what he’s doing.  Know when to let go, know when to attack.

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22. January 2010 by Don Ebuen.

Officially my 10th day at West Coast. Private session with Brian. We went over some excellent escapes from the bottom position once you’ve been mounted. So many options. Everyone that’s practiced or watched Jiu Jitsu compares it to a chess match. You make a move, see how your opponent reacts and you react based on their action. We did the first escape which was just a basic “control the arm, lock in their foot and “oompa”. From there Brian blocked my “oompa” by posting his arm. I countered by bringing in his arm and “oompa-ing” the other way. The third escape is used when my “oompa” is block when my opponent brings up leg to stop the roll. I placed both hands on the inside knee and hip escaped into guard. We practiced those or a while.

I asked Brian for some pointers on getting side mount when your opponent is long and has one of your legs locked between his. Brian reaching down in almost a double leg and straightening out your “stuck” leg, it forces them to release.

Day 10 Lesson of the Day: Chokes in increments. Don’t go after it all on the first try. Tighten the choke in increments. Noted.

Now for the Bumps and Bruises…enjoy

My chest:

My knee:

My foot….what?!? My FOOT??? Yes….My FOOT has a bruise.

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21. January 2010 by Don Ebuen.

Its been 3 weeks since I started my diet. I set a goal of 10lbs per month. I’m proud to say I hit my goal a week early. Thanks to a proper diet, the proper supplements and being active all contributed to completing my goal.

Time to work on the next 10.

Special Thanks:
To Mervin (my dietician and physical trainer) from Iron Man Magazine and to Home Gym products

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21. January 2010 by Don Ebuen.

Wednesday Night…showed up early at West Coast and got to practice with some of the higher ranking students and Brian Espinoza. Went over the North South choke we learned yesterday and Brian instructed us on another variation or modified version of a guillotine. I would describe it but, I’m going to be selfish with this one.

Wednesday Night at West Coast also means Take Downs with Coach Aguilar. Last week learned the D’Arce, this week we focused on position of the hips and different take down options. One of the lessons I learned is keeping the hips lower than your opponent. This gives you leverage and makes it harder for them to throw you. We partnered up and guess who got the stuck with the heaviest guy in class…I partnered up with a really cool guy but heavy as hell…and BIG. I couldnt get my arms around him. It was a great workout trying though.

Day 9 Lesson of the Day: Most of your power is generated from your hips. The positioning of your hips can be the difference between throwing and getting thrown. Keep the hips lower than your opponents and learn to shift your hips rather than your whole body.

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20. January 2010 by Don Ebuen.

Want to rock the gear you see on the blog? Check out Dojo Fightgear. All Series 2 shirts are ONLY $15. All major credit cards accepted.

Want to see what training at West Coast is all about? Contact Brian or Alexx at 805 604 0944 and schedule your 3 free days to try it out! Call NOW!

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19. January 2010 by Don Ebuen.

Awesome No Gi class tonight. Learned and practiced the “North South” choke. Brian instructed us on the set up for the choke. Its amazing how fast and easy the North South can be thrown on someone if done correctly. You almost have no time to react. We started from the side mount. While your opponent’s hands are on his chest, fending you off, you use your chest to position his inside arm away from you. Using your far hand, you secure their outside arm. Wrap your arm around their neck, almost like you’re setting up a guillotine. Your armpit should be in the persons throat. Shift your hips and allow your weight to press on the neck. While locking clutching your fist under their neck, flatten out your body so your belly is to the mat. Scoot away from your opponent, flex the biceps and arch your back.

Next lesson in class was the counter if your opponent rolls you over once your hips shift (You are actually vulnerable at that point). Brian showed us how to roll with their counter and take the person’s back. Excellent fluidity to it. Thats what I’m learning more and more, especially by watching some of the seasoned artists. Jiu Jitsu is fluid motion.

Day 8 Lesson of the Day: We had free rolling tonight and I was winded. My endurance and conditioning SUCKS. I will be the first to admit it. I rolled with a long slender student and I rolled with a student probably heavier than I am surprisingly. I was able to get one in a guillotine and the other in a rear naked choke position. However, I wasn’t able to sink the choke in all the way so after class I asked Brian what should I do to try to get it deeper. “Fingers…palm…fingers…palm.” He demonstrated how using the fingers-palm technique to gain leverage and sink the choke in deeper. And if that doesnt work, you can always change which choke you’re doing. Options. Always remember your options. Lesson learned.

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19. January 2010 by Don Ebuen.

I received this message on Facebook. Thanks Nick. And thank you to everyone who has been reading our blog.

“Hey Don just wanted to let u know ur “Quest” is making an impact. My co-workers son is into martial arts. He does hapkido krav maga and jiu jitsu. So I mentioned ur Quest…his mom says he loves it. He reads it every day, loves the diet aspect and tries all the moves on his family. Best part is that he hates to read….except ur stuff! Keep it up!”

