30. September 2010 by Don Ebuen.

It’s been months since I’ve been able to train and I HATE IT. First it was my shoulder…then my back. I ended up getting the cortisone shot and it helped…for about a week. But my back and neck are getting worse. Some days I’m okay…but most days, its hard just to walk.

Although I’ve been injured I have been in West Coast Jiu Jitsu. Brian, Alex (his wife) and Dojo Fightgear had recently formed the Combat Fight League. We hosted our first event in August and it was a success. So many big things on the horizon. So stay tuned for information.

As for my training. Hopefully once I get back and get another cortisone shot I can feel strong enough to resume training. Gracie Nationals in January. Thats the goal.

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29. August 2010 by Don Ebuen.

Had a very scary consultation on Friday with my new Orthopaedic doctor Dr Rah. I went into the consultation knowing I had possibly multiple protrusions in my back. My meeting with Dr Rah confirmed I actually had 4 protrusions with my C6/7 disc in my back being the worst - 7mm!!! As Dr Rah put it “It’s not good, but I’ve seen worst. It is bad though. I would say on a scale of 1-10, its a 7 or 8.”

He went on to explain that based on my MRI I have a chronic back problem thats been manifesting for a while. Both fortunately and unfortunately for me he accounted my lack of symptoms to a high tolerance for pain and my body adjusting to the problem. Fortunate because it has allowed me to continue living a very active lifestyle…and unfortunate because my body wasn’t able to tell me something was wrong until it was really bad. I like to think of it like a person with a high tolerance for alcohol. They can drink and drink and drink and feel normal but when they take a breathalizer test they’re way over the limit. It’s a scary feeling.

What’s even scarier is Dr Rah explained that it could get worse and be very dangerous for me and it was only a few days ago I was contemplating getting back on the mat.

Dr Rah recommended I continue rehabilitation at Omega and to see him in 6 weeks. I asked him if I could get the cortisone shot to help with the pain. He wrote me a prescription but the doctor’s office that he referred me to was closed….so I was stuck with another weekend of pain.

I will be caling Dr Lin first thing in the morning and setting up my appointment for the shot. I’ll be in touch.

D

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18. August 2010 by Don Ebuen.

I’ve been going to physical therapy at Omega in Thousand Oaks for a week now. Dr Sevak Khodabakhshian and his staff have been excellent. I leave PT in worse shape then when I got there but in an hour or so I’m feeling so much better. The pain after is entirely worth it. I’m able to actually sleep at night.

Here is the report from Omega:

Concerns: Acute onset neck and right arm pain
Diagnosis: 1.Cervical radiculitis (secondary to cervical disc bulge/protrusion). 2. Loss of cervical lordosis (Military Neck).
Prognosis: Fair to good

I will be in physical therapy 2x a week for the next 3 weeks. Hopefully I can make a quick recovery and get back to work.

Thanks for following me.

D

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13. August 2010 by Don Ebuen.

Well, I guess it’s been a long time coming. My poor posture (especially at work) has finally caught up to me. After going Urgent Care on Tuesday, the doctor diagnosed me with a trapezius strain and prescribed me some pain killers. I did some research on the net about the strain and, I’m no doctor but, I knew it was something more serious. The doctor referred me to Omega for physical therapy. I showed up for PT for the first time in my life on Wednesday and it went great. The doctor had me do a number of stretches so he could evaluate the severity of the injury. And, as I had thought, it is more than a strain. I have an MRI scheduled for Monday. I will let you all know the results when I find out. Hopefully I will be back in the gym soon.

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11. August 2010 by Don Ebuen.

It’s a been a while since I’ve felt 100%. In fact my neck and back have been giving me problems for a while. Not due to jiu jitsu though. Between my horrible posture, work stress and personal stress…my neck, shoulders and back have been taking a beating.

Last week my neck and back were in pure agony….after this weekend, you can add my shoulder to the mix. The pain has become almost unbearable. If you know me, you know I almost NEVER go to the doctors. Well, yesterday I had to go to Urgent Care because it felt like someone shoved a marble behind my shoulder blade. Thats the only way I can describe it.

Will this injury stop me from my goal? Absolutely not. I plan to make a full recovery with the assistance of physical therapy. Dojo Fightgear will be represented. West Coast Jiu Jitsu will be represented. And everyone that has ever read or followed this blog will be represented…when I get back into the gym. Full force and more determined than ever. I have alot of catching up to do and I plan on competing as much as possible.

Thanks for taking time to read this. Shout outs to my peeps. The quest isn’t over. We’re just taking a detour.

Dojo Fightgear
West Coast Jiu Jitsu
Combat Fight League
Elite Photography

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8. August 2010 by Don Ebuen.

With so many injuries, personal and professional events and work I was easily sidetracked on my quest for gold at Grapplers Quest in July. In fact, I never even got the chance to register. Between having a daughter in February and traveling to Roanoke twice to be with her and momma, to the launch of the Combat Fight League (partnering on the project with West Coast Jiu Jitsu) life has been a whirlwind. The injuries seem to be mounting up. I currently have some kind of kink in my neck and upper back that makes it painful to sleep or even cough. Plan to see Yanna, my massage therapist, tomorrow. Hopefully she can help.

Headed to West Coast tomorrow night…hopefully Yanna’s magical hands can solve my back and neck issues. Miss rolling and everyone else in class is getting so much better. Don’t want to be left behind.

Stay Tuned.

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10. June 2010 by Don Ebuen.

