Training is Going Great!!

The Team is going strong! Everyone was put through a tough training session yesterday. And now we will be back at Crazy 88 again tonight to get it in. D'Angelo Kinard from Advanced Sport Performance workouts are doing there job! I do believe everyone who did them yesterday can barley walk today... THIS IS NOT A JOKE!!!!

This is what we have to do to get ready for the big year coming up. Team Lloyd Irvin is working hard to get to the top of the Medal Podiums for every Brazilian Jiu Jitsu event!! To do this we all have to put in the work now. If we didn't we would be just like all the other guys who just talk about what they are going to do. We put in the work now!!!! Results is what we want!!!

There was a saying about Crazy 88 Brazilian Jiu Jitsu going around. It pretty much said that we were the big fish in a little pond. Maryland was a little pond. But we decided to take it to the ocean! We out grew our lake and now we are slowly becoming a Great White eating everything in our path!!! Team Lloyd Irvin isnt playing games!!! I promise you we are going and doing the biggest things! Here is a video from the 2010 Mundials. Now watch it and tell me what do you think we are going to do in the 2011 season??

Team Lloyd Irvin Demolished Chicago!!!

Chicago didn't know what hit them on 8/22/2010. But after the smoke cleared and the people were rescued it was clear. Team Lloyd Irvin came to town and laid down the law!!! After everything was finished and the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournament was over TLI ( Team Lloyd Irvin) had 13 Gold medals, 6 Silver medals and 2 Bronze medals. We also won the Chicago International Open Team Tittle!!!

This is going to be the story for a lot of towns around the U.S. Every location that is holding a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournament TLI will be there and hungry for gold! Nothing is stopping us from doing what we love and that is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu!

Strength and Conditioning Training with Advanced Sport Perfomance

Today at Crazy 88 Brazilian Jiu Jitsu D'Angelo Kinard with Advanced Sport Performance came by and put us to work!! For a hour everyone was being pushed to the limit. People were throwing up but no one quit! The people taking these classes will be beast by the end of the year! With all the BJJ training and the strength and conditioning programs we are doing there is no doubt everyone will be ready for the 2011 BJJ season. We are going to be the ones talked about at the tournaments. People are going to make up rumors. But the truth is we put in the work early to become the best and perform at our best. So whoever hasn't worked as hard as us will just fall behind.

Chicago here we come!!!

The Chicago International Open is coming up and I am ready to WIN!! This will be my first BJJ tournament as a purple belt. Training has been going super well. I feel my game has evolved a lot since I have been promoted to Roxa. This tournament I will be fighting at Heavy weight. I usually fight at Medium Heavy but we have two people in the division already. So I am bumping up a weight class to take the gold home for Team Lloyd Irvin!
At Crazy 88 Brazilian Jiu Jitsu the training has not stopped. We are sending a nice size team to Chicago to compete. We should kill at this tournament. I know the people at Crazy 88 have been training super hard and nothing is going to stop us!

Training Super Hard!!!

Team Lloyd Irvin MMA is putting in work!! Everyday its drilling, rolling or doing takedowns none stop! As hard as we are working the 2011 season is going to be ridiculous. I cannot say how many golds we are going to bring home. But I do believe we will double our Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gold count from last year. Nothing is going to stop TLI from moving to the top in the BJJ world. We have to many motivated brothers training here helping everyone every step of the way! There is a bright future ahead of us all we have to do is reach out and grab it. We are all working hard to compete harder!!!

Roger Gracie

A lot of people think Roger Gracie wins because of his size. I disagree 100 %. Roger Gracie is one of the most technical Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighters in the world. Everything he does looks so simple and easy. But when you go to do the same moves it isn't as easy as he makes it look. On this video he is passing peoples guards like the guard doesn't exist. The details are so small you have to stop and start the video over and over to see the small adjustments he makes. Check them out and let me know what you think.



See what I mean about the passing. He makes it look so super easy. He is just doing the small BJJ techniques right. Now that is what they call invisible Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

BJJ

BJJ has evolved a lot since the Royce Gracie days. New moves and techniques have come and gone. Some making the sport better and others just showing how versatile Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is. But the sport is still here and is growing through out the world.

There are various styles of grappling all over the world. I believe GI BJJ is the best for every situation. Training in the GI helps you refine the small details in BJJ. NOGI is to fast. You do not get to feel the technique. When you just train NOGI you never get to feel the small details that make BJJ what it is.

Now I do believe there is a place for NOGI training. NOGI has a couple of submissions that GI doesn't. So if you plan of fighting MMA or competing in NOGI competitions you need to train some NOGI. But if you want to be a top level BJJ player you have to do most of your training in the GI.

