Thoughts from Caroline, Erick, Margaret, and Sarah - Part 1

Hey guys! Fresh off the Boca Raton IBJJF International open and looking forward to May 31st and my fighters getting a shot at glory. Loving life right now!! So this post isn't really mine. I did a little contest for some of my students and asked them to write their thoughts about LMT or training, or fighting..etc. I just wanted to hear from them. They all won a t-shirt just for participating. I am blessed to have them. That being said I'll shut up and let you read for yourselves.

#1 Caroline Roa

To challenge ourselves to the extremes is in my opinion one of the most extraordinary things in life. I believe that we should all test our every ability whether it be physical, mental, or spiritual. If we do not test these abilities, we throw away what mostly every single human being is gifted with. In the last several months I have been blessed to experience an art of beauty and ultimate challenge. Muay Thai has changed me in many ways that no other sport has. It has made me realize how special and powerful the human form is. Practicing this martial art has also humbled me in ways that I could never have imagined. It's made me conscious of the fact that you never know what others are capable of and that there is always someone bigger, better, stronger, and more willing to fight for what they believe in. But never has this conscious thought discouraged me, because now I am better, stronger, and more willing to fight for what I believe in. Thank you for the beginning of an endless journey Lucky! (And of course to your magnificent apprentices as well) 

#2 Erick Rodriguez

  Unity from conflict

                The aroma of sweat and worn leather consumes the ring on this warm spring evening. The sun has almost completely set, only a glimmer of the remaining sunlight peers threw the single window that dawns upon the ring. In the squared circle are two opponents, bitter rivals are facing off unleashing havoc upon one another with surgical precision.  A head kick whips just past his face narrowly missing his brow followed by multitude of punching combinations. The strikes that have been drilled over and over to near perfection force him to the corner. Even though the strikes  are so vicious, so calculated they are only meant to instill doubt into the fighter putting him on the defensive.  Finally forced into a corner slipping and parrying as many strikes he could excepting the ones he could not defend his inner lion has been unleashed. 

                Dazed he makes himself a silent promise: he will not be the prey any longer and begins to push forward. He  begins his  assault  throwing a thundering leg kick which is checked just as expected. The leg kick was only to distract; to close the distance then an overhand right immediately follows which connects to the chin. The two modern day gladiators tired and battered are now clinched up in the center of the ring. While adrenaline courses through their veins they try to keep their composure. Heavy breathing commences between the two while they clasp striking knee for knee elbow for elbow. Groans of pain and determination are now echoing throughout the gym neither refusing to yield. Each time bone meets bruised flesh the groans go louder; the determination grows stronger. It has now become a battle of will, of heart, two lions refusing to fall to their adversary. Thirty seconds left signifies the bell, just outside the ring stands their mentor stands. His arms are neatly folded against his barreled chest standing strong, still and silent. He is laser locked on the war going on just inches away from him; but he is not alone.  As his gladiators play out the brutal chess match inside the ring, outside the ring is just as Relentless. People from all walks of life, all creeds, all nations all sexes are busy at works some in search of  peace through regimen and others for prestige through combat.

                Some of the stable watch along next to the experienced sensei studying every technique, cheering every blow some in awe knowing they have the honor of viewing the controlled chaos. Just a little further away are others shadow boxing, playing out fight scenarios deep within their own minds. They enjoy the cerebral  madness of concocting up new combination to out Witt the imaginary  adversary.  More in the far corner of the gym striking the heavy bags and double end bags. Working on the timing and speed of their favorite techniques. Timing is everything in combat one must know when to be tenacious and when to recover.  As the heavy bags are being struck furiously others battle their limitations. Gloves and shin pads replaced with barbells and jump ropes.  Some need to tend to the cardiovascular aspect of combat, for their is no excuse to do battle out of shape. At the same time some need the cold iron pressed against there skin as they rigorously repeat the same lift until the muscles feels like they 

!will rip through the skin. 

            The bell sounds again the round is over, after six straight grueling rounds of fury the coach finally speaks. " Everyone circle up", he shouts. in that instant the separate sects run in unison to their caller and you can start to see the bigger picture. The weights are put back on the racks quickly. The jump ropes stop whipping against the air. The heavy bags are left to sway in peace. For hours all the commotion that cluttered the gym has stopped and all is deathly quiet. All these separate entities are now all united and listening to the well thought out words that are being spoken. During the choice words the two warriors that had been battling for so long just stare at each other. The day has finally come to an end as the unthinkable happens. The battered rivals do what few people outside this very misunderstood  world can grasp, they bow and embrace each other as brothers. Their is no blood relation between them once so ever, except for the blood they caused each other during the sparring session. 