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17. January 2010 by Don Ebuen.

Enter the Terminator: Another great session at West Coast. I finally got to put work in with Martha “The Terminator” Benavides.

Just a little background on Martha…A year ago Dojo Fightgear had the rare opportunity to jump on board a project called Ultimate Womens Challenge. A reality based show about women fighters in MMA. One of the ladies really stood out to us. She was attractive, charismatic and most impressively, she was tenacious. We went with Martha instead. Just kidding. We fell in love with Martha from the start, made her our first sponsored female fighter and we look forward to her pro debut in 2010.

Today’s session was about what to do once you have your opponents wrist from a standing positions. Sitting and pulling your opponent down with you was step 1. From there, so many options. You can use your feet to hook and space their feet apart and a simple push sends them backwards or you bring them in for a single. We went over the options and then had a chance to try them out on a different partner.Next was the side mount drill. I did a lot better than last time so I was happy. While I was in the line, waiting my turn, I used the time to observe what the bottom man was doing trying to see if there were any openings or what they might be set up for. That was fun. Tiring….but fun.

The final portion of class was actually rolling with a partner. I partnered up with Martha. I used several techniques I had either learned in class or observed during the week. It felt good knowing I wasn’t just laying there like the first few days at West Coast. I did exert A LOT of energy and in the end I feel victim to Martha’s rear naked choke…

A few months ago, I remember talking to Martha about her nickname. She had said Brian suggested “The Terminator”. NOW I know why. Martha is a MACHINE and she is RELENTLESS! The name fits. And for any man reading this, make no mistake, on the mat there are no genders. Once she hits the mat. Martha is a jiu jitsu practitioner. Straight up. And for all you women reading this, jiu jitsu is the PERFECT form of self defense for you. Not only does gender not matter, neither does size, weight, strength, It’s all technique. Jiu Jitsu levels the playing field. Plain and simple.

Day 7 Lesson of the Day: I had the opportunity to observe Brian roll with some of the advanced students (including Martha). I noticed Brian incorporated everything he had taught throughout the week including today’s lessons. But one thing I did notice, and I asked him about it afterwards, is at some points Brian where Brian was in a dominant position, would allow himself to slip into what would look like a less dominant position. BUT apparently it was to be able to put himself into an even MORE dominant position. 1 step back, 2 steps forward.

Life is about sacrifice. Sometimes you have to take a step back to move forward. It’s not that you’re losing ground it might be that you’re stepping back to dig in your heels and explode forward.

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17. January 2010 by Martha Benavides.

I was happy to work with you today! But as we briefly spoke about notes afterwards, I can tell you that time and time again, it is the same with new students. I got the very same notes myself.

1. Do not expend too much energy while rolling. Listen to your breathing, if it is sounding like there is a man chasing you with an axe….relax, Jiu-Jitsu translates as “gentle art” or “soft art”. Watching some of the senior guys will show you that taking it easy is just as effective if not more so.
2. Don’t get too grabby. As I was just starting I would be frustrated that I didn’t think I was learning anything and Todd told me “At this point you should be concentrating on staying safe”.  The more you expose yourself, the more open you become to submissions.
3. Work on the cardiovascular fitness that will help you with Jiu-Jitsu. We need to get you past the stage that is gassing you during the warm-ups. That definitely ties into relaxing into this sport.
4. Definitely keep asking questions as you have been doing during each practice.
5. Utilize your training partners as much as possible. We can help drill many of the foundation moves including arm bars, triangles, hip heist and so on. Never stop working on the basics as they are essential in building a solid foundation.  There are a ton of special people at West Coast of all sizes and skill levels that would be totally excited to help as they would be getting in work themselves. It is one of the main reasons that I was attracted to the school and a huge factor in why I am still there, everyone has something to offer.

And, remember, to be successful in this sport is to be humble. Use the time at West Coast to practice the things you will be applying during competition. Take those risks during practice, there’s no one keeping score and we don’t give out medals at the end of every class.  And, let’s face it; there will be times during your learning process where it ain’t gonna look pretty.

And, thank you for including me as a part of your team. As your time has begun here at West Coast, I have thought to myself, “What do I have that I can offer him on this journey?” I mean, Brian is the head instructor, legit black belt, Todd is a pro, and a more senior blue belt, Mervin is the man when it comes to fitness and nutrition. Me?  Well…what I have to offer is my support. Whenever you need it, brother.

 Here we go…..  

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14. January 2010 by Don Ebuen.

Excellent session today. Worked out with the Wrestling Coach at West Coast to go over take downs and some awesome take down defenses including setting up the D’Arce choke.