So much going on lately. Finally back from an injured shoulder. Got into West Coast every day this week and it feels GREAT. It’s great to back in training. And its amazing how much everyone is improving at West Coast. One of my favorite training partners right now is Brian Valdez. Brian is a young kid with the ground game of a seasoned practitioner. His defense on the ground is amazing. And no matter how long I stack him for, he just withstands it until he’s free. I am going to submit him soon. At least I hope to.

Fury Unleashed
Great MMA event at the Chumash Casino and the One Man’s Quest Team was all there to represent!!! Team Dojo and Team West Coast represented to the fullest! The night was set on fire with the West Coast amateurs starting off the show. Mad respect to Marc, Mo and Frank…showing how it’s done at West Coast. Lots of action and all their fights had flashes of great things to come for West Coast Fight Team.

Todd “Reign Man” Templeton (One Man’s Quest, Team West Coast and Team Dojo) made his return to the cage. Although, the decision didnt favor Todd this time, his cage presence, performance and heart definitely won him more fans. Todd is definitely a fight fan’s fighter. He brings intensity, excitement and entertainment to the cage.

Nick “Bone” Braker (Team West Coast) handed Art Rivas from Bas Rutten’s camp his FIRST professional loss with a dominant performance. Landing hard jabs and controlling EVERYTHING on the ground while giving up 45 pounds!!!!

Team Dojo’s Jared “Jackhammer” Papazian and Jamie “The Ghost” Toney KILLED IT. Jackhammer annihilated his opponent (and knocked out 2 of his teeth) and Jamie was well on his way to knocking out his opponent before it was stopped due to a accidental poke in the eye.

Great night of fights all captured by Mervin Petralba. Check out www.elitephoto-mp.com for all the pictures!

Welcome Chris Saunders!
Gracie Jiu Jitsu black belt Chris Saunders has officially joined the West Coast team. Chris teaches a great class every Tuesday night at WCJJ. He focuses on great stretching techniques and really fine tuning your basic jiu jitsu fundamentals. Get in and check it out!!!!

Back on My Diet
I havent been really following my diet as of late but I seemed to have kept the majority of the pounds from returning. I started my diet today which consists of oatmeal, fruits, protein shakes and TONS of water. Time to flush all the bad stuff out and get in the best shape of my life.

Stay tuned friends.

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30. April 2010 by Don Ebuen.

Its been 2 weeks since my first tournament experience and really my first benchmark for Dojo Fightgear’s One Man’s Quest. After starting my training in January, I headed over to Murrieta CA for the Grappling X No Gi Tournament to compete. I went into the tournament confident of what I’ve learned under Coach Brian at West Coast Jiu Jitsu and more focused on the tournament as a learning experience and a chance to ‘get my feet wet’.

The Night Before
I made to Murrieta in about 4 hours. I drove out there with Merv from Elite Photography who helped capture my experience on ‘film’. We checked into our hotel and headed over to the Fight Lab for weigh ins. Around 7pm, it was official. Made weight and signed in for the tournament. I was stoked…and hungry.

Game time. Let’s Do This
Woke up excited and anxious for the tournament. Had breakfast around 10AM assuming I would get a little something to snack on before my first match. Brian called me around 1230 letting me know the West Coast kids did great. 2 silvers and a gold! I head out and get to the gym around 1PM.

Around 1:45 some of my competitors show up and Brian begins giving me pointers on what to do. I go into a separate room to stretch. A bunch of the other competitors start asking me questions. I get the vibe they’re worried about me already. This is good. I’m asked “Are you in the Masters division?” then “Beginners or Advanced?” and “What weight division?”…I just answer politely and I see relief on some of their faces.

Match 1: Christopher Gomez from Throwdown
Started off with Chris trying to muscle me around. Not having it. I shoot in, I take him down. We roll for a bit and I get swept. I escape and we square off again. I shoot in, he tries to guillotine me, I escape and pull guard. After 4 minutes, its a draw and the ref says 1 minute overtime. Brian instructs me to shoot in and mount right away. I do it and I’m up 4-0 in the overtime. He sweeps me but I pull guard as time expires and my hand is raised. Chris was a great TOUGH first match. I was happy to get the win but paid a price doing so. During one point of the match, I pulled my groin and if you’ve ever done that, it SUCKS.

So now I’m sore and EXHAUSTED. Brian takes me to the other room and has me lay on the floor and breath. After about 5 minutes, I hear my name being called. I’m up again!

Match 2: Curtis Brown from De La O Jiu Jitsu
It’s obvious from the start, Curtis is a wrestler. Knowing I am still burnt out from the first match, Brian instructs me to just circle around and wait for Curtis to shoot in and be ready to sprawl. After circling for a good minute, Curtis initiates a take down. I pull guard right away. He’s a heavy guy but I’m able to easily sweep him. We roll. In the end, I sweep Curtis again but he has my leg in half guard. The leg with the groin pull. All I can hear is Brian urging me to pull my leg out and mount. It sounded so easy but without being able to really pull my leg up, it turned out to be impossible and Curtis won by points.

I’m sitting on the side of the mat, totally spent and sore trying to get my wind back. I hear my name AGAIN. I’m up again already?!? Against Curtis again!!! I let Brian know I can’t continue. My groin is sore and I’m as useful as a sack of potatoes at this point. My tournament run is over.