              In many ways this family though is stronger then your conventional family; for its forged threw the fires of combat. So many different individuals of race, beliefs, personalities put away all their social and economical differences aside and replace it for blood and sweat and tears for one common goal. The goal is nothing more then to better themselves threw martial arts. Regardless of who you are or where your from for those few hours your only concern is to leave your gym/dojo a better  person then once you came in.  Every day is a new lesson be it: physical, emotional or spiritual martial arts regardless of style sends you down a journey of self-discovery. And this same journey has a way of uniting individuals who would probably never even speak an avenue to broaden their spectrum of family and friendships.  In a time where the world is constantly at war because of its differences. Martial arts has taken the act of war and taken those same differences to unify people. That's the bigger picture, take smaller entities/countries and create unity and forge a better team/world. That's martial arts.

The Fever!

Jorge Pereira and Rickson Gracie

        Hi guys!! I hope you are all well, healthy and happy. I'm super stoked and excited as the LMT family continues to grow. We have added a bunch of new team members. Some are fighters and some are not and that's what I love about it. I love this team and how far they have come. That being said I think that the ones that want to fight and be successful on the highest levels must dedicate their lives or as my Jiu Jitsu sensei Jorge Pereira says, they must have the "fever".
        After training Friday night in which I rolled with sensei for the better part of an hour having some success but being submitted more often than not, we all sat around and listened to Master Pereira give his regular after class lessons. I in particular tend to get into the stories of his time training with Rickson and preparing for the Vale tudo wars that made him a legend. I believe that the Jiu Jitsu lives in these stories and it gives soul to the art. On this day though he was making a comparison. Maybe to force us to train more, or maybe he was just being nostalgic but he was comparing his time training Jiu Jitsu to the Jiu Jitsu being trained now. Obviously the times were different and the place was definitely different (not by much living in Miami), but different. He began to speak about how they trained sometimes three times in a day. "We would train in the morning, then go to surf, then back to train. We would talk about the girls, and the university, then back to train".. All of these stories are told in a un-americanized Brazilian accent that lends itself completely to the moment.

The LMT team

        He then said a statement that I took personally. Not that it was directed towards me but it stuck with me. He said,"The difference between training Jiu Jitsu then and the way we train now is the Fever", "you have to have the fever for the fight. If you want to be great at Jiu Jitsu, then you must dedicate your life. People train now like for a hobby".  Those are words that I get, I have done that with Muay Thai and it has done me well and provided for me. I don't know how much I can dedicate to my Jiu Jitsu studies with my schedule the way it is training my team for their futures but I will say that for a large majority of them, they have the fever for Muay Thai and it is inspiring.

        I am committed to having better Jiu Jitsu. I want to be on a championship level and however much I have to train to get there, I will get there. I have the fever for sure. I encourage you to do what so many have said and that's to fall in Love with your art. Fall in love with yourself. Fall in Love with your best friend(Taylor). Let that fever guide you to the highest levels achievable where you can feel accomplished by something other than beating the hardest level on "Candy crush".
     

Determination, it's a conscious choice

       
           What's up people? I hope this finds you all well and good, healthy and happy. I wanted to touch on something that is more than necessary when entering into contact sports and that is summed up best in one word, "Determination". This is a conscious effort to decide to do something no matter the difficulty. When it comes to fighting I believe the only way to approach the training and competition is with complete and utter determination. You can wear all the brand name gear, and buy all of the top quality gear but that doesn't make your focus any stronger. Committing to the idea that whether it's an amateur title or a world title, a gold medal locally or world championship in another country, you can't achieve your goal by part timing it.

Rewards of my decision!

           If your expectations are high then the work you put in has to equate to what you want. You can't be the last one with your gloves on or the first one to your water bottle. I've seen men and women cry during training and i've seen some play around and joke about it. The truth is I would rather train with the ones that are breaking down and continuing to train, those are the fighters. The ones that want it so much that they are willing to give all of themselves to the evolution of their craft. I would even go on a limb in a lot of cases and say if you haven't pushed to the breaking point then maybe you don't want what you think you want.
           I listen to people everyday tell me of their goals and expectations of themselves and in return I try to help them set a path towards those goals. The path I lead them on is one that will require hard work, pain, and little room for laziness. It is up to the person to make the choice on how to deal with it. I myself have far outreached anything I thought possible. I was a late starter into Muay Thai and initially thought of MMA. I have won some amateur titles and some Brazilian Jiu Jitsu medals and I am not done. I was inspired by seeing the accomplishments of others and made a decision that I will have what I want and nothing will stop me. I was working until 5 or 6 a.m. and getting up walking to the gym and training by myself for at least two years, maybe more. I was and still am determined to accomplish more. I didn't even know exactly what I was looking for. I didn't know how to get a fight, how to train properly, or the names of techniques I was doing but it did not deter me. I lost some friendships, probably strained some relationships etc.. These things are called sacrifices.
             The reality of this path is if they are your friends, then they will be supportive and at your side through the journey. You can't expect everyone to understand it, it's your journey not theirs. Be prepared to make sacrifices, deal with scrutiny, injury and aggravation because the road to greatness is cluttered with obstacles but you can make it if you so choose.
            What is it that you want? Not what you see on television, in real life. Pick some goals to shoot for and as you accomplish those goals, the future goals of world championships, gold medals and legacy will start to become more real an attainable. Just remember that the goals are all in reach. All you have to do is be determined.