My training partner today was Marcello. We started off with some warm up exercises and I knew I was in for some good stuff when coach said “make sure you warm up your neck”. We started off with double leg attempts and spinning around to attempt to take your opponents back. We practiced that for a while. Then moved on to the correct way to shoot a single leg. Correct head positioning allows you to avoid being caught in a guillotine. Interesting and effective.

We continue on to a variation of a fireman’s carry. This variation is done while you’re kneeling under your opponent once he’s sprawled. By cupping the tricep area and sitting out, you’re able to flip your opponent over and take side mount. Very slick.

Next up was my favorite part….coach showed us how to set up the D’Arce from your sprawl. A lot of times when someone shoots in, its instinct to kind of hold them in defensive kind of guillotine position and put weight on them. In this lesson, coach locked his hands under one of my arms and the other one over my arm. He locked his hands, completely sprawled out and placed his weight on me. Keeping his head close to shoulder, he locked my elbow close to him, posted his head on the matt, flipped me sideways (he turned into a slight bridge) and repositioned his hands into the D’Arce. AWESOME!!!! I think during one of his instructions, I may have been out. LOL.

Day 6 Lesson of the Day: The D’Arce is frickin’ cool! Check out the proof.

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12. January 2010 by Don Ebuen.

Showed up to West Coast about 10 minutes late (even changed in my car while trying to get there on time!). On Sunday, while doing a minor circuit workout with Todd I pulled my groin. Painful but healing. Stretching makes it feel better. So I showed up, stretched the groin a bit and jumped into the training session.

Today we learned how to set up an arm bar from the side mount. By placing your knee in your opponent’s stomach and laying all your weight into them you force them to try to push the knee off. From there you hook under the shoulder of the arm he’s using to push off (with your hand in a cup shape) pull him in and step around into the arm bar. Awesome move.We jumped into a drill where your opponent tries to keep a knee on you. Being on the bottom was TIRING. After about six 1-minute practices, we changed to where the top person will attempt to go for the arm bar. Brian also showed us how to break your opponent’s hands apart if they try to defend against the arm bar.

The last person I practiced with was Marcello (sp?). Marcello is a young guy that weighs about 130lbs. BUT it’s like he’s made out of rubber! And when he’s on you…he’s ON you. Like a spider on a fly. He attempted an arm bar on me but I clasped my hands together to defend it. I couldn’t see what he did, but I could tell he used his foot in there and cranked my wrist until he broke my grip. Tap.

I spent the rest of the evening observing. One, because Brian said I should observe more and two, my groin was still hurting and I didn’t want to injure it more.I stuck around to watch the “Gi” practice. I wanted to watch Marcello’s technique more. He’s amazing and I can only hope to get good enough to give him a LITTLE challenge during his workouts or at least make it worth if for him. Marcello has turned out to be my favorite so far to observe. His defense is amazing.

Day 5 Lesson of the Day: There is much to learn from observing. Watching Brian teach the Gi Class I could see there’s little things that can make a HUGE difference. During one of the ‘guillotine instructions’ he gave today he demonstrated a slight turn of the shoulder in the choke, throws in a ‘neck crank’ for good measure, no extra cost. He also demonstrated how sitting up and a quick little drop provides space to slip your hand in to complete the guillotine.

There are little things we don’t do in life because we may not realize the significance or we find them trivial. The little things we do can only add to the big picture. When we forget or ignore the little things we should or could be doing, we shortchange ourselves.

Do the little things. Make a big difference.

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12. January 2010 by Todd Templeton.

So, Don has now had some mat time and a small taste of what it is going to take to become a skilled BJJ practitioner. He has a minor injury, and he has been tempted by pizza and Mexican food. He has had life get in the way of training (damn cable guy) and he still seems energetic. Awesome.

Now, on to a little feedback.

Efficiency, patience and fitness needs to improve. Efficiency and patience go hand in hand.

Basic skills are coming together well.

I would encourage Don to really start to get to know his teammates/training partners. Start to learn what each one of them can offer you on this road. It’s a cliché but its true…you are only as good as your training partners.

Don’t keep official track of “wins” or “losses”. Now when I say “official” I mean it’s ok to think about end results in your head…but think of the wins and losses on a much more granular scale…think about positions lost…think about how much energy was exerted because of poor execution…those kinds of things. This will help you on your learning curve.

On that note, getting to know your training partners is a beautiful thing. You will learn how diverse of a crowd is attracted to this sport. You will learn that West Coast is a truly a living organism and that when used correctly can grow into something wonderful.

And remember, you don’t have to do all this in one night…start small…establish goals that are attainable…make initial changes into habit…then set new goals.

And last but not least….when playing basketball….get back on defense. And your shot selection needs to improve. When in doubt just give me back the rock and watch the magic unfold! And please stop calling me the “White Kobe”.

Posted in Notes from Todd | 2 Comments »

10. January 2010 by Don Ebuen.

Week 1 ended on a good note.