Curtis and Chris go at it for 4 minutes and Chris expectedly wins. And with a 1-1 record for all three of us, Chris gets the gold, Curtis gets the silver and I get the bronze. I kind of felt cheated at the time considering I beat Chris but he sat 2 matches before fighting again and he won only one match and got the gold…..BUT, I am happy with the experience and it’s more important to me than a medal.

I learned so much from the experience. I know I can win. I know what it feels like to win. I know I will win again.

Lesson of Day:
There’s actually 2 lesson I’d like to share to anyone out there looking to compete for the first time:
1. Don’t forget to wear your protective cup! I was so anxious to get on the mat I forgot to put my cup on for my first match.
2. When you’re competing…GO FOR IT. Take risks. Go for your submissions. Brian has taught me so much and I know submissions but I only went for one…a Rear Naked Choke. I look at the videos and I kick myself for not just taking risks. Who knows…maybe I wouldve gotten beaten them by submission before having to go the full match. Either way, I will never know now.

The Quest continues….stay tuned.

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14. April 2010 by Don Ebuen.

In a few days I will compete in my first No Gi Jiu Jitsu tournament in Murrieta California. I’m feeling nervous, anxious, excited…work has made it hard for me to get into West Coast as much as I’d like to. But the days I am there, I put in work and Brian’s lessons continue to help my confidence…and of course today was no different.

I decided not to really talk (or write) about training today. Instead I want to talk more about what’s driving me with One Man’s Quest.

The support from my family, friends and fellow students has been incredible. Each time I hear someone say “Hey, I just checked out you blog” it makes me feel even more eager to compete, win and let everyone see anything can be done if you make a plan and commit to it. In Todd’s first blog he said that by putting my experience online for everyone to read as I move along my journey, it puts more pressure on me NOT to give up. Cause if I do, everyone who follows my blog will see I quit.

Jiu jitsu has become a part of my life. Practicing and learning new things is truly fun for me. Becoming completely exhausted and so tired you just want to lie down, is what I look forward to. The workout, the challenge, the improvements make it all worth it.

This weekend I compete not for me but for everyone who has stopped by and read the blog. For my cousin Julius and my brother Mike who run Dojo Fightgear with me. For Brian and the entire West Coast Jiu Jitsu family who prepare me. For my family and friends who have continued to wish me luck on my journey. For the rest of my team OMQ Todd, Martha and Mervin who continue to motivate me and push me to get in the right physical shape to compete.

And especially, for everyone who has ever tried something completely new and different and made it a part of their life.

And last but not least…for my Dad. Who was a huge fan of competition and knowing that I never got involved in anything that would have interested him. I know if he were here today, this would definitely be something we would talk about.

Thank you all again for reading this. First stop, Murrieta. Next stop…stay tuned.

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7. April 2010 by Don Ebuen.

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6. April 2010 by Don Ebuen.

I had been off of my training schedule because of the birth of my second beautiful daughter Aven Nalani Ebuen. Unfortunately she and her mother are back in Virginia indefinitely. To keep my mind off missing them Brian presented me with my first challenge: The Grappling X No Gi tournament. This will be my first tournament and will allow me to get my feet wet as I prepare for Grapplers Quest. The tournament is coming up quick so I completely dedicated to going to West Coast Jiu Jitsu every night possible. My goal is not only to get experience in competition but to win the tournament.

Day 21: I took the No Gi class at West Coast but didn’t wear a gi. I want to focus my mat time on no gi since that is what I will be competing in. Brian begins instructions on an Ankle Take Down. When shooting in you cup your opponent’s ankle with both hands (one over the other) leaning forward with your shoulder in their shin just under the knee it forces them down.

Next, Brian instructs the class on several gi chokes from the Mount. I practice the chokes on Miko (since he’s wearing a gi) and another student in class. After practicing the chokes several times, Brian puts 12 minutes on the clock and everyone partners up. Since I’m not wearing a gi, I get to partner up with Brian. This is not only great because Brian is about the same size as me, but I won’t be facing anyone at his skill level in this tournament…so if I can try to hang with Brian, I think my chances with other white belts will be pretty good.

I practice the Ankle Take Down on Brian and shooting in with the single. 10 minutes with someone like Brian (who can basically do whatever they want to you and deny anything you try on them) is a constant uphill battle. Awesome experience for me though and I learned a new choke from the Sprawl so that was a good thing. Well, at least I learned what it feels like and what to try to avoid in competition.

Day 22: Showed up at the No Gi class tonight. Mervin, the official photographer of Dojo Fightgear and One Man’s Quest, met me there so I knew he would get some good shots tonight.

I knew it would be a good training session tonight when I walked in and saw Todd and Martha (Professional MMA Fighters fighting for West Coast and Team Dojo…and of course One Man’s Quest trainers) there warming up. I hadn’t seen either of them in a while so I was pleased they made it there too.

The choke from the Sprawl that Brian did on me on Day 21 (about 4 or 5 times mind you) was the first lesson of the day. From the Sprawl, you put all your weight on them by leaning your hip into their shoulder. Using your outside hand, you slide your arm under their neck and reach for their shoulder. The further you reach the tighter the choke the sooner they tap. Todd and I partner up and practice.

Let’s say your opponent is blocking the choke attempt. That leads us to Step 2: Sliding your inside leg under his arm and locking it in a Leg Triangle. Again you attempt the choke now that they can only block with one hand.

Now let’s say your opponent continues to block. Step 3: By reversing your Leg Triangle you now set your opponent up for an Arm Lock by moving the arm away from his body with your legs and pushing your hips forward.