de·ter·mi·na·tion

 noun \di-ˌtər-mə-ˈnā-shən\

: a quality that makes you continue trying to do or achieve something that is difficult

: the act of finding out or calculating something

: the act of officially deciding something

A blog about money with Music from Everlast

           Hola people, hope all is well in your neighborhood! Everything is great on this side as the team gears up for fights this year and my family and the team continue to grow. Exciting times!! Since my team is growing so are my responsibilities. Now I am taking it upon myself to get way better at something I am super poor at. Finances! I wasn't really exposed to how to take care of money, save money, or grow my money. If you don't know how to do these things I urge you to find out how immediately, especially if you're planning on a career in the fight game.

Tyson made about $400 million. Filed for bankruptcy in 2004.

          I was once told, "fighters don't make money, promoters do". Over the years I have realized that this is beyond the truth. It is a business and the promoters are the CEOs and the fighters are their product. There is an unlimited supply of bodies to throw at each other. Each one searching for fame or fortune. Unfortunately the fighters get paid a very small percentage of the pot and they take all the damage. From the outside it may seem "glamorous" or "so cool" to be a fighter, but the reality is much more sinister. I obviously love being a trainer and I truly enjoy teaching Muay Thai and working on my Jiu Jitsu so don't get me wrong but the truth must be told. Full disclosure for up and coming fighters is not only beneficial to the fighters but also to the business of combat sports.
         First off, if you plan on becoming a world champion fighter, then you need a few things. You will definitely need talent, mix that in with discipline and heart and top that off with the most necessary of items, MONEY!! Yes you'll need money. You want to train jiu jitsu with a top notch instructor, maybe $200 per month for the gym alone, or up to $150 per session for private lessons. What about a Muay Thai instructor, might be a little less for the gym but private lessons could still get up to $100 or more per session. Have you considered strength and conditioning or even a manager? In order to get to a world champions level and maintain that, it will require some cash. So many people think they are getting into fighting to make money but don't realize that unless you're in  the top 3%  to 5% you're not really making money. So let's say hypothetically that you are making $15,000 per fight but you only fight twice per year. That's only $30,000 and that's before Uncle Sam takes 40%, then of course you have to pay your trainers and management, don't forget bills etc... If you don't believe me just do your due diligence, fighters are coming out of the woodwork against the payment methods of the UFC and it's not unheard of for boxers to get paid poorly and end up broke as well. I mean not for nothing one of the greatest fighters in our generation, Manny Pacquiao, with a full team around him to make sure everything is taken care of owes about 45 million dollars in taxes. How does that happen when you have a major promoter "supporting you". It's simple, they don't support you. While you're winning you're the greatest thing since sliced bread, but as you start to decline or skid they start to put focus on the new guy or girl that is doing well. As a fighter you have a shelf life. There is a laundry list of broke world champions out there.
          The only way to fight this trend of getting beat up and ending up broke is to get educated, save, invest and diversify. Maybe while looking for trainers and gyms you should also look into accountants. Don't think of the long term as you standing in the ring or the octagon hoisting the belt over your head while fans scream your name. You should think of the long term as you standing in front of your trophy case showing your grandchildren that belt and explaining how that fight money that you invested is the reason they don't have to settle for a public school education. Life is fleeting and fighting is even a shorter window of opportunity. I'm working on getting it right for myself as a trainer and I plan on passing on any knowledge I gain to my fighters as they start down this road to their dreams.