9:00AM: Met up with Todd at West Coast at 9am. Really cool to have the gym to ourselves.

Started off with some warm up exercises and then Todd started to set up different stations. Bout to do a warm up drill. I wasn’t sure I’d make it through.

Station 1: Using the proper lifting technique, flipping a 140lb “body’ down the mat and back again.
Station 2: High knees (knees to elbows) down the mat and back again
Station 3: Hopping over a 4 step blocks, after each hop sprawling and back up again. After the fourth block, come back and do it again
Station 4: Sitting down, legs in the air, twisting with an 8lb medicine ball in your hands
Station 5: 15 push ups on a half ball which forces you to use the core of your body to balance.

Elapse Time: Round 1 - 3:30 Round 2: 4:00

Killer warm up. I was gassed.

10AM: Brian rolls in. Time for my personal session.
We start off with some defense and escapes from the side mount position. The hips is where the technique comes from. Brian stresses on the importance of controlling the hips (not just yours, but your opponent’s as well). We work on several escapes and Todd is there assisting. We review some of the escapes I learned earlier in the week (involving the “oompa”). After a couple of practice tries, Brian has me lay flat on my back, close my eyes and instructs Todd to take position. My challenge is escape. By closing my eyes I am forced to rely on my feel for the position Todd takes.

For my last lesson of the day, Brian teaches me the CORRECT way to perform a choke. If done correctly, the normal person would be ‘out’ within 10-15 seconds. If someone is under the influence, it’s more like 3 seconds. There’s truly a ’snake like’ quality to the way Brian demonstrates sliding the choking in. The motions are smooth, like a snake wrapping up a mouse. Once your hands and arms are in position, its about bringing in your elbows and expanding your chest. Brian allows me to get a choke on him and it doesn’t take a lot to make someone submit.

After practice I had a chance to sit with Brian and talk about Week 1. I learn so much from just listening to him. He is truly an artist. Jiu Jitsu and martial arts is truly his passion and undeniably his calling. Just like teaching. Brian passing on his knowledge is definitely a gift to whomever takes the opportunity to learn from him.

Day 4 Lesson of the Day: Technique. Balance. Leverage. Relying on your senses. Jiu Jitsu isn’t just about martial arts. It’s bigger than that. Jiu Jitsu is a way of life. Like Jiu Jitsu, you don’t know what Life is going to throw at you…BUT when you are at your best you will create options to put yourself in a better position. And that will give you a chance to come out on top.

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9. January 2010 by Don Ebuen.

begins with a single step. Follow our Journey.

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8. January 2010 by Don Ebuen.

Attitude: So I was excited about my session tonight with Brian. In the past two sessions I had learned a lot and this one I wanted to recap what I had learned for the week.Well, DirecTV, who said they would be here between 12-4, decides to show up at 4:55. The tech doesn’t finish until 6:50. Why am I talking about this? Cause my session with Brian was supposed to start FIVE!!!! Grrrrrr….So I raced over to West Coast only to find Martha outside and Brian and Jaime (Nakamura) kicking it at the front desk getting ready to leave. So I missed the session completely. Luckily Brian was understanding and we are rescheduling for Sunday….and YES, I did call around 4 to let Brian know what was going on.

Stomach: While talking to Brian at West Coast he mentions they’re heading over to Topper’s Pizza for a meeting and Todd’s birthday. He politely invites us (Meela, who I brought with me and indicates she’d like to go). So we drive over to Topper’s. The place smells like someone took the the best pizza ever and shoved it in my face. Grrrrrr. BUT…I stayed strong. Ordered a salad and a bottle of water. Ate healthy. Feeling great.

Commitment baby!

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8. January 2010 by Don Ebuen.

Thank you all for checking in on my progress and for the positive feedback I’ve been receiving.

Note to my Coaches: Thank you for a successful Week 1. I appreciate all of your dedication and I realize my success is your success. And I want nothing more than for each of us to be successful.  I’ve put together the best team possible and I am excited about the future.

Posted in From Don | 2 Comments »

7. January 2010 by Brian Espinoza.

Don is learning at a accelerated rate he is soaking up the information like a sponge, he is focused and on time.He is eager to get on the mats and roll but it is crucial for him to observe for the first few lessons.Tomorrow we will have our second private to develop Dons personal style, I am a firm believer in making Jiujitsu work for you and not make you work for Jiujitsu.

Coach Espinoza

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7. January 2010 by Todd Templeton.

This is a calling, a calling to those who want to make change. Large or small they start with a choice. Don has chosen, and the choice he has made will not be easy. Trust me, I know first hand.

Let me introduce myself. My name is Todd Templeton. I am a 34 year old father of 3 boys that works a full time job for a major health insurance company in Ventura County. About 4 years ago I decided to learn the art of Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu while juggling parenthood and a career and believe me, I have never looked back.