Your opponent tries to avoid the pressure by rolling over. Step 4: Roll with him and lock in the Seat Belt Grip. The arm is still trapped. position your top foot as close to your buttocks as possible. Get on your toes and arch your hips forward. This is even more painful than Step 3. Brian confirmed this is the position you eventually want to force them into.

10 Minutes on the Clock: So now we roll for 10 minutes straight with our partners. I get to roll with Todd who I hadn’t rolled with in a long time.

This was another great training experience for me. Todd is very slippery opponent and when he balls up, its almost impossible to get any kind of hooks in. I try to maintain the offensive with Todd and shoot in for some take downs. After 10 minutes straight with Todd, he submitted me twice. And one was at the very end…so that shouldn’t count. (Just kidding Todd).

Overall, another great great class. Can’t wait for Day 23.

Lesson of the Day: Unfortunately Martha was seriously injured tonight. As usual, Martha was rolling with some of the guys in class and judging by the picture (see below) was teaching them a thing or two. At one point, Martha went for a move from the standing position but slip off her opponent and fell hard to the mat. She suffered a separated shoulder.

This was a reality check for me. That serious injuries can happen to anyone at any time. This sport is for real for anyone that doubts how intense and/or extreme it is. I knew the risks going into this and I am prepared to go balls out and hopefully…HOPEFULLY…avoid injury.

Brian Espinoza’s West Coast Jiu Jitsu: Kids Welcome

Brian overseeing Todd’s Technique

Arm locked and Rear Naked in Full Effect

Rolling with the Reign Man

Trying to keep offensive with Todd

See? Told you Martha doesn’t mess around.

Todd choking the shit out of me.

Todd choking the shit out of someone else

Todd Me and Martha listening to Brian’s instruction.

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18. March 2010 by Don Ebuen.

6PM: Showed up for No Gi at West Coast. Great class tonight. Brian showed us some techniques from the seated position while your opponent is standing. The first technique was an offensive move from the ground. It’s very apparent you have to be very fast and precise to lock this in. From your back, spin 180 degrees. Your head should be almost in between your opponent’s feet. Roll up to your shoulders and shoot one leg between your opponent’s thighs (the higher up on your shoulders the better). Once you leg is through your opponent’s thighs, triangle lock your legs around his leg (above his knee). Press your legs back down and this will force your opponent to fall forward and your lock is set.

The next technique Brian teaches us is how to defend against it. The first option is by easily recognizing what your opponent is doing and taking a big step out. Easy enough and effective. Option 2 is more involved. Once, before being forced down by your opponent, dive forward. The further the dive, the better chance you will have escaping. Once you’ve dove to the mat, use your free foot and push yourself free from the hold.

Great class now it’s time to roll. We free roll 5 minute rounds. My first opponent is Mark (I’ve written about him in previous blogs). Mark is preparing to make his MMA amateur debut for West Coast at Evolution on March 26th (next Friday) which means he is FOCUSED. We roll for 5 minutes and Mark kicks my ass for about 4 of it. Next.

Next I choose to roll with Nate. Nate just received his pro card and is LEGIT. I outweigh Nate by about 40lbs and in Jiu Jitsu, that means squat when your opponent has the technique Nate has. 5 minute round. All Nate.

And last, I roll with Mighty Mo. A samoan 185 pounder who is also making his MMA amateur debut at Evolution. I battle it out with Mo for the rest of the session.

Great great workout tonight. Halfway through.

7PM: Gi class starts. At this point I am EXHAUSTED but right now, after missing a month, I’m playing catch up. Brian teaches us some breaks from the standing position when your opponent has you neck or your wrist. After some practice we move onto passing the Butterfly Guard.

We worked on this technique a few sessions ago from the standing position, this time he changed it up and taught how to pass when you’re stuck in the Butterfly Guard. Step 1: Slightly sprawl out of the guard to straighten out your legs. Step 2: Force one of his knees down towards the his other knee. Step 3: Simultaneously place your outside knee down between his top knee while applying your weight on him. STAY HEAVY. Step 4: At this point either way your opponent rolls, you will have one of two options. Option 1: If he rolls in the direction his knees are pointing, you can walk around and move in Side Control. Option 2: If he rolls away from the direction his knees are pointing, you can take Full Mount.

After the lessons, he opens the mat to free rolling. I’m still exhausted so I take the time to observe. There’s a couple of upper belt students in class so it gives me a chance to analyze their styles.

Day 20 Lesson of the Day: Taking time away has definitely cost me not just in learning techniques but in the way my body feels after practice. I’m definitely back to square one in that category. Not only do I leave tired, which is normal, but I leave and wake up the day so sore. I just need to rest and hope next week my body get re aquainted with the after effects and I don’t feel this way anymore. No more taking time off!!!!

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16. March 2010 by Don Ebuen.

Come enjoy an incredible night of Fights! MMA is coming to Oxnard like never before as National Fight Alliance hosts EVOLUTION on March 26 at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center. Come support Team Dojo’s own Jamie “The Ghost” Toney the 805 Pride Welterweight Champion as he defends his title and Jared “The Jackhammer” Papazian as he gets his second shot at Shad Smith.

There will also be some amateur matches featuring fighters from West Coast Jiu Jitsu!

It’s going to be an incredible night of action and music as recording artist and 805’s own El Nene performs his hot hit “Fuego”!

Don’t miss out. Go to www.nationalfightalliance.com or go into West Coast Jiu Jitsu in Oxnard for tickets!!!!

