Alright….. So, I’m a blogger now...... I’m sure that as much as I try to inform you of all the going-ons in my fight world and share with you what I’ve learned, it’ll help me keep track of progress for myself. So, it’s a win-win situation for both of us. I can dig that…

My blogging schedule will be varied and scattered. But, rest assured I will keep you in the loop. With that being said , let’s get this party started:

If I were to title today’s blog entry, it would be called “Down-Time” as that is exactly the mode I am in. I fought twice within the span of a month, with the last fight being a little over a week ago. So, I’m listening to the people around me for once and allowing my body a little time to recoup a bit. I suffered a few injuries through training for those fights that are now nagging me a bit. So, I’m just taking it easy on training until those things are close to %100. I’m still getting in the fitness gym here and there for some cardio and a decent lift session.

I have gained about 15 lbs in the time since my fight. But that’s probably due to the fact that I tossed my diet completely out the window for a week or two. I have been indulging a bit on the things that I would look at when training, but knew would just be bad fuel for me. When training, I eat as clean and natural as possible, and follow a strict supplement regimen. And although my “diet” when I’m not training is probably still a lot cleaner than most, I really try to tighten it up when I’m getting ready for a fight. I Just look at everything as either high-octane, or sludge. And I need no sludge when training.

I think down-time is an important phase of the fighter lifestyle. We have to be so disciplined and structured when preparing for a fight that I think it’s healthy to get away from that for a second. Take a look at the other areas of your life for a bit, make some progress in those areas, and come back to the grind refreshed. Although, the irony of me saying this is only due to my discovery of it for myself through circumstance, as opposed to choice. That’s why I even have this bit of wisdom to share. If I didn’t have these injuries nagging at me right now, I’d already be back in the gym. That’s just how I get down.

The work ethic that participating in MMA has instilled in me spills over well into the other areas of my world. And it’s during down-time that I get to push in those directions a bit. When I have a fight coming up, I tend to tunnel vision on it a bit, and slack gets created in the outer areas of my world not involved in the fight. My down-time lets me pick up that slack, as well as get ahead a bit those areas enough to focus on the next fight when it comes up.

As I type, I read my words and realize that down-time is your time to balance. Get your world right so that you can go into the next fight fully focused. Have some fun in your down-time. Make it worth the work you just put in and reward yourself, whether you got a W in that last outing or not. You worked for a result. You gave it your all. You left it in the gym before you left it in the cage/ring as well. That right there deserves some celebration in itself.

Take this time to replay the fight, in your mind as well as watching it, and be honest with yourself. Could you have finished it sooner? Were you getting touched by the same strike more often than you would like to have? Did your strikes look as crisp in the fight as they do on the bag/mitts/pads? Did you take advantage of every opening? Were you transition well on the ground? Were you thinking position first? We can always do better than our last. And if we are already finding flaws in what we thought was when we were performing at our best, then we have already grown since that moment. Down-time is the perfect time to get your mind in the game without the physical. This’ll help you get to the next level each fight because it will have you addressing weaknesses as soon as they become apparent.

Well, that concludes this current brainstorm. I’m on my way to see my good friend Jaime Jara take on a 5-0 jiu-jitsu black belt with all first round finishes , and see team-mate Michele Ould take on Zoila Frausto, a team-mate of my last opponent.

I like going to as many fights as possible. Not only to support my friends/training partners, but also just to keep myself in that environment. To feel that electricity and be comfortable in it, to observe others in combat and realistically assess where you feel you stand in your division/region. That way you know what match-ups are good for you. Do your homework….

Alright, now I’m babbling. Hope you enjoyed the read. I’ll be back soon…….