Now, after a 5-0 amateur MMA career, and after making my professional MMA debut in October 2009 (unfortunately with less than stellar results but whatever, it changes nothing) I have been presented with an opportunity to share. And share I will.

In the coming months those of you that read this blog will see the trials and tribulations, the successes and the failures, the blood, the sweat and the tears that goes into making the CHOICE to learn and compete in a combat sport and institute real change.

Make no mistake; BJJ is a combat sport….. there may be blood… there will be tears and you can bet your ass there will be sweat.

When I started my journey 4 short years ago I was 190lbs of chocolate chip cookie dough…now I am a professional MMA fighter at 145lbs.

How does one accomplish something like that? You may be saying to yourself that a 45lbs weight loss has got to be unusual results (you know like the fine print in the weight watchers commercials says “results may vary”). I admit it, it was unusual results….but what was it that made me special….what miracle was it that kept me going and triggered such change?

The answer is simple. Absolutely nothing more than choices. Choices that were very difficult to see and comprehend sometimes but over time were made easy because I found something I love.

Soon you will begin to see the kinds of choices Don will be presented with. They start with things like dragging his beaten, broken and sore body out of bed, backing away from the pop tarts and Mc-Ribs, hitting the weights instead of the bottle, coming to classes, getting the proper amount of rest vs. staying up all night….and the best thing about it is all of this will be documented for public consumption. We are all going to be witness.

What Don is doing takes courage, if he loses focus or desire, everyone will see….and that is pressure. What captivates me most about this project is that I believe that Don is taking this challenge on for all the right reasons. If someone takes on this kind of challenge and doesn’t really want to succeed, they won’t, plain and simple. If I got that vibe from Don, I wouldn’t be a part of this project. I mean that.
If you want to compete in BJJ (and that is the choice Don has made), that is one thing this sport does well, it naturally filters out the pretenders. That may sound harsh but it’s the truth.

This also means that this blog may not always be sugar and spice and everything nice. There may come a time where one of the key players in this project has very candid things to say. The readers of this blog may not always agree with what is being said, heck Don might not either…but tough crap. Coaching isn’t easy, and I know that at West Coast, we expect nothing but the best…and that is what we plan on bringing out in Don. The best. Period.

I promise I will always strive to be upbeat, positive and goal oriented when providing feedback….but be prepared to see me go a little Bobby Knight if I see Don slipping.

Coach Brian, Coach Martha, Coach Mervin and I all want to see Don succeed. We know he isn’t special (I mean let’s face it, those of you that know Don know he isn’t very athletic, he’s out of shape, he’s ugly and he’s old) but that doesn’t mean that his goals are unattainable. It’s just going to take some work. Don knows this and he is all in. Are you?

Now let’s get to work. And stay tuned. This is just the beginning.

Posted in Notes from Todd | 3 Comments »

7. January 2010 by Don Ebuen.

A few people have asked me “what are you doing this for?” or “what do you have to prove?” and the answer is simple: Commitment.

People are inspired by people. If my journey can inspire 1 or 2 people to live a more active and healthier lifestyle, than this journey will become an even greater accomplishment. Because those people will in some form inspire the lives of others and so on and so forth. My journey isn’t about me just setting a tangible goal and reaching it. My journey is about showing people that no matter how old you are or how out of shape you are, there is still opportunity to do what you want to do.

But it takes work. It takes planning. It takes motivation…CONSTANT motivation. Constant dedication. You have to commit to it. On my drive home last night from West Coast. I was hungry and Taco de Mexico was definitely on my mind. But I told myself “you slip now and you’ll slip again and again and again and then your diet is shot”. So instead I went home and had a protein shake. I was fulfilled and happy I was strong enough to stick to the plan. Commitment.

I know my Quest is not a journey I am taking alone. My Coaches have committed themselves to me. Therefore I am committed to them. I am commited to helping anyone who follows this and wants to start their own journey.

Which brings us back to my answer to the questions: Commitment. What are you committed to in your life? How many commitments have you ever broken? How many times have you given up on something that was good for you?

Your number 1 commitment should be you. When you invest in you, you will inspire others.

Commit…to yourself.

Posted in From Don | 2 Comments »

7. January 2010 by Mervin Petralba.

I’m glad you are extremely motivated because workout pains and exhaustion can be frustrating. Yes you lost a lot of your water weight due to your normal diet that probably had high sodium levels and starchy sugars. Plus drinking lots of water throughout the day will flush all your toxins. So it’s a combination of that and the small portion meals that naturally speed up your metabolism.

It’s really amazing how you can transform your body just by structure and being consistent. Heck you only did this for only a few days. Just imagine what you body will look like as the days pass?