Hope to see you all there!!!

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16. March 2010 by Don Ebuen.

On Hiatus: I apologize for lack of updates on my training but I am back and in full force.

I was in Virginia for a month welcoming the birth of my second daughter Aven. A beautiful 8lb bundle of joy that gives me yet more inspiration to complete my quest successfully.

Prior to leaving for Virginia I noticed a sharp burning pain in my hip everytime I bumped it against something. No bruises, cuts or scrapes but an almost unbareable pain. When I arrived in Virginia, I was greeted by 40 degree weather and snow EVERYWHERE! I looked for a place to train and I came across Hybrid Martial Arts and Mr Dennis Hayes. Dennis is a black belt having studied Gracie Jiu Jitsu under Master Pedro Sauer. Like alot of serious practicioners (I’ve noticed), Dennis does not come off as a “rough neck, beat you down, I’m a bad mother f_cker” kind of guy. In fact he’s the complete opposite. Dennis look like a laid back guy that would avoid any confrontation at all costs. BUT, instantly I could tell Dennis is on that Level. The Level I noticed with Brian. When Jiu Jitsu is just natural movement for them and they have all the options in twisting you up and choking you out.

I showed up on the first Sunday I was in town and practiced a little with Dennis until my hip started acting up again. I had to stop for a few minutes and I described the pain to Dennis. He instantly said “You got a hip pointer”. I asked him what I can do for it and the answer was a disappointing “Nothing”. I went home that day and did some research on hip pointers and sure enough, the only remedy is resting it. I planned on returning to Hybrid on Tuesday but there was a change of plans…

Aven was born on Monday 2/22/10 at 6:57pm. So from that point on I was with her, spending as much time as possible with her until I left Roanoke on Saturday 3/13.

Thank you Dennis for your hospitality and I hope I can come back and visit you when I return to Roanoke again.

Back at West Coast Jiu Jitsu
It felt so good to be back at West Coast and back with the team.

The night’s workout started with a recap and practice on sprawling. I partnered up with Gladstone again. One of the things thats keyed to breaking your opponents grip on your legs during a double leg is the explosion into the sprawl. That initial drop and shooting your legs out makes it very difficult to hold on. Sprawling alone wont break you out of the double, a strong exploding sprawl will.

We move on to sweeping from the Butterfly Guard. The Butterfly Guard if done correctly can be one of the hardest guards to pass. You’re basically in the sitting position and with your knees out and your feet tucked in between your opponents thighs. With your thighs spread, it makes it difficult for your opponent to get around your legs and at the same time the placement of your feet between their legs will help you control and turn them over when you attempt the sweep.

The first sweep we practice from the Butterfly Guard is with wrist control. Step 1: Control your opponent’s wrists and make sure your hands are in the thumbs up position. Step 2: Roll to either shoulder. Be sure not to roll back but to the side. Step 3: Using your outer foot, lift your opponent’s leg and use the momentum to roll them over. Step 4: Mount.

The second sweep is used when your opponent is keeping their elbows in tight and their wrists close to their body. The motions are the same as the first sweep except instead of using their wrists, you control their elbows (thumbs facing up). The key is to proceed directly into the roll immediately after controlling the elbows.

The last sweep is used when your opponent stops the roll by posting his hand down. At this point you will still have control of his opposite elbow but you will have lost control of the arm he is posting. Change it up by controlling their neck now by simply hooking the neck with your free hand. Switch your body positon and use your opposite ‘outside’ leg and sweep them in the opposite direction using the hand on their neck to help with the sweep.

Excellent class tonight. Having missed a month of training, it was a great way to get back into the swing of things.

Day 19 Lesson of the Day: When you have something positive and important in your life, become addicted to it. Crave it. Want it. Need it. And most importantly, when you don’t have it….miss it.

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10. February 2010 by Don Ebuen.

When you see the guys on UFC or Strike Force and WEC put their opponents in arm bars it looks easy enough right? Hold the arm, slap the legs over, lift your hips. The set up however is a different story. No one is going to lay there and give you their arm. The set up is the art.

Today started off with a small session of some of Brian’s more experienced students including Gladstone. Now Gladstone isn’t what you’d typically expect of a martial artist. He is a big, burly man with a big smile and glasses. He looks like the nicest guy in the world. A big teddy bear if you will. BUT make no mistake. Gladstone is FOR REAL. He’s an experienced Purple Belt and he can get down. On a number of occasions I’ve observed Gladstone training on the side with other Purple Belts. Gladstone is SO good, he makes his own variations of moves and set ups and is always willing to share his ideas. So working with him today was going to be a great experience.

I asked Brian if we can go over submissions from the Mount and Side Mount positions and he was more than happy to go over it with the group. The first lesson was reviewing the Key Lock. Brian threw in a variation to the key lock that made a HUGE difference. The point of submission is much quicker. While in the key lock, your grip on your opponents wrist is not using your thumb wrapped around his wrist, its more of like a cupping hand. With his palm facing up, while performing the ‘paintbrush stroke’ begin twisting his wrist away from him. This little variation changes everything.

Next we went into a Shoulder Lock or Kimura from Side Mount. The Kimura grip is very similar to the Key Lock but basically upside down. We continue in the Arm Triangle choke.Take Down class with Coach Aguilar was about to start so Brian, Gladstone and I moved over to the side and continued with the lesson. This is when the REAL fun begins.