Here's a link to the list of the earnings for the UFC in 2013. Where do you think you would rank?

http://www.mma-manifesto.com/ufc-fighter-salary-database/salary-main/2013-year-in-review-ufc-fighter-salaries.html

LMT Fight Team 2014

Stress the constant opponent

             Stress in one definition was described as "mental, emotional, or physical strain or tension". They simply forgot about athletes because as far as I can tell it's generally all of the above. Dealing with the stresses of everyday life along with the expectations, and physical demands is enough to have you curled up in the fetal position calling for momma. I certainly wish that was a joke. Often times friends and family might not understand what your vision is, or they might expect to much. Or as is the case most times we as athletes expect too much of ourselves. We all understand that without that mentality it is difficult to achieve the highest of dreams. It is the thing that makes victory so sweet and defeat almost unbearable. However that being said it is an extreme amount of pressure to put on oneself. Compounding life's stresses with the physical exertion used during training can be overwhelming. Pushing yourself to your physical limitations while under the pressures of your life outside of the gym often leads to injury, anxiety, and even depression. Adding onto that is the idea that somewhere down the road the athlete has to perform at the highest level possible. Knowing that in a few weeks someone is waiting to try to kick your head off your shoulders is an anxiety that'll have you not sleeping at night as well as not eating. One or two of these issues isn't easy to deal with but a combination of all of these could be the downfall for the athlete. In Muay Thai, MMA, Boxing, as well as other combat sports high levels of stress could mean the doorway to a serious injury that could even be career threatening. 
             So how do we deal with this?  I'm not sure that there is one clear cut answer. I believe that to combat this opponent you must attack it from multiple angles. First, make sure you're getting enough rest. Sleep is key to recovery from training as well as mental health. Make sure your diet is compatible with your training and that your getting proper nutrients. After attacking it from the inside take some time and do something fun with friends socially. See a movie, get out to dinner, and laugh. Take your mind off of the pressure for a moment. You train hard, you deserve a break to clear your head.
As you move closer to your fight or event, spend some time in a quiet space meditating or visualizing. This will help you maintain your focus and see what it is you want to do in the fight. Last but not least, Yoga might be your key, stretching and breathing are definitely helpful in relieving stress in your body and what ever is circulating in your brain. 
I have to admit I am not the best at managing my stress but much better now then in the past. I did something that isn't mentioned above, I simplified. I spent some time trying to figure out what I wanted in my life and began to slice away at the excess. This isn't to say that everything is always perfect, I still suffer from some heavy anxiety from time to time. So I try my best to keep up with at least a few of suggestions above at all times. If you're suffering anxiety due to stress, whether it's work or relationships, or competition, or all of the above, just remember everything will ultimately be okay. Spend some time trying to find a way to relax and breathe. Life is hard and there is no handbook on how to deal with the pressures but with a little practice and a good support system you'll surely overcome all obstacles in the way of reaching your goals. Good luck and be blessed.

What are you eating?

Oh boy!! It's 2014 and I am stoked about the future! 2013 was a rollercoaster ride with amazing ups and horrifying downs. I can't say  that I wasn't ready for it to end but more importantly I am ready to start the new year on a great note. I'm stacked with optimism for what's to come for my team, and my family. I am wishing you all positive blessings and prosperity for you and yours!! Now let's get this show started.

Homemade ceviche! Delicious!!

         I have heard an overwhelming amount of people talking about their diets in and out of the gym and I am surprised that there are so many nutritionists and dieticians out there. I mean having a conversation about what someone is putting in their body can range from absolutely disgusting to way over the top excessive. I'm doing the "Paleo" diet, I'm a "Vegan", I'm a "Vegetarian", I do only "Organic", dairy, no-dairy..gluten, no gluten. It goes on and on.  Then there's the, "I don't eat meat but I do eat dairy", or the "but it's the holidays" people. How do you know what to eat? The honest truth is if you're really concerned about your food intake or you're worried about a specific medical condition, you should seek out a professional. What I believe is best for the large majority of people is to become educated about the food you're putting in your body. The more knowledge you have about it, the better choices you can make. Read a label once in a while, you might be surprised. Find out about ingredients that aren't just bad for you specifically but bad for the human body period. High fructose corn syrup, MSG, Trans fat...etc Do your best to eat clean(meaning not processed) and lean(meaning less fat). Eat more fruits and vegetables try to eat less fried foods. This isn't rocket science, but it does require a bit of discipline and will. You basically have to figure out how you want to feel, look, and what it's worth to you.

Sauteed mussels, shrimp,and fish!

          Keep in mind this isn't coming from the best eater in the world. I have a severe case of the sweet tooth..lol. However, my diet has gotten so much better over the last couple of years. Last year I switched from using sugar in my coffee to now Stevia. It took a while but I think I found something I like the taste of. When I made that switch I could see changes in my body within a month. I trimmed quite a bit of fat just from taking sugar out of my coffee.
This year I am planning on tightening up my eating habits a little more. I think ultimately we all just want to feel healthier and one of the best ways to do it is by eating a better diet, not going on one but changing your lifestyle. Diets are temporary. I encouraging all of you to do your due diligence on what you're eating and let me know what you decide to change and how it's affecting you. I'm interested to know.