So all you people that just sit around and do nothing physically constructive and complain that I don’t have time to workout or it’s too expensive to eat right, is just a lazy excuse to me. If you have the time to watch TV for a few episodes then you have the time. And all you people that are into fashion and trying to look good that don’t take care of themselves, WHY? Why buy yourself those expensive clothes when they don’t fit or look right on you? Enough of the Coach bags and 7 jeans in the 805. Wouldn’t you rather use your money to purchase healthier foods or get a gym membership. I bet if you put Walmart clothes on a fitness model you wouldn’t notice the difference. Geeze I can go on and on. Enough for now.

Merv~!

Posted in Notes from Merv | 3 Comments »

7. January 2010 by Don Ebuen.

Day off from West Coast tonight. Going to get into the gym tonight and do some cardio. Need to build up my endurance.

If anyone is interested in purchasing the meal supplements I’m taking on my diet (and they’re working) at a discounted price, email me at don@dojofightgear.com

If you’re interested in signing up for Jiu Jitsu, Muy Thai, MMA Cardio, Womens kick boxing or if you want to sign your kids up for classes at West Coast Jiu Jitsu, email me a don@dojofightgear.com and I can shoot you over the rates.

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6. January 2010 by Don Ebuen.

Exhausted. I am so exhausted my arms are trembling just by holding up my phone. But it’s motivation. It’s fuel. I know as the days, weeks and months go on my body will adjust to the rigors of this sport and it will take a lot more to make me feel this way.Started the evening with a personal session with Brian. Simple defense techniques from the guard. Using a move known as the “oompa” you basically bridge almost diagonally, control the opponents arm with both your hands and with a slick kick you can roll your opponent on their back and take the mount position. Brian demonstrated the technique on me in slow motion and I couldn’t help but roll over with him. Leverage is key. Note taken.

Class started tonight again with warm ups. The first lesson was like pulling your opponent in close from the guard, rocking them over you with your feet planted in their hips. This move forces the opponent to outstretch their arms (to keep from tumbling over) and thus exposing their arms. By using the backward momentum, you rock back while securing their hand in your neck and both hands on the elbow. It didnt take much pressure to realize how badly injure someone’s arm.

Next lesson is another transition. IF you’re opponent rolls out of the arm lock (which is basically their only defense) Brian demonstrated the counter. By moving with him in his roll your leg drops onto of him. You drop your butt down, secure your other leg, stretch out the opponent’s arm….standard arm bar. Smooth. Again, it’s like a chess match, constantly ready to counter. I’m beginning to understand more and more about the art.

Next up was a drill I’ve see them perform before in another class at West Coast. Basically two men roll until one has the dominant position. Dominant man stays on, next one in line tries to take his spot. Kind of like a drill we did in wrestling in high school called ‘King of the Mountain’. I finished 1-2 for the day. Not bad.

For the last half hour everyone just rolled with a partner. Switching about every 10 minutes. My first match up was with Mark, a 1 and half year Jiu Jitsu practitioner from Pasadena. We rolled for a while. I started to tire. He took the mount position. Now, in the past couple of days I would have relied on my strength to power out…but I remembered what I’d learned so far from Brian and Todd. Don’t exert so much energy. Remain calm. See what your opponent is going to do. Mark eventually caught me in an arm bar. But after the match up he complimented me on my calmness on the bottom and how I good I conserved my energy and keeping myself from harms way. That felt good.

Next rolled with one of the local guys. He took it easy on me, I know. But again, I used what I’d learned the past few days. In his guard, I kept my elbows in tight, hands on the belly button. I slid my elbows into his inner thighs (thanks Todd) and began to create space. He gave out a little giggle and said in a complimentary voice “yeah, good one. That was good”. The elbow and my weight pressing into it was definitely an uncomfortable feeling in his thigh and forced him to turn. I was able to slip my legs out. While envisioning me exiting his guard I was already thinking about using the momentum and swinging around to take his back, hoping he wouldn’t be expecting it. It worked. I like in a body triangle to keep him from moving out of it. I fumble around with his wrist. Its a distraction. As soon as I seen the opening, I fake a grab to the wrist and I slide in a choke. Works again. Unfortunately for me, he’s able to dig his chin down and avoid the choke. But I think I’m finally getting the strategy of it all. Baby steps. Great session.

Day 3 Lesson: The ‘dead body’ technique. Allowing your body to go limp and to advance not by action but by reaction. You often hear the saying ‘go with the flow’. And that’s key. By remaining calm and patient you are able to see your opponents mistakes more clearly. Kind of like life. If you’re always moving at 100 miles per hour, you miss so much. Take your time. Be patient and enjoy the view.

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6. January 2010 by Don Ebuen.

I’ve been on the diet Merv created for me for 2 days now and I’m finally realizing what a diet is supposed to feel like. If you scroll down and look at the diet plan I’m eating SEVEN meals a day. To most people dieting means eating food thats good for you but tastes like crap…or even just starving yourself and eating one big meal (typically lunch). Not the case here.