Brian showed me how to correctly perform an Arm Lock from the Mount. While in the Mount and your opponent is pushing off against you, you wrap your arm around the top of the arm you’re going to attack and place both hands on his chest (hands slightly twisted). In one motion, you use your hands to lift and pivot in a circle to the side of your opponent, drop the feet down (keep the weighted), fall back, squeeze the knees together, lay back and pull the arm to straighten it out. Remember, their thumb should be pointing up. Then lift the hips and submit. The pivot to Arm Lock is a really smooth transition if done right. It just flows.

The next set up was from the Mount and doing a “Two on One”. This is when your two hands are holding his one arm down. The set up to the Arm Lock is you make it seem you’re going for the Key Lock. Their natural instinct is to reach over and block the Key Lock with their free hand. They’ve basically just given you their arm to attack. Once the hand comes over you grab the arm, step around and place your foot over his face and as close to his head as possible. Plant your feet, lean back, squeeze your knees together, pull the arm to straighten it out, lift the hips and submit.Awesome lessons tonight at West Coast. I have a lot of confidence in what I learned tonight and am looking forward to using it next time I roll.

Thank you Gladstone for letting me practice on you. You’re the man.

Day 18 Lesson of the Day: So before the session with Brian, Coach Aguilar shows up and I’ve been meaning to ask him about the D’Arce he had taught us before. So forgetting how intense Coach Aguilar is with his demonstrations, I let him throw me in a D’Arce. He wraps me in the D’Arce and literally the next thing I know Tim (another student) is asking me “Hey man, you okay?!?” Apparently Aguilar put me OUT. Tim said I was out for about 2 seconds with my eyes open and my hands shaking. Yeah, I don’t remember that at all. What I do remember is Aguilar smiling at me. He knew he put me out. LOL. I have to say I instantly felt rejuvenated. Like I took a really good nap.So the Lesson of the Day is two parts: A) DO NOT ask Coach Aguilar to demonstrate on you (or at least be ready to tap IMMEDIATELY) and B) being put out is a REAL “Power Nap”.

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9. February 2010 by Don Ebuen.

Showed up with the intention of doing the No Gi and Gi class today but after the No Gi I was exhausted and my arms felt like jelly.

We started off with some techniques on taking side mount while controlling your opponent’s legs and rolling them over their head. Mark, who I had rolled with during one of my first days showed up. That was great measuring point for me…more on that later. Mark and I partnered up to practice the techniques Brian was teaching. It’s amazing how once your rolled up on your head and neck, you almost have no defense against your opponent taking side mount.  IF your opponent fends you off with their hands on your hips, Brian showed us how to slip your knee in over his bicep and continue with the side mount.

After practicing that for a while we moved on to taking your opponent’s back and setting up a choke from the ’seatbelt’ grip. The natural instinct of your opponent in this position is to slide your top hand away, which is why it’s key to have the hand of the arm you are going to use for the choke on the bottom of the grip. Once he grabs your arm to block the choke, you use your free hand to force his close hand off of your arm while simultaneously sinking the choke deeper. Using a ’scrubbing’ motion, you scrub his other hand off of you arm, again simultaneously sinking the choke deeper. You roll him INTO your choke and lock it in.

We begin a 10 minute drill of rolling. Every two minutes, whichever position you and your partner are in, you switch positions. Now, being that the first time I rolled with Mark I was relying on pure strength, he was able to Arm Bar me and choke me out within a 5 minute period. This time I was able to defend and gain some offensive positions on him. In 10 minutes, I was submitted zero times. Proud of myself.

After rolling with Mark, I was gassed. 10 minutes for me is a long time. I need to work on my breathing and conserving energy.

Next I rolled with a young man named Jamie “The Samurai” Nakamura. Jamie is an incredible student. He is full of energy and very very advanced this early in the game. Big things are expected of Jamie. He’s aggressive, flexible and EXCITING on the mat. The guy is fearless. I’ve had the opportunity to watch Jamie roll with some of the other higher ranking belts and he can definitely hold his own. So I went into this session knowing it would be a good test for me to see where I’m at.

Every time I seemed to get a good position on Jamie, we would hit the 2 minute mark and Brian would yell “Switch”. So this put Jamie in MY position. This happened about 3 times in a row. Jamie and I laughed and I took as a good chance to work on my defense. I was able to fend off Jamie attempts on choking me, Arm Bars….but finally fell prey to his Triangle Choke. The session ended with me taking mount on Jamie.  By this time I was spent. My forearms were throbbing and I just wanted to lay down.

I called Jamie over and asked for his feedback. He had a lot of positive things to say and some really good pointers. Much appreciated Jamie.

Day 17 Lesson of the Day:  Breathe. It’s sometimes natural to hold your breathe when you’re trying to do something that exerts energy. Its like lifting weights, bench pressing. You’re taught the proper way to push the weights off you is to exhale at the same time. Breathe. In boxing, you’re taught to breathe out when throwing a punch. Breathe. I know what I need to do to conserve my energy. I need to relax, focus and of course…breathe.

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9. February 2010 by Don Ebuen.

Took the Gi class at 7pm. Big class tonight at West Coast. Brian started with a single leg take down. You position your head right into your opponents sternum. Pulling his leg between yours and gripping the leg around the thigh like you’re hugging it. By piveting in a circle and using your head to turn his body, you will take your opponent down.

