Mundial!
I remember thinking before my trials weigh ins, Man, I’m getting in good shape! I’m gonna stay down here. Then, of course, I remembered that hard training requires energy. And that I really, really like food. So, I’m a [relative] fatty again…and I’m quite content.
Roli forced me to take two days off from training and I was kind of lost. With school on break and no gym for two days, well, I wandered around with my dogs in wonder of what to do. A few more days of hard training and I flew up to Milwaukee to work a NAGA. I can’t stress enough the importance of teaching and reffing for my jiu jitsu game. It really makes me break down and analyze everything for the smallest detail.
Roli fights June 13, as I’m sure I’ve mentioned, so I was excited to get one last roll with him in before I headed off to LA and then Brazil. Well, in convenient timing, I was coming down with something so in his best interest I just had to accept a good-bye hug. My coaches are very protective of me so the idea of being away from them for a long time didn’t make me the happiest camper.
Wednesday morning I was off to LA for Worlds. There I met up with Cyborg’s and Boca’s teams and we headed to Long Beach. We stopped by Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear, my gear sponsor, to pick up a few things (two-pound gis that don’t rip FOR THE WIN) on the way. I was getting sicker and getting worried about it. I grabbed some cold suppressant in desperation and rested as much as I could Wednesday.
Thursday had a bunch of Cyborg’s and Boca’s students going, so I was at the tournament all day long when I probably shouldn’t have. Got as much sleep as I could, but I kept dreaming about judo throws and triangles and waking up with my heart pounding. I know, I know, I’m just a purple belt and it’s just a tournament, but I’m incredibly passionate about this sport and I get butterflies just thinking about it.
Friday afternoon, 6 PM. They were supposed to call my division an hour ago, what’s going on? Renato Tavares is behind me chanting in my ear, “You are going to win. Play your game. They have nothing for you.” I’m blasting generic rap music and trying to get a rhythm in my head. Then Tony “The Voice” Torres came on the PA, “Hillary ‘The Artillery’ to Ring 3.” He thinks he’s funny.
I won my first match by bow and arrow choke in a few minutes. My second by armbar in a little less. The third match, finals, I knew was going to be tough. The girl was shorter than me but she was stacked. I took a head butt shortly into the match and ended up with a giant upper lip and a big red scrape that made me look like I had herpes. Sweet!
She was strong as hell and a great passer, getting herself up on advantages in the first few minutes. I used a few of Jake’s attacks from the half guard and nearly swept and took her back, putting me up by advantages. With a minute or so left, with advantages nearly even (I think I was up one) I swept her and took her back, where I worked to finish but I was so tired from labored breathing through my mouth (my nose was all sorts of clogged from the cold) that I had completely gassed.
I looked up at Renato after I won and shouted in Portuguese, “Holy crap! Mundials gold medal!”
Twenty minutes later my absolute division started and I was less than excited about it. My first match was another middleweight girl that I hadn’t yet faced. I passed her guard, got knee on belly, worked knee on neck to Cyborg’s delight, took her back and got the bow and arrow choke again. I know, I know, it wasn’t a triangle?
I got the same girl as the finals in my weight for the next match and I brought pretty much nothing to the table this time. She was still strong and good, I was done. She passed my guard—twice, I think—and got knee on belly. I remember consciously screaming for my legs to work and for my fingers to grip but nothing was moving. It was the worse feeling in the world. I looked over at Renato, completely desperate and gassed and I saw a group of guys from all of the US and Brazil that I’ve trained with screaming their heads off at me. Okay, maybe I can lose, but I can’t quit. I don’t know how I managed to get her back in guard but I did, working to submit until the end.
I’ve obsessed over the video in the two days since then, making sure I won’t make those technical mistakes again that allowed her to pass. And I’ll make sure I go into the next one healthy and with great cardio.
Só perde quem luta.
Only he who fights can lose.
I sat front row for all of the black belt finals on Sunday. Their technique is so top level, I can’t imagine doing the crazy stuff they do out of muscle memory. But mark my words, I’ll be there one day, competing for the gold in front of a world of jiu jitsu.
I’ve been on eighteen different airplanes in less than a month. I’m so unbelievably sick of them. Three more tomorrow and I’ll be in Brazil for two months!