 The food Merv used in the plan is not only great for my body, but it tastes great. And maybe it tastes even better because my motivation to succeed makes me believe it tastes better. I don’t know. What I do know is I’ve dropped 6lbs in 2 days. And thats weighing myself 3 times a day.

The meals are a fraction of what I was eating daily. And I’ve broken them into increments that I am satisfied after each  meal. As soon as I feel hungry, its time to eat again. And being that I’ve pre-portioned them, I can’t overeat.

Merv’s Tip: By eating healthy, smaller portions and more often you’re body’s natural metabolism will increase and that increase will allow your body to burn off more fat easier.  

Posted in From Don | 1 Comment »

6. January 2010 by Don Ebuen.

I was really excited today going into West Coast today. Not only was I going to take my first official class but I was getting my first personal session with The Man.

The 7pm class is the gi class. Very important since that’s what I’m planning on competing in. Gi and No Gi matches are completely different. Brian gives me an example…Gi tournaments are like driving a car with breaks - you’re cautious and pulling the gi is liking pumping the breaks, action can stop. No Gi tournaments are like driving without breaks. Fast paced and the action doesn’t really stop. It may slow down, but it’s always moving. Hmmm…might try both.

After about 20 minutes of warming up with some basic drills, Brian takes center mat and demonstrates an arm bar from the open guard position. Smooth. Simple. Painful. After about 5 demonstrations, we break into groups and practice the technique. Brian assigns me to work with some of his more experienced students. To actually feel the pressure in my elbow sends adrenaline through me. I’m liking this.

After about 15 minutes of practicing the arm bar, everyone reconvenes center of mat. Brian moves on to the next technique. If the submission by arm bar isn’t there, then you move to Option B: Transitioning from the arm bar to a triangle choke. It’s amazing how smooth the transition between the two moves can be. We practice the transition for about 15 - 20 minute.

After practicing the transition, the students match up and roll for the remainder of the class. As they roll, Brian is sitting with me explaining what each of the students are doing as well as what they should be doing. He also explains some of the point systems the tournaments use. Class ends. Time for my personal session.

The lesson started with Brian explaining how the gi is used for controlling your opponent when they’re on top, almost like a puppet. The movement of your body all stems from your hips. I’m noticing a slight shift or a slight turn in the hips changes the balance of your opponent. These slight adjustments, used defensively, can also block your opponent from trying to take a dominant position.I also learned how, when on your back and your opponent has their arms under your legs, just by shuffling backwards on your shoulder blades you can basically neutralize their attempts to press your legs back towards your head.

The session ended with Brian giving me a lesson on defense. He basically laid there and said "try to do whatever you want, I will just defend". I tried an arm lock while in the mount. Okay, NOW I know how to defend it. I couldn’t even get my hand under his arm. He allowed me to take his back. I dug the hooks in. I went for the choke. I couldn’t even feel his neck. It was like his chin was connected to his chest. I would later learn to do that properly you have to make the ‘ugly face’. I will get pics of that next time.

After using all my energy trying to do ANYTHING to Brian, he easily shifted my weight to get me off balance and got me in some kind of arm bar over his shoulder. Can’t wait to learn that!

Finished the evening by going to 24 Hour Fitness for some cardio…ran a couple of games of basketball. Great night!

Day 2 Lesson: Jiu Jitsu teaches you the power and importance of balance. As soon as you’re off balance, you’re vulnerable. With the ability to balance and the ability to shift and slide according to the pressure you will conserve energy. Being able to work one angle and simultaneously set up another is when Jiu Jitsu becomes an art. My Instructor told me that. Thanks Brian.

Posted in From Don | 1 Comment »

5. January 2010 by Brian Espinoza.

I’m very excited to be assisting Don with this Quest. Today is our first official day on the mats.

Coach Brian

Posted in Notes from Brian | 1 Comment »

5. January 2010 by Mervin Petralba.

So far it seems that you like your diet. Yes, that Profusion chocolate protein is great tasting. Wait until you try the Muscle Meals meal replacements in cold ice water. The protein will help you build lean muscle and help recovery. I know you want me to put you on fat burners but trust me, you don’t need it at this time. You may never need them. Don’t get involved in the magic fat burner pill hype. If anything they are more thermogenic than anything else.

As you progress you will achieve natural energy just by eating you daily seven meals. I call it the natural high. You’ll see.

We will tweak your diet and supplementation as needed. Nothing is set in stone. Most trainers and nutritionist just go by the rules which is not always good. Remember everyone’s body is different in terms of how your body reacts to certain foods and exercises.It really shocks me every time a new guru says that this exercise and this diet will work for you. In most cases it doesn’t work. That’s why you see the same everyday Joe and the gym for years looking the same. They don’t take the time to think and know their OWN body potential. If I trained and did everything like Arnold Schwartzenegger, would I look like him? Of course not due to the different bone structure and genetics.