Next up, Brian showed us some techniques on passing the guard from the standing position using a ‘baseball slide’. While controlling your opponent’s legs (they’re on their back) you step outside of their leg pushing it down and holding the other leg up. You plant you inside shin on the inner thigh of your opponent and plant your hip against their body. The key is staying in tight. Get your underhook with your hand and post. By using a baseball slide motion you pass the guard and right into side mount. Now, your opponent is not going to let you just come right in and he will probably put up his knee to block you. In this case you grab both of his knees, straighten them out, pull them down and continue with your shin on the thigh and the baseball slide. I practice the technique with Miko and Chris. Chris is an excellent training partner because he puts up resistence. Having a partner like Chris helps in getting the technique down right.

For the next 20 minutes, the class rolls. I watch because I want to study the difference between Gi and No Gi. I sit with Brian and he is always welcoming of questions. I notice the maybe places grabbed by both opponents is the inside collar and the sleeve of the gi. I confirm with Brian, he concurs. I also notice alot of the positioning of Gi is made by one hand pushing the opponent and the other hand pulling simultaneously. Again, I confirm with Brian and he concurs. Brian also explains that with Gi competition its more push/pull versus in No Gi where its alot more squeezing. The pace of Gi is very slow and calculated compared to the fast action of No Gi.

Since starting at West Coast I have yet to throw on the gi for even the Gi classes I’ve taken. Tonight, for the first time, I will don the West Coast gi. It’s on.

Day 16 Lesson of the Day: There is a lot to learn in observation. Sometimes you have to observe and study the art before you can jump in and do it. Understanding the movements and analyzing the strategies of two experienced combatants creates a better understanding of the sport. Leverage and positioning aren’t gained by luck. They’re gained by planning and set ups. As Brian once said to me “you make them BELIEVE you’re attacking one way when you’re actually setting them up for something else.” Jiu Jitsu is a sport of wits and skill. Your goal is to mislead your opponent into putting themselves into the position you want. Brian is a prime example. When I roll with Brian, I always get the feeling he is positioning me to make a mistake. And with a seasoned opponent, one mistake is all it takes.

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3. February 2010 by Don Ebuen.

Showed up early again at West Coast. Observed Brian do some private lessons in the ring with 2 young kids. Brian has a great relationship with his students. He asks his students how they did in school, what their reports were on etc. He has a genuine interest in each of his students. And that feeds into why so many kids come to West Coast. The environment is a family oriented environment. Every student greets you. Every student says goodbye. Brian is truly admired by ALL of his students.

6PM: Chris, Patrick, Marcello and I are in the cage with Brian. Brian shows us some moves from the ’seated’ position. Pushing away from your opponent as he steps in (this is a set up for what’s next). From there, you pull the opponent’s lead leg into your chest simultaneously hooking his back leg with your hand and connect the two (picture a double leg while sitting down). Using their lack of balance, force them to fall over and take side mount.

Of course there’s a counter. Brian instructed us on the follow up move to the opponent’s counter (maybe the back leg cannot be reached). At that point, you scoot away, reposition your foot inside the opponent’s lead leg. You shoot your legs through, leaving one knee up to block the mount, bring your other leg around the knee, over the thigh and plant your foot in his hip. Rocking and then exploding to forcing him down with you legs.

The next lesson was a great refresher for me. Brian actually showed me this moved early in the Quest (Day 3). From the seated position and your feet inside your opponent’s legs, you get the underhooks and rock backwards forcing your opponent to post both hands. Once they post, you rock back again BUT the key is you transition into an arm lock. The secret is getting your hand positions while rocking back to square 1. By planting your hands on the elbow and locking his wrist between you neck and shoulder you begin putting pressure on the elbow.

For the next 15 minutes (5 minute rounds) we begin free rolling. I roll with Marcello. I learn so much rolling with Marcello. His defense is incredible. And Marcello is always attacking. It’s fun trying to fend him off. But no one is more fun to roll with than Brian, who I happened to roll with after a 1 round break. Brian never ceases to amaze me. Just when I think I’m defending correctly, I’m getting choked. I learn a lot rolling with Brian. I’m learning more and more about relaxing, staying calm and being patient.

7PM: While the class is warming up, I have a chance to talk to Brian. I enjoy my conversations with Brian because I continue to absorb information. The more I know Brian, the more I can understand the road he took to be as good as he is. Brian wrestled in high school, but surprisingly he admits he wasn’t good. That he didn’t have good balance. He was involved in other forms of martial arts before meeting Rickson Gracie and being introduced to, the now world famous, Gracie Jiu Jitsu. At 17 years old, Brian fell in love with jiu jitsu and is indeed a master. Keep in mind, when Brian started training, this was BEFORE Royce Gracie showed the world how effective Gracie Jiu Jitsu was at the first ever UFC.

We jump into class and it’s all about defense. PERFECT! Brian shows us how to defend against the Kimura and the Key Lock (refresher from Day 2). After practicing each of the techniques, we move on to 2 minute offensive/defensive drills where you match up with a partner and one focuses on offense and the other on defense. I practice with 2 of the best in class: Marcello and Chief. I actually go 2 rounds with Chief as he gives some pointers on arm positions. Again, all the experienced students are always eager to help. Makes for a beautiful training session.

Day 15 Lesson of the Day: Relax. Stay calm. Patience. Every day is step closer to my goal. Each day I learn so many things. Jiu Jitsu and Life are the same. You cannot go full steam all the time or you will drive yourself right into the ground. Sometimes you have to sit there, assess the situation and uncover your options. The more calm and patient you are, the easier it is to breathe.