<3
Roli forced me to take two days off from training and I was kind of lost. With school on break and no gym for two days, well, I wandered around with my dogs in wonder of what to do. A few more days of hard training and I flew up to Milwaukee to work a NAGA. I can’t stress enough the importance of teaching and reffing for my jiu jitsu game. It really makes me break down and analyze everything for the smallest detail.
Roli fights June 13, as I’m sure I’ve mentioned, so I was excited to get one last roll with him in before I headed off to LA and then Brazil. Well, in convenient timing, I was coming down with something so in his best interest I just had to accept a good-bye hug. My coaches are very protective of me so the idea of being away from them for a long time didn’t make me the happiest camper.
Wednesday morning I was off to LA for Worlds. There I met up with Cyborg’s and Boca’s teams and we headed to Long Beach. We stopped by Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear, my gear sponsor, to pick up a few things (two-pound gis that don’t rip FOR THE WIN) on the way. I was getting sicker and getting worried about it. I grabbed some cold suppressant in desperation and rested as much as I could Wednesday.
Thursday had a bunch of Cyborg’s and Boca’s students going, so I was at the tournament all day long when I probably shouldn’t have. Got as much sleep as I could, but I kept dreaming about judo throws and triangles and waking up with my heart pounding. I know, I know, I’m just a purple belt and it’s just a tournament, but I’m incredibly passionate about this sport and I get butterflies just thinking about it.
Friday afternoon, 6 PM. They were supposed to call my division an hour ago, what’s going on? Renato Tavares is behind me chanting in my ear, “You are going to win. Play your game. They have nothing for you.” I’m blasting generic rap music and trying to get a rhythm in my head. Then Tony “The Voice” Torres came on the PA, “Hillary ‘The Artillery’ to Ring 3.” He thinks he’s funny.
I won my first match by bow and arrow choke in a few minutes. My second by armbar in a little less. The third match, finals, I knew was going to be tough. The girl was shorter than me but she was stacked. I took a head butt shortly into the match and ended up with a giant upper lip and a big red scrape that made me look like I had herpes. Sweet!
She was strong as hell and a great passer, getting herself up on advantages in the first few minutes. I used a few of Jake’s attacks from the half guard and nearly swept and took her back, putting me up by advantages. With a minute or so left, with advantages nearly even (I think I was up one) I swept her and took her back, where I worked to finish but I was so tired from labored breathing through my mouth (my nose was all sorts of clogged from the cold) that I had completely gassed.
I looked up at Renato after I won and shouted in Portuguese, “Holy crap! Mundials gold medal!”
Twenty minutes later my absolute division started and I was less than excited about it. My first match was another middleweight girl that I hadn’t yet faced. I passed her guard, got knee on belly, worked knee on neck to Cyborg’s delight, took her back and got the bow and arrow choke again. I know, I know, it wasn’t a triangle?
I got the same girl as the finals in my weight for the next match and I brought pretty much nothing to the table this time. She was still strong and good, I was done. She passed my guard—twice, I think—and got knee on belly. I remember consciously screaming for my legs to work and for my fingers to grip but nothing was moving. It was the worse feeling in the world. I looked over at Renato, completely desperate and gassed and I saw a group of guys from all of the US and Brazil that I’ve trained with screaming their heads off at me. Okay, maybe I can lose, but I can’t quit. I don’t know how I managed to get her back in guard but I did, working to submit until the end.
I’ve obsessed over the video in the two days since then, making sure I won’t make those technical mistakes again that allowed her to pass. And I’ll make sure I go into the next one healthy and with great cardio.
Só perde quem luta.
Only he who fights can lose.
I sat front row for all of the black belt finals on Sunday. Their technique is so top level, I can’t imagine doing the crazy stuff they do out of muscle memory. But mark my words, I’ll be there one day, competing for the gold in front of a world of jiu jitsu.
I’ve been on eighteen different airplanes in less than a month. I’m so unbelievably sick of them. Three more tomorrow and I’ll be in Brazil for two months!
<3
Comment
-
Comment by Roli Delgado on June 26, 2009 at 8:42am - Domination. That's awesome!!!!
© 2010 Created by TEAM MTX MMA
You need to be a member of MTX MMA to add comments!
Join MTX MMA