So first thing first, we will be playing trial and error in terms of diet nutrition and exercise. Let’s get ready to get ready!

Posted in Notes from Merv | 1 Comment »

4. January 2010 by Don Ebuen.

Day 1: Showed up at West Coast Jiu Jitsu and met up with my instructor/trainer to go over my weekly schedule. I will be officially starting classes tomorrow and my week will consist of the regular classes and 2 private sessions with Brian. I had a chance to observe Brian in a personal session with one of his young students and was impressed with the flow of the session. Brian was in the cage and 100% focused on his student. No distractions. Not a lot of talking. Just pure attention between teacher and student.

After a short meeting, Brian went on to lead his 6pm kid’s class. Again, I was really impressed by the turnout of kids to the class. Everyone was motivated and they jumped right into warm ups without having to be asked by Brian. I can see already that Brian runs a well disciplined operation. I am 100% convinced I’ve picked the right training facility for my Quest.

6:10pm My co trainer Todd Templeton, arrives. Along with Todd was my business partner and cousin, Julius and fellow novice and good friend Miko Fisher. We warmed up with jumping jacks and an array of jiu jitsu stretching techniques. I’m already sweating.

We begin our workout with some techniques on passing the ‘guard’. To best describe the guard, it’s when you are on your opponent and their legs are wrapped around your hips. It’s a neutral position for both the person on top or bottom. Todd gave us instructions how to pass the guard, which is the objective one when you have the top position. By passing the guard, you take on a more dominant position in Jiu Jitsu. Passing the guard consisted of first by ‘posturing up’ and using your elbows to spread the bottom man’s legs and slipping your leg out. We went through some practice runs before Todd gave us instruction on sliding into ’side control’. Side control is when you’ve slipped both legs out of the guard but aren’t mounted on the bottom person and are lying side ways, controlling the upper body of the bottom person.

After more practice of sliding out of the guard Todd demonstrated the ‘turtle’ position. This is a position where you are basically crouched into almost a ball with your knees and feet in and your head tucked in to avoid being choked (which I experience a little later). While in the turtle position, you also keep your hands close to your face to protect your neck. This defensive position seems to be a position that should be practiced intensely. Being that your back gets taken its important to protect yourself from being submitted by a choke.

We finished the training session by rolling for a few rounds. I rolled with Todd first for 3 minutes. It seemed to be going good. I felt like I had the advantage until I realized Todd was just waiting for me to make a mistake. He also pointed out I was exherting ALOT of energy. And he was right. With about 15 seconds left in the round, and being completely exhausted (yes, I’m THAT out of shape), Todd was able to get his choke in and I submitted. Great experience.

My second round was with my friend Miko. The round went back and forth. I tried to slip a choke on Miko but he wasn’t having it. I dug my hooks in but he was able to slip out and we reset. I used ALOT of energy trying to pull in Miko’s leg. His legs were stronger than I thought and by the time the horn sounded, I was spent.

Overall, a great first workout.

Day 1 Lesson: Jiu Jitsu is not about out-muscling your opponent. It’s about staying calm, conserving energy and exploding when the time is right. It is indeed a chess match. Lesson learned. Ready for more.

Me in Todd’s guard

Me trying to take Todd’s back

Miko and I locking up

Todd on my back. Me getting ready to get choked out.

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4. January 2010 by Don Ebuen.

My Instructor and Trainer: Brian Espinoza, West Coast Jiu Jitsu

My Co Trainer: Todd Templeton, Professional MMA Fighter

My Fitness Trainer/Nutritionist: Mervin Petralba, Ironman Magazine/Elite Photography

Co Trainer: Martha Benavides, MMA fighter and contestant on Ultimate Women Challenge (coming soon)

Posted in From Don | 2 Comments »

4. January 2010 by Don Ebuen.

Dieting Day 1: It started with Merv, my nutritionist, sending me over my diet plan. I also met up with him to pick up my supplements. The supplements were provided by Ironman (thank you Ironman!):

My diet plan consists of the following 7 meals per day:

Meal 1: 8oz glass of 2% milk, oatmeal and 2 egg whites.

Meal 2: Profusion by MuscleLink protein shake (Chocolate Fudge Flavored!) mixed with water and yogurt

Meal 3: 6 ounces of roasted chicken or tuna, 1 cup of rice and fruit (apple or banana)

Meal 4: Profusion protein shake mixed with water

Meal 5: Peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread 8 ounce glass of 2% milk

Meal 6: Muscle Meal by MuscleLink (Dutch Chocolate smoothie) and Cort Bloc by MuscleLink

Meal 7: Tuna sandwich on whole wheat bread, fruit (apple or banana) and handfull of unsalted peanuts

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