It’s a thought process for me right now. But eventually, as Jiu Jitsu becomes more and more a part of me, it will flow. I believe that.

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2. February 2010 by Don Ebuen.

Showed up early and watched the kids classes at West Coast. Today Brian was going over tournament style Jiu Jitsu with the kids. It’s amazing to see how extremely motivated these students are. And it’s truly a chance to see that gender makes no difference.

Dojo Fightgear in the house as Julius showed up around 6pm. So we started the class off with some take downs when you have control of the neck and wrist of your opponent.  Brian showed us several options from that position. Again, always being ready to switch things up and counter your opponent’s move.

We paired up and rolled for 5 minute rounds. First up, I rolled with Mike Fisher. A good friend of mine and just started at West Coast (Welcome aboard Miko!!!). It was fun rolling with Mike because he could gauge my progress. Mike and I rolled together on my first day at West Coast and he was in his trial membership period. Its been a month since we last rolled and Mike said “much improved”. I was flattered.

Next up, I rolled with a guy who’s been training at West Coast for a few weeks BUT he was training in Monterey for 6 months. Tall guy. Long legs. Damn. He took my back and was able to get the choke sunk in. Tap. We go again. He took my back again, but this time I wouldnt let him get the choke in. I was trying to twist around but couldnt. Thats when I realized he had me in Body Triangle (the benefits of having long legs). I could feel the air being squeezed out little by little but I couldnt let him get that choke in. Time expired. Whew.

Conditioning continues to be a factor. My conditioning SUCKS. Contemplating taking Nick Willert’s MMA Cardio class at West Coast. I need to do something.  I’m tired of gassing out and I to be the best I have to be able to go go go.

Day 14 Lesson of the Day: If I don’t get my conditioning going I am going to really suffer in these tournaments. I make every excuse not to get up in the morning and running. I need to start taking my conditioning more serious. The lesson I learned…get running Don. Forget the excuses and start frickin’ running.

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2. February 2010 by Martha Benavides.

Last we met you were showing of your teeny bruises made by your opponents fingertips and the oh so vicious mat…..

Get used to it.

Most of my injuries have not come from the cage (although I’ve had my share there), but instead, the mats at West Coast Jiu Jitsu. I got my first black eye trying to backdoor escape from mount, had my lip busted a few times, got kneed in the nose from a pass, and am currently dealing with a messed up knee/shin from a sprawl during Aguilar’s class.

I was told you get to the point where “you just have to work through this”. And you will. Someone will kick you in the face one day and you’ll find yourself saying “Meh….happens all the time” It will, and believe me, it will definitely prepare you for the more heightened pace of competition. It’s what Todd was trying to give you a taste of when he came at you a little more aggressively during your last roll. It’s what it felt like to have Brian sub you 7 times during that round (and I bet he had his eyes closed for at least five…, seriously) and just WAIT until you do a live takedown round with Aguilar. These are tools you will take to your first tournament and you will NOT get thrown off because you’ve been there before.

You are doing well…only one note from me so far. I don’t care if you are tired. Keep going. Those are the times you will just have to depend on technique. I rolled last night still nursing a bad chest cold I had over the weekend but it was one of the best classes I’ve had in a while. I couldn’t rely on muscle or a faster pace so all I had left was slow deliberate technique…and it didn’t always work(!) but it was awesome.

And congratulations on your weight loss!!! I know that some people question whether or not it’s true so I have provided a BEFORE photo along with a computer “age enhanced” AFTER photo so that we can see the true results that your training will achieve.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Oh yeah, baby, One Man’s Quest indeed

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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 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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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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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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West Coast Jiu Jitsu The Official Training Center of One Man’s Quest

Ironman Magazine Official Sponsor of One Man’s Quest

Elite Photography The Official Photographer of Dojo Fightgear and One Man’s Quest

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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.

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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 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.

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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.  

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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.

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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)

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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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25. December 2009 by Don Ebuen.

I’ve decided that this weekend would be the last time I ’splurge’…being that it’s Christmas weekend and I will have tons of food from Christmas dinner.

Beginning on Monday, I will start a high protein diet as provided by my personal nutritionalist Mervin.

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24. December 2009 by admin.

I’ve brought in a very good friend of mine on this “project”…Mervin Petralba has been into fitness for over 15 years. He will assist me in my strength training, weight loss and dieting. Merv will also document, with both comments and photos, the transformation of my body from an out of shape old man to a fit and strong old man. Welcome aboard Merv!!!

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23. December 2009 by admin.

My name is Don Ebuen. I am the CFO of Dojo Fightgear. I will be 40 years old in March 2010.This is the start of my journey into new territory..the world of competitive Jiu Jitsu. I have no formal training experience and I’m possibly in the worst shape of my life. I am weighing about 200 pounds right now (last time I checked).With the help of Brian Espinoza, his training facility - West Coast Jiu Jitsu in Oxnard CA and professional mixed martial artists Todd “The Reignman” Templeton and Martha Benavides, I hope to reach my goal: Competing at Grapplers Quest 2010 in the 40 and Over division at 170 pounds.

Please follow me as I document every session. Every bump. Every bruise. Every broken bone. I will dedicate every ounce of me to reaching my goal. You will also see comments and remarks by both Brian and Todd following each session, whether good or bad, all feedback will not edited to make me look good.

In the end, I hope to reach Grapplers Quest 2010, win a medal and prove to everyone that with discipline, determination, dedication and the right instructors all dreams are reachable….you just need a plan.

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