If you look back in time and check all the gold medalist at the professional level in NOGI or BJJ. You can see that 99% of these people have done most of their training in the GI. So this can only mean one thing. It is more important to train in the GI to get better rather than training all NOGI.

People who know it all!

You know I didn't realize how many people knew everything.... Man I thought it was just little kids that knew everything. But now I know everyone thinks they know everything about anything.

This really sucks because the truth is people do not no nothing. I mean if you have been training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for ten years then you know what you are talking about. But I see people come in all the time and do what they think is best instead of listing to their instructors. And the only thing this does is slow their progression down a lot!

One instance I have someone that came up to me and said they want to get in good shape and get good at Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. So I thought OK ill help this person out with their goals. We start the process to achieve their goals and come to find out they knew exactly how to get in shape and get good at Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. So what am I doing here then?? If they knew everything about getting good at Jiu Jitsu then they don't need my help. Right? Wrong they really do not know anything but want to tell me what is best for them. EVERYONE THIS IS NOT THE WAY TO GET BETTER!!!

So now I am here trying to help these people achieve their goals and all the do is fight me the whole way. But it doesn't surprise me none at all. I once knew everything myself and now I think it is just karma coming around and biting me in the a**.

Lots of drilling!

What is the importance of drilling a move 10,000 times??

Well when I look at a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu move I see tons of little details which make the move work. Not just work on some new guy in the room. But work on a high level BJJ player.

Now look at what I just said. "Not just work on some new guy in the room. But work on a high level BJJ player". When you train you always want to improve your game. And the only way to improve your game is to do repetitions of the BJJ moves you have learned.

If you are one of those guys that only wants to be OK in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu then drilling a move 10,000 times may not be your cup of tea. But for the serious BJJ players drilling a move 10,000 times is super important. Because serious BJJ players want to become experts at what they do. Not just OK in BJJ, no they want to be the best. And to become the best, to become an expert at what you want. You have to drill your moves over and over until you have passed the 10,000 mark. That is the only way you will become an expert at BJJ. Is to drill the moves 10,000 times!

I'm Back!

Yesterday I arrived back in Baltimore, Maryland. Now it is time to get back to business. Two weeks off and I am ready to start on my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu dream. Time to get back to the process and hard training it takes to accomplish my goals!

I walked into Crazy 88 and could smell the blood and sweat from hard working fighters. At that moment I knew I was back home and ready to join the torcher. But to us fighters we love this torcher. To us this is what we live off of! If we didn't fight everyday and train until we cannot move we would slowly die inside. Our hearts would shrivel up and we would die a slow painful death. Not ever experiencing our hands held up high and your team screaming AAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!! After you have just won a Gold medal. For the true Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighter your hand being raised and knowing you are the winner. Is the best feeling you can experience in life!

Time to get back to work!

Well my two week vacation to Texas has finally come to an end. Tomorrow I get all my stuff together and then its up to Maryland to train. I am ready to get back to my famLI at Crazy88 Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

My vacation started off great! The first couple of days I spent fishing and relaxing with my dad and step mom. Then it was off to my moms house in Galveston. I had a super fun time spending the days and nights down at the beach with Gracie "my niece" and my mom. Everyday we just enjoyed the weather and time spent together! The last part of the trip was spent with my brother Sonny and my cousin Jessica. We were in New Braunsfels to float the river and listen to Pat Green! The river was flowing and the water was super cold! Concert went perfect! Never have I experienced such a super concert!

Well its time to pack my belongings and get back on the road to become the 2011 Brazilian Jiu Jitsu purple belt world champion! Twelve month training program at Crazy 88 here I come!!!

I am ready to train!!!

I have been in Texas since 7/6/10 and I am ready to get back to Crazy 88 BJJ to TRAIN!!!! Since I have been down here I have trained Brazilian Jiu Jitsu twice. I have also lifted at the local 24 hour fitness to get gain a little strength or maybe just maintain what I have. But it is time to get back to Maryland and begin then process!!!


Do not take this the wrong way. I have had a blast on my vacation in Tejas. But when your goals are set and you know what you have to do to achieve them. Sitting down here and relaxing all the time starts to drive you crazy! I am a professional Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighter and I am ready to fight for my place in the BJJ world!

In house tourny this weekend at Crazy 88

Make sure you come to support your team at Crazy 88 Brazilian Jiu Jitsu this weekend. Team Lloyd Irvin is having a in house tournament at Crazy 88 and it is going to be fun. Bring your gi's and get ready to rumble!!!

The in house Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournament will be mostly for white belt newbies that want to give competing a try. But for the veteran white belts if you wanna test your skills we can match you up with some tougher opponents for some good matches.

My favorite sweep!

This BJJ sweep is super sick! If you play closed guard you will like it a lot. I have hit this sweep multiple times in competition and in the room. I LOVE IT!!!

The sweep it the windmill sweep from closed guard. There are so many little techniques that make this sweep. But I cant tell you all my secrets. So I am just going to give you the basics.

After you have closed your guard. You first reach down and grab your opponents pants in between the ankle and knee. Make sure not to let go of the grip until you have swept your opponent. Next grip will be on your opponents sleeve. I like using a cats paw grip. Make sure you have the same side grip. NOT CROSS GRIP!!
Now you have to plant your foot on the ground next to opponents foot. This has to be on the side you have a sleeve grip. The other leg swings up and hits your opponent in the shoulder.
This causes your opponent to lose his balance. Then you can lift your opponents leg up and continue to sweep into mount.

There are a lot of small details missing in this. But do not get frustrated if you do not hit this sweep in your Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class immediately. Just do the basics and the rest will fall into place! This sweep works best in Gi BJJ but it can work in NOGI to. Good luck!

Make sure you are training at a legitimate MMA gym!

All over the world MMA gyms are being opened. But not all of the gyms are legitimate places to train. Before you think about joining a MMA, BJJ or Muay Thai gym there are a lot of things you need to look at.

It is always good to check and see what the gym has achieved. Whether there achievements come from there competition team. Or maybe they do not compete. Look at the instructors achievements. If you cannot find anything about the school or the instructor on the internet it probably isn't a good place to train.

If the MMA gym you are looking at has produced good competitors and is still producing good competitors. Then it would be a good logical choice to go there first. Because there isn't any gym that has good competitors and does not care about the students.

Judo!!!

Everyone knows that Brazilian Jiu Jitsu includes judo, wrestling and submissions. But if this sport didn't have judo I don't think I would do and stand up at all. Since I am 6'2 it is kinda hard for me to lower my level and shoot for a double or single leg take down. So instead I do judo! Now I do not have to lower my level. All I have to do is get my grips and throw.

At Crazy 88 Brazilian Jiu Jitsu we learn wrestling, judo and bjj. This is good for a person like myself. Because I now can focus on something that complements my body type. Not have to adjust to something that works against my height.

If judo didnt exist at all I know in every Brazilian Jiu Jitsu match I would pull guard. But it isn't any fun pulling guard every time. I want to be able to have a choice if I want to throw someone. Or if I want to be able to jump closed guard or pull half guard. Plus it keeps my opponents guessing on my next move.

The Process!!

They say that when you are in a system or a process and take yourself out you fall way behind everyone that stayed in the process. Now when I look at this and I think about it. It is very clear that you do fall way behind everyone that stayed in. But I also see another thing. When you take yourself out of the process and later try to get back in the process. You really never make it back to the same level as you were before. You might get close to the level you were once at. But it isn't the same. You never really get back to the level.

I train Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at Crazy 88 BJJ. We recently were visited by the Rafael Mendes and Guilherme Mendes. They are two world class athletes and have won multiple world championships in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. After class everyone was sitting down and talking in a big circle. One of the things they talked about was the Process. How when you are in the process and follow the process you can accomplish anything. This seems like it would be easy but it is not! They were in the process for 10 years to achieve what they have. Most people start something and then quit it 3 months later.

My goal is to become the 2011 purple belt world champion. I am in the process and I know that if I step out of the process for one second I will not achieve my goal. If I even step out for one second I can kiss my gold medal good bye. So the plan is to stay in the process!!

I am back home!!!

Today I arrived in my home town Houston Texas. I have not been here since the Houston International BJJ tournament. And I am glad that I made it back! As soon as I arrived we went to a small little burrito shop on the outskirts of the ghetto. There we stuffed our faces with burritos filled with carnitas and guacamole!! Yuummmm!!!

After the Mexican food and some rest it was time to train. I went to a small local school in Baytown. I got a lot of good rolls in. Everyone there was training for a local tournament. So they were going pretty hard. The class consisted of 5 - 10 min matches and then Q & A.

This is how we get down!

First thing first 6:30 AM training at Crazy 88 Brazilian Jiu Jitsu! After technique we rolled for a good thirty minutes. When I say "roll" I mean we grappled. Usually 5-7 minute matches.

Next was circuit training at 10:00 AM. It was a super nice outside so I decided to go in the beautiful Maryland weather to train. About half way threw I realized it wasn't a good thing to be outside. It was freaking HOT!!! I was almost dead from heat exhaustion when I finished the circuit.

My last training session at Crazy 88 was Brazilian Jiu Jitsu advanced. And it was going to be a hard practise!! Before the class even began the heater was on and it was 85 degrees. Trust me the heater stayed on for the whole time! When we were done rolling the room temperature was 92!!! My gi weighed at least 10 lbs! I was soaked from head to toe! I was going to sleep good that night!

But if this is what I have to go through to become the next purple belt world champion I am down! Like I said before hard work beats talent! So I am going to work harder than anyone else. Nothing is going to stop me from accomplishing my goals.

Grappling Creed by the man himself Master Lloyd Irvin!

Anyone who wants to become a professional grappler has to check this out! It is extremely expiring. When I read the Grappling Creed I am rejuvenated with the will and desire to become the best grappler in the world! Everyday you read the Grappling Creed you pick up something new. Even if you are someone who does Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for a hobbie. Read the Grappling Creed!

http://www.mygrapplingcreed.com/

Advanced Sport Perfomance is coming to Crazy 88!!!

If you don't know now you know!! We are all getting on a strict workout plan for the 2011 Mundials... I can't wait to get my workout on! Advanced Sport Performance is going to make a 12 month program for the guy's at Crazy 88. When the Mundials come around everyone will do there part in bringing home some gold medals!

The Mundails is the biggest Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournament in the World! So its extremely important for the team to train hard and put in the work early. Everyone has to put in the time now if they want to results later. So Advanced Sport Performance will be here to make sure we put that work in!

Open mat at Crazy 88!!!

Its the 4th of July weekend and Crazy 88 is open! Crazy 88 has open mat from 11:00- ?? on Saturday. So whoever is serious about getting a good workout get up and get down here!!
Most of the open mat will consist of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. But we will have a few Muay Thai guys here to if you wanna get your stand up game tight!!!

Special appearances at Crazy 88!

Today for the Combat Gold class Mr. Wayne "EMO" Johnson decided to make a
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu comeback!! The last time we saw Wayne was at the Mendes brothers seminar down in Camp Springs Maryland... Wayne told us that one day soon he would make an reappearance.

And after a two year vacation!!! Wayne made it back to his old home Crazy 88 BJJ. As you see from the picture above I am not joking around. That is Wayne Johnson rolling with BIG SAL himself!

Two Purplebelts go head to head

Today we had a special class at Crazy 88 BJJ. Jon "DEVASTATOR" Delbrugge and
Evan "OZ" Gideon went head to head coaching the white belt beginner class!!!!

Jon started it off with a super technical scissor sweep ending in the mount position. I was up next! I had to do something to to win the class over. So I went for an submission from the mount. The submission was one of my favorites. The armbar from mount!!

So after Jon and I taught the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu moves everyone voted for the move they thought was the most technically sound....... Well it didn't go so well for me! Jon ended up getting the most votes 14 to 10.

Hard work beats talent!!!

My day started at 5:45 struggling to get up and start training. I knew I had a long hard day of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu ahead of me. BJJ Basics at 6:30 was the first class. We went over the Mendes brothers guard passing and back attacks. There moves are so sick!

After that was weight training. Since we are in the off season right now I have to get super big! So it was time to get the heavy weight out and start lifting. After my rounds of box jumps with the medicine ball and clean and jerks I was sweating bullets. Now its time to relax and recoup for the 11:30 am class.

The after noon class was drilling for an hour and rolling for 30 minutes! By the end of this class my body HURT!!! I was ready for some protein!!! So off to Chevy's I went. One hour later and 4 lbs heavier I was ready to fall over and sleep for an hour. But instead I was back at the gym getting ready to teach the kids classes at Crazy 88 BJJ.

Last class was the advanced BJJ. Time for the real training to begin. My body already felt like I have been hit by a car and tackled my 50 awesome little kids. But how am I going to win the Mundials at the Purplebelt if I don't put in the training now!?! So I suited up and got prepared for more beating! One hour later my gi is soaked and I can barely walk.

I go threw all this for one reason and that is to become the 2011 Purplebelts world champion. So I will work harder than anyone in my division and go through all the pain and suffering it takes to be the best.
Like the title of this post says HARD WORK BEATS TALENT!!! And there is no way around it!

Where I Train

I train Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at Crazy 88 BJJ in Elkridge MD which is a Team Lloyd Irvin affiliate.

MMA Fights

Jon Delbrugge first MMA fight went as planed. He went in the ring and finished his opponent without being hit once. I cannot wait to see how his next MMA fight goes. His future opponents better watch out for some vicious